Evolution of Solar Energy in Chile: Residential Opportunities in Arica and Parinacota

Chile has set itself to achieve Greenhouse Gas emission neutrality, with at least 70% of electricity coming from renewable energy sources by 2050. To this end, institutional and regulatory frameworks have been improved, resulting in significant progress in medium and large-scale projects. However, solar energy production at residential level and its surplus injection to all distribution networks has been very limited. This paper analyzes the evolution of the regulatory energy policies in Chile in order to contrast it with an economic evaluation of residential projects. The analysis focuses on the city of Arica, one of the highest potential regions in terms of solar energy within the country. There, a particularly low penetration of residential solar energy usage has been observed. Based on the current situation, projections are made for Arica in 2050, through the identification of barriers and opportunities on a residential scale development. According to some recommendations, there is the need to design policies that take into account the particular characteristics of each region within the country.

Agri-food entrepreneurship. Harvesting, growing and reseeding the orchard through a bibliometric study

PurposeScholarly literature on entrepreneurial activities in the agri-food sector has flourished over the years in several different ways. This study uses the metaphor of an orchard to describe how this stream of literature has evolved from its initial “seeds” to the rich and diversified “fruits” of current debate. It is now time to harvest and catalogue these “fruits”. This study aims to map out and systematise the current stock of knowledge on agri-food entrepreneurship, so as to identify gaps and thus “plant” new seeds for the future of the “orchard”.Design/methodology/approachTo identify thematic clusters, this study used a bibliometric analysis coupled with a systematic literature review performed over a dataset of 108 peer-reviewed articles.FindingsThe results revealed six thematic clusters related to agri-food entrepreneurship: ecosystems, formal and informal institutions; contextual entrepreneurial practices; community and stakeholders’ engagement; barriers and opportunities; entrepreneurial orientation; and sustainable entrepreneurship. After investigating each of them, this study created a framework to highlight future avenues through which the topic could be further developed.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to systematise, analyse and critically interpret the literature concerned with agri-food entrepreneurship.

Tapping into Residents’ Perceptions to Diffuse Landscape Water Conservation and Protection Practices

This new 4-page article provides real examples of how university researchers used the Diffusion of Innovations theory to analyze Florida residents’ perceptions of landscape conservation and fertilizer behaviors and identify barriers and opportunities to encourage widespread adoption. The information and recommendations are intended for Extension professionals and other practitioners to promote behavior change in household landscaping practices. Written by Colby Silvert, Laura Warner, Matt Benge, and John Diaz and published by the Department of Agricultural Education and Communication.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/wc405

Critical analysis of factors determining sustainable development of territories in a strategic perspective

The main interpretations of terms, development trends, foreign and domestic experience within the concept of sustainable development of territories have been considered. The importance of cooperative interaction and cooperation between actors in the same area in the context of existing constraints, barriers and opportunities for the deployment of the processes under consideration, has been confirmed. A statistical comparative analysis of the dynamics of changing trends in the interaction between research organisations and industrial enterprises of the regions has been carried out in comparison with Russian and global trends. The interrelationships between the key factors relating to financial support processes, infrastructure capacity and the research and education component have been revealed and their impact on territorial development has been highlighted. Scientific research methods such as analysis and generalization and correlation analysis were used within the framework of the article.

Translating Games Into Effective Health Results Using Digital Tools

The use of gamification in the health context, especially to trigger behavior change, has assumed a particular relevance. However, the scientific evidence that supports the effectiveness of gamified methodologies has constituted a barrier to the implementation of projects. This chapter draws on a review of this theme, identifying barriers and opportunities for using gamification mechanisms. Results show that digital games are often considered as more enjoyable, engaging, and interesting solutions that are able to increase access, autonomy, self-efficacy, compliance to treatment, and knowledge acquisition. However, most studies reported a high risk of bias due to small-sized samples, short follow-up times, and lack of randomized control trials or more robust study designs. Therefore, future research should target older adults, ensure longer periods of follow-up, bigger samples, and include randomized control trials. Involvement of patients and health professionals is also a key component to ensure a more effective and regulated delivery of such solutions within the healthcare system.

Restaurant decision-maker perceptions of barriers and opportunities for invasive lionfish consumption

Lionfish (Pterois volitans, Pterois miles), invasive coral reef fishes in the western Atlantic, cause extensive negative impacts to marine ecosystems. Following their introduction in Florida in the 1980’s, lionfish colonized numerous coral reef ecosystems and have been documented at depths ranging from 1-300m. In addition to depleting native reef fish biomass and threatening macroalgae induced phase shifts on shallow reefs, the invasion of lionfish has caused severe economic damage in the form of reduced native fish yields for local fisher people and high costs of management. While few examples exist of successful management of marine invasive species, studies have shown that lionfish removal can decrease their density and increase prey species biomass. A critical component and challenge for any effective lionfish removal effort is to maintain consistently high levels of lionfish harvesting so as to reduce lionfish abundance to levels that mitigate their negative ecological impacts. One popular market-based option that may achieve this is increasing the demand for the consumption of lionfish. This management solution offers potential benefits to both human livelihoods and marine ecosystems. Our study focuses on Florida’s consumptive lionfish market and fills a gap in understanding the lionfish supply chain for Florida’s restaurant industry. Although lionfish are commercially available in Florida, they are not currently widely consumed with consistency. We conducted interviews with twenty restaurant decision-makers in FL to understand their perceptions of barriers and opportunities for increasing their use of invasive lionfish. The most commonly identified barriers were: price and consistency of supply, while the most prominent opportunities were: improved awareness and culinary potential to increase the demand for lionfish. Conservation managers and policymakers should leverage these findings to facilitate opportunities, address barriers, and promote public education about invasive lionfish and their impacts.

Saudi Physicians' Awareness and Practice of Pulmonary Rehabilitation for Post-COVID-19 Syndrome Patients

Background: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19), caused by infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, has resulted in considerable mortality, morbidity, and unprecedented strain on healthcare systems throughout the world. As the pandemic evolves, one of those challenges has become increasingly common - the post-COVID-19 syndrome. Approximately 10-20% of SARS-CoV-2 patients who experienced an acute symptomatic phase are still experiencing some effects beyond 12 weeks. To assess knowledge, awareness and practice about effectiveness and benefits of pulmonary rehabilitation for post-covid-19 syndrome patients and their practical barriers and opportunities, and education and training needs among Saudi physicians. Methodology: A cross-sectional online survey was held among healthcare providers in Saudi Arabia. Department of internal medicine, Heraa General Hospital, between January 2021 and November 2021. The questionnaire was sent to Saudi physicians from data collectors face-to-face through smartphone apps. The questionnaire covered the talk about pulmonary rehabilitation knowledge and familiarity among Saudi physicians, support and practice, barriers to pulmonary rehabilitation integration, and interest in learning more about pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Results: A total of 1111 responded to the survey. The mean age of the participants was 33 years old, with mean years of experience of about 6.95 years. The majority of respondents (n=949) (85.4%) work in urban areas and come from various regions, including the west (n=407) (36.6%), east (n=195) (17.6%), north (n=150) (13.5%), south (n=150) (13.5%) and central region (n=209) (18.8%). More than half of the respondents were physicians (n=750) (67.5%) from different specialties, and the mean number of covid-19 patients seen by physicians was 5.68% per day. Conclusion: Participants in this study showed a positive attitude toward pulmonary rehabilitation. They believe their patients would benefit from Pulmonary rehabilitation, are interested in referring post-covid-19 patients to rehabilitation providers and co-managing their care, and would like more educational opportunities in order to increase their knowledge of the safety and efficacy of pulmonary rehabilitation.