Search Results (11,315)

Urban-to-rural migration is reshaping vernacular villages through transformations in both architectural form and everyday life. This study focuses on three villages in Zhejiang Province, China, and their migrants from urban areas, investigating—through field surveys and interviews—how urban-to-rural migrants’ spatial and lifestyle interventions influence the preservation and transformation of traditional architecture and local cultural practices. Findings indicate that urban-to-rural migrants exhibit diverse spatial preferences and lifestyle patterns, leading to varied modes of building adaptation. Some prioritize modern styles and commercial functions, while others emphasize cultural continuity, community engagement, or individual expression. Most buildings undergo incremental modifications rather than complete reconstruction, reflecting a balance among regulatory constraints, financial considerations, and personal aspirations. Furthermore, some migrants retain traditional spatial hierarchies and layout logic in their architectural designs, thereby sustaining vernacular lifestyles such as intergenerational cohabitation and neighborhood interaction. These building practices also have demonstrative effects within the village, encouraging others to value local culture and spatial traditions. In contrast, other migrants, driven by modern aesthetics or commercial objectives, restructure or even disrupt traditional spatial models, resulting in the fragmentation and weakening of established value systems. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of how urban-to-rural migration reshapes the spatial organization of traditional villages and can inform more flexible and context-sensitive rural planning practices. Full article

This paper explores the rise in voice-based social media as a pivotal transformation in digital communication, situated within the broader era of chatbots and voice AI. Platforms such as Clubhouse, X Spaces, Discord and similar ones foreground vocal interaction, reshaping norms of participation, identity construction, and platform governance. This shift from text-centered communication to hybrid digital orality presents new sociological and methodological challenges, calling for the development of voice-centered analytical approaches. In response, the paper introduces a multidimensional methodological framework for analyzing voice-based social media platforms in the context of surveillance capitalism and AI-driven conversational technologies. We propose a high-level reference architecture machine learning for social science pipeline that integrates digital methods techniques, automatic speech recognition (ASR) models, and natural language processing (NLP) models within a reflexive and ethically grounded framework. To illustrate its potential, we outline possible stages of a PoC (proof of concept) audio analysis machine learning pipeline, demonstrated through a conceptual use case involving the collection, ingestion, and analysis of X Spaces. While not a comprehensive empirical study, this pipeline proposal highlights technical and ethical challenges in voice analysis. By situating the voice as a central axis of online sociality and examining it in relation to AI-driven conversational technologies, within an era of post-orality, the study contributes to ongoing debates on surveillance capitalism, platform affordances, and the evolving dynamics of digital interaction. In this rapidly evolving landscape, we urgently need a robust vocal methodology to ensure that voice is not just processed but understood. Full article

Background/Objectives: Obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) profoundly disrupt lipid metabolism within local microenvironments of skeletal muscle and its associated connective tissues, including adipose tissue, bone, and fascia. However, the role of local communication between skeletal muscle and its proximal connective tissues in propagating metabolic dysfunction is incompletely understood. This narrative review synthesizes current evidence on these local metabolic interactions, highlighting novel insights and existing gaps. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature analysis of primary research published in the last decade, sourced from PubMed, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect. Studies were selected for relevance to skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, fascia, and bone lipid metabolism in the context of obesity and T2DM, with emphasis on molecular, cellular, and paracrine mechanisms of local crosstalk. Findings were organized into thematic sections addressing physiological regulation, pathological remodeling, and inter-organ signaling pathways. Results: Our synthesis reveals that local lipid dysregulation in obesity and T2DM involves altered fatty acid transporter dynamics, mitochondrial overload, fibro-adipogenic remodeling, and compartment-specific adipose tissue dysfunction. Crosstalk via myokines, adipokines, osteokines, bioactive lipids, and exosomal miRNAs integrates metabolic responses across these tissues, amplifying insulin resistance and lipotoxic stress. Emerging evidence highlights the underappreciated roles of fascia and marrow adipocytes in regional lipid handling. Conclusions: Collectively, these insights underscore the pivotal role of inter-tissue crosstalk among skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, bone, and fascia in orchestrating lipid-induced insulin resistance, and highlight the need for integrative strategies that target this multicompartmental network to mitigate metabolic dysfunction in obesity and T2DM. Full article

The world’s energy system faces major challenges due to transitions from fossil fuels to other alternatives. An important part of the transition is energy-efficient homes that partially produce their own electricity. This paper explores the energy interactions between heating, cooling, and electricity usage in a planned residential area in Sweden where a significant portion of the electricity is generated by solar PV systems. Conventional district heating and cooling systems and a low-temperature district heating system that uses return cascading technology were compared with heat pump systems. Electricity sharing in an energy community has a low impact on the calculated national energy efficiency metric. It is also shown that electrifying space heating with heat pumps improves the calculated energy efficiency metric, but heat pumps increase the peak power demand in the winter due to high heat demand and a lack of solar production. Using heat pumps for heating domestic hot water and compressor chillers for cooling offers a more balanced use/production of electricity since the electric cooling load is mostly met by local solar production, as shown by an increase in self-consumption of 8% and stable self-sufficiency. There is, however, a time mismatch between production and the peak electricity demand, which could be addressed by using energy storage systems. Full article

The integration of electric vehicles (EVs) into smart grids (SGs) is reshaping both energy systems and mobility infrastructures. This review presents a comprehensive and cross-disciplinary synthesis of current technologies, methodologies, and challenges associated with EV–SG interaction. Unlike prior reviews that address these aspects in isolation, this work uniquely connects three critical pillars: (i) the evolution of energy storage technologies, including lithium-ion, second-life, and hybrid systems; (ii) optimisation and predictive control techniques using artificial intelligence (AI) for real-time energy management and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) coordination; and (iii) cybersecurity risks and post-quantum solutions required to safeguard increasingly decentralised and data-intensive grid environments. The novelty of this review lies in its integrated perspective, highlighting how emerging innovations, such as federated AI models, blockchain-secured V2G transactions, digital twin simulations, and quantum-safe cryptography, are converging to overcome existing limitations in scalability, resilience, and interoperability. Furthermore, we identify underexplored research gaps, such as standardisation of bidirectional communication protocols, regulatory inertia in V2G market participation, and the lack of unified privacy-preserving data architectures. By mapping current advancements and outlining a strategic research roadmap, this article provides a forward-looking foundation for the development of secure, flexible, and grid-responsive EV ecosystems. The findings support policymakers, engineers, and researchers in advancing the technical and regulatory landscape necessary to scale EV–SG integration within sustainable smart cities. Full article

(1) Background: Help-seeking behavior is a key way to maintain health and seek effective treatment, and it also helps to improve patients’ self-management ability. This study aimed to investigate the facilitating and hindering factors of help-seeking behaviors among patients with chronic diseases concerning their health issues. (2) Methods: Based on the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) model, 18 patients with chronic diseases in a tertiary hospital in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, were selected for semi-structured in-depth interviews between July and November 2024 using a descriptive qualitative research approach. The collected data were analyzed using directed content analysis. (3) Results: A total of 18 interviews were conducted, and two themes and six sub-themes were extracted. The factors that promote health help-seeking behavior in patients with chronic diseases include ability (self-health monitoring ability, sufficient communication preparation ability), opportunity (health support in social bonds, effective support of medical staff), and motivation (good illness identity, past successful experience of health seeking help). Barriers include ability (symptom attribution bias, difficulty in identifying health information), opportunity (heavier financial burden, poor sense of gain in interactions), and motivation (fear and avoidance, stigma of illness). (4) Conclusions: There are some hindering factors and obvious contributing factors regarding health help-seeking behavior among patients with chronic diseases. Medical staff should prioritize guiding patients to seek help for health problems. The COM-B model can be applied to develop targeted intervention strategies for improving help-seeking behavior. This approach is beneficial for enhancing patients’ health management capabilities by promoting proactive health help-seeking practices. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mental health and emotional well-being are critical yet often overlooked in older adults. Immersive virtual reality (VR) may offer novel strategies for promoting relaxation in this population, but the diversity of intervention designs and underlying mechanisms remains insufficiently mapped. This scoping review aimed to systematically examine head-mounted display (HMD) VR interventions for relaxation in older adults, focusing on core scenarios, mechanisms, and conceptual paradigms. Methods: Following the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, comprehensive searches of MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus were conducted for empirical studies of HMD-based VR relaxation interventions in adults aged 60 and older. Data on study characteristics, hardware, intervention scenarios, and reported physiological and psychological mechanisms were extracted and categorized into conceptual paradigms. Results: Twenty-four studies were included, covering diverse clinical and community samples. Four main VR relaxation paradigms emerged: environmental relaxation, guided meditation, psychotherapy integration, and interactive gamified relaxation. Reported mechanisms included parasympathetic activation, multisensory immersion, attentional distraction, positive affect induction, mindfulness, cognitive engagement, and reminiscence activation. Considerable heterogeneity was found in intervention design and outcomes, with mechanisms often inferred rather than directly described. Conclusions: Similar relaxation mechanisms were engaged across paradigms, including hybrid interventions combining multiple approaches, highlighting the adaptability of VR to meet diverse needs. Identifying these four paradigms provides a foundation for future research and development of targeted VR-based relaxation for older adults. Further studies should clarify mechanisms, use standardized physiological outcome measures, and assess long-term benefits of VR relaxation interventions in geriatric populations. Full article

Background/Objective: The global acceleration of population aging presents profound challenges to the physical, psychological, and social well-being of older adults. As traditional exercise programs face limitations in accessibility, personalization, and sustained social support, there is a critical need for innovative, inclusive, and community-integrated digital movement solutions. This study aimed to develop and evaluate Movement Poomasi, a hybrid digital healthcare application designed to promote physical activity, improve digital accessibility, and strengthen social connectedness among older adults. Methods: From March 2023 to November 2023, Movement Poomasi was developed through an iterative user-centered design process involving domain experts in physical therapy and sports psychology. In this study, the term UI/UX—short for user interface and user experience—refers to the overall design and interaction framework of the application, encompassing visual layout, navigation flow, accessibility features, and user engagement optimization tailored to older adults’ sensory, cognitive, and motor characteristics. The application integrates adaptive exercise modules, senior-optimized UI/UX, voice-assisted navigation, and peer-interaction features to enable both home-based and in-person movement engagement. A two-phase usability validation was conducted. A 4-week pilot test with 15 older adults assessed the prototype, followed by a formal 6-week study with 50 participants (≥65 years), stratified by digital literacy and activity background. Quantitative metrics—movement completion rates, session duration, and engagement with social features—were analyzed alongside semi-structured interviews. Statistical analysis included ANOVA and regression to examine usability and engagement outcomes. The application has continued iterative testing and refinement until May 2025, and it is scheduled for re-launch under the name Wello! in August 2025. Results: Post-implementation UI refinements significantly increased navigation success rates (from 68% to 87%, p = 0.042). ANOVA revealed that movement selection and peer-interaction tasks posed greater cognitive load (p < 0.01). A strong positive correlation was found between digital literacy and task performance (r = 0.68, p < 0.05). Weekly participation increased by 38%, with 81% of participants reporting enhanced social connectedness through group challenges and hybrid peer-led meetups. Despite high satisfaction scores (mean 4.6 ± 0.4), usability challenges remained among low-literacy users, indicating the need for further interface simplification. Conclusions: The findings underscore the potential of hybrid digital platforms tailored to older adults’ physical, cognitive, and social needs. Movement Poomasi demonstrates scalable feasibility and contributes to reducing the digital divide while fostering active aging. Future directions include AI-assisted onboarding, adaptive tutorials, and expanded integration with community care ecosystems to enhance long-term engagement and inclusivity. Full article

Within biogeographic regions, local communities are structured mainly by abiotic (environmental) filtering, external resource supply, and biotic interactions. In recent years, we investigated abiotic filtering and external resource supply as drivers of the latitudinal distribution of rocky intertidal species along the Atlantic Canadian coast in Nova Scotia. Here, we evaluate biotic interactions between the main sessile species groups. Specifically, we studied abundance relationships between seaweeds and filter-feeding invertebrates and between barnacles and mussels using data collected at mid-to-high intertidal elevations at eight wave-exposed locations every summer from 2014 to 2017. We assessed such relationships for each location and year through generalized additive modeling (GAM). Of the 32 relationships evaluated for seaweeds vs. filter-feeders, 31% were significant and consistently negative, suggesting competitive interactions. For barnacles vs. mussels, 25% of the relationships were significant and mostly positive, consistent with facilitation of mussel colonization by barnacles in harsh environments. The variability explained by these models was moderate, however, between around 10% and 50%. Overall, these results suggest that interactions between the studied sessile species groups are infrequent and, when present, relatively weak in these highly stressful habitats, which supports current ecological theory on community organization. Full article

Eutrophication, a growing environmental concern, exacerbates algal blooms and alters the physical and chemical properties of water, thereby diminishing biodiversity, water quality, and ecosystem services. While various control strategies have been developed, most are designed for temperate regions and may not be applicable to tropical systems, which differ ecologically and climatically. This study reviewed 84 articles published between 2000 and 2024, focusing on eutrophication management in tropical and subtropical lakes. The studies were categorized into physical (8), chemical (17), and biological (59) approaches. Over time, research activity has increased, with Asia leading in publication output. Among biological strategies, biomanipulation—especially the use of macrophytes—emerged as the most common and effective strategy. Macrophytes are preferred due to their strong antagonistic interaction with algae, ease of implementation, cost-effectiveness, and minimal ecological risks. While the review also addresses the limitations of each method, it concludes that macrophyte-based biomanipulation remains a promising tool for mitigating eutrophication in tropical and subtropical freshwater ecosystems. In this context, effective lake restoration requires balancing ecological goals with human needs, supported by stakeholder engagement, community education, and multi-sectoral governance. Full article

Microplastic pollution and herbivory are increasingly recognized as significant stressors in terrestrial ecosystems, yet their interactive effects on native and invasive plants remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the individual and combined effects of polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) and herbivory by Helicoverpa armigera on the growth and functional traits of twelve plant species (six invasive and six native). Exposure to PE-MPs significantly reduced biomass accumulation, with larger reductions in shoot, root, and total biomass for native plants than for invasive ones. Herbivory also significantly reduced biomass accumulation. When combined, PE-MPs and herbivory produced antagonistic effects on shoot, root, and total biomass. No significant three-way interaction was found among PE-MPs, herbivory, and plant status. Both PE-MPs and herbivory significantly reduced the root mass fraction and root-to-shoot ratio (RSR) while increasing the shoot mass fraction, with the PE-MP-induced reduction in RSR being stronger in native plants. Our findings suggest that multiple anthropogenic stressors can act as ecological filters, reshaping plant competitive dynamics and accelerating community shifts toward stress-tolerant species. Full article

Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics of water quality parameters and microbial communities in drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) and their interrelationships is critical for ensuring the safety of tap water supply. This study investigated the diurnal, monthly, and annual variation patterns of water quality and the stage-specific succession behaviors of microbial communities in a DWDS located in southeastern China. Results indicated that hydraulic shear stress during peak usage periods drove biofilm detachment and particle resuspension. This process led to significant diurnal fluctuations in total cell counts (TCC) and metal ions, with coefficients of variation ranging from 0.44 to 1.89. Monthly analyses revealed the synergistic risks of disinfection by-products (e.g., 24.5 μg/L of trichloromethane) under conditions of low chlorine residual (<0.2 mg/L) and high organic loading. Annual trends suggested seasonal coupling: winter pH reductions correlated with organic acid accumulation, while summer microbial blooms associated with chlorine decay and temperature increase. Nonlinear interactions indicated weakened metal–organic complexation but enhanced turbidity–sulfate adsorption, suggesting altered contaminant mobility in pipe scales. Microbial analysis demonstrated persistent dominance of oligotrophic Phreatobacter and prevalence of Pseudomonas in biofilms, highlighting hydrodynamic conditions, nutrient availability, and disinfection pressure as key drivers of community succession. These findings reveal DWDS complexity and inform targeted operational and microbial risk control strategies. Full article

The karst region is highly ecologically fragile due to its unique geology and poor water and nutrient retention. Despite long-term restoration, vegetation often remains in the secondary shrubland stage. Soil microorganisms play a vital role in maintaining ecosystem functions, but how microbial communities respond to combined water and nitrogen-phosphorus nutrient changes in karst shrubland remains poorly understood. This knowledge gap hinders effective restoration strategies in karst shrublands. Here, the effects of water, nitrogen, and phosphorous additions and their interactions on soil physico-chemical properties, soil microbial abundance, diversity, community composition, and the co-occurrence network were explored. A full factorial experiment (water × nitrogen × phosphorous, each at two levels) was conducted in a karst shrubland with over 20 years of vegetation restoration, with treatments including control, water (+120 mm yr⁻¹), nitrogen (+20 g N m⁻² yr⁻¹), phosphorus (+16 g P m⁻² yr⁻¹), and their four combinations. Our results suggested that water addition significantly increased soil water content and soil microbial abundance but reduced fungal diversity. Nitrogen addition significantly increased soil nitrate nitrogen content and fungal diversity, and fungal diversity showed an increasing trend under phosphorous addition. The addition of nitrogen and phosphorous did not significantly alter the soil microbial community composition, while water addition showed a tendency to change the soil fungal community composition. Network topological properties, robustness, and vulnerability analyses indicated that individual nitrogen or phosphorous additions, as well as their interactions, reduced network complexity and stability. In contrast, water addition alone or in combination with nitrogen and/or phosphorous alleviated these negative effects, and the water and phosphorous interaction exhibited the highest levels of network complexity and stability. Further analysis showed that the soil pH, available phosphorous, ratio of carbon to phosphorous, and ammonium nitrogen were explanatory variables contributing significantly to soil microbial abundance, diversity, community composition, and network complexity. Overall, these findings highlighted the pivotal role of water availability in enhancing soil microbial stability under nutrient enrichment, offering valuable insights into ecological restoration in karst ecosystems. Full article

Little is known about the effectiveness of caregiver-mediated naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions (NDBIs) implemented via telehealth for autistic children served in under-resourced settings. This mixed methods pilot study examined social communication outcomes for autistic children whose families received a caregiver-mediated NDBI in a community mental health setting. Twenty-one families of Medicaid-enrolled autistic children aged 2–6 received Project ImPACT (a caregiver-mediated NDBI) via telehealth. Caregivers completed the Autism Impact Measure at 5 timepoints. We fit three, 2-level multilevel models to estimate the effect of time (weeks of Project ImPACT), child age (mean-centered), and the interaction of time x age on the Autism Impact Measure domains of Communication, Social Reciprocity, and Peer Interaction. Six caregivers completed follow-up interviews, which were analyzed using the framework method. There were statistically significant decreases in caregiver-reported peer interaction challenges. Decreases in communication challenges approached statistical significance. Scores for social reciprocity challenges did not significantly change over time. Six qualitative themes centered around how the child- and family-centered aspects of the NDBI strategies led to improvements in the children’s social communication outcomes and suggestions for improving Project ImPACT. Preliminary findings suggest that NDBIs may be feasible and potentially effective in under-resourced settings. Full article

Background/Objectives: High-quality prognostic communication in pediatric oncology is essential to support informed decision making, foster trust, and honor goals of care. While families differ in their preferences for how prognosis is discussed, clinicians often rely on assumptions rather than directly eliciting these preferences, risking misalignment and distress. To address this gap, we aimed to characterize patient, parent, and oncologist perspectives on key variables, experiences, and circumstances that influence their preferences for prognostic communication. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 85 participants (25 patients aged 12–25, 40 parents, and 20 oncologists) to elicit their preferences for prognostic communication and the reasons behind these preferences. Rapid analysis was conducted to generate themes and identify patterns and variances across participant cohorts. Results: Four distinct themes underpinning prognostic communication preferences were described by patients, parents, and oncologists: (1) personality, ideals, and values; (2) general life experiences; (3) prior interactions with the medical system; and (4) faith. Participants emphasized that personal identity and prior experiences significantly shaped how they wished to receive prognostic information. Clinicians and parents often linked preferences to core aspects of their professional or caregiver identities. Conclusions: Understanding the individualized factors shaping communication preferences can guide clinicians in tailoring prognostic discussions. Open-ended inquiry into identity, personal values, and past experiences can foster respectful, personalized communication in pediatric oncology. Further research is needed to determine best practices for prompting discussion about prognostic communication preferences that incorporates the reasons underpinning these preferences. Full article