Search Results (3,740)

Accurate 3D documentation of large and complex structures is essential for long-term stability assessment, structural monitoring, and conservation planning, particularly for heritage sites exposed to environmental and anthropogenic threats. This study develops an integrated workflow combining Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS), Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and Total Station geodetic control for large-scale, high-precision documentation. The approach was implemented at the Saqqara archaeological zone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site facing significant deterioration risks, to document four major pyramids: Djoser, Unas, Teti, and Userkaf. More than 2.1 billion georeferenced points were acquired from 16 scan positions with sub-centimeter registration errors and overall geometric accuracy better than ±1 cm. From these datasets, detailed mesh models, orthoimages, Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), contour maps, and 2D plans were derived. These enabled quantitative analyses of height loss and volumetric change, indicating severe structural degradation in Unas (~53%), Teti (~66%), and Userkaf (~63%), as well as localized deformations such as 4.2 cm displacement at Teti’s south flank. The degradation results from environmental factors and anthropogenic influences. Beyond this case study, the workflow proves that integrated TLS documentation can be applied to large and complex structures, supporting deformation monitoring, stability assessment, and digital twin development. Full article

Land leveling deep-seated landslides for agricultural use alters soil profile integrity and soil functionality. In the mid-20th century, such interventions in the Transylvanian Basin (Romania) involved grading and converting landslide bodies into arable land. This study evaluates the consequences of interventions on soil physicochemical properties and erosion susceptibility in the case of two deep-seated landslides. Soil samples collected from leveled landslide bodies were analyzed for pH, total nitrogen, available phosphorus (P-AL), available potassium (K-AL), calcium carbonates, humus content, and texture. The results, in the case of the two studied deep-seated landslides, indicate contrasts between areas where the Ah horizon is preserved and where leveling exposed the C horizon or parental material at the surface. Exposed zones exhibit reduced nitrogen and humus content, altered textures, and higher carbonate influence, indicating lower fertility potential despite 65 years of pedogenesis. Spatial assessment using Sentinel-2-derived NDMI and USLE-based erosion modelling confirms increased moisture stress and higher erosion susceptibility in areas with exposed substratum. These findings demonstrate that the leveling of the two studied deep-seated landslide bodies, although effective in expanding arable surfaces, leads to persistent soil degradation patterns and reduced agro-ecological resilience. Sustainable cultivation of such terrains requires targeted soil conservation measures, including erosion control and adapted land management practices. The results provide important implications for land-use planning in landslide-prone agricultural landscapes. Full article

Background: Tension-type headache (TTH) is the most prevalent primary headache disorder worldwide and represents a major source of disability related to chronic pain. Despite its high prevalence, uncertainty remains regarding optimal conservative management strategies, and limited evidence is available on how physiotherapists apply existing recommendations in routine clinical practice. Objective: The objective was to explore physiotherapists’ perceptions, clinical experiences, and treatment strategies in the management of tension-type headache, with particular emphasis on commonly used interventions, clinical decision-making, and characteristics of physiotherapy care. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted using a self-administered online survey developed in accordance with the CHERRIES guidelines. One hundred Spanish physiotherapists with clinical experience in treating patients with TTH participated. Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively, while open-ended responses were examined using inductive thematic analysis following the framework proposed by Braun and Clarke. Results: Manual therapy was the most frequently reported intervention (96%), followed by therapeutic exercise (61%) and invasive techniques, primarily dry needling (48%). The suboccipital and upper cervical regions were consistently identified as primary therapeutic targets, reflecting a predominant craniocervical treatment focus. Most respondents reported individualized treatment plans, typically delivered in weekly sessions lasting 45–60 min, with expected clinical improvement within 4–6 weeks. Pain education strategies were reported infrequently. Considerable variability was observed in the selection and combination of therapeutic techniques. Conclusions: Physiotherapists managing tension-type headache commonly adopt a multimodal approach, largely centered on manual and tissue-focused interventions. Although many reported practices are aligned with current evidence, the substantial heterogeneity observed and the limited integration of biopsychosocial strategies highlight the need for consensus-based guidelines and further research addressing real-world clinical effectiveness. Full article

We report the case of a 68-year-old man presenting with rapidly progressive left cervical swelling, sialorrhea, and dysphagia. Imaging revealed a cervical fluid collection extending into the anterior mediastinum, initially suggestive of descending mediastinitis. Broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy was initiated, and surgical drainage was planned. Intraoperative exploration, however, revealed opalescent, milky fluid consistent with chyle, leading to a revised diagnosis of spontaneous chylocervical collection associated with chylothorax. Cultures were negative, and biochemical analysis confirmed markedly elevated triglyceride levels. Conservative management with total parenteral nutrition and a nil per os regimen achieved rapid resolution. Lymphangiography demonstrated normal thoracic duct anatomy without leakage. The patient was discharged in good condition, and follow-up imaging showed complete recovery. This case highlights the diagnostic challenge of differentiating chylous from infectious mediastinal collections, particularly when clinical presentation mimics descending mediastinitis. Accurate intraoperative assessment and multidisciplinary management are essential to avoid unnecessary invasive procedures. Rare etiologies such as idiopathic chylothorax should be considered in atypical presentations of cervical and mediastinal fluid collections. Full article

This study examined the distribution and feeding ecology of Grey Crowned Cranes (GCCs) (Balearica regulorum gibbericeps) in the Rushebeya–Kanyabaha wetland watershed in southwestern Uganda, focusing on changes in land use and land cover (LULC) between 1986 and 2022. We documented crane distribution and foraging behaviors through field surveys and analyzed Landsat data of 1986, 1998, 2010, and 2022 using supervised classification. The findings revealed significant changes in LULC, with an increase in built-up areas and subsistence farms, while grassland, bushland, and wetland coverage steadily declined. As the human population increased, leading to a demand for food, subsistence farming emerged as the predominant land use starting in 1998. Data on crane distribution indicates that wetlands are a vital habitat for roosting and breeding; nests are typically located within 140 m of water, along the edges of wetlands, and in vegetation that averages 2.6 m in height. Subsistence farmland, primarily growing beans, potatoes, and sorghum, serves as a key food source for the cranes. The study highlights that while agricultural landscapes provide important foraging sites, crane populations are at risk due to ongoing habitat degradation and disturbances. To effectively conserve these populations, strategies that integrate sustainable land use planning within the catchment area and wetland protection will be essential. Full article

Managers of protected areas (PAs) face growing challenges to conserve biodiversity while responding to multiple land uses such as recreation, tourism, and resource extraction. These pressures are intensified by the impacts of climate change on ecosystems. This highlights the need for planning approaches that support decision-making in the short, medium, and long term. This article profiles Wells Gray Provincial Park as a case study to demonstrate how an ecosystem-based planning approach can be incorporated into PAs planning. Wells Gray is situated in a unique ecosystem in the interior of British Columbia (Canada). We present an innovative model that integrates land cover types, ecosystem mapping, and Biogeoclimatic (BGC) zones derived from the Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) system using GIS tools to identify ecosystems and their associated services as Critical Decision Factors (CDFs). By explicitly linking ecosystems, land cover, and spatial patterns, this approach supports the systemic inclusion of ecosystems in management decisions. To account for future uncertainty, BGC zones were projected under climate change scenarios to inform interpretations of potential ecosystem impacts. The results indicate that this integrated analysis can initiate strategic thinking and facilitate dialogue to collaboratively plan with stakeholders. This approach can improve ecosystem-based planning processes in PAs across Canada. Full article

Load-redistribution false-data-injection (LR-FDI) attacks can degrade power-system operation by reshaping the perceived nodal demand pattern, thereby inducing congestion-aware redispatch and economic inefficiency while preserving the net system load. Prior LR-FDI studies commonly adopt bilevel/Stackelberg formulations with a continuous attack vector and an embedded operator response; however, these formulations often (i) do not represent explicit compromised-load selection, (ii) become computationally restrictive when combinatorial target sets are considered, and (iii) offer limited transparency for structured, stage-wise attack planning. This paper proposes a sequential two-stage attacker–operator framework for LR-FDI vulnerability assessment that integrates sparse load compromise decisions with screening-regularized attack synthesis and post-attack operational evaluation. In Stage-1, a mixed-integer nonlinear program identifies economically influential load buses via binary selection and determines admissible perturbation magnitudes under total-load conservation and proportional shift bounds. To confine the attacker-side search region and avoid economically exaggerated solutions, a screening-derived conservative operating-cost ceiling is first estimated through a parametric load-sensitivity analysis and then used to regularize the attack-synthesis step. In Stage-2, the system operator’s corrective redispatch is evaluated by solving an active-power-oriented economic dispatch model with nonlinear network-consistent assessment of operational outcomes. Using the IEEE 24-bus RTS, results show that the hourly operating-cost deviation reaches ≈0.2% in the most adverse feasible cases, and the cumulative daily impact approaches ≈5% only under selectively realizable compromised-load patterns, accompanied by a nearly 80% increase in total active-power transmission losses relative to the base case. Overall, the framework yields a practically grounded quantification of conditionally severe economic and network stress under coordinated LR-FDI scenarios and provides actionable insight for prioritizing vulnerable load locations for protection and monitoring. Full article

Despite abundant scholarship on religious architecture and urban history, a systematic city-wide analysis that treats the parish system as a territorially relevant infrastructure for planning remains uncommon. This article examines Barcelona’s network of 132 Catholic parish churches as a cartographic layer for interpreting distributed centralities and their relationships with public space. The study is grounded in an exhaustive inventory based on on-site visits and archival consultation, and on a standardised redrawing protocol (Sitte and Nolli conventions) developed from municipal cartography and architectural plans. Synthesis maps and fabric-specific drawings document spatial patterns that vary across phases of urban growth, as well as recurrent typologies of relationships between churches, squares, and urban axes. Across the corpus, at least 25 churches are associated with squares and can be grouped into four recurrent arrangements (12 with a single frontal square; 4 with concatenated lateral squares; 3 surrounded by open space; and 6 with squares severed by through-traffic infrastructure). District plates further reveal contrasting typological distributions between Ciutat Vella (n = 16), Eixample (n = 19), Gràcia (n = 11), and Nou Barris (n = 14). The findings show that Barcelona’s Catholic parish cartography constitutes a key interpretative layer for understanding the city’s complexity, including its social and urban transformations, neighbourhood-level mechanisms of resilience, and the interaction between religious networks, urban form, and civic culture. The resulting cartographic protocol is reproducible and transferable to studies of urbanisation and regional development, offering an operational framework for planning debates on the governance of public space, heritage conservation, and urban sustainability. Full article

Orbital floor fractures may cause long-term functional and esthetic impairments. Diplopia due to impaired function of the inferior rectus muscle is frequently an indication for surgical repair, but some cases, such as those where the diagnosis has been delayed or a previous attempt at repair has been made, may not always be amenable to surgical correction. It is advantageous for the surgeon to know whether the proper function of the inferior rectus muscle can be restored for the purposes of surgical planning and prognostication. The authors hypothesized that real-time MRI could be used to characterize the appearance of the inferior rectus muscle in a way that would facilitate future analysis of inferior rectus function in patients with diplopia due to orbital floor fractures. Real-time MRI was performed on 10 volunteer participants with normal ophthalmic function and orbital anatomy to assess inferior rectus appearance during vertical duction testing. ImageJ software was used to measure and record characteristics of the inferior rectus muscle, viewed in a quasi-sagittal plane. The ratios evaluated included inferior rectus muscle length in upgaze versus downgaze (UDR, mean 1.58) as well as inferior rectus muscle length versus distance from inferior rectus origin to inferior rectus inflection point in upgaze (LIR, mean 1.30) and downgaze (mean 1.20). These values were found to be conserved between orbits and individuals. This data offers quantitative insight regarding inferior rectus muscle appearance across the full arc of vertical gaze in healthy individuals. We plan to use this normative baseline dataset as a comparison for future phases of this project, using real-time MRI to evaluate traumatized orbits with diplopia and derangement of the inferior rectus muscle. Full article

Layered side-casting backfilling performed with a trailing suction hopper dredger (TSHD) is widely used in tidal waters, but its continuous moving release can generate a time-varying far-field sediment plume that complicates both backfilling control and environmental impact assessment. To investigate how construction parameters affect far-field sediment dispersion and deposition under side-casting conditions, this study develops a two-dimensional hydrodynamic–sediment coupled numerical model with a mass-conserving moving-source term for a tidally dominated coastal area. Model performance was evaluated against field observations, yielding NRMSE/MRAE values of 0.0787/6.03% for water level, 0.2249/18.30% for current speed, 0.2344/27.10% for suspended-sediment concentration (SSC), and 0.1230/11.10% for deposition thickness; the correlation coefficient for current speed was 0.904. Based on the validated model, scenario analyses were conducted for different combinations of sailing speed and sediment concentration. The results show that far-field plume evolution exhibits pronounced stage-dependent behavior, with the largest affected footprint generally occurring during the late operational period or shortly after source termination. Within the tested parameter space, sailing speed has a stronger influence on the dispersion scale and SSC recovery duration because it controls both the release duration and source sweeping rate. Sediment concentration more directly affects deposition-related responses, including deposited thickness, lateral coverage, and along-track continuity, although its incremental effects weaken in the high-concentration range and remain coupled with sailing speed. Dimensional analysis further suggests that the relative magnitudes of source duration, advection, and settling timescales help explain the differences among scenarios. These results provide a physically based reference for parameter selection and construction planning in layered side-casting backfilling under tidal forcing. Full article

Cultural and natural heritage are increasingly framed as components of territorial governance rather than isolated conservation elements; yet, a structural gap persists between their strategic recognition in planning documents and their measurable integration into statutory land-use systems that guide spatial decision-making. This gap is particularly pronounced in protected areas, where ecological integrity, cultural and symbolic values, tourism functions, and socio-economic expectations converge within environmentally sensitive landscapes. This study develops and empirically applies a compatibility-based analytical framework that embeds Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) within the statutory spatial planning system of Kozara National Park. The framework combines (i) institutional analysis of legally binding planning instruments, (ii) zoning-aligned analytical units derived from the Special-Purpose Spatial Plan and Management Plan, and (iii) a weighted multi-criteria model incorporating ecological integrity, cultural–historical significance, tourism and recreation capacity under controlled use, and socio-economic feasibility. Climate-related disturbance exposure is incorporated as a planning-relevant modifier of ecological compatibility. Composite compatibility scores under the baseline configuration range from 2.55 to 3.85 across analytical units. Rank correlation analysis suggests a high degree of structural consistency across both alternative weighting configurations relative to the baseline scenario (Spearman’s ρ ≈ 0.90), with only limited rank reordering observed, primarily between the two highest-ranked analytical units. Dispersed low-intensity recreational configurations demonstrate the highest structural robustness, whereas infrastructure-intensive zones exhibit management-dependent compatibility. The findings show how spatial planning in protected areas can operationalize compatibility as a measurable decision-support principle without substituting statutory zoning logic. Full article

Sustainable hydrogen production in water-scarce regions poses critical environmental challenges due to limited freshwater availability and the energy intensity of seawater treatment. This study examines the environmental trade-offs of providing water for hydrogen production via seawater desalination (with or without brine treatment) or freshwater purification, using a comprehensive life cycle assessment (LCA) framework. The assessment centers on three water-stressed countries: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Spain, and Australia. Results reveal clear trade-offs between freshwater conservation and marine environmental pressures. Brine treatment reduces nutrient-related marine impacts but increases energy-related burdens, particularly under fossil-dominated electricity systems. Water sourcing for electrolysis coupled with energy-intensive desalination systems generally exhibits higher environmental pressures than alternative configurations, whereas freshwater-based supply for hydrogen production pathways shows lower burdens in several impact categories but raise concerns regarding freshwater resource use. Sensitivity analysis confirms that system performance is strongly influenced by water demand and electricity characteristics, highlighting the importance of aligning hydrogen deployment strategies with regional energy and water conditions. Overall, the findings demonstrate that water sourcing decisions play a critical role in shaping the environmental sustainability of hydrogen systems in water-stressed regions and must be evaluated through integrated water–energy planning. Full article

Coffee production, particularly in shade-grown farms, plays a crucial role in the livelihoods of Mexican farmers. Shade-grown coffee systems are also recognised for supporting biodiversity and enhancing carbon capture. Nevertheless, the geographical heterogeneity of Mexico makes the selection of tree species in these agroforestry systems challenging. This study develops region-specific priority lists to conserve biodiversity, improve carbon capture, and support the livelihoods of producers across nine coffee-growing regions within the state of Chiapas. We identified the tree species distributed in each region using an extensive dataset from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and a novel approach that enhanced spatial resolution of the prioritisation process, despite biases in collection efforts. A set of 23 criteria, including conservation status, carbon content, and documented uses by local communities, was compiled from databases and literature reviews and used to calculate a priority score for each species. Based on these scores, a list of 20 recommended species was generated for each region. However, additional participatory validation is needed to translate these lists into practice. A similarity analysis revealed that geographically proximate regions shared similar species composition. Overall, this study provides a transparent framework for regionally tailored shade-tree selection to inform conservation and restoration planning in coffee agroforestry landscapes. Full article

Satellite remote sensing has rapidly evolved from an experimental support tool into a structural component of preventive archaeology and cultural heritage governance. Drawing on scientific publications and policy-oriented grey literature from 2010–2025, this study provides an integrated review of how optical, SAR, and multi-sensor satellite data are used to detect archaeological sites, monitor landscape and structural change, and support risk-informed planning across diverse legal and institutional contexts. A multi-platform workflow combines AI-assisted semantic querying (Consensus), bibliometric searches (Scopus), and the collaborative management and geospatial visualisation of references through Zotero, VOSviewer (1.6.19), and QGIS (3.44)-based literature mapping, thereby linking thematic trends, co-authorship networks, and geographical patterns of research and regulation. The results show non-linear but marked publication growth, a strongly interdisciplinary profile, and the consolidation of international hubs that drive advances in Sentinel-2-based prospection, Landsat and night-time lights urbanisation metrics, and SAR time series for deformation, looting, and conflict-damage mapping. Parallel analysis of grey literature and institutional initiatives (Copernicus Cultural Heritage Task Force, national “extraordinary plans”, regional declarations, and UNESCO guidelines) reveals the codification of satellite Earth observation within rescue archaeology protocols, emergency archaeology, and long-term conservation strategies. Overall, the evidence indicates a transition towards data-driven, multi-sensor, and multi-scalar research, underpinned by open satellite data, reproducible workflows, and AI-supported evidence synthesis. Full article

The rare and threatened pleurocarpous semi-aquatic moss Drepanocladus sendtneri (Amblystegiaceae) was the focus of an integrative conservation approach aimed at improving knowledge of its biological and ecological characteristics and enhancing its survival prospects. The results provide insights into both the axenic and xenic propagation of this species, as well as its biomass production under ex situ conditions. The KNOP medium proved to be the most suitable for propagation, particularly when demeristemized shoot tips were cultured in an upright orientation. Exogenous application of IBA increased the production of new shoots and reduced the time required to obtain substantial biomass under axenic conditions. Following successful acclimatisation to controlled xenic laboratory conditions, the moss was able to fully develop and spread in experimental basins maintained under outdoor botanical garden conditions, with humidity carefully regulated during dry periods. Within one year, a small number of initial plantlets expanded to cover approximately 4 dm², spreading efficiently over rainwater-soaked filter paper covered with an inert plastic mesh. These results provide practical guidance for the production and ex situ maintenance of D. sendtneri, thereby supporting the development and improvement of conservation action plans for this rare and threatened moss species. Full article