Search Results (2,010)

Learning from errors (LFE) constitutes a complex, multilevel process whose pedagogical value depends on how errors are elicited, interpreted, and corrected. This narrative review critically synthesizes research on LFE and its implications for science instruction in school and higher education. The reporting of the purposive, non-exhaustive search was strengthened with reference to the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) criteria. The synthesis traces the historical transition from error avoidance to conditional error-as-resource perspectives and integrates five complementary lenses: error type, negative knowledge, cognitive load and prior knowledge, affective and self-regulatory processes, and the Generating Errors/Detecting and Correcting Errors model. It then evaluates instructional approaches including productive failure, erroneous examples, peer instruction, formative feedback, conceptual-change strategies, Predict–Observe–Explain, refutation texts, and gamification. Evidence is strongest when errors are embedded in structured cycles of manageable challenge, explanation, feedback, and revision; however, effects are heterogeneous and moderated by learner expertise, task demands, feedback design, classroom error climate, and safety constraints. Domain-specific evidence is most developed in physics, chemistry, biology, and health-professions simulation, whereas Earth and climate sciences and teacher professional development remain comparatively underexamined. The review concludes with an integrative framework and actionable design principles for science teacher education, while identifying methodological, cultural, and empirical gaps for future research. Full article

Climate change is increasing the frequency of heat stress events in dairy farming, adversely affecting milk production, milk composition, cow behavior, and animal health. However, many previous studies relied on distant weather-station data and low-frequency milk recording systems, limiting the assessment of short-term and delayed heat stress responses. Therefore, the aim of this study was to combine dense longitudinal data from automatic milking systems (AMS) with continuously recorded on-farm meteorological measurements to investigate the immediate and lagged effects of heat stress on Holstein dairy cows. The study included 386,587 AMS visit records from 790 cows on three commercial dairy farms in Germany, corresponding to up to 127,310 cow-day records collected between August 2022 and August 2025. Temperature–humidity index (THI) values were calculated based on dense on-farm temperature and relative humidity records and were evaluated for multiple lag periods prior to AMS recordings. Linear mixed models were applied to infer the effects of THI on production, physiological, behavioral, and milking process traits. Increasing THI was associated with reduced daily milk yield, altered milk fat and protein percentages, decreased AMS visit frequency, prolonged milking intervals, and increased milk temperature. For contemporaneous THI, an increase from THI 50 to THI 70 corresponded to model-estimated declines of −0.86 kg in daily milk yield, −0.20% in milk fat content and −0.06% in milk protein content, −0.12 daily AMS visits, and +1.14 °C in milk temperature. The strongest associations were generally observed for prompt and short-term lagged THI windows. In contrast, longer lag periods were associated with weaker and less distinct trait responses. Rather than merely confirming the established decline in milk yield under heat stress, the integrated and temporally resolved analysis revealed trait-specific response patterns across production, behavioral, physiological, health-related, and milking-process traits. In particular, milk temperature and voluntary AMS attendance showed pronounced associations with contemporaneous and short-term THI, demonstrating the value of combining AMS-derived phenotypes with high-resolution on-farm climate data for heat stress monitoring. Full article

The implementation of the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a regional climate action intended to protect population health, but its empirical linkage to the sustainability goal of good health and well-being remains untested. Using mortality data from Hong Kong (2013–2022), we employed a two-month-lag fixed-effects model to estimate the change in years of life lost (YLL) associated with monthly AQHI warning frequency. We further assessed heterogeneity across demographic and geographic subgroups, and explored the underlying mechanisms. The findings show that monthly AQHI warning frequency is negatively associated with YLL two months later. Each additional warning per month is associated with a reduction of 0.0032 units (SE = 0.0011) in per capita YLL across districts in Hong Kong. The baseline result was further supported by extended survival analyses. Heterogeneity analyses showed that each additional AQHI warning was associated with a significant reduction in YLL among males (coef. = −0.0066, SE = 0.0001) and those with spouses (coef. = −0.0065, SE = 0.0083), but not among females or those without spouses. Mechanism analyses suggested that the effect of AQHI warning frequency on YLL reduction was significantly moderated by individual behavioral responses, including increased face mask usage (int. coef. = −0.0047, SE = 0.0016) and reduced short-term travel (int. coef.= −0.0069, SE = 0.0004), and through socio-environmental pathways such as reduced traffic accidents (int. coef. = −0.0134, SE = 0.0034) and lower carbon emissions (int. coef. = −0.0367, SE = 0.0112). Hong Kong’s AQHI forecasting experience demonstrates the viability of health risk warnings as a climate adaptation strategy in sustainable urban governance, while its observed equity gaps offer critical lessons for refining inclusive environmental health policies. Full article

Background: Dengue has expanded rapidly beyond traditional tropical and subtropical regions, driven by climate change, urbanization, population mobility, and the spread of competent Aedes vectors. Vaccination is an increasingly important component of dengue prevention, but development has been complicated by four viral serotypes, antibody-dependent enhancement, variable baseline serostatus, and the need for balanced and durable tetravalent immunity. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, ClinicalTrials.gov, and relevant public health and regulatory sources. Evidence on dengue epidemiology, immunopathogenesis, licensed vaccines, advanced candidates, efficacy, immunogenicity, safety, durability, and implementation was critically evaluated. Priority was given to randomized trials, long-term follow-up studies, regulatory assessments, and surveillance data. Evidence was synthesized descriptively without formal meta-analysis or risk-of-bias assessment. Results: CYD-TDV was the first licensed dengue vaccine but is restricted to individuals with documented previous infection because seronegative recipients may experience an increased risk of severe dengue. TAK-003 has demonstrated overall efficacy against virologically confirmed dengue and dengue-related hospitalization in both baseline-seropositive and baseline-seronegative populations. However, protection is heterogeneous by serotype, and evidence remains limited or uncertain for some serotype-by-serostatus strata. Butantan-DV offers a promising single-dose strategy, but broader use requires additional long-term safety, effectiveness, and serotype-specific data. Inactivated, DNA, viral-vectored, virus-like particle, and mRNA vaccines remain investigational. Conclusions: Dengue vaccination should be integrated with surveillance, vector control, clinical preparedness, and risk communication. Population-based vaccination is most appropriate in high-transmission settings, whereas selective, risk-based strategies are preferable in temperate regions. Continued pharmacovigilance and effectiveness monitoring are essential to guide safe and equitable implementation. Full article

Sustainable agriculture is critical to sustainable development and climate resilience, yet evidence of its multidimensional environmental, social and economic benefits and trade-offs remains limited, especially in regions most vulnerable to climate change. This study addresses this gap in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta (MKD), where decades of intensive rice farming has bolstered rice yields at the expense of environmental quality and farmers’ health. This study presents a multi-criteria analysis (MCA) comparing organic rice (OR) and conventional rice (CR) farming systems in the MKD. We applied a weighted sum model to evaluate the environmental, social and economic performance of the two production systems. The assessment drew on quantitative and qualitative primary data collected through stakeholder engagements and field measurements from Vinh Long province between 2023 and 2025, as part of the OrganoRice project. Overall, OR farming performed cumulatively better (0.663 and 0.695) than CR farming (0.496 and 0.484). OR scores were higher across most sub-criteria, particularly “farmers’ income” and “biodiversity”. However, CR outperformed OR for “rice yield” and “farmers’ workload”. Comparable water and soil quality scores, due to the presence of pesticide residues in both systems, suggest that the environmental performance of OR farming was likely dampened due to cross-contamination from surrounding or upstream non-organic farms. The expansion of OR farming in the MKD has the potential to enhance environmental, social and economic performance of rice production in the region. However, in order to achieve the full scope of these benefits, short-term measures should aim to reduce the financial risks of conversion for farmers, ensure access to affordable organic inputs, increase farmer training, ensure reliable premium contracts for rice producers and support them in accessing organic markets. Longer-term measures must improve irrigation water management and infrastructure to minimise cross-contamination risks. Coordinated marketing campaigns are needed to develop a trusted regional brand for organic rice from the MKD to create new opportunities in international and domestic markets. Moreover, long-term monitoring of post-transition outcomes is important to capture the full impacts of conversion. As OR cultivation continues to expand across the MKD, evidence on its benefits and trade-offs is essential to guide this transition effectively. This study provides that evidence, offering a context-specific, multidimensional evaluation to inform OR policy and practice in the region. Full article

Rising temperatures and the occurrence of heat waves due to climate change can increase the risk of various skin disorders. Moreover, elevated temperatures worsen oxidative damage and inflammation caused by other climate change stressors, such as UV exposure. Consequently, there is growing interest in innovative solutions to protect skin health from the effects of pollution and climate change stressors. Among natural cosmeceuticals, carotenoids are recognized for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study evaluated the thermoprotective effects of Hematococcus lacustris (the microalga formerly called Hematococcus pluvialis) extract (HLE), which is considered the richest natural source of carotenoid astaxanthin, against acute hyperthermia, which mimics the conditions of heat waves. In addition, we separately assessed the effects of HLE against UVA and hydrogen peroxide stress, complementing the antioxidant profile of the extract under study. The evaluation was conducted using in vitro tests on human HaCaT keratinocytes and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which is a model organism sensitive to environmental stressors. The treatment of HaCaT keratinocytes with HLE counteracted the intracellular formation of reactive oxygen species and cytotoxicity induced by hyperthermia, UVA, and hydrogen peroxide exposure. Under the same experimental conditions, HLE also restored the impaired expression of stress-sensitive genes, such as matrix metalloproteinase-1, in HaCaT keratinocytes and promoted wound closure mimicking the process of re-epithelization. Lastly, experiments in C. elegans confirm that HLE reduces heat stress-induced oxidative damage and preserves motility, supporting a systemic protective effect consistent with dietary uptake of the extract. These findings suggest that HLE, rich in carotenoid astaxanthin, can protect keratinocytes against oxidative damage and cytotoxicity induced by thermal stress, indicating its potential role in mitigating thermal aging. Full article

Background: Climate change-driven heat stress (HS) poses a growing threat to pregnancy outcomes; however, the mechanisms linking maternal HS to fetal growth restriction (FGR) remain incompletely understood, and effective nutritional interventions are lacking. The gut–placenta axis critically governs maternal–fetal health, but its role in mediating HS-related FGR has yet to be elucidated. Methods: A murine model of gestational HS (38.5 °C, 2.5 h daily from E0.5 to E12.5) was established to investigate the protective effects of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on HS-induced FGR. Placental efficiency, oxidative status, barrier integrity, and intestinal permeability were assessed. Gut microbiota composition was profiled by 16S rRNA sequencing, while tight junction protein expression in the placenta and intestine was evaluated by Western blot. Additionally, antibiotic-induced microbiota reduction and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) were performed to explore the role of gut microbiota in alleviating HS. Results: HS exposure significantly reduced fetal weight without altering litter size, accompanied by reduced placental efficiency and proportion of the labyrinth zone relative to the total placental area. HS triggered oxidative stress and downregulated tight junction proteins (Claudin-1, Occludin) in both the placenta and intestine, indicating compromised barrier integrity. CGA treatment robustly reversed these abnormalities and restored placental structure. In the gut, CGA prevented HS-induced intestinal barrier dysfunction and selectively reshaped the microbiota, enhancing the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and promoting beneficial Lactobacillus lineages. Notably, under antibiotic-induced microbial reduction, FMT from CGA-treated donors effectively alleviated HS-induced fetal growth restriction. Conclusions: In summary, our study suggests that gestational HS exposure may trigger FGR through the gut–placenta axis. CGA effectively reverses FGR by restoring placental efficiency and placental barrier integrity, while alleviating maternal gut dysbiosis and intestinal barrier impairment. FMT experiments further confirm that the gut microbiota may play a key role in this protection. Collectively, these findings suggest that targeting the gut–placenta axis with CGA may offer a practical nutritional strategy to mitigate HS-triggered adverse pregnancy outcomes. Full article

Brazil presents a distinctive convergence of continental-scale climatic diversity, extensive urbanization, large-scale biomass burning, rapid land-use change, persistent air-quality monitoring gaps, and deep social inequalities, producing highly heterogeneous and compound environmental health risks. In this context, treating air pollution and climate change as parallel environmental crises obscures their structural interconnections through shared emission sources, mutually reinforcing exposure pathways, and overlapping health and social consequences. In this narrative review, we critically synthesize scientific and institutional lines of evidence and argue that air pollution and climate risks can be more effectively addressed in Brazil through a single strategic agenda for science, public health, and governance. We first discuss why these challenges cannot be managed in isolation, emphasizing the effects of heat, drought, stagnation events, biomass burning, and extreme weather on pollutant formation, dispersion, and health burden. We then examine Brazil as a critical case where recent regulatory advances coexist with structural limitations in monitoring, data integration, and territorial coverage. Based on this diagnosis, we propose an integrated national agenda organized around five mutually reinforcing priorities: monitoring through hybrid networks; predictive science through climate-informed modeling and early warning; public health through the convergence of epidemiology, toxicology, and mechanistic research; equity-oriented research and action through the explicit incorporation of vulnerability, inequality, and climate justice; and policy appraisal through the assessment of disease burden, economic costs, mitigation co-benefits, and trade-offs. We further discuss the governance mechanisms needed to connect these priorities and translate evidence into coordinated action and adaptive public policies. We also argue that the Amazon should be approached not as an isolated ecological exception but as a central component of a broader Brazilian and Global South discussion on environmental health, land-use change, and climate justice. In this scenario, Brazil has the scientific capacity and regulatory momentum to become a reference in the integrated management of air pollution and climate risks, but this will depend on replacing fragmented approaches with a coordinated framework capable of linking exposure, mechanism, burden, inequality, and action. Full article

This study aims to develop and examine Lazarus and Folkman’s psychological stress and coping theory, utilizing scales that measure problem-focused and emotion-focused coping in the context of environmental issues, as defined by Homburg and colleagues, to predict adaptation behavior in agriculture. The goal is to analyze Iranian farmers’ problem-focused and emotion-focused coping styles in response to climate change stress. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), we examined the effects of cognitive appraisals, including demand appraisal and self-efficacy, along with collective efficacy, on problem- and emotion-focused coping. The data for this study were collected through paper-based questionnaires from 250 farmers in Iran. Our results indicate that the perception of increased threat and harm posed by water scarcity to agricultural income and health (demand appraisal), the belief in one’s ability to adapt (self-efficacy), and the perception of the effectiveness of collaborative efforts among farmers in enhancing adaptation (collective efficacy) are associated with both problem- and emotion-focused coping responses. Notably, the Cognitive Theory of Stress model was a stronger predictor of problem-focused coping, accounting for 91% of the variance, compared to just 15% for emotion-focused coping. The results from this study shed light on the cognitive processes most associated with particular types of coping styles. Our findings may inform and guide climate change policy and programs that aim to target and enhance farmers’ climate change adaptation and resilience. Full article

Background: Residential radon exposure is a leading risk factor for lung cancer, and climate change may exacerbate this risk by increasing radon entry into homes. In North Carolina (NC), disparities in lung cancer outcomes and low radon awareness disproportionately affect racially and ethnically diverse and low-income populations. However, little is known about how use of conventional address-based sampling (ABS) compares with community-engaged recruitment strategies for enrolling historically underrepresented populations into such research. Community-engaged approaches are used to improve participation in environmental health research, yet few studies compare their effectiveness with traditional approaches in NC. This manuscript compares recruitment outcomes between ABS and community-engaged approaches within the CLOVER study to address this gap. Materials and Methods: The Climate Impact on Lung Cancer via Exposure to Radon (CLOVER) study is a cross-sectional study examining climate-impacted radon exposure and lung cancer risk in NC. Participants were recruited using either ABS through a commercial address database or targeted community-engaged approaches implemented through partnerships with community organizations and culturally responsive, in-person outreach events. After providing informed consent, participants completed a household survey and a 7-day home radon test. Recruitment outcomes—consent, survey completion, and radon test return—were stratified by race and ethnicity and compared across strategies. Results: Of 236 consented participants, community-engaged recruitment enrolled a higher proportion of Non-Hispanic (NH) Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian participants than ABS (57.3% vs. 41.9%). Community-engaged recruitment also had a higher consent rate than ABS (10.2% vs. 1.3%). Of the 145 participants who completed the survey, ABS participants completed surveys at a higher rate than community-engaged participants (73.3% vs. 54.7%), while of the 86 who returned the radon test kits, community-engaged participants did so at twice the rate of ABS participants (44.7% vs. 22.1%). Conclusions: Community-engaged recruitment enrolled a more racially and ethnically diverse sample and achieved higher consent and return rates than ABS, though ABS participants completed surveys at a higher rate. These findings highlight the importance of community partnerships and in-person recruitment strategies to improve participation of historically underrepresented populations in environmental health research and support equitable approaches to radon mitigation and lung cancer prevention. Full article

Educators are working within increasingly complex environments characterized by rapid change and uncertainty, where future conditions, expectations, and appropriate responses are often ambiguous or difficult to anticipate. Technological innovation, political and social polarization, climate-related concerns, shifting policy landscapes, workforce pressures, and the lasting effects of public health disruptions each introduce distinct yet interconnected forms of uncertainty. While these domains of uncertainty have generated substantial bodies of scholarship, less attention has been paid to how multiple forms of uncertainty converge within educators’ professional lives. This essay introduces the concept of stacked uncertainties as a lens for understanding how overlapping uncertainties accumulate, interact, and amplify across interconnected technological, socio-political, ecological, organizational, and policy systems. From this perspective, multiple uncertainties compete for the same personal, relational, organizational, and material resources that support educator well-being and resilience. Resilience is understood as a dynamic process shaped by access to adaptive resources across ecological systems. Applying the concept of stacked uncertainties has practical implications for educational leadership, policy, professional learning, and initiatives aimed at strengthening conditions that support educator well-being and resilience amid ongoing complexity and change. Full article

Modern viticulture is undergoing a paradigm shift, transitioning from a plant-centric view to the holobiont concept, which considers the grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) and its associated microbiota as a single co-evolved functional unit. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the grapevine holobiont, identifying the drivers of microbial assembly (genotype, environment, management) and their functional implications for plant health and wine quality. We discuss the pillars of plant health, defining disease as a state of dysbiosis rather than merely the presence of a pathogen. Special attention is given to the spatial compartmentalization of the microbiome, from the gating mechanisms of the rhizosphere to the transient diversity of the anthosphere. Furthermore, we highlight the methodological evolution from culture-dependent techniques to Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) and the emerging role of MALDI-TOF MS as a rapid, cost-effective tool for real-time monitoring. Finally, we propose a roadmap for microbiome-assisted viticulture that utilizes synthetic microbial communities (SynComs) and hologenomic breeding to enhance resilience against climate change. Full article

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a climate-sensitive mosquito-borne zoonosis long regarded as a rural, pastoral disease, yet accelerating tropical urbanization and intensifying climate variability may be reshaping its epidemiology at the urban–peri-urban interface. This narrative review examines how global climate change and urban-specific climatic conditions jointly shape RVF virus (RVFV) vector habitats, transmission, and burden in tropical and subtropical cities, synthesizing 51 of 412 English-language records identified by a structured, non-systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar (2009–2026) and selected for relevance to urban and peri-urban RVF. This research draws on human, livestock, and vector evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and Indian Ocean islands across epidemic and inter-epidemic periods. The synthesis indicates that impervious surfaces, poor drainage, and open water storage can recreate the water-retaining function of rural dambos, sustaining a year-round larval habitat, and that Culex quinquefasciatus dominance together with peri-urban cattle may form an amplification bridge to humans. Direct evidence remains scarce, anchored by a single peri-urban serosurvey and limited urban slaughterhouse entomology. Critical gaps include urban primary-vector ecology, infection-rate data, urban-heat effects, city-specific exposure studies, and coupled climate–urban burden models. We conclude that RVF is a plausible emerging urban threat warranting proactive inter-epidemic surveillance and integration of RVF into urban planning and One Health systems. Full article

Climate change is transforming heat stress (HS) from a seasonal challenge into a major constraint on the sustainability of dairy cattle production. Increasing temperatures, more frequent and prolonged heat waves, and reduced opportunities for nocturnal recovery adversely affect animal health, welfare, productivity, reproductive performance, and resource-use efficiency. This narrative review provides an integrated critical synthesis of current evidence on HS in dairy cattle within a sustainable development framework. It examines the biological mechanisms underlying disruption of homeostasis together with the consequences for milk production, product quality, health, welfare, reproduction, and developmental programming. The review further evaluates biomarkers of thermal adaptation, precision livestock farming, and environmental, nutritional, managerial, genetic, and technological mitigation strategies, considering their biological effectiveness, practical applicability, economic feasibility, and environmental trade-offs. Rather than addressing these components independently, the review integrates their interactions within an original conceptual framework and comparatively evaluates adaptation strategies to support practical decision-making. Current evidence indicates that sustainable climate adaptation requires integrated, context-specific approaches combining environmental management, nutrition, genetic improvement, precision monitoring, and digital technologies. Future progress will increasingly depend on advances in omics, artificial intelligence, and predictive livestock management to enhance climate resilience while improving productivity, animal welfare, and environmental sustainability. Full article

As climate change intensifies and urbanization continues, Fuzhou faces growing public health risks from the urban heat island effect. This study develops a Heat Risk Index (HRI) by integrating the Local Climate Zone (LCZ) classification with the Crichton Risk Triangle framework. Hazard was characterized using quality-controlled Landsat LST and the proportion of valid MYD11A2 composites exceeding a citywide P90 LST threshold. Exposure was represented by normalized population density; ln(P + 1) was used only for cartographic classification. Vulnerability incorporated older population, nighttime light, NDVI, and MNDWI. The continuous HRI was calculated as H × E × V, and ln(HRI) was used only for Jenks five-class map presentation. The results show clear spatial differences among LCZ types and counties, with higher risks concentrated in densely built and populated areas of the five urban districts, Changle, and localized county centers. LCZ differences in LST and HRI were statistically significant (both p < 0.001), and HRI showed significant positive spatial autocorrelation. These findings provide a basis for LCZ-specific heat-risk management while acknowledging uncertainty associated with data-year mismatch, spatial resampling, remotely sensed surface temperature, and the absence of independent health-outcome validation. Full article