Pioneer Project Research Articles

Governing with nature: a European perspective on putting rewilding principles into practice.

Academic interest in rewilding is moving from commentary to discussion on future research agendas. The quality of rewilding research design will be enhanced if it is informed by knowledge of the rewilding practice. Here, we describe the conceptual origins and six case study examples of a mode of rewilding that emerged in the Dutch Delta and is being promoted and supported by Rewilding Europe, an umbrella organization established in 2011. The case experiences presented help position this version of rewilding in relation to the US 3C's version and point towards a rewilding action philosophy characterized by pragmatic realism and pioneer projects around which multiactor networks interested in policy innovation and change form. We argue that scaling-up the models of rewilding presented is constrained by institutional cultures and will require innovations in conservation finance and business models. Nonetheless, we suggest that the expanding European Rewilding Network and associated facilities, such as the European Wildlife Bank, represent a valuable asset for natural science research, aimed at exploring the ecological impacts of grazing and the relationship between role of restored herbivore guilds and biotical expansion, and for social science research investigating concepts such as non-human agency and autonomy. Lastly, we ask applied scientists to view rewilding as an uncertain and unfolding conservation approach and to refrain from seeking to specify it as a management approach supporting the delivery of pre-determined targets and/or ideals. This is because such actions may constrain the transformative potential of rewilding practice.This article is part of the theme issue 'Trophic rewilding: consequences for ecosystems under global change'.

Cancer Fundraising 1.0: A Pioneer Project to Finance Nutrition Education Programmes for Cancer Patients in National Cancer Institute, Putrajaya, Malaysia

Amount raised: Dietitians of National Cancer Institute (NCI), Putrajaya, Malaysia has organized various activities in conjunction with Dietitians' Day 2017 celebration on 19 October 2017. Among the activities was a charity sale. During the event, healthy self-made ice creams were sold. At the end of the project, we managed to gather RM552 which was later spent for next project in Daycare Centre, NCI. Background and context: Malnutrition is a common problem among cancer patients and likely to develop or worsen during specific cancer treatments especially when early and appropriate nutritional intervention is not properly indicated. To address this issue, the Dietetics and Food Services Department of NCI has come up with the initiative to conduct a Nutrition Support Group (NSG) among cancer patients receiving chemotherapy in Daycare Centre, NCI. The NSG involves giving nutrition education to patients, discussion and sharing session among patients as well as food tasting of high-calorie high-protein recipes. To finance the project, the amount of money gathered from the charity sale was used. Aim: To raise fund for NSG at Daycare Centre, NCI. Strategy/Tactics: We aim to educate the public and cancer patients by promoting healthy desserts recipe using fresh and healthy ingredients. We decided to sell ice creams and provide recipes for everyone who purchased our products. We chose ice creams because Malaysia is located near the equator and the weather all year long is mostly warm. Malaysians usually enjoy ice cream during hot weather. Furthermore, cancer patients particularly those who are on treatment may develop oral ulcers and difficulty swallowing. This group of patients will benefit the coolness from ice cream to soothe their burning oral cavity. We created 3 different ice creams flavors; watermelon sorbet, chocolate banana peanut butter and mango madness. Program process: The charity sale was located at outpatient lobby, in front of Oncology Clinic. This was the most strategic location to attract the public and patients to our charity sale. The charity sale was a success as the ice creams were sold out within 2 hours. We also gathered some positive feedback from the customers regarding our ice creams. Costs and returns: The total production cost was RM350. Gross sale was RM552 with a net profit of RM202. With this amount, we were able to conduct NSG for 12 sessions from December 2017 to May 2018. Each session cost RM15 for purchasing items for food tasting. What was learned: We look forward to organize such event at a bigger scale to gather larger amount of financial resources. More education sessions have to be organized to help patients receive their targeted nutrition requirement. With this self-initiated fund-raising campaign, many more projects can be done without having to rely to the limited hospital budget.

Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation in a Patient with Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy

Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) have been introduced as a possible therapy in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). We report a 16-year-old boy who was treated with WJ-MSCs in the course of HIE due to post-cardiopulmonary resuscitation. He received a long period of mechanical ventilation and tracheostomy with spastic quadriparesis. He underwent the intrathecal (1×106/kg in 3 mL), intramuscular (1×106/kg in 20 mL) and intravenous (1×106/kg in 30 mL) administrations of WJ-MSCs for each application route (twice a month for 2 months). After stem cell infusions, progressive improvements were shown in his neurological examination, neuroradiological, and neurophysiological findings. To our best knowledge, this is a pioneer project to clinically study the neural repair effect of WJ-MSCs in a patient with HIE.

Sustainability issues in the industrial heritage adaptive reuse: rethinking culture-led urban regeneration through Chinese case studies

Targeted at the fragility of culture-led regeneration as a result of market frustrations and policy instability, the paper proposes a sustainable perspective to re-examine the prospects of culture-led urban regeneration projects at the local level through the taxonomy of three signatures—The Beijing 798 Art Zone, The Shanghai M50 and The Guangzhou Xinyi International Club are chosen as different, yet representative cases of industrial heritage transformed creative clusters. By comparing the development trajectories and statuses of these pioneer culture-led regeneration projects, the paper reveals the mechanism and confirms the model of practice for the reincarnation of industrial heritage by creative clusters in the local context of the cities. Ultimately, the analysis of this model indicates that the reuse of industrial heritage is an effective approach in response to the cultural demands of the post-industrial era; however, it brings forth the inevitable challenges beyond economic dimension, from a sustainability perspective. The analysis further identifies those underlying reasons of unsustainability and provides recommendations in order to explore the full potential of the “cultural value” of urban regeneration.

The Development of the School Trial Islamic Religious Instruction at Bavarian Public Schools

This paper analyses the formation and development of the school trial Islamic religious instruction at public schools in Bavaria. The Bavarian trial was a pioneer project and was described as the nearest to the guidelines of the German Basic Law 7,3 compared to others. Meanwhile the Bavarian Islamic religious instruction has been tried for nearly 15 years. It has been evaluated positively for years, nevertheless its status of a school trial is ongoing. The school trial Islamic religious instruction in Bavaria fell far short of the expectations. It has neither been introduced nationwide in Bavaria nor received the status of a regular religious instruction according to the Basic Law 7,3 analog to the Jewish or Christian religious instruction. It seems that there’s no political will in Bavaria to accept the existing Islamic associations as a religious community according to the Basic Law 7,3. The unconstitutional status of the Islamic religious instruction will intensify the distrust of the Muslims into the Bavarian state.

Landslide stabilization with geogrids in Lech: a pioneer project 25 years ago

This article is not available for publication.

Family‐centered kindergarten social work services in Hong Kong: A pilot project

AbstractSocial work services at schools in Hong Kong will begin a new chapter in kindergartens in 2018–2019 school year. Early childhood professionals have long considered family‐centered service delivery best practice. This paper reports a pioneer project on a family‐centered approach in kindergarten social work services in Hong Kong. The project was illustrated according to the following family‐centered principles: (a) The family as the unit of attention, (b) Linking families with community resources, (c) Flexible and individualized service provision, and (d) Creating partnerships and supportive relationships. The value and contributions of family‐centered social work services in kindergartens and implications for social work training in Hong Kong are discussed.

Study of the Competitiveness of Quanzhou Port on the Belt and Road in China Based on a Fuzzy-AHP and ELECTRE III Model

With the establishment of the Belt and Road national strategy, Quanzhou Port is a significant development opportunity. Quanzhou Port is the origin of the 21st century Maritime Silk Road and part of the Belt and Road, but as a pioneer project of the Maritime Silk Road and the main port in the Belt and Road strategy, its development has encountered some challenges and problems. Hence, this paper aims to evaluate the competitiveness of Quanzhou Port based on the criteria selected by experts and corresponding improvement suggestions are put forward for its weaknesses. Using fuzzy-AHP and ELECTRE III, port competitiveness is evaluated according to the total weights obtained based on the different criteria used. The key criteria consist of six factors (port size, port location, hinterland economy, port costs, operations management and growth potential) that are divided into 18 sub-criteria. Five competing ports were selected with respect to geographical proximity. The order of ranking according to ELECTRE III are as follows: Kaohsiung Port, Xiamen Port, Fuzhou Port, Taichug Port and Quanzhou Port. The findings show that the port of Quanzhou appears last in the ordering sequence, resulting in a need for integrative approaches to promote its competitiveness. Compared with competitive ports, Quanzhou Port has relatively weak overall infrastructure and relatively high port costs, which leads to a lack of obvious flow of port materials and a decrease in professional unloading services. Particularly in hinterland port economies, the industrial structure is extensive and backward. Hence, the question of how to achieve a green transformation of the manufacturing industry will be important for Quanzhou Port. This paper points out directions for the future development of Quanzhou Port and applies comprehensive evaluation methods, namely fuzzy-AHP and ELECTRE III.

Religión, mujer y comunicación. El caso de "donne chiesa mondo"

Este artículo hace un recorrido histórico y periodístico del suplemento mensual femenino donne chiesa mondo, editado desde mayo de 2012 por L'Osservatore Romano, el diario de la Ciudad del Vaticano. Se trata de una iniciativa nacida en la Iglesia católica, con el objetivo de mostrar el papel de la mujer en la Iglesia, pero con una dimensión mundial, pretendiendo llegar más allá del catolicismo. Las conclusiones señalan que es un proyecto pionero por sus características y por las diferentes temáticas tratadas, con una mayor difusión en los últimos años y, especialmente, una reciente renovación que ha provocado una gran influencia en el periódico vaticano.

Association between Dietary Iodine Consumption and Body Composition in Caucasian Females between the Ages of 18 to 60: The Pioneer Project

Association between Dietary Iodine Consumption and Body Composition in Caucasian Females between the Ages of 18 to 60: The Pioneer Project

The expected impact of establishing the business incubator at Taif University on supporting and developing small and medium pilot projects in Taif region : الأثر المتوقع من إنشاء حاضنة الأعمال بجامعة الطائف على دعم وتطوير المشروعات الريادية الصغيرة والمتوسطة بمنطقة الطائف - دراسة استطلاعية-

The study examined expected impact of establishment of business incubator at Taif University on support and development of small and medium-sized Pioneer projects in Taif Exploration Study The aim of this study to Identify expected impact of establishing a business incubator at University of Taif, on supports & development of small and medium-sized Pioneer projects, researcher was based on premise that entrepreneurs support idea of establishing a business incubator at Taif University which it support & help them to make success of small and medium projects, thus contributing to economic growth. The researcher relied on descriptive Methodology to collect data. The research community represented entrepreneurs in Taif region. The limits of time research cover period from 1438-1439 AH and its spatial limits, Taif. The theoretical framework dealt with relevant literature, and questionnaire was used to obtain preliminary information and analyze it using statistical package (SPSS). The researcher concluded that entrepreneurs support idea of ​​establishing incubator at Taif University. The most important recommendations made by researcher the need to establish a business incubator at University of Taif to support small and medium Pioneer projects in Taif.

T cell Brazil project: A pioneer project to collect data of T-Cell NHL patients among five regions of Brazil

T cell Brazil project: A pioneer project to collect data of T-Cell NHL patients among five regions of Brazil

«Остров 10-21» как пионерный проект трансформации отечественного образования на цифровой основе

«Остров 10-21» как пионерный проект трансформации отечественного образования на цифровой основе

Historia migana – między narracją a przekładem. Uwagi metodologiczne do zbierania i opracowywania relacji osób niesłyszących

W artykule zaprezentowano pionierski w Polsce projekt dotyczący nagrywania relacji biograficznych osób głuchych i niedosłyszących, związanych z wrocławskim środowiskiem Głuchych. Autorki poruszają w nim zagadnienia metodologiczne związane z sytuacją przekładu języka migowego na język polski i zapisu języka wizualno-przestrzennego w postaci tekstu. Charakteryzują też wyzwania, przed jakimi stanął zespół badawczy realizujący projekt „Historia migana” i dzielą się refleksją nad błędami popełnionymi w trakcie projektu.

Capital paulista no Araguaia

The expansion of the agricultural frontier in Brazil to the Amazon in the second half of the twentieth century occurred in a directed way, privileging the interests of the great capital and leaving aside a population of different ethnic groups already established in the region. The fiscal incentives implemented by the SUDAM, since 1966, favored the expansion of the businesses of families of rural farmers and entrepreneurs in the Center-South of Brazil, mainly in São Paulo, who acquired thousands of hectares of State lands, at derisory prices, mainly in the states cut by the Belém-Brasília and Cuiabá-Porto Velho highways. Among the pioneer projects approved by SUDAM, the largest landholding was the Suiá-Missu S/A Agropecuaria, until then the largest latifundio in Latin America belonging to the Ometto family, resident in the State of São Paulo. The article analyzes the business trajectory of the Ometto family from the interior of São Paulo to the state of Mato Grosso, and the main social and economic effects and impacts of the family business in Mato Grosso.

EYE ON CHINA

Chinese Researchers Develop 3D Super-Resolution Imaging at Unprecedented Depth. Scientists Advance Photosynthesis Using Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles. Bayer Partners with Chinese Academy of Sciences to Study Photosynthetic Efficiency. Scientists Reveal How G protein-coupled Receptor Kinases Recognize and Phosphorylate G protein-coupled Receptors. China Fights Academic Paper Fraud After Peer Review Scandal. Beijing 4P Health Research Institute Initiates China’s “100K Wellness Pioneer Project” Using UniteGen and Sapientia™ Integrated Platform. SGS Expands Extractables and Leachables Testing Capabilities at its Shanghai Facility. DeltaHealth Cooperates with Cardiologists & Partners for Better Patient Care. Scientists Demonstrate RNAi as an Antiviral Immunity in Mammals. Nanodiamonds Mediate Oral Delivery of Proteins for Stem Cell Activation and Intestinal Remodeling in DrosophilaShare.

Disappearing act: The silent film career of Aud Egede-Nissen (1893–1974)

Abstract In 1916, Norwegian actress Aud Egede-Nissen established a film production company under her own name in Berlin: the Egede-Nissen-Film Compagnie GmbH. The company created approximately 30 star vehicles for Aud and her sisters Ada and Gerd, with Aud Egede-Nissen also working in the capacity of producer. The company existed until 1921, capitalizing on the German import ban on films during the years 1916–20. Until recently, the transnational career of Aud Egede-Nissen has left a void in the film archive and film documents collection held at the National Library of Norway, where very little material relating to the actress-producer’s success on the European continent is found. As Jane Gaines has demonstrated with the Women Film Pioneers Project, the careers of women working during the silent era have largely been left out of film histories. An important aspect of writing female film workers’ careers back into film history therefore also relies on creating archives and collecting material, ensuring that future researchers can piece the puzzle back together. This article presents the discovery of fan ephemera and promotional material sold on the online auction website eBay relating to the career of Aud Egede-Nissen.

Portfolio theory applied to solar and wind resources forecast

Power generation from decentralised renewable energy (RE) sources has been increasingly used worldwide. The authors apply portfolio theory (PT) to solar and wind resource forecast, combining those two intermittent RE sources in different percentages to investigate the resultant effects on the prediction error with the use of a proposed impact factor. They use solar and wind data from a weather station in Brazil's Northeast region. The use of PT to improve resource forecast of the specific solar and wind conditions found in that Brazilian region is a pioneer project and an original contribution of their research. Traditionally, PT has been used in the finance sector to reduce investment risks by diversifying applications. Considering predictability, the efficient frontier indicates an optimum portfolio for the period under investigation composed by 30% solar and 70% wind resource, obtained by the smallest calculated standard deviation. The obtained average forecast error for wind speed was −1.54% and for solar irradiance was 3.16%; the average forecast error resulting from the integration of 30% solar and 70% wind was −0.13%. This study innovates by using PT to solar and wind forecast in the planning phase, before the installation of wind and solar plants.

Re-Reading Critical Indications of Metabolisim

Rapid urbanization and providing pragmatic solutions for its development is one of the fundamental agenda of last decade. The metabolism is one of the latest post-war movements-founded in 1960 by Kenzo Tange where urbanization and city as a process is re-examined within the framework of accelerated modernism and technology vision. This paper discusses Metabolism movement in order to identify crucial intimations of its utopian architectural and urban approaches as a tool for future city. The study examines four initial metabolist city approaches-Plan for Tokyo (1960-62), Clusters/city in the Air (1960-62), Helix city (1961) and Ocean/Marine City (1962) that are designed for post-war Tokyo city in Japan. The study gives modest insight of indentifying city design theory within in a series conception; such as conducting to architectural characteristics regarding urban structure, tectonic vision between land-sea-sky and organic notion (city as process and mega-structuralism). Research method is embodied with examining relevant data of literature data. Upon discussions on theory, study aims to establish an ironic notion of future city by asserting familiar characteristics or variations between four pioneer projects of Metabolist movement.

Pioneering outcomes based innovation in general practice

Introduction: There is increasing interest in the role of general practice as a vehicle of integration. This relates to its potential for direct delivery of an enhanced range of services, its role in the co-ordination of care for those with multiple morbidity and in its relationships with other services and organisations who work in primary and community care. A key issue in realising these aspirations is how to motivate and enable practices to take on these enhanced responsibilities and be willing to work differently with other professionals and services.In England there has been a reliance on financial rewards to ensure that general practice responds to new ways of working and provides the required breadth of services. The nature of these rewards, and the improvements that they relate to, have been set by central government policy makers and local purchasers of primary care. Whilst this approach has led to some positive improvements, there has been inconsistency in the level and quality achieved, and the tight specification of the process to be followed has been seen to restrict opportunity for other innovations. There are also concerns that it has resulted in many general practitioners being deterred from identifying and developing their own creative responses to local needs.Change in practice: This project was introduced within a clinical commissioning group (CCGs) responsible for an urban population of 300,000. CCGs are membership organisations which commission primary and acute health care services for the patient population registered with their member practices. The ‘pioneer project’ aimed to introduce a new purchasing approach which would motivate and liberate general practices to develop and adopt new integrated models of care through providing a more ‘enabling environment’. The key elements of this approach were -- Requiring practices to work in groupings rather than as single practices- Providing funding up front rather than in arrears on completion of required activity or quality- Determining success by achievement of outcomes rather than by implementing process- Embedding a culture of joint learning and reflection between the practices and with the commissionerKey stakeholders were the staff working within the general practices, the commissioners, provider of community nursing services, acute hospitals and the adult social work division within the local authority. The university were funded to undertake an 18 month mixed methods action research project which would provide emerging data for discussion and a final summative assessment of what was achieved.Key findings: The evaluation will be completed in December 2015. Emerging findings are:- All groupings of practices have been able to provide enhanced diagnostics and treatment for key conditions such as diabetes. This has enabled diversion of these activities from acute to primary care and provided care closer to patients’ homes.- The groupings have provided a firm base from which general practice can consider an enhanced depth and breadth of services, and have also resulted in a raising of quality within members of the groupings.- The majority of groupings have developed new ways of working which respond to the needs of their local populations – these include the development of innovative model of shared care between acute and primary care regarding people with diabetes from south asian communities, the introduction of new joint protocols with accident and emergency, and community link workers to connect people with complex social needs with appropriate support from statutory and voluntary sector servicesHighlights of learning- The practice leads confirmed that the previous arrangements had stifled innovation and led to them not feeling able or motivated to suggest or lead more radical improvements. Adjusting to the new expectations and freedoms involved a significant paradigm shift for them (and the commissioner)- Learning sets which brought together the pilot leads and commissioner were seen as key opportunities to share practice and challenges, albeit it with considerable opportunities for further strengthening of this reflective approach- There was greater success in engaging with key services in the acute sector through engaging with key professionals – community health and adult social care were harder to influence due to lack of personal connection and alternative initiatives being pursued- Conceptualisation of outcomes within the commissioner has changed over time and been subject to internal tensions.Conclusion:- The pioneer project facilitated a more collaborative relationship between purchaser and general practice which encouraged and facilitated greater clinical leadership. For these groups of practices funding was an enabler rather than an incentive, providing ‘capacity and flexibility’ rather than ‘motivation and reward’.- The final data gathering will seek to establish improvements in outcomes and quality, and the extent to which changes have been sustained when the project phase is completed.