Search Results (909)

Flooding is an increasing climate risk in the UK, yet schools remain marginal in resilience planning. Flood events disrupt education, heighten pupil anxiety, increase staff workload and unsettle communities, but these experiences are rarely documented in ways that inform policy. This study examines how schools in the East and West Midlands regions of the UK have experienced and adapted to flooding. Eight qualitative case studies were undertaken in flood-affected schools using semi-structured interviews with key staff, site visits and documentary evidence. Interview transcripts were thematically analysed using NVivo to explore past flood events, levels of preparedness, and readiness for measures such as Property Flood Resilience, Sustainable Drainage Systems and Climate Action Plans. Findings show wide variation in awareness, emergency procedures and engagement with local authorities. Most schools had faced flooding or near misses but lacked formal guidance or flood-specific plans, leading to improvised responses led internally by staff. Despite limited funding, inconsistent communication and exclusion from wider planning, schools demonstrated adaptive potential and willingness to support community preparedness. The study offers evidence to guide headteachers, policymakers and local authorities in strengthening school-based flood resilience and supporting the development of a resilience innovation blueprint for flood-prone schools in the UK. Full article

This study suggests the concept of multifunctional social spaces (MSSs) as intergenerational communication platforms, contributing to SDG achievement and environment awareness in local communities. Retirees could perform socially significant practices via local MSS premises supported by municipalities and initiative groups. The basic social vector of an MSS is supposed to produce a synergy effect with the educational and environmental impetus of the Sustainable Environmental Education (SEE) approach. Lifelong education underlies the process of adapting various age groups to different local spaces, namely metropolis, suburb, or rural areas. Test qualitative interviews were conducted with pensioners and young people to discover attitudes towards MSS-prescribed functions within different reference groups. These interviews helped to define the preferred communication instruments for MSS operation. General types of MSSs were classified based on mini case studies. MSS introduction is supposed to influence basic social indices such as population health, life expectancy, and fertility levels in the long term, and support several environmental awareness markers. Future studies could examine such influences in detail and discuss more national and regional specifics. Municipal and regional authorities, as well as local community leaders, could use the results of this study to consider local development, SDG strategies, and roadmaps. Full article

In parametric statistics, it is well established that the canonical measures of estimator performance—such as bias, variance, and mean squared error—are inherently dependent on the parameterization of the model. Consequently, these quantities describe the behavior of an estimator only relative to a particular parameterization, rather than representing intrinsic properties of either the estimator itself or the underlying probability distribution it seeks to estimate. Some years ago, the authors introduced a framework, termed the intrinsic analysis of point estimation, in which tools from information geometry were employed to construct analogues of classical statistical notions that are intrinsic to both the estimator and the associated probability measure. Within this framework, a contravariant vector field was introduced to define the intrinsic bias, while the squared Riemannian distance naturally emerged as the intrinsic analogue of the classical squared distance. Intrinsic counterparts of the Cramér–Rao inequalities, as well as the Rao–Blackwell and Lehmann–Scheffé theorems, were also established. The present work extends the intrinsic analysis—originally founded on the concept of intrinsic risk, a fundamentally local measure of estimator performance—to an approach that characterizes the estimator over an entire region of the parameter space, thereby yielding an intrinsically global perspective. Building upon intrinsic risk, two indices are proposed to evaluate estimator performance within a bounded region: (i) the integral of the intrinsic risk with respect to the Riemannian volume over the specified region, and (ii) the maximum intrinsic risk attained within that region. The Riemannian volume induced by the Fisher information metric on the manifold associated with the parametric model provides a natural means of averaging the intrinsic risk. Using variational methods, integral inequalities of the Cramér–Rao type are derived for the mean squared integrated Rao distance of the estimators, thereby extending previous contributions by several authors. Furthermore, lower bounds for the maximum intrinsic risk are obtained through corresponding integral formulations. Full article

Heavy metals are among the most hazardous pollutants to human health and can be particularly harmful when inhaled or ingested. Therefore, the concentrations of heavy metals in fruits and vegetables grown in regions with high levels of heavy metal pollution should be carefully examined. This study investigated the variation in aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) concentrations by species and organ in tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, and corn grown near the industrial zone in Düzce, a heavily polluted city in Europe. We determined bioconcentration factors (BCFs) and translocation factors (TFs) in plant organs and assessed the health risk through the Target Hazard Quotient (THQ) and Hazard Index (HI). The results show that Al pollution in the region significantly exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Union (EU) limit values, and accumulated in all plant organs, including fruits. Furthermore, high levels of metals were translocated from the soil into the organs of peppers and tomatoes. The HI indicated a potential non-carcinogenic health risk (HI > 1) from the consumption of tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, primarily driven by Ni. Based on these results, it is recommended that local authorities address Al pollution in the region, avoiding the cultivation of tomatoes and peppers and instead cultivating corn and eggplant. We also observed that Zn levels were very high in the aerial parts of the plants, reaching up to 90% compared to Ni and Al. This study underscores the need to reduce Zn absorption rates, as dietary intake can pose a significant threat to human health. Full article

Electric field-assisted local functionalization of materials is a resist-free technique generally applied at the nanoscale, which has been understood within the paradigm of the water meniscus. Using a home-made prototype the authors applied this technique at scales compatible with the biosensor industry (tens of microns). However, interpreting these results requires a different paradigm. The expansion of the oxidized region over time in two-dimensional materials under a localized electric field is modeled from first physical principles. Boltzmann statistics is applied to the oxyanion incorporation at the perimeter of the oxidized zone, and a new general relation between oxide radius and time is formulated. It includes the reduction in the energy barrier due to the field effect and its dependence on the oxide radius. To gain insight into this dependence whatever the layers structure, 2D material involved, or electrical operating conditions, simple structures based on multilayer stacks representing the main constituents are proposed, where the Poisson equation is solved using finite element calculations. This enables to derive energy barriers for oxyanion incorporation at varying spot radii which are consistent with those resulting from fitting experimental data. The reasonable agreement obtained provides researchers with a new tool to predict the evolution of local functionalization of 2D layers as a function of the following fabrication parameters: time, applied voltage, and relative humidity, solely based on materials properties. Full article

This article presents a historiographical survey of scholarship on Islamic law and legal authority in Central/Inner Asia under Russian Imperial rule. It analyzes the debates, paradigms and assumptions that have dominated the field up to the present. The binaries that have dominated the field—between cooperation and insulation, rupture and continuity—disguise the complex legal history of the region. The historiography has shifted to emphasize a more pluralistic legal landscape, shaped by imperial intervention, local custom, practical considerations, and agency of ordinary Muslims. I suggest that by integrating a variety of sources, both archival and Islamic, scholars can take a bolder anthropological turn to develop new directions in historiography that will involve studying the lived experiences of legal actors and ordinary Muslims, gendered dimensions of legal practice, the meanings of socio-legal institutions, and the daily interaction between religious scholars and their communities. Full article

This study aimed to assess various social–ecological traps of hilsa shad (Tenualosa ilisha) fisheries and to investigate the factors that significantly impact livelihood adaptation strategies during the ban period, based on fieldwork in coastal fishing communities. To collect empirical data, a total of 247 in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire along with six focus group discussions, oral history, and ten key informant interviews in the Chattogram and Patuakhali districts of Bangladesh. A conceptual framework derived from a strategy for reducing poverty, known as the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA), is applied to determine the livelihood outcomes of hilsa fishers. The results showed that low income (<5000 BDT/month), high interest in loans from dadondar (lender) (10–12%) and aratdar (lessor of the vessel) (5%), high harvesting costs, an increasing number of hilsa fishermen, and intergenerational traps (81.78%) are creating social–ecological traps (SETs) in the hilsa fishery. The significant factors affecting the choice of adaptation strategies include family members, training facilities, home ownership, and belonging to a formal society. Apart from fighting against some extreme climate events, negative feedback comes from the absence of cold storage facilities, illegal use of fishing nets, frequent ban seasons, ignorance of conservation laws, limited opportunities for alternative occupations, and poor supply of drinking water. Hilsa fishermen in these regions depended on aratdar and dadondar for their financial support, which resulted in lower prices than the prevailing market prices. To escape from the SETs, this study identifies potential alternatives, such as government–community finance schemes, the promotion of alternative livelihoods, opportunities for technical education of their children, improvement of the local framework, and strong cooperation between local stakeholders and management authorities that are necessary to maintain the sustainability of hilsa fisheries. Full article

The AlimurgITA portal is a user-friendly and effective tool for researching Wild Edible Plants (WEPs). It provides valuable information on alimurgic plant species, aiding conservation and potential applications (agricultural, food, etc.). Users can interact with authors to report errors and contribute to the knowledge base regarding local uses. The authors will update the site every six months to include new data. Currently, the online database contains data on 1116 taxa used in 20 Italian regions: updated scientific name and link to the site Acta Plantarum, family, main synonyms, common name in Italian and regional dialect, chorotype, life form, a map showing the regions where it is known to be used, the part used, how it is used, and the bibliography. From the home page, you can search for taxa by scientific name, and there are pages dedicated to summaries of the entries: scientific name, family, chorotype, life form, method of use, and part used. Additionally, within the FuD WE PIC Project, the AlimurgITA entity list is being integrated with Italian vegetation data from the European Vegetation Archive to model WEPs richness, identify diversity hotspots, and explore the relationship between WEPs diversity and habitat types. Full article

The beginning of the 21st century is associated with a significant technological leap on a global scale, which has had a substantial impact on production and economic processes at the national and regional levels. This radical technological change in the economy is linked to the emergence and development of artificial intelligence and effective knowledge management, which are the main drivers of economic growth. The use of AI today can be traced in many different areas of applied science—medicine, physics, mathematics, and engineering design, including modeling, planning, and management of territorial systems. The accumulation of large databases and other information necessary for AI to function is directly related to the spatial aspects of economic development, which is also based on local potential (a place-based approach). At the same time, local knowledge resources and innovation potential are not fully utilized in the context of technology diffusion and AI implementation in individual countries and regions. In this regard, this study aims to analyze the role of regional innovation systems, with a focus on AI development, and to track their impact across individual European regions, using NUTS2 spatial-level data to ensure objectivity. The authors consider AI innovation a modern tool for decision-making in the implementation of regional policy, with a specific impact on cohesion between EU regions. The results of the study show a direct link between the localization of regional innovation systems, R & D expenditure, AI implementation, and the economic development of European regions. Important factors influencing this process are the degree of Internet coverage, the capacity to generate innovation, the degree of AI implementation in the individual economic sectors of the countries, the growth of the ICT sector in relation to the overall development of GDP and the economy, and the result of the smart specialisation of regional innovation systems. Full article

The increasing use of multiple medications among older adults raises concerns about potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs), which are associated with adverse health outcomes and increased healthcare costs. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and types of PIMs dispensed to older adults living in Northwest Italy using real-world pharmacy claims data. An observational, retrospective analysis was conducted on anonymized drug dispensing datasets from two local health authorities, covering individuals aged 65 years or older between 2018 and 2021. PIMs were identified according to the 2019 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria, focusing on drugs that are inappropriate or should be used with caution in older adults or have anticholinergic properties. Over half of older adults who received medications during the study period were dispensed at least one PIM, with stable or slight increased prevalence over time with no differences by sex or region. Proton-pump inhibitors used for more than 8 weeks and paroxetine were the most common PIMs, while furosemide and sulfonylureas were also frequently reported PIMs. These findings indicate a persistently high burden of inappropriate prescribing in older adults and highlight the need for coordinated deprescribing interventions and prescriber education to promote safer, evidence-based pharmacotherapy in aging populations. Full article

When it rains or snows over a city, water droplets capture airborne pollutants and transport them to the ground. Prolonged precipitation over the same area can remove a larger amount of pollution; however, rainfall systems vary in duration and tend to move rapidly across regions. Wet deposition sprinklers replicate this natural scavenging process. They can operate for extended periods as needed and can be installed at specific locations where pollution mitigation is most necessary. Despite encouraging experimental results and the widespread use of similar technologies in industrial sectors—such as mining, the construction industry, and waste management—very limited scientific research has focused on their application in urban environments. In particular, their use as an emergency measure during severe pollution episodes as a protective intervention for sensitive subjects, while awaiting the effects of long-term structural solutions, remain largely unexplored. In the present work, we systematically discuss the key elements required to design and implement a network of anti-smog cannons (ASC) to protect sensitive receptors from severe air pollution events in large cities. Based on this analysis, we established a generalized framework that can be applied to any urban context worldwide. We also examine the potential application of the proposed method to the city of Turin (≈850,000 inhabitants, north-western Italy), which is considered a representative case study for other cities in Western Europe. Our findings indicate that such a network is both technically feasible and economically sustainable for local government authorities. Full article

We carried out a comprehensive literature search for publications on the range of vascular events that have been linked to adenomyosis. This covered vascular diseases, blood coagulation disorders, thrombosis, hypercoagulation, stroke (embolic, ischemic, thrombotic, hemorrhagic), cerebrovascular episodes, cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage) and renal disease. This review covers 63 articles. Nineteen articles reported clinical manifestations of intravascular thrombosis in women with adenomyosis. Eleven publications were identified that reported on cerebral involvement and adenomyosis, including cases of ischemic stroke or infarction. Dysregulation primarily seems to occur via local factors leading to altered angiogenesis. Five case reports were identified that reported on various vascular complications attributed to the presence of adenomyosis. The search also identified reports of cerebral complications in women with adenomyosis. Through a secondary search, we identified publications dealing with a possible connection between cardiac complications and renal pathology, which the authors attributed to adenomyosis. Vascular involvement in adenomyosis is documented in rare cases by the presence of endometrial tissue in myometrial vessels both in menstrual and non-menstrual uteri. Women with adenomyosis have a higher platelet count, a shorter thrombin and prothrombin time and an activated partial thromboplastin time. These findings has been applied to attempts to identify therapies for adenomyosis based on targeting the vasculature, but the existence of a link between the two conditions is under question for several reasons: only case reports (or very small series) have been published; all published cases come from one region of the world (the Far East); the published literature does not contain objective proof of a causal relationship between the two pathologies, except for the elevation of some markers. In summary, it is not possible to conclude that the presence of adenomyosis has a pathogenetic role in causing vascular events, first and foremost because available evidence consists mostly of case reports. Full article

This article examines the discursive dynamics of depoliticization in the European Union’s ecological transition, focusing on the Just Transition Mechanism (JTM), a key instrument of the European Green Deal. Building on critical scholarship, we start from the observation that EU governance often frames environmental challenges as neutral and technical, obscuring their political nature and narrowing the space for alternatives. To assess how such processes unfold, we conducted a thematic analysis of plenary debates in the European Parliament and official Commission statements concerning the JTM. Using a coding framework centered on conflict, authority, agency, and alternative futures, the analysis shows that parliamentary discourse largely reduces contestation to issues of financial allocation, technical feasibility, and procedural compliance. EU institutions emerge as the main agents and sources of authority, depicted as leading and safeguarding the transition, while regions and local actors appear in adaptive and dependent roles. Although references to social justice and generational responsibility occasionally surface, transformative visions challenging growth-oriented or technocratic paradigms remain absent. Nonetheless, traces of politicization suggest latent openings for contestation, highlighting the need for future research on whether bottom-up actors (unions, municipalities, grassroots movements) can re-politicize the field of transition. Full article

This study presents a novel methodology for the detection and monitoring of changes in surface water bodies, with a particular emphasis on the near-eastern region of Antioquia, Colombia. The proposed approach integrates remote sensing and artificial intelligence techniques through the fusion of multi-source imagery, specifically Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and optical data. The framework is structured in several stages. First, radar imagery is pre-processed using an autoencoder-based despeckling model, which leverages deep learning to reduce noise while preserving structural information critical for environmental monitoring. Concurrently, optical imagery is processed through the computation of normalized spectral indices, including NDVI, NDWI, and NDBI, capturing essential characteristics related to vegetation, water presence, and surrounding built-up areas. These complementary sources are subsequently fused into synthetic RGB composite representations, ensuring spatial and spectral consistency between radar and optical domains. To operationalize this methodology, a standardized and reproducible workflow was implemented for automated image acquisition, preprocessing, fusion, and segmentation. The Segment Anything Model (SAM) was integrated into the process to generate semantically interpretable classes, enabling more precise delineation of hydrological features, flood-prone areas, and urban expansion near waterways. This automated system was embedded in a software prototype, allowing local users to manage large volumes of satellite data efficiently and consistently. The results demonstrate that the combination of SAR and optical datasets provides a robust solution for monitoring dynamic hydrological environments, particularly in tropical mountainous regions with persistent cloud cover. The fused products enhanced the detection of small streams and complex hydrological patterns that are typically challenging to monitor using optical imagery alone. By integrating these technical advancements, the methodology supports improved environmental monitoring and provides actionable insights for decision-makers. At the local scale, municipal governments can use these outputs for urban planning and flood risk mitigation; at the regional level, environmental and territorial authorities can strengthen water resource management and conservation strategies; and at the national level, risk management institutions can incorporate this information into early warning systems and disaster preparedness programs. Overall, this research delivers a scalable and automated tool for surface water monitoring, bridging the gap between scientific innovation and operational decision-making to support sustainable watershed management under increasing pressures from climate change and urbanization. Full article

The transition to renewable energy is crucial in order to attain sustainable development, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and secure long-term energy security. This study examines spatial–temporal trends in electricity generation (both renewable and non-renewable) across EU-28 countries using monthly Eurostat data (2008–2025) at the NUTS0 level. Two harmonized Space–Time Cubes (STCs) were constructed for renewable and non-renewable electricity covering the fully comparable 2017–2024 interval, while 2008–2016 data were used for descriptive validation, and 2025 data were used for one-step-ahead forecasting. In this paper, the authors present a novel multi-method approach to energy transition dynamics in Europe, integrating forecasting (ESF), hot-spot detection (EHSA), and clustering (TSC) with the help of a new spatial–temporal modeling framework. The methodology is a step forward in the development of methodological literature, since it regards predictive and exploratory GIS analytics as comparative energy transition evaluation. The paper uses Exponential Smoothing Forecast (ESF) and Emerging Hot Spot Analysis (EHSA) in a GIS-based analysis to uncover the dynamics in the region and the possible production pattern. The ESF also reported strong predictive performance in the form of the mean Root Mean Square Errors (RMSE) of renewable and non-renewable electricity generation of 422.5 GWh and 438.8 GWh, respectively. Of the EU-28 countries, seasonality was statistically significant in 78.6 per cent of locations that relied on hydropower, and 35.7 per cent of locations exhibited structural outliers associated with energy-transition asymmetries. EHSA identified short-lived localized spikes in renewable electricity production in a few Western and Northern European countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Denmark, and Sweden, termed as sporadic renewable hot spots. There were no cases of persistent or increase-based hot spots in any country; therefore, renewable growth is temporally and spatially inhomogeneous in the EU-28. In the case of non-renewable sources, a hot spot was evident in France, with an intermittent hot spot in Spain and sporadic increases over time, but otherwise, there was no statistically significant activity of hot or cold spots in the rest of Europe, indicating structural stagnation in the generation of fossil-based electricity. Time Series Clustering (TSC) determined 10 temporal clusters in the generation of renewable and non-renewable electricity. All renewable clusters were statistically significantly increasing (p < 0.001), with the most substantial increase in Cluster 4 (statistic = 9.95), observed in Poland, Finland, Portugal, and the Netherlands, indicating a transregional phase acceleration of renewable electricity production in northern, western, and eastern Europe. Conversely, all non-renewable clusters showed declining trends (p < 0.001), with Cluster 5 (statistic = −8.58) showing a concerted reduction in the use of fossil-based electricity, in line with EU decarbonization policies. The results contribute to an improved understanding of the spatial dynamics of the European energy transition and its potential to support energy security, reduce fossil fuel dependency, and foster balanced regional development. These insights are crucial to harmonize policy measures with the objectives of the European Green Deal and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (especially Goals 7, 11, and 13). Full article