Search Results (432)

In recent decades, governments have invested in strategic territories focused on knowledge production and application, which are strategic for socioeconomic development, particularly in urban areas. However, conceptual and terminological diversity hinders aspects such as the systematization of the literature, the advance of theoretical conceptualizations, and the formulation of coherent policies, especially in the context of socioenvironmental challenges. In this study, with the aim of consolidating this literature, we have conducted a systematic review with bibliometric and content analysis, examining publications on eight denominations associated with these territories. The literature reveals the existence of an established field; nonetheless, themes and denominations are still dispersed in the corpus. Among 400 authors, 339 published a single article, and only 13 authors have three or more studies in the sample. We identified a core of 11 journals that concentrate 73 of the 214 analyzed texts. We propose the term “knowledge territories” as an umbrella concept. A total of 114 case studies were identified. Governance is the most recurrent dimension (53% of the texts). Topics such as climate change, food production and diffuse effects of territorial occupation are rarely explored, as are the cases analyzed in the context of semi-peripheral and peripheral countries, indicating gaps and opportunities for future research. Full article

The escalating housing crisis and the uncontrolled proliferation of informal settlements in the Global South challenge the modernist ideal of the completed architectural object. While ‘Parasitic Architecture’ is conventionally coded as an act of illegal occupation, ‘Incremental Housing’ strategies propose a controlled evolution; however, a theoretical gap exists in defining the morphological mechanics where these two concepts intersect. This study aims to bridge this gap by proposing the concept of ‘Domesticated Parasitism’. Adopting an instrumental case study model, the research analyzes the morphological evolution of the Quinta Monroy housing complex in Chile. To mitigate interpretive bias and ensure analytical objectivity, the visual reading follows a structured coding protocol that categorizes the intervention zones into three distinct layers: (1) Fixed Structural Matrix, (2) Defined Expansion Zones, and (3) User-Generated Infill. Findings from the diachronic analysis comparing the initial state with current saturation levels reveal that the host structure functions as a ‘spatial cage’ that disciplines the growth of user additions. Unlike uncontrolled urban sprawl, the visual evidence confirms that the parasitic additions strictly adhere to the vertical void geometry defined by the architect. The research concludes that the architect’s role transforms from an author of static forms to an enabler, positioning domesticated parasitism as a sustainable spatial grammar for urban densification. Full article

Frontline workers across health, emergency, and social care sectors are repeatedly exposed to distressing events and chronic stressors as part of their occupational roles. Unlike single-event trauma, these cumulative exposures accrue over time, generating persistent psychological and physiological strain. Traditional diagnostic frameworks, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), were not designed to capture the layered and ongoing nature of this occupational trauma. This commentary introduces the concept of Persistent Traumatic Stress Exposure (PTSE), a framework that reframes trauma among frontline workers as an exposure arising from organisational and systemic conditions rather than solely an individual disorder. It aims to reorient understanding, responsibility, and intervention from a purely clinical lens toward systems, cultures, and organisational duties of care. PTSE is presented as an integrative paradigm informed by contemporary theory and evidence on trauma, moral injury, organisational stress, and trauma-informed systems. The framework synthesises findings from health, emergency, and social care settings, illustrating how repeated exposure, ethical conflict, and institutional pressures contribute to cumulative psychological harm. PTSE highlights that psychological injury may build across shifts, careers, and lifetimes, requiring preventive, real-time, and sustained responses. The framework emphasises that effective support is dependent on both organisational readiness, the structural conditions that enable trauma-informed work, and organisational preparedness, the practical capability to enact safe, predictable, and stigma-free responses to trauma exposure. PTSE challenges prevailing stigma by framing trauma as a predictable occupational hazard rather than a personal weakness. It aligns with modern occupational health perspectives by advocating for systems that strengthen psychological safety, leadership capability and access to support. By adopting PTSE, organisations can shift from reactive treatment models toward proactive cultural and structural protection, honouring the lived realities of frontline workers and promoting long-term wellbeing and resilience. Full article

Population aging is driving the need for unobtrusive, continuous monitoring solutions in residential care environments. Radio-frequency (RF)-based technologies such as Ultra-Wideband (UWB) and millimeter-wave (mmWave) radar are particularly attractive for providing detailed information on presence and movement while preserving privacy. Building on a UWB–mmWave localization system deployed in a senior living residence, this paper focuses on the data-processing methodology for extracting quantitative mobility indicators from long-term indoor monitoring data. The system combines a device-free mmWave radar setup in bedrooms and bathrooms with a tag-based UWB positioning system in common areas. For mmWave data, an adaptive short-term average/long-term average (STA/LTA) detector operating on an aggregated, normalized radar energy signal is used to classify micro- and macromovements into bedroom occupancy and non-sedentary activity episodes. For UWB data, a partially constrained Kalman filter with a nearly constant velocity dynamics model and floor-plan information yields smoothed trajectories, from which daily gait- and mobility-related metrics are derived. The approach is illustrated using one-day samples from three users as a proof of concept. The proposed methodology provides individualized indicators of bedroom occupancy, sedentary behavior, and mobility in shared spaces, supporting the feasibility of combined UWB and mmWave radar sensing for longitudinal routine analysis in real-world elderly care environments. Full article

The concept of intersectionality examines how multiple and interdependent forms of oppression manifest among marginalized social groups, considering their social markers. This study aims to analyze intersectionality in the labor market, with a critical focus on the interactions between race, gender, and class as structuring axes of inequality. An integrative literature review was conducted, encompassing an in-depth analysis of 140 articles addressing intersectionality in the labor context. The findings reveal a persistent conceptual fragmentation of intersectionality and a dilution of critical debates within labor market research. Empirical evidence consistently shows that women and racialized groups face enduring structural barriers, including wage gaps, occupational segregation, and limited access to leadership positions. Moreover, these inequalities are often obscured or reduced to superficial diversity and inclusion initiatives rather than being addressed as systemic issues. The study emphasizes the importance of committed and critical intersectional approaches to understanding and addressing systemic inequalities in the labor market, highlighting theoretical and epistemological gaps that must be addressed to advance emancipatory practices and policies that directly confront structural racism, patriarchy, and class-based exploitation. The study contributes theoretically by deepening the application of intersectionality in the labor market and by identifying conceptual and epistemological gaps in the literature. Empirically, it provides practical guidance for organizations to transform diversity initiatives into strategic and inclusive actions, integrating multiple social identities into management policies and practices. Full article

Runway throughput at high-density European airports is governed not only by the aircraft interarrival separation on final approach but also by runway occupancy time (ROT). As reduction of Separation Minima (SM) becomes operationally and technically feasible and as Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) improve delivery accuracy, ROT is expected to play a progressively larger role as the capacity-limiting mechanism. This study provides the first quantitative evidence of this effect through an analysis of a saturated traffic scenario operating under the RECAT-EU wake turbulence separation scheme and reduced surveillance minima of 2.5 nautical miles, based on ADS-B surveillance data. For each RECAT-EU leader–following sequence, ROT distributions were compared against the actual approach-to-approach times and the applicable SM to derive the probability that ROT becomes the binding constraint. Results show that, when arrival separation is governed by the reduced surveillance-based separation rather than by wake turbulence constraints, ROT is significantly more likely to become the limiting factor for runway capacity. This evidence provides a quantitative basis to guide future research, which should focus on ROT reduction strategies tailored to aircraft performance, including flexible exit taxiway concepts and adaptive exit allocation, prioritising those aircraft sequences identified by this study as most ROT sensitive. Full article

In a fully autonomous vehicle, the driver becomes a passenger, free to adopt different seating positions. This change challenges traditional passive safety systems—such as seatbelts, airbags and seat design—that are optimised for a forward-facing position. As autonomous vehicles are integrated into mixed traffic with conventional cars, solutions need to address these challenges. In this intermediate stage, fully autonomous cars will need a system that, in the event of an accident, can rotate the seats to the most ideal position tested by the manufacturer. This could be a number of positions where the seat, airbags and seatbelts are optimised, taking into account the expected direction of impact. It is important that the rotation is not too radical, as this would increase the risk of injury. In addition, the seat dimensions need to be increased to improve energy absorption in the event of a collision, thereby reducing the impact forces on the occupants and improving overall safety. To improve passive protection, airbags will continue to be used in the future, but in completely new positions, sizes and shapes. This research aims to identify potential passive occupant safety solutions for seat positions that have been rotated in fully autonomous vehicles. The finite element simulation model on which the results in this article are based was developed in an earlier phase of the research. The current research combines two previously conducted research directions, using the modified seat and the developed airbag concept. This research’s main outcome is a system that effectively protects occupants in rotated seat positions. It maintains all evaluated injury criteria below their threshold limits and ensures controlled occupant kinematics. Full article

This paper is dedicated to investigating how short-term indoor temperature drift influences occupants’ thermal sensation in residential nZEB buildings and how this affects the applicability of steady-state comfort prediction. Residential buildings frequently operate under transient conditions, where the classical PMV approach may deviate from reported sensation. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the agreement between steady-state PMV and occupants’ thermal sensation votes under winter conditions to test a regression-based correction index A_eff and an adjusted indicator PMV_adj while preserving the PMV concept. The study uses high-resolution measurements of indoor air temperature and mean radiant temperature synchronised with TSV responses, followed by statistical evaluation using error metrics and correlation analysis. The results show that baseline PMV correlates well with TSV but exhibits a consistent magnitude mismatch under transient conditions. The proposed PMV_adj reduces this mismatch, decreasing NRMSE from 17.61% to 14.00% and slightly improving agreement with Pearson r = 82.18%, R² = 67.54%. Regression analysis shows that A_eff is strongly associated with the indoor air temperature drift rate ΔT_in/Δt with R² = 0.6805, but has a weaker relationship with ΔT_MRT/Δt, R² = 0.1851. The research provides a practical basis for improving PMV-based comfort assessment during winter operation in residential nZEB. Full article

Background: Feedback Orientation (FO) reflects how individuals value, accept, and use feedback in a way that influences learning, performance, and sustainable career development. While this concept has been empirically examined, the psychometric properties of the Feedback Orientation Scale (FOS) have received sparse attention outside English-speaking contexts, with no validation in the Italian context. This study aimed to adapt and validate the Italian version of the FOS. Methods: A sample of 1092 employees from diverse occupational sectors completed the FOS, also using measures of job satisfaction and perceptions of the feedback environment. The dataset was randomly split to conduct both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, followed by reliability and validity testing and measurement invariance analyses across groups. Results: Analyses confirmed the original four-factor structure—Utility, Social Awareness, Accountability, and Feedback Self-Efficacy—and supported a higher-order FO construct. The Italian FOS showed acceptable reliability and validity, with expected correlations with job satisfaction and the feedback environment. Measurement invariance was also tested to examine the scale’s equivalence across groups. Conclusions: These initial findings provide support for the Italian FOS as a promising instrument with acceptable psychometric properties, extending the cross-cultural understanding of feedback orientation and offering a useful basis for investigating feedback processes in organizational settings. Full article

Objectives: This study aims to provide conceptual clarity on self-direction support in the care of vulnerable older adults, particularly those with dementia. It focuses on how self-direction is supported in meaningful daily activities and social participation. The goal is to define and operationalize the concept by identifying its key attributes, antecedents, and consequences across care contexts. Methods: A two-phase approach will be used. First, an integrative review will synthesize empirical evidence from gerontology, occupational therapy, psychology, nursing, and health ethics to examine current conceptualizations and practices. Second, a concept analysis will explore the theoretical structure of self-direction support. Findings will be synthesized into a conceptual framework. Expected outcomes: This study is expected to provide a clearer conceptual framework outlining the core components of self-direction as described in existing literature. This framework will define key attributes, identify influencing factors, and propose measurable indicators. The framework aims to guide professionals in balancing autonomy, safety, and care needs. Conclusions: As this is a study protocol, no results are presented; findings will be reported in the forthcoming review. The anticipated outcomes are expected to contribute to theory and practice by framing self-direction within social health. The framework may inform future research, policy, and intervention development to strengthen self-direction in meaningful activities and participation among vulnerable older adults. Further validation across settings and cultural contexts will be required. Full article

Despite regulatory advances, there continues to be a high accident rate on construction sites, especially on road projects, mainly due to the lack of organization of safety information. Although there is research demonstrating the benefits of the BIM methodology for improving occupational safety, its scope is still limited. This study addresses the integration of occupational health and safety in road projects using the BIM methodology, in line with ISO 19650-1, proposing a standardization framework based on ISO 7817-1:2024. The concept of Level of Information for Safety and Health (LOINSH) is introduced, structured into four categories (100, 200, 300, and 350), which allows risks to be managed progressively throughout the project’s life cycle. The framework defines graphical and alphanumeric requirements for BIM objects, establishing sets of parameters recognized by the open IFC format to ensure interoperability and traceability. It also proposes a system for assessing risks associated with activities and disciplines, facilitating preventive decisions from the design stage onwards. The results indicate that this standardization improves communication and collaboration between agents, reduces workplace accidents, and can be applied to other types of construction works. Full article

Age-related cognitive decline and individual differences in dementia susceptibility are increasingly explained through the concept of cognitive reserve (CR). CR reflected the brain’s adaptive capacity to sustain cognitive performance despite Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-related pathology, extending beyond traditional biomarkers that captured the molecular or structural changes, but often failed to account for clinical heterogeneity. This review provided a comprehensive synthesis of how CR was operationalized through three major methodological approaches: sociobehavioral proxies, residual variance frameworks, and neurobiological indicators within the context of longitudinal study designs. The review included evidences from a structured PubMed and Scopus search restricted to English-language studies examining the incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or AD. Findings consistently demonstrated that higher CR, most commonly estimated through sociobehavioral proxies, such as educational level, occupational complexity, bilingualism, and engagement in cognitively stimulating activities, was associated with a delayed onset of impairment, lower dementia risk, and better clinical outcomes, despite a comparable neuropathological burden. Residual variance approaches provided complementary insights by quantifying cognitive performance that exceeded the predicted levels from underlying pathology, thereby capturing unexplained variance by structural or molecular disease markers. These residual-based methods extend CR concept beyond life-course experiences, offering statistical evidence of resilience within longitudinal trajectories of aging and disease. Additional evidence from electrophysiological and genetic investigations further suggested that CR enhanced the neural efficiency, flexibility, and the recruitment of compensatory networks. Finally, neuroimaging studies provided the mechanistic evidence that CR was supported by alterations in brain structure, functional connectivity, and activation patterns, though findings on long-term trajectories remained inconsistent. Overall, CR emerged as a multidimensional and modifiable construct that enhanced resilience to aging and dementia. Future research should prioritize the integrative longitudinal designs, combining sociobehavioral, residual variance, genetic, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging approaches to clarify mechanisms, establishing robust measurement frameworks and advance clinical translation. Full article

Building cracks are among the critical building defects, as they can compromise structural integrity, occupant safety and building sustainability. Traditional laborious building inspection methods are cumbersome and erroneous. Computer vision-based crack detection relies on image recognition and does not analyse the underlying causes or suggest rectification strategies. This study explores the potential and limitations of multimodal AI models, that integrate image and text modalities for building crack analysis. As a proof-of-concept, the vision–language model, CracksGPT was built upon a fine-tuned MiniGPT-v2. It was trained on custom crack images with text descriptions detailing visual features, possible causes, and rectification options. It was tested on crack images from a building site in Sydney. When provided with an image of a wall crack, CracksGPT can classify crack patterns of vertical, horizontal, diagonal, and stair-step and interpret possible underlying causes with potential rectification strategies. The ROUGE metric was used for language generation quality evaluation followed by a performance evaluation by building inspection experts. The model’s performance is sensitive to input image quality and training data limitations, specifically in complex scenarios, reaffirming the value of expert overseeing. The findings highlight the potential and limitations of multimodal AI for integrating vision–language reasoning into building inspections. Full article

Background: Workplace bullying, harassment and sexual abuse cause psychological harm, and can pose a significant threat to the success of an organization as well. This type of violence in the workplace, comprising negative actions and often abuse of power, can lead to trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD and in severe cases, suicide. These acts impact workplace performance, negatively impact psychological safety and lead to high turnover and loss of productivity in an organization. Objectives: This narrative review outlines the key concepts of bullying, its impact on the individual, and the ways an organization can obstruct and manage it, using recent works (2018–2025) and some highlighted literature on trauma, power, and psychological safety. Methodology: Research conducted on leadership, safety climate, psychological safety and trauma-informed- as well as meta-analyses and relevant gray literature, journal articles, and other studies on bullying that A narrative synthesis of peer-reviewed and selected gray literature was conducted across PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were integrated to this review. Results: Exposure to bullying was connected to anxiety, depression, burnout, post-traumatic stress disorders, cardiovascular problems, absenteeism, and turnover. Diminished psychological safety, as well as disordered leadership, increases the damaging effect. In contrast, ethical trauma-informed leadership and a strong psychosocial safety climate promote recovery and decrease the incidence of bullying. Conclusions: Recognizing workplace bullying, harassment, and sexual abuse as forms of violence—and as both occupational and public health hazards—underscores the urgency of prevention. Embedding psychological safety as a core organizational value at every level is essential to fostering healthier, more resilient workplaces. Full article

Ensuring thermal comfort in waiting areas is essential for visitor satisfaction and well-being. In the context of nearly zero-energy buildings (nZEBs), these spaces—typically characterized by short-term occupancy, transient user behavior, and the need for rapid temperature adjustment—pose specific challenges for HVAC control in balancing comfort and energy demand. This study investigates the influence of a ceiling-mounted fan coil unit (FCU) operating in heating mode on thermal comfort conditions in an nZEB office waiting area. Measurements were conducted at multiple points within the space to assess microclimate parameters, followed by the calculation of the predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) indices, supported by occupant feedback collected through short interviews. The results showed that although the FCU effectively increased the average temperature, its intermittent operation and localized air jets during the heating phase caused temporary discomfort near the unit. Occupant feedback confirmed sensations of discomfort due to strong air movement during FCU operation but indicated slightly higher overall dissatisfaction and smaller variability compared to model-based PPD values, reflecting the averaging effect of occupant perception over time. These findings highlight the need for optimized FCU control strategies in waiting areas, such as operating at reduced fan speeds and preheating the heat exchanger, to enhance occupant comfort. This study contributes to improving HVAC control concepts for semi-transient spaces in nZEBs. Full article