Search Results (318)

Introduction: Dental caries and molar–incisor hypomineralisation (MIH) are prevalent conditions affecting children’s oral health, with functional, aesthetic, and psychosocial implications. In Spain, previous studies have highlighted geographic and sociodemographic disparities in their distribution, particularly among rural and migrant populations. Objective: To characterise oral health status, in terms of caries and MIH, among 6–7-year-old children from the towns of Palos de la Frontera, Mazagón, and San Bartolomé. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 229 children recruited from public primary schools. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, and behavioural data were collected through clinical examination and interview. Statistical analysis included univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Huelva. Results: The prevalence of caries (DMFT ≥ 1) was 53.3%, with mean DMFT and dft indices of 1.78 and 0.31, respectively. MIH affected 32.8% of the cohort, with a predominance in the first permanent molars (teeth 36 and 26). Multivariate analysis identified independent predictors of caries: African (OR = 7.47; 95% CI: 2.84–23.8) and European (OR = 4.56; 95% CI: 1.26–22.3) parental origin, poor oral hygiene (OR = 3.07; 95% CI: 1.60–6.03), and the presence of MIH (OR = 3.20; 95% CI: 1.64–6.42). The municipality of San Bartolomé was associated with a higher risk of MIH (OR = 2.90; 95% CI: 1.21–7.45). Conclusions: The high prevalence of caries and MIH in the Condado-Campiña district, exceeding national averages, reflects oral health inequities linked to social determinants (migrant origin, locality) and clinical factors (MIH, oral hygiene). Targeted preventive interventions are urgently needed in high-risk populations, including culturally tailored education and policies ensuring equitable access to dental care services. Full article

In the anti-immigrant national context of the first Trump administration, what motivated Latine immigrants in Texas to pursue naturalization? Based on 31 Spanish and English semi-structured interviews conducted during 2017–2019, we examine how lawful permanent residents’ (LPRs’) perceptions of contemporary immigration policy and their social rights affect their motivations to naturalize. Surprisingly, we find that although fear of deportation was an extremely common motivation, it was rarely the residents’ primary motivation. When asked why they wanted to naturalize, our respondents expressed four primary motivations grounded in their claims for social rights: proactive (gain the right to vote, benefit the group), pragmatic (expedite family reunification, access better jobs, benefit the individual), defensive (protect against deportation), and emotional (formalize a sense of belonging). Although 60 percent of interview subjects mentioned some defensive motivations, citing the current national and state political climate as hostile to immigrants, it was the least common primary motivation for naturalization; that is, they named another motivation first as their most important reason for naturalizing. The need to naturalize to protect their social rights in a shifting political context is a strong subtext to subjects’ narratives about why they choose to become citizens. Defensive motivations undergird all other motivations, but the national hostile climate is moderated by relatively positive local interactions with law enforcement and the larger community. Full article

This study examines how U.S. immigration policies enact legal violence and multigenerational punishment through the spousal reunification process, particularly in mixed-status, transnational families. Building on the concept of “deportability,” we introduce “importability” to describe a beneficiary’s potential to secure permanent residency, which varies according to social markers such as race, gender, and region of origin. Drawing from a content analysis of threads on the Immigration Pathways (IP) web forum, we analyze discussions among U.S. citizen petitioners navigating marriage-based green card applications, with a focus on experiences involving administrative processing (AP) (i.e., marriage fraud investigations). Our findings show that couples who do not align with the state’s conception of “proper” family—particularly U.S. citizen women petitioning for Black African partners—face intensified scrutiny, long delays, and burdensome requirements, including DNA tests and surveillance. These bureaucratic obstacles produce prolonged family separation, financial strain, and diminished sense of belonging, especially for children in single-parent households. Through the lens of “importability,” we reveal how legal violence and multigenerational punishment of immigration policies on mixed-status families beyond deportation threats, functioning as a gatekeeping mechanism that disproportionately affects marginalized families. This research highlights the understudied consequences of immigration policies on citizen petitioners and contributes to a broader understanding of inequality in U.S. immigration enforcement. Full article

Precision irrigation plays a crucial role in managing crop production in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. This study builds on the results of the GreenWaterDrone project, aiming to estimate, in real time, the actual water requirements of crop fields using the crop water stress index, integrating infrared canopy temperature, air temperature, relative humidity, and thermal and near-infrared imagery. To achieve this, a state-of-the-art aerial micrometeorological station (AMMS), equipped with an infrared thermal sensor, temperature–humidity sensor, and advanced multispectral and thermal cameras is mounted on an unmanned aerial system (UAS), thus minimizing crop field intervention and permanently installed equipment maintenance. Additionally, data from satellite systems and ground micrometeorological stations (GMMS) are integrated to enhance and upscale system results from the local field to the regional level. The research was conducted over two years of pilot testing in the municipality of Trifilia (Peloponnese, Greece) on pilot potato and watermelon crops, which are primary cultivations in the region. Results revealed that empirical irrigation applied to the rhizosphere significantly exceeded crop water needs, with over-irrigation exceeding by 390% the maximum requirement in the case of potato. Furthermore, correlations between high-resolution remote and proximal sensors were strong, while associations with coarser Landsat 8 satellite data, to upscale the local pilot field experimental results, were moderate. By applying a comprehensive model for upscaling pilot field results, to the overall Trifilia region, project findings proved adequate for supporting sustainable irrigation planning through simulation scenarios. The results of this study, in the context of the overall services introduced by the project, provide valuable insights for farmers, agricultural scientists, and local/regional authorities and stakeholders, facilitating improved regional water management and sustainable agricultural policies. Full article

This study investigates how differing educational frameworks across Lebanon, Turkey, and Australia influence the perceived educational performance of Syrian refugee children. The legal status granted to refugees in each country fundamentally shapes their respective education systems’ responses. In Lebanon, refugees are generally classified as temporarily displaced persons, resulting in an emergency-based approach to education for the approximately 500,000 Syrian children present. By contrast, Australia has offered permanent resettlement opportunities to selected Syrian refugees, integrating them directly into mainstream schools. Turkey, meanwhile, has progressively shifted from emergency-based measures to policies oriented toward long-term integration. This research is based on survey data from 1298 Syrian refugee children across the three contexts. Findings from ordered probit regression analyses indicate that, beyond the legal duration of residency and the prevailing educational policy model (emergency versus long-term integration), variables such as the extent of educational segregation, the availability of preparatory and language support programmes, and the socioeconomic status of families are also pivotal in shaping students’ self-perceived academic performance. Full article

The growing recognition of animal sentience has led to notable progress in European Union animal welfare legislation. However, a significant inconsistency remains: while mammals, birds, and cephalopods are legally protected as sentient beings, honeybees (Apis mellifera)—despite robust scientific evidence of their cognitive, emotional, and sensory complexity—are excluded from such protections. This manuscript examines, from an interdisciplinary perspective, the divergence between emerging evidence on invertebrate sentience and current EU legal frameworks. Honeybees and cephalopods serve as comparative case studies to assess inconsistencies in the criteria for legal recognition of sentience. Findings increasingly confirm that honeybees exhibit advanced cognitive functions, emotional states, and behavioral flexibility comparable to those of legally protected vertebrates. Their omission from welfare legislation lacks scientific justification and raises ethical and ecological concerns, especially given their central role in pollination and ecosystem stability. In general, we advocate for the inclusion of Apis mellifera in EU animal welfare policy. However, we are aware that there are also critical views on their introduction, which we address in a dedicated paragraph of the manuscript. For this reason, we advocate a gradual and evidence-based approach, guided by a permanent observatory, which could ensure that legislation evolves in parallel with scientific understanding, promoting ethical consistency, sustainable agriculture, and integrated health under the One Health framework. This approach would meet the concerns of consumers who consider well-being and respect for the environment as essential principles of breeding, and who carefully choose products from animals raised with systems that respect welfare, with indisputable economic advantages for the beekeeper. Full article

Understanding the dynamic behavior of the grazing land footprint (GLF) is critical for sustainable land management. This study examines the GLF in 92 countries to determine if the series is stationary, a statistical property indicating that shocks have transitory effects, or non-stationary, which implies that shocks have permanent, cumulative impacts (a phenomenon known as persistence). We employ a novel machine learning framework that uses an XGBoost algorithm to synthesize information from multiple conventional tests and time-series characteristics, enhancing analytical robustness. The results reveal significant cross-country heterogeneity. The GLF exhibits stationary behavior in a subset of nations, including China, India, and Norway, suggesting that their ecosystems can absorb shocks. However, for most countries, the GLF is non-stationary, indicating that ecological disruptions have lasting and cumulative impacts. These findings underscore that a one-size-fits-all policy approach is inadequate. Nations with a stationary GLF may find short-term interventions effective, whereas those with non-stationary series require profound structural reforms to mitigate long-term degradation. This highlights the critical role of advanced methodologies in shaping evidence-based environmental policy. Full article

Urbanisation and land-use change are among the main pressures on soil health in periurban areas, but the multifunctionality of grassland soils is still not sufficiently recognised. In this study, the physical and chemical properties of soils under grassland, forest and croplands in the periurban area of Zagreb were investigated in a two-year period. Grasslands consistently exhibited multifunctional benefits, including high organic matter content (4.68% vs. 2.24% in cropland), improved bulk density (1.14 vs. 1.24 g cm⁻³) and an active carbon cycle indicated by increased CO₂ emissions (up to 1403 kg ha⁻¹ day⁻¹ in 2021). Forest soils showed the highest aggregate stability (91.4%) and infiltration (0.0006 cm s⁻¹), while croplands showed signs of structural degradation with the highest bulk density and lowest water retention (39.9%). Temporal variation showed that grassland was particularly responsive to favourable climatic conditions, with soil porosity and water content improving yearly. Principal component analysis showed that soil structure, biological activity and moisture regulation were linked, with grassland plots favourably positioned along the axes of resilience. The absence of tillage and the presence of permanent vegetation cover contributed to their high capacity for climate and water regulation and carbon sequestration. These results emphasise the importance of protecting and managing grasslands as an important component of urban green areas. Practices such as mulching, minimal disturbance and continuous cover can maximise the ecosystem services of grassland soils. In addition, the results highlight the potential risk of trace metal accumulation in cropland and grassland soils located near urban and farming infrastructure, underlining the need for regular monitoring in periurban environments. Integrating grassland functions into urban planning and policy is essential for improving the sustainability and resilience of periurban landscapes. Full article

Urban regulations in Amman, Jordan, enforce uniform building setbacks irrespective of topography, exacerbating shading effects and compromising daylight access in residential areas—a critical factor for occupant health and psychological well-being. This study evaluates the interplay between standardized setbacks, slope variations (0–30%), and shadow patterns in Amman’s dense, mountainous urban fabric. Focusing on the Al Jubayhah district, a mixed-methods approach was used, combining field surveys, 3D modeling (Revit), and seasonal shadow simulations (March, September, December) to quantify daylight deprivation. The results reveal severe shading in winter (78.3% site coverage in December) and identify slope-dependent setbacks as a key determinant: for instance, a 15 m building on a 30% slope requires a 26.4 m rear setback to mitigate shadows, compared to 13.8 m on flat terrain. Over 39% of basements in the study area remain permanently shaded due to retaining walls, correlating with poor living conditions. The findings challenge Amman’s one-size-fits-all regulatory framework (Building Code No. 67, 1979), and we propose adaptive guidelines, including slope-adjusted setbacks, restricted basement usage, and optimized street orientation. This research underscores the urgency of context-sensitive urban policies in mountainous cities to balance developmental density with daylight equity, offering a replicable methodology for similar Mediterranean climates. Full article

The ongoing climate crisis and growing water scarcity are exerting increasing pressure on agriculture in Southern and Western Europe, leading to reduced crop yields, greater risk of land abandonment, and deterioration of soil quality. Despite the extensive literature on irrigation and water use in agriculture, the specific relationship between irrigation availability and changes in the type of farming (ToF) remains insufficiently investigated. This study aims to address this gap by analyzing data from the 2010 and 2020 Italian General Agricultural Censuses conducted by ISTAT, in combination with microdata from the Italian Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), focusing on irrigated farms in Southern Italy. Descriptive analysis reveals that over 60% of irrigated farms specialize in permanent crops and predominantly adopt efficient irrigation systems such as drip irrigation. Between 2010 and 2020, approximately 23.8% of farms changed their ToF; however, these transitions were not generally associated with improvements in productivity or profitability. Results from logistic regression models suggest that structural variables—including Utilized Agricultural Area (UAA), economic size, and demographic characteristics such as the farmer’s gender—play a more significant role in determining changes in the ToF than the presence of irrigation itself. Moreover, the adoption of organic practices and larger farm sizes are positively associated with ToF changes. These findings suggest that while there has been some shift toward less water-demanding and potentially more sustainable crops, the impact of irrigation on such transitions remains limited. The results underscore the need for more targeted agricultural policies and improved data collection to support effective climate adaptation strategies in the sector. Full article

This paper presents a novel control strategy employing a deep reinforcement learning (DRL) scheme for online selection of optimal weighting factors in cost functions of the finite control set model predictive current controller of a permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM). Indeed, when designing predictive controllers for PMSMs’ phase currents, competing objectives appear, such as managing current convergence and switching transitions. These objectives result in an asymmetric cost function where they have to be balanced through weighting factors in order to enhance the inverter and motor performance. Leveraging the twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm, the optimal weighting factor selection policy is obtained for online balancing of the choice between current deviation in the $dq$ frame and inverter commutations. For comparison, a metaheuristic-based artificial neural network is trained on static data obtained through a multi-objective genetic algorithm to predict the weights. The key performance markers, such as torque ripple, total harmonic distortion, switching frequency, steady-state, and dynamic performance, are provided through numerical simulations to verify the effectiveness of the proposed tuning scheme. The results of these simulations confirm that the proposed dynamic control scheme effectively resolves the challenges of weighting factor choice, meeting inverter performance requirements, and delivering better dynamic and steady-state performance. Full article

The resettlement of development-induced migrants is a complex socioeconomic and cultural process. The levels of place identity among migrants may profoundly affect their long-term stability and sustainable development in host communities. For long-distance displaced migrants, their social relations undergo drastic changes, and the extent of social-relations reconstruction determines their place identity in the resettlement area. Previous studies mainly concentrated on migrant compensation schemes, housing, and land allocation, and livelihood restoration. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the mechanism by which social-relations reconstruction shapes place identity. Drawing on sample survey data collected during 2022–2023 from migrants displaced from the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) in China to various other provinces, this study conceptualizes place identity in three dimensions: group identity, permanent settlement intention, and expectations for children. A structural equation model (SEM) was employed to investigate how social relations, categorized as geographical, home-tied, and carried-over relations, mediate the influence of multiple factors on place identity. The findings are that: (1) among development-induced migrants, social relations exerted significant positive effects on place identity, along with personal characteristics, socioeconomic characteristics, land, and housing factors. Moreover, family features, socioeconomic characteristics, and land and housing factors all had a significantly positive impact on social relations; (2) social relations acted as a full mediator between family features and place identity, and a partial mediator between socioeconomic characteristics/land and housing factors and place identity; (3) among geographical, home-tied, and carried-over social relations, geographical social relations had the largest effect on place identity, followed by carried-over relations. However, continuous dependence on home-tied social relations negatively affected the migrants’ development of place identity in new resettlement areas. This study elucidates the role of social relations in the socioeconomic and cultural reconstruction during migrant resettlement, offering insight for improving resettlement policies and promoting sustainable community integration. Full article

Job satisfaction is a critical factor in healthcare settings, influencing both healthcare professionals’ well-being and patient care quality. Nurses, as frontline healthcare professionals, experience various stressors that impact their job satisfaction. Organizational culture (OC) and emotional intelligence (EI) have emerged as significant determinants of nurses’ job satisfaction. However, research on how these factors interact in different cultural contexts remains limited. Objective: This study examines the impact of organizational culture and emotional intelligence on nurses’ job satisfaction. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 338 nurses working in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Greece. Data were collected using the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), and Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore the associations between job satisfaction and study variables. Results: Nurses reported moderate job satisfaction (JSS mean score = 115.24 ± 20.84). Clan culture was the dominant organizational culture, while Hierarchy culture was the most preferred. EI was recorded at high levels among participants (WLEIS mean = 86.52 ± 12.24). Higher emotional intelligence, permanent employment status, and having children emerged as the most significant predictors of job satisfaction (p < 0.05). Notably, Hierarchy culture did not significantly predict job satisfaction, suggesting that while structure influences satisfaction, it does not solely determine it. Conclusions: The findings emphasize the importance of job security, emotional intelligence, and personal responsibilities in shaping job satisfaction. To enhance satisfaction, healthcare organizations should promote EI training, supportive leadership, and flexible policies that align organizational culture with healthcare professionals’ needs. Further research is needed to explore these relationships in diverse healthcare settings. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly redefined the workplace dynamics, necessitating a pivotal shift from traditional on-site work to remote work and hybrid models, leading to further transformations in office design and operational strategies. Through a systematic review of the literature published from 2020 to 2025, this study explores the multifaceted impacts of workplace management transformations. Key major trends include the following: (1) the accelerated adoption of digital technologies; (2) a shift towards hybrid work models; and (3) the integration of health, safety, and sustainability practices in workplace design and operation. By drawing these trends together, this study reveals a permanent shift in how organizations approach workplace management, prioritizing flexibility, resilience, and technology integration to support a diverse and evolving workforce. This research contributes to growing body of literature on post-pandemic workplace strategies, contributing original insights that could shape future organizational policies and enhance workplace design and functionality. Full article

This study adapted the Socioenvironmental Vulnerability Index (SEVI) for rural communities in Espírito Santo, Brazil, considering climatic, environmental and social factors. The analysis included using an integration of indices, such as the Environmental Vulnerability Index (EnVuIn) and the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI). The inclusion of variables, such as the Water Quality Index (WQI), the percentage of conflicting use of Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) and the existence of water reservoirs, presented new elements that directly influence environmental vulnerability. The results indicate significant human interference in PPAs with high rates of conflicting use, especially in the communities of Boa Esperança (85.8%) and José Marcos (85.4%). The absence of water reservoirs proved to be a critical factor for the water security of the communities. Communities such as Novo Sonho presented high poverty rates, reflecting a high SVI (0.61). The EnVuIn indicated high environmental vulnerability in the communities of Boa Esperança, Santa Clara, Ita, Novo Sonho and Monte Alegre. Integrating the indicators and adapting the methodology resulted in a high SEVI for most communities, with emphasis on Novo Sonho and Boa Esperança (0.54), classified as very high. The study reinforces the need for public policies to reduce socioenvironmental risks and promote sustainability in rural communities. Full article