Search Results (38)

The strategic planning of emergency shelters is vital for enhancing urban resilience against natural disasters, ensuring timely and equitable support for vulnerable populations. However, the existing studies often overlook the effects of fixed search radii and spatial heterogeneity in supply–demand matching. This study evaluated the spatial accessibility of emergency shelters in Shenzhen, a megacity in China, using a Gaussian two-step floating catchment area (G2SFCA) method integrated with K-means clustering. The analysis incorporated three service radii (1 km, 2.5 km, and 5 km) to assess accessibility levels across spatial scales. The results indicate the following: (1) The supply–demand balance of emergency shelters in Shenzhen varies significantly across service radii. A notable mismatch exists within 1000 m; at 2500 m, the demand in high-density areas is better met with reduced regional disparities, while at 5000 m, the spatial correlation between the supply and demand weakens considerably. (2) The cluster analysis revealed the distinct spatial clustering of supply–demand imbalances, primarily driven by population density. (3) The proposed method offers empirical support for optimized shelter allocation and improving the equity and efficiency of emergency resource distribution. Full article

As a unit, housing is one of the most important elements affected by social, economic, and cultural changes in every period of human history. In all ages, from ancient times to the present, housing has not only met the need for shelter, but also reflected people’s lifestyles and values and the technological developments of the period. Housing architecture emerges as a type of structure that has been continuously evolving in every period and is affected by the changes experienced by societies. In this study, the idea that houses are not only structural products, but the structures that have become homes for humans, is approached and discussed through concepts such as spatial organization, relationality, accessibility, visibility, density of use, depth, privacy, and belonging. The Yenişehir district in Karabük province, which is thought to have been transformed into design by considering these concepts, also constitutes the focus area of the study idea in this sense. The houses located in the Yenişehir district, which was selected because it contains concrete examples of the modernization efforts of the Early Republican Period of Türkiye and is an example of industrial housing production, have been numerically evaluated within the scope of this study with the data obtained from the space syntax analysis and the depthMapX program (v0.8.0). In this way, it raises the question of whether it is possible to create housing settlements for people in the transition from agricultural society to industrial society without disrupting the socio-cultural structure of society. As a result, it has been seen that the houses in Yenişehir are designed functionally and human-oriented, and they also consider the dynamics of society. Full article

Accurate forest cover maps are essential for forest conservation and sustainable development. Numerous global forest cover products have emerged in recent years; however, most tend to neglect sparsely forested arid and semi-arid areas, such as the Three-North Shelter Forest (TNSF) Program Region in China. Despite their sparse distribution, forests in these areas play a vital role in maintaining global ecological balance and biodiversity. Therefore, a comprehensive evaluation of these products is necessary. In this study, the performance of nine global forest cover products was systematically investigated at a 10–30 m resolution (GlobeLand30, GLC_FCS30D, FROM-GLC30, FROM-GLC10, ESA World Cover, ESRI Land Cover, GFC30, GFC 2020, and GFC) in the TNSF region around 2020. Specifically, a novel and comprehensive validation dataset was first generated by integrating all available open-access validation datasets in the TNSF region after visual interpretation. Second, the consistency and accuracy of nine forest cover products were evaluated, and their discrepancies with government statistical data were analyzed. The results indicate that GFC2020 provides the highest overall accuracy (OA) of 90.49%, followed by ESA World Cover, while GlobeLand30 had the lowest accuracy of 84.78%. Meanwhile, compared with statistical data, all nine products underestimated forest areas, especially in these hyper-arid zones (aridity index < 0.03). Notably, 31.04% of the area is identified as forest by only one product, attributable to differences in forest definitions and remote sensing data among the products. Therefore, this study provides a detailed assessment and analysis of nine global forest cover products from multiple perspectives, offering valuable insights for users in selecting appropriate forest cover products and supporting forest management. Full article

This study presents relevant elements of seismic resilience strategy containing an innovative digital mapping tool tailored for Bucharest, one of Europe’s most seismically vulnerable areas. The framework integrates seismic resilience indicators and expert input with Bucharest’s seismic micro-zonation map to systematically identify critical relocation areas, including educational institutions, medical facilities, and open spaces for emergency use. A seven-step methodology underpins the strategy: identifying resilience indicators, gathering local data, conducting expert workshops, mapping vulnerable areas, designating emergency open spaces, incorporating educational institutions as shelters, and evaluating the framework through a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. The digital mapping tool developed using Google My Maps provides a practical and accessible platform for emergency management professionals and the public, enabling real-time response coordination and informed long-term planning. District 2 is identified as the most vulnerable area due to high population density and peak ground acceleration (PGA), while District 4 faces challenges stemming from limited medical and relocation resources, despite experiencing lower seismic activity. The SWOT analysis demonstrates the tool’s potential as a robust disaster management framework, while highlighting the need for continuous updates, enhanced collaboration, and integration of additional data. This study offers a scalable model for other urban contexts, bridging the gap between strategic planning and operational readiness for seismic risk reduction. Full article

Feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) remains as one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in young cats from shelters and catteries worldwide. Since little is known about the molecular characteristics of currently circulating FIPV strains in Long Island, New York, samples from two shelter cats submitted to the Pathology Diagnostic Services of the Long Island University College of Veterinary Medicine, with gross and microscopic lesions consistent with those of FIP were processed for virus isolation, molecular characterization and full-length genome decoding. The younger shelter cat, a 1-year-old male (A15) was found dead without previous signs of illness. Postmortem examination revealed gross and microscopic lesions characterized by vasculitis, necrosis, hemorrhage, and pyogranulomatous inflammation confined to the colon and associated lymph nodes. The second cat, a 7-year-old spayed female (A37) had an identical clinical history and similar but widespread lesions, including fibrinous peritoneal effusion, cecal, colonic, renal, and hepatic involvement. The gross and microscopic diagnosis of FIP in these cats was confirmed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) demonstration of feline coronavirus antigen using mouse anti-FIPV3-70 monoclonal antibody. Virus isolation from saved frozen kidney and colon tissue was performed through several subsequent blind passages in MDCK and Vero cell lines. Confirmation of the FIPV isolation was done through qRT-PCR, IFA, western blot using N protein antibodies, and NGS of the full-length genome sequencing. The full-length genome sequences of the virus isolate from the two cats were decoded using next-generation sequencing (NGS) and deposited in the GenBank as accession numbers PQ192636 and PQ202302. The genome size of these isolates was (29355 and 29321) nucleotides (nt) in length, respectively. While their genome organization was consistent with other FIPV genomes as follows (5’UTR-ORF1ab-S-3abc-M-E-7b-3’UTR-3’), marked differential mutations were observed in the ORF1a/b, S, 3Abc, and 7b protein genes of the two FIPV isolates. One notable deletion of 34 nucleotides was observed in the 7b genes of one of these isolates but was absent in the other. We confirmed the potential recombination events during the evolution of those two FIPV field isolates with the potential parent virus as FECoV-US isolated in 1970 and the potential minor parent as the Canine coronavirus. Our results provide a comprehensive molecular analysis of two novel FIPV isolates causing fatal disease in shelter cats from Long Island. Diagnostic surveillance with molecular characterization and sequencing analysis of circulating FIPV strains within animal shelters may help early detect unique emerging clinical and pathological manifestations of the disease and develop more targeted prophylactic and therapeutic approaches to control it. Full article

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic brought myriad challenges and disruptions to societies worldwide. The impact of the pandemic on immigrant women living in Canada and who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) was very concerning during lockdowns specifically. As Canada implemented social distancing measures and stay-at-home orders to curb the spread of the virus, immigrant women—already at a heightened risk of IPV due to factors such as language barriers and immigration status—faced an increased likelihood of being trapped in abusive situations, with limited access to essential support services such as shelters, counseling centers, and legal aid. This narrative review aims to illuminate the experiences of IPV including the challenges and strategies used to cope during the pandemic among immigrant women. While this narrative review aims to obtain an extensive understanding of the IPV experiences among immigrant women during the pandemic, it also highlights the need for developing culturally sensitive interventions to address IPV challenges for immigrant women in similar contexts. A search was undertaken of multiple databases: Medline, CINHAL, Google Scholar, and PsycINFO. To identify studies related to IPV and COVID-19, various search terms were used including “abused women”, “COVID-19”, and “IPV” and their synonyms. This review employs the social–ecological model and intersectionality to illuminate the IPV experiences of immigrant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four themes emerged from this study including the realities of COVID-19 restrictions; IPV vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic; the impacts of IPV and the COVID-19 pandemic; and the strategies for addressing IPV (women and system perspectives). We draw on past research and the knowledge of our multidisciplinary team of researchers to recommend culturally sensitive resources and health services for abused women living in Canada as well as highlight effective intervention strategies to address the varied and complex needs of these women. Full article

Climate change and increasing extreme temperatures present unique challenges to persons experiencing homelessness (PEH), including heightened physical and psychological harm. While green and urban infrastructure has emerged as one possible mitigation strategy, homeless populations are rarely included in municipal disaster planning or infrastructure research. This study used in-depth interviews with PEH (N = 42) during the summers of 2022 and 2023. Questions were designed around phenomenological methods to explore the individuals’ firsthand descriptions of the lived experience of coping during extreme temperatures within a mid-size city in the Southeastern United States. Our findings highlight how social exclusion within the built environment reduces PEH’s adaptive capacity and increases the physical and psychological risks of extreme temperatures, namely through limiting and policing scarce resources and restricting the mobility of PEH. In contrast, public transit provided relief from extreme temperatures. Implications from our findings include the need for attention on inclusive green urban infrastructure, including increased placement and access to shade, public water, mixed-use daytime sheltering models, and the installation of lockers to increase capacity to maintain supplies and gear necessary for enduring extreme temperatures. Findings also highlight the challenges of designing inclusive green infrastructure and the importance of de-stigmatizing homelessness and building more housing and income support to increase adaptive capacity for an entire community in the context of a rapidly warming climate. Full article

As a critical resource in emergency response and a pivotal element in disaster prevention and risk reduction, shelters play a central role in the holistic continuum of rescue and relief efforts. However, existing research often overlooks the comprehensive assessment and enhancement of shelter resilience. This study proposes a novel safety–robustness–accessibility (SRA) model aimed at evaluating and enhancing the overall resilience of shelters in the face of disasters. Firstly, a resilience assessment system for shelters was established, leveraging multi-source data and encompassing diverse dimensions, including safety, robustness, and accessibility. Subsequently, the entropy weight method was utilized to determine the weights of the assessment indicators. The case study and comparative analysis were conducted on shelters situated in two urban areas, old and new, in Kunming City, China, namely Wuhua District and Chenggong District. The findings reveal a higher quantity of shelters in Wuhua District compared to Chenggong District; however, the overall resilience level is relatively low, predominantly categorized as “Mid-Low” grade, constituting a substantial 57.94%. Conversely, shelters in Chenggong District exhibit a relatively high resilience level, predominantly classified as “Medium” grade, accounting for 33.77%. This study furnishes valuable data references and specific strategies aimed at enhancing the resilience of urban shelters against disasters. It offers crucial insights for urban planning and management to strengthen shelter resilience, thereby contributing to the development of a more resilient and sustainable urban future. Full article

In response to the challenges posed by climate change, including extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall and droughts, the agricultural sector is increasingly seeking solutions for the efficient use of resources, particularly water. Pivotal aspects of smart agriculture include the establishment of weather-independent systems and the implementation of precise monitoring and control of plant growth and environmental conditions. Hydroponic cultivation techniques have emerged as transformative solutions with the potential to reduce water consumption for cultivation and offer a sheltered environment for crops, protecting them from the unpredictable impacts of climate change. However, a significant challenge lies in the frequent need for human intervention to ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of these systems. This paper introduces a novel system with a modular architecture, offering the ability to incorporate new functionalities without necessitating a complete system redesign. The autonomous hydroponic greenhouse, designed and implemented in this study, maintains stable environmental parameters to create an ideal environment for cultivating tomato plants. Actuators, receiving commands from a cloud application situated at the network’s edge, automatically regulate environmental conditions. Decision-making within this application is facilitated by a PID control algorithm, ensuring precision in control commands transmitted through the MQTT protocol and the NGSI-LD message format. The system transitioned from a single virtual machine in the public cloud to edge computing, specifically on a Raspberry Pi 3, to address latency concerns. In this study, we analyzed various delay aspects and network latency to better understand their significance in delays. This transition resulted in a significant reduction in communication latency and a reduction in total service delay, enhancing the system’s real-time responsiveness. The utilization of LoRa communication technology connects IoT devices to a gateway, typically located at the main farm building, addressing the challenge of limited Internet connectivity in remote greenhouse locations. Monitoring data are made accessible to end-users through a smartphone app, offering real-time insights into the greenhouse environment. Furthermore, end-users have the capability to modify system parameters manually and remotely when necessary. This approach not only provides a robust solution to climate-induced challenges but also enhances the efficiency and intelligence of agricultural practices. The transition to digitization poses a significant challenge for farmers. Our proposed system not only represents a step forward toward sustainable and precise agriculture but also serves as a practical demonstrator, providing farmers with a key tool during this crucial digital transition. The demonstrator enables farmers to optimize crop growth and resource management, concretely showcasing the benefits of smart and precise agriculture. Full article

City health examinations are integral to China’s urban planning, construction, and management. They effectively identify potential risks and vulnerabilities in urban development, ensuring safety resilience—a critical component. This resilience enhances the city’s ability to withstand internal and external shocks, promoting the safety of urban residents and fostering sustainable city development. Drawing on the Japanese disaster prevention strategy, the disaster prevention life circle emerges as a rescue and protection system during urban disasters, fortifying urban safety resilience. However, smaller and mid-sized cities, constrained by limited resources, significantly need to catch up in disaster prevention planning. Consequently, bolstering safety resilience in these cities becomes a pressing concern. This study focuses on Lindian County in Heilongjiang Province as the urban area under consideration for resilient city objectives. Leveraging the ArcGIS network analysis tool, we optimize the placement of emergency shelters, aligning with urban disaster assessments and the equilibrium of disaster prevention facility supply and demand. Accessibility analysis of emergency shelters was conducted using the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method. Ultimately, we integrate the range of demand points assigned to each shelter, along with the effective land area reflecting the supply of shelters, as weights into a weighted Voronoi diagram. This diagram is combined with a reference to the entire region to delineate the disaster prevention life circle. Findings reveal that, under the premise of minimizing government construction costs while maximizing coverage and evacuation utilization rates, the optimal resident emergency congregate shelters in the study area are 8, with 98 emergency evacuation and embarkation shelters. Striking a balance between disaster prevention facility supply and demand and regional accessibility, the urban area of Lindian County is segmented into 3 resident disaster prevention life circles and 24 emergency disaster prevention life circles. The objective of this study is to optimize shelter siting and establish disaster prevention life circles in diverse urban areas. This endeavor aims to bolster urban resilience and foster sustainable urban development. Full article

Housing conditions can increase health risks for people who use opioids (PWUO). Little research documents the influence of housing on PWUO’s ability to practice disease prevention methods. This study examines associations between housing status of PWUO in NYC and their ability to practice COVID-19 prevention recommendations during the initial wave of the pandemic. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling and administered a survey. Eligibility required age ≥18 years, using opioids ≥3times in the prior 30 days, and accessing a health-related service in the prior year. Descriptive and bivariate statistics assessed relationships between housing and the ability to practice social distancing, access soap and running water or hand sanitizer (soap), and access face masks. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to examine relationships between housing and the potential to practice COVID-19 prevention recommendations. The 329 participants were grouped into stable housing (34.3%), unstable/shelter housing (31.9%), and street homeless (33.7%) categories. Street homeless PWUO were significantly less likely to have access to soap and face masks than those stably housed. There were no significant differences between PWUO experiencing unstable and stable housing. PWUO experiencing street homelessness may have had increased vulnerability to COVID-19. Providing low-threshold health-related resources and increasing linkages to housing opportunities could promote health of PWUO experiencing street homelessness during future emergencies. Full article

Land management in crises requires quick solutions, which, without proper knowledge and experience, can lead to harmful interventions in established cities. In this regard, when choosing areas for placing critical infrastructure, such as temporary residences for refugees or field hospitals, it is essential to take into account not only the existing experience of scientists and experts on the topic but also the opinions of those who are intended to benefit from these services and of the people who live nearby. The purpose of this study was to identify the needs and opinions regarding the placement of critical infrastructure and facilities for those forcibly displaced as a result of the war in Ukraine (based on the example of Lviv, Ukraine) and the effects on the residents of Warsaw (Poland) as a city that faced a powerful wave of migrants from Ukraine. In the summer of 2022, a survey of 81 internally displaced persons who lived in two modular towns in Lviv was conducted. During 2022–2023, the residents of Warsaw were surveyed concerning the essential criteria for emergency site locations and their attitudes toward refugees from Ukraine. The results of our research showed that for internally displaced persons in temporary shelters in Lviv, it was vital to provide for their basic needs, along with a sense of security, and to encourage the unity of the people living nearby. A significant result of the survey indicated the necessary yet undesirable infrastructure facilities within a radius of up to 1 km around residents’ homes. It was determined that the most important objects, which should be placed within the limits of pedestrian accessibility, were bomb shelters, medical institutions, centers for administrative services, and others. In return, the most undesirable infrastructure facilities were military facilities, burial sites, and memorial complexes, etc. The results of the Warsaw survey were related to the criteria for choosing sites for the placement of significant critical infrastructure facilities and also demonstrated the positive attitude of the citizens toward the immigrants from Ukraine and their readiness to help if needed. The results could serve as a solid basis for the selection of plots for constructing temporary accommodation for refugees and internally displaced persons in European cities during crisis events. Full article

A decade ago, massively open online courses (MOOCs) were heralded as the solution to universal, global access to higher education. While they failed to reach this vision, primarily because of teaching-by-telling and learning-by-listening (a PDF of the residential classroom), MOOCs provided the foundational models and infrastructure for emergency remote learning in the pandemic. Reports of remote learning’s death post-pandemic are greatly exaggerated, since the world is now irreversibly hybrid—and will stay that way because many people and organizations value the new opportunities this presents. From now on, when students leave the shelter of classrooms to interact with the world beyond schooling, they must have skills for adept performance both face-to-face and across distance. Colleges, universities, and regions that force all teaching and learning to be face-to-face are dooming their graduates to reduced agency in every other aspect of life. As discussed in recent reports from Harvard, MIT, and Stanford, innovative approaches to digital learning were developed during the pandemic that are now improving campus-based learning. Insights from these approaches offer the opportunity for student engagement at scale, taking advantage of strengths of online instruction such as collapsing time, bridging space, personalizing via rich datastreams, using AI-based instructional assistants and learning partners, delivering content and experience across universities, and sustaining online learning communities after formal instruction ends. Combined, these advances can enable next-generation massive digital hybrid learning, a means to achieve the aspirational vision of universal global access to higher education. A coalition of higher education institutions could begin to realize this vision, an essential step in enabling all learners to survive and thrive in our increasingly turbulent, disruptive global economy and civilization. Full article

The effective refuge area is a key indicator in the study of emergency shelters. Accurately extracting the effective refuge area and analyzing the effectiveness of emergency shelters are of great significance for site selection, spatial distribution, and the evaluation of suitability. Beijing is one of only three capitals in the world located in a high-seismic-intensity zone of magnitude 8. The fast and accurate monitoring of effective refuge areas and an analysis of the effectiveness of emergency shelters are conducive to evacuation planning and disaster prevention and mitigation, and they promote the construction of a resilient city. However, the extraction of effective refuge areas in existing studies is not only a time-consuming and labor-intensive task but also has accuracy and efficiency problems, resulting in less precise validity analyses. In this paper, a remote sensing monitoring technology system for the effective refuge areas of emergency shelters is proposed based on multi-source data. Different methods were used to extract various land features, such as buildings and collapsed areas, water, dense areas of understory vegetation, and steep slope areas that cannot be evacuated, to obtain the effective refuge area at a detailed scale, in combination with the service radius of emergency shelters, the population distribution, and the actual road network, the criteria for effectiveness analysis were established for the effective open space ratio, capacity, per capita accessible effective refuge area, and population allocation gap. Taking the area within the Fifth Ring Road of Beijing as an example, the effectiveness of emergency shelters was analyzed at both the whole scale and a local scale. The results show that the effective refuge areas of different emergency shelters in Beijing vary significantly, with the smallest effective refuge area being located in Rings 2–3 and the largest one being located in Rings 4–5; between different regions, there are differences in the effectiveness. This study provides a feasible method for the fast, accurate, and detailed extraction of the effective refuge areas of emergency shelters and also provides a reference for emergency planning for disaster prevention and mitigation. Full article

The frequency of natural disasters is exacerbated by the escalating impacts of climate change with the need for effective relief shelters for victims and displaced individuals. Providing accessible and easy-to-assemble relief shelters is essential in addressing these needs. Due to climate-related challenges and the need for sustainable solutions, the integration of circularity principles in shelter design has become imperative. Circular economy principles promote the efficient use of resources, minimising waste generation and the cost of shelters. Moreover, a considerable number of people usually suffer from homelessness, and an increasing number of families live in slums in every part of the globe. All such people are entitled to be housed in affordable, safe, and appropriate shelters for at least several months after a disaster until they can either rebuild their former houses or find somewhere decent to settle after recovering from the hardship. With the aim of investigating the immediate housing needs of people after a disaster, this paper identifies the essential factors that must be taken into account during shelter design. The paper also presents the prototype developed on the basis of theoretical criteria and the identified factors. The paper’s main objectives were to design an easy-to-assemble emergency shelter on circular economy principles, identify critical factors for the circularity and buildability of the shelter, and present a proposed smart shelter acceptance model. The methodology behind the research involves conducting an intensive literature review and creating a novel prototype of a smart disaster relief shelter on the basis of long-run laboratory work and various prototype iterations. The paper presents the details of the novel prototype and shows materials that enhance the circularity of the shelter, according to a unique architectural design strategy of ‘reusing’ materials to enhance circularity practice in the design and construction sectors. The prototype was developed in a workshop after 6 months of reiterations using plastic water bottles, basic pipes, and other reusable materials. Then, by incorporating the essential factors, a set of criteria was designed that can be used as a guide for the architectural design of shelters. The criteria offered in this paper are useful to evaluate each factor’s importance in shelter design. In total, 51 effective factors in designing and constructing such accommodation are presented, clustered into five design strategy groups: social–cultural, physical–technical, environmental, economic, and organisational. Full article