Search Results (9,038)

Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) face persistent barriers to healthcare access, welfare services, and timely medical assistance, particularly where hospital information is fragmented across institutions. In Thailand, these challenges are exacerbated by heterogeneous Hospital Information Systems (HISs) across provincial, district, and sub-district hospitals. This study presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of an integrated mobile application and a hybrid Hospital Information Exchange (HIE) system to enhance healthcare accessibility and service coordination for PWDs. The platform integrates a user-centered mobile application (iOS and Android) with a hybrid data exchange architecture (MedEx Hybrid) combining an application programming interface (API) and Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT). This enables real-time and on-demand data exchange while accommodating hospitals with limited infrastructure. Key functionalities include disability registration, emergency medical service (1669) integration, appointment management, rights notification, service location mapping, teleconsultation, and peer communication. Deployment across 159 hospitals nationwide demonstrates system scalability and interoperability. The system supports secure access to electronic medical records and enables emergency responders to retrieve patient information during SOS events, improving continuity of care. Findings confirm the feasibility of the proposed system and its potential to support inclusive digital health and national healthcare interoperability. Full article

This study examines the association between digitalization-enabled green human resource management (GHRM) practices and employee green behavior (EGB) within a South African metropolitan municipality. Anchored in an extended Ability–Motivation–Opportunity (AMO) framework, a convergent mixed-methods design was employed. Quantitative data were collected from 66 HR employees (from a target population of 80) and analyzed using Spearman’s correlation and hierarchical regression, while qualitative data from seven HR managers were analyzed thematically. Results indicate statistically significant positive associations between digital green training (ρ = 0.524, p < 0.01) and EGB, and between digital performance management (ρ = 0.463, p < 0.01) and EGB. However, regression estimates suggest moderate explanatory power within this context-specific public-sector setting. Qualitative findings identify automation, paperless systems, and e-HRM tools as key digital enablers, alongside infrastructural constraints, skills deficits, and institutional barriers that limit implementation. By integrating quantitative associations with qualitative evidence of implementation gaps, the study proposes a Digitalization-Integrated GHRM–EGB framework and demonstrates that digital HR systems are associated with pro-environmental workplace behaviors, contingent on organizational readiness in resource-constrained municipal environments. Full article

The increasing interconnectivity and digital transformation of Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) systems have expanded their attack surface, rendering traditional perimeter-based security models inadequate for protecting these critical infrastructures. Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), founded on the principle of “never trust, always verify,” offers a paradigm shift towards continuous, context-aware security. This paper presents a literature review investigating the application of ZTA principles to secure modern CNS ecosystems, following the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) through its Cybersecurity Strategy and Plan. We analyze the alignment of ZTA core tenets—such as least-privilege access, micro-segmentation, and continuous authentication—with the unique operational requirements of CNS systems. This paper also presents a cybersecurity framework, under development within the Future Communications Digital Infrastructure (FCDI) project of the SESAR JU program, which aims to assist CNS stakeholders in collaboratively identifying cybersecurity threats within their scope of responsibility. The review critically examines implementation challenges for specific CNS subsystems: secure aeronautical communications (e.g., LDACS), resilient PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) services, and integrated surveillance networks (e.g., ADS-B, multilateration). Furthermore, we identify and evaluate domain-specific challenges, including integration with legacy avionics and ground systems, managing stringent latency and reliability constraints, and protecting against sophisticated threats targeting supply chains and data fusion processes. By synthesizing current research and practical deployment insights, this review aims to provide a foundational reference for aerospace engineers, cybersecurity specialists, and policymakers, offering a roadmap to enhance the cyber-resilience of vital CNS infrastructure in an era of evolving digital threats. Full article

South Africa’s public hospital system faces mounting pressure from ageing infrastructure, rising patient demand, and constrained maintenance budgets. While significant investment has been directed toward the construction of new healthcare facilities, the diffusion and adoption of advanced technologies within operations and maintenance (O&M) remain uneven and underdeveloped. This misalignment limits the long-term performance, safety, and sustainability of hospital assets. This study investigates technological diffusion within the O&M environment of a newly commissioned 500-bed regional hospital in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative single-case study approach was adopted, drawing on semi-structured interviews with 14 stakeholders across project delivery and facility management functions. Data were analysed thematically to identify systemic patterns and operational constraints. Findings reveal a persistent reliance on manual, reactive maintenance practices, with minimal integration of digital tools, including building management systems, predictive maintenance technologies, and real-time monitoring platforms. Key barriers include unclear institutional roles, inadequate handover processes, limited technical capacity, and the absence of strategic leadership to drive innovation. A critical disconnect was also identified between managerial expectations and operational realities. The study argues that technological adoption in hospital O&M is not merely a technical challenge but an institutional one. It recommends targeted capacity development, structured transition frameworks, and stronger governance mechanisms to enable sustainable digital integration. Full article

Grid-scale battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are becoming central flexibility assets in electricity systems with rising renewable penetration, changing demand profiles, and increasing system security requirements. This review examines BESS development in Australia, Singapore, China, and New Zealand, comparing strategic policy drivers, market access arrangements, revenue mechanisms, bankability conditions, support instruments, regulatory frameworks, and key deployment risks. Across all four jurisdictions, BESSs are moving from demonstration assets to core infrastructure for renewable integration, frequency control, reserve provision, congestion management, and short-duration energy shifting. The comparison shows that no single business model dominates. Australia relies heavily on volatile wholesale arbitrage, ancillary services, and government underwriting; Singapore emphasises grid resilience, dispatch precision, safety, and space-efficient deployment; China combines national strategic direction with province-specific market implementation; and New Zealand is developing a market-led, location-specific storage model within a high-renewables, hydro-dominated system. The review finds that bankable BESS deployment depends on revenue stacking, fit-for-purpose market rules, clear bidirectional asset classification, robust grid-connection processes, lifecycle safety management, and credible degradation and augmentation strategies. It concludes that BESSs are essential but not sufficient for deep decarbonisation, since long-duration flexibility and wider system reform remain necessary. Full article

Smart buildings require intelligent and scalable solutions to monitor environmental conditions and manage increasingly complex data streams generated by distributed sensing infrastructures. In this context, the paper presents an edge-enabled Digital Twin framework for smart office environments, integrating real-time data acquisition, distributed intelligence, and machine learning-based analytics. The framework adopts a multi-layer architecture composed of a sensor layer, a cloud-edge intelligence layer, and an interaction layer, aligned with Digital Twin reference models. By enabling low-latency processing at the edge and supporting continuous model lifecycle management through Machine Learning Operations (MLOps) practices, the proposed approach overcomes key limitations of traditional cloud-centric solutions. Autoencoder-based models are deployed across the cloud-edge continuum to perform real-time anomaly detection on time-series sensor data. A prototype has been implemented in a real smart office environment, where heterogeneous environmental data are continuously collected and processed. Experimental results demonstrate effective end-to-end data flow, stable long-term operation, and reliable anomaly detection with low-latency response. The system enables real-time monitoring and data-driven analysis of environmental conditions, improving situational awareness and supporting operational decision-making. These findings confirm the effectiveness of integrating Digital Twin technologies with edge AI and MLOps principles for scalable and efficient smart building monitoring systems. Full article

Social media platforms increasingly function as informal education systems for programming learning, yet the systemic support structures these environments provide remain poorly understood. We analyzed 40,004 comments from programming tutorial videos on a major social media platform (2016–April 2025) to identify patterns of learner support needs at scale. Using BERTopic, we identified twelve discussion themes. We then consolidated these themes into a learner-needs typology based on their dominant support functions: instructional-oriented needs, operational support needs, and knowledge-constructionneeds. We mapped this typology onto the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to assess its explanatory coverage. This mapping revealed a critical systemic gap. Operational support needs, covering environment configuration, tool integration, dependency management, and technical troubleshooting, constituted the largest category (44.53% of theme-level discourse), exceeding both knowledge-construction needs (28.42%) and instructional-oriented needs (26.95%). Learners repeatedly described these infrastructure-level challenges as disrupting their attempts to engage with content, execute code for testing ideas, and coordinate with peers, yet these operational readiness needs are not fully specified by CoI’s traditional presences. Social presence did not emerge as a standalone theme at the topic-modeling level; rather, social cues were often embedded within task-oriented troubleshooting. Based on these findings, we propose Technical Presence as a context-sensitive extension to the CoI framework, defined as the extent to which a learning community enables operational readiness through accessible infrastructure support and collaborative troubleshooting. As an infrastructural support condition, Technical Presence supports operational readiness within tool-dependent, practice-based learning: when learners report infrastructure failure, the conditions for enacting instructional design, cognitive inquiry, and peer collaboration are correspondingly weakened. These findings carry implications for content creators, platform developers, and education system designers seeking to strengthen the infrastructural foundations of technology-enhanced learning at scale. Full article

This study examines the associations between integrating sustainability principles into early-stage planning education and changes in students’ sustainability perceptions within a studio-based course. Conducted in the Urban Design Planning Studio 3 course between 2021 and 2024, the research involved 63 second-year urban and regional planning students. Using a mixed-methods, one-group pre-test–post-test design, the study combined quantitative data from the Sustainable Urban Environment Perception Scale (SUEPS)—covering ecological, transportation, and semi-structured dimensions—with qualitative analyses of open-ended responses via content analysis and thematic clustering. Findings reveal a statistically significant improvement in overall sustainability perception, with the most notable gains in ecological sustainability and solid waste management. Moderate improvements were also observed in social and economic dimensions, while transportation was comparatively more limited. Qualitative results indicate a clear shift from fragmented, resource-based understandings toward more integrated, system-oriented, and multi-scalar interpretations of sustainability. Students demonstrated increased conceptual diversity, stronger connections between ecological, infrastructural, and social themes, and more frequent use of planning-related terminology. The consistency between quantitative and qualitative findings suggests that structured studio-based learning processes may be contribute to the conceptual development of sustainability literature. Overall, the study highlights the potential of early-stage sustainability education to support ecological literacy and sustainability-oriented planning perspectives within urban planning curricula. Full article

The aim of this study is to model traffic noise from the D-100 (a major national highway) and TEM (Trans-European Motorway), a major hub in Türkiye. This study models traffic noise from the D-100 and TEM using SoundPLAN software (NMPB-96 methodology) to identify legal levels and evaluate mitigation strategies. The model was verified locally with absolute errors of 1.3–1.7 dB(A). Impact analyses based on the L_den and Lnight (L_n) indicators have revealed that sensitive areas (e.g., dwellings, schools and hospitals) are exposed to noise levels that considerably exceed legal limits, primarily due to heavy vehicle traffic during the night-time hours. Two different noise mitigation scenarios were applied to the baseline model for addressing noise exposure. As a result, noise levels were reduced by approximately 4 dB(A). The number of residences exposed to excessive noise above 75 dB(A) decreased from 10,898 to 4451 (59%). A significant increase in acoustic comfort is achieved by reducing the number of dwellings in the 70–75 dB(A) contour range during night-time hours. The results indicate the need for integrated traffic management and infrastructure improvements for sustainable urban noise control. Full article

The global transition toward renewable energy has intensified interest in dispatchable low-carbon sources that can support reliability-critical infrastructure in smart grid systems. Data centers represent one of the fastest-growing electricity loads globally, yet their compatibility with biomass-based energy systems as a dispatchable renewable source within smart grid architectures remains poorly understood. This study presented a comprehensive review of biomass power generation, data center energy management, and smart grid integration, drawing on a corpus of 347 peer-reviewed sources. A staged analytical design separated demand characterization from supply evaluation, ensuring that data center energy requirements emerged independently of supply-side assumptions. Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling validated with BERTopic and VOSviewer network analysis, the study identified four distinct thematic clusters and found no single topic spanning data center reliability requirements, biomass supply dynamics, and smart grid integration simultaneously, a pattern that points to an underexplored cross-domain space in the literature. A demand–supply–grid alignment framework was introduced to illustrate compatibility conditions across temporal resolution, reliability requirements, and grid management dimensions. The alignment framework and illustrative simulation developed here are offered as analytical starting points to guide future engineering and empirical investigation rather than as demonstrations of operational readiness. An illustrative application demonstrated that biomass feedstock logistics constraints create persistent availability gaps at data center operational timescales, suggesting that supply chain resilience and grid-mediated buffering are likely necessary conditions for viable integration, a proposition that warrants empirical validation through full-scale engineering studies. The findings indicate that integration constraints reflect temporal and operational misalignment rather than technological infeasibility, providing a new analytical perspective for evaluating renewable energy integration in reliability-critical digital Full article

Against the backdrop of rapid urbanization, urban sewer networks face increasing challenges, including infrastructure deterioration and imbalanced resource allocation. Conventional single-dimensional risk assessment methods fail to capture the coordinated development of such complex systems. This study proposes a comprehensive HFM framework integrating Health (H), Failure (F), and Management (M), coupled with a Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD) model and an obstacle degree model to evaluate system interactions and identify key constraints. A game theory-based weighting approach combining AHP and CRITIC is applied to integrate subjective and objective weights, while fuzzy mathematics is used for multidimensional evaluation. CCD spatial analysis is conducted at the drainage unit scale. Results show that: (1) The system is in a transitional stage from disorder to coordination, with CCD values mainly ranging from 0.4 to 0.8 and exhibiting significant spatial heterogeneity. (2) High-risk areas tend to have better health conditions and stronger management inputs, whereas low-risk areas may still face latent risks due to insufficient management. (3) Key obstacles are concentrated in Failure and Management systems, particularly pipeline functionality and management capacity. Overall, system risk arises from mismatches between risk sources and management allocation rather than purely structural deficiencies. The proposed framework effectively identifies imbalance areas and priority interventions, supporting the transition toward proactive risk regulation. Full article

Aquatic environments that support tourism, including coasts, lakes, reservoirs, and estuaries, are experiencing accelerating eutrophication worldwide. This trend increases the frequency and intensity of algal blooms. These blooms undermine ecosystem services and weaken the socio-economic performance of destination areas. Despite these challenges, existing research remains fragmented. Aquatic sciences mainly examine nutrient enrichment and bloom dynamics. In contrast, tourism studies often treat blooms as episodic disturbances and rarely integrate exposure pathways, risk communication, or feedback to destination governance. This review synthesizes evidence across freshwater and marine systems to develop a coupled tourism–water ecosystem perspective. We link eutrophication drivers and bloom typologies to three dimensions. These are the degradation of tourism-supporting ecosystem services, compound health stressors, and communication filters. The first includes losses of water clarity and aesthetic value. The second involves multi-route exposure through contact, inhalation, and seafood ingestion. The third shapes perceived safety, trust, and behavioral adaptation. We further connect perceived health risks to observable tourist behaviors, including cancellation, destination substitution, and activity avoidance. These micro-level responses can aggregate into market-level demand contractions and consumption reallocation. They can also trigger regional economic cascades, including public management costs, employment impacts, and long-term reputational damage. Crucially, tourism is not merely a victim of blooms. It can also act as a reinforcing anthropogenic driver through wastewater burdens, infrastructure expansion, and pulse pressures. These pressures lower ecological resilience, especially under warming and hydrological stabilization. Finally, we identify governance leverage points. These include early-warning systems, threshold-based graded interventions, transparent risk communication, and integrated social–ecological modeling. These strategies can reduce uncertainty-driven losses and support adaptive destination management. Overall, this review reframes algal blooms as systemic social–ecological risks. It provides a structured basis for future empirical attribution and policy design in tourism-dependent waters under climate stress. Full article

Cancer represents one of the major public health issues in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), with increasing incidence and mortality rates as a result of late diagnosis, limited healthcare infrastructure, and financial difficulties. Traditional medicine plays an important role in healthcare across different populations in SSA, as more than 80% of the population depend on indigenous plant-based remedies for treating or managing different ailments, including cancer. This study aimed to document medicinal plants traditionally used to treat cancer in SSA. A systematic search of all documents available in the last two decades (2006–2026) was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases. After screening studies using the predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, 55 studies met the eligibility requirements and were selected for analysis based on their relevance to the topic, geographic scope, and reported applications in cancer management. The scientific names of the identified plant species and their taxonomic authorities were verified using the Plants of the World Online database. A total of 556 species, belonging to 110 families, were recorded as medicinal plants used to treat various forms of cancer in SSA. The top five families with the most frequently used plants were Fabaceae (51 species), Asteraceae (34 species), Euphorbiaceae (25 species), Apocynaceae (22 species) and Lamiaceae (22 species). Frequently cited plants include Kigelia africana, Annona muricata, Adansonia digitata, Carica papaya, and Tamarindus indica. A total of 11 plant parts were documented, with leaves (41.20%), roots (18.75%), and bark (17.25%) being the dominant plant parts utilised. The primary methods of preparation were decoction (38.23%), powdering and grinding (14.51%), and infusion and tea preparation (49.73%), while the main modes of administration were oral (66.88%) and topical (26.46%). The results show that traditional medicinal plants hold significant potential as sources of novel anticancer drugs in SSA. However, a significant gap exists between ethnobotanical knowledge, laboratory research, and clinical application. Rigorous pharmacological and toxicity evaluations and well-designed clinical trials on the identified medicinal plants are needed to integrate effective and safe plant-based therapies into evidence-based oncology. Full article

The housing sector in major cities is facing escalating challenges due to rapid population growth and land scarcity. Consequently, vertical growth has been adopted as a strategic solution to optimize land use while balancing economic, social, and environmental needs. This study examines the phenomenon of vertical growth of the Dammam Metropolitan Area (DMA) in Saudi Arabia, from an urban sustainability perspective, focusing on evaluating the current state of multi-story buildings, their determinants, and their impact on quality of life and infrastructure efficiency. This study utilizes a systematic review methodology and a conceptual approach to develop an integrated framework for sustainable vertical growth. Furthermore, an empirical validation was conducted by projecting this framework onto vertical housing projects in Dammam, focusing on challenges related to design, construction quality, shared service management, and the suitability of apartments for family needs. The results indicate that the shift toward vertical growth achieves land-use efficiency, limits random horizontal expansion, and provides economic opportunities. However, it faces social and cultural constraints, most notably the resistance of some families to changing traditional ownership patterns, limited privacy and green spaces, and challenges in building maintenance and operations. The study highlights the importance of integrating urban planning, governance, architectural design, and infrastructure to ensure the sustainability of vertical growth and provide suitable housing alternatives. The study recommends further field research to assess social acceptance, improve quality-of-life indicators, and develop policies encouraging sustainable vertical expansion in alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring cities are more resilient, efficient, sustainable, and liveable. Full article