Search Results (165)

In recent studies, public health has been considered a key stakeholder in climate mitigation and adaptation in cities since they are more exposed to the impact of climate change. Nurses represent a vast majority of public health professionals, playing a key role in health promotion that allows them to influence individuals, families, and communities in adopting healthier behaviours and decarbonized lifestyles. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to map the existing evidence on nursing interventions, which are being led or implemented to reduce the health risks related to climate change in urban areas. The present review follows the JBI methodological framework, including a search on PubMed, MEDLINE complete, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine), and RCAAP. Hand searched references were also considered, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies between January 2014 and October 2024, for a more contemporary perspective. A three-step search strategy and data extraction tool were used by two independent reviewers. Twenty-seven studies in English and Portuguese were eligible for inclusion, all targeting a population of professionals with nursing-related roles: two case studies, one Delphi panel, one descriptive study, one historical research paper, two using a methodological design format, four narrative reviews, one observational study, nine review articles, three scoping reviews, and three systematic reviews. Eight categories of nursing interventions that contribute to decarbonized lifestyles, reducing health risks in relation to climate change, were acknowledged. Nurses play a key role in empowering individuals, families, and communities, promoting climate awareness and literacy, supporting health policy change, advocating for the most vulnerable and engaging in environmental activism, using evidence-based research, and taking advantage of marketing strategies and social media. Full article

This paper examines a previously unknown anonymous Hebrew letter inserted into a postwar edition of Shem HaGedolim, found in the library of the Jewish University in Budapest. The letter, composed in Győr in 1947, consists almost entirely of passages copied from Tiferet Chayim, a hagiographic genealogy of the Sanz Hasidic dynasty. Although derivative in content, the letter’s form and placement suggest it was not meant for transmission but instead served as a private act of mourning and historiographical preservation. By situating the letter within the broader context of post-Holocaust Jewish and Hasidic memory practices, including yizkor books, rabbinic memoirs, and grassroots commemorative writing, this study proposes that the document constitutes a “micro-yizkor”: a bibliographic ritual that aimed to re-inscribe lost tzaddikim into sacred memory. Drawing on theories of trauma, religious coping, and bereavement psychology, particularly the Two-Track Model of Bereavement, the paper examines the letter as both a therapeutic and historiographical gesture. The author’s meticulous copying, selective omissions, and personalized touches (such as modified honorifics and emotive phrases) reflect an attempt to maintain spiritual continuity in the wake of communal devastation. Engaging scholarship by Michal Shaul, Lior Becker, Gershon Greenberg, and others, the analysis demonstrates how citation, far from being a passive act, functions here as an instrument of resistance, memory, and redemptive reconstruction. The existence of such a document can also be examined through the lens of Maurice Rickards’ insights, particularly his characterization of the “compulsive note” as a salient form of ephemera, materials often inserted between the pages of books, which pose unique challenges for interpreting the time capsule their authors sought to construct. Ultimately, the paper argues that this modest and anonymous document offers a rare window into postwar Ultra-orthodox religious subjectivity. It challenges prevailing assumptions about Hasidic silence after the Holocaust and demonstarates how even derivative texts can serve as potent sites of historical testimony, spiritual resilience, and bibliographic mourning. The letter thus sheds light on a neglected form of Hasidic historiography, one authored not by professional historians, but by the broken-hearted, writing in the margins of sacred books. Full article

The digitisation of cultural heritage has transformed how GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) institutions manage and share collections. Digital catalogues are indispensable for documenting and granting public access to cultural assets. However, integrating spatial data remains challenging due to the ambiguity, uncertainty, granularity, and heterogeneity of historical data. This study addresses these issues through a case study on the Museo de América’s “Place of Provenance” data, proposing a methodology for data cleaning and evaluating geocoding accuracy using Nominatim, ArcGIS, and GeoNames APIs. We assess these APIs by quantifying geocoding errors through a “balance sheet” method, identifying instances of over-representation, under-representation, or neutral results for geographical regions. The effectiveness of each API is analysed using confusion matrices and interactive cartograms, offering insights into misallocations. Our findings reveal varying accuracy among the APIs in processing heterogeneous historical spatial data. Nominatim achieved a 40.91% neutral result in correctly geocoding countries, underscoring challenges in spatial data representation. This research provides valuable methodological experiences and insights for researchers and GLAM institutions working with cultural heritage datasets. By enhancing spatial dispersion visualisation, this work contributes to understanding cultural circulations and historical patterns. This interdisciplinary work was developed as part of the ClioViz project, integrating Data Science, data Visualisation, and art history. Full article

Preserving cultural heritage can be efficiently supported by structured and semantic representation of historical artifacts. Bookbinding, a critical aspect of book history, provides valuable insights into past craftsmanship, material use, and conservation practices. However, existing bibliographic records often lack the depth needed to analyze bookbinding techniques, provenance, and preservation status. This paper presents a proof-of-concept system that explores how Large Language Models (LLMs) can support knowledge graph engineering within the context of 19th-century Greek bookbinding (1830–1900), and as a result, generate a domain-specific ontology and a knowledge graph. Our ontology encapsulates materials, binding techniques, artistic styles, and conservation history, integrating metadata standards like MARC and Dublin Core to ensure interoperability with existing library and archival systems. To validate its effectiveness, we construct a Neo4j knowledge graph, based on the generated ontology and utilize Cypher Queries—including LLM-generated queries—to extract insights about bookbinding practices and trends. This study also explores how semantic reasoning over the knowledge graph can identify historical binding patterns, assess book conservation needs, and infer relationships between bookbinding workshops. Unlike previous bibliographic ontologies, our approach provides a comprehensive, semantically rich representation of bookbinding history, methods and techniques, supporting scholars, conservators, and cultural heritage institutions. By demonstrating how LLMs can assist in ontology/KG creation and query generation, we introduce and evaluate a semi-automated pipeline as a methodological demonstration for studying historical bookbinding, contributing to digital humanities, book conservation, and cultural informatics. Finally, the proposed approach can be used in other domains, thus, being generally applicable in knowledge engineering. Full article

In this article, we revisit the core concepts of nature and of landscape assessment and sustainability, based on which we propose an approach to natural resource management and diversity preservation from the perspective of cultural landscapes. We build on past and contemporary debates on the notion of nature and its relation to “Non-Nature”, attempting to systematize the main variables of the study of past societies as a methodological framework for the analysis of contemporary contexts; this is based on bibliographic references and case studies using such methodological approaches. Landscapes are structured through human activity, which relates to the technological and logistic drivers of historical studies, and are the domain of humans (anthropic nature), as opposed to non-anthropic nature (or wilderness). Sustainable resource management, focused on the preservation of biodiversity and cultural diversity as part of it, needs to overcome the divide between nature and culture, framing debates and conflicts as part of a cultural landscape of discussions served by an established methodological framework, in which education is the main driver and museum-related structures (libraries, etc.) form the flexible institutional backbone. The introduction sets the context for the argument, revisiting some of the theoretical approaches to the notions of nature and landscapes from the late 19th century in Europe, while also referring to reflections in antiquity and traditional and indigenous understandings. A section on materials and methods explains the methodological framework and data used by the author, situating it within a systematization of the humanities’ assessment of the past. A third section explores the interplay between materialities and perceptions, including the relevance of time- and space-driven approaches that shape different perceived landscapes; it proposes a definition of cultural landscape structured through these interplays. The fourth section discusses the dimension of perceived nature as a cultural landscape and characterizes its main drivers, offering two contemporary case studies as examples. A final section of conclusions discusses the role of humanities and of structures like museums, pointing to the new UNESCO program BRIDGES as a useful tool for pursuing landscape transformations. Full article

Considering that nowadays the economy plays a crucial role, time series forecasting has become an essential tool across various economic areas and industries. The process of predicting future trends based on historical values in a reliable and accurate manner has generated numerous benefits, such as simplified decision-making processes or strategic planning and reduced risk management. Furthermore, with the advancement made through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods, time series forecasting has quickly become more precise, adaptive, and scalable, being able to better overcome real-world challenges. In this context, the present paper analyzes the implications of artificial intelligence in time series forecasting by evaluating the scientific articles from the field indexed in Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science Core Collection database. Through a bibliometric approach, the research identifies key journals, affiliations, authors, and countries, as well as the collaboration networks among authors and countries. It also analyzes the most frequently used keywords and authors’ keywords. The annual growth rate of 23.11% indicates sustained interest among researchers. Prominent journals such as IEEE Access, Energies, Mathematics, Applied Sciences—Basel, and Applied Energy have been the home for the most published papers in this field. Further, thanks to the Biblioshiny library in R, a variety of visualizations have been created, including thematic maps, three-field plots, and word clouds. A comprehensive review of the most cited papers has been performed to highlight the role of AI in time series forecasting. Research results and methods confirmed the versatility of the topics, which have been applied in various fields, such as, but not limited to, finance, energy, climate, and healthcare, and are further discussed. Cutting-edge methodologies and approaches that lead to the transformation of the field of time series analysis in the context of AI are uncovered and discussed through the use of thematic maps. Full article

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection remains a principal cause of cervical cancer worldwide. Although large-scale vaccination efforts have substantially lowered HPV infection rates and precancerous lesions, not all regions have achieved high coverage. In Japan, proactive HPV vaccine recommendations were suspended from 2013 to 2022 due to concerns over alleged adverse events, causing vaccination rates to drop from over 70% to below 1%. This narrative review synthesized research published from 2014 to 2025 in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar, focusing on English-language studies. Inclusion criteria encompassed analyses of HPV vaccine efficacy or safety, policies related to vaccination in Japan or other countries, and investigations into vaccine hesitancy or media influences. Data were categorized into five thematic areas: historical and policy contexts, evidence of vaccine safety and efficacy, societal drivers of hesitancy, communication strategies, and administrative or clinical interventions. Evidence robustly confirms the HPV vaccine’s favorable safety profile, with severe adverse events appearing exceedingly rare. Nonetheless, media sensationalism and limited risk communication in Japan perpetuated mistrust, impeding vaccination uptake. Comparisons with Denmark and Ireland indicate that transparent, interactive risk communication can restore coverage to near-pre-suspension levels. Japan’s recent policy reforms, including reinstating proactive recommendations and catch-up initiatives, have begun to reverse vaccination hesitancy. Sustained policy support, evidence-based messaging, and empathetic engagement with communities are central to rebuilding trust in the HPV vaccine. Lessons from best international practices emphasize the importance of multifaceted interventions, collaborative stakeholder engagement, and transparent risk communication to reduce the burden of HPV-related malignancies. Full article

The manuscript of the Mineralogical lessons for the 1824–1825 course being held at the Royal Cabinet of Natural History had been found in the Archivo General de Palacio (AGP; Madrid, Spain) by the priest Donato García, who replaced Christian Herrgen and held the chair of Mineralogy until 1853. The historic document increases the scant record of this type of documentary source from a period still little known in relation to the state of Mineralogy teaching and allows for a closer understanding of this discipline. This article presents a thorough analysis to identify the collaboration between Professor García and his pupil, José Musso y Valiente, as well as the authorship of the manuscript in connection with the notes of this pupil, due to the absence of any indication in the historical document, with the objective of producing a mineralogy work on mineralogy in the Spanish language. To this end, the manuscript has been examined and compared with the Mineralogy notes of José Musso Pérez-Valiente, Donato García’s pupil, which are preserved in the Lorca Municipal Archive (Murcia, Spain). By comparing Musso’s notes with the manuscript from the Archivo General de Palacio, the idea is reinforced that the former were corrected by Donato García, who eventually left a copy in the Royal Library, corresponding to the one preserved in the AGP, constituting the first record of Donato García’s authorship in relation to Mineralogy. Full article

The electrification of energy systems is essential for carbon reduction and sustainable energy goals. However, current network asset ratings and the poor thermal efficiency of older buildings pose significant challenges. This study evaluates the impact of heat pump and electric vehicle (EV) penetration on a UK residential distribution network, considering the highest coincident electricity demand and worst weather conditions recorded over the past decade. The power flow calculation, based on Python, is performed using the pandapower library, leveraging the actual distribution network structure of the Hillingdon area by incorporating recent smart meter data from a distribution system operator alongside historical weather data from the past decade. Based on the outcome of power flow calculation, the transformer loadings and voltage levels were assessed for existing and projected heat pump and EV adoption rates, in line with national policy targets. Findings highlight that varied consumer density and diverse usage patterns significantly influence upgrade requirements. Full article

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major cause of global mortality and is a significant public health challenge, including in specific Portuguese regions. Key aspects in understanding TB’s historical dynamics and impacts on past and present populations are to consider cultural changes and the implementation of public health policies through time. Therefore, this survey aims to provide a more accurate history of TB in Portugal, based on the analysis of sanitary measures through time, illustrating the role of TB in the evolution of public health in Portugal. For this, bibliographic research was conducted across various academic databases and major Portuguese libraries, statistical archives, and public health repositories. Therefore, a detailed chronology, along with some new statistical data, is presented and correlated with sanitary and public health measures, illustrating the role of TB in the evolution of the public health system in Portugal. This research enhances our understanding of the past and sheds light on ongoing TB challenges. Full article

The preservation and innovation of traditional craftsmanship under industrialization pressures constitute critical challenges for cultural sustainability. Focusing on Chengdu lacquerware—a Chinese intangible cultural heritage facing multifaceted preservation dilemmas—this study develops a digital methodology for its systematic documentation and contemporary adaptation. Through computational analysis of 307 historical artifacts spanning four craftsmanship categories (carved silver mercer, carved lacquer hidden flower, carved filling, and broach needle carving), we established a three-phase digital preservation framework: (1) image preprocessing of 280 qualified samples using adaptive binarization and Canny edge detection for ornament extraction, (2) chromatic analysis via two-stage K-means clustering to decode traditional color schemes, and (3) creation of a digital repository encompassing color profiles and ornamental elements. The resource library facilitated three practical applications: modular recombination of high-frequency motifs, cross-media design adaptations, and interactive visualization of craftsmanship processes. Technical analysis confirmed that adaptive binarization effectively mitigated image noise compared to conventional methods, while secondary clustering enhanced color scheme representativeness. These advancements demonstrate that structured digital archiving coupled with computational analysis can reconcile traditional aesthetics with modern design requirements without compromising cultural authenticity. The workflow provides a transferable model for intangible heritage preservation, emphasizing rigorous documentation alongside adaptive reuse mechanisms. Full article

Background/Objectives: Bacterial vaccines were first developed and used in the late 1800s to prevent chicken cholera and anthrax. Bacterial pneumonia vaccines were widely used during the 1918 influenza pandemic, despite the influenza A/H1N1 virus not yet being identified. Studies showed that bacterial pathogens, including Haemophilus influenzae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pyogenes, contributed significantly to fatal secondary bacterial pneumonias during the pandemic. In this study, we aimed to characterize the microbial composition of two ampules of a mixed bacterial influenza vaccine produced in 1916, which were labeled as containing killed Bacillus influenzae, Pneumococci, and Streptococcus pyogenes. Methods: DNA was extracted from two 1916-era vaccine ampules, and due to low DNA yields, whole genome amplification (WGA) was performed prior to construction of Illumina sequencing libraries. Deep sequencing was conducted, followed by bioinformatic analysis to identify bacterial DNA content. Consensus genomes were assembled for predominant species, and further analyzed for serotype, phylogeny, and antibiotic resistance genes. Results: The amount of recoverable DNA from these century-old vaccine ampules was limited. The sequencing results revealed minimal detectable S. pneumoniae DNA. The first ampule contained predominantly H. influenzae DNA, while the second vial primarily contained Enterococcus faecium DNA, in addition to S. pyogenes DNA. Consensus genomes for H. influenzae, S. pyogenes, and E. faecium were assembled and analyzed for serotype, phylogeny, and antibiotic resistance genes. Conclusions: This study presents the first genomic analysis of century-old bacterial pneumonia vaccine ampules from the 1918 influenza pandemic era. The findings provide a unique historical perspective on early vaccine formulations and highlight the limitations of early vaccine production. Full article

This study explores the use of artificial intelligence and geospatial tools to analyze historical explorers’ narratives. Explorers’ accounts provide valuable insights into the cultural, environmental, and logistical dynamics of exploration journeys. However, traditional methods of analyzing these narratives are often subjective and difficult to reproduce on a large scale. The main objective is to overcome the limitations of traditional methods by using AI techniques to systematically extract and structure information from explorers’ narratives. This study employs Python scripts to extract factual data from narratives available on Project Gutenberg, followed by structuring the data in JSON format. Geographic data are enriched through geocoding using libraries such as Geopy and OpenCage. An interactive web interface based on Leaflet allows for the visualization and validation of explorers’ routes. The results show a concentration of visits in North and West Africa, with traditional modes of transport like caravans and traveling on foot being dominant. The main challenges faced were related to transportation, climatic conditions, and natural obstacles. Principal component analysis (PCA) and correspondence analysis reveal latent structures in the data, while clustering analysis segments the journeys based on similarity criteria. This research demonstrates the value of AI and geospatial tools for a more objective and detailed analysis of explorers’ narratives, opening new perspectives for historical and geographical studies. Full article

Background: Projective instruments have historically been used to explore unconscious dynamics and personality traits in children and adolescents. However, concerns about their psychometric properties have led to ongoing debates in clinical psychology. This review aims to critically reassess the use of construction projective techniques in clinical settings for individuals aged 4 to 18 years, also examining the available psychometric data reported in recent scientific literature, excluding the Rorschach Test due to its extensive coverage in existing literature. Methods: A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Psychoanalytic Electronic Publishing (PEP), and the Cochrane Library were searched for studies published between 2010 and 2024. Inclusion criteria encompassed studies focusing on construction projective techniques administered to clinical and non-clinical samples aged 4 to 18 years. Results: From an initial pool of 641 articles, 25 met the inclusion criteria. These studies indicate that construction projective techniques remain valuable in accessing children’s and adolescents’ inner worlds, particularly in diagnostic and therapeutic contexts. However, 13 of the 25 analyzed studies lack detailed psychometric evaluations, and the overall methodological quality was medium-low (4.4/9). Recent adaptations of these techniques show promise in increasing their applicability and relevance. Conclusions: Constructive projective tests continue to offer unique insights into the psychological functioning of young individuals. While not definitive diagnostic tools, they serve as effective supplements in clinical assessments and therapeutic interventions when applied with awareness of their limitations. Full article

An open-access infrared spectroscopy database of reference and historical parchments has been developed at Northumbria University in collaboration with Birkbeck, University of London. The resource includes the spectra acquired with attenuated total reflectance/Fourier transform infrared (ATR/FTIR) spectroscopy for a wide range of parchments, which were studied in the EU 5th Framework project “Improved Damage Assessment of Parchment” (IDAP). The parchment samples include reference samples, samples exposed to dry and humid heat, light, and inorganic gaseous pollutants, as well as parchments from three archives: Archivio di Stato di Firenze; the National Archives, Scotland; and the Royal Library and Royal Danish Academy—Architecture, Design, Conservation, Copenhagen. The database is invaluable for scholars, including archivists, conservation scientists, conservators, librarians, curators, and the general public, as to the best of our knowledge such a resource has not previously existed. Full article