Search Results (2,332)

Background/Objectives: Vitamin D deficiency and obesity are prevalent public health concerns among older adults, with potential impacts on metabolic health. Despite high deficiency rates reported globally, data on their relationship in Chilean older populations remain limited. This study investigates the relationship between 25(OH)D status, obesity, and metabolic parameters in Chilean older adults using data from the 2016–2017 National Health Survey (ENS). Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted in 1252 individuals aged ≥ 65 years with complete 25(OH)D and anthropometric measurements. Plasma levels of 25(OH)D were classified as optimal ≥ 30 ng/mL, insufficiency 20–29.9 ng/mL, deficiency 12–19.9 ng/mL, and severe deficiency < 12 ng/mL. Logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, education, comorbidities, and environmental factors were used to assess associations. Results: The results demonstrated that 88.3% of older adults had 25(OH)D ≤ 30 ng/mL, with 58.3% presenting deficiency. Obesity was an independent risk factor for vitamin D deficiency across all models. Geographic location, female sex, and smoking also influenced deficiency risk, while no significant associations emerged with type 2 diabetes or hypertension. Conclusions: These findings highlight the need for targeted strategies addressing vitamin D insufficiency in older adults, considering regional and lifestyle factors, to improve health outcomes in this vulnerable population. Full article

Soil erosion undermines the sustainable development of land—a vital resource for human survival. Research into the spatiotemporal dynamics of soil erosion is therefore crucial for formulating effective soil and water conservation strategies and advancing ecological protection efforts. In the domain of soil erosion research, the Universal Soil Loss Equation and Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE/RUSLE) model represent the dominant approach for quantifying soil erosion volumes. While this methodology yields reliable outcomes, it fails to incorporate an assessment of the relative significance of the factors embedded within the model. This study selected the Henan section of the Yellow River Basin as the research area, using monthly remote sensing data from 2010 to 2025 as the main data source. Taking into account factors such as rainfall, slope, elevation, vegetation coverage, and hydrological conservation measures, the RUSLE model was used to calculate and combine Geographic Information System (GIS) geographic detectors for quantitative analysis of soil erosion factors. The results showed the following: (1) The average soil erosion modulus in the study area from 2010 to 2025 was mainly micro and mild erosion. (2) Soil erosion exhibits a certain periodicity, with a year of significant soil erosion occurring every 3–4 years. The overall trend of soil erosion is a decrease. (3) Geographic detector analysis shows that slope has the greatest impact on soil erosion, with larger slopes leading to more severe soil erosion. The influence of each factor ranges from large to small as slope > water conservation measures > rainfall > vegetation coverage > elevation. (4) The interaction between factors can enhance the influence on soil erosion, and the interaction between vegetation cover factors and other factors significantly increases the influence; after interacting with various factors, the slope factor will significantly increase the influence of soil erosion. The research results can provide technical support and decision-making basis for ecological protection in the Yellow River Basin, such as through soil and water conservation, returning farmland to forests, and slope greening; The dominant factors and obvious interaction factors in the research area can provide a scientific basis for subsequent scholars to optimize the parameters of regional models. Full article

Land use and land cover change (LULC) is a critical catalyst for global climate patterns, environmental conditions, and ecological dynamics. Remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) methods have accelerated research on the impacts and variability of climate change. In ecologically sensitive karst regions, LULC poses significant challenges to sustainable urbanization. As a representative karst mountain city in China, Guiyang has undergone rapid spatial transformation, yet quantitative studies on its long-term LULC trajectories within an integrated spatial modeling framework remain insufficient. This study analyzed LULC dynamics in Guiyang from 2007 to 2022 and projected changes for 2027, 2032, 2037, and 2042. Using the CA-ANN model within the QGIS MOLUSCE plugin, we calibrated the model with multi-temporal LULC data and nine spatial drivers, including topographic, proximity, and socioeconomic factors. The model structure was optimized through iterative testing, resulting in a final configuration of 8 hidden layers and 500 iterations. This setup achieved high validation accuracy during training, with a hindcast simulation overall accuracy of 84.42% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.73 for simulating the 2022 land cover. Future projections indicate that impervious surfaces will continue to expand in a spatially constrained manner, reaching 332.82 km² by 2042, while shrubland area will sharply decrease to 10.75 km². Cultivated land and forest areas show relative stability with fluctuations. The projected patterns may exacerbate risks associated with surface runoff and ecological fragmentation due to established linkages between land use/cover change and ecosystem services. Through spatially explicit, multi-temporal scenario simulations, the findings underscore the urgent need in Guiyang’s unique karst setting to deeply integrate land-use planning with ecological conservation strategies, so as to strengthen regional ecological resilience. Full article

Agritourism, a tourism activity that is related to agriculture, has become more popular and gained importance as a strategy for fostering local development. In this article, we adopt a methodological framework that operationalizes the multidimensional impacts of agritourism on local development, adding issues of innovation as a critical success factor. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with the use of semi-structured questionnaires to agritourism units from a case study on Corfu Island, located in the Ionian Sea of Greece. The results reveal that the resilience of the island from tourism activity and the geographic characteristics related to its accessibility also affect agritourism, providing agritourism entrepreneurs a platform to access global markets and embrace sustainable practices. Full article

To effectively manage and conserve ecosystems, it is crucial to understand how vegetation changes over time and space and what drives these changes. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) is a key measure of plant growth that is highly sensitive to climate variations. Despite its importance, there has been limited research on vegetation changes in the upper sections of the Irtysh River. In our study, we combined various datasets, including NDVI, temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, elevation, and land cover. We conducted several analyses, such as Theil–Sen median trend analysis, Mann–Kendall trend and mutation tests, partial correlation analysis, the geographical detector model, and wavelet analysis, to reveal the region’s pronounced warming and moistening trend in recent years, the response relationship between NDVI and the climate, and the primary drivers influencing NDVI variations. We also delved into the spatiotemporal evolution of NDVI and identified key factors driving these changes by analyzing atmospheric circulation patterns. Our main findings are as follows: (1) Between 1901 and 2022, the area’s temperature rose by 0.018 °C/a, with a noticeable increase in the rate of warming around 1990; precipitation increased by 0.292 mm/a. From 1950 to 2022, soil moisture exhibited a steady increase of 0.0002 m³ m⁻³/a. Spatial trend distributions indicated that increasing trends in temperature and precipitation were evident across the entire region, while trends in soil moisture showed significant spatial variation. (2) During 1982 to 2022, the vegetation greening trend was 0.002/10a, indicating a gradual improvement in vegetation growth in the study area. The spatial distribution of monthly average NDVI values revealed that the main growing season of vegetation spanned April to November, with peak NDVI values occurring in June–August. Combined with serial partial correlation and spatial partial correlation analysis, temperatures during April to May effectively promoted the germination and growth of vegetation, while soil moisture accumulation from June to August (or January to August) effectively met the water demand of vegetation during its growth process, with a significant promoting effect. Geographical detector results demonstrate that temperature exhibits the strongest explanatory power for NDVI variation, whereas land cover has the weakest. The synergistic promotional effect of multiple climatic factors is highly pronounced. (3) Wavelet analysis revealed that the periodic characteristics of NDVI and climate variables over a 2–15-year timescale may have been associated with the impacts of atmospheric circulation. Taking NDVI and climatic factors from June to August as an example, before 2000, temperature was the dominant influencing factor, followed by precipitation and soil moisture; after 2000, precipitation and soil moisture became the primary drivers. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and Arctic Oscillation (AO) were the primary atmospheric circulation patterns influencing vegetation variability in the region. Their effects were reflected in the inverse relationship observed between NAO/AO indices and NDVI, with typical phases of high and low NDVI closely corresponding to shifts in NAO and AO activity. This study helps us to understand how plants have been changing in the upper parts of the Irtysh River. These insights are critical for guiding efforts to develop the area in a way that is sustainable and beneficial for the environment. Full article

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus) is a versatile fiber crop known for rapid growth and high biomass productivity that is often cultivated in warm-season regions where root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are prevalent. Here, we compared eight kenaf genotypes with Hibiscus acetosella and Hibiscus sabdariffa to evaluate resistance versus susceptibility to five RKN (Meloidogyne spp.) populations in two replicated greenhouse trials. The nematode panel comprised globally dominant species (M. incognita races 2 and 4, M. javanica) and emerging high-impact threats in warm-season systems (M. floridensis and M. enterolobii), which overlap geographically with current and potential kenaf production. Reproduction and galling were quantified using eggs per system, eggs per gram of root, egg masses, gall index, and reproduction factor, and genotypic differences were assessed by nonparametric rank-based tests at α = 0.05. Across nematode species, H. acetosella and H. sabdariffa showed minimal reproduction and galling, whereas most kenaf genotypes were highly susceptible. Susceptibility was most pronounced to M. enterolobii and M. floridensis, and several kenaf lines (‘Whitten’, ‘G 14’, ‘G 32’, ‘Yue 74-3’) had the highest egg counts and near-maximal egg masses and galling. M. incognita race 2 and race 4 produced strong contrasts, with H. acetosella and H. sabdariffa remaining resistant while multiple kenaf lines exhibited heavy reproduction and severe galling. M. javanica followed a similar pattern, with ‘G 32’, ‘Yue 74-3’, ‘Whitten’, ‘G 14’, and ‘74200 I4’ being highly susceptible. These results identify H. acetosella ‘PI 500707’ and H. sabdariffa ‘X17’ as robust donors of RKN resistance and highlight the susceptibility of cultivated kenaf genotypes, underscoring urgent breeding and integrated management needs for kenaf in warm-season production regions. Full article

Existing studies on urban public space vitality predominantly focus on single temporal scales or macro-urban levels, lacking a systematic understanding of day–night and weekday–weekend differentiation patterns at the meso-scale. This study examines 149 public spaces in the Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, employing Baidu heatmap data and the geographically weighted random forest (GWRF) model to analyze built environment impacts across four temporal scenarios. The SHAP interaction analysis is incorporated to quantitatively evaluate factor interdependencies and their temporal variations. Findings reveal significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Building density shows greater night-time importance while residential density exhibits enhanced daytime importance, particularly on weekend. Weekday–weekend comparison demonstrates contrasting spatial reorganization patterns, with weekday showing divergence and weekend showing convergence in factor importance distributions. The factor interaction analysis highlights stable synergistic relationships between density and diversity, alongside temporal transitions in density–residential density interactions from competitive to synergistic during night-time. Low-vitality public spaces are concentrated in peripheral areas with high building density but insufficient commercial facilities and functional mix. These findings deepen our understanding of the spatiotemporal mechanisms underlying public space vitality generation and the interaction effects among built environment factors, thereby providing an empirical foundation for the formulation of temporally adaptive planning strategies. Full article

This study presents a robust framework for optimizing the site selection of Electric Vehicle Charging Stations (EVCS) in Qatar by integrating a Geographic Information System (GIS) with a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) model. The core innovation lies in the enhancement of the conventional Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) with a Removal Sensitivity Analysis (RSA). This unique integration moves beyond traditional, subjective expert-based weighting by introducing a transparent, data-driven methodology to quantify the influence of each criterion and generate objective weights. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to evaluate fourteen criteria related to accessibility, economic and environmental factors that influence EVCS site suitability. To enhance robustness and minimize subjectivity, a Removal Sensitivity Analysis (RSA) was applied to quantify the influence of each criterion and generate objective, data-driven weights. The results reveal that accessibility factors, particularly proximity to road networks and parking areas exert the highest influence, while environmental variables such as slope, CO concentration, and green areas have moderate but spatially significant impacts. The integration of AHP and RSA produced a more balanced and environmentally credible suitability map, reducing overestimation of urban sites and promoting sustainable spatial planning. Environmentally, the proposed framework supports Qatar’s transition toward low-carbon mobility by encouraging the expansion of clean electric transport infrastructure, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving urban air quality. The findings contribute to achieving the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030 and align with global efforts to mitigate climate change through sustainable transportation development. Full article

This study aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) in the Aegean Region of Türkiye. Using a questionnaire-based approach, this study intends to fill the gaps in existing knowledge regarding the prevalence and determinants of these infections. A retrospective analysis of 781 dogs presented to Aydın Adnan Menderes University Small Animal Clinic from 2019 to 2024 was conducted. Among these, 205 dogs were confirmed to have at least one CVBD using rapid diagnostic tests (SNAP 4DX PLUS and SNAP Leishmania) with confirmatory methods. Data on dog demographics, lifestyle, and environmental exposure were collected using structured questionnaires. Prevalence rates were calculated based on the at-risk population, and logistic regression determined associations between risk factors and disease occurrence. Overall CVBD prevalence was 26.3%, with Ehrlichiosis (9.9%) and Leishmaniasis (7.4%) being the most common infections. Co-infections were present in 8.3% of cases. Geographical factors significantly influenced infection rates, particularly in Aydın compared to İzmir and Muğla, while demographics like age, breed size, gender, and outdoor activity had no significant impact. This highlights the necessity for region-specific control measures and the need for consistent adherence to preventive protocols to mitigate CVBD prevalence in high-risk areas. Full article

Urban agglomerations are concentrated production areas of new-quality productivity (NQP), and developing NQP is an inevitable requirement and obligation to promote the high-quality development of urban agglomerations. It is of great concern whether green finance (GF) can serve as a catalyst in promoting the formation and development of NQP in urban agglomerations. This study selects panel data from 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration spanning 2011–2023 to construct a comprehensive indicator system for NQP based on the composition, quality, and function of productive factors in the urban agglomeration, and explores the impact effects, mechanisms of action, spatial spillover effects, and heterogeneity of GF on the development of NQP using a two-way fixed-effects model, an intermediary effect model, and a spatial Durbin model (SDM). The empirical results indicate the following: (1) GF can significantly promote the development of NQP in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration, and there is a significant positive spatial spillover effect. The above conclusions remain valid after a series of robustness tests and endogeneity treatments. (2) The mechanism tests find that industrial structure upgrading and environmental regulation play positive mediating roles in GF’s promotion of NQP development in urban agglomerations. (3) The impact of GF on NQP exhibits significant heterogeneity. In regions with higher levels of economic and financial development, as well as a higher degree of marketization, the promotional effect of GF on NQP is more pronounced. In terms of city size and geographical location, the empowering effect and spatial spillover effect of GF on NQP are more evident in prefecture-level cities and the northern plain area of the Yangtze River Delta. Therefore, it is recommended to implement differentiated GF policies to promote the development of NQP in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration through regional cooperation, green technology innovation, industrial transformation and upgrading, and environmental regulation. Full article

Słowiński National Park is one of the 23 national parks in Poland and one of the two situated on the Baltic Coast in the country. It was established in 1967 to protect the most valuable ecosystems: coastal lakes, marshes, peat bogs, meadows, forests, and, above all, the dune belt of the Łebska Spit with its unique moving dunes. We aimed to 1. determine the species diversity and structure of thrips assemblages in the most important biotopes of the Park; 2. determine the geographical distribution and food preferences of thrips species; and 3. determine which environmental factors influence the diversity of insect assemblages and which thrips species distinguish these assemblages. The method used in the quantitative research was based on the use of a scoop method; it was supplemented by qualitative research (shaking branches of trees and searching for insects on their host plants). The studies were carried out in 1991 and 1999–2001 in fourteen plant associations. A total of 90 thrips species (nearly 40% of the Polish fauna) were recorded, including 71 in quantitative and 74 in qualitative samples. The study also revealed a significant correlation between the thrips assemblage composition and the following environmental factors: soil moisture, light intensity, general nutrient availability, and soil salinity. In addition, the thrips species with the most significant impact on assemblage composition were identified. The relatively high number of species found, including Taeniothrips zurstrassenii Zawirska, a species new to science, and others rarely recorded in Poland, highlights the value of the SNP habitat diversity in maintaining high Thysanoptera diversity. Full article

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) represent a significant public health problem due to their impact. Knowledge about them, perceptions of the risk of contracting them, and adherence to prevention strategies such as HPV vaccination are, at various levels, key factors in preventing the spread of STIs. The study therefore aimed to investigate and evaluate, in a group of young Italians, the level of knowledge, perception of risk and propensity to adhere to preventive strategies, including vaccination against papillomavirus. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by administering a questionnaire to young people aged between 16 and 30, residing in four macro-geographical areas, collecting socio-demographic, behavioral and knowledge data. Levels of knowledge about STIs and HPV were classified into four categories (low, medium without awareness, medium with awareness, high). Risk perception was assessed on a scale of 1 to 10. Results: A total of 2576 questionnaires were collected, revealing that general knowledge about STIs is limited: only 12.5% of participants demonstrated a high level of knowledge, while 27.1% demonstrated a low level; with regard to HPV, 41.3% of the sample demonstrated a low level of knowledge. The perception of the risk of contracting HIV and HPV was low in most subjects (average score of approximately 2.9 out of 10), with no significant differences related to levels of knowledge about HPV. Potential adherence to HPV vaccination was high (83.0% considered vaccination useful), but among unvaccinated subjects, almost half expressed concerns about vaccination, related to poor knowledge and mistrust of vaccines in general. Factors associated with a higher frequency of self-reported STIs included older age, transgender identity, non-heterosexual orientation, and risky sexual behavior. Conclusions: The results emerging from the study highlight the urgent need to strengthen educational and preventive interventions aimed at young people. Raising awareness of the risk of contracting STIs and the importance of vaccination are key targets for health promotion interventions. Full article

Aspergillus fumigatus is the primary pathogen causing aspergillosis. Recent molecular population genetic studies have demonstrated that A. fumigatus exhibits high local genetic diversity, with evidence for limited differentiation among geographic populations. However, research on the impacts of geomorphological factors on shaping the population genetic diversity patterns of this species remains scarce. In this study, large-scale sampling and in-depth population genetic analysis were performed on soil-derived A. fumigatus from Guizhou Province, a representative karst landscape in southern China. This area is dominated by plateaus and mountains (accounting for 92.5% of the total area) and represents a classic example of conical karst landscapes. A total of 206 A. fumigatus strains were isolated from 9 sampling sites across Guizhou. Genetic diversity, genetic differentiation, and population structure of these strains were analyzed based on short tandem repeats (STRs) at 9 loci. The results revealed that A. fumigatus in the karst region of Guizhou harbors abundant novel alleles and genotypes, with high genetic diversity. Gene flow among geographical populations was infrequent, and significant genetic differentiation was detected between 30 of the 36 pairs of geographical populations where mountain ranges played a very important role, with the overall regional genetic differentiation reaching PhiPT = 0.061 (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the Guizhou populations showed significant differences from those reported in other regions worldwide. Surprisingly, only one of the 206 (0.49%) A. fumigatus isolates from this region exhibited resistance to the two medical triazoles commonly used for treating aspergillosis, and this resistance frequency was far lower than those reported in previous studies from other regions. We discuss the implications of our results for evolution and environmental antifungal resistance management in this important human fungal pathogen. Full article

This study aimed to determine the presence of relevant infectious and parasitic agents (IPAs) in managed honeybees from Central Italy and the Republic of Kosovo and Albania to assess the overall health status of local apiaries by determining the contamination levels and co-occurrence. Therefore, pathogens and parasites such as Paenibacillus larvae, Melissococcus plutonius, Vairimorpha apis, V. ceranae, the acute bee paralysis virus (ABPV), black queen cell virus (BQCV), chronic bee paralysis virus (CBPV), deformed wing virus variants DWV-A and DWV-B, and the parasitoid flies Megaselia scalaris and Senotainia tricuspis were detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and reverse transcriptase qPCR (RT-qPCR) in clinically healthy adult honeybees collected from 187 apiaries in the Abruzzo and Molise regions of Central Italy, 206 apiaries in the Republic of Kosovo in 2022 and 2023 and 18 apiaries in Albania in 2022. The percentages of positive samples and contamination for V. ceranae, P. larvae and DWV-B were significantly higher in the Republic of Kosovo and Albania, while the percentages of samples positive for M. plutonius, CBPV, DWV-A, and the parasitoid flies were higher in Central Italy. Additionally, P. larvae and some viruses showed significantly different occurrence rates between the two years in Italy and the Republic of Kosovo. The co-occurrence of IPAs also differed between the two geographic areas. Their varying distribution could depend on epidemiological dynamics, climatic factors, and management practices specific to each country, whose relative impact should be defined to guide targeted interventions to reduce honeybee mortality. Full article

Baseline plasma ACTH concentrations are frequently utilized as part of the diagnostic evaluation of equids when PPID is suspected. Baseline ACTH can be impacted by many factors including time of year, i.e., ACTH has generally been found to be elevated during late summer through early autumn in the northern hemisphere. An understanding of ACTH concentrations in healthy equids over the course of a year is useful for the proper interpretation of concentrations in PPID-suspect animals. Previous studies assessing ACTH concentrations in healthy donkeys (Equus asinus) and hybrids (E. asinus × E. caballus) are limited, often utilizing very small numbers, equids from specific and limited geographical regions, limited timeframes or unspecified donkey types (miniature, standard, or mammoth). We aimed to characterize the seasonal variation in baseline ACTH concentrations in healthy miniature donkeys, standard donkeys and hybrids in the United States (US) and to compare those concentrations across these groups. Following outlier removal, 19 standard donkeys (from California (CA), Massachusetts (MA), New York (NY)), 14 miniature donkeys (CA and NY), and 28 hybrids (Texas (TX) and NY) were utilized for analysis. Samples were collected from each equid twice per month from June to November 2019 and once per month from December 2019 through May 2020. The mean ACTH concentration of all equids was higher from mid-August through the end of October compared to the rest of the year (being the highest in the second half of September with the mean (standard deviation) values of 109.6 (52.6), 134.6 (67.4), and 100.8 (189.6) in standard donkeys, miniature donkeys, and hybrids, respectively). Additionally, ACTH concentrations in hybrids were 23% (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 4–38%) and 51% (95% CI: 36–63%) lower than in standard and miniature donkeys, respectively, from mid-August through October. During the rest of the year, hybrids similarly showed 31% (95% CI: 16–43%) and 30% (95% CI: 15–42%) lower ACTH concentrations compared with standard and miniature donkeys, respectively. Full article