Search Results (32)

The urban landscape of the Russian Arctic, shaped during the Soviet era of extensive urbanization, embeds narratives of colonial appropriation and serves as the foundation for ongoing urban development. In light of climatic, political, and social uncertainties, design disciplines must navigate the balance between environmental sustainability and the varied needs of residents, requiring a systemic approach to design. This study combines theoretical analysis with qualitative field research conducted in two Western Siberian cities (Novyy Urengoy and Tarko-Sale), including interviews, mental mapping, and systematic observation of urban life. Analysis of the collected data revealed significant challenges in current urban design practices, particularly regarding weather protection, seasonal adaptation, and social space creation. The proposed model constitutes a pioneering initiative in domestic Arctic urban research, aiming to conceptualize a context-sensitive approach to urban environmental formation, thereby challenging prevalent universal/mainstream methodologies and establishing a theoretical framework for future applications. Our theoretical model synthesizes representations, perceptions, and materiality, conceptualizing the architectural environment as a context-sensitive “life-support module”. This conceptualization emphasizes that successful Arctic urban design must emerge from specific local contexts rather than universal solutions, as demonstrated by our analysis of residents’ spatial practices and adaptations to extreme conditions. We reference media studies to analyze urban materiality as both an artificial construct that mediates perceptions of the immediate surroundings and as a generative force that actively shapes meanings, practices, and sensations. Our findings indicate that current standardized approaches to Arctic urban development often fail to address local needs and environmental conditions, suggesting the necessity for a fundamental shift in design methodology. Given that the urban realm is a fundamental component in shaping individual and collective perceptions, this conceptual shift has the potential to significantly influence prevailing societal views of the “empty” and “hostile” Arctic. Full article

The disengagement of younger workers, particularly from Generations Y and Z, is a growing concern in contemporary organizational environments. This study analyzes the factors influencing disengagement and the organizational strategies that can reduce its impact. A literature review was conducted, covering studies published between 2014 and 2024, with the selection of publications based on relevance, indexing, and thematic alignment. The findings indicate that disengagement results from a combination of factors. Firstly, job demand factors were identified, such as the misalignment between well-being policies and employee needs, excessive workloads, the absence of remote work and flexible schedules, challenges associated with digitalization and new technologies, economic insecurity, job instability, and frequent organizational changes. Secondly, job resource factors were also highlighted, including inadequate leadership, ineffective communication, limited professional development opportunities, and poorly structured evaluation and reward systems. These findings align with the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Model. In addition, psychological factors were observed, namely, a lack of autonomy, experiences of injustice and inequality in the workplace, misalignment between personal values and organizational culture, and the presence of hostile or toxic environments, which correspond to the theoretical assumptions of the Self-Determination Theory (SDT).To address disengagement, organizations should implement organizational strategies, such as physical and mental well-being programs, encourage regular breaks, promote healthy lifestyle campaigns, provide psychological support, and create ergonomic work environments. Additionally, they should foster professional growth through continuous training, mentoring, and transparent recognition and reward systems. Organizational communication must be open and effective, ensuring transparency and active employee participation. The adoption of remote work policies and flexible schedules, along with investments in technology and collaboration tools, also helps maintain engagement. These strategies promote employee satisfaction, motivation, and organizational commitment among workers, particularly those from Generations Y and Z, so organizations must adapt to the evolving expectations of the workforce to prevent long-term negative effects, such as decreased productivity and higher turnover, compromising their competitiveness and sustainability. Full article

Background/Objectives: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex medical condition with widespread effects that extend beyond motor and sensory impairments. In addition to nervous system damage, SCI patients experience various secondary complications, including vascular dysfunction, altered body composition, and metabolic disturbances. Among the most common secondary pathologies is the development of pressure injuries (PIs), chronic wounds that significantly affect quality of life and can be challenging to treat. Understanding the physiological and cellular mechanisms behind these complications is crucial for improving care and therapeutic outcomes. Methods: We conducted a comprehensive literature search in PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar using keywords related to spinal cord injury, pressure ulcer/pressure injuries, metabolic and vascular dysfunction, biomechanics, and regenerative therapies. Studies were selected based on their relevance to the pathophysiology, risk factors, and novel therapeutic approaches for PIs in SCI patients. Results: Vascular dysfunction, characterized by impaired blood flow and microcirculatory issues, predisposes SCI patients to ischemia and tissue necrosis, particularly in areas subjected to prolonged pressure. Additionally, changes in body composition, such as increased adiposity and muscle atrophy, further compromise tissue integrity and healing capacity. The inflammatory response, mediated by cytokines such as IL-1, IL-6, and TNF-α, exacerbates these effects by sustaining a pro-inflammatory environment that delays the transition of macrophages to the M2 phenotype, critical for wound healing. External factors, such as poor nutrition, infections, and immobility, also play a significant role in worsening the wound healing process. Conclusions: Chronic SCI induces a cascade of physiological changes that predispose patients to the development of PIs and complicate their recovery. The intricate interplay of vascular, metabolic, and inflammatory responses creates a hostile environment for wound healing. A deeper understanding of these systemic effects is essential not only for developing targeted therapeutic strategies to improve chronic wound healing but also for refining preventive approaches that minimize their occurrence. Advancing this knowledge will ultimately help enhance the quality of life for individuals with SCI. Full article

Recent technological advances have made it possible to produce tiny robots equipped with simple sensors and effectors. Micro-robots are particularly suitable for scenarios such as exploration of hostile environments, and emergency intervention, e.g., in areas subject to earthquakes or fires. A crucial desirable feature of such a robot is the capability of adapting to the specific environment in which it has to operate. Given the limited computational capabilities of a micro-robot, this property cannot be achieved by complicated software but it rather should come from the flexibility of simple control mechanisms, such as the sensory–motor loop. In this work, we explore the possibility of equipping simple robots controlled by Boolean networks with the capability of modulating their sensory–motor loop such that their behavior adapts to the incumbent environmental conditions. This study builds upon the cybernetic concept of homeostasis, which is the property of maintaining essential parameters inside vital ranges, and analyzes the performance of adaptive mechanisms intervening in the sensory–motor loop. In particular, we focus on the possibility of maneuvering the robot’s effectors such that both their connections to network nodes and environmental features can be adapted. As the actions the robot takes have a feedback effect to its sensors mediated by the environment, this mechanism makes it possible to tune the sensory–motor loop, which, in turn, determines the robot’s behavior. We study this general setting in simulation and assess to what extent this mechanism can sustain the homeostasis of the robot. Our results show that controllers made of random Boolean networks in critical and chaotic regimes can be tuned such that their homeostasis in different environments is kept. This outcome is a step towards the design and deployment of controllers for micro-robots able to adapt to different environments. Full article

In the modern technological era of sophisticated applications and high-quality communications, a platform of clever strategy and quickly updated systems is needed. It should be capable of withstanding the fastest emerging problems like signal attenuation and hostile actions intended to harm the whole network. The main contributions of this work are the production of an OFDM system (with low cost) that can sustain high-speed communications and be easily adjusted with new integrated code while exhibiting the feasibility of implementing a transmitter–receiver system in the same DSP and demonstrating the holistic approach with the qualitative integration of such an architecture in a warfare scenario. Specifically, in this research, the point of view is toward three facts. The first is to show a method of quick self-checking the operational status of a digital signal processor (DSP) platform and then the pedagogical issues of how to fast check and implement an updated code inside DSPs through simple schematics. The second point is to present the prototype system that can easily be programmed using a graphical user interface (GUI) and can change its properties (such as the transmitted modulated sinusoids—orthogonal frequency division multiplexing subcarriers). Alongside the presentation, the measurements are presented and discussed. These were acquired with the use of an oscilloscope and spectrum analyzer. The third point is to qualitatively show the application of such a system inside a modern warfare environment and to recommend various potential system responses according to the development of such a platform of reconfigurable implemented OFDM systems. The implementation was performed for two types of systems: (1) transmitter and (2) transmitter–receiver system. Notably, the system acts quickly with a delay of about 1 msec in the case of transmitting and receiving in the same DSP, suggesting excellent future results under real conditions. Full article

The identification of new cancer-associated genes/proteins, the characterization of their expression variation, the interactomics-based assessment of differentially expressed genes/proteins (DEGs/DEPs), and understanding the tumorigenic pathways and biological processes involved in BC genesis and progression are necessary and possible by the rapid and recent advances in bioinformatics and molecular profiling strategies. Taking into account the opinion of other authors, as well as based on our own team’s in vitro studies, we suggest that the human jumping translocation breakpoint (hJTB) protein might be considered as a tumor biomarker for BC and should be studied as a target for BC therapy. In this study, we identify DEPs, carcinogenic pathways, and biological processes associated with JTB silencing, using 2D-PAGE coupled with nano-liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (nLC-MS/MS) proteomics applied to a MCF7 breast cancer cell line, for complementing and completing our previous results based on SDS-PAGE, as well as in-solution proteomics of MCF7 cells transfected for JTB downregulation. The functions of significant DEPs are analyzed using GSEA and KEGG analyses. Almost all DEPs exert pro-tumorigenic effects in the JTB^low condition, sustaining the tumor suppressive function of JTB. Thus, the identified DEPs are involved in several signaling and metabolic pathways that play pro-tumorigenic roles: EMT, ERK/MAPK, PI3K/AKT, Wnt/β-catenin, mTOR, C-MYC, NF-κB, IFN-γ and IFN-α responses, UPR, and glycolysis/gluconeogenesis. These pathways sustain cancer cell growth, adhesion, survival, proliferation, invasion, metastasis, resistance to apoptosis, tight junctions and cytoskeleton reorganization, the maintenance of stemness, metabolic reprogramming, survival in a hostile environment, and sustain a poor clinical outcome. In conclusion, JTB silencing might increase the neoplastic phenotype and behavior of the MCF7 BC cell line. The data is available via ProteomeXchange with the identifier PXD046265. Full article

This article delves into the creation a fictional city solely for the development of Japanese American internment camps and the way in which sustainable arts and crafts played a significant role in ensuring survival in such a hostile environment. To this aim, we searched the literature and reviewed archives, primarily from the American West Coast. We demonstrate that beyond adaptation to the circumstances, the visual representation of the new city’s settlement, founding, and daily activities, instead of adding to the typical panoptic or sombre prison imagery, remains inscribed in the images selected by the inmates, and that the use of such images precisely fostered the inmates’ resiliency. This leads us to deduce that such ’city fiction’ was necessary in this case for survival and endurance, and that its artistic representation was primarily incorporated into the State’s ideological apparatus. On the other hand, occasional fissures subtly seethed with the violence exerted in the camps. In this way, we conclude that the artistic activity itself justified the city fiction, among other situations, revealing the conditions of systemic violence and oppression faced by the internees. Within this framework, we deem that the artworks hereby generated constitute a paramount historical document for resiliency’s sake. The arguments contained herein are still relevant, because everywhere around the world, situations of exclusion and confinement of displaced immigrants, or simply those considered misfits, are repeated time and time again. Nor have we alleviated the issue in any way today, since we disregard the lessons learned from the past. Full article

Network lifetime and localization are critical design factors for a number of wireless sensor network (WSN) applications. These networks may be randomly deployed and left unattended for prolonged periods of time. This means that node localization is performed after network deployment, and there is a need to develop mechanisms to extend the network lifetime since sensor nodes are usually constrained battery-powered devices, and replacing them can be costly or sometimes impossible, e.g., in hostile environments. To this end, this work proposes the energy-aware connected k-neighborhood (ECKN): a joint position estimation, packet routing, and sleep scheduling mechanism. To the best of our knowledge, there is a lack of such integrated solutions to WSNs. The proposed localization algorithm performs trilateration using the positions of a mobile sink and already-localized neighbor nodes in order to estimate the positions of sensor nodes. A routing protocol is also introduced, and it is based on the well-known greedy geographic forwarding (GGF). Similarly to GGF, the proposed protocol takes into consideration the positions of neighbors to decide the best forwarding node. However, it also considers node residual energy in order to guarantee the forwarding node will deliver the packet. A sleep scheduler is also introduced in order to extend the network lifetime. It is based on the connected k-neighborhood (CKN), which aids in the decision of which nodes switch to sleep mode while keeping the network connected. An extensive set of performance evaluation experiments was conducted and results show that ECKN not only extends the network lifetime and localizes nodes, but it does so while sustaining the acceptable packet delivery ratio and reducing network overhead. Full article

Salt stress caused by sodic soils is an important constraint that impacts the production of crucial solanaceous vegetable crops globally. Halotolerant poly-extremophiles rhizobacteria can inhabit hostile environments like salinity, drought, etc. The present study was aimed to design a halotolerant micro-formulation using highly salt-tolerant bacterial strains previously isolated from salt-tolerant rice and wheat rhizosphere in sodic soil. Nine halotolerant isolates were examined for plant growth-promoting traits and biomass production in pot studies with sodic soil of pH 9.23 in tomato. Compatible, efficient isolates were aimed to be formulated into different consortia like PGPR-C1, PGPR-C2 and, PGPR-C3 for field evaluation in sodic soils of pH 9.14. Halotolerant rhizobacterial consortia (PGPR-C3) comprising Lysinibacillus spp. and Bacillus spp. were found to produce extracellular enzymes like amylase, protease, cellulase, and lipase, showing significantly enhanced vegetative parameters, yield and lycopene content of tomato hybrid NS585 under salt-stressed sodic soils. PGPR-C3 consortia also showed enhanced plant growth-promoting activities and halo tolerance like high Indole acetic acid production, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase, and antioxidative enzyme activity over the uninoculated control. Further, inoculation with PGPR-C3 consortia resulted in the efficient exclusion of Na⁺ ions from the rhizosphere through increased absorption of K+. Results of the study reveal that inoculation with PGPR-C3 consortia could alleviate the salt stress and promotes the successful cultivation of tomato crop in sodic soils. It can be considered the best option for eco-friendly, sustainable cultivation of vegetables like a tomato in sodic soils with a high pH range of up to 9.14. Full article

As the development of science and technology has reached the point where the desire to travel to Mars has become a tangible reality, the physical limits of human movement are also part of the systematic research based on the space environment. The critical issues of radiation, altered gravity, hostile environment, isolation or confinement, and distance from Earth (travel time) are the five major hazards for astronauts during spaceflight. The prepared technology of space medicine is significant for physical health. However, how would the lone space exploration (2.5 to three years) affect the mental conditions of the astronauts? How can the space community keep astronauts safe from psychological obstacles, such as depression, conflict, resentment, bipolar disorder, obsession, and addiction? This paper explores the environmental factors of a healthy lifestyle (well-being) of the spacecraft. It presumes that a successful mission often relies on positive interactions between crew members and between the crew and ground personnel. The paper considers the mental sustainability from stress, emotions, and perceptions to improve human tonicity or vitality and argues a new mental strategy in space exploration policy that the role of an astronautical religion beyond human intelligence and artificial intelligence (AI) could be a psychiatric anchor (in a moral, ethical, and self-sacrificial context) of each astronaut and leadership of the space team as a psychoanalytical countermeasure, along with physical exercise, hobbies, pets, and virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) entertainment, especially in the case of unexpected crises where science and technology fail its general function. Full article

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential key factor in standardizing safety within the workplace. Harsh working environments with long working hours can cause stress on the human body that may lead to musculoskeletal disorder (MSD). MSD refers to injuries that impact the muscles, nerves, joints, and many other human body areas. Most work-related MSD results from hazardous manual tasks involving repetitive, sustained force, or repetitive movements in awkward postures. This paper presents collaborative research from the School of Electrical Engineering and School of Allied Health at Curtin University. The main objective was to develop a framework for posture correction exercises for workers in hostile environments, utilizing inertial measurement units (IMU). The developed system uses IMUs to record the head, back, and pelvis movements of a healthy participant without MSD and determine the range of motion of each joint. A simulation was developed to analyze the participant’s posture to determine whether the posture present would pose an increased risk of MSD with limits to a range of movement set based on the literature. When compared to measurements made by a goniometer, the body movement recorded 94% accuracy and the wrist movement recorded 96% accuracy. Full article

The paper considers the transformation of human resource management processes in the healthcare settings of Ukraine in the context of war and the COVID-19 pandemic. It is noted that the unstable and hostile environment of a healthcare setting during times of crisis leads to the need to change the personnel selection and team formation model to increase the adaptability and resilience of human resources involved in the provision of medical care. The key features of the human resource management process in a turbulent environment are the high migration activity of personnel, which leads to the need to reallocate resources, the need to operate under severe financial constraints, and the need to consider personnel as a non-renewable resource when it is impossible to attract additional resources. To ensure the reliability of the functioning of a medical institution, the transformation of human resource management processes should be based on strategic agility and human resource management, organizational resilience as a resource-based capability, corporate sustainability, and transformation of enterprises’ resources, which can be achieved by applying methodological support for resource management in a multi-project environment. Considering a network of medical institutions as a multi-project environment will allow using the methodology of project-oriented resource management, forming adaptive teams in a multi-project environment, to ensure flexible redistribution of resources both within a single institution and within a network of institutions. It is proposed to use formal transformations to manage a medical institution’s human resources. Applying the proposed approach for managing the human resources of a medical institution is considered. The formation of a project team that satisfies the minimum requirements with the maximum value of the team’s qualification score is considered. It is shown that the use of this methodological support made it possible to choose the composition of the project team with a minimum number and a maximum value of the characteristic. Full article

Historical literature demonstrates that Black women have exhibited a deep commitment to wellness and social change. Black women engage in various forms of mindfulness to sustain themselves as they make changes. There is a dearth of literature on the ways in which Black women in academia who identify as Christians describe Christian mindfulness and their applications of such to promote their own health and wellness in hostile environments. Autoethnography and narrative inquiry were used to describe and analyze the principles and practices a Black academic used to thrive in a historically hostile Christian institution. These findings suggest Christian mindfulness is vast and focused on God’s perspectives and applications of Godly wisdom. Full article

The opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa is often involved in airway infections of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. It persists in the hostile CF lung environment, inducing chronic infections due to the production of several virulence factors. In this regard, the ability to form a biofilm plays a pivotal role in CF airway colonization by P. aeruginosa. Bacterial virulence mitigation and bacterial cell adhesion hampering and/or biofilm reduced formation could represent a major target for the development of new therapeutic treatments for infection control. Essential oils (EOs) are being considered as a potential alternative in clinical settings for the prevention, treatment, and control of infections sustained by microbial biofilms. EOs are complex mixtures of different classes of organic compounds, usually used for the treatment of upper respiratory tract infections in traditional medicine. Recently, a wide series of EOs were investigated for their ability to modulate biofilm production by different pathogens comprising S. aureus, S. epidermidis, and P. aeruginosa strains. Machine learning (ML) algorithms were applied to develop classification models in order to suggest a possible antibiofilm action for each chemical component of the studied EOs. In the present study, we assessed the biofilm growth modulation exerted by 61 commercial EOs on a selected number of P. aeruginosa strains isolated from CF patients. Furthermore, ML has been used to shed light on the EO chemical components likely responsible for the positive or negative modulation of bacterial biofilm formation. Full article

Bacterial biofilm represents a multicellular community embedded within an extracellular matrix attached to a surface. This lifestyle confers to bacterial cells protection against hostile environments, such as antibiotic treatment and host immune response in case of infections. The Pseudomonas genus is characterised by species producing strong biofilms difficult to be eradicated and by an extraordinary metabolic versatility which may support energy and carbon/nitrogen assimilation under multiple environmental conditions. Nutrient availability can be perceived by a Pseudomonas biofilm which, in turn, readapts its metabolism to finally tune its own formation and dispersion. A growing number of papers is now focusing on the mechanism of nutrient perception as a possible strategy to weaken the biofilm barrier by environmental cues. One of the most important nutrients is amino acid L-arginine, a crucial metabolite sustaining bacterial growth both as a carbon and a nitrogen source. Under low-oxygen conditions, L-arginine may also serve for ATP production, thus allowing bacteria to survive in anaerobic environments. L-arginine has been associated with biofilms, virulence, and antibiotic resistance. L-arginine is also a key precursor of regulatory molecules such as polyamines, whose involvement in biofilm homeostasis is reported. Given the biomedical and biotechnological relevance of biofilm control, the state of the art on the effects mediated by the L-arginine nutrient on biofilm modulation is presented, with a special focus on the Pseudomonas biofilm. Possible biotechnological and biomedical applications are also discussed. Full article