National Funding Research Articles

The impact of the russian-ukrainian war on economic processes in russia: analysis and forecasting

In this article, the author examines the impact of the war in Ukraine on the Russian economy, analyzes and forecasts some of the main factors. The relevance of the issue under consideration is due to the fact that the economic situation in Russia directly affects Russia's ability to continue the war in Ukraine. Therefore, the purpose of the article is to analyze and forecast the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on economic processes in Russia. Despite the fact that officialstatistics are mostly classified or distorted by Rosstat, the analysis shows that the economic situation in Russia is getting worse. For the past six years, the Russian economy has been experiencing strong inflation, and in the current environment, inflationary processes have intensified significantly. Eventually, the Kremlin will face a problem: either to continue fighting in Ukraine, or to boost the economy, or to move to a large-scale money issue, which will lead to even higher prices. The National Welfare Fund has shrunk by almost a third and continues to shrink. That is, without additional investments of foreign capital, Russia will not be able to raise the economy and conduct military operations.The key policy rate was forecasted using neural networks based on the method of group consideration of arguments using the GMDH Shell program. The forecast shows that in 2023 the key policy rate may increase to 23%.The article shows how the national welfare fund of Russia has been reduced, and the federal budget expenditures are analyzed. The author gives the estimated expenditures of the Russian Federation for the first year of the war and the budget deficit. According to experts' estimates, an approximate figure of the need for funds to support combat operations in the current conditions is provided. The materials of the article are of practical value for analysts, economists and anyone who studies the Russian-Ukrainian war from the point of view of the economic component.

Towards comprehensive clinical trials for new tuberculosis drug regimens: policy recommendations from a stakeholder analysis

BackgroundResearch and development (R&D) of new drugs and regimens against tuberculosis (TB) is evolving to meet new challenges and face limited investments in the sector. To effectively improve and fill...

The Pendulum: The Need to Develop a Safe, Effective, and Equitable Management Strategy for Opioids in Cancer Patients.

The opioid epidemic has caused major morbidity and mortality to Americans. Although there are multiple sources of this staggering issue, one inciting factor has been the use of opioids to manage pain. Although recent efforts have changed care pathways for patients with chronic pain, the first-line management of cancer pain remains opioids. Despite this, there is very little evidence and no guidelines/regulations to assist in the management of these patients. Although the literature suggests a number of current barriers to identifying and managing the challenges (such as the preferred management of patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), the optimal approach to taperering, or approaches to disparities), there are no concrete strategies for providers to manage these circumstances. Investing in further research utilizing the national opioid settlement funding, exploring the equity gaps using community based participatory research and community health worker models, and increasing provider education pathways are all potential approaches to improving this issue. These solutions could help identify and address some of the gaps that affect cancer patients taking opioids for pain.

110 Answering the Call for Greater LGBTQ+ Research Inclusivity by Co-Developing A Workshop for Researchers

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The objectives of this workshop were to: (1) provide learners with a space to become aware of and discuss the history of the LGBTQ+ community in medical and public health research; (2) apply frameworks for LGBTQ+ inclusivity in research, inspired by lived experience and multimedia; and (3) assess LGBTQ+ research inclusivity best practices. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The CTSC provided the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland (Center) with access to academic resources via an affiliate account and insights on the clinical and translational science research process. Members of the CTSC Research Equity, Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion team met regularly with the education and programming team at the Center to review research findings for workshop segments, ideate and provide feedback on activities, and strategize to ensure a psychologically safe virtual environment for learners. Zoom registration was used for workshop registration. An evaluation survey, created by the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland (Center), was deployed by the CTSC to learners after the workshop. Respondents reported that the LGBTQ+ terminology focus was most valuable. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: To maximize investment in and scale theLGBTQ+ Inclusivity For Researchers workshop, the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland offered a shortened version to their Youth Participatory Action Research group and will continue to offer the workshop in their suite of program/educational offerings. The CTSC plans to offer opportunities to co-host the workshop at its hospital system partner institutions, with room to tailor content based on internal LGBT resources (e.g., gender care offered at the institution). We hope to see a remarkable increase in LGBTQ+ identifying researchers, LGBTQ+ participation in research studies and clinical trials, and LGBTQ+ research topics/ideas/questions in response to CTSC pilots, local, national, and global funding opportunities. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: LGBTQ+ people are less likely to have a regular health care provider—impeding screening, diagnosis, and treatment. This is reflected in health research where clinical research participation may follow a diagnosis. By providing tools for LGBTQ+ research inclusion, we will catalyze more research with LGBTQ+ people—as researchers and participants.

Penta Helix Collaboration in Developing Social Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities

This research examines collaboration between the government, community, academia, entrepreneurs and the media, known as the ‘penta helix’, in developing social inclusion for persons with disabilities (PwD) in Indonesia. This descriptive and qualitative study collects data through observation, focus group discussions and in-depth interviews. The research informants were determined purposively from representatives of the penta helix who were seen as understanding or having the authority to interact with PwD. For data analysis, Miles and Huberman’s interactive analysis model was employed. Regarding the five areas of the penta helix, the study found that the government exercised political power through the issuance of Regional Regulation 9 of 2020 concerning the protection and fulfilment of the rights of PwD. The regulation aims to ensure that PwD receive the same rights and opportunities as other citizens. The community has a role as social power through creating care classes for PwD for people to understand the culture and self-development of PwD. Academics function as a knowledge power by developing campus inclusion standards and collaborating with national and international funding institutions to carry out the three pillars of higher education on the issue of PwD. Industry plays a role as social justice power in supporting the provision of venture capital assistance and work skills training for PwD. The media holds the power of brand image so that discriminatory views against PwD transform into fulfilling the rights of PwD. Understanding stakeholders’ role in the penta helix collaboration helps develop a social inclusion model for PwD.

Green education divide: a comparative case study analysis of countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

BackgroundGreen education is an essential precursor to promoting long-term sustainable practices and fostering environmentally conscious behaviours, especially among the younger generations. Such education equips individuals with the knowledge, awareness, and experiences necessary for green behavioural shifts, empowering them to engage actively in sustainable practices in the long run, which is essential for ensuring environmental sustainability. However, green education practices and policies vary among the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) owing to different levels of socioeconomic development, national priorities, and capacities of each member state. We aimed to analyse and compare the disparities in green education among pace-setter, maturing, and emerging ASEAN countries. MethodsWe used a case-study approach—a desktop analysis based on journal articles, country reports, newspaper articles, and other sources from the past 10 years—to analyse and compare the green education disparities among pace-setter, maturing, and emerging ASEAN countries. FindingsAs a pace-setter ASEAN country, Singapore has made impressive progress in promoting green education through the effective implementation of pragmatic policies and impactful green education initiatives. Furthermore, the country has established extensive formal and informal green education programmes that closely align with the Singapore Green Plan 2030. By contrast, maturing ASEAN countries are making incremental progress in incorporating green education into their formal education systems. However, challenges faced by these countries include a shortage of well-trained teachers, the lack of specific green education subjects in school syllabuses, and financial constraints. Despite these challenges, innovative approaches—such as partnerships with non-governmental organisations (eg, the World Wide Fund for Nature)—have emerged as promising strategies to promote green education within these maturing nations. Emerging ASEAN countries face the biggest challenges in promoting green education. Competing national priorities, political instability, limited funding and resources, inadequate infrastructure, and a lack of qualified educators pose challenging barriers to advancing green education within emerging ASEAN nations. InterpretationThis study provides insights into the best practices and challenges surrounding green education within pace-setter, maturing, and emerging ASEAN countries. To address the disparities in green education among these countries, there is a need to adopt a holistic ecosystem framework characterised by the so-called 8i enablers, namely infrastructure (eg, well-equipped laboratories and learning spaces), infostructure (eg, advanced teaching technologies), intellectual capital (eg, well-trained educators), integrity systems (eg, efficient green education governance systems), incentives (eg, public and private funding for green education initiatives), institutions (ie, strong institutional leaders), interaction (ie, cooperation and collaboration among relevant stakeholders), and internationalisation (eg, leveraging regional and international partnerships to access expertise and resources). FundingNone.

Specialization in climate technologies at the regional level in Europe: relatedness and the moderating role of policy direction

This study focuses on the influence of related and unrelated variety on specialization in climate change mitigation technologies on a regional level in Europe. We consider two dimensions of specialization: the degree of specialization and being specialized or not. We also investigate the moderating role of public policy direction towards climate change mitigation at regional, national, and EU regime level. Based on a fixed effect specification of patent data relating to climate technologies in 194 regions during the period 2008–2017, we find that related variety positively influences the degree of specialization in climate technologies, but only in regions with a low degree of specialization. We also report a weakening effect of national policy level environmental taxation and of the European Regional Development Fund for related variety. Regarding being specialized as a region in climate technologies, our study reveals a positive role played by unrelated variety and a negative moderating effect exerted by both national policy level environmental taxation and European Regional Development Fund policy support. We discuss implications for policymaking in the field of climate change mitigation technologies.

ВОЗЗРЕНИЯ Н. С. ЛЕСКОВА НА ИМЯ (ОНОМАСТИЧЕСКИЙ КОММЕНТАРИЙ)

The article deals with the N.S. Leskov's views to a proper name in Russian culture. The writer highly values the Russian name as part of the national cultural fund. In N.S. Leskov's opinion, the wide use of native Russian names in naming will significantly enrich our culture. The article analyzes the anthroponyms of N.S. Leskov’s essay “Satiety with nobility” (1888), dedicated to the loss of the tradition of calling by name in Russian speech culture. The writer creatively comprehends the potential of proper name, thereby forming a unique metatextual reality of his works. The proper name plays an important role in N.S. Leskov’s creative workshop. Key words: name, onomastics, biblical names, autobiographical names, “Satiety of nobility” (1888), N.S. Leskov

Determinants of financial performance of pension funds in Tanzania: The case of national social security fund

This study was set to examine the determinants of financial performance of pension funds in Tanzania. According to literature millions of the people under the globe depend on the pension funds as their principal sources of income at their retirement age. This study adopted a descriptive design to examine the determinants of financial performance of pension funds in Tanzania. The study uses regression analysis approach to examine the effect of determinants on financial performance of pension funds. Data were collected from National Social Security Fund (NSSF)’s financial statements for the period from 2005 to 2022. Different tests were employed such as normality test, heteroscedasticity test multicolliniality test and autocorrelation test in multiple regression modelling. The findings from this study revealed that investments and contribution density have a positive relationship to return on assets. However, the age of the contributors has depicted a weak and insignificant relationship to the return on assets of the pension fund under investigation. Therefore, it is recommended that the pension funds have to put more efforts on its investments as well as contribution density which are key contributors to the financial performance of pension funds in Tanzania.

Реалізація положень статті 13 Конституції України

The work analyzes the method of implementing the provisions of Article 13 of the Constitution of Ukraine in accordance with the norms of the Tax Code of Ukraine. It was revealed that the Ukrainian people's ownership of the subsoil is improperly implemented and requires radical changes. This issue is solved in the work by determining the components of the price of raw materials extracted in Ukraine. It is proposed to define the sale price as the sum of two components: the extraction price plus rent. Such a price structure automatically monitors the global market situation for each type of raw material, the mining and geological conditions of its extraction in Ukraine, and is universal for all types of raw materials. The work substantiates the necessity of transition to world prices for raw materials and defines the way to implement this possibility. The transition to world prices for raw materials provides a universal way of determining the rent for all types of raw materials as the difference between the world price for the corresponding raw material and the price of extraction of the corresponding raw material in Ukraine. Due to the policy of low wages in Ukraine, most consumers are unable to pay for natural gas and utilities at such rates. To ensure the possibility of applying world prices for energy resources, it is proposed to introduce a discount, the amount of which is equal to the amount of rent. The discount is calculated for each protected consumer depending on the volume of gas consumed according to the readings of his metering devices. The source of funds for granting the discount is part of the rent paid by mining companies in Ukraine. The rest of the consumers must pay the cost of raw materials at world market prices. It is also proposed to change the directions of the use of annuity. Part of the rent should be used to eliminate the budget deficit of the Pension Fund of Ukraine. Most of the rent should be used to form a sovereign national fund and the rest must be transferred to the State Budget.

Abstract 7488: Detection of PD-L1 mRNA expression in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients with metastatic NSCLC, HNSCC and melanoma using a novel highly sensitive commercially available CE-IVD kit

Abstract Background: We have previously reported the development of an RT-qPCR assay for PD-L1 expression in CTCs (Strati et al, Ann Oncol, 2017). This assay is now commercially available as Oncolipsy PD-L1 kit (CE-IVD, Pharmassist, Greece) and we report here it’s application in size-based enriched CTCs from patients with metastatic NSCLC, HNSCC and melanoma, before and during PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapies. Patients and Methods: The Oncolipsy PD-L1 kit was analytically validated using Mini-Genes as positive controls (IDT, USA). The analytical sensitivity was tested by spiking known numbers of H1975 cells in peripheral blood (PB) samples from healthy donors (HD). In total 95 patients were enrolled in the study: 69 patients with metastatic NSCLC, 19 patients with metastatic HNSCC and 7 patients with metastatic melanoma. 40 PB samples from HD were used as a control group. 10 ml of PB was collected at baseline (V0), two months after immunotherapy (V1) and at the time of disease progression (PD) or 18 months after initiation of immunotherapy (V2). PD-L1 and B2M transcripts were quantified in cDNAs obtained from CTCs isolated with the size-based PARSORTIX (ANGLE, UK) device. A sample was considered as CTC-positive when cDNAs were positive for CK-8, CK-18 or CK-19 expression. Results: Spiking experiments have shown that 10 H1975cells/10ml PB can be detected using the kit. In CTC-positive samples, overexpression of PD-L1 was detected in 15/58(25.8%) patients at V0, in 6/34(17.6%) patients at V1 and in 3/11(27.3%) at V2. Patients with elevated expression of PD-L1 at V1 in respect to V0 and detectable CTCs had longer PFS (18.5mo vs. 13.2mo, p=0.033) and longer OS (24.8mo vs. 12.8mo, p = 0.071) after initiation of immunotherapy. Patients with elevated PD-L1 at V1 compared to V0 benefited from immunotherapy, with a longer DFS (17.8mo vs. 13.4mo) and OS (29.4mo vs. 26.9mo). Conclusions: The commercially available Oncolipsy PD-L1 kit can be used for the quantification of PD-L1 transcripts in CTCs. Expression of PD-L1 in size-based enriched CTCs can predict response to PD-1/PD-L1 blockade therapy. Acknowledgements: This study has been financially supported by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH - CREATE - INNOVATE (project code: T1RCI-02935). Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04490564 Citation Format: Areti Strati, Martha Zavridou, Stavroula Smilkou, Victoria Tserpeli, Eleni Tzanikou, Dimitra Stergiopoulou, Eleni Efthimiadou, Emily Tsaroucha, Amanda Psyrri, Aggeliki Sfika, Evangelos Bournakis, Ioanna Balgkouranidou, Stylianos Kakolyris, Ioannis Boukovinas, Christos Papadimitriou, Loukas Kaklamanis, Ioanna Koukli, Evi Lianidou. Detection of PD-L1 mRNA expression in circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from patients with metastatic NSCLC, HNSCC and melanoma using a novel highly sensitive commercially available CE-IVD kit [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 7488.

Abstract 2407: Detection of hotspot PIK3CA mutations in primary tumors and plasma-cfDNA of breast cancer patients using a novel highly sensitive CE-IVD kit

Abstract Introduction: Detection of PIK3CA mutations in primary tumors (FFPEs) and liquid biopsy samples is of increasing importance for treatment decisions in breast cancer. Oncolipsy PIK3CA kit (Pharmassist Ltd, Greece) is based on the combination of allele-specific priming, asymmetric PCR, and melting curve analysis. The CE-IVD kit can detect the presence of four PIK3CA hotspot mutations (E542K, E545K, E545Q, H1047R). The aim of the present study was to: a) evaluate the performance of this novel CE-IVD kit both in FFPEs and plasma-cfDNA samples from patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and b) directly compare the derived results using the Oncolipsy PIK3CA kit with the cobas® PIK3CA mutation test (CE-IVD, Roche Diagnostics, Germany) in identical gDNAs isolated from FFPEs samples. Patients and methods: We analyzed 42 primary tumors (FFPEs) and 29 plasma-cfDNA samples from patients with estrogen receptor (ER) positive metastatic breast cancer. Genomic DNA was isolated from FFPEs using the QIAamp DNA FFPE Tissue Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany), while cfDNA was extracted from 2.00 mL of plasma using the QIAamp DSP cNA Kit (Qiagen, Hilden, Germany). PIK3CA hotspot mutations were detected in the LightCycler® 2.0 (IVD instrument, Roche Diagnostics, Germany) using the highly sensitive Oncolipsy PIK3CA kit (analytical sensitivity 0.05%). A direct comparison study was performed using the cobas® PIK3CA Mutation Test on the cobas z 480 analyzer (IVD instrument, Roche Diagnostics, Germany). Results: In primary tumors the E545K mutation was detected in 22/42 (52.4%), the E542K and H1047R mutations were detected in 11/42 (26.2%) and 4/42 (9.5%) of primary tumor samples, respectively, while the E545Q mutation was not detected in any FFPE sample tested. At least one PIK3CA mutation was detected in 14/29 (48.3%) plasma-cfDNA samples. More specifically the E545K mutation was detected in 11/29 (38%), the H1047R mutation in 3/29 (10.4%) and the E542K mutation in 2/29 (6.9%) while the E545Q mutation was not detected in any plasma-cfDNA sample tested. In FFPEs, as expected, PIK3CA mutation frequency was higher compared to plasma-cfDNA. Direct comparison of the results derived using these two commercially available kits, the Oncolipsy CE-IVD kit and the cobas PIK3CA mutation test, using the same gDNA isolated from 42 FFPEs revealed a concordance of 34/42 (81%). Conclusions: The commercially available Oncolipsy PIK3CA CE-IVD kit is highly sensitive and specific for the detection of four PIK3CA hotspot mutations in primary tumors and plasma-cfDNA. Acknowledgement: This study has been financially supported by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH - CREATE - INNOVATE (project code: T1RCI-02935). Citation Format: Stavroula Smilkou, Dimitra Stergiopoulou, Eleni Tzanikou, Loukas Kaklamanis, Ioanna Balgkouranidou, Helena Linardou, Flora Zagouri, Evangelia Razi, Stylianos Kakolyris, Amanda Psyrri, Christos Papadimitriou, Ioanna Koukli, Athina Markou, Evi Lianidou. Detection of hotspot PIK3CA mutations in primary tumors and plasma-cfDNA of breast cancer patients using a novel highly sensitive CE-IVD kit [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2024; Part 1 (Regular Abstracts); 2024 Apr 5-10; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(6_Suppl):Abstract nr 2407.

Urologists have a duty to think about occupational urinary cancers

More than 11% of employees are exposed to carcinogens in the usual course of their work. The benefits of recognition as an occupational disease (OD) allow victims of work firstly to benefit from a disability compensation. But there are collective challenges. It is important to understand that accidents at work and recognised OD are not financially covered by health insurance, which is financed by everyone, but by a specific branch, known as “professional risks/occupational risks”, financed by employers alone. Being recognised as having an OD modifies the benefits: 100% coverage of all the costs inherent to the OD, including transport costs, increase of daily allowances, payment of a pension (or of a lump sum if the Permanent Incapacity rate is<10%). A survivor's pension may be paid to the beneficiaries in the event of the patient's death. OD “is presumed to be of occupational origin: any disease designated in a table of OD and contracted under the conditions set out in this table”. Although the declaration of OD must be made by the victim (or his dependents) to the national health insurance fund, it can only exist on condition that a doctor has drawn up a descriptive Initial Medical Certificate (IMC), taking care to use the exact terms of the tables (15 ter and 16 bis) and the professional/occupational origin.

The role of institutional design in mobilizing climate finance: Empirical evidence from Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, and Indonesia

International climate finance is a crucial component of the response to climate change. This paper examines how national-level funding vehicles mobilize finance from international sources. Based on interviews with policymakers and various actors involved in the negotiation and design of four major early national climate funds, the Amazon Fund, the Bangladesh Climate Change Resilience Fund, Ethiopia’s Climate Resilient Green Economy Facility, and the Indonesia Climate Change Trust Fund, this paper identifies design features of national climate funds and highlights the trade-offs that developing countries face in their pursuit of climate finance. These design features have significant bearing on the overall effectiveness of the funds themselves. The findings from this study suggest that developing countries seek to maximize control over the funds even though it means that the design features do not minimize costs, as efficiency-oriented perspectives would suggest. The experience of these early national climate funds could be instructive to those governments and stakeholders considering establishing their own national climate funds or improving features. Three policy lessons are noteworthy: the importance of demonstrating commitment to climate policy through transparent data and results, instilling robust fiduciary standards and safeguards, and the virtuous cycle mobilizing climate finance and acquiring a track record on climate programming.

Pathology of the Research Sector in Iran's Health System with a Focus on Future

Background: Strengthening the functions of health research and taking a systematic approach to the development of science and technology are essential for overcoming current challenges in health sector. Therefore, the functional pathology of current research plays a crucial role in highlighting the gap between what is and what should be, thereby illuminating the path of scientific development in health sector with a focus on current challenges.&#x0D; Methods: This study utilized qualitative exploratory approaches, regarding interviews with experts and expert panel formation, to complement the authors' experiences in the field of research. In this process, relevant national upstream documents, experiences from other countries, and reviews of other documents were used to reinforce and analyze the findings. To adopt a future-oriented approach, the Future Triangle framework was employed to depict the tension between future images, the weight of past experiences, and the pressure of the current time.&#x0D; Results: The research functions were categorized into seven groups: leadership and guidance, research coordination and policy-making, translating upstream documents policies into operational programs, resource management, performance evaluation and monitoring, empowering the workforce and policy-making based on evidence and pathology. Under each category, strategies for moving away from the current situation were provided.&#x0D; Conclusion: The main solutions to address the current challenges in the country's health research system include agreement on concepts, a unified vision and stable procedures, strengthening the relationship between different levels of management (inter-ministerial, ministerial, and university), enhancing education and research at the level of medical ministry and universities, establishing appropriate structures for knowledge translation, strengthening national funds supporting the research, reforming the evaluation system, and undertaking a fundamental review of human resource empowerment model.

The lifeblood of LifeWatch ERIC: national in-kind contributions

A distributed research infrastructure such as LifeWatch ERIC necessitates close cooperation among the various components that constitute the research infrastructure and contribute to the overall services, facilities and resources it offers to the user community. In-kind contributions are non-monetary contributions, consisting of labour, services, facilities and access to resources, typically provided by the distributed components of the research infrastructure. The financing for in-kind contributions is usually provided by the national funding agency on behalf of the LifeWatch member country or by the member directly, with a value being accredited towards the member's funding obligations to LifeWatch ERIC. The management and validation of in-kind contributions towards shared objectives are integral to the legal framework supporting LifeWatch ERIC. This involves a rigorous assessment process to verify each in-kind contribution. This short article outlines that process and explores the function of the In-Kind Contributions Committee (IKCC) at LifeWatch ERIC.

The diagnosis and management of systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease-related interstitial lung disease: British Society for Rheumatology guideline scope.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a significant complication of many systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs), although the clinical presentation, severity and outlook may vary widely between individuals. Despite the prevalence, there are no specific guidelines addressing the issue of screening, diagnosis and management of ILD across this diverse group. Guidelines from the ACR and EULAR are expected, but there is a need for UK-specific guidelines that consider the framework of the UK National Health Service, local licensing and funding strategies. This article outlines the intended scope for the British Society for Rheumatology guideline on the diagnosis and management of SARD-ILD developed by the guideline working group. It specifically identifies the SARDs for consideration, alongside the overarching principles for which systematic review will be conducted. Expert consensus will be produced based on the most up-to-date available evidence for inclusion within the final guideline. Key issues to be addressed include recommendations for screening of ILD, identifying the methodology and frequency of monitoring and pharmacological and non-pharmacological management. The guideline will be developed according to methods and processes outlined in Creating Clinical Guidelines: British Society for Rheumatology Protocol version 5.1.

They Like to Do It in Public: A Quantitative Analysis of Culture-Led Regeneration Projects in ITALY

This paper presents and discusses a quantitative analysis of culture-led urban regeneration initiatives in Italy. It draws on a database of projects built using the filter of the national funding schemes launched between 2012 and 2018. The main objective of the research is to build an overview of the phenomenon of culture-based urban regeneration in Italy, recognizing common trends and recurring dynamics. The projects in the database are analyzed quantitatively on the basis of 28 attributes, taking into consideration different aspects such as the projects’ localization, the typology, dimension and ownership of the spatial assets mobilized, the relationship with public policies, and the scale of actors and networks involved in the projects. The findings show that culture-led regeneration initiatives “like to do it in public”; namely, to achieve their objectives—to “do culture”—they seek to connect with the public sector to receive forms of economic, material, and organizational support, such as public spaces in which to host their activities. Therefore, the interaction with the public administration is interpreted as the sine qua non condition for the success of culture-led urban regeneration initiatives and to ensure that these are able to generate strong and durable impacts on the revitalization and regeneration of distressed urban neighborhoods.

Actors participation and power relations of REDD+ implementation in Bale Eco Region, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT The study focuses on actor participation and power dynamics in the REDD+ project within the Bale eco-region, a vital facet of global climate policy for sustainable forest resource management. The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) of the World Bank supports developing countries in preparing for international REDD+ policy implementation, emphasizing the necessity of effective actor participation. The study uses text documents, Socio metric survey, and interviews with project actors and participants. This study employs both qualitative framework and social network analysis (SNA). While SNA looks at power dynamics and interactions between actors, the qualitative framework allows for a comprehensive evaluation of actor participation. The social network data was analyzed using an open source software called NodeXL. Results show that Bale eco-region REDD+ involves actors from different groups. Actors contribute to national strategies, funding, capacity building, and knowledge sharing. However, local communities have limited involvement in decision-making, lack knowledge sharing and capacity building. This hinders the implementation process and contributes to unequal power dynamics and lack the comprehensive input needed for effective and tailored strategies in the region. Calculated centrality values highlight a strong alliance among Ethiopia's national government entity overseeing REDD+ Environment, Forest and Climate Change Commission (EFCCC), and the regional entities Oromiya Forest and Wildlife Enterprise (OFWI), as well as Farm Africa, indicating significant institutional power across national and local levels. EFCCC holds influence in decision-making and strategy development, while OFWI wields substantial regional institutional power in information control and collaboration. Thus, climate policies must prioritize involvement of local communities in decision-making, capacity development, and resource accessibility. This helps to tackle power imbalances through collaborative governance structures. It also enables stakeholders to actively manage forests through imparting skills, knowledge and share benefits equally.

Heterogeneous public preferences for undergrounding high-voltage power transmission lines: The case of Seoul metropolitan area in South Korea

Local residents generally do not prefer the installation and operation of power infrastructure because of the perceived economic, health, environmental, and landscape risks associated with it. This study investigates public preferences for undergrounding high-voltage power transmission lines, which is a popular option to cope with conflicts related to transmission infrastructure. Undergrounding refers to burying overhead transmission lines underground. However, undergrounding projects are costly, making it difficult for local governments to conduct by themselves. Therefore, national-level support is required to conduct undergrounding of transmission lines. When national funds are used, considering heterogeneous public preferences is important, as the public may have a polarized preference towards the policy. This study utilized the choice experiment and consumer choice model to investigate public preferences for priorities and details of the high-voltage transmission line undergrounding policy. The latent class logit model, which incorporates preference heterogeneity by grouping the samples into a few classes, was utilized to investigate heterogeneous public preferences. Consequently, four distinct classes with different preference structures were identified. The results show that strong heterogeneity was observed, especially in the priority area for undergrounding. Moreover, heterogeneous public preferences were associated with the key demographics of respondents and perceptions towards transmission infrastructure.