Search Results (18)

The rural dwelling in southern Ecuador’s Andean region is the product of a long-term process of cultural and technical hybridization in which colonial typologies are overlaid with local building know-how adapted to temperate and cold climates. This study examines how intermediate spaces—portals, hallways, patios, porches, and corridors—operate as fundamental strategies for social sustainability. These spaces facilitate interaction between domestic interiors and the surrounding environment, mediate social relations, and accommodate productive, ritual, and everyday practices. Methodologically, the research integrates morphological and typological analysis with ethnographic methods and detailed graphic representations, yielding a spatial ethnography of thirty-five dwellings distributed across distinct ecological zones of Loja Province. The findings reveal how intermediate spaces undergo transformation, appropriation, and reconfiguration over time, demonstrating notable functional adaptability while maintaining cultural continuity. Beyond environmental and climatic functions, these spaces act as vital hubs of community life, sustaining intergenerational knowledge transmission, syncretic rituals, and household microeconomies. Their logics of spatial mediation and multifunctionality position them as key architectural devices that foster the social and cultural resilience of Andean rural housing. Understanding their configuration and use offers actionable insights for contemporary design, enabling the critical reinterpretation of vernacular principles to address ongoing challenges of habitability, sustainability, and belonging in evolving rural contexts. Full article

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) is the hope for the full optimization of drug therapy while minimizing the accompanying adverse drug events that cost billions of dollars annually. Since years before the century, it has been known that inter-individual variations contribute to differences in specific drug responses. It is the bridge to what is well-known today as “personalized medicine”. Addressing the drug’s pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics is one of the features of this science, owing to patient characteristics that vary on so many occasions. Mainly in the liver parenchymal cells, intricate interactions between the drug molecules and enzymes family of so-called “Cytochrome P450” occur which hugely affects how the body will react to the drug in terms of metabolism, efficacy, and safety. Single nucleotide polymorphisms, once validated for a transparent and credible clinical utility, can be used to guide and ensure the succession of the pharmacotherapy plan. Novel tools of pharmacoeconomics science are utilized extensively to assess cost-effective pharmacogenes preceding the translation to the bedside. Drug development and discovery incorporate a drug-gene perspective and save more resources. Regulations and laws shaping the clinical PGx practice can be misconceived; however, these pre-/post approval processes ensure the product’s safety and efficacy. National and international regulatory agencies seek guidance on maintaining conduct in PGx practice. In this patient-centric era, social and legal considerations manifest in a way that makes them unavoidable, involving patients and other stakeholders in a deliberate journey toward utmost patient well-being. In this comprehensive review, we contemporarily addressed the scientific leaps in PGx, along with various challenges that face the proper implementation of personalized medicine in Egypt. These informative insights were drawn to serve what the Egyptian population, in particular, would benefit from in terms of knowledge and know-how while maintaining the latest global trends. Moreover, this review is the first to discuss various modalities and challenges faced in Egypt regarding PGx, which we believe could be used as a pilot piece of literature for future studies locally, regionally, and internationally. Full article

Sub-Saharan African farmers have long been portrayed with very negative representations, at least since the beginning of coordinated European colonialism in the late 19th century. In the Sahel-Sudan area, agrosystems have been described as overgrazed, forests as endangered, and soils as overexploited, with local and traditional “archaic” practices. Against this background, the objective of this article is to focus on these agrosystems’ resilience, for which several criteria have been monitored. The approach used in this research was to synthesize observations from a large amount of material gathered over multiple years by the authors, drawing on our long-term commitment to, and inter-disciplinary study of, the evolution of surface hydrology, ecosystems, and agrosystems of West Africa. The positive trends in rainfall and streamflows, reinforced by farmer’s practices, confirm the overall regreening and reforestation of the Sahel-Sudan strip, especially in areas with high population densities, including the mangrove areas. The intensification of agricultural systems and the recovery of the water-holding capacity of soils and catchments explain the recorded general increase in terms of food self-sufficiency in the Sahel, as well as in crops yields and food production. Finally, we compare the neo-Malthusian discourse to the actual resilience of these agrosystems. The article concludes with a recommendation calling for the empowerment of smallholder farmers to take greater advantage of the current wet period. Overall, the speed of change in knowledge and know-how transfer and implementation, and the farmers’ ability to adapt to ecological and economic crises, must be highlighted. Far from being resistant to change, West African agriculturalists innovate, experiment, borrow, transform, and choose according to their situation, projects, and social issues. Full article

Windmills constitute a valuable part of cultural heritage, especially in Greece, as unique structures of popular architecture and know-how of the pre-industrial era. Their wooden mechanisms were of exceptional constructional ingenuity, with the Mediterranean ones bearing a vertical wing and a rotating roof (“trula”), with a manual torsion mechanism that allowed for operation in all wind directions. Sikinos is a small Aegean island characterized by rich landscapes, which do not have wood-producing forests, but only sparse Juniperus phoenicea shrub land mixed with evergreen hardwood species and the presence of numerous sclerophyllus vegetation species (maquis). Three abandoned windmills are still preserved on the island today, but only two of them appear to have their wooden mechanisms left. In the one windmill mechanism examined, it was found that different wood species were used to manufacture its individual parts. Oak wood was used in most of the large elements, with the exception of the sprattle beam (“zigos”), which is made of fir wood. The local juniper was not used in any crucial part of the mechanism, though it was used only as a structural material on the first floor (“anogio”) flooring, along with large-diameter olive trunks. The findings of this study highlighted the thorough knowledge of the properties of various wood species and the effective use of simple tools toward the construction of functional and effective windmill mechanisms. Full article

Cancer is a complex disease, responsible for a significant portion of global deaths. The increasing prioritisation of know-why over know-how approaches in biological research has favoured the rising use of both white- and black-box mathematical techniques for cancer modelling, seeking to better grasp the multi-scale mechanistic workings of its complex phenomena (such as tumour-immune interactions, drug resistance, tumour growth and diffusion, etc.). In light of this wide-ranging use of mathematics in cancer modelling, the unique memory and non-local properties of Fractional Calculus (FC) have been sought after in the last decade to replace ordinary differentiation in the hypothesising of FC’s superior modelling of complex oncological phenomena, which has been shown to possess an accumulated knowledge of its past states. As such, this review aims to present a thorough and structured survey about the main guiding trends and modelling categories in cancer research, emphasising in the field of oncology FC’s increasing employment in mathematical modelling as a whole. The most pivotal research questions, challenges and future perspectives are also outlined. Full article

Agriculture is an important economic activity across much of the Western world. Beyond its productive purpose, we can also identify a cultural function that is expressed in the existence of a rich heritage associated with the interactions between nature and humans over time. This heritage includes tangible and intangible assets, the latter including traditional knowledge, history, knowledge of natural cycles, and the identification of the local population with its landscapes; in short, resources are understood as a legacy that needs to be reappraised and passed on to future generations. Saffron cultivation is an example of an agricultural landscape with significant intangible heritage values associated with the know-how and the family-run nature of the farms. The resources linked to saffron cultivation in the region of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) are described in this paper, with an emphasis on how local communities perceive them as an integral part of their geographical identity. The results, following in-depth interviews with different local actors, demonstrate the potential for the intangible values associated with saffron to drive local development in many rural areas once they have been reappraised and classified as assets for attracting tourism. Full article

This paper aims to explore public participation for activating underground built heritage (UBH). It describes and analyses practices of stakeholders’ engagement in different UBH assets, based on experiences gathered in the scope of the European COST Action ‘Underground4value’. It brings together five inspiring cases from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, in which digital and mobile technologies were used as tools to improve community experiences in UBH. Thus, the paper discusses ‘smartness’ from the perspective of people and communities around cultural assets, where ‘smartness’ becomes a new connotation and a pathway to advance (local) knowledge and know-how. Therefore, this paper takes on the challenge to define a smart city as an ecosystem for people’s empowerment and participation, and, in particular, to explore social tools for creating new values in heritage placemaking—where sharing knowledge becomes a fundamental principle. Full article

As a Small Island Developing State, Seychelles is disproportionately affected by climate change, and enhancing her adaptive capacity is a national priority. Identifying and integrating local capacity needs into policy measures can improve multilevel governance and the effective implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), given that local governments have contextual knowledge about their territories and the climate change challenges affecting them. Based on the Capital Approach Framework (CAF), this study carries out an analysis of local governance capacity needs for implementing climate change adaptation in Seychelles. Data were collected using two methods: (i) questionnaire-led interviews among twenty-four district administrators (DAs), and (ii) an interactive workshop involving thirty-one participants, of which twenty-six were DAs and five were members of the National Climate Change Committee. The CAF was measured in two ways: (i) through descriptive statistics such as frequencies based on interview data, and (ii) through the ranking of types of capital to assess their weightings across four categories using a consensus approach during the participatory workshop. The findings of this study indicate significant political, financial, and human resource capacity gaps, which collectively hinder local adaptation. The critical shortcomings identified include the low participation in national-level decision-making processes, the inability to access external funding sources, and the lack of technical know-how. Through a participatory approach involving the local government representatives and the National Climate Change Committee, ten recommendations for policy measures that can enhance the effectiveness of local governance in climate change adaptation were co-developed. Seven of these recommendations partly address issues related to political capital. These recommendations highlight that a siloed approach cannot effectively address the impacts of climate change. For example, one of the recommendations stated that land-use planning should be guided by location-specific vulnerabilities, as these differ across districts. Full article

Diadromous fish are declining across their Atlantic distribution, and the status of their future is very worrying with the additional threat posed by climate change right now. European stakeholders and policy makers know very well the benefits provided by these species, from uses such as selling fish. However, in addition to that, the diadromous fish populations provide other lesser known benefits to society, known as ecosystem services (ESs), that are now in danger. In this research, developed under the framework of the INTERREG Atlantic Area DiadES Project, ESs linked to diadromous fish are identified by reviewing existing evidence and considering ESs provided in a set of case studies across the AA (from the Gipuzkoa rivers in Spain and Loire and Mondego rivers in France and Portugal, to the Rivers Tamar, Frome and Taff in the UK). ESs identified to be related to diadromous fish populations include food provision (provisioning service), nutrient exchanges between coastal and inland habitats (regulating service) and recreational fishing and tourism linked to the societal interest for diadromous fish (cultural service). The contribution of diadromous species to supporting gastronomic festivals, brotherhoods, the knowledge systems (environmental education and research), the local identity, traditional know-how or even to the natural heritage around diadromous fish also relates to cultural ESs. Potential trade-offs are identified between services provided by diadromous fish populations and other services provided in AA rivers that support alternative benefits (i.e., flood control; electricity production; agriculture (pollution); sand extraction). By providing this list and a monetary assessment of ESs derived from diadromous fishes, DiadES wants to convey to stakeholders and policy makers the importance of these ESs, as they must consider them as part of the decision-making process. Enhancing the assessment of ESs related to diadromous fish species, including the full diversity of ESs the species contribute to (across provisioning, regulating and cultural ESs) and the health of the habitats that support them, is a major necessity to advance towards an ecosystem approach to diadromous fishes’ management. Full article

Urbanisation and related insufficiency of food sources is due to the high urban population, insufficient urban food sources, and inability of some urban communities to afford food due to rising costs. Food supply can also be jeopardised by natural and man-made disasters, such as warfare, pandemics, or any other calamities which result in the destruction of crop fields and disruption of food distribution. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the impact of such calamities on the fresh food supply chain in Malaysia, especially when the Movement Control Order (MCO) policy was first implemented. The resulting panic buying caused some food shortage, while more importantly, the fresh food supply chain was severely disrupted, especially in urban areas, in the early stages of implementation. In this regard, urban farming, while a simple concept, can have a significant impact in terms of securing food sources for urban households. It has been used in several countries such as Canada, The Netherlands, and Singapore to ensure a continuous food supply. This paper thus attempted to review how the pandemic has affected Malaysian participation in urban farming and, in relation to that, the acceptance of urban farming in Malaysia and the initiatives and approaches of local governmental and non-governmental organisations in encouraging the urban community to participate in urban farming through peer-reviewed journal articles and other articles related to urban agriculture using the ROSES protocol. About 93 articles were selected after screening to ensure that the articles were related to the study. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the surge in Malaysians’ awareness of the importance of urban farming has offered great opportunities for the government to encourage more Malaysian urban communities to participate in urban farming activities. Limitations such as relevant knowledge, area, and space, however, are impediments to urban communities’ participation in these activities. Government initiatives, such as the Urban Community Garden Policy (Dasar Kebun Komuniti Bandar (DKKB)), are still inadequate as some issues are still not addressed. Permanent Food Production Parks (TKPM) and technology-driven practices are seen as possible solutions to the primary problem of land and space. Additionally, relevant stakeholders play a crucial role in disseminating relevant and appropriate knowledge and methodology applicable for urban farming. Partnerships between government agencies, the education sector, and the private sector are necessary to develop modern urban agricultural technologies as well as knowledge, knowhow, and supports to build and sustain urban community participation in urban farming activities. Full article

Business entities strive for continuous adaptation to changing situations and needs. The decisions of business entities entangled in multifaceted processes of economic, social, and environmental progress must be taken on the basis of reliable knowledge, developed know-how, scrupulous recognition of the initial state, and foresight of the multiple consequences of business actions over a long horizon. In such a situation, the measurement of financial efficiency in terms of the profitability of enterprises in meat and poultry industries is extremely desired and provides valuable information on the necessary modifications to reduce the potential risks of business operation. The Polish meat and poultry industries should take into account current and future market requirements, competition, and consumer response. The dynamic progress of technology is forced to take appropriate steps to improve and modernize products, services, and methods of solving profit losses. The aim of the paper is to calculate and evaluate the statistical relationships between profitability ratios in Polish meat and poultry enterprises divided into four groups: slaughterhouses, meat enterprises (small, medium, and large), poultry meat enterprises, and meat trade enterprises. In the theoretical part of the study, methods of descriptive, comparative, deductive, and synthetic analyses were used. In the practical part of the study, panel data from the entire meat and poultry industries in the period from 2010 to 2019 were used. For the measurement of financial efficiency, methods, such as financial indicator analysis, panel database modeling, and nonparametric ANOVA, were applied. The ANOVA method was used to test only the statistically significant relationships between profitability ratios across all groups of examined enterprises in the meat and poultry industries. To summarize, the optimal level of profitability was achieved by all groups of examined enterprises, except small meat enterprises. The highest financial efficiency in the area of profitability was reached by poultry enterprises. Moreover, financial support for small companies in the meat industry can bring tangible benefits such as maintaining a diversified product range locally and transforming small meat companies into buying centers for the local community. Both are effective solutions, especially in view of the post-pandemic situation. Full article

Productive agricultural areas in Kebumen, Central Java, Indonesia are potentially vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. We surveyed small-scale farmers to assess climate change-related perceptions and adaptations in the agriculture sector. The majority of the respondents agreed that there were changes in climatological variables affecting their farming activities, especially in terms of precipitation and temperature. However, the results also revealed that only 13% of respondents believed that human activities play a significant role. Three forms of adaptations have been developed by the farmers, namely: (1) agricultural diversification, (2) agricultural intensification, and (3) socioeconomic adaptation. Changing crops to more climate-tolerant varieties was one of the most common agricultural diversification practices (implemented by 88% of farmers). Most of the farmers also tried to maintain agricultural productivity by adjusting a local planting calendar (implemented by 94% of farmers). The use of machinery to intensify farming practice was an uncommon strategy (implemented by only 30% of farmers) because of expensive maintenance and small cultivation areas. The results suggested the importance of increasing farmers’ knowledge and technological know-how related to climate change and its implications, developing effective adaptation and mitigation efforts, and constructing climate-resilient infrastructure in the agricultural sector. Full article

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim at harnessing economic complexity for sustainable and inclusive economic growth by calling for a decade of joint action. In this paper, we show how the action-oriented collaborative culture of complex and competitive economic ecosystems in places outside the major population centers may generate significant positive external effects for society and the environment at large. We illustrate this by means of two small case studies in Switzerland, a country with a federal system that enables decentralized economic development. The first case study investigates the economic ecosystem of the small town Monthey to show how productive migrants and embedded multinational companies increase the knowledge and know-how of local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The successful collaboration of insiders and outsiders accounts for the internal economic complexity that makes the region innovative and competitive. The second case study highlights the importance of the federalist system by showing how the canton of Solothurn succeeded in nurturing globally competitive export-oriented SMEs. We conclude that the success of these inclusive economic ecosystems in unexpected places may only be understood in the specific geographical, historical and political context, as well as the general openness of these regions toward entrepreneurial migrants and global business. The importance of local social capital makes it hard to replicate such success stories. Nevertheless, they indicate that the global knowledge economy may not just pose a threat, but also offer great opportunities for productive regions beyond the major global high-tech clusters of economic complexity. Full article

Restoration depends on purpose and context. At the core it entails innovation to halt ongoing and reverse past degradation. It aims for increased functionality, not necessarily recovering past system states. Location-specific interventions in social-ecological systems reducing proximate pressures, need to synergize with transforming generic drivers of unsustainable land use. After reviewing pantropical international research on forests, trees, and agroforestry, we developed an options-by-context typology. Four intensities of land restoration interact: R.I. Ecological intensification within a land use system, R.II. Recovery/regeneration, within a local social-ecological system, R.III. Reparation/recuperation, requiring a national policy context, R.IV. Remediation, requiring international support and investment. Relevant interventions start from core values of human identity while addressing five potential bottlenecks: Rights, Know-how, Markets (inputs, outputs, credit), Local Ecosystem Services (including water, agrobiodiversity, micro/mesoclimate) and Teleconnections (global climate change, biodiversity). Six stages of forest transition (from closed old-growth forest to open-field agriculture and re-treed (peri)urban landscapes) can contextualize interventions, with six special places: water towers, riparian zone and wetlands, peat landscapes, small islands and mangroves, transport infrastructure, and mining scars. The typology can help to link knowledge with action in people-centric restoration in which external stakeholders coinvest, reflecting shared responsibility for historical degradation and benefits from environmental stewardship. Full article

Urban and regional development have not stopped engaging, troubling, and dividing the international scientific community and national and regional policy-making bodies. The wide range of consequences brought on by the current multifaceted downturn at all geographical scales requires the continuous investigation of practices and the designation of innovative mechanisms or tools to formulate new developmental axes for action, able to respond to contemporary needs and challenges. This holds true particularly in an age, such as the one we are currently experiencing, of network organization of infrastructures and functions dominated by the knowledge economy. Within this framework, we estimate that the response to an attempt to restructure production in Greece and increase support for its cities and regions could be sought by setting up collaboration networks with cultural heritageand support creative entrepreneurship as key developmental “elements”, focusing on strategies for recovery, modernization, and a return to historic cities and regional settlements. Specifically, using inputs from a collaboration project among historic cities in the Mediterranean, and an ongoing research in fragmented insular regions with many historic cities and settlements in the Aegean, we maintain that the goal of restoring local communities could be sought though initiatives or actions to preserve and diffuselocal traditions and know-how in the framework of an overall urban developmental policy capable of ensuring ongoing collaboration and networking at all geographical levels and categories of space. In this rationale, this article attempts to contribute to the debate by stating proposals in the framework of principles and guidelines that should govern the formulation of this urban policy, which is still missing in Greece. Full article