Search Results (1,263)

Against the backdrop of China’s urban modernization pathway, the core value of urban innovation systems is increasingly shifting toward an inclusive orientation. Grounded in the theoretical connotation of inclusive urban innovation, this study establishes an evaluation index system covering equal participation opportunities, procedural fairness, and outcome sharing, and applies the entropy method, kernel density analysis, and spatial autocorrelation to empirically examine the spatial distribution characteristics and formation mechanisms of inclusive innovation spaces in Changsha. The results show that (1) Changsha’s inclusive innovation level presents a gradient decline from the central urban area to the periphery; (2) high–high clusters mainly in areas with stronger innovation–resource concentration and better public service conditions, such as Yuelu District and other districts associated with major innovation platforms. Low–low agglomeration zones cluster in peripheral urban areas like certain townships in Liuyang City and remote regions of Ningxiang City; (3) the spatial differentiation of inclusive innovation is jointly shaped by multiple factors, among which Cultural Education and Industrial Structure show relatively stronger explanatory power; and (4) improving inclusive innovation requires enhancing not only innovation agglomeration, but also public service accessibility, talent support, employment inclusion, and the local sharing of innovation outcomes. This study provides a systematic framework for evaluating urban inclusive innovation space and offers policy insights for promoting balanced and inclusive innovation development in regional innovation cities. Full article

Wearable technologies offer practical opportunities for assistive communication and educational support in introductory sign language learning. This paper presents an IoT-enabled smart glove for deterministic static sign language recognition over a bounded vocabulary of 15 isolated static gestures, comprising digits (0–9) and five vowel handshapes (A, E, I, O, U). The system is intended for foundational static gesture and posture practice and is not designed or validated for dynamic gestures, coarticulated signing, continuous sign language recognition, or sentence-level translation. The prototype integrates five 2.2-inch (55.9 mm) resistive flex sensors and an MPU6050 3-axis accelerometer, performs acquisition, exponential moving average filtering, user-specific calibration, normalization, and deterministic classification on a NodeMCU ESP32 board, and transmits selected processed variables to Arduino Cloud through MQTT for remote monitoring. A 10 s calibration routine maps user-specific open-hand and closed-fist responses into normalized flex-sensor ranges, allowing the same deterministic rule structure to operate across participants without model retraining. Experimental evaluation with 10 healthy adult participants aged 20–41 years (mean age: 27 years), all familiar with sign language and all providing written informed consent, produced a balanced dataset of 1500 labeled steady-state sensor vectors. The class-averaged recognition rate was 92.8%, and leave-one-subject-out validation produced a subject-wise accuracy of $92.80\pm 2.03\%$, with individual participant accuracies ranging from 90.00% to 96.00%. The local embedded processing pipeline required less than 2 ms per cycle, the complete path including MQTT visualization produced approximately 150 ms end-to-end latency, and the device operated for up to 14 h using a 3.7 V, 1000 mAh Li-Po battery. The results indicate that calibrated deterministic sensor fusion can provide a low-cost, low-latency, edge-executed solution for bounded static sign-language gesture learning tasks while maintaining stable short-term subject-wise performance under controlled experimental conditions. Full article

The study aimed to examine the role of artificial intelligence in preservice science teachers’ analogical reasoning by comparing the features of analogy designs produced with and without artificial intelligence. The research was conducted with 133 preservice science teachers at a public university in Türkiye. Participants were divided into two conditions: those who designed analogies using artificial intelligence (n = 62) and those who designed analogies without artificial intelligence (n = 71). Analogy design products were analyzed using descriptive analysis, and categorical data derived from these analyses were examined through Pearson’s chi-square tests. In addition, qualitative data obtained from structured interviews with the AI-supported condition were analyzed using content analysis. The results revealed significant differences between the groups in several dimensions of analogy design, presentation format, semantic distance, analogical association, wealth level, and the identification of limitations. Analogies designed with artificial intelligence were more frequently pictorial–verbal, involved both close and remote semantic distance, integrated structural–functional associations, and exhibited extended analogy characteristics. Interview results indicated that preservice science teachers primarily used AI for idea generation, visualization, and creative exploration rather than for generating factual knowledge. These results contribute to the literature by highlighting the potential role of AI in supporting representational transformation processes within science teacher education. Full article

Background and Objectives: Pharmacotherapy is a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder (BD), although half of individuals report suboptimal medication adherence. Medication adherence enhancement programs that are brief, person-specific, and remotely delivered may be an effective adjunct to treatment. The aim of this study was to qualitatively assess what individuals with BD who participated in a Customized Adherence Enhancement (CAE) program found most helpful and unhelpful about this program, focusing on elements most generalizable to medication adherence promotion. Materials and Methods: n = 14 participants with BD from the intervention arm of a randomized effectiveness trial of CAE vs. enhanced treatment–as-usual participated in one-on-one virtual, semi-structured interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and summarized using thematic content analysis to identify themes reflecting what was helpful and unhelpful about the program. Results: Participants identified six main themes reflecting impactful aspects of the medication adherence promotion program: practical tools (e.g., worksheets), self-awareness (e.g., identification of triggers), psychoeducation/content (e.g., specific CAE modules), emotional distress (e.g., difficult emotions arose during sessions), format (e.g., pros/cons of virtual format), and interventionist factors (e.g., rapport). Conclusions: Results provide participant-identified useful aspects of a remotely delivered, adjunctive medication adherence promotion program for individuals in treatment for BD in public-sector settings. Strategies for improvement and scale-up of the program include ensuring sufficient technologic and emotional support throughout the program. Future studies may investigate the longer-term impact of such interventions with multiple stakeholder input and consideration of diverse populations, settings, and cultural contexts. Full article

Background: RIDInet-Reading Trainer 2 (RT-2) is a web-platform for the remote treatment of developmental dyslexia (DD) which has been shown to improve reading performance. However, no previous studies have investigated stability in reading improvement after RT-2 training and the influence of a previous diagnosis of developmental language disorder (DLD) and of participants’ age on stability. Objectives: In a sample of 52 Italian-speaking children with DD who participated in a 3-month home-based treatment with RT-2, we aimed (1) to assess the stability in reading improvement after RT-2 training at a 3-month follow-up and the potential moderating role of DLD and age; and (2) to evaluate the impact of RT-2 training in reading comprehension. Results: By implementing linear mixed model analysis, our findings confirmed reading improvement after RT-2 training in word and text reading in DD. Moreover, we observed an overall stability in single-word and text reading speed performances after three months, regardless of the diagnosis of DLD and the age of the participants. Conversely, accuracy showed an overall stability for single-word reading, while it was significantly stable only in the younger participants in text reading. The improvement was educationally relevant as it impacted reading comprehension. Conclusions: The current study supports the use of remotely delivered DD interventions among school-aged children. Full article

Background: Over the past two decades, teleophthalmology has become an effective approach for glaucoma screening and follow-up, with its adoption markedly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to explore and analyze the attitudes of ophthalmologists in Bulgaria toward the application of teleglaucoma, digital communication, and artificial intelligence in clinical practice. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study was conducted among 113 ophthalmologists between September 2024 and March 2025, representing 10.5% of all licensed ophthalmologists in Bulgaria (n = 1074). Results: Age, professional experience, and specialization influenced the level of involvement in managing glaucoma patients. The level of awareness regarding the term ‘teleophthalmology’ was higher among respondents with a specialization in ophthalmology and those holding a doctoral degree (p = 0.001). Among the ophthalmologists surveyed, 35.4% (n = 40) provided teleophthalmology services, while an additional 19.5% (n = 22) reported no prior provision of such services but planned to do so in the future. The most preferred method for conducting teleophthalmology consultations was telephone communication (n = 27; 67.5%), followed by communication via Skype, Viber, or Messenger (n = 23; 57.5%). Physicians with longer professional experience more frequently conducted remote consultations with patients they already knew (p = 0.006). A substantial proportion of respondents (85.0%, n = 96) expressed willingness to participate in training related to contemporary trends and the provision of remote medical services. More than half of respondents expressed positive attitudes toward the use of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology, although practical implementation remained limited. Conclusions: The present study outlined the current landscape of attitudes among ophthalmologists in Bulgaria toward teleglaucoma, digital communication, and the use of artificial intelligence in clinical practice. The findings indicated a moderately positive yet cautious stance—remote services were perceived primarily as complementary tools, particularly for the follow-up of previously known patients and for real-time collaboration between specialists. Full article

This paper develops a dynamic multidimensional ecosystem service value index for 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2000 to 2023. The index is constructed by integrating remote sensing, GIS, and ecological–economic indicators, with machine learning used as a data-driven tool to aggregate multidimensional ecological information. Building on this measurement framework, the paper applies a staggered Difference-in-Differences (DID) model to evaluate the impact of the ecological conservation redline policy on regional ecosystem service value. The results show that the policy significantly increases urban ecosystem service value and that the effect is cumulative over time. Mechanism analysis suggests that the policy mainly works through three channels: ecological benefit improvement, ecological spatial reconstruction, and community public participation. Heterogeneity analysis further shows that the effect is stronger in early pilot cities and in high-ecological-function zones. In addition, policy coordination and local governance capacity significantly strengthen policy effectiveness. By combining multidimensional ecosystem service measurement with causal policy evaluation, this study extends existing research on ecological conservation redline and provides empirical evidence for improving land spatial governance and ecological protection policy design in China. Full article

Assessing motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is challenging due to the progressive evolution of the condition and the variability of symptoms, which are not fully captured by periodic clinical visits. In this context, wearable sensors and machine learning (ML) have emerged as a viable path toward objective and continuous monitoring, although achieving robust generalization to free-living conditions remains a challenge. This work explores the egg-beating task, a simple everyday activity, as a digital approach for PD motor assessment using smartwatch-based inertial measurements and ML techniques. Twenty-two individuals with PD and sixteen healthy controls (HC) completed a one-minute egg-beating task while wearing a smartwatch equipped with tri-axial accelerometer and gyroscope sensors. Data were recorded both under supervised clinical conditions and during unsupervised home sessions. Time- and frequency-domain features were extracted from the inertial signals, and models trained exclusively on supervised recordings were then tested on supervised, unsupervised, and combined data. PD participants showed systematically lower movement amplitude, slower oscillation frequency, and a progressive drop in signal energy over the course of the task, all of which align with the characteristic features of bradykinesia. The support vector machine achieved the best overall performance, reaching 90% accuracy in distinguishing PD from healthy controls under supervised conditions, with a reduction of less than 4% when applied to unsupervised data. These results support the egg-beating task as a practical and ecologically valid method for real-world motor assessment, with potential for future use in remote monitoring and longitudinal assessment. Full article

Remote postoperative wound assessment may help improve follow-up after laparoscopic surgery in resource-limited settings. This study evaluated the feasibility and patient satisfaction of smartphone-based postoperative wound assessment following general and bariatric laparoscopic surgery. We conducted a prospective cohort study from June 2022 to June 2023 at a public sector teaching hospital. Consecutive adult patients undergoing elective laparoscopic general or bariatric procedures were invited to participate. Consenting patients submitted wound photographs and clinical queries to their surgeon within 14 days of discharge using an encrypted messaging platform. The primary outcome was patient satisfaction measured using the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (PSQ-18). Secondary outcomes included the proportion of patients requiring escalation to in-person review and the type of remote intervention provided. A total of 113 patients were enrolled. Of these, 21 (18.6%) required escalation to in-person review. Among the 92 patients managed remotely, 52 (46.0%) received reassurance only and 40 (35.4%) required medication prescription or adjustment. The mean PSQ-18 score for the cohort was 79.66 ± 11.24 (range 18–90). Satisfaction was comparable across procedure types. Smartphone-based postoperative wound assessment appears feasible and acceptable in this setting, with most postoperative concerns managed remotely and favourable patient satisfaction. Further controlled studies are needed to assess safety, diagnostic accuracy, and cost-effectiveness. Full article

Background/Objectives: Autobiographical memories (AMs) are an essential type of memory for our sense of self. A broad network of brain regions supports the retrieval of AMs, encompassing the medial temporal lobe (MTL), medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and parietal and visual cortices. However, little is known about how the subjective qualia of these memories relate to the underlying functional networks supporting their retrieval. Methods: AM cues were generated from early and recent life encompassing both object- and location-specific memories. While undergoing functional imaging, participants were cued on to retrieve differing time (remote, recent) and type (object, location) AMs followed by subjective ratings of each memory cued. Results: Functional activation patterns were consistent across the time and type of memory and reflect the existing literature. Functional connectivity analyses were similar across memory age, with only recent memories having greater connectivity compared to remote memories. Subjective qualia moderated the connectivity between regions for both remote and recent memories. Connections from the mPFC were modulated by multiple ratings across memory age, with important recent memories showing a significant negative connection with the hippocampus (p_FDR < 0.05). Conclusions: Subjective qualia mostly modulated the connectivity profile of the mPFC with other visual and MTL regions underlying the mPFC’s importance during retrieval of autobiographical memories. These connections, in relation to differing subjective qualia across memory age, highlight the possible differences in the reinstantiation of AMs. Full article

In Brazil, approximately 16.4 million people (8.1% of the population) live in informal settlements (favelas), with Rio de Janeiro among the most heavily affected. This situation results from rapid rural–urban migration and unplanned urbanization, leading to persistent land tenure conflicts, exemplified by the decades-long struggle in the Santa Luzia favela. This study demonstrates how participatory geospatial methodologies can support land regularization while preventing displacement. Unlike conventional participatory mapping studies that often prioritize community empowerment over technical precision or, conversely, state-led cadastres that prioritize accuracy over local participation, this study integrates two complementary frameworks: counter-cartographies (to redress power asymmetries) and fit-for-purpose land administration (to ensure minimal technical standards for tenure security). Through a university–community collaboration, a low-cost cadastral survey of Santa Luzia was conducted using remotely piloted aircraft photogrammetry to generate high-resolution orthoimagery (2 cm ground sample distance), GIS vectorization integrated with resident interviews and local knowledge, and spatial analysis compliant with local technical standards. The findings demonstrate three specific innovations: (1) methodological: volunteer students and community residents co-produced cartography achieving 2 cm precision, meeting legal requirements for land regularization without expensive professional surveys; (2) participatory: unlike purely community-led mapping that may lack legal enforceability or top-down systems that exclude local knowledge, this model embeds participatory data collection within Brazil’s Social Interest Regularization (REURB-S) framework, ensuring both grassroots legitimacy and state recognition; and (3) policy-making: the project operationalizes counter-cartographies not as symbolic resistance but as a legally compliant pathway to tenure security, offering a transferable model for democratizing land administration in informal settlements while challenging exclusionary urban planning. Full article

Background: Resistant arterial hypertension (RAH) is a heterogeneous cardiovascular condition influenced by biological, behavioral, psychosocial, and neuroendocrine mechanisms. Within emerging precision medicine frameworks, psychobehavioral assessment may contribute to a more individualized characterization of patients with RAH and help identify modifiable dimensions associated with therapeutic resistance. This study evaluated the feasibility and preliminary outcomes of a brief psychobehavioral intervention in patients with RAH. Methods: This feasibility-oriented exploratory pre–post pilot study included 20 adults with RAH recruited from a tertiary outpatient clinic specialized in resistant hypertension. Participants underwent psychobehavioral assessment using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Individuals presenting clinically significant anxiety and/or depressive symptoms (scores ≥ 8) received an individualized semi-structured brief cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention consisting of 8–9 weekly sessions. Feasibility indicators included intervention adherence, completion of the protocol, operational flexibility, and absence of symptom worsening. Pre- and post-intervention emotional symptoms were compared using nonparametric analyses. Results: High baseline emotional burden was observed, with 90% of participants presenting anxiety symptoms and 60% depressive symptoms. Following the intervention, reductions in anxiety [median 11 (IQR 8–13) vs. 6 (4–8); p < 0.001] and depressive symptoms [10 (8–11) vs. 5 (3–8); p < 0.001] were identified. No worsening of symptoms occurred. The intervention demonstrated satisfactory feasibility and acceptability, including flexibility for remote and in-person delivery. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that psychobehavioral phenotyping combined with individualized brief CBT may represent a feasible complementary strategy within precision-oriented cardiovascular care for resistant hypertension. Although causal inference cannot be established due to the pilot design and absence of a control group, the findings support further investigation of psychobehavioral dimensions as potentially relevant components of personalized hypertension management. Full article

Background/Objectives: Access to specialists and diagnostic resources continues to limit differential diagnosis of cognitive impairment in primary care. This pilot study examined the feasibility, usability, and clinical integration of a digitally supported Remote Cognitive Assessment (RCA) model embedded in general practice settings. Methods: A mixed-method design was used, combining structured quantitative surveys from patients (n = 10; mean age = 77.03; SD = 14.1) and neuropsychologists (10 RCAs completed by three neuropsychologists) with qualitative interviews from general practitioners (GP; n = 4). Patients were assessed remotely via a secure videoconference system operated by trained neuropsychologists. Assessments were conducted in the GP’s office, supported by local staff, to facilitate the process. Results: Patients reported high satisfaction with audio (M = 8; SD = 2.28) and video quality (M = 9.17; SD = 1.17) and expressed a strong willingness to recommend RCA (M = 8.83; SD = 1.17) on a 10-point Likert scale. Despite moderate scores for perceived simplicity (M = 5; SD = 3.41) and effectiveness (M = 5.83; SD = 2.14), overall acceptance (M = 8.33; SD = 0.82) was favorable, especially given the older age of participants. Neuropsychologists rated technical functionality positively (audio quality M = 8.17; SD = 1.18; video quality M = 8; SD = 1.67) but raised concerns about clinical utility and diagnostic depth (effectiveness M = 2.83; SD = 2.71). GPs highlighted the benefits of local facilitation, early screening, and improved access to specialist input while also noting space limitations, communication gaps, and the need for sustainable infrastructure. Conclusions: The RCA model was well accepted by patients and GPs, and technically feasible for neuropsychologists. However, neuropsychologists reported important reservations regarding usability and effectiveness. The results suggest an important mismatch between patient satisfaction and clinical confidence and RCA cannot yet be recommended for routine clinical implementations based on patient acceptability alone. This model holds promises for hybrid cognitive care, particularly in underserved or rural areas, but future development must prioritize diagnostic confidence and clinician workflow usability before scalable integration into rural cognitive care pathways can be established. Full article

Strongyloides stercoralis (S. stercoralis) is an important soil-transmitted helminth that infests over 600 million people worldwide. However, data on its seroprevalence in remote regions, such as Thailand’s island areas, remain limited. This study examined the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of anti-Strongyloides spp. IgG seropositivity among primary school children in Koh Yao, an island in southern Thailand. A total of 351 primary school children (156 males and 195 females) were included. The seroprevalence of anti-Strongyloides spp. IgG was determined using the Strongyloides-specific IgG antibodies ELISA, and risk factor data were collected through a questionnaire. Hematological parameters were also analyzed. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess associations between risk factors and anti-Strongyloides spp. IgG seropositivity. The seroprevalence of anti-Strongyloides spp. IgG was 3.7% (13/351 participants). Analysis of the risk factors revealed that participants who drank filtered water exhibited lower odds of anti-Strongyloides spp. IgG seropositivity compared to those who drank tap or rainwater (AOR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.05–0.95, p = 0.043). However, due to the small number of seropositive cases, this association is hypothesis-generating and likely serves as a proxy for better household hygiene rather than a direct protective factor. This study is the first report on anti-Strongyloides spp. IgG seropositivity among primary school children in Koh Yao, southern Thailand, demonstrating a low seropositivity rate in this population. These findings provide location-specific information on modifiable risk behaviors, aiding in developing more effective control and prevention strategies for anti-Strongyloides spp. IgG seropositivity in Thailand’s island area. Full article