Search Results (433)

The conservation of cultural heritage is highly influenced by environmental factors, including chemical and biological air quality and microclimatic conditions. Understanding their combined effects is essential for developing preventive conservation strategies. This study focuses on the indoor air quality in the King’s Apartment in the Royal Palace of Turin (Italy), a historic building lacking air-conditioning systems, where a multidisciplinary approach was applied to assess the conservation environment. Continuous monitoring of Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC), particulate matter (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀), temperature and relative humidity was performed between March 2024 and July 2025 using portable sensors; aerobiological analyses were carried out through active and passive sampling, while volatile compounds were identified via SPME-GC/MS. Pollutants and biological monitoring revealed fluctuations influenced by microclimatic variations and spatial position. Notably, results showed that one room exhibited the highest levels of concern across all monitoring activities, representing the most vulnerable environment. The use of a multidisciplinary approach enabled a comprehensive understanding of the environmental conditions affecting the King’s Apartment, highlighting the relevance of collaboration in heritage science to guide evidence-based preventive conservation strategies. Full article

Both Korea and China have a rich history of Nuo rituals, with those of the Koryŏ Dynasty particularly inheriting the institutional framework established by the Tang Dynasty. However, scholars from both nations have predominantly conducted research within their respective domestic contexts, resulting in a limited number of comparative studies on Sino-Korean Nuo rituals. This paper addresses a specific aspect of Nuo rituals—the participants in palace ceremonies—by examining the composition, identities, ages, and numbers of participants across different historical periods in Korea and China. Through this analysis, it elucidates the connections and distinctions between the two traditions and identifies their defining characteristics. Throughout the historical development of Nuo rituals in Korea and China, changes occurred not only in participants’ identities and numbers but also in the composition of participants, which was adjusted according to each country’s specific needs. For example, the number of participants was redistributed based on the number of palace gates, and Nuo ritual participants were selected through the state office Sŏun’gwan 서운관 (Office of Astronomical and Meteorological Records). These modifications were all made in accordance with the practical requirements of each nation. Despite the influence of Tang models on the development of Koryŏ’s Nuo rituals, these practices were not merely adopted wholesale. Instead, a process of adaptation occurred, wherein the adoption of Tang practices was accompanied by the introduction of unique adaptations, resulting in a distinct and evolving ritual tradition. By the Chosŏn era, modifications to Nuo rituals had expanded significantly to align with Korea’s unique sociopolitical context. Participants were reorganized in accordance with the protocols and demands of the Chosŏn royal court. Full article

In 1897, King Leopold II of Belgium opened the Brussels International Exposition, which, in the Palace of the Colonies, showcased objects and people from the Congo Free State. They were displayed as the property of the King, who was the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. The Palace of the Colonies was a combination of classically inspired imperial architecture and references to the Congo. The exposition was a huge success. As a result, the King built Africa Palace, a permanent ethnographic museum dedicated to his idea of Congo. It was located adjacent to his palace in Tervuren, now a suburb outside of Brussels. In 2018, the museum reopened as AfricaMuseum. This paper examines the inherent colonial frame of AfricaMuseum, both physically and ideologically, that continue to limit a significant socio-political shift for the museum, and the contemporary art pieces by Congolese and Burundian artists that have been tasked with the heavy lifting in shifting the narrative. Full article

Male infertility represents a major clinical and societal issue, with azoospermia being one of its most severe forms. Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) has been proposed as a potential biomarker for predicting testicular sperm extraction (TESE) outcomes in men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA). This study aimed to systematically evaluate the association between AMH levels and sperm retrieval success. We included studies on men with NOA reporting TESE outcomes by AMH level, excluding those without full text or with insufficient data. When cohorts overlapped, the most complete study was used, following PICO criteria focused on AMH measurements and sperm retrieval rates (SRR). A comprehensive search identified 133 potentially relevant publications. Of these, 11 studies published between 2006 and 2023, including 1280 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Pooled analyses were performed using random-effects models. This meta-analysis was recorded in the PROSPERO database (registration ID: CRD420251065256). Reported SRRs ranged from 30.35% to 76.27%. Meta-analysis of nine studies assessing serum AMH concentrations revealed significant heterogeneity (I² = 88%). Elevated serum AMH was negatively associated with SRR (standardized mean difference [SMD] = −2.58; 95% CI: −4.73 to −0.44; p < 0.00001). In contrast, seminal plasma AMH levels (two studies) showed no significant association with SRR (I² = 82%). Similarly, preoperative FSH levels (nine studies) did not demonstrate a consistent association with SRR, despite higher mean concentrations in patients with successful TESE (p = 0.02; SMD = −4.86; 95% CI: −9.07 to −0.66). Serum AMH levels are significantly associated with TESE outcomes in men with NOA. However, the predictive value of AMH and other hormonal markers is limited by high inter-individual variability and overlapping values between successful and unsuccessful cases. These findings underscore the complexity of NOA and highlight the need to interpret hormonal markers within a broader clinical and biochemical context. Full article

The use of floating wetlands has been receiving increased attention as a minimally invasive method for oil spill remediation, but the species of vegetation incorporated in floating wetlands may influence the success of oil degradation. Therefore, a freshwater microcosm experiment was conducted at the IISD Experimental Lakes Area, Canada to assess the potential of common wetland plants Typha sp., Carex utriculata, and C. lasiocarpa, to remove phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ubiquitously found at oil spill sites. Triplicate microcosms containing 3L of lake water were established with either Typha sp., Carex utriculata, or C. lasiocarpa and then treated with nominal concentration of 1 mg/L phenanthrene and monitored over 21 days. Two types of reference microcosms were also included: one set with the same plant allocations but not treated with phenanthrene and another with water only and no plants or phenanthrene. Phenanthrene declined by over 89.30% in all microcosms that received the compound, but the decline was more rapid in microcosms that included Typha sp. and C. lasiocarpa, than those with C. utriculate or no plants. Declining phenanthrene concentrations in microcosms without plants may have resulted from biofilm stimulation. Specific conductivity and pH were influenced by plant type but not phenanthrene, while dissolved oxygen was influenced by both. There was no influence of phenanthrene on plant growth rates or root biofilm bioactivity, measured by adenosine triphosphate or oxygen consumption. Results indicate there may be plant-specific factors influencing remediation success which should be explored in future research. Full article

Museums widely regard cultural and creative products as both a major revenue stream and a means of revitalizing in-house cultural resources. However, traditional decision-making systems for Museum Cultural Creative Products (MCCP) design largely depend on subjective judgments, leading to inefficiency, resource waste, and weak market performance. To address these challenges and support sustainable design decision-making, this study proposes an integrated “KANO–AHP–DEMATEL–VIKOR” framework that combines qualitative and quantitative methods. First, consumer requirements are elicited through questionnaire-based interviews and literature review; the KANO model identifies key user needs, AHP determines their relative weights, and DEMATEL analyzes causal relationships among criteria. By integrating these results, the VIKOR method evaluates and ranks alternative designs, forming a comprehensive multi-criteria optimization process. To validate the framework, an empirical case of the Palace Museum’s refrigerator magnets is conducted, comparing computed rankings with actual sales data to verify predictive validity. The small discrepancy between the two indicates that the model effectively forecasts consumer acceptance across design alternatives. The major innovation of this research lies in its cross-method integration that bridges user perception analysis with quantitative sustainability evaluation, offering a replicable tool for early-stage decision-making of museum creative products. Accordingly, the framework enhances design efficiency, reduces evaluation subjectivity, and contributes to the economic and environmental sustainability of Museum Cultural Creative Products. Full article

The present article is the product of ongoing research by the present authors into pre-reform meditation traditions in Siam. Historical and textual circumstances indicate that the Phra Lakkhaṇa Dhamma (lit., the honorable characteristics of Dhamma) the meditation manuscript under our study here, was copied during the reign of King Taksin (r.1767–1782), the founder of Thonburi, post-Ayutthaya Siam. The manuscript has, until now, been kept unstudied at Wat Hongrattanaram, one of the most important temples during Taksin’s reign, located adjacent to this palace in Thonburi city. The authors, while engaged in researching manuscript collections in Thonburi, were shown this important manuscript. Its contents clearly show this to have been aligned with what some contemporary authors have designated the boran kammatthan (“old-” or “traditional meditation”) or yogāvacara (“meditation practitioner”) tradition that flourished in pre-modern Siam and has been the subject of recent research by the present authors and others. In this article, the manuscript is described, summarily translated, and contextualised, and its meditational contents are analysed. Full article

Historic urban landscapes, despite their cultural significance, often face neglect, limiting their potential to increase the value of historical centers. Defined as a complex sociotechnical network that involves a variety of agencies incorporating material, immaterial, natural, and artificial elements, these landscapes present significant challenges for architects because of their layered and diverse components. Actor–network theory (ANT) is used as a methodological and ontological framework to address this complexity. However, a notable research gap exists on the basis of the lack of clear representation and practical application of ANT to address the complexity of these historic urban landscapes. To bridge this gap, this study uses Bey’s palace as a case study to develop a comprehensive framework based on a digital mapping approach rooted in ANT. This framework traces, visualizes, and analyzes historic urban landscapes as intricate systems of agencies, leveraging graph theoretical algorithms and computational analysis tasks from network analysis tools to increase their effectiveness. This investigation is based on two key concepts: the actor/actant and the actor network. The research employed Bruno Latour’s concepts of translation, agency, and the mapping controversies technique grounded in graph-theoretic algorithm tasks to decipher the complexities of Bey’s palace system. The results identify seven clusters as actor networks and highlight the roles of key actors/actants, such as Ahmed Bey, decorative elements, courtyard gardens, and Moorish architecture. This methodological approach provides architects and urban planners with practical tools to better understand, analyze and preserve historic urban landscapes, enriching their cultural and historical value. By transforming contested discourses into measurable networks indicators, this interdisciplinary framework directly supports SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), especially Target 11.4, in safeguarding cultural heritage by enabling the prioritization, monitoring and governance of cultural, social and infrastructural assets in historic urban landscapes. Full article

Esophageal cancer (EC) continues to pose a major global health burden, ranking as the ninth most common malignancy and sixth leading cause of cancer mortality, with over 600,000 new cases and 500,000 deaths annually as of 2025. While esophagectomy has long been the standard for curative intent in resectable disease, organ preservation strategies have advanced significantly, offering viable alternatives for patients with locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) or those unsuitable for surgery due to comorbidities. These approaches encompass definitive chemoradiotherapy (dCRT), neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) followed by active surveillance (“watch-and-wait”), and innovative integrations of immunotherapy and targeted therapies. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from recent clinical trials, systematic reviews, and international guidelines up to 2025, demonstrating that organ-sparing protocols can achieve comparable overall survival (OS) rates—often exceeding 50% at 5 years in selected cohorts-while substantially enhancing quality of life (QoL) by preserving esophageal function. For instance, the SANO trial (2025) confirmed non-inferiority of active surveillance post-nCRT, with 2-year OS of 74% versus 71% for standard surgery. Key challenges include imprecise response assessment, locoregional recurrences (20–30%), and treatment-related toxicities such as esophageal strictures. Emerging trials like ESOSTRATE and PALACE3 are evaluating immunotherapy-enhanced regimens, potentially expanding organ preservation to esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC). With genomic biomarkers and novel modalities like proton therapy, personalized organ preservation promises to broaden applicability, reduce morbidity, and improve outcomes across histological subtypes. Additionally, recent studies emphasize the role of liquid biopsies, such as circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA), in monitoring treatment response and guiding surveillance, potentially reducing the need for invasive procedures and improving detection of minimal residual disease. The aim of this review is not only to summarize recent trials but to synthesize them into an operational framework that clinicians and researchers can apply: a decision algorithm for selecting organ preservation candidates. This is the novel element that distinguishes this work from prior narrative reviews. Full article

Public-health campaigns have to capture and hold visual attention, but little is known about the influence of message framing and visual appeal on attention to bowel-cancer screening ad campaigns. In a within-subjects test, 42 UK adults aged 40 to 65 viewed 54 static adverts that varied by (i) slogan frame—anticipated regret (AR) vs. positive (P); (ii) image type—hand-drawn, older stock, AI-generated; and (iii) identity congruence—viewer ethnicity matched vs. unmatched to the depicted models. Remote eye-tracking measured time to first fixation (TTFF), dwell, fixations, and revisits on a priori pre-defined regions of interest (ROIs); analyses employed linear mixed-effects models (LMMs), generalized estimating equations (GEEs), and median quantile regressions with cluster at the participant level. Across models, the AR slogans produced faster orienting (smaller TTFF) and more intense maintained attention (longer dwell, more fixations and revisits) than the P slogans. Image type set baseline attention (hand-drawn > old stock > AI) but did not significantly decrease the AR benefit, which was equivalent for all visual styles. Identity congruence enhanced early capture (lower TTFF), with small effects for dwell-based measures, suggesting that tailoring benefits only the “first glance.” Anticipated-regret framing is a reliable, design-level alternative to improving both initial capture and sustained processing of screening messages. In practice, the results indicate that advertisers should pair regret-based slogans with warm, human-centred imagery; place slogans in high-salience, low-competition spaces, and, when incorporating AI-generated imagery, reduce composition complexity and exclude uncanny details. These findings ground regret framing as a visual-attention mechanism for public-health campaigns in empirical fact and provide practical recommendations for testing and production. Full article

This article examines the murals of Dabaoji Palace in Lijiang during the Ming Dynasty, analyzing their tripartite religious spatial configuration to elucidate how the Mu chieftains visualized and asserted their political and cultural agency as local elites operating at the empire’s south-western frontier within the framework of imperial authority. Through an interdisciplinary methodology that combines textual research, spatial analysis, and iconographic interpretation, the study identifies and theorizes a threefold religious spatial model in Dabaoji Palace: a Daoist facade symbolizing allegiance to the Ming court, a Han Buddhist-dominated central hybrid space asserting political authority and local agency in cultural mediation, and a secluded Tibetan esoteric sanctum providing sacral legitimacy for frontier governance. This tripartite spatial configuration is interpreted as a strategic localization of religious space that embodies the Mu chieftains’ response to Ming frontier administration. By highlighting the Sino-Tibetan artistic synthesis in the murals, the paper argues that the Mu chieftains, as Naxi elites in a borderland context, crafted a visual narrative of frontier rule that both reinforced their ties to the Ming court and forged a distinctive local identity. In doing so, their initiatives contributed to the cultural integration of multi-ethnic communities in northwest Yunnan and laid the foundation for the formation of a shared national identity. Full article

The influence of traditional Chinese ritual culture on courtyard spatial sequences is widely acknowledged. However, quantitative analytical methods, such as space syntax, have rarely been applied in studies of ritual–residential space relations. This study uses space syntax, specifically Visibility Graph Analysis (VGA) and axial maps, to conduct a quantitative study of the spatial relationship between ritual and residential areas in Prince Kung’s Mansion. The VGA results indicate a distinct gradient of visual integration, which decreases progressively from the outward-oriented ritual areas, such as the palace gate and halls, through the transitional domestic ritual areas to the inward-oriented residential areas, such as Xijin Zhai and Ledao Tang. This pattern demonstrates a positive correlation between spatial visibility and ritual hierarchy. The axial map results confirm that the central axis and core ritual spaces exhibit the highest spatial connectivity, reflecting their supreme ritual status. More importantly, spatial connectivity is intensified during ritual activities compared to in daily life, indicating that enhanced spatial connectivity is required during rituals. Ritual spaces are characterized by extroversion, high visibility, and connectivity, while residential spaces prioritize introversion and minimal exposure. The deliberately designed ritual–residential architectural spatial sequence of Prince Kung’s Mansion articulates Confucian ideological principles, such as centrality as orthodoxy, gender segregation, and hierarchy. This study visually and quantitatively illustrates the harmony between ritual and residential spaces in Prince Kung’s Mansion. It enhances our understanding of the mechanisms of expression of courtyard ritual cultural spaces, providing evidence-based guidance for functional adaptive transformations in heritage conservation practices. It also offers a fresh perspective on the analysis of courtyard ritual spaces. Full article

This article presents the study of an architectural-constructive type located in Valencia: ribless brick vaults built with the “catalan” technique (one single brick plement approximately 5 cm thick). This is a very specific variant of the star-shaped vault, from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, of which we will examine a representative example: the vault that covers the entrance to the Mas Palace in Valencia. The methodology used is dual in nature: on the one hand, a historical study has been carried out to contextualize the typology, and on the other, a metric analysis of the Mas Palace vault has been carried out using laser scanning technology as a prominent tool. These two parts have finally been put into relationship, determining the formal correspondences that define the type, as well as the particularities of the built work. The main finding of the research is the consideration of this star-shaped vaults, not as a set of particular cases, but as a well-defined typology, which was widespread and successful in its context. We have also determined that its formal characteristics are not only due to aesthetic but also functional (stability and fire resistance) issues. This research, therefore, has allowed us to ponder the importance of a constructive solution that usually goes unnoticed and whose originality does not lie in the techniques used but in their original combination. Full article

Accurate prediction of the International Roughness Index (IRI) is critical for road safety and maintenance decisions. In this study, we propose a novel Physics-Aware Informer (PA-Informer) model that integrates the efficiency of the Informer structure with physics constraints derived from partial differential equations (PDEs). The model addresses two key challenges: (1) performance degradation in short-sequence scenarios, and (2) the lack of physics constraints in conventional data-driven models. By embedding residual PDEs to link IRI with influencing factors such as temperature, precipitation, and joint displacement, and introducing a dynamic weighting strategy for balancing data-driven and physics-informed losses, the PA-Informer achieves robust and accurate predictions. Experimental results, based on data from four climatic regions in China, demonstrate its superior performance. The model achieves a Mean Squared Error (MSE) of 0.0165 and R² of 0.962 with an input window length of 30 weeks, and an MSE of 0.0152 and R² with an input window length of 120 weeks. Its accuracy is superior to that of other models, and the stability of the model when the input window length changes is far better than that of other models. Sensitivity analysis highlights joint displacement and internal stress as the most influential features, with stable sensitivity coefficients (S_p ≈ 0.89 and S_p ≈ 0.81). These findings validate the PA-Informer as a reliable and scalable tool for predicting pavement performance under diverse conditions, offering significant improvements over other IRI prediction models. Full article

The sustainable preservation of cultural heritage, as articulated in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.4, requires strategies that not only safeguard tangible and intangible assets but also enhance their long-term cultural, social, and economic value. Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies are increasingly applied in heritage conservation. However, most research emphasizes technical applications, such as improving data accuracy and increasing efficiency, while neglecting their integration into a broader framework of cultural sustainability and heritage tourism. This study addresses this gap by developing a set of practical guidelines for the sustainable use of AI in cultural heritage preservation. The guidelines highlight six dimensions: inclusive data governance, data authenticity protection, leveraging AI as a complementary tool, balancing innovation with cultural values, ensuring copyright and ethical compliance, long-term technical maintenance, and collaborative governance. To illustrate the feasibility of these guidelines, the paper analyses three representative case studies: AI-driven 3D reconstruction of the Old Summer Palace, educational dissemination via Google Arts & Culture, and intelligent restoration at E-Dunhuang. By situating AI-driven practices within the framework of cultural sustainability, this study makes both theoretical and practical contributions to heritage governance, to enhance cultural sustainability commitments and align digital innovation with the enduring preservation of humanity’s shared heritage, providing actionable insights for policymakers, institutions, and the tourism industry in designing resilient and culturally respectful heritage strategies. Full article