Search Results (3,092)

Complex compounds are under close scrutiny by scientists as precursors, which are needed to produce functional materials. When the thermolysis method of double complex salts is used on an industrial scale, the most detailed information on the thermal decomposition, including the kinetics of decomposition, is required. The kinetics of pyrolysis, solid, and gaseous products of [Co(NH₃)₆][Fe(C₂O₄)₃]∙2H₂O (I) and [Co(en)₃][Fe(C₂O₄)₃] (II) (en—ethylenediamine) thermolysis were studied in this work. The solid products of thermal decomposition were studied using scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis, and the specific surface area (8 and 71 m²/g, respectively) was measured. It was determined that a double complex salt (DCS) with a coordinated en has a higher thermal stability than with NH₃ due to the chelation effect. Full article

Background and Objectives: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a systemic condition in which muscle wasting, malnutrition, and altered fluid balance strongly influence prognosis. While spirometry remains essential for diagnosis and staging, it often fails to reflect the heterogeneity of outcomes. Multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MF-BIA) enables the assessment of body composition and fluid distribution, offering additional prognostic information. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of MF-BIA in COPD, with emphasis on outcomes such as mortality, exacerbations, and hospital admissions. Materials and Methods: We systematically searched PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus from inception to 29 April 2025. The earliest record retrieved was published in 1996 but was excluded during screening. Studies including COPD patients in whom MF-BIA-derived parameters were related to clinical outcomes were eligible. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Data on design, population, methodology, and endpoints were extracted and narratively synthesized due to heterogeneity. The review protocol was not registered. Results: Eight studies were included. Phase angle (PhA) consistently showed prognostic value, being inversely related to mortality and rehospitalizations. Fat-free mass index (FFMI) was integrated into multidimensional models, but its independent role was inconsistent. Parameters describing fluid distribution, such as Extracellular Water/Total Body Water ratio, also appeared relevant, though interpretation was often limited by the absence of consistent consideration of underlying cardiac disease. Conclusions: MF-BIA provides useful prognostic insights in COPD patients, particularly through PhA. It may refine risk stratification beyond spirometry, yet further prospective studies with standardized methods are needed to confirm its independent value. Heterogeneity of methods and small sample sizes remain important limitations. Full article

Background: eHealth literacy (eHL) is the ability to seek, find, understand, and apply digital health information. Adolescents often overestimate their eHL skills, potentially leading to poor health decisions and posing a public health concern. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward eHL and seeking health information online among a sample of Italian adolescents aged 10–19 to identify the sociodemographic characteristics and other variables that are associated with the outcomes of interest. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire, including the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS). Results: A total of 793 Italian adolescents from seven public schools in Naples, southern Italy, participated in the survey. Among the participants, 58.6% had an eHEALS score below 27. A higher eHL was associated with being male, perceiving the Internet as useful for health decisions, the use of electronic devices for seeking health information, consulting institutional/scientific sources, having a mother with lower education, and having parents without underlying chronic conditions. Additionally, a higher eHL, male sex, younger age, and Internet use for seeking health information in the last three months were linked to perceiving the Internet as a helpful tool for health decision making. Conclusions: Overall, Italian adolescents reported suboptimal eHL with sex, attitudes, and parental factors playing significant roles. Targeted educational interventions are needed to enhance eHL in this specific age group. Full article

Background/Objectives: Childhood obesity remains a critical public health concern in Greece, particularly among socioeconomically vulnerable groups. This study conducted a secondary analysis of five large-scale epidemiological datasets to examine the association between energy balance-related behaviours (EBRBs) and obesity in children in need. Methods: Data were compiled from five nationally or regionally representative studies (Genesis, ToyBox, Healthy Growth, ENERGY, and Feel4Diabetes) involving children aged 1–12 years. Stratified and subgroup analyses were performed to examine associations between weight status and EBRBs, including dietary habits, physical activity, and sedentary behaviour. Determinants of EBRBs were also analysed using the socio-ecological model framework. Results: Children in need demonstrated a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity compared to the general child population. Key risk factors for EBRBs included frequent consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, sweet snacks, and high screen time. Protective behaviours associated with lower obesity risk included regular breakfast consumption, adequate sleep duration, and physical activity. Determinants of high-risk EBRBs were primarily interpersonal and, to a lesser extent, individual and community-level factors. Conclusions: These findings highlight the disproportionate burden of childhood obesity among vulnerable populations and identify modifiable behaviours and determinants that can inform targeted interventions. These results provide a robust evidence base to guide national public health policies, including the development of school- and community-based obesity prevention programmes aligned with the goals of Greece’s National Action Against Childhood Obesity. Prioritising children in need in such initiatives is essential to reduce health inequities and improve long-term health outcomes. Full article

This article presents a development and validation of a method to determine the starting time for hardening concrete flooring mechanically floated using the Dry Shake Topping technique. Until now, an informal method based on shoeprint penetration depth of 3–4 mm into the hardening concrete floor has been used in practice, but it is prone to significant errors. The probe time method described in the literature also has multiple limitations and drawbacks. Currently, there is no scientifically verified method for accurately determining the setting time of concrete mix and its early compressive strength. This gap poses a research problem because incorrect early timing of topping floating leads to further defects in concrete flooring. Through various laboratory, pilot, and technical-scale tests, a new method was developed. According to this method, floating should begin when the penetration depth of the Proctor Compaction Test Apparatus in the concrete mix reaches 4–7 mm. This penetration depth corresponds to the point at which the hardening concrete mix achieves sufficient strength to support the floating equipment while remaining plastic enough to ensure a strong bond between the topping and concrete layers. The article presents correlations between the Proctor Compaction Test results and the early strength of young concrete. It also explains practical on-site application of the method, providing immediate results without the need for interpolation. This method can be applied to any concrete mix intended for use in concrete flooring. Full article

To address the problem of the bottom velocity being directly affected by the time-varying ocean currents when DVL operates in the water observation mode, it cannot be directly used for combined SINS/DVL navigation. Existing methods generally approximate small-scale, short-term currents as constant; however, this assumption is inconsistent with reality over longer durations. When the conventional Kalman filter (KF) algorithm incorporates currents into the state vector, their velocities become entangled with the SINS errors, limiting estimation accuracy. This paper proposes an augmented observation algorithm (AOA) that achieves error decoupling by enhancing DVL observation and deriving the observable current velocity equation without needing external observation information. This approach effectively estimates time-varying currents. The results from simulations and shipboard tests show that, compared to the reference algorithm (Augmented Observation Quantity Filtering algorithm (AOQ)), the proposed AOA significantly decreases the root mean square error (RMSE) of time-varying current velocity estimation by more than 67%. Additionally, the RMSE of the positioning accuracy of the combined SINS/DVL navigation is improved by over 68%. Full article

A methodological framework is provided for characterizing large-scale forest resource distribution in South Korea, along with a baseline for sustainable forest management practices. This study aimed to establish a baseline framework that integrates satellite and ground-based data for nationwide growing stock volume (GSV) estimation. Several machine learning models were applied and compared for estimating GSV across South Korea using Sentinel-2 imagery, national forest inventory data, and topographic information. Four algorithms, namely, k-nearest neighbors (kNN), random forest (RF), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and categorical boosting (CatBoost), were evaluated. The ensemble methods outperformed kNN, with RF demonstrating the highest accuracy (coefficient of determination and root mean squared error of 0.56 and 66.9 m³/ha, respectively). Accuracy assessment shows that kNN performed relatively well near the mean GSV (≒200 m³/ha), but its accuracy decreased sharply toward the extremes, failing to represent plots above 400 m³/ha. Estimation accuracy also varied substantially with stand height, which was identified as the primary predictor, and kNN was the most affected. These findings suggest that the structural complexity and mountainous terrain of South Korean forests may amplify the limitations of distance-based methods, reinforcing the need for improved 3D structural predictors such as satellite-derived stand height. Full article

Suburban green areas provide significant health, economic, social, and ecological benefits. They are a key element in advancing sustainability at local and regional scales. However, they become threatened in the presence of other competing land uses, neighborhood-change processes, and/or weak built-environment governance. Consequently, suburban green area loss and/or degradation is problematic. In this study, we tested whether socioeconomic decline is significantly correlated with loss or degradation of suburban green areas at a neighborhood scale. This phenomenon has been previously studied with a limited sample and methodology and needs further empirical documentation and more nuanced modeling and testing. We employed Social-Ecological System theory in scoping and framing this multidisciplinary study and informing multilevel panel-data regressions. This approach allowed us to identify key factors and lagged effects behind green area degradation in outer-ring suburbs of Los Angeles. In addition to internal socioeconomic factors, random components associated with ecological zonal distribution and county-level clustering registered significant variability in their influence on greater likelihood of green coverage loss and degradation in declining outer-ring suburbs. Findings from this study can inform intelligent spatial planning, management, and monitoring of suburban areas, and showcase the value of a social-ecological system lens in suburban green infrastructure research, as well as contribute to SES theoretical development and research methodology at the neighborhood scale. Full article

Background/Objectives: According to recent literature, the prevalence and incidence of long-term illnesses such as asthma and diabetes in young people have substantially risen over the past 13 years. Recent figures indicate that, in England, 4.10% of all prescriptions were prescribed for young people. The aim of this study was to investigate young people’s perspectives of pharmaceutical services provided by primary care pharmacists relating to medication. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using both online and paper-based tools was conducted from March to November 2019. The population for this survey was young people from 18 to 24 years old registered as students at one of the universities in England. The survey consisted of twenty-four questions, and they were a mix of closed-ended questions, such as multiple-choice and Likert scales, and open-ended questions. Results: A total of 210 out of 800 survey responses were completed from different recruitment sources, achieving a response rate of 26.25%. Most participants were female (62.38%), and the most frequent age was 18 years (35.24%). Among participants, 15.70% were diagnosed with long-term illnesses, of which 33.33% were reported as the respiratory disease, asthma. Pharmacists were not utilised as a source of information for young people, with the majority (60.60%) obtaining information from their doctors. Most of the participants (96.97%) had not taken part in a Medicines Use Review (MUR) or New Medicine Service (NMS), and 78.79% were not aware of any services or support groups by their pharmacist. Among different healthcare professionals, GPs and hospital doctors were the most frequently reported to discuss with young people about their illnesses. Conclusions: There is an opportunity to further develop pharmaceutical services and support by primary care pharmacists for young people with long-term illnesses. Policymakers and primary care pharmacists in the future could utilise the perceptions and opinions of young people found in the current study to inform the development of primary care pharmacy services to meet young people’s needs and perceptions. These results are of benefit to policymakers in assisting in the development of pharmacy services. Further research will enhance understanding of the perceptions of young people about the pharmaceutical services offered by primary care pharmacists with respect to medications. Full article

Waterlogging is an increasing constraint to crop productivity under climate change, yet information on quinoa’s sensitivity to excess water remains limited. This study aimed to identify the most vulnerable phenological stage of quinoa to waterlogging stress. A greenhouse experiment was conducted using the variety Tunkahuan, applying waterlogging (12 days) at six growth stages according to the BBCH scale, plus a well-drained control. Growth, chlorophyll content, biomass, yield components, and harvest index were assessed. Waterlogging significantly reduced growth and yield at all stages (p ≤ 0.05). Early vegetative stress reduced canopy cover and chlorophyll, with partial recovery after stress removal, but caused 73% plant mortality at BBCH 25. Reproductive stress, especially at anthesis (BBCH 60–67), was most critical, reducing yield by 71–77% compared to the control due to severe declines in grain number and harvest index. Stress during grain filling caused moderate yield reductions (22–28 g plant⁻¹). We conclude that quinoa is sensitive to waterlogging throughout its development, but anthesis is the most vulnerable stage for irreversible yield loss. These findings highlight the need for breeding programs targeting waterlogging tolerance and improved management practices to minimize flooding risk during flowering. Full article

The decarbonisation of the built environment has increased reliance on Environmental Life Cycle Assessment (E-LCA) to evaluate the impacts of construction materials. However, social aspects—particularly those affecting workers—remain underexplored. This study presents a regionalised approach to support socially and environmentally informed decision-making in the Italian construction sector. For this purpose, we have integrated worker health and safety indicators into the E-LCA of two representative building products assessed across key life cycle stages. These indicators are incorporated into the evaluation of Global Warming Potential (GWP), thus serving as a decision-support tool during the design phase. From a design perspective, the aim is to promote a broader understanding of sustainability—encompassing both environmental and social dimensions—within building projects. Methodologically, the contribution is twofold. First, it addresses the current gap in context-specific data on the critical indicator of worker health and safety in the construction sector, an essential requirement for robust and scientifically recognised S-LCA studies. To this end, the study develops a regionalised scoring system based on publicly available occupational health and safety data from the Italian National Accident Database (INAIL), disaggregated by sector and region. Second, we propose a framework to combine these social indicators with LCA-based environmental impact metrics, which remain central to building-scale E-LCA. It is clear that no single region performs best, while a critical need for multi-criteria decision-making in sustainable design is evident. Full article

Argumentation is a key competence (as emphasized by the European Union) for lifelong learning and democratic participation. Written argumentation is a challenging task for students, and to date, no study has investigated the impact of a combined teaching approach of debating and SRSD writing lessons on written argumentation skills. This study addresses this gap by linking debating and SRSD writing lessons for the first time in grade 9 classrooms, employing a debating format and the Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD) approach. We aimed to assess the impact of the combination of debating and SRSD writing lessons on the quality of students’ argumentative writing, examining text quality across school types (higher and lower academic track) and intervention sequences (debating–SRSD and SRSD–debating). This quasi-experimental study included 357 ninth-grade students from six rural and urban German schools, split between higher (57.9%) and lower (42.1%) academic tracks. Over four measurement points, the students participated in randomized debating or SRSD-based writing lessons, each comprising six 90-minute sessions conducted by trained coaches from the research team. Text quality was measured through standardized writing tasks and the double-blinded rating of text and language pragmatics quality on a six-point scale. Both interventions improved text quality, with significant gains observed in the post-tests, and gains were especially visible for lower-track students. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of linking debating and SRSD writing lessons in improving writing skills. Our findings support the inclusion of debating as a motivational precursor to writing, emphasizing adaptability in teaching strategies to accommodate diverse student needs. We recommend confirming these findings and informing broader curricular reforms in further research. Full article

The increasing complexity of urban environments has exposed the limitations of prescriptive approaches in urban design and planning, highlighting the need for more adaptive, data-informed, and methodologically rigorous processes. Evidence-Based Design and Planning (EBDP) offers a promising response by embedding evidence as a continuous and iterative element throughout design and decision-making. Yet, its adoption in practice remains uneven, constrained by project limitations, data availability, and the challenge of operationalising analytical workflows. This paper addresses these challenges by proposing a transferable framework for EBDP, developed through the review of six realised projects, ranging from public space enhancements to metropolitan masterplans and policy studies, undertaken in both professional practice and academic research. Examined alongside existing theoretical models, these cases revealed recurring patterns that informed the framework. The resulting model consists of four interlinked phases: clarification and evidence-based project definition; integration of an evidence base through analysis and modelling; generation of options synthesising diverse evidence; and evaluations to guide adaptation and decision-making. Rather than a linear or prescriptive sequence of stages, the framework uses iteration and flexible feedback processes anchored by a unifying Hybrid Spatial Model to synthesise evidence, support the generation of design options, and underpin engagement and feedback processes considering project objectives. This paper offers a systematic yet flexible framework for EBDP that can be adapted across scales, project types, and contexts. Full article

The growing number of patients after oncological treatment makes knowledge about potential cardiovascular complications of cancer therapy particularly important. Early recognition of symptoms enables the rapid initiation of appropriate therapy and improves outcomes. Education in this field increases awareness of the need for regular cardiology follow-up and adherence to health recommendations. It is advisable for patient education on the risk of cardiotoxicity to be included during visits with both the oncologist and the cardiologist. A self-developed questionnaire was used. It consisted of 40 questions (including 16 from the Health Behavior Scale) and 8 additional sociodemographic questions. An anonymous questionnaire was completed by 243 patients of the cardio-oncology outpatient clinic operating within the Department of Cardiology in Poland. In the survey conducted, patients were asked to define the concept of cardio-oncology; only 23.5% of respondents provided a correct answer. The highest level of awareness was observed among individuals under the age of 40 (p = 0.001) and of higher education levels (p < 0.001). Better knowledge was also noted among respondents who recalled being informed by their doctor about complications (p < 0.001) and among those who had undergone cardiological examinations (p = 0.005). The findings further revealed that respondents who recognized the importance of cardiac monitoring following therapy were significantly more likely to engage in health behaviors (p < 0.001). Particularly concerning was the limited communication regarding cardiovascular risks associated with cancer treatment. Only 24.3% of patients reported having been informed (or recalled being informed) by their oncologist about the potential cardiotoxic effects of anticancer drugs. Approximately one-third of respondents (32%) had not been referred for a cardiology consultation during their cancer treatment. Despite this, an overwhelming majority (95.5%) expressed the belief that a cardiologist should assess all oncology patients. These findings underscore critical deficiencies in patients’ education within the field of cardio-oncology. Health education interventions during oncological follow-up visits are needed Full article

There is an urgent need for an updated and relevant soil information system (SIS) to sustainably use and manage the land across Africa. Accurate data on soil pollution is essential for effective decision-making in soil health monitoring and management. Unfortunately, the data and information are not usually presented in formats that can easily guide decision-making. The objectives of this work were to (i) assess the availability of soil pollution maps, (ii) evaluate the methodologies used in creating these maps, (iii) explore the role of soil pollution maps in soil health monitoring, and (iv) identify gaps and challenges in soil pollution mapping in Africa. Soil pollution maps across Africa are created on a local scale, with highly variable sampling size and low sampling density. The most used mapping techniques include spatial interpolation (kriging and inverse distance weighting). Among the types of soil pollutants mapped, heavy metals have received priority, while pesticides and persistent organic pollutants have received less attention. Soil pollution mapping is not incorporated within the SIS framework due to lack of reliable spatially comprehensive data and technological and institutional barriers. Current efforts remain fragmented, site-specific, and methodologically inconsistent, resulting in significant data gaps that hinder reliable monitoring and limit progress in soil pollution mapping. Full article