Search Results (243)

This manuscript creates a framework for decision support based on green urbanism to direct the sustainable development of Gamasa, an Egyptian seaside city. The paper aims to convert the concepts of green urbanism into a multi-criteria evaluation that can support strategic urban development and prioritize spatial interventions. Sustainable mobility, green and blue infrastructure, energy and resource efficiency, urban form and density, social livability and public space quality, and governance and implementation feasibility are the six dimensions that are defined. These dimensions are derived from international sustainability literature and tailored to Gamasa’s particular challenges. The study’s methodology combines a multi-criteria decision-making approach based on the AHP with spatial analysis of land use, street hierarchy, building shape, and green space distribution. Weights for these dimensions are determined by expert-based pairwise comparisons, which are backed by a SWOT analysis. To prioritize priority zones for green transformation, the weighted framework is applied to four important urban areas: residential districts, a large urban park, the waterfront, and the main urban corridor. The top priorities, according to the results, are climate-responsive coastal design, increased green and blue infrastructure, and sustainable transportation. For quickly urbanizing coastal cities, the method demonstrates how the AHP operationalizes green urbanism into quantifiable, context-sensitive goals. Full article

Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera), a widely used cool-season turfgrass, is highly susceptible to heat stress, which severely impairs its growth and physiological functions. In this study, two cultivars with contrasting heat tolerance, the heat-tolerant 13M and the heat-sensitive Seaside II (SII), were pretreated with diethyl aminoethyl hexanoate (DA-6) or distilled water and then exposed to either normal temperature or heat-stress conditions. Physiological traits and lipidomics were analyzed to investigate the regulatory role of DA-6 in lipid remodeling under high-temperature stress. Results showed that exogenous DA-6 application significantly mitigated physiological damage in both genotypes under heat stress. Under heat stress, compared with their corresponding untreated plants, DA-6 pretreatment increased the Fv/Fm by 15% in 13M and by 33% in SII; for the PI_ABS, DA-6 pretreatment increased it by 32% in 13M and by 55% in SII; for electrolyte leakage, DA-6 pretreatment reduced it by 24% in 13M and by 11% in SII. The analysis of lipidomics found that heat stress significantly reduced the accumulation of total lipids, phospholipids (PLs), glycolipids (GLs), and sphingolipids (SLs) in two genotypes, but under heat stress, 13M maintained significantly higher content of these lipids than SII. Exogenous DA-6 application significantly alleviated the heat-induced decline in photosynthesis-related glycolipids in SII. Specifically, MGDG, DGDG, and SQDG increased by 186%, 85%, and 32% in heat-stressed SII + DA-6, respectively, relative to heat-stressed SII without DA-6 pretreatment. In addition, DA-6 treatment also alleviated the heat-induced reduction in chloroplast- and mitochondria-associated lipids, including PG, LPG, and CL, in both genotypes. For heat-stressed 13M + DA-6, these lipids increased by 20%, 114%, and 22%, respectively, compared with heat-stressed 13M without DA-6 pretreatment; for heat-stressed SII + DA-6, they increased by 141%, 76%, and 184%, respectively, compared with heat-stressed SII without DA-6 pretreatment. These changes may contribute to improved stability of chloroplasts and mitochondria under heat stress. Furthermore, DA-6 application significantly promoted the accumulation of PC, PE, LPC, LPE, Cer, CerP, and Hex3Cer in both genotypes under heat stress. For 13M, the increases ranged from 18% to 120%; for SII, from 44% to 254%. In heat-stressed SII + DA-6 only, DA-6 also increased PA, PS, MLCL, DLCL, Hex1Cer, and Hex2Cer by 82%, 45%, 84%, 59%, 53%, and 41%, respectively, relative to heat-stressed SII without DA-6 pretreatment. These PLs and SLs are essential for maintaining plasma membrane integrity and mediating stress signal transduction. In addition, the application of DA-6 significantly reduced the heat-induced increase in unsaturation levels of total lipids in both genotypes, indicating that the DA-6 improved lipid saturation levels to better adapt to heat stress. Current findings demonstrated that the DA-6 application improved heat tolerance of creeping bentgrass associated with its regulation of lipid remodeling. Future investigations incorporating multi-omics approaches could comprehensively dissect the DA-6-induced signaling pathways and regulatory networks underlying heat-stress response in cool-season grass species. Full article

Timely identification of canopy decline in commercial strawberry production is challenging because visual scouting often misses subtle or spatially heterogeneous symptoms. We developed a plant-level UAV-based monitoring framework that integrates repeated multispectral imagery, canopy-derived metrics, unsupervised clustering, and Random Survival Forest (RSF) time-to-event modeling. The framework was applied across three commercial strawberry fields in Oxnard, California using nine UAV surveys collected from December 2022 to June 2023, yielding 159,220 plant-level monitoring units. NDRE- and Redness Index-based classifications quantified proportional and absolute canopy dieback within standardized hexagonal units and supported survival-based modeling of canopy decline progression. Across withheld test plants from all survey dates, overall concordance indices ranged from 0.88 to 0.95 across fields, indicating strong ability to rank plants by time-to-decline risk under heterogeneous field conditions. Spatial risk maps revealed localized high-risk clusters that expanded over time in fields with greater canopy deterioration, while fields with minimal visible decline exhibited diffuse but stable risk distributions. Post-hoc comparison with operational fumigation rates (280, 336, and 392 kg Pic-Clor 60/ha) showed no consistent association with predicted canopy decline risk. These results demonstrate that framing repeated UAV observations as a time-to-event process enables fine-scale spatiotemporal modeling of canopy decline dynamics and supports risk stratification for targeted field monitoring in commercial strawberry systems. Full article

The prosperity of the Maritime Spice Route in China during the Song–Yuan dynasties (960–1368) propelled Quanzhou into a global hub for maritime trade and cultural integration. A large number of Muslims settled in Quanzhou via maritime routes, living and multiplying over generations—their journey fully documenting the localization trajectory of the immigrant group. To explore the relationship between the evolution of their traditional residence types and immigration localization, this study takes 185 “one bright hall and two dark rooms” traditional residences of the Ding’s Hui ethnic group in Chendai as an example, constructing a “4 × 6” matrix framework via the spatiotemporal biaxial coordinate classification method, with an integrated application of statistics, field surveying and mapping, Space Syntax, and genealogical document analysis. Results reveal that 15 of the 24 theoretical residence types are effectively preserved, forming a “prototype + combined type” evolutionary chain. Residence-type acceptance presents distinct traits, Class A as the foundational form, Class D as the mainstream, and Classes B and C as transitional types, a pattern reflecting the comprehensive influence of construction land conditions, living patterns, and local construction concepts on residence-type selection. Significant disparities in average connectivity between the central courtyard and various core public spaces embody the multi-branch small-family cohabitation mode and verify the localization development trajectory of residential space. The evolution of this residence-type system is confirmed to feature three core characteristics—nonlinearity, integrated and diversified fusion, and spatial constraint—and proposes preservation strategies for double-standard dimensional, multicultural and identifiability qualities, which provide a scientific reference for the protection and renewal of architectural heritage in Hui ethnic communities and similar immigrant settlements on China’s southeast coast. Full article

This research assessed management strategies for overtourism in Zadar County. Overtourism has become apparent in both city and seaside destinations, affecting residents’ quality of life. This study defines overtourism as a challenge for urban management, emphasizing that exploring strategies to address overtourism also influences the management of sustainability and quality of life in urban areas. Here, a methodological framework was created with five strategies, each evaluated against seven criteria. The evaluation was carried out by the directors of the county’s tourist boards. Since these strategies have not yet been implemented, the directors had to rate them with some uncertainty, as they lacked complete information about the criteria and potential effects. To handle this uncertainty, the intuitionistic fuzzy set (IFS) approach was used. Additionally, the SiWeC method determined the importance of the criteria, and the TOPSIS method ranked the strategies. Results, based on ratings from 12 directors, indicated that Digital Support and Environmental Sustainability are the most important criteria. Strategy C, which aims to redirect tourists to lesser-known locations within the county, performed best, maintaining visitor numbers while helping preserve the region’s natural resources. This research has shown that strategies for managing overtourism help reduce the pressure tourists place on urban environments, thereby improving the quality of life and sustainable development of these environments. Full article

Coaction theory suggests improvement in one health behavior carries over to advancements in other health behaviors. There is evidence of increased exercise leading to improved eating; however, data on its psychosocial mechanisms required to adequately inform behavioral weight-management interventions are lacking. Theory suggests that self-regulation, and the relationship of self-regulation to self-efficacy, promote such carry-over processes. Participants in a community-based obesity program who completed no/minimal weekly exercise at baseline were randomized by participating facility using computer-generated random numbers into 6-month treatments emphasizing either weight loss education (n = 39) or self-regulation/self-efficacy (SR/SE) methods (n = 90). Improvements in exercise outputs, exercise- and eating-related self-regulation and self-efficacy, negative mood, dietary behaviors, and weight were significant overall, and significantly greater in the SR/SE group. Carry-over of increased exercise to improved dietary behaviors was suggested. Paths from the treatment group to dietary changes at 6 and 12 months were significantly mediated by associations of changes in (a) exercise-related self-regulation leading to eating-related self-regulation, (b) exercise-related self-efficacy leading to eating-related self-efficacy, and (c) exercise leading to improved mood. Identified relationships between self-regulation and self-efficacy changes were particularly relevant in the dietary-change context. Weight losses over 6, 12, and 24 months, associated with exercise and dietary changes, were 2.2×–2.7× greater in the SR/SE group than in the weight loss education group (−6.0% vs. −2.6%; −5.6% vs. −2.5%; and −5.1% vs. −1.9%, respectively). Advantages of treatment foci on self-regulatory skills and self-efficacy over typical weight loss education were supported. Clarification of psychosocial mechanisms of the increased exercise → improved eating-behavior relationship, including effects of increased exercise on mood, informed continued advancements in theory-driven obesity treatments. Full article

The world’s population faces serious challenges related to food security, particularly in the agribusiness sector, as it grapples with dependence on mineral fertilizers in key producing regions, susceptible to tariff policy fluctuations and wars, amid climate change and population growth, despite increased food production enabled by new technologies and management practices. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on the main challenges to food security in Brazil, with emphasis on how agricultural production, land use, and mineral fertilizer dependence interact under global climate change. We employed comprehensive literature review methods and analyzed data from national and international agencies to compile relevant information on the influence of this scenario on agricultural production, providing an overview of the topic to understand trends and future projections of these challenges. The results revealed significant vulnerabilities in the sector, especially concerning reliance on imported mineral fertilizers to meet its full demand. In 2024, Brazil imported approximately 90% of the mineral fertilizers used in its agricultural sector, which heightens exposure to geopolitical and market shocks. Moreover, climate change also negatively impacts agriculture, raising production costs and prices of staple foods, thereby exacerbating food insecurity. Therefore, improving fertilizer use efficiency and adopting alternative fertilization sources, combined with conservation practices, represent key strategies to mitigate food insecurity. Among these strategies, reducing import dependence through improved fertilizer use efficiency emerges as the most immediately actionable priority, as it could reduce current demand by 20–30% within 5 years. This should be complemented by medium-term investments in alternative fertilizer sources and long-term climate adaptation measures. These actions can also support the promotion of sustainable development goals aligned with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. Aligning fertilizer strategies with climate-smart and low-carbon agriculture policies could simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance the resilience of food systems. Full article

The oriental fruit moth (OFM), also known as Grapholita molesta, is a major agricultural pest causing significant economic loss of apple growers in South Korea. This study demonstrates the application of time series models for describing the national and regional patterns of OFM occurrences in the last decade and for forecasting future OFM occurrences. The seasonal autoregression integrated moving average (SARIMA), Prophet, and vector autoregressive (VAR) models are compared for both long- and short-term predictions. The analysis shows that short-term predictions are more reliable than long-term predictions for the number of OMF trap catches, and the multivariate time series model does not necessarily provide better predictive performance with province-level aggregated data. Though the Prophet and VAR model fits bimonthly province-level data better than the SARIMA model, the VAR model shows poor predictive performance, and the SARIMA model showed as or more reliable predictions than the Prophet model in this study. This study presents both the potential and challenges for establishing a Smart Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system capable of monitoring and predicting OFM occurrences and implementing regional pest control strategies. The usefulness of time series analysis can be leveraged by frequent orchard-level data reporting, pest management records, and precise local environment information. Full article

Land-use planning in Latin American coastal cities faces the challenge of integrating visions of the future with multiscale approaches amid high socio-environmental pressure. Using a mixed methodology that included documentary and comparative analysis of regulatory and planning instruments, workshops with experts, and evaluation matrices, this article analyzes the prospective and multiscale capabilities of the 2020–2032 Land Use Plan for the district of Santa Marta. This study provides a methodological and applied novelty by integrating, for the first time in this context, a dual analytical framework that simultaneously assesses the quality of the prospective dimension and the degree of multi-scalar articulation in coastal spatial planning. The study area is a strategic coastal territory exposed to environmental, urban, and socio-ecological pressures. The results reveal limitations in integrating future scenarios, polycentric governance, and adaptive coastal management, as well as a weak prospective approach limited to short time horizons, without constructed scenarios or early warning systems. At the same time, there is fragmented multiscale coordination between the local, regional, and national levels. These limitations partly explain the socio-environmental conflicts identified, particularly at the land-sea interface, where there is an apparent disconnect between urban planning and coastal management. On the other hand, significant progress has been made in the biophysical and social characterization of the territory. Our analysis generated specific knowledge for fast-growing intermediate cities, a critical type of coastal settlement, but less studied than large metropolises. The study provides a replicable framework for other seaside towns in the region. The study concludes that overcoming these gaps requires systematically incorporating forward-looking instruments and strengthening multilevel governance mechanisms. To this end, it summarizes lessons learned for more adaptive, resilient territorial planning in coastal contexts. Full article

Background/Objectives: Obesity has a high prevalence and is associated with many health risks. Minimal effects from behavioral obesity treatments might be linked to their atheoretical dependence on simply educating participants on healthy eating and increased physical activity/exercise, rather than evolving behavior-change methods through theory-based research. The use of pharmacologic interventions has recently overtaken bariatric surgery in medically based efforts to obtain greater weight losses than through behavioral means. Methods: The present longitudinal observational study aimed to extend earlier treatment-associated findings concerned with the order of emphasizing 3-, 6-, and 9-month changes in the theory-driven psychosocial constructs of self-regulation, self-efficacy, and mood associated with 12-month improvements in weight-loss behaviors. The “parent study” of women with obesity (N = 106) found significant paths through changes in self-regulation → mood → self-efficacy and mood → self-regulation → self-efficacy. In the present extension of that investigation, only those participants who did not already complete recommended physical activity amounts and consume recommended portions of fruits/vegetables at baseline were included (N = 73). Results: Only paths from changes in mood → self-regulation → self-efficacy were significantly associated with 12-month improvements in both physical activity and dietary behaviors. A mean weight change of −5.2 kg, or −5.5% from baseline weight, was found. Baseline scores in emotional eating and anxiety significantly moderated the mood–self-regulation change relationships within the significant paths. Conclusions: Findings suggested that future treatment contents focus on early physical activity-associated improvement in mood because of its association with increased usage of treatment-developed self-regulatory skills. Those skills should then be leveraged because of their association with feelings of ability (i.e., self-efficacy) to overcome lifestyle barriers to weight-loss behavior changes. Further improvements in behavioral obesity treatments should be reconsidered as either stand-alone modalities or, after appropriate testing, as an adjunct to medical means. Full article

Poor satisfaction with one’s body is associated with obesity and emotional eating (EmE), especially in women. To improve behavioral obesity treatments, this study aimed to identify the effects of targeting the mediators of the body satisfaction–EmE relationship to improve weight-reduction outcomes. Women with Class II obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 35–39.9 kg/m²) were randomized into 6-month treatments targeting either increased physical activity and self-regulation (TARGETED group, n = 44) or standard weight management education (STANDARD group, n = 33). Improvements over 6 months in EmE, body satisfaction, mood, eating-related self-efficacy and self-regulation, and physical activity, and in weight over 6, 12, and 24 months, were significantly greater in the TARGETED group. Mood and eating-related self-efficacy mediated the body satisfaction–EmE relationship at baseline and the group–EmE change relationship. In the consideration of the treatment targets, increased physical activity predicted reduced EmE, mediated by mood change, and increased self-regulation predicted reduced EmE, mediated by self-efficacy change. Reduced EmE predicted weight losses. This research (a) identified psychological/behavioral mediators of the body satisfaction–EmE relationship; (b) ascertained methods associated with the improvement of those variables, their correlates, and interrelations; and (c) confirmed the viability of the indicated behavioral targets on EmE within a community-based obesity treatment. Given the identified associations with short- and longer-term weight losses, treatments were effectively informed. Full article

Change in direction ability (COD) is a fitness component that may be related to safe and effective participation in pickleball. The general aim of the research was to examine a COD test that may be specific to the movement demands of the sport. Therefore, we tested the inter-trial reliability of the modified spider test for pickleball, compared learning effects between younger and older adults, and examined the reliability and validity of hand timing compared to timing gates. In this cross-sectional study, 36 participants (ages 19–78) were grouped as adults (ages 18–49) or seniors (ages 50+) according to the USA Pickleball age groupings. Participants completed a standard warm-up, one practice trial, and five full-effort trials with 4–6 min of rest between trials. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to determine reliability across five trials. Inter-rater reliability and validity of hand timing were also examined with ICCs. Pairwise comparison t-tests of individual trials were performed using the Hochberg method to determine learning effect. Linear regression analyses were used to determine if any segment could predict total trial time. During participation, older players provided unsolicited feedback that they were concerned about the safety of the backpedaling in the spider test. We observed that one person fell while backpedaling, though suffered no injury. Results indicate that the spider test was reliable across all five trials (ICC = 0.977). A learning effect was detected between the first and second trial (p = 0.001), and the magnitude of the effect was significantly different between age groups (p = 0.009). Hand timing demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability (ICC = 0.993) and validity (ICC = 0.990). Splits 2, 3, and 4 significantly predicted total test time (R² = 0.973, 0.973, and 0.986, respectively). The test demonstrated reliability, but older players expressed concern about backpedaling. This raises questions about backpedaling safety in pickleball. Therefore, we do not recommend this test. Future research needs to determine appropriate tests to screen for fall risk in the dynamic movements relevant to pickleball. Full article

Older adults with a recent fall history tend to have larger variability in stepping than those without a fall history. In this study, we examined whether variability in step timing—defined as the coefficient of variation (CV) of step timings during seated stepping exercises—can identify individuals at higher risk of falling. The CV was measured at baseline (initial assessment), and fall occurrences were tracked over one year among 58 older adults in 11 senior housing facilities participating in online exercise programs. Participants who experienced falls exhibited marginally higher CV values at baseline than those who did not fall, and those who fell specifically while walking showed significantly higher CVs compared to non-fallers (p = 0.035). Logistic regression analysis indicated that the CV significantly predicted walking-related falls (odds ratio = 1.24, p = 0.032), and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis yielded an area under the curve of 0.747, suggesting moderate discriminative ability. Including prior fall history in the model further improved predictive performance (AUC = 0.807 for overall falls and 0.925 for walking-related falls), suggesting that combining CV with prior fall history enhances predictive performance. These findings suggest that evaluating timing variability during seated stepping exercises, especially when combined with prior fall history, may be a useful indicator for predicting fall risk over the following year without exposing individuals to fall hazards during assessment. Full article

Virtual reality (VR) offers new opportunities for delivering psychologically meaningful conversations in digitally mediated settings. This study examined how environmental designs influence user experience during emotionally relevant self-disclosure. Fifty university students completed a within-subjects experiment in which they engaged in a structured positive and negative self-disclosure task across four immersive environments (seaside, garden, urban, and sci-fi). After each interaction, participants rated six experiential dimensions relevant to therapeutic communication: comfort, calmness, pleasantness, focus, privacy, and perceived overall suitability for psychological therapy. Repeated-measures analyses showed that nature-themed environments were rated more positively than non-nature environments across all dimensions. Although the seaside and garden environments did not differ in overall composite ratings, the seaside setting was most frequently preferred for comfort, calmness, and pleasantness in participants’ final rankings. These findings demonstrate that virtual environment design meaningfully shapes users’ emotional and interpersonal experience in VR, highlighting the value of nature-based environments for VR counselling systems and digital mental-health applications. Full article

Objective: This study on children in low-income families explored whether their mental health problems are attributable to distress from five socioeconomic disadvantage factors playing roles in the multiple disadvantage model. These factors are social disorganization, social structural factors, social relationships, health/mental health, and access to care factors. Methods: The present study employed data extracted from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health, describing 7540 low-income children. Weighted logistic regression was conducted (with robust standard errors). Results: It showed that such children were more likely to have mental health problems when seven variables were present. The variables were argumentative children, parents’ difficulty with parenting, children’s difficult peer relations, children being bullied, families’ problematic substance use, families’ use of public health insurance, and families’ difficulty accessing mental health services. In turn, children were less likely to have mental health problems in the presence of six variables: a rundown neighborhood, an unsafe neighborhood, children’s Hispanic ethnicity, children’s Asian ethnicity, children’s general good health, and parents’ good mental health. The present study’s findings support the multiple disadvantage model. Conclusions: That is, the five types of factors key to the model (social disorganization, social structural, social relationships, health/mental health, and access to care) were observed to be related to low-income children’s mental health problems. These findings’ three main implications for practice are that it is crucial to (a) ensure children receive mental health services they need; (b) facilitate effective parent–child communication; and (c) provide low-income families with psychoeducation. Their main implications for policy involve two domains. Improving physical environments and safety in poor neighborhoods is necessary, as is enforcing schools’ anti-bullying rules and using schools to foster students’ assertiveness. Full article