Search Results (16,357)

The rapid urbanization and pursuit of sustainability have elevated shared mobility as a cornerstone of smart cities. Among its modalities, scooter-sharing has gained popularity for its convenience and eco-friendliness, yet it faces significant adoption barriers. This study investigates the challenges to scooter-sharing systems within smart cities, focusing on the Silesian region of Poland as a case study. It aims to identify region-specific barriers and opportunities for scooter-sharing adoption in Central and Eastern Europe and to provide insights into its long-term development trends and potential challenges. Using comprehensive statistical methods, including factor analysis and regression models, this study identifies key barriers such as insufficient bike paths, poor path conditions, inadequate signage, fleet maintenance issues, and complex rental processes. External factors like adverse weather and heavy traffic, coupled with health and safety concerns, further hinder adoption, particularly among vulnerable populations. Additionally, the study explores future trends in scooter-sharing, emphasizing the role of advanced technologies, adaptive urban planning, and sustainable fleet management in ensuring long-term feasibility. Drawing on global case studies, it underscores the need for tailored infrastructural investments, advanced fleet management, and user-centric policies to align scooter-sharing systems with smart city goals of sustainability, accessibility, and improved mobility. These findings offer actionable insights for policymakers and service providers striving to integrate scooter-sharing into the evolving landscape of urban mobility. Full article

Adverse climate change has forced a deeper reflection on the scale of pollution related to human activity, including in the aviation industry. As a result, fundamental questions have arisen about the characteristics of these pollutants, the mechanisms of their formation and potential strategies for reducing them. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of key technical solutions to minimize the environmental impact of aircraft engines. The solutions presented range from fuel innovations to advanced design changes and drive concepts. Particular attention was paid to sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), which are currently an important element of the environmental strategy regulated by the European Union. It also discusses the potential use of hydrogen as a potential alternative fuel to replace traditional aviation fuels in the long term. The analysis in the article made it possible to characterize in detail possible modifications in the functioning of aircraft engines, based both on the current state of technical knowledge and on the anticipated directions of its development, which has not been a frequent issue in comprehensive research so far. The analysis shows that the type of raw material used to create SAF has a strong impact on its physical and chemical parameters and the degree of greenhouse gas emissions. This necessitates a broader analysis of the legitimacy of using a given type of fuel from the SAF group in the direction of selected air operations and areas with a higher risk of severe atmospheric pollution. These results provide the basis for further research into sustainable solutions in the aviation sector that can contribute to significantly reducing its impact on climate change. Full article

In recent years, irrational land development has caused significant habitat quality problems. Previous habitat quality studies have mainly concentrated on medium- and small-sized areas, and few studies have conducted a comprehensive long-term analysis of terrestrial habitat quality in large countries. Accordingly, this research aimed to identify the changes in land use and habitat quality in China during the last four decades. The InVEST method was employed for evaluating China’s habitat quality. This evaluation included both habitat degradation and habitat quality scores. Then, the FLUS and InVEST methods were combined to project future land use evolution in China through 2050 and assess its effect on habitat quality. Our study demonstrated a robust connection between habitat quality and the spatial distribution of land use classes, topography, and resource availability. Furthermore, over the past four decades, high-quality habitats in the country have been degrading and shrinking, while low-quality habitats have been expanding. The projection results indicate that the habitat problems in China will become increasingly severe over the coming decades. Our study suggests that the habitat quality in China should be improved by optimizing land use patterns, stabilizing areas with optimal habitat conditions, and restoring degraded habitats. Full article

Grain security is the foundation of national security, and non-grain production of cultivated land (NGPCL) poses a challenge to grain security. Existing research on the NGPCL has mainly focused on large-scale studies, with relatively few analyses at smaller scales, such as county-level units. Therefore, we selected Jilin Province, one of China’s most important grain-producing areas, as the study region. We extracted data on NGPCL from 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020, and calculated the non-grain production rate of cultivated land for each of the province’s counties. Based on this, we used the gravity center and standard deviation ellipse models, and spatial autocorrelation analysis tools to reveal the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of the non-grain production rate of the planting structure (NGPRPS) in Jilin Province. Finally, we applied the geographic detector to analyze the impact of 10 factors on the changes in the NGPRPS. The results show that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, the NGPRPS in Jilin Province generally showed a downward trend, which can be divided into three phases: fluctuation, decline, and an initial increase followed by a decrease. (2) There is a clear spatial differentiation in the non-grain production of planting structure (NGPPS) in Jilin Province, with the spatial pattern being generally low in the center and higher at the periphery. In the early stage, the non-grain production rate (NGPR) increased rapidly, while in the later stage, the spatial distribution of NGPPS became more pronounced in the southeastern direction. (3) In the short term, policy factors played a significant role in the changes in the NGPRPS. In the long term, however, natural environment, production resources, economic level, and social development showed interactive effects on the changes in the NGPR in the region. Based on these findings, the government can adopt corresponding measures and management policies considering the impact of these factors, the research results, and the proposed strategies. These include the rational implementation of land use planning, delineating the baseline for cultivated land protection, and controlling the use of cultivated land. Full article

Human activities significantly influence the changes in wildlife habitats and biodiversity, highlighting the necessity to enhance public knowledge, perceptions, and practices (KPP) to mitigate their consequences. Previous research suggests that many people in Bangladesh do not consider wildlife and biodiversity conservation a crucial issue. However, enhancing their KPP could be essential in developing effective and sustainable conservation efforts in Bangladesh. So, the current study aimed to evaluate the public’s KPP of wildlife conservation and biodiversity management in Bangladesh. A total of 3060 individuals’ data were collected from various sociodemographic backgrounds using a structured questionnaire followed by statistical analyses including Pearson’s chi-square, Spearman’s correlation, and logistic regression analysis, which were performed to assess the correlations and trends among variables using STATA and SPSS. The results revealed a significant heterogeneity in KPP across different sociodemographic groups. Importantly, the younger respondents (ages 21–30) indicated a high level of KPP, and respondents without formal education and belonging to older ages demonstrated markedly low levels of KPP. In the country’s divisional levels, respondents from Khulna and Rangpur revealed the highest and lowest KPP levels, respectively. Our study also revealed that students represented the major occupational demographic and displayed moderate levels of KPP. Notably, respondents highlighted the decline or absence of several wild animal species, including black bears, deer, vultures, wild cats, hanuman monkeys, and rhesus monkeys, from their local areas over the past decades. Public opinion on wildlife protection revealed 78.6% and 73.4% disapproving of hunting rejection and wildlife trading, respectively. Nonetheless, a lack of knowledge remained, as 16.89% of respondents were unaware of measures to alleviate human-wildlife conflict. The correlation analysis indicated a favorable association among KPP components, especially between knowledge and perception (correlation coefficient = 0.438), underscoring the essential influence of awareness on conservation actions. This study offers critical insights for developing interventions to enhance KPP among local communities and stakeholders, hence promoting sustainable wildlife conservation and biodiversity management in Bangladesh. Taken together, the findings provide baseline data for safeguarding biodiversity and fostering long-term wildlife sustainability in Bangladesh. Full article

In this study, we introduce a detailed framework for predicting market conditions and selecting stocks by integrating machine learning techniques with ontological financial analysis. The process starts with ontology-based stock selection, categorizing companies using fundamental financial indicators such as liquidity, profitability, debt ratios, and growth metrics. For instance, firms showcasing favorable debt-to-equity ratios along with robust revenue growth are identified as high-performing entities. This classification facilitates targeted analyses of market dynamics. To predict market states—categorizing them into bull, bear, or neutral phases—the framework utilizes a Non-Stationary Markov Chain (NMC), BERT, to assess sentiment in financial news articles and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks to identify temporal patterns. Key inputs like the Sentiment Index (SI) and Illiquidity Index (ILLIQ) play essential roles in dynamically influencing regime predictions within the NMC model; these inputs are supplemented by variables including GARCH volatility and VIX to enhance predictive precision further still. Empirical findings demonstrate that our approach achieves an impressive 97.20% accuracy rate for classifying market states, significantly surpassing traditional methods like Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, KNN, Decision Tree, ANN, Random Forest, and XGBoost. The state-predicted strategy leverages this framework to dynamically adjust portfolio positions based on projected market conditions. It prioritizes growth-oriented assets during bull markets, defensive assets in bear markets, and maintains balanced portfolios in neutral states. Comparative testing showed that this approach achieved an average cumulative return of 13.67%, outperforming the Buy and Hold method’s return of 8.62%. Specifically, for the S&P 500 index, returns were recorded at 6.36% compared with just a 1.08% gain from Buy and Hold strategies alone. These results underscore the robustness of our framework and its potential advantages for improving decision-making within quantitative trading environments as well as asset selection processes. Full article

This study presents a novel approach to analyzing forest regeneration dynamics by integrating a Markov chain model with Multivariate Time Series (MTY) decomposition. The probabilistic tracking of age-class transitions was combined with the decomposition of regeneration rates into trend, seasonal, and irregular components, unlike traditional deterministic models, capturing the variability and uncertainties inherent in forest ecosystems, offering a more nuanced understanding of how Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and other tree species evolve under different management and climate scenarios. Using 20 years of empirical data from the Lithuanian National Forest Inventory, the study evaluates key growth and mortality parameters for Scots pine, Spruce (Picea abies), Birch (Betula pendula), and Aspen (Populus tremula). The model for Scots pine showed a 79.6% probability of advancing from the 1–10 age class to the 11–20 age class, with subsequent transitions of 82.9% and 84.1% for older age classes. The model for Birch shown a strong early growth rate, with an 84% chance of transitioning to the next age class, while the model for Aspen indicated strong slowdown after 31 years. The model indicated moderate early growth for Spruce with a high transition in later stages, highlighting its resilience in mature forest ecosystems. Sensitivity analysis revealed that while higher growth rates can prolong forest stand longevity, mortality rates above 0.33 severely compromise stand viability. The Hotelling $T^2$ control chart identified critical deviations in forest dynamics, particularly in years 13 and 19, suggesting periods of environmental stress. The model offers actionable insights for sustainable forest management, emphasizing the importance of species-specific strategies, adaptive interventions, and the integration of climate change resilience into long-term forest planning. Full article

Background/Objectives: Oxidative stress significantly impacts skin health, contributing to conditions like aging, pigmentation, and inflammatory disorders. Curcumin, with its potent antioxidant properties, faces challenges of low solubility, stability, and bioavailability. This study aimed to encapsulate curcumin in three lipid nanocarriers—solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs), and nanoemulsions (NEs)—to enhance its stability, bioavailability, and antioxidant efficacy for potential therapeutic applications in oxidative-stress-related skin disorders. Methods: The lipid nanocarriers were characterized for size, polydispersity index, ζ-potential, and encapsulation efficiency. Stability tests under various conditions and antioxidant activity assays (DPPH and FRAP methods) were conducted. Cytotoxicity in human dermal fibroblasts was assessed using MTT assays, while the expression of key antioxidant genes was evaluated in human dermal fibroblasts under oxidative stress. Skin penetration studies were performed to analyze curcumin’s distribution across the stratum corneum layers. Results: All nanocarriers demonstrated high encapsulation efficiency and stability over 90 days. NLCs exhibited superior long-term stability and enhanced skin penetration, while NE formulations facilitated rapid antioxidant effects. Antioxidant assays confirmed that curcumin encapsulation preserved and enhanced its bioactivity, particularly in NLCs. Gene expression analysis revealed upregulation of key antioxidant markers (GPX1, GPX4, SOD1, KEAP1, and NRF2) with curcumin-loaded nanocarriers under oxidative and non-oxidative conditions. Cytotoxicity studies confirmed biocompatibility across all formulations. Conclusions: Lipid nanocarriers effectively enhance curcumin’s stability, antioxidant activity, and skin penetration, presenting a targeted strategy for managing oxidative stress in skin applications. Their versatility offers opportunities for tailored therapeutic formulations addressing specific skin conditions, from chronic disorders like psoriasis to acute stress responses such as sunburn. Full article

Background/Objectives: Intentional injury due to violent acts is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. However, intentional traumatic brain injury (TBI) has received little attention and there is limited research on the relationship of injury intent to injury mechanism, severity, mortality, hospital disposition and demographic factors. In this study, the aim was to examine the factors associated with intentional TBI and evaluate the differences in outcomes based on injury intent. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with diagnosed TBI at an urban trauma center. Hospital data were obtained from the Department of Surgery’s trauma registry for the years 2017–2022. Intentional and unintentional TBI patients were compared using descriptive, univariate and multivariate methods. Results: In this study, 123 (9.28%) intentional TBIs and 1203 (90.72%) unintentional TBIs were identified. Younger age, male gender, minority status, Medicaid coverage, alcohol use and the lack of orthopedic injury were associated with intentional TBI. Patients with intentional TBI were more likely to be discharged to home and with admissions had shorter hospital lengths of stay and were less likely to be discharged to rehabilitation. Multivariate analysis found that Black race and alcohol use near the time of injury were predictive of intentional injury when adjusting for other demographic variables. Conclusions: Overall, patients with intentional TBI had less severe and more focal injury events with shorter hospital stays if admitted. Multiple demographic- and injury-related variables were associated with intentional TBI. Further study is needed to evaluate the long-term patient outcomes and re-injury after intentional TBI. Full article

With the rapid development of industry and agriculture, soil heavy metal contamination has become an important environmental issue faced today and has gradually attracted widespread attention. Finding a cheap, widely available, and biodegradable material that can promote crop growth and stabilize heavy metals has become a research focus. Crop straw biochar, due to its high specific surface area, rich surface functional groups, and high cation exchange capacity (CEC), has shown good effects on the remediation of inorganic and organic pollutants in the environment. This article reviews recent research on the use of crop straw biochar for soil heavy metal contamination remediation, providing a detailed analysis from the preparation, characteristics, modification of crop straw biochar, mechanisms for reducing the toxicity of heavy metals in soil, and its application and risks in remediating heavy metal-contaminated soils. It also comprehensively discusses the potential application of crop straw biochar in the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils. The results show that crop straw biochar can be used as a new type of immobilizing material for the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soils, but there are issues with the remediation technology that needs to be optimized and innovated, which poses challenges to the widespread application of crop straw biochar. In the future, efforts should be strengthened to optimize and innovate the application technology of crop straw biochar, conduct research on the remediation effects of cheap modified crop straw biochar and the co-application of crop straw biochar with other immobilizing materials on heavy metal-contaminated soils, and carry out long-term monitoring of the effects of crop straw biochar in soil heavy metal remediation in order to achieve the goal of ensuring food safety and the rational use of solid waste. Full article

The unique Karst landforms in Southwest China led to fragile soil structures and erosion, compounded by the large-scale non-agricultural transfer of the rural labor force. This study employed a two-way fixed effects model to analyze the impact of rural labor mobility on the green utilization efficiency of cultivated land, controlling for unobservable individual and time-specific factors. Mediation analysis examined how changes in planting structure influenced this relationship, considering labor force structure heterogeneity. Results revealed a U-shaped relationship, with rural labor mobility initially causing a short-term decline in efficiency but leading to a long-term increase. The mechanism of action showed that rural labor mobility indirectly affected efficiency by altering planting structures; specifically, increased replanting frequency had a partial mediating effect (0.158), while a “grain-oriented” focus masked the effect (0.067). Additionally, an aging workforce and low education levels negatively impacted green utilization efficiency, complicating the situation in the Karst region. To enhance green utilization of cultivated land, it is essential to protect migrant farmers’ rights, improve agricultural labor quality, promote industrial upgrades, and adjust planting structures. These strategies will guide regional agriculture and ensure sustainable land resource use. Full article

In within-visual-range (WVR) air combat, basic fighter maneuvers (BFMs) are widely used. Air combat engagement database (ACED) is a dedicated database for researching WVR air combat. Utilizing the data in ACED, a Transformer-based BFM decision support scheme is developed to enhance the pilot’s BFM decision making in WVR air combat. The proposed Transformer-based model significantly outperforms the baseline long short-term memory (LSTM)-based model in accuracy. To augment the interpretability of this approach, Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) analysis is employed, exhibiting the rationality of the Transformer-based model’s decisions. Furthermore, this study establishes a comprehensive framework for evaluating air combat performance, validated through the utilization of data from ACED. The application of the framework in WVR air combat experiments shows that the Transformer-based model increases the winning rate in combat from 30% to 70%, the average percentage of tactical advantage time from 4.81% to 14.73%, and the average situational advantage time share from 17.83% to 25.19%, which substantially improves air combat performance, thereby validating its effectiveness and applicability in WVR air combat scenarios. Full article

This article presents the process of creating a virtual reality (VR) game designed to assess the impact of stress on heart rate variability (HRV). The game features dynamic and challenging scenarios to induce stress responses, incorporating advanced 3D modelling and 3D animation techniques. A study involving 20 volunteers was conducted, with electrocardiographic (ECG) data collected before and during game play. HRV analysis focused on fractal and multifractal characteristics, utilizing detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) and multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA) methods. DFA results revealed decreased values of α₁, α₂, and α_all, indicating alterations in short-term and long-term correlations under stress. MFDFA further analyzed changes in fluctuation function Fq(s), generalized Hurst exponent Hq, multifractal scaling exponent τ(q), and multifractal spectrum f(α), showing significant differences in these parameters under stress. These findings validate the game’s effectiveness in simulating stress and its impact on HRV. The present study not only demonstrates the relationship between stress and the fractal characteristics of HRV but also offers a new foundation for future applications in psychology, physiology, and the development of VR technologies for stress management. Full article

With the deepening of international trade and the increasing strain on water resources, the importance of the virtual water trade of grain products on an international level has become increasingly prominent. Based on FAOSTAT and water value research reports, this study constructed the virtual water trade networks of wheat, rice, maize, and soybeans for 29 major grain trading countries in 2012 and 2022 and measured their network indicators and virtual water flow patterns. In addition, a QAP regression analysis was used to study the influencing factors of the virtual water trade network for grain products from the perspective of four dimensions: economic scale, geographical characteristics, resource endowment, and policy agreements. The results were as follows: Firstly, from 2012 to 2022, the virtual water trade of wheat and rice shifted from a state of net virtual water outflow to net virtual water inflow, and the overall net virtual water flows of maize and soybeans both showed a net virtual water inflow. Secondly, wheat’s virtual water trade network participants had reduced obvious “small-world” features, and KOR, the USA, TUR, and IND have long been at the center of that network. When the core nodes of the virtual water trade network of rice were reduced, the network tended to be decentralized. In that network, IND, NPL, the USA, and ZAF always occupied dominant positions. The overall connectivity of the maize virtual water trade network increased, with both the USA and JPN as the trade core. The number of core countries in the soybean virtual water trade network increased; significantly, CHN, the USA, and THA were in dominant positions. Lastly, the GDP at the economic scale was the biggest core driving factor of all virtual water trade networks of various grain products, followed by per capita arable land area in terms of resource endowment. In addition, the geographic characteristics and trade agreements of the virtual water trade networks of grain products also had a more significant negative impact. This paper argues that countries should make trade adjustments for their own developing disadvantaged grain products, vigorously develop their national economies, optimize the structure of the grain trade, and promote benign cooperation in international virtual water trade for grain products. Full article

Background: This study aimed to assess the effect of peripheral defocus with orthokeratology lenses (PDOK) on myopia control in children and adolescents through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in the PubMed and Web of Science databases to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies on PDOK, using the keywords “peripheral refraction” and “orthokeratology”. Studies were included if they reported spherical equivalent (M) peripheral refraction at 25° and/or 30° with accompanying statistical data along the horizontal meridian before and after orthokeratology treatment. From the initial 133 studies, those excluded included nine non-English publications, 18 reviews, five meta-analyses, four systematic reviews, and 88 studies not meeting the inclusion criteria. Results: Nine studies (three RCTs and six cohort studies) were included, involving 259 participants aged six to 30 years with a baseline refractive error of M = −2.44 ± 0.27 D, and treatment duration ranging from 14 days to 12 months. All the studies showed an increase in myopic defocus at 30° nasal (−2.55 ± 1.10 D) and temporal (−2.79 ± 0.75 D) eccentricities, averaging −2.67 ± 0.95 D across both. The overall induced myopic defocus was M = −2.56 D (95% CI: −2.21 to −2.91, Z = 14.33, p < 0.001), according to forest plot analysis. Studies with treatment durations up to one year showed a higher myopic blur (M = −2.69 D, 95% CI: −2.48 to −2.89, Z = 25.93, p < 0.001) compared to shorter treatments of less than three months (M = −2.39 D, 95% CI: −1.76 to −3.02, Z = 7.41, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Orthokeratology lenses effectively induce myopic defocus at 30° eccentricity over both short- and long-term treatments in children and adolescents, suggesting potential benefits for myopia control in these age groups. Full article