Search Results (4,765)

This study explores the practice of “soundtalking”, a novel method of participant-led sound practice, across the Dee Estuary in the UK. Over the course of twelve months, the Our Dee Estuary Project facilitated monthly meetings where participants engaged in sound workshops, in-depth discussions, and sound-making activities, with the aim of fostering a deeper connection with both their local and sonic environments. This longitudinal practice-based research study created an environment of sonic learning and listening development, documenting how participants’ interactions and narratives both shape and are shaped by the estuarial environment, its soundscape, and their sense of place. Participant-led conversations formed the basis of the methodology, providing rich qualitative data on how individuals perceive, interpret, and interact with their surroundings and the impact that the soundscape has on the individual. The regular and unstructured discussions revealed the intrinsic value of soundscapes in participants’ lives, emphasising themes of memory, reflection, place attachment, environmental awareness, and well-being. The collaborative nature of the project allowed for the co-creation of a film and a radio soundscape, both of which serve as significant outputs, encapsulating the auditory and emotional essence of the estuary. The study’s initial findings indicate that “soundtalking” as a practice not only enhances participants’ auditory perception but also fosters a sense of community and belonging. The regularity of monthly meetings facilitated the development of a shared acoustic vocabulary and experience among participants, which in turn enriched their collective and individual experiences of the estuary. Soundtalking is proposed as an additional tool in the study of soundscapes to complement and extend more commonly implemented methods, such as soundwalking and soundsitting. Soundtalking demonstrates the efficacy of longitudinal, participant-led approaches in capturing the dynamic and lived experiences of soundscapes and their associated environments, over methods that only create fleeting short-term engagements with the soundscape. In conclusion, the Our Dee Estuary Project demonstrates the transformative potential of soundtalking in deepening our understanding of human–environment interactions and, in addition, has shown that there are both health and well-being aspects that arise from the practice. Beyond this, the project has output a film and a radio sound piece, which not only document but also celebrate the intricate and evolving relationship between the participants and the estuarine soundscape, offering valuable insights for future soundscape research and community engagement initiatives. Full article

In addition to their historical relevance, underwater sites of cultural heritage (e.g., shipwrecks, archeological sites) represent secondary habitats for marine life. However, despite a growing interest in their ecological role, studies focusing on these artificial environments remain limited. In this study, we performed the first systematic assessment of the marine biodiversity associated with the submerged structures of the ancient roman port of Egnazia. In particular, we conducted a seasonal (summer 2022 and winter 2023) comparative analysis of the qualitative and quantitative variations in the observed nektonic and benthic taxa between the submerged piers and two surrounding control areas. For benthopelagic and vagile benthic taxa, two seasonal samplings with four transects (of 10 m × 4 m) and three replicates per transect were conducted to analyze taxon diversity, abundance, and variability of individual size. The photo-quadrat method was employed to characterize sessile benthic taxa, using PVC frames measuring 40 cm × 40 cm, randomly placed on the study substrates with 20 replicates for each pier and the two controls. Our results highlight the occurrence of 75 taxa (67 associated with the submerged piers and 63 with the surrounding control areas), including 17 benthopelagic species, 26 vagile benthic and 32 sessile benthic taxa. Overall, our findings highlight that the submerged ancient structures of Egnazia represent a stable and functional marine habitat, promoting an increase in the local biodiversity and abundance of individuals of different species. Full article

This study investigates the effects of different photovoltaic (PV) panel types on soil and biological soil crusts (BSCs) under vegetation restoration in sandy areas. A 150 MW PV power plant in Huanghuatan, located in the Tengger Desert, was selected as the research site. Soil and BSC properties, as well as carbon sequestration, were evaluated under three PV panel types: fixed-axis (FA); horizontal single-axis (HSA); and tilted single-axis (TSA). The objective was to clarify how these panel types influence soil quality and carbon storage during Artemisia ordosica Krasch. restoration in sandy environments and to explore the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that, compared with the surrounding pristine desert (PD), PV development significantly altered soil water content (WC), saturated water content (SWC), soil organic matter (SOM), and carbonate levels in soil and BSCs. Specifically: (1) FA and HSA panels increased WC in the BSCs and sub-crust soil, although water-holding capacity decreased in the HSA area; (2) SOM in the BSCs was notably lower under HSA and TSA panels; (3) HSA and TSA panels enhanced carbonate accumulation in non-crusted soil, while the lowest carbonate content in BSCs occurred under FA panels. The sub-crust soil in all PV areas had lower carbonate content than PD; and (4) Estimated carbon storage effectiveness was ranked as follows: HSA > TSA > PD > FA. This study provides theoretical support for ecological restoration in desert PV power plants. Full article

Climate change significantly affects the well-being of urban populations. Thus, there is an increasing need for public green spaces in cities, as biologically active surfaces play a critical role in modifying the urban climate—cooling temperatures and providing shelter. Some institutional gardens, like cemeteries and hospital gardens, are hidden treasures: they are open but excluded from citizens’ mental maps, while usually having a rich green mass. This article aims to explore these hidden green surface elements, presenting their advantages and disadvantages by measuring their local climate effects. Three institutional gardens located in different urban environments were selected for analysis in the sample area of Budapest to explore how the surrounding built-up areas of the city modify the urban climate. The climate analyses were prepared with the ENVI-met climate simulation program. In the case of both hospital gardens and cemeteries, our studies show that their green spaces have great potential to increase the sense of comfort for both users of the green spaces and inhabitants of the neighborhood. In densely built-up urban areas, it is particularly important to involve institutional green spaces in public use, because with appropriate development they can contribute to cities’ adaptation to climate change. Full article

Pocket parks, recognized globally as compact yet multifunctional green spaces, promise a range of urban benefits. To realize these effectively, planners must understand the factors that drive park usage. However, development priorities vary across regions, necessitating analysis tailored to specific contexts. Existing research on park usage predominantly focuses on factors either external (factors outside the park’s boundaries, such as location and surrounding urban fabric) or internal (factors within the park’s boundaries, pertaining to design, amenities, and management), leaving room for refinement in indicator selection and model construction. To address this, we developed a comprehensive analytical framework incorporating 22 macro-, meso-, and micro-level factors spanning internal and external influences. This study investigated 40 pocket parks in Nanjing’s main urban area, employing visitor frequency and activity type diversity as quantitative indicators of usage efficiency. Park usage efficiency was compared for weekdays and weekends. Using correlation and regression models, we examined primary factors including accessibility, surrounding environment, layout, landscape features, amenities, and maintenance. The results showed that weekday and weekend patterns vary significantly in terms of visitor frequency and activity type diversity. The key determinants of pocket park usage efficiency were identified: proportion of recreational space (r = 0.609 on weekdays, r = 0.573 on weekends), plant species richness (r = 0.699 on weekdays, r = 0.761 on weekends), seat facility density (r = 0.645 on weekdays, r = 0.654 on weekends), and maintenance quality (r = 0.630 on weekdays, r = 0.667 on weekends). Service area coverage, green space ratio, and garbage bin density showed weaker but significant correlations. Based on these findings, targeted strategies were proposed to better accommodate diverse regional land-use demands. Full article

This paper examines the characteristics of agriculture in High Nature Value farmlands (HNVf) in Poland and assesses their capacity to implement key environmental measures under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027. Using spatial and statistical analyses at the municipal level, the study compares agricultural structures, production types, participation in eco-schemes, organic farming and agri-environment-climate measures under the CAP 2023–2027. The delimitation of HNVf areas was based on the EU methodology, focusing on the extent of agricultural production and the environmental value of the surrounding landscape. The results indicate that HNVf areas are predominantly located in regions with challenging natural conditions, a high share of permanent grasslands, and limited capacity to diversify crop structures. Farms in these areas show lower participation in eco-schemes compared to more intensive farming regions, suggesting that current instruments may not fully align with the specific needs of low-intensity systems. In contrast, higher levels of engagement were observed in organic farming and agri-environment-climate measures in HNVf. These findings highlight the need for better-adapted CAP instruments that reflect the environmental and economic realities of HNVf areas. Enhancing support mechanisms for these regions is essential to safeguard biodiversity, promote sustainable land use, and maintain the socio-environmental functions of rural landscapes. Full article

In recent years, generative AI and autonomous driving have been highly popular topics. Additionally, with the increasing global emphasis on carbon emissions and carbon trading, integrating autonomous driving technologies that can instantly perceive environ-mental changes with vehicle-based generative AI would enable vehicles to better under-stand their surroundings and provide drivers with recommendations for more energy-efficient and comfortable driving. This study employed You Only Look Once version11 (YOLOv11) for visual detection of the driving environment, integrating it with vehicle speed data received from the OBD-II system. All information is integrated and processed using the embedded Nvidia Jetson AGX Orin platform. For visual detection validation, part of the test set includes standard Taiwanese road signs. Experimental results show that incorporating Squeeze-and-Excitation Attention (SEAttention), into YOLOv11 improves the mAP50–95 accuracy by 10.1 percentage points. Generative AI processed this information in real time and provided the driver with appropriate driving recommendations, such as gently braking, detecting a pedestrian ahead, or warning of excessive speed. These recommendations are delivered through voice output to prevent driver distraction caused by looking at an interface. When a red light or pedestrian is detected, early deceleration is suggested, effectively reducing fuel consumption while also enhancing driving comfort, ultimately achieving the goal of energy-efficient driving. Full article

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is currently reduced to a few, small fragments surrounded by anthropic landscapes. Urban forest remnants play an important role in housing biodiversity in urbanized areas and enabling species dispersion between larger natural areas. Describing and monitoring the biodiversity in these anthropized environments is a useful tool for urban ecology and species conservation. By compiling long-term data, this study proposes a species list of tropical diurnal butterflies for an Atlantic Forest remnant in Southeastern Brazil and describes the temporal diversity patterns of the community. Inventories were carried out from the 1970s to 2000 to record butterfly incidence data in a 250 ha fragment of seasonal, semideciduous Atlantic Forest, resulting in a species list of 706 species presented here for the first time for the studied area. From 1998 to 2000, weekly standardized observations enabled inferences on temporal trends in butterfly diversity. Total species richness peaked in the climatic transitions, and a cycle of 52 weeks was reported for beta diversity. Butterfly families lack synchronized temporal fluctuations. Nymphalidae and specifically the fruit-feeding nymphalids were considered good surrogates for short-term studies and monitoring community changes. Full article

Potentially toxic element pollution caused by coal mining activities, especially the accumulation of cadmium, has become a major threat to the global environment and health. Long-term mining activities in China, a major coal consumer, caused a large accumulation of coal gangue. Gangue weathering and leaching release Cd, which threatens the ecological safety of the surrounding soil and water bodies. Although the government has implemented ecological restoration projects in the mining areas, there is still a lack of systematic evaluation of pollution control of downstream farmlands. For this study, remote sensing analyses of fractional vegetation coverage (FVC), geo-accumulation index (I_geo), and potential ecological risk index (EI) data, as well as the pollution characteristics and ecological risks of Cd, were evaluated for a coal mining area in Jiangxi Province. Coal gangue, restoration cover soil, downstream farmland soil, irrigation water, and sediment samples were used in the analyses. After restoration, the Cd concentration in the mining cover soil (0.23 mg/kg) was significantly lower than that of the coal gangue (1.18 mg/kg), while the Cd concentration in the downstream farmland soil (0.44 mg/kg) was roughly an average of the two. The geo-accumulation index indicates that the farmland soil is mainly unpolluted (with an average I_geo of −0.25). However, some points have reached the level of no pollution to moderate pollution. Coal gangue poses a relatively high ecological risk (with an average EI of 118), while cover soil and farmland soil pose low risks (with an average EI of 22.5 and 39.86, respectively). The restoration project significantly reduced the Cd input in the downstream farmlands. The study revealed the effective blocking of external soil cover on Cd migration, providing a key scientific basis for the optimization of ecological restoration strategy and risk prevention and control in similar mining areas worldwide. Full article

RGB-T semantic segmentation using thermal and RGB images simultaneously is actively being researched to robustly recognize the surrounding environment of vehicles regardless of challenging lighting and weather conditions. It is important for them to operate in real time on edge devices. As transformer-based approaches, which most recent RGB-T semantic segmentation studies belong to, are very difficult to perform on edge devices, this paper considers only CNN-based RGB-T semantic segmentation networks that can be performed on edge devices and operated in real time. Although EAEFNet shows the best performance among CNN-based networks on edge devices, its inference speed is too slow for real-time operation. Furthermore, even when channel pruning is applied, the speed improvement is minimal. The analysis of EAEFNet identifies the intermediate fusion of RGB and thermal features and the high complexity of the decoder as the main causes. To address these issues, this paper proposes a network using a ResNet encoder with an early-fused four-channel input and the U-Net decoder structure. To improve the decoder performance, bilinear upsampling is replaced with PixelShuffle. Additionally, mini Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (ASPP) and Progressive Transposed Module (PTM) modules are applied. Since the Proposed Network is primarily composed of convolutional layers, channel pruning is confirmed to be effectively applicable. Consequently, channel pruning significantly improves inference speed, and enables real-time operation on the neural processing unit (NPU) of edge devices. The Proposed Network is evaluated using the MFNet dataset, one of the most widely used public datasets for RGB-T semantic segmentation. It is shown that the proposed method achieves a performance comparable to EAEFNet while operating at over 30 FPS on an embedded board equipped with the Qualcomm QCS6490 SoC. Full article

Security concerns regarding women in developing nations are frequently highlighted due to the prevalence of harassment incidents, particularly within public transportation systems. In Pakistan, where women make up half of the population, this issue persists in various forms of harassment, both within local environments and public transportation systems. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the security challenges confronted by women within the public transportation system in the city of Lahore, Pssakistan. To achieve this, a user perception survey was designed to focus on women’s security during travel and relevant socioeconomic factors. The collected responses were analyzed using descriptive analysis and factor analysis methods. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) revealed five latent variables, each encapsulating distinct aspects of women’s security within public transportation environments. Later on, a structural model of comfort of using public transportation at night was developed using the results of the exploratory factor analysis. Our study’s results propose that although many women express feeling safe during their travels, a prominent number have experienced instances of harassment. Generally, issues such as insufficient lighting during night travel and a lack of awareness about harassment come out as primary concerns within Lahore’s currently operated public transport. The structural model results revealed that the latent variables of harassment, harassment reaction, bus stop station facility, and public transportation safety are significant predictors of comfort of using public transportation at night, being statistically significant (p < 0.05). The findings emphasize the initiatives to reduce overcrowding, improve nighttime lighting and infrastructure, and strengthen awareness among users, along with prevention measures against harassment. This approach assures the females’ physical security and enhances the overall well-being and empowerment of women in urban surroundings. Full article

This descriptive ecological study evaluated the food environment of 18 public and private schools in the Federal District (DF), Brazil, by analyzing food availability within schools and in their surroundings (250 m, 400 m, and 800 m buffers). Food retail outlets (FROs) were georeferenced and classified according to the NOVA food classification. School principals were interviewed to assess the in-school food environment. Analyses considered the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI; low or medium/high) and school type. Among 911 FROs identified, 40.2% predominantly sold ultra-processed products. Most schools (83.3% within a 250 m radius) had at least one nearby FRO. Private schools—mostly in low-SVI areas—had higher densities of surrounding FROs at all buffer distances, with significance for total density at 400 m (p = 0.03) and for unhealthy outlets at 800 m (p < 0.01). Low-SVI areas had higher densities of both healthy (p = 0.01) and unhealthy (p < 0.01) outlets, with differences across multiple buffers. In canteens, sugar-sweetened beverages were the most common ultra-processed items (75%). The median ratio of ultra-processed to minimally processed food subgroups was 2.7 (0.5–6.0), and all private schools with a canteen sold at least one item prohibited by current regulations. Overall, the DF school food environment was characterized by a predominance of unhealthy foods, with disparities by school type and social vulnerability. Full article

In recent years, the increasing complexity of shield tunneling environments has made it critical to control the deformation of adjacent excavation structures and surrounding soils. This study employs numerical simulation using MIDAS GTS/NX to comprehensively analyze the spatial interaction factors between shield tunnels and wall-pile-anchor-supported foundation pits. Structural parameters of the retaining system and tunneling conditions are also evaluated to identify the key factors influencing construction-induced deformation. The results show that the maximum settlement of the adjacent retaining wall occurs when the tunnel burial depth reaches 1.4L, where L is the height of the diaphragm wall. In addition, when the horizontal distance between the tunnel and the excavation is less than 0.75D (D being the tunnel diameter), significant settlement deformation is observed in the nearby support structures. A linear correlation is also identified between the variation in tunnel crown settlement and the excavation depth of the overlying pit during tunnel undercrossing. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis indicates that increasing the embedment depth of the diaphragm wall effectively reduces horizontal displacement at the wall base. Increasing the wall thickness decreases displacement in the upper section of the wall. Similarly, increasing pile diameter and anchor length and diameter, while reducing the inclination angle of anchors, are all effective in minimizing the lateral displacement of the support structure. Full article

This paper is a result of the search for design assumptions for a sensor to detect oil dispersed in the sea waters (oil-in-water emulsions). Our approach is based on analyzing changes in the underwater solar radiance (L) field caused by the presence of oil droplets in the water column. This method would enable the sensor to respond to the presence of oil contaminants dispersed in the surrounding environment, even if they are not located directly at the measurement point. This study draws on both literature sources and the results of current numerical modeling of the spread of solar light in the water column to account for both downward and upward irradiance (Es). The core principle of the analysis involves simulating the paths of a large number of virtual solar photons in a seawater model defined by spatially distributed Inherent Optical Properties (IOPs). The IOPs data were taken from the literature and pertain to the waters of the southern Baltic Sea. The optical properties of the oil used in the model correspond to crude oil extracted from the Baltic shelf. The obtained results were compared with previously published spectral analyses of an analogous polluted sea model, considering vertical downward radiance, vertical upward radiance, and downward and upward irradiance. It was found that the optimal wavelength ratio of 555/412, identified for these quantities, is also applicable to scalar irradiance. The findings indicate that the most effective way to determine this index is by measuring it using a sensor with its window oriented in the direction of upward-traveling light. Full article

The characteristics and evolution of fibrous calcite veins in organic-rich shales have gained significant attention due to the recent advancements in shale oil and gas exploration. However, the fibrous calcite veins in the Upper Permian Dalong Formation remain lacking in awareness. To investigate the formation and significance of bedding-parallel fibrous calcite veins in the Dalong Formation, we conducted an extensive study utilizing petrography, geochemistry, isotopic analysis, and fluid inclusion studies on outcrops of the Dalong Formation in South China. Our findings reveal that fibrous calcite veins predominantly develop in the middle section of the Dalong Formation, specifically within the transitional interval between siliceous and calcareous shales, characterized by symmetric, antitaxial fibrous calcite veins. The δ¹³C values of these veins exhibit a broad range (−4.53‰ to +3.39‰) and display a decreasing trend in the directions of fiber growth from the central part, indicating an increased contribution of organic carbon to the calcite veins. Additionally, a consistent increase in trace element concentrations from the central part toward the fiber growth directions suggests a singular fluid source in a relatively closed environment, while other samples exhibit no distinct pattern, possibly due to the mixing of fluids from multiple layers resulting from repeated opening and closing of bedding-parallel fractures in the shales. The notable difference in δEu between the fibers on either side of the median zone indicates that previously formed veins acted as barriers, impeding the mixing of fluids, with the variation in δEu reflecting the differing sedimentary properties of the surrounding rocks. The in situ U-Pb dating of fibrous calcite veins yields an absolute age of 211 ± 23 Ma, signifying formation during the Late Triassic, which correlates with a shale maturity of 1.0‰ to 1.25‰. This integrated study suggests that the geochemical records of fibrous calcite veins document the processes related to overpressure generation and the opening and healing of bedding-parallel fractures within the Dalong Formation. Full article