Resumen (Introducción): Las zonas ribereñas proveen una amplia gama de servicios ecosistémicos, y en contextos urbanos de alta intervención humana, esta provisión puede ser especialmente importante. Sin embargo, a nivel mundial, los ecosistemas ribereños urbanos han sido altamente degradados. (Objetivo): Esta investigación analizó la dinámica espaciotemporal de cambio de cobertura de la tierra para un periodo de 30 años (1992-2022) en la microcuenca urbana del río Ipís, en la Gran Área Metropolitana (GAM) costarricense, y realizó una valoración de la condición ecológica de sus zonas ribereñas. (Metodología): Esto se realizó mediante técnicas geoespaciales de clasificación de imágenes satelitales y fotos aéreas, álgebra de mapas, cálculo de métricas de paisaje y utilización de un índice para evaluar integridad ecológica de riberas (índice QBR). (Resultados): En el periodo estudiado, en la microcuenca del río Ipís hubo un aumento significativo de las coberturas impermeables (66.6 %) a expensas de coberturas con mayor funcionalidad ecológica, y ha habido una mayor fragmentación y aislamiento de parches de coberturas más permeables. Los valores del índice QBR, además, sugieren una severa alteración y deficiente integridad ecológica en las zonas ribereñas de la microcuenca en general. (Conclusiones): La expansión de coberturas asociadas a usos urbanos ha sido prominente en la microcuenca del río Ipís en las últimas tres décadas, y la alta degradación en sus zonas ribereñas compromete la capacidad de proveer servicios ecosistémicos en este contexto de alta alteración antropogénica.

Abstract (Introduction): Riparian zones provide a wide range of ecosystem services, and in urban contexts with high human intervention, this provision can be especially important. However, urban riparian zones worldwide have been highly degraded. (Objective): This research analyzed the spatiotemporal dynamics of land cover change over a period of 30 years (1992-2022) in the urban micro-basin of the Ipís River in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) of Costa Rica and evaluated the ecological condition of its riparian zones. (Methodology): This was done using geospatial techniques such as satellite image and aerial photo classification, map algebra, landscape metrics, and the use of an index for evaluating riparian ecological integrity (QBR index). (Results): During the study period, in the Ipís River micro-basin there was a significant increase in impervious cover (66.6%) at the expense of more pervious cover with greater ecological functionality, and there has been greater fragmentation and isolation of patches of more pervious covers. The QBR index values also suggest high alteration and poor ecological integrity in the riparian zones of the micro-basin in general. (Conclusions): The expansion of cover associated with urban uses has been prominent in the Ipís River micro-basin over the last three decades, and the high degradation in its riparian zones compromises the ability to provide ecosystem services in this context of high anthropogenic alteration.

The rapid and expansive integration of Internet of Things (IoT) environments across various industrial sectors has led to an unprecedented surge in data generation and management. This exponential growth in data underscores the critical necessity for robust data security methodologies that can effectively safeguard the confidentiality and integrity of information without imposing undue computational burdens. In response to this challenge, numerous studies have sought to leverage Attribute-Based Encryption (ABE) as a means to enable fine-grained access control. Among the ABE variants, Ciphertext Policy ABE (CP-ABE) and bilinear pairings have emerged as popular choices to construct security schemes that strike a balance between robust protection and computational efficiency. Despite the advancements achieved through CP-ABE and bilinear pairings, a prevalent concern arises in the utilization of Linear Secret Sharing Scheme (LSSS) access policies. LSSS policies, while providing a flexible and expressive way to define access controls, can significantly impact the execution time of encryption methods. This study recognizes the importance of addressing this challenge and explores the potential of employing a Key Policy Attribute-Based Encryption (KP-ABE) approach. The primary objective is to mitigate the computational overhead associated with encryption methods, thereby enhancing the efficiency of data security measures within IoT environments. Furthermore, this research delves into the incorporation of Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) to generate cryptographic keys. ECC, known for its strong security properties and computational efficiency, is considered a promising approach to bolster data security while concurrently minimizing computational overhead. By integrating KP-ABE with ECC, this study aims to offer a comprehensive solution that ensures robust security measures within the intricate landscape of IoT environments. Through detailed analysis and empirical investigation, the research endeavors to contribute valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on securing IoT data in a manner that aligns with the dual imperatives of security and computational efficiency. OPEN LICENSE: CC BY-NC-ND

Universities face the challenges of substantial reforms such as new managerialism, corporatism, neoliberalism, McDonaldisation, entrepreneurialism, massification, decolonisation, and many other approaches, philosophies, and practices that influence the original idea of the university. In competitive environments, new managerialism in the public sector can be a means of achieving more efficient, flexible, and adaptable management, thus, the permeation and manifestation of new managerialism in public higher education engender business practices and private-sector ideas. Furthermore, these transformations include globalisation and internationalisation, mass participation and vocational credentialing; business-like administration and internal product and performance regimes; quasi-market competition between institutions; and the part marketisation of teaching and research and services. These managerialist ideas, embedded in a neo-liberal conception of globalisation, have specific implications for higher education in the sense that they have the potential to limit contribution to future public administration research and graduate products to serve as public servants. Compounding the situation is academic capitalism, academic entrepreneurs, entrepreneurial academics and the commodification and commoditisation of a public good (education). Furthermore, even research universities seem to be giving way to entrepreneurial universities and are associated with the emergence of corporate universities. The university's entrepreneurial behaviour is seen in professors' perspectives on the university's role in knowledge dissemination -innovation agents being entrepreneurial academics and academic entrepreneurs - the former resembles innovative university members, while the latter resembles a typical start-up entrepreneur. This "Stalinist plan or new managerialism or new functionalism" and entrepreneurialism represents a healthy capitalist enterprise and propel thinking about whether or not universities pursue epistemologies, ontological scholarship, research and curriculum to improve public administration. This conceptual paper identifies complexities in propelling universities to a higher fitness landscape in producing public administration research and graduates. This is because a public university now fends for itself as it influences distinctive segments of the economy and militates against origins of public administration.

In marketing, perception is reality. This scholarly discourse investigates the inherent bias manifested in the perceived disparity between qualifications conferred by private higher education institutions and public universities within the South African context. It is argued that Private Higher Education Institutions (PHEIs) are integral to the education system. Government funding for students who elect to study at a PHEI would be a strategic investment in the nation's future. The article begins with a summation of the higher education (HE) landscape in South Africa, highlighting the target student enrolment numbers set by the National Development Plan 2030 and the need for additional investment in the sector in its entirety. The article raises the question of what makes a qualification from one institution more valuable than a qualification from another registered within the same quality assurance and accreditation framework where students can articulate from private to public Institutions and vice versa. Furthermore, the article explores the constraints experienced by students eligible for financial assistance but excluded from eligibility by the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS) when electing to study at a PHEI. The article emphasises the significance of addressing these biases and advocates for promoting the equitable treatment of PHEIs and public universities within the domestic HE landscape. The article highlights the need to improve access to HE and foster social justice in the South African HE system.

Advanced cell-based and gene therapy products emerged during the 1990s as new health product categories for treating and curing previously untreatable or incurable conditions. These products are complex, diverse and therapeutically specific, requiring specialised regulatory frameworks. During the last three decades, several jurisdictions have constructed specific regulatory frameworks to ensure these products' safety, clinical efficacy and quality. As these are new and disruptive products, these frameworks are continuously evolving. However, South Africa (SA)'s regulatory frameworks for medicines, human biological materials and genetically modified organisms have not kept pace with scientific and technological developments, leaving regulatory gaps. We briefly describe these novel products and their regulatory frameworks, and propose a way forward in SA.

In this article, we discuss South African heritage management, and how it has shaped the role institutions play in protecting heritage 100 years ago versus today. Museums and universities are in a difficult position as they address past unethical archaeology and palaeoanthropology practices while implementing transformation and decolonisation approaches to protect and share heritage inclusively. We outline some of the complexities that museums, universities, and heritage bodies face in navigating human evolution research, site and material access, potential returns, repatriations or reburials, curation and the development of accessible educational content in a contemporary context. SIGNIFICANCE: Museums, heritage agencies and universities have been the custodians of archaeological and palaeoanthropological heritage for a long time. In the past, conserving heritage was more about advocating race-based scientific study and advancing the colonial agenda. One hundred years later, this landscape has changed, but is not perfect. The complexities of heritage management, museum curation and collection, repatriation, and how we teach and share human evolution are many. Those navigating these complexities strive for a transformed and inclusive custodianship in an often difficult socio-political landscape, while simultaneously protecting and sharing our heritage.

South Africa is host to the single richest early hominin fossil record worldwide, including many examples of the endemic species Australopithecus africanus fossils. This species was first described by Raymond Dart in 1925 from the deposits near the town of Taung. Later, many more fossils, of different species and genera, were found in the caves of the Sterkfontein and Makapan Valleys. To understand this rich and diverse fossil record, we must understand how the landscape formed (cave formation processes) and changed (mining), when this happened (geochronology), and how the fossils were accumulated and modified (taphonomy). Here we provide a review of these themes to mark the centenary of the Taung Child discovery. We mark this moment in our field by critically reflecting on the role of extractive practices, especially centred around past mining of the Caves and the exclusion of many members of research teams. The South African Fossil Hominid sites provide a unique opportunity to expand our understanding of the intersection between human evolution and changing environmental conditions, as the karstic landscape and remnant cave systems preserve both fossils and sedimentary archives of past environmental change. We offer a perspective on future research areas: more standardised excavation practices and techniques to raise the quality of data collected from the caves and new techniques to date and extract palaeoclimate data from cave deposits themselves, to provide novel insights into the world of the early australopiths. SIGNIFICANCE: This review introduces the reader to the important fossil remains and palaeoclimate archives preserved within South Africa, highlighting the key species Australopithecus africanus and marking the centenary of its first description from the site of Taung. We review the geological and exploration history of the South African hominin fossil sites and discuss how they are intrinsically linked. We explore the impact of past extractive practices on the fossil and palaeoclimatic archives for past, current and future research. We go on to emphasise members of research teams who have been crucial to the discovery and recovery of fossils but have often been excluded and remained unnamed.

In his 1925 paper describing the Taung Child fossil, Dart makes various assertions about the landscape around Taung, inferring past climate dynamics, and the role these factors play in the evolution of our early prehuman relatives. He argues that this region of southern Africa is dry today and has been for much of the Cenozoic. This notion of long-term aridity and stability has dominated perspectives on southern African landscape evolution. Here, we present a review of this field, starting with the foundational studies from the late 1890s, which underpin Dart's hypothesis. We examine the work of 20th-century researchers who developed models of landscape evolution; however, almost all of these models have been qualitative. With technological advancements, new quantitative techniques have emerged to provide evidence of landscape evolution events and to test previous models, and we present a brief overview of these methods. We call for reflection on the framing and languaging of many of these landscape models, specifically the 'African land surface' model. While the evidence of a homogeneous and stable landscape is continually being challenged through scientific advancement, this terminology is rooted in outdated colonial thinking. We also note that the key narratives that have driven research on landscape evolution have been largely shaped by selected prominent Western-based scientists. As we mark the centenary of the Taung discovery, we look toward a new era of landscape evolution research: one characterised by technological advancements and more diverse, local teams that will produce more quantitative, nuanced models for southern Africa and create richer, more dynamic backdrops for our own human evolution. SIGNIFICANCE: We provide a review of over 100 years of models used to characterise landscape evolution in southern Africa. We argue that it is essential to reconsider current models of landscape evolution and assess their relevance in the southern African context. With technological advancements, we must question whether these models remain applicable or require revision. As scientists, we should also re-evaluate the terminology used in scientific dialogue to ensure it accurately reflects evolving perspectives. Finally, while the use of qualitative and quantitative methods have their unique benefits, we consider the application of more quantitative methods of landscape dating to test the existing models and build new, more complex ones.

Abstract The landscape of scientific research in Latin America (LA), particularly in the realms of the Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic (PBPK) and Physiologically Based Biopharmaceutic models (PBPM), is a mosaic of varied contributions, collaborations, and specializations. This study examines research production in the region using data from the Scopus and PubMed databases collected between 2011 and 2023. Brazil stands out as a prominent country in terms of the quantity of publications. When considering thematic specialization, Colombia cones first as the country with the greatest Relative Specialization Index (RSI), followed by Brazil, Cuba, Uruguay, Mexico, and Argentina. Regarding internationalization, Brazil and Mexico are currently exerting significant influence, particularly through their increasing cooperation with the United States and Europe. Interestingly, there is a lack of cooperation inside Latin America at the regional level. Regarding the contribution of Latin-American institutions, the State University of Maringá leads in number of publications, followed by the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of São Paulo. In this work, we analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of LA’s scientific contributions, offering a roadmap for future collaborative and specialized efforts in the field of PBPK and PBBM.

ABSTRACT Introduction: University presses serve as the intersection between academia and books, traditionally adopted as a primary medium for publishing. The transformations brought by Open Science have reshaped the landscape of scientific publications, and Brazilian university presses are inserted in this context. Objective: To investigate the use of Open Monograph Press (OMP) software for editing e-books within Brazilian university presses. To achieve this, Brazilian university presses using the OMP software were mapped, including their respective websites. The study analyzed the information available on these websites, specifically focusing on the characterization, mapping of privacy policies, licensing for use and reproduction, and accessibility for people with disabilities. Methodology: This exploratory and descriptive study adopted a qualitative and documentary approach, extracting secondary data from the websites of university presses. Results: The Southeast region stands out, with six university presses, five of which are located in São Paulo. OMP is utilized by 17 presses, 82% of which have privacy statements, while only one, the UFPB, provides accessibility for people with disabilities. Conclusion: The study highlights the importance of using standardized software that meets the demands of satisfactory editorial quality. The results suggest that OMP represents a suitable adaptation to editorial standards and aligns with the norms required for the quality of the Brazilian publishing market. However, this study highlights the need for university presses to prioritize accessibility.

RESUMO Introdução: Editoras universitárias constituem o ponto de encontro entre o campo da universidade e o do livro, adotado como um meio tradicional de publicação. As mudanças trazidas pela Ciência Aberta transformaram o cenário das publicações científicas, e as editoras brasileiras estão se inserindo nesse cenário. Objetivo: Investigar como se configura o uso de software Open Monograph Press (OMP) para editoração de e-books no contexto das editoras universitárias brasileiras. Para atingir a este objetivo, mapeou-se as editoras universitárias brasileiras que utilizam software OMP, bem como os seus respectivos endereços eletrônicos e analisou-se as informações disponíveis nos sites das editoras, a saber: a caracterização, o mapeamento das políticas de privacidade, as licenças de uso e reprodução e a acessibilidade a pessoas com deficiência. Metodologia: Para a realização do estudo, foram extraídos dados secundários dos sítios eletrônicos das editoras, tratando-se de um trabalho exploratório e de caráter descritivo, de abordagem qualitativa e documental. Resultados: Entre os resultados, a Região Sudeste se destaca com o total de seis editoras universitárias, evidenciando o estado de São Paulo com cinco unidades. O OMP é utilizado por 17 editoras, das quais 82% definem declaração de privacidade e apenas uma é acessível para pessoas com deficiência, que é o caso da UFPB. Conclusão: Destaca-se a importância de se utilizar um software padronizado, que esteja de acordo com as exigências de uma qualidade editorial satisfatória. Sugere-se, conforme os resultados, que o OMP representa uma qualidade satisfatória das informações apresentadas no site sugerem uma adaptação eficaz do referido software no que concerne às exigências editoriais e quanto às normas que se propõem para a qualidade do mercado editorial brasileiro. Destaca-se que as editoras precisam se atentar à questão da acessibilidade.

Resumen A Lei nº 12.651/2012 trouxe alterações nas larguras de Áreas de Preservação Permanentes (APPs) ripárias a serem restauradas, que passam a depender também do tamanho do imóvel rural em módulos fiscais, que por sua vez, varia conforme o município. Por conta disso, a definição do passivo ambiental dessas APPs é complexa, exigindo procedimentos de geoprocessamento e informações nem sempre prontamente disponíveis. Para automatizar a identificação destas áreas de passivo ambiental, foi criado o pacote restauraRapp, que apresenta um conjunto de funções para a automatização de quatro etapas do procedimento: I) Aquisição de dados; II) Classificação dos tamanhos dos imóveis; III) Processamento das informações sobre o uso e cobertura do solo em áreas ripárias; IV) Processamento e geração de resultados em formato cartográfico e tabular. O pacote gera resultados que podem auxiliar no planejamento de paisagens focado na recuperação de APPs ripárias, auxiliando ONGs, governos municipais e proprietários de terras.

Abstract The Law No. 12,651/2012 brought changes to the widths of riparian Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) to be restored, which now also depend on the size of the rural property in fiscal modules, which in turn, varies depending on the municipality. Because of this, defining the environmental liabilities of these PPAs is complex, requiring geoprocessing procedures and information that are not always readily available. To automate the identification of these areas to be restored, the restauraRapp package was created, which presents a set of functions for automating four steps of the procedure: I) Data acquisition; II) Classification of property sizes; III) Processing information on land use and cover data in riparian areas; IV) Cartographical and tabular output generation. This package can support landscape planning focused on the restoration of riparian PPAs, potentially assisting NGOs, municipality governments and landowners.

Resumo Uma rápida verticalização para acomodar os cidadãos da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo está alterando o balanço de radiação e calor atmosférico, destacando a necessidade de entender o impacto que a infraestrutura verde e construída têm no fenômeno da ilha de calor urbana de dossel. Esse fenômeno meteorológico ocorre principalmente devido à diferença na paisagem entre áreas urbanas e rurais. Cenários hipotéticos com diferentes perfis verdes foram simulados usando o modelo WRF acoplado ao SLUCM, e seus resultados foram comparados ao cenário atual usando dados numéricos para observar o impacto da infraestrutura verde. A comparação usando os dados de saída mostrou que a área total de infraestrutura verde tem grande potencial para reduzir a intensidade da ilha de calor urbana de dossel. O cenário com a maior área total e maior dispersão de infraestrutura verde registrou temperaturas urbanas médias entre 1,2 °C e 1,9 °C mais baixas do que o cenário atual. Compreender o comportamento da infraestrutura verde e seus benefícios é importante para o desenvolvimento de políticas públicas municipais alinhadas aos objetivos sustentáveis, e destaca explicitamente a relevância de parques e praças urbanas para a regulação térmica local.

Abstract A rapid verticalization to accommodate the citizens of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo is altering the balance of radiation and atmospheric heat, highlighting the need to understand the impact that green and built infrastructure have on the canopy urban heat island phenomenon. This meteorological phenomenon occurs mainly due to the difference in landscape between urban and rural areas. Hypothetical scenarios with different green profiles were simulated using the WRF model coupled with SLUCM, and their results were compared to the current scenario using numerical data in order to observe the impact of green infrastructure. Comparison using output data showed that the total area of green infrastructure has great potential in reducing the intensity of the canopy urban heat island. The scenario with the largest total area and highest dispersion of green infrastructure recorded average urban temperatures 1.2 °C to 1.9 °C lower than the current scenario. Understanding the behavior of green infrastructure and its benefits is important for the development of municipal public policies that are in line with sustainable goals, and explicitly the relevance of urban parks and squares for local thermal regulation.

BACKGROUND: Ideas have become the new battleground for small and medium enterprises' (SME) success. In the digital age, competition is no longer focussed on information but on how they can compete to generate inventive ideas. AIM: This study investigates the impact of founders' imaginativeness on SME performance. The mediating influence of strategic flexibility, moderating SME resources and intra-organisational knowledge sharing determines the relationship between imaginativeness and SME performance. SETTING: The evolving landscape of competition in the digital age, where the ability to generate innovative ideas has become paramount for SMEs. Recognising the significance of founders' imaginativeness in driving business performance, the study seeks to delve deeper into this relationship. METHODS: The study employed a quantitative approach to investigate the relationship between founder imaginativeness and SME performance, utilizing data from 98 Indonesian SMEs. RESULTS: The findings indicate that founder imaginativeness is one of the important points in SME performance. Furthermore, strategic flexibility mediates the impact of imaginativeness on SME performance, whereas intra-organisational knowledge sharing and resources moderate the impact of imaginativeness on SME performance. CONCLUSION: The findings offer practical insights for SMEs navigating the digital age, highlighting the importance of fostering founder imaginativeness. enhancement strategies. Using a psychoanalysis lens and a combination of several theories, this study emphasises the significance of fostering a culture conducive to imaginative thinking and knowledge sharing within SMEs. CONTRIBUTION: By cultivating a culture that values creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning, SMEs can create an environment that fosters innovation and long-term success, driving organisational performance and growth.

ABSTRACT: Landscape patterns in mountainous areas with rapid economic development are strongly affected by multiple human activities. However, the changes in landscape disturbances across karst mountainous areas attributed to complex human activities remain unclear. Research on the degree of landscape disturbance in mountainous areas under the influence of human activities is of great significance to the conservation and scientific management of mountainous landscapes. We selected rural zones with four typical small-scale landform types in karst mountainous areas as the research objects and analyzed the response of changes in rural landscape disturbance to human activity in these areas. Our results revealed that the landscape disturbance degree and human activity influence index increase in the majority of karst mountainous areas. The changes in human activity and landscape disturbances are generally observed in the low terrain relief region. High-intensity land use associated with rapid economic development has a serious negative impact on the degree of landscape disturbance, while ecological restoration projects exert a positive impact. Accelerating the implementation of the grain for green project and regulating the unregulated expansion of production and living land are crucial measures for the ecological management in karst mountainous areas. Future ecological management strategies should focus on relatively flat terrain areas. Our findings contributed to the landscape management and human activity regulation of different small-scale landform types in karst mountainous areas. ABSTRACT However unclear landscapes smallscale small scale region Highintensity High intensity

RESUMO: Os padrões paisagísticos em zonas montanhosas com rápido desenvolvimento económico são fortemente afetados por múltiplas atividades humanas. No entanto, as mudanças nas alterações da paisagem nas áreas montanhosas cársticas atribuídas a atividades humanas complexas permanecem obscuras. A investigação sobre o grau de alteração da paisagem em zonas montanhosas sob a influência das atividades humanas é de grande importância para a conservação e gestão científica das paisagens montanhosas. Selecionamos zonas rurais com quatro tipos típicos de acidentes geográficos de pequena escala em áreas montanhosas como objetos de pesquisa e analisamos a resposta das mudanças na perturbação da paisagem rural à atividade humana nessas áreas. Nossos resultados revelam que o grau de alteração da paisagem e a atividade humana influenciam o aumento do índice na maioria das áreas montanhosas. As mudanças na atividade humana e nas perturbações paisagísticas são geralmente observadas na região de baixo relevo do terreno. A utilização intensiva do solo associada ao rápido desenvolvimento econômico tem um sério impacto negativo no grau de perturbação da paisagem, enquanto os projetos de restauração ecológica exercem um impacto positivo. Acelerar a implementação dos projetos para área “verde” e regular a expansão não regulamentada da produção e da terra viva são medidas cruciais para a gestão ecológica em áreas montanhosas cársticas. As futuras estratégias de gestão ecológica deverão centrar-se em áreas de terreno relativamente planas. Nossas descobertas contribuem para a gestão da paisagem e a regulação da atividade humana de diferentes tipos de relevo de pequena escala em áreas montanhosas cársticas. RESUMO entanto obscuras positivo verde “verde centrarse centrar se planas