What\u27s going on in there? Canadian government policy labs and public value management

Government-based policy labs have established themselves across the Canadian policy landscape. This article argues these labs contribute to public value management. We begin by reviewing the public value management literature, followed by Canadian contributions to the policy lab literature. Then, our inventory of 35 current Canadian government-based policy labs is descriptively analyzed, including trends in spatial concentration, the tools and methods employed, their focus areas, the number of years in existence, and their primary role in the policy process. We randomly selected nine of these labs, provide more details of their activities, and present a preliminary public value management typology to analyze policy labs

Realitäts-Check auf regionaler Ebene: Implikationen der CBD-COP15 für Sachsen

Um die Ziele des Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Frameworks zu erreichen, ist Engagement auf allen politischen Ebenen und in allen Sektoren nötig. Auch der Freistaat Sachsen muss seinen Beitrag leisten. Sachsen hat großes Potenzial, steht aber auch vor besonderen Herausforderungen. Fast die Hälfte der Landfläche wird landwirtschaftlich genutzt, hauptsächlich für Ackerbau. Doch nur etwa acht Prozent der Fläche wird ökologisch bewirtschaftet. Intensivierung und Monotonisierung der Landwirtschaft, sowie der Einsatz von Pestiziden und Düngemitteln, tragen erheblich zum Verlust der biologischen Vielfalt bei. Die Landwirtschaft spielt eine entscheidende Rolle als Lebensraum für Biodiversität. Es gilt, biodiversitätsfreundliche Nutzung zu fördern, den Anteil der Fläche mit ökologischem Landbau zu erhöhen und entsprechende Praktiken in der konventionellen Landwirtschaft zu etablieren. Sachsen ist auch als Erzeuger fossiler Energien, speziell durch das Lausitzer und das Mitteldeutsche Braunkohlerevier, stark von der Energiewende betroffen. Der Ausbau erneuerbarer Energien muss naturverträglich und im Einklang mit dem Biodiversitätsschutz erfolgen. Konzepte der multifunktionalen Landnutzung können hierbei unterstützen. Prof. Dr. Edeltraud Günther, Direktorin des UNU-FLORES, betont ebenfalls die Notwendigkeit, Biodiversität im Ressourcen-Nexus zu berücksichtigen. Sachsen hat gute Voraussetzungen, um diese Herausforderungen zu meistern. Mit dem Programm Sachsens Biologische Vielfalt 2030 verfügt es über eine Biodiversitätsstrategie, um die globalen Ziele zu erreichen. Darüber hinaus beherbergt Sachsen starke Forschungsinstitutionen, die sich intensiv dem Thema Biodiversität widmen. Forschung, Bildung und Wissenschaftskommunikation spielen hierbei eine zentrale Rolle. Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rektor der UNU und Under-Secretary-General der UN, betonte in seiner Eröffnungsansprache der DNCi 2023 die Schlüsselrolle von Bildung: 'Bildung ist der Schlüssel, um unser Potenzial zu entfalten. Sie befähigt uns, Verwalter unserer Umwelt zu werden, indem sie uns eine tiefe Wertschätzung für die biologische Vielfalt vermittelt und zu nachhaltigen Praktiken in jedem Aspekt unseres Lebens inspiriert. Durch die Integration von transformierender Bildung auf internationaler, nationaler und lokaler Ebene können wir einen tiefgreifenden Wandel von Einstellungen, Wissen und Verhaltensweisen bewirken.“ Die Bedeutung von Bildung und Wissenschaftskommunikation zum Thema Biodiversität konnten die Teilnehmenden der DNCi 2023 dank einer Führung durch den Botanischen Garten praktisch erleben. Herzlichen Dank an Prof. Dr. Christoph Neinhuis, Direktor des Botanischen Gartens, und Dr. Barbara Dietsch, Wissenschaftliche Leitung des Botanischen Gartens, für diese wertvollen Einblicke. Im Rahmen der gemeinsam durch UNU-FLORES, dem IÖR und der TU Dresden organisierten DNCi 2023 ist es uns gelungen, unterschiedliche Akteure aus Wissenschaft, Regierung, Zivilgesellschaft und Privatwirtschaft zusammenzubringen und eine dynamische Plattform für Austausch und Zusammenarbeit zum Thema Biodiversität zu schaffen. Herzlicher Dank gilt allen Teilnehmenden für ihr Engagement im Rahmen der Veranstaltung und darüber hinaus dem Sächsischen Staatsministerium für Energie, Klimaschutz, Umwelt und Landwirtschaft für die Unterstützung der Veranstaltung im Rahmen seiner Kooperation mit UNU-FLORES.:VORWORT 5 Vorwort 6 Vorwort der Veranstalter:innen 8 EINLEITUNG 12 POLITIK IN SACHSEN 14 Handlungsempfehlungen für die Politik in Sachsen 16 WIRTSCHAFT IN SACHSEN 21 Handlungsempfehlungen für die Wirtschaft in Sachsen 22 LANDWIRTSCHAFT IN SACHSEN 26 Handlungsempfehlungen für die Landwirtschaft in Sachsen 28 BILDUNG IN SACHSEN 31 Handlungsempfehlungen für die Bildung in Sachsen 32 FAZIT 35 TEILNEHMENDE DER DNCi 2023 36 Thema Biodiversität in der Politik 38 Thema Biodiversität in der Landwirtschaft 39 Thema Biodiversität in der lokalen Wirtschaft 40 Thema Biodiversität in der Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung 41Reaching the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requires commitment at all political levels and in all sectors. The State of Saxony also has to contribute its share. Saxony has a great potential, but also faces particular challenges. Almost half of the land area is used for agriculture, mainly for arable farming. However, only around eight percent of the land is farmed ecologically. Intensification and monotonization of agriculture, as well as the use of pesticides and fertilizers, significantly contribute to the loss of biodiversity. Agriculture plays a crucial role as a habitat for biodiversity. It is indispensable to promote biodiversity-friendly use, increase the proportion of land under organic farming, and establish corresponding methods in conventional agriculture. As a producer of fossil fuels, especially by the Lusatian and Central German lignite mining regions, Saxony is also strongly affected by the energy transition. The expansion of renewable energies needs to be nature-compatible and in harmony with the protection of biodiversity. Approaches to multifunctional landuse may provide support in this regard. Prof. Dr. Edeltraud Günther, Director of UNU-FLORES, emphasizes the need to consider biodiversity in the resource nexus. Saxony has good prerequisites to meet these challenges. With its Saxony Biodiversity 2030 Program, it has a revised biodiversity strategy to meet the global targets. In addition, Saxony is home to major research institutions that intensively focus on biodiversity. Research, education, and science communication play a central role in this context. Prof. Tshilidzi Marwala, Rector of UNU and Under-Secretary-General of the UN, emphasized the key role of education in his opening address of the DNCi 2023: 'Education is the key to unlock our potential. It empowers us to become stewards of our environment by providing us with a deep appreciation for biodiversity and inspiring sustainable practices in every aspect of our lives. By integrating transformative education at the international, national, and local levels, we can create profound change in attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors.' The DNCi 2023 participants had a hands-on experience of the importance of education and science communication on biodiversity thanks to a guided tour of the Botanical Garden. Many thanks to Prof. Dr. Christoph Neinhuis, Director of the Botanical Garden, and Dr. Barbara Dietsch, Scientific Director of the Botanical Garden, for these valuable insights. As part of the DNCi 2023, co-organized by UNU-FLORES, the IOER, and TU Dresden, we succeeded in bringing together different stakeholders from science, government, civil society, and the private sector to create a dynamic platform for exchange and collaboration on the topic of biodiversity. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all participants for their commitment during the event and beyond, and to the Saxon State Ministry of Energy, Climate Protection, Environment and Agriculture for supporting the event within the framework of its cooperation with UNU-FLORES.:VORWORT 5 Vorwort 6 Vorwort der Veranstalter:innen 8 EINLEITUNG 12 POLITIK IN SACHSEN 14 Handlungsempfehlungen für die Politik in Sachsen 16 WIRTSCHAFT IN SACHSEN 21 Handlungsempfehlungen für die Wirtschaft in Sachsen 22 LANDWIRTSCHAFT IN SACHSEN 26 Handlungsempfehlungen für die Landwirtschaft in Sachsen 28 BILDUNG IN SACHSEN 31 Handlungsempfehlungen für die Bildung in Sachsen 32 FAZIT 35 TEILNEHMENDE DER DNCi 2023 36 Thema Biodiversität in der Politik 38 Thema Biodiversität in der Landwirtschaft 39 Thema Biodiversität in der lokalen Wirtschaft 40 Thema Biodiversität in der Bildung für Nachhaltige Entwicklung 4

El pueblo de Azul y su relación con el trigo

Fil: Adam, Sandra Gabriela. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Ponzio, Nora Raquel. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales. Universidad Nacional del Centro; ArgentinaFil: Eilers, Daniel. Museo Etnográfico y Archivo Histórico "Enrique Squirru". Azul; ArgentinaFil: Caggiano, María Amanda. Instituto Municipal de Investigaciones Antropológicas de Chivilcoy. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Programming the Structural Funds for Roma Inclusion in 201420

The new 2014–20 EU budget period is the first to start with Roma inclusion high on the European agenda. The regulations on EU funds, adopted in December last year, create favorable conditions for launching ambitious policy reforms benefiting equality and Roma inclusion with support from EU funds.The relevant national level operational programs, to be finalized and adopted in the coming months, should take advantage of these favorable conditions and commit to policy reforms, such as investing in early childhood development; providing quality, desegregated education services that equip disadvantaged children for labor market participation; providing personalized employment services that are able to address multiple disadvantages; and strengthening access to primary health care services for marginalized communities in remote areas.Operational programs should also commit to changes in structures and procedures allocating EU funds, e.g., by setting up strong equality policy units, using simplified cost options, and launching global grants and capacity-building services.The Making the Most of EU Funds for Roma program of the Open Society Foundations contributes to the programming of Structural Funds for Roma Inclusion with this toolkit. The aim of the toolkit is to assist public authorities involved in the programming by describing not just what should be done but also how these can be don

Comorbid Medical Conditions as Predictors of Overall Survival in Glioblastoma Patients

Glioblastoma (GBM) is an aggressive central nervous system tumor with a poor prognosis. This study was conducted to determine any comorbid medical conditions that are associated with survival in GBM. Data were collected from medical records of all patients who presented to VCU Medical Center with GBM between January 2005 and February 2015. Patients who underwent surgery/biopsy were considered for inclusion. Cox proportional hazards regression modeling was performed to assess the relationship between survival and sex, race, and comorbid medical conditions. 163 patients met inclusion criteria. Comorbidities associated with survival on individual-characteristic analysis included: history of asthma (Hazard Ratio [HR]: 2.63; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.24–5.58; p = 0.01), hypercholesterolemia (HR: 1.95; 95% CI: 1.09–3.50; p = 0.02), and incontinence (HR: 2.29; 95% CI: 0.95–5.57; p = 0.07). History of asthma (HR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.02–4.83; p = 0.04) and hypercholesterolemia (HR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.11–3.56; p = 0.02) were associated with shorter survival on multivariable analysis. Surgical patients with GBM who had a prior history of asthma or hypercholesterolemia had significantly higher relative risk for mortality on individual-characteristic and multivariable analyses

VCU Job Shadowing

Job shadowing is an initiative aimed at bolstering students\u27 career preparedness through an immersive exploration of the multifaceted landscape of career opportunities within higher education. By facilitating these experiential learning opportunities, this program endeavors to achieve a twofold objective. Firstly, it seeks to enhance the student experience at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) by cultivating meaningful interactions between students and VCU\u27s typically non-student-facing staff and faculty members. Secondly, by facilitating direct engagement with our students, it is our aspiration that every member of the VCU community, regardless of their traditional roles, will have the opportunity to support our students\u27 personal and academic growth

Multi-institution analysis of racial disparity among African- American men eligible for prostate cancer active surveillance

There is a significant controversy on whether race should be a factor in considering active surveillance for low-risk prostate cancer. To address this question, we analyzed a multi-institution database to assess racial disparity between African-American and White-American men with low risk prostate cancer who were eligible for active surveillance but underwent radical prostatectomy. A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected clinical, pathologic and oncologic outcomes of men with low-risk prostate cancer from seven tertiary care institutions that underwent radical prostatectomy from 2003–2014 were used to assess potential racial disparity. Of the 333 (14.8%) African-American and 1923 (85.2%) White-American men meeting active surveillance criteria, African-American men were found to be slightly younger (57.5 vs 58.5 years old; p = 0.01) and have higher BMI (29.3 v 27.9; p \u3c 0.01), pre-op PSA (5.2 v 4.7; p \u3c 0.01), and maximum percentage cancer on biopsy (15.1% v 13.6%; p \u3c 0.01) compared to White-American men. Univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated similar rates of upgrading, upstaging, positive surgical margin, and biochemical recurrence between races. These results suggest that single institution studies recommending more stringent AS enrollment criteria for AA men with a low-risk prostate cancer may not capture the complete oncologic landscape due to institutional variability in cancer outcomes. Since all seven institutions demonstrated no significant racial disparity, current active surveillance eligibility should not be modified based upon race until a prospective study has been completed. © Dinizo et al

Triggered Assembly of a DNA-Based Membrane Channel

Chemistry is in a powerful position to synthetically replicate biomolecular structures. Adding functional complexity is key to increase the biomimetics' value for science and technology yet is difficult to achieve with poorly controlled building materials. Here, we use defined DNA blocks to rationally design a triggerable synthetic nanopore that integrates multiple functions of biological membrane proteins. Soluble triggers bind via molecular recognition to the nanopore components changing their structure and membrane position, which controls the assembly into a defined channel for efficient transmembrane cargo transport. Using ensemble, single-molecule, and simulation analysis, our activatable pore provides insight into the kinetics and structural dynamics of DNA assembly at the membrane interface. The triggered channel advances functional DNA nanotechnology and synthetic biology and will guide the design of controlled nanodevices for sensing, cell biological research, and drug delivery

Prevalence, features and health impacts of eating disorders amongst First-Australian Yiramarang (adolescents) and in comparison with other Australian adolescents

Background: This study aimed to support previous research conducted with First-Australians (FA) by establishing the prevalence of eating disorders, and their demographic distribution and burden in adolescent First-Australians compared to other-Australians (OA). Methods: Data were used from the baseline survey of the EveryBODY Study, a longitudinal investigation of eating disorders among Australian adolescents. Of the 5068 participants included, 402 (8%) identified as FA, 4586 (90.5%) identified as OA. Diagnosis of eating disorders was based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual version 5. Socioeconomic status and measures of impairment were assessed using validated instruments. Body mass index was calculated based on self-reported weight and height. Statistical analyses used data weighted to the distribution of gender in adolescents in New South Wales in the 2016 Australian Census. Chi-square tests were performed to determine prevalence of eating disorders amongst FA and to compare to OA. ANOVA and logistic regression analyses where conducted to examine the moderation effect of sociodemographic status, measures of impairment and FA status on the distribution of eating disorders. Results: The prevalence rates for eating disorder diagnoses where similar for FA and OA with the exception of Night eating Syndrome (OSFED-NES), which occurred in 7.14% (95%CI 4.81–10.49) of FA vs. 3.72% (95%CI 3.17–4.36) in OA. The greater prevalence of OSFED-NES in FA was largely explained by poorer psychosocial quality of life amongst FA. Conclusion: Eating disorders are common amongst First-Australian adolescents and are associated with poor psychosocial quality of life. These findings are consistent with previous research conducted with First-Australian adults. There is a need to screen for eating disorders amongst First-Australian adolescent girls and boys