Search Results (229)

Material handling in special cable manufacturing remains highly inefficient, with manual logistics accounting for nearly 90% of product cycle time. Existing scheduling methods commonly rely on oversimplified assumptions and fail to integrate machine processing with autonomous mobile robot (AMR) transportation constraints, limiting practical applicability. This study proposes a comprehensive scheduling framework that explicitly incorporates AMR movement dynamics—covering empty-load travel and loaded transportation—into flexible job shop scheduling. A dual-objective model is formulated to minimize makespan and total equipment load, providing a more realistic evaluation of workshop performance. To solve this model, an enhanced Sparrow Search Algorithm (SSA) is developed, featuring Pareto dominance sorting, harmonic mean crowding, an external elite archive, and adaptive discoverer–follower scaling to improve convergence stability and avoid premature stagnation. Using real production data from a cable workshop, the proposed method achieves a 15.0% reduction in completion time and a 36.3% reduction in equipment load compared with the traditional SSA. The results demonstrate that the integrated model and improved algorithm offer an effective solution for AMR-constrained multi-objective workshop scheduling. Full article

This study evaluates Limassol’s readiness to adopt the 15-minute city model through a spatial accessibility and urban-form analysis. Using openly available geo-referenced Points of Interest (POIs), road network data, land-use records, and census information, we generated 15-minute walking and cycling isochrones for eight essential urban functions: Education, Food, Green Areas, Health, Services, Shopping, Tourism, and Transport. Residential coverage within each isochrone was calculated to assess accessibility equity across the city. Urban sprawl was quantified using size, density, and fragmentation metrics derived from historical planning zones. Results show that while cycling accessibility is high for most categories (85–95% of residential areas), walking accessibility is considerably lower and unevenly distributed, with several critical functions, particularly Green Areas, Education, and Transport, serving less than half of the residential zones. The analysis also reveals increasing spatial fragmentation and outward population shifts consistent with low-density sprawl, driven by planning policies and development pressures. These findings indicate that Limassol is only partially aligned with the principles of the 15-minute city, with significant gaps in walkable access and decentralized service provision. The study concludes that targeted planning reforms, improved active-mobility infrastructure, and polycentric redistribution of amenities are necessary for enhancing accessibility equity and advancing the city’s transition toward a more sustainable and human-scaled urban model. Full article

The rapid expansion of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) poses significant challenges for the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) into dense urban environments, where safety risks and population exposure are particularly high. This study proposes and applies a methodology based on probabilistic assessment of both ground and air risk, grounded in the principles of safety management and the use of geospatial data from OpenStreetMap (OSM), official aeronautical charts, and digital urban models. The urban area is discretized into a spatial grid on which independent risks are calculated per cell and later combined through a cumulative probabilistic fusion model. The resulting risk estimates enable the construction of cost matrices compatible with path-search algorithms. The methodology is applied to a case study in Medellín, Colombia, connecting the Oviedo and San Diego shopping centers through Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations of a DJI FlyCart 30 drone. Results show that planning with the A* algorithm produces safe routes that minimize exposure to critical areas such as hospitals and restricted air corridors, while maintaining operational efficiency metrics. This approach demonstrates a practical bridge between regulatory theory and operational practice in UAM corridor design, offering a replicable solution for risk management in urban scenarios. Full article

This paper assesses the correlates of perceived well-being among young women aged 18 to 30 in five Balkan cities: Athens, Greece; Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Bucharest, Romania; Nis, Serbia; and Shtip, North Macedonia, by integrating urban, travel behavioural, and socio-economic features. A cross-sectional survey was employed using standard questionnaires including the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and the adapted ALPHA environmental questionnaire. To answer research questions, linear regression models were developed to analyse predictors of well-being at both regional and national levels. Results show that neighbourhood and mobility features play a significant role in shaping mental well-being. Access to walkable sidewalks, green spaces, mixed land-use structure, and attractive local facilities (e.g., shops, recreational centres in the neighbourhood) were consistently associated with higher levels of well-being. Conversely, perceived insecurity, especially at night or regarding bicycle theft, significantly reduced well-being. Physical activity levels, particularly days of walking and vigorous activity, showed strong positive associations, underscoring the role of active lifestyles in promoting mental health. Socio-economic variables, including financial status, relationship status, and work status, were also found to be linked to perceived well-being. Cycling-related variables may affect Greek well-being up to 16.5 times. Perception of crime during the night may negatively affect both Bulgarian and Serbian well-being (up to 10 times), while Romanian well-being is mostly affected by the existence of shopping facilities. Finally, the most impactful factors for well-being in North Macedonia refer to cycling safety and scooter accessibility. Full article

Rural regions around the world continue to struggle with population decline, underutilized infrastructure, and economic stagnation. While tourism is often promoted as a tool for revitalization, conventional approaches tend to prioritize new construction and external ownership, raising concerns about environmental degradation, cultural dilution, and community exclusion. This study adopts a circular economy perspective to explore how adaptive reuse—repurposing abandoned buildings—can support sustainable rural tourism. Focusing on two rural cases in South Korea, the study examines the role of tourism cooperatives in transforming underused facilities into guesthouses, retail shops, visitor centers, and community hubs. Using a qualitative comparative case study approach combining interviews, observations, and content analysis, this study identified how cooperatives mobilize local resources, preserve cultural and natural assets, and reinvest tourism revenues into community-led initiatives. Findings reveal that cooperative-led adaptive reuse enhances local empowerment, cultural preservation, and economic sustainability. This study concludes that embedding circular economy principles within rural tourism fosters resilience and community-driven revitalization and that tourism cooperatives serve as an effective governance structure for implementing circular economy practices. Full article

This study examines how Windhoek’s urban form, shaped by apartheid-era planning, continues to influence neighbourhood travel behaviour, socio-economic disparity, and residential perceptions. It addresses three key questions: (1) How do socio-economic characteristics, neighbourhood perceptions, and travel patterns differ between compact and sprawled areas? (2) Which socio-economic, perceptual, and spatial factors are associated with the likelihood of neighbourhood-based shopping in compact versus sprawled urban forms? (3) What are the determinants of entertainment and recreational travel behaviour within neighbourhoods across the two urban forms? Using survey data from 1000 residents, the analysis employs chi-square tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, binary logistic regression, and multivariate regression models. Findings reveal that compact areas, characterised by higher incomes, stronger place attachment, and greater infrastructural diversity, support more frequent neighbourhood travel. By contrast, sprawled peripheries, despite higher population densities, remain marked by socio-economic marginalisation, limited amenity access, and negative perceptions that constrain neighbourhood mobility. Across both forms, long-term residence and belonging strongly predict neighbourhood travel, while concerns over traffic safety and crime consistently suppress participation. The results show that spatial proximity alone does not ensure accessibility; emotional, perceptual, and structural barriers mediate neighbourhood mobility. The study highlights the need for integrated planning that addresses both physical infrastructure and lived experience to advance equitable and sustainable mobility in post-colonial contexts. Full article

Rural communities face persistent transport disadvantages due to low population density, limited-service availability, and high operational costs, restricting access to essential services and exacerbating social inequality. Autonomous public transport systems offer a transformative solution by enabling flexible, cost-effective, and inclusive mobility options. This study investigates the operational determinants for autonomous road-based transit systems in rural and peri-urban South-East Queensland (SEQ), employing a structured survey of 273 residents and analytical approaches, including General Additive Model (GAM) and Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost). The findings indicate that small shuttles suit flexible, non-routine trips, with leisure travelers showing the highest importance (Gain = 0.473) and university precincts demonstrating substantial influence (Gain = 0.253), both confirmed as significant predictors by GAM (EDF = 0.964 and EDF = 0.909, respectively). Minibus shuttles enhance first-mile and last-mile connectivity, driven primarily by leisure travelers (Gain = 0.275) and tourists (Gain = 0.199), with shopping trips identified as a significant non-linear predictor by GAM (EDF = 1.819). Standard-sized buses are optimal for high-capacity transport, particularly for school children (Gain = 0.427) and school trips (Gain = 0.148), with GAM confirming their significance (EDF = 1.963 and EDF = 0.834, respectively), demonstrating strong predictive accuracy. Hybrid models integrating autonomous and conventional buses are preferred over complete replacement, with autonomous taxis raising equity concerns for low-income individuals (Gain = 0.047, indicating limited positive influence). Integration with Mobility-as-a-Service platforms demonstrates strong, particularly for special events (Gain = 0.290) and leisure travelers (Gain = 0.252). These insights guide policymakers in designing autonomous road-based transit systems to improve rural connectivity and quality of life. Full article

For various reasons, individuals sometimes cannot go on trips. These are known as unrealized trips. In this study, we focus on discretionary trips, such as those for shopping and leisure, and analyze the factors that lead to their lack of realization due to insufficient mobility and transportation services. Based on survey data collected in Japan from populations of various sizes, K-prototypes clustering was conducted, and respondents were classified into three groups: those who only travel by private car, those with multiple transportation options, and transportation-disadvantaged individuals. Notably, the transportation-disadvantaged group exhibited a higher frequency of unrealized trips and was present in both urban and rural areas. Estimation results of the zero-inflated bivariate ordered probit (ZIBOP) model revealed that younger and lower-income individuals were more likely to experience unrealized trips. Moreover, railway frequency and last service time of bus were significant factors in urban areas, while bus service levels played a key role in rural areas. These findings suggest that “transportation-disadvantaged” individuals should be defined not only as those without a car or driver’s license but also as those who lack alternative mobility options. Full article

This study introduces a framework for comparing and integrating revealed and potential accessibility maps, using the Dempster–Shafer theory to identify regions with varying spatial accessibility while accounting for uncertainty. It presents a method for determining revealed accessibility from individuals’ trajectory data, weighting accessibility inversely to the square of uncertainty. This dual approach aids urban planners in making more reliable decisions. The methodology is applied to supply centers, including shops, restaurants, and sports centers, using data from the Mobile Data Challenge (MDC) in Vaud, Switzerland. The results show good access to shops in the northwestern and southeastern regions and good access to restaurants in the eastern regions. The final maps indicate that areas with low access to sports centers form the highest proportion (62.7%) of regions with low access, while those with low access to shopping centers form the lowest (9.3%). The findings suggest the need for more sports centers in Nyon and Jura-Nord Vaudois and more accessible restaurants in Nyon and southern Aigle. Additionally, the analysis reveals that lower station densities correlate with smaller discrepancies between real and expected accessibilities, while higher population densities are linked to lower uncertainty, underscoring the importance of considering density in spatial accessibility assessments. Full article

Augmented reality (AR) technologies—such as Instagram filters—bridge the digital and physical worlds by allowing users to virtually try on clothing, thereby reducing the risk of virus transmission. In the T-shirt retail industry, AR enables product personalization, decreases the need for physical production, minimizes textile waste, and lowers carbon emissions. It also benefits individuals with limited mobility or those who prefer shopping online. This study tested several hypotheses on 105 active Instagram filter users using filters from the ’Apprecio’ account on mobile devices. Data analyzed using the partial least squares method revealed that interactivity significantly influences both purchase intention and continued use of digital platforms. While hedonic and vivid features enhance the user experience, they have a limited impact on driving purchases or long-term engagement. Customers’ engagement and buying intent are more strongly shaped by practical and interactive elements. The study recommends that companies invest in developing interactive AR features to boost customer satisfaction and foster trust. Future research should involve larger participant samples and investigate specific interactive elements—such as virtual try-on tools—to better understand their impact on consumer behavior. This study highlights the critical role of interactivity in AR for delivering meaningful and engaging shopping experiences. Full article

This study introduces a mobile application designed to assist visually impaired persons (VIPs) in navigating complex environments, such as supermarkets. Recent assistive tools often identify objects in isolation without providing contextual awareness. In contrast, our proposed system uses seamless scene and object recognition to help users efficiently locate target items and understand their surroundings. Employing a “human-in-the-loop approach”, users control their smartphone camera direction to explore the space. Experiments conducted in a simulated shopping environment show that the system enhances object-finding efficiency and improves user orientation. This approach not only increases independence, but also promotes inclusivity by enabling VIPs to perform everyday tasks with greater confidence and autonomy. Full article

Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) offer a promising response to environmental and urban mobility challenges. This study is among the first to exploratorily examine their use, user characteristics, and owner evaluations. A qualitative pre-study with four LEV owners was conducted and informed a subsequent quantitative phase involving 23 owners. Over two weeks, participants recorded all LEV trips using GPS tracking and completed two questionnaires. Findings show that LEVs are regularly used for commuting, shopping, and work-related trips. Notably, many users live outside urban centers, indicating strong potential for short-distance travel in rural and small-town contexts for our sample. This challenges the view of LEVs as primarily urban or recreational vehicles. Within our sample, usage patterns were diverse, indicating that even among early adopters there is no single typical usage profile. While cars were perceived as slightly safer, no participant reported feeling unsafe in their LEV. User satisfaction was high: 24 of 27 respondents would choose the same vehicle again. Overall, LEVs emerge as a versatile and satisfying mobility option, relevant beyond city limits. Given their wide range of uses and positive user feedback, LEVs should be more strongly considered in transport policy to promote more sustainable and needs-based mobility. Full article

With the rise of e-commerce, mobile devices, and social media, consumers’ online social and shopping behaviors have become increasingly integrated, making social commerce a major force in the digital marketplace. In this context, consumer behaviors on social media can exert a profound influence on purchase decisions. This research investigates the impact of social media self-presentation, a key social behavior on social media, on consumers’ preference for experiential consumption. Drawing on one survey study and one experimental study, the findings reveal that social media self-presentation significantly predicts a stronger preference for experiential consumption (e.g., travel) over material consumption (e.g., tangible goods), with this effect being particularly salient among female participants. Furthermore, self-concept clarity mediates this relationship: both positive and authentic self-presentation enhance individuals’ clarity of self-concept, which in turn promotes a greater inclination toward experiential purchases. These findings highlight the key role of social media behavior in shaping consumer behaviors. The results offer important theoretical and practical insights into consumer decision-making in digital contexts and guide platform design and personalized recommendation systems. Full article

Accessing the built environment poses many challenges for people with disabilities, severely affecting their independence and quality of life. A panel of experts with a lived experience of disabilities co-designed a survey capturing the challenges in New Zealand’s public places. There were 319 survey respondents with impairments related to mobility (66.5%), vision (18.8%), hearing (5.0%), sensory processing and cognition (8.8%). They perceived sports stadiums as the least accessible venue, followed by bars, boutique shops and public toilets. The most accessible venues were supermarkets, libraries and shopping malls. The type of disability affected the main accessibility challenges. Significant outdoor barriers included uneven and cluttered paths, inadequate provision of curb cuts, seating and accessible parking spaces, and obscure wayfinding. Entrance barriers included heavy doors, complex access control, remote ramps and narrow, obscure entrances. Interior problems included cluttered paths and poor signage. The top priorities for improvement were simplifying layouts, keeping paths clear, and providing clear, inclusive signage, communication and assistance for people with varying impairments. Providing lower counters, better colour contrast, hearing loop facilities and better control of lighting and acoustics also improve accessibility. This research contributes novel experiential data from people with disabilities that is critical to achieving an inclusive built environment. Full article

High-risk clones represent a major concern, as they are very efficient vehicles for mobile genetic elements carrying antimicrobial resistance genes and therefore promote their spread, especially if they confer resistance to cefotaxime, ciprofloxacin, and fosfomycin, included within the highest-priority, critically important antimicrobial agents (HPCIA). Between February 2022 and April 2024, 138 pork samples were obtained from 46 butcher shops in La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. A total of 102 HPCIA-resistant E. coli were isolated. Eighty-five HPCIA-resistant E. coli were selected for whole-genome sequencing. Of these, 27 belonged to 9 clones described as high risk: ST101 (n = 5), ST10 (n = 4), ST48 (n = 4), ST744 (n = 4), ST23 (n = 3), ST58 (n = 2), ST88 (n = 2), ST117 (n = 2), and ST410 (n = 1). Twelve of them were third-generation cephalosporin-resistant. Resistance was mediated by bla_CTX-M-55 (n = 7), bla_CTX-M-14 (n = 4), bla_CTX-M-8 (n = 1), and bla_CMY-2 (n = 1). This study highlights the importance of food products and the food production chain as reservoirs of high-risk clones and resistance genes of epidemiological relevance to public health. Full article