Search Results (56)

Land use change is the most direct factor driving the supply and alteration of ecosystem services. This study employed the Dyna-CLUE tool to simulate future land use distributions under two scenarios—the Constrained Trend (CT) and Optimized Target-driven (OT) scenarios—based on land use data from 2010. Subsequently, their corresponding ecosystem service values (ESVs) were calculated, with the simulation outcomes revealing distinct land use layouts under each scenario. Under the CT scenario, grassland and urban areas expanded, whereas farmland and water bodies declined, reflecting a trend of urbanization at the expense of rural landscapes. In contrast, the OT scenario demonstrated a cessation of built-up land expansion, accompanied by marked increases in forest and water coverage, changes that facilitated the restoration of coastal watersheds, enhancing wetland provision and improving overall ESV. Consequently, per capita ESV increased substantially—from 1751 CNY in 2018 to 2356 CNY, matching the 2010 level—primarily due to the conversion of grasslands and farmlands into forests and wetlands. The OT scenario also improved the spatial distribution of ESVs, forming interconnected ecological zones around urban areas. The results underscore that policies restraining built-up expansion, promoting afforestation, and restoring wetlands can significantly improve ecosystem services and contribute to sustainability. Full article

In this segment of the Palliative Care Unit case series, we introduce a patient with a long history of oncological treatments for recurrent breast cancer. After active treatments and a global control of the neoplasm, disease progression made the patient access different lines of chemotherapies, even asking for them in anticipation of a few advantages in the balance between benefits and risks. When the patient decided to permanently discontinue chemotherapy, she felt she had disrupted her values. Also, as a reaction to breaking bad news without estimating alternative paths, she considered her deteriorating condition as the sole criterion for assisted dying in another country. Could this be a self-consistent choice for this patient, so determined to find and pursue possibilities in treatment previously? Should this clue respond precisely to the patient’s needs? This contribution’s objective is to debate possibilities of patient self-determination and dignity at the end of life by integrating psychological support, palliative care, and legal–ethical awareness. This case study presents multidisciplinary team work through some key turning points. This team work was carried out in a national context that is currently inconclusive regarding assisted suicide, since active euthanasia is illegal. At the same time, the national Constitutional Court (242/2019) recently opened the possibility of eventual medically assisted suicide under certain circumstances. In this case, health professionals considered this context and tried to delve deeply into respecting the patient’s identity in order to determine when and if the exceptional circumstances were met. This case highlights the ethical sense of end-of-life accompaniment, which when conducted by physicians, nurses, and psychologists together can lead to effective support and allow patients to maintain their identity and to express themselves respecting not only their fears but also their vision of themselves as human beings. A first key turning point was, for instance, taking into account the patient’s history and values, and a subsequent one was supporting the patient in exploring healthcare services and related end-of-life support. In a further key turning point, the patient was helped in engaging with physicians in order to understand types of continuous care, as well as the timing and expected results of sedation. Finally, she chose a healthcare service where she could spend the end of her life in fulfillment of her values. Overall, this case report illustrates how integrating psychological support, palliative care, and legal–ethical awareness can promote patient self-determination and dignity at the end of life. Full article

The trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services can provide clues for understanding the mechanisms of regional ecological evolution. Previous studies have mainly concentrated on administrative divisions to characterize ecosystem services trade-offs and synergies within specific regions. However, ambiguity persists regarding the spatial diversity and scale dependency of regional ecosystem services, along with the degree to which human activity and climatic variation influence the relationships of multiscale ecosystem services. This study focuses on the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration in China. Based on grid, county-level, and city-level scales, it analyzes five ecosystem services, namely habitat quality, carbon storage, food production, soil conservation, and water yield, from 2000 to 2020. By using correlation analysis and spatial autocorrelation methods, this study explores the intensity of the trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services and their spatial patterns. Then, combined with the Optimal Parameters-based Geographical Detector, it identifies the dominant driving factors, quantifies their degree of contribution, and reveals the multiscale differentiation of ecosystem service relationships and their causes. The results show that the five ecosystem services all exhibit significant spatiotemporal heterogeneity. At the grid scale, there is a trade-off relationship between food production and the other four services, while a strong synergistic effect exists among the remaining four services. At the county scale, the synergistic association between habitat quality and carbon storage is the most significant, with the highest contributions from the average annual precipitation and average annual temperature (q-values 0.893 and 0.782, respectively). At the prefecture-level city scale, the intensity of the ecosystem services trade-offs and synergies shows an increasing trend, and the impact of interactions between socio-ecological elements is significantly higher than that at the grid and county scales. This research provides an evidence-based foundation for decision makers to devise suitable strategies that support the coordinated advancement of ecology and the economy across various spatial scales. It is crucial for promoting precise ecosystem regulation and the sustainability of the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration in China. Full article

Rapid urbanization has intensified eco-economic trade-offs, necessitating integrated optimization frameworks that balance development with environmental conservation in land use planning. Traditional methods often fail to optimize both objectives simultaneously, highlighting the need for systematic approaches addressing competing demands. This study develops an integrated linear programming (LP) and CLUE-S modeling framework using Guangzhou, a rapidly urbanizing megacity in China, as a case study. The methodology combines LP quantitative optimization with CLUE-S spatial allocation under dual objectives: maximizing ecosystem service value and economic benefits across four policy scenarios: ecological protection, cultivated protection, economic development, and balanced development. Data inputs include the 2020 land-use database, 12 socio-economic and biophysical driving factors, and territorial planning constraints. Results show that the coupled framework effectively balances urban expansion with ecological protection, reducing habitat fragmentation and preserving key ecological corridors compared with business-as-usual scenarios. Accuracy assessments further confirm the robustness and reliability of the framework. The integrated LP-CLUE-S framework captures land use dynamics and spatial constraints, providing a robust tool for territorial spatial planning. This approach offers actionable insights for reconciling development pressures with environmental conservation, contributing a replicable methodology for sustainable land resource management with strong transferability potential for other rapidly urbanizing regions facing similar eco-economic challenges. Full article

In recent years, several emerging transport modes have appeared in cities all over the world and have been widely adopted by commuters and travelers. This leads to strong growth and popularity of multi-modal transport and Mobility as a Service (MaaS) in cities. These emerging transport modes have not only received much attention from service providers and practitioners but have also attracted researchers in related communities. These are reflected in the growing number of published papers related to research issues of multi-modal mobility transport in cities. The factors that have been driving the strong growth of the number of published papers related to the emerging multi-modal transport in cities are the deficiencies of effective solution methods to accommodate the needs of users in cities with multi-modal transport modes. Although the existing literature is still deficient in offering seamless end-to-end multi-modal mobility transport services, it provides valuable sources and clues for finding the potential future research subjects/issues/directions. In this study, we attempt to identify potential research directions based on a review of the existing literature on multi-modal mobility transport. By searching the WOS database, we analyze the profile and trends of research directions related to multi-modal mobility. The results of this study pave the way for the assessment of research subjects/issues/directions under the umbrella term of multi-modal mobility transport. This review paper significantly reduces the time required for readers to identify prospective research subjects, issues, or directions without delving into the literature. Full article

Online banking services have emerged as pivotal drivers of customer satisfaction and sustainable development. However, the mediating role of customer experience in linking online banking service clues to satisfaction remains underexplored. Grounded in Haeckel’s model, this study examines how functional (technical execution), mechanic (interface usability), and humanic (behavioral interactions) service clues shape satisfaction among 400 individual and corporate online banking users in Northern Cyprus, analyzed via Structural Equation Modelling. By framing age and occupation as proxies for risk aversion and post-crisis distrust—key barriers in Cyprus’s banking sector—this study advances regionally tailored strategies for sustainable digital adoption. The results reveal functional clues positively impacted satisfaction only for individual customers, while mechanic clues enhanced satisfaction across both groups, contributing to sustainable development. Humanic clues showed no significant effect. Although online service clues improved overall customer experience, a key corporate social responsibility, this experience did not mediate the clue–satisfaction relationship. Demographic factors (e.g., age, user type) moderated these dynamics. These findings underscore the importance of prioritizing mechanic and functional clues in digital banking interfaces to bolster satisfaction and align with sustainable development goals. This study advances Haeckel’s theory in digital contexts and offers actionable insights for banks seeking to balance technological innovation with customer centricity. Full article

Rural settlement is the main vehicle for the existence and development of the countryside. The functions of rural settlements vary across different regions, influencing land use patterns. This study conducted multi-function evaluations of rural settlements by selecting three representative villages from different locations in Hebei Province, China. This was achieved through the establishment of an evaluation indicator system and the adoption of methods such as coordination degree, dominance degree, and obstacle factor diagnosis. This paper also used the Markov and CLUE-S models to predict future changes in land use within these settlements. The results showed that the closer the relationship between rural settlements and towns, the more obvious the settlement’s overall function becomes. Suburban settlements showed the highest multi-function coordination degree, with a prominent living function, but lagged in production and ecological functions. These villages should prioritize areas for commercial, landscape, and greening land to better serve the urban areas. Exurban villages excel in production but fall short in ecological and residential aspects. These areas should allocate land for environmental and infrastructure development to support a larger peasant population. Remote villages showed good multi-functionality, with a strong focus on eco-friendliness. However, they lacked in production and living function. Future plans should include converting residential areas to commercial use and enhancing public services and infrastructure to raise the living standards of villagers. Full article

Policies aimed at reducing plant protection products (PPPs) are part of the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Sustainable management of PPPs is crucial for soil health, biodiversity, and ecosystem services, including food provision. While PPPs can control pests and enhance agricultural yields, they also pose environmental and health risks by contaminating water, soil, and non-target organisms through airborne drift. Investigating innovative and more sustainable distribution methods can support sustainability goals. This study aimed to evaluate the potential impact of the pesticide Spintor^® Fly on non-target soil organisms in olive orchards comparing two spraying methods: a traditional Casotti^® pump mounted on a tractor and an innovative Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) developed for the project. The study was conducted in 2021 in an organic olive orchard, which was divided into two plots: a Casotti-treated plot (CAS) and a drone-treated plot (DRO). A strip of uncultivated land at the edge of the orchard was used as a (non-treated) control plot (CAP). The impact on native soil microarthropod communities was assessed using the arthropod-based Soil Biological Quality Index (QBS-ar) and Bait Lamina Test (BLT). Soil samples were collected for earthworm avoidance tests and soil chemical–physical analysis. The results obtained with QBS-ar and BLT indicated no significant differences between DRO and CAS, in both sampling periods (pre- and post-treatment). However, DRO generally exhibited slightly better performance than CAS. The avoidance behaviour was confirmed for both CAS and DRO, although it was lower for the latter. Overall, drone aerial spray performed slightly better, suggesting a potentially lower impact on soil communities. Our results provide initial clues for the sustainable use of drones in agriculture with no increased risks for soil health compared to traditional methods. Further long-term studies should be conducted to validate these findings and possibly confirm the long-term benefits of drone applications compared to traditional methods. Full article

The depletion of health professionals’ morale and motivation in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic sparked an interest in understanding what drives workers to choose and remain motivated in the health sector. This study contributes to a better understanding of this phenomenon by specifically analyzing the sociodemographic underpinnings of health professionals’ public service motivation (PSM) in Portugal. The rationale is to analyze whether PSM varies among health professionals according to gender, age, education, and managerial position in an unexplored area (health) and context (Portugal). A shorter version of the PSM scale was applied to health professionals (doctors and nurses) (n = 413). The results suggest that there are differences regarding gender and age, specifically with female and older participants presenting higher levels of PSM. The same is true for those who hold a managerial position. Our results align with patterns found in studies conducted within other cultural contexts. Most importantly, however, by exploring higher and lower PSM levels according to different sociodemographics, we provide relevant clues for future qualitative studies and formulate practical measures to tackle these issues, thereby strengthening evidence-based policy formulation. Full article

Changes in land use patterns, types, and intensities significantly impact ecosystem services. This study follows the time series logic from history to the expected future to investigate the spatial and temporal characteristics of land use changes in Ezhou and their potential impacts on the ecosystem services value (ESV). The results show that the Markov–FLUS model has strong applicability in predicting the spatial pattern of land use, with a Kappa coefficient of 0.9433 and a FoM value of 0.1080. Between 2000 and 2020, construction land expanded continuously, while water area remained relatively stable, and other land types experienced varying degrees of contraction. Notably, the area of construction land expanded significantly compared to 2000, and it expanded by 70.99% in 2020. Moreover, the watershed area expanded by 9.30% from 2000 to 2010, but there was very little change in the following 10 years. Under the three scenarios, significant differences in land use changes were observed in Ezhou City, driven by human activities, particularly the strong expansion of construction land. In the inertial development scenario, construction land expanded to 313.39 km² by 2030, representing a 38.30% increase from 2020. Conversely, under the farmland protection scenario, construction land increased to 237.66 km², a 4.89% rise from 2020. However, in the ecological priority development scenario, the construction land area expanded to 253.59 km², a 10.13% increase from 2020. Compared to 2020, the ESV losses in the inertia development and farmland protection scenarios were USD 4497.71 and USD 1072.23, respectively, by 2030. Conversely, the ESV under the ecological protection scenario increased by USD 2749.09, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing ecological protection in Ezhou City’s development. This study may provide new clues for the formulation of regional strategies for sustainable land use and ecosystem restoration. Full article

This study reports the analytical investigations on clayey and ceramic finds, characterised by high variability in terms of prime materials, with the aim to determine the role of this important ceramic production situated close to the city walls, fortuitously found during service excavations developed in the garden of Palazzo Corsini in Rome. The complexity of the finds led to the choices of appropriate methodologies and techniques suitable for defining the diagnostic elements of each find. Optical microscopy (OM) combined with micro-Raman (µ-Raman) spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), and differential thermal analysis (DTA) were used to analyse the nature and microstructure of the ceramic and burned clay that were found. In such a complicated setting, the objective of conducting chemical analyses is to provide clues to describe the various kinds of ceramics produced, the production and processing methods, and, as a result, the typology of the workshop. Full article

The brown algal genus Fucus provides essential ecosystem services crucial for marine environments. Macroalgae (seaweeds) release dissolved organic matter, hence, are under strong settlement pressure from micro- and macrofoulers. Seaweeds are able to control surface epibionts directly by releasing antimicrobial compounds onto their surfaces, and indirectly by recruiting beneficial microorganisms that produce antimicrobial/antifouling metabolites. In the Kiel Fjord, in the German Baltic Sea, three distinct Fucus species coexist: F. vesiculosus, F. serratus, and F. distichus subsp. evanescens. Despite sharing the same habitat, they show varying fouling levels; F. distichus subsp. evanescens is the least fouled, while F. vesiculosus is the most fouled. The present study explored the surface metabolomes and epiphytic microbiota of these three Fucus spp., aiming to uncover the factors that contribute to the differences in the fouling intensity on their surfaces. Towards this aim, algal surface metabolomes were analyzed using comparative untargeted LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics, to identify the marker metabolites influencing surface fouling. Their epiphytic microbial communities were also comparatively characterized using high-throughput amplicon sequencing, to pinpoint the differences in the surface microbiomes of the algae. Our results show that the surface of the least fouling species, F. distichus subsp. evanescens, is enriched with bioactive compounds, such as betaine lipids MGTA, 4-pyridoxic acid, and ulvaline, which are absent from the other species. Additionally, it exhibits a high abundance of the fungal genera Mucor and Alternaria, along with the bacterial genus Yoonia-Loktanella. These taxa are known for producing antimicrobial/antifouling compounds, suggesting their potential role in the observed fouling resistance on the surface of the F. distichus subsp. evanescens compared to F. serratus and F. vesiculosus. These findings provide valuable clues on the differential surface fouling intensity of Fucus spp., and their importance in marine chemical defense and fouling dynamics. Full article

To adapt vehicle control and plan strategies in a predictive manner, it is usually desired to know the context of a driving environment. This paper aims at efficiently inferring the following five driving environments around vehicle’s vicinity: shopping zone, tourist zone, public station, motor service area, and security zone, whose existences are not necessarily mutually exclusive. To achieve that, we utilize the Point of Interest (POI) data from a navigation map as the semantic clue, and solve the inference task as a multilabel classification problem. Specifically, we first extract all relevant POI objects from a map, then transform these discrete POI objects into numerical POI features. Based on these POI features, we finally predict the occurrence of each driving environment via an inference engine. To calculate representative POI features, a statistical approach is introduced. To composite an inference engine, three inference systems are investigated: fuzzy inference system (FIS), support vector machine (SVM), and multilayer perceptron (MLP). In total, we implement 11 variants of inference engine following two inference strategies: independent and unified inference strategies, and conduct comprehensive evaluation on a manually collected dataset. The result shows that the proposed inference framework generalizes well on different inference systems, where the best overall $F_1$ score 0.8699 is achieved by the MLP-based inference engine following the unified inference strategy, along with the fastest inference time of 0.0002 millisecond per sample. Hence, the generalization ability and efficiency of the proposed inference framework are proved. Full article

Tea is a global economic crop. In the traditional sales model, the quality of tea is difficult to judge via external clues, and it basically relies on consumers to taste and experience it firsthand. However, currently, most e-commerce platforms can only provide consumers with product information and cannot provide experiential services, which strengthens consumers’ purchasing concerns and makes it difficult for them to take practical actions even if they have the desire to purchase tea online. Therefore, this article is based on a questionnaire survey of consumers in China, the world’s largest tea producing and selling country, using unordered multi classification logistic analysis data and calculating the marginal effect proportion of consistency occurrence. Through data analysis, it is shown that there is a serious inconsistency between consumers’ willingness and behavior in choosing online tea purchases. However, under the influence of some internal and external factors, there will also be positive changes; for example, the level of education, online shopping age, familiarity with tea, convenience, product diversification, online evaluation, and other variables will increase the motivation for consumers to convert their purchase intention into actual behavior. In addition, increasing the level of variables such as age, cultural association, cultural experience, convenience, information reliability, award-winning status, familiarity with tea, product diversity, online evaluation, and service attitude in online shopping can enhance consumers’ willingness to shop online and reduce extreme situations where there is neither intention nor behavior. This study provides evidence from a consumer perspective to enhance the efficiency of tea e-commerce marketing and proposes countermeasures and suggestions based on the research results, which could also provide ideas for marketing strategies for tea or other similar agricultural products. Full article

Scooter-sharing services, that is, short-term rental of electric scooters, have been gaining popularity among last-mile transport solutions in recent years, winning both their supporters and opponents. Recognizing the different approaches of societies to scooters in the world, the objective of this work was to determine the perception of scooter-sharing services in Poland, that is, the fifth largest European market in terms of micromobility. The study was based on survey data conducted using the CAWI method among the points of active users of scooter-sharing systems. The article presents the results regarding the perception of electric scooters in terms of safety, use, operation, education, and elements of communication behavior. The results indicate that the respondents perceive the Polish market of sharing electric scooters well. They believe that riding a scooter is safe (despite pointing out numerous technical faults that may indicate insufficient technical knowledge about what they can mean for users), and they are against mobility hubs and disrupting free systems. Interestingly, respondents emphasize the need to modernize the regulations, the need for penalties for damage to vehicles, and the need to reduce fees. The results provide valuable clues on how to manage the new electric mobility. They also indicate a different approach of Polish users to the issue of perceiving scooters in relation to other European societies (such as France or Denmark), which is a valuable clue for modeling transport behavior. Full article