Search Results (1,538)

The integration of embedded software in multi-sensor wearable devices has revolutionized real-time monitoring across health, fitness, industrial, and environmental applications. This paper presents a comprehensive approach to designing and implementing embedded software architectures that enable efficient, low-power, and high-accuracy data acquisition and processing from heterogeneous sensor arrays. We explore key challenges such as synchronization of sensor data streams, real-time operating system (RTOS) integration, power management strategies, and wireless communication protocols. The reviewed framework supports modular scalability, allowing for seamless incorporation of additional sensors or features without significant system overhead. Future research directions of the embedded software include Hardware-in-the-Loop and real-world validation, on-device machine learning and edge intelligence, adaptive sensor fusion, energy harvesting and power autonomy, enhanced wireless communications and security, standardization and interoperability, as well as user-centered design and personalization. By adopting this focus, we can highlight the potential of the embedded software to support proactive decision-making and user feedback through edge-level intelligence, paving the way for next-generation wearable monitoring systems. Full article

The rapid growth in demand for diverse network application services has driven the continuous development and expansion of data centers. BCubes was proposed by Microsoft Research Asia for designing modular data centers, and it is a multi-layer recursively constructed network with many advantages. This article shows that BCube is the existence of two edge-disjoint Hamiltonian cycles, abbreviated as two EDHCs, which provide two significant benefits in data center operations: (1) parallel data broadcast and (2) edge fault-tolerance in network communications. We present the following results in this paper: (1) By utilizing the network topology characteristics, we first provide construction algorithms for two EDHCs on low-dimensional BCubes. (2) Based on the algorithm and the recursive structure of BCubes, we prove that two EDHCs exist for all BCubes. (3) Considering all-to-all broadcasting using two EDHCs as transmission channels, we evaluate the performance of all-to-all broadcasting through simulations on low-dimensional BCubes. Full article

Biomarker-based prevention is rapidly expanding, driven by advances in molecular diagnostics, genetic profiling, and commercial direct-to-consumer (DTC) testing. General practitioners (GPs) increasingly encounter biomarker results of uncertain relevance, often introduced outside the guideline frameworks. This creates new challenges in interpretation, communication, and equitable resource use in primary care. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from population-based studies, guideline frameworks, consensus statements, and communication research to evaluate the predictive value, limitations, and real-world implications of biomarkers in asymptomatic adults. Attention is given to polygenic risk scores, DTC genetic tests, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular biomarkers, and emerging multi-omics and aging markers. Several biomarkers, including high-sensitivity cardiac troponins, N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide, lipoprotein(a), coronary artery calcium scoring, and plasma p-tau species, showed robust predictive validity. However, many widely marketed biomarkers lack evidence of clinical utility, offer limited actionable benefits, or perform poorly in primary care populations. Unintended consequences, such as overdiagnosis, false positives, psychological distress, diagnostic cascades, and widening inequities, are well documented. Patients often misinterpret unvalidated biomarker results, whereas DTC testing amplifies demand without providing adequate counseling or follow-up. Only a minority of biomarkers currently meet the thresholds of analytical validity, clinical validity, and clinical utility required for preventive use in general practices. GPs play a critical role in contextualizing biomarker results, guiding shared decision-making, and mitigating potential harm. The responsible integration of biomarkers into preventive medicine requires clear communication, strong ethical safeguards, robust evidence, and system-level support for equitable, patient-centered care. Full article

The aim of this study was to map global research on community-based strategies to reduce risky alcohol consumption and promote health, aiming to clarify growth, leading contributors, thematic structure, and integration with public-health frameworks. Using a PubMed corpus, we analyzed production, authorship, and collaboration indicators, built a thematic map (centrality/density) to identify core topics, and applied Multiple Correspondence Analysis to assess conceptual proximity between alcohol-specific and broader prevention domains. The dataset comprised 2607 documents across 916 sources, with output led by the USA, with substantial contributions from Australia, Canada, the UK, and rising activity in sub-Saharan Africa. The thematic map showed a mature core centered on adolescents and pregnancy, cross-cutting foundations in health education and sexual behavior with substance-related disorders, measurement-oriented niches at the periphery, and emerging work linking family planning. The Multiple Correspondence Analysis positioned alcohol-prevention terms close to health promotion, primary prevention, and epidemiology, with maternal–child health bridging community programs and clinical prevention. Overall, community-based alcohol prevention is expanding, globally distributed, and embedded in mainstream public-health practice. Limitations include the absence of citation data in PubMed, and future work should integrate citation-enabled databases and compare patterns across income groups. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pediatric asthma remains a pressing public health issue, especially among low-income, minority children living in subsidized housing. Methods: This study employed a community-based participatory research approach to explore barriers and potential solutions for improving asthma management in this vulnerable population. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 caregivers of children with asthma and 8 community health workers in Washington, DC—a city marked by high childhood asthma rates and concentrated subsidized housing. Results: Thematic analysis identified six core findings: (1) families frequently encountered multiple home environmental asthma triggers, including pests, mold, secondhand smoke, leaks, poor ventilation, and aging infrastructure; (2) healthy housing services were under implemented, often due to unresponsive landlords, inadequate inspections, and poor maintenance; (3) existing services such as pest control, mold remediation, and smoke-free policies were ineffectively implemented; (4) challenges to service delivery included difficulties faced by landlords and structural barriers tied to geography, race, and socioeconomic status; (5) substandard housing conditions contributed to residents’ feelings of powerlessness, frustration, and distrust, with some taking legal action to address persistent hazards; and (6) participants recommended stronger housing code enforcement, sustained funding for home-based environmental interventions, housing-health liaisons, strengthened landlord accountability, support for landlords to facilitate repairs, centering families’ voices, and advocacy. Conclusions: This study underscores the persistent challenges caregivers face in managing asthma triggers in subsidized housing. The findings highlight the critical need for improved housing conditions, greater landlord and housing authority accountability, and policy reforms to ensure consistent, equitable, and sustainable healthy housing services that reduce pediatric asthma disparities. Full article

People living in rural communities are typically underserved by public transportation services and face challenges in accessing healthcare, jobs, stores, and other destinations. Understanding the lived experiences of people who use public transportation in rural communities can help to inform a more equitable transportation system. This qualitative study gathered the perspectives of community health center employees about the public bus system for Hawai‘i Island, a rural county in the United States. Using a community-engaged research approach, the evaluation team interviewed 10 employees through either in-person small group interviews or online individual interviews between April and July 2023. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. While all study participants were selected for their interest in commuting to work by bus, most believed the bus was not a reliable or convenient option. Participants shared their experiences about not being able to rely on the bus schedule, feeling unsafe while walking to bus stops or waiting for the bus, and other barriers to using the bus system. Participants also shared their insights about how a reliable bus system would benefit community health center patients who needed transportation to more than just their medical appointments, but also to places like pharmacies, laboratory services, and grocery stores. These findings can be used to initiate discussions around the ways that community health centers can further address transportation as a social determinant of health and inform transportation providers about how to best plan and invest in transportation infrastructure and services to meet the needs of rural populations. Full article

The Australian public and broader society have little awareness of the seminal relationship between water supply and data usage/storage. Most data centers (DCs) consume large volumes of water to operate servers that supply digital society’s instantaneous 24/7 information communication systems. DC water consumption is a global issue that lacks transparency, sustainable management, and effective governance. This article analyzes current Australian legislation, policies, and industry sustainability plans to examine whether and in what ways the absence of clear water governance requirements for DC may contribute to state and national water insecurity. It shows how academic and applied discourses conceptualize, research, and respond to DC sustainability as an energy issue. This conceptualization masks the relevance of DC water usage/security. The results show that Australian legislation, policy, planning, and management lack sufficient transparency and state governance regarding the industry’s water use and accountability. Global and national DC certifications are discussed, and policy solutions are recommended to mitigate future DC pressure on water supply and related consequences. Our conclusions advocate the necessity of improving public awareness, industry accountability, and government management strategies (policy and legislation) for sustainable water practices in Australia, as artificial intelligence increases DC quantity and size, exacerbating supply and consumption in local environments that legislate against nuclear energy alternatives. Full article

Low-altitude logistics (LAL), supported by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and emerging urban air mobility operations within the low-altitude airspace (typically <1000 m), is rapidly reshaping last-mile distribution and time-critical delivery. However, LAL systems remain vulnerable to compound disruptions spanning weather, infrastructure, governance, and cybersecurity. Using a PRISMA-guided protocol, this systematic review synthesizes 1600 peer-reviewed studies published from 2020 to 2025 and combines bibliometric mapping (VOSviewer) with qualitative content analysis to consolidate the knowledge base on low-altitude logistics resilience (LALR). We conceptualize LALR via four coupled pillars, including robustness, adaptability, recoverability, and redundancy. The synthesize evidence across key vulnerability domains consists of platform reliability, communication and infrastructure readiness, regulatory fragmentation, cyber exposure, and weather-driven operational uncertainty. Building on the synthesis, we propose a Technology–Policy–Ecosystem roadmap that links (i) AI-enabled autonomy and risk-aware planning, (ii) adaptive governance tools such as regulatory sandboxes and dynamic airspace/UTM management, and (iii) ecosystem-level interventions, notably public–private partnerships and equity-oriented service design for underserved areas. We further outline a research agenda centered on measurable resilience metrics, activate redundancy design, climate-adaptive UAV operations, and digital-twin-enabled orchestration for scalable and sustainable LAL ecosystems. Full article

Numerous attempts to define art have been made from antiquity to the present, yet historical overviews often adopt a Eurocentric (and American-centric) perspective focused mainly on culturally dependent aesthetic approaches. As a universal social and cultural phenomenon, art resists center-periphery models. The cognitive turn reshaped art theory by reconsidering art as a cognitive dimension of humanity. Art has no limits on who can create or enjoy it. The ability to use and understand metaphor, for instance, demonstrates everyday human artistic cognition. The analysis relies on both field research (case studies) and academic literature; it argues for a revised theoretical frame for defining art and organizes it into a dynamic model of three main vectors: (1) art as communication (including art as agency); (2) art as creation; and (3) art as experience (involving both audience and artist). The model can incorporate the study of emotions into the third criterion while remaining open to both materialist and non-materialist approaches. Rather than offering a new definition, the study integrates the perspective of cognitive anthropology, cognitive semantics, and the anthropology of art in order to broaden understanding. Instead of searching for special aesthetic or economic values, these three dimensions of art appear more universal. A pragmatic analysis of how art “works” in individuals and groups provides a useful model for cognitive sciences. Instead of binary codes, it is a vectorial model, a 3D space for expressing family resemblance, since there is no common denominator (prototype) for all kinds of art. Full article

Background: There is a limited amount of evidence concerning the association between seasonal variation and the level of physical activity in individuals with chronic disease. This longitudinal observational study aimed to explore seasonal, monthly, and holiday variations in self-monitored step counts over two years among adults with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in Sweden. Methods: Participants were recruited at primary care centers from 2013 to 2018 to take part in a physical activity intervention. Inclusion criteria included the following: an age of 40–80 years, having prediabetes or type 2 diabetes (≥1 year), and the ability to communicate in Swedish. Individuals with recent myocardial infarction, impaired renal function, diabetic ulcers, a limited capacity for physical activity, insulin onset (<6 months), recurrent or severe hypoglycemia, a high baseline for physical activity, or no internet access were excluded. In total, 120 participants wore step counters and recorded daily steps for two years. Linear mixed models adjusted for sex, age, and body mass index were applied. Results: Mean (95% CI) step counts were statistically significantly higher in summer (7825 [7762, 7889]) and spring (7805 [7757, 7853]) compared to winter (7098 [7052, 7145]) and fall (7422 [7349, 7490]). Highest step counts were registered in May (7993 [7904, 8071]), followed by June (7968 [7895, 8063]), and the lowest in January (6944 [6856, 7034]) and November (7208 [7113, 7289]). Step counts during holiday periods were statistically significantly lower than non-holiday periods across all seasons. Conclusion: Self-monitored daily steps varied over the seasons in this sample of individuals with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Declined physical activity levels in months with unfavorable weather conditions require attention in consultations and research. Full article

Urbanicity is a recognized determinant of mental health, yet conventional measures such as population density or the rural–urban divide often fail to capture the complex realities of informal settlements in low- and middle-income countries. This paper conceptualizes neighborhood effects through the lived experiences of young women in Kampala, Uganda, drawing on participatory research from the NIH-funded TOPOWA study. Using community mapping and Photovoice, participants identified neighborhood features that shape wellbeing, including sanitation facilities, drainage systems, alcohol outlets, health centers, schools, boda boda stages (motorcycle taxis), lodges, religious institutions, water sources, markets, and recreational spaces. These methods revealed both stressors—poor waste management, flooding, violence, gendered harassment, crime, and alcohol-related harms—and protective resources, including education, places of worship, health centers, social networks, identity, and sports activities. We argue that urbanicity in slum contexts should be understood as a multidimensional construct encompassing deprivation, fragmentation, exclusion, and resilience. This reconceptualization advances conceptual clarity, strengthens the validity of mental health research in low-resource settings, and informs interventions that simultaneously address structural risks and promote community assets. The case of Kampala demonstrates how participatory evidence can reshape the understanding of neighborhood effects with implications, for global mental health research and practice. Full article

As a key freshwater wetland in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei core area, Baiyangdian Lake’s ecological health is strategically significant for regional ecological security, prompting this study to explore how sediment phosphorus forms drive its phytoplankton communities. The research adopted sequential extraction technology, morphological identification, and multivariate statistics in Baiyangdian Lake. Results showed sediment phosphorus was dominated by highly active exchangeable phosphorus (Ex-P, ~60%, with higher levels around villages of lake center and western areas), with occluded phosphorus (Oc-P, ~23%) as the second most abundant form. Ex-P was the core factor shaping phytoplankton communities, directly increasing biomass density (r = 0.38, p < 0.05) and explaining 17.92% of community variation. Bacillariophyta was the dominant group (43.3%), while calcium-bound phosphorus (Ca-P) maintained diversity and aluminum-bound phosphorus (Al-P) inhibited evenness (r = −0.35, p < 0.05). Active phosphorus directly affected, and inactive phosphorus indirectly regulated, phytoplankton patterns, clarifying the unique phosphorus structure of northern carbonate-type lakes and filling research gaps. It is suggested to include Ex-P and Ca-P in aquatic ecological monitoring and prioritize sediment passivation and riparian restoration in high-Ex-P areas to mitigate algal bloom risks. Full article

Solar energy continues to grow rapidly worldwide. Yet in the context of a ‘just transition’, recent research has found stark disparities in adoption across communities and sociodemographic groups. In Canada, where all levels of government have shown support for solar adoption, there is a clear lack of equity-centered research. For example, we can find no research that assesses the kinds of people that have invested in or developed solar PV. To begin to address this gap, we present the results from a pilot study set in the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), Nova Scotia—a municipality that has developed a novel financing support program called Solar City. This exploratory work focuses on analyzing the levels of participation, equity, and barriers experienced among homeowners who have adopted residential rooftop solar—via both Solar City and other non-local programs. After utilizing aerial imagery to locate a sample of solar installations in the HRM (n = 1315), we shared surveys that asked residents for their sociodemographic information as well as the barriers faced in the adoption of solar. We then compared the sociodemographic information to municipal-level characteristics provided by Statistics Canada. We center our analyses around variables such as age, education, gender, and income. Our paper closes with a discussion and conclusion which we hope will inform future research and practice around equitable pathways towards a just solar energy transition—in Halifax and beyond. Full article

While previous research suggests that innovation capability can enhance sustainable operational performance in sustainable supply chain management practices, empirical insights into the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain limited. Drawing on dynamic capability theory, this study investigates how innovation capability influences sustainable operational performance within the context of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs). Utilizing matched survey data and objective performance metrics from 276 fruit and vegetable preserving and specialty food manufacturing firms in China, the study employed Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping techniques to test the mediating roles of business platforms and community building. The findings reveal that novelty-centered innovation capability has a significant positive effect on sustainable operational performance, with business platforms serving as a partial mediator in this relationship. In contrast, value-centered community building neither directly influences sustainable operational performance nor mediates the effect of innovation capability. Furthermore, the mediating effect of business platforms is found to be stronger than that of community building. This research presents a novel empirical framework that distinguishes the operational effectiveness of digital platforms in social community building within AFNs, providing managers with a strategic roadmap for prioritizing innovation investments to achieve sustainability. Full article

Climate change education (CCE) is increasingly recognized as a key lever for responding to the climate crisis, yet its implementation in schools often remains fragmented and weakly transformative. This review synthesizes international research on CCE in secondary education, focusing on four interconnected domains: students’ social representations of climate change (SRCC), curricular frameworks, teaching practices and teacher professional development, and emerging pathways towards transformative, justice-oriented CCE. A narrative review of empirical and theoretical studies reveals that students’ SRCC are generally superficial, fragmented and marked by persistent misconceptions, psychological distance and low perceived agency. Curricular frameworks tend to locate climate change mainly within natural sciences, reproduce deficit-based and behaviorist models and leave social, political and ethical dimensions underdeveloped. Teaching practices remain predominantly transmissive and science-centered, while teachers report limited training, time and institutional support, especially for addressing the affective domain and working transdisciplinarily. At the same time, the literature highlights promising directions: calls for an “emergency curriculum” and deeper curricular environmentalization, the potential of socio-scientific issues and complexity-based approaches, narrative and arts-based strategies, school gardens and community projects, and growing attention to emotions, hope and climate justice. Drawing on a narrative and integrative review of empirical and theoretical studies, the article identifies recurrent patterns and gaps in current CCE research and outlines priorities for future inquiry. The review argues that bridging the knowledge–action gap in schools requires aligning curriculum, pedagogy and teacher learning around four key principles—climate justice, collective agency, affective engagement and global perspectives—and outlines implications for policy, practice and research to support more transformative and socially just CCE. Full article