Search Results (1,993)

The technological development of oil companies in Mexico is essential for ensuring their economic sustainability. A mechanism for the effective management of the technological development of oil companies, and the industry as a whole, is to determine its priority areas. This article provides a calculation for the choice of planning directions for the development of the oil sector in Mexico and related studies. Currently, the most promising technologies are offshore drilling and production. To achieve the study goals, we analyzed the patent activity of the oil sector. The results showed an unfavorable trend: the number of private and public patents in Mexico is decreasing. For example, from 2017 to 2023, the number of patents for offshore technologies decreased by more than 10 times. This dynamic significantly hinders the development of the oil industry. Despite the general measures taken within the framework of energy policy, the volume of oil production is constantly declining. Thus, in order to ensure the continued reproduction potential of the oil sector, it is necessary to take into account the importance of research and development. The innovation rating of the Mexican Petroleum Institute, a state-funded research center for the hydrocarbon sector, has been declining, having fallen by more than 50% from 102 international patents in 2014 to 40 in 2024. Today, the Mexican Institute of Petroleum is in the 48th percentile in terms of research performance among research institutes. The present authors’ approach considers that the intensification of technological development, which is costly, should not be an end in itself but rather an important means of increasing the efficiency of the integrated activities of oil companies. To integrate the patent-technological component of the strategic planning of oil companies, the concept of sub-potentials is proposed. The potential for the functioning and development of an oil enterprise from the point of view of the systems approach is decomposed into the sub-potentials of reproduction, defense, management, and reserve, which, under adverse conditions, can transition to the sub-potentials of threat and containment. An important task is to determine these transition points. The patent-technological component is taken into account in the sub-potential of reproduction. The remaining components of company development are taken into account within the framework of other sub-potentials, which are not discussed in detail in this article. At the same time, due to the unified conceptual approach, the integration of goals and objectives for technological development into a single economic and socio-ecological strategy for oil enterprises is ensured, which is the most effective approach to ensure their sustainable development. The dynamics of patent generation are an important factor in assessing the technological component and, in general, the effectiveness of projects in the energy sector. Full article

Green open space in high-density cities has positive significance in terms of improving the quality of the living environment and solving problems such as “urban diseases”. Taking the high-density urban districts of the Macau Peninsula and Monaco as examples, this study divides the planning index of open space green quantity into two dimensions: the blue-green spaces occupancy rate (BGOR) within urban land areas and the blue-green spaces visibility rate (BGVR) of the main streetscape. Using satellite remote-sensing maps, GIS databases, and street-view images, this study evaluates the current green quantity in both regions and compares them to identify best practices. This study aims to assess and enhance the green quantity found in the open spaces of high-density cities, using the Macau Peninsula and Monaco as case studies. The primary research questions are as follows: (1) How can the green quantity in open spaces be effectively measured in high-density urban environments? (2) What planning strategies can be implemented to increase the green quantity and improve the urban living environment in such areas? Therefore, this study proposes planning strategies such as three-dimensional greening, converting grey spaces to green spaces, and implementing policies to encourage public participation in greening efforts. These strategies aim to enhance the green quantity in open spaces, thereby improving the urban living environment in high-density cities like Macau and providing a reference for similar urban areas in the world. Full article

Advanced deep learning algorithms play a key role in optimizing energy usage in smart cities, leveraging massive datasets to increase efficiency and sustainability. These algorithms analyze real-time data from sensors and IoT devices to predict energy demand, enabling dynamic load balancing and reducing waste. Reinforcement learning models optimize power distribution by learning from historical patterns and adapting to changes in energy usage in real time. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and recurrent neural networks (RNNs) facilitate detailed analysis of spatial and temporal data to better predict energy usage. Generative adversarial networks (GANs) are used to simulate energy usage scenarios, supporting strategic planning and anomaly detection. Federated learning ensures privacy-preserving data sharing in distributed energy systems, promoting collaboration without compromising security. These technologies are driving the transformation towards sustainable and energy-efficient urban environments, meeting the growing demands of modern smart cities. However, there is a view that if the pace of development is maintained with large amounts of data, the computational/energy costs may exceed the benefits. The article aims to conduct a comparative analysis and assess the development potential of this group of technologies, taking into account energy efficiency. Full article

With the acceleration of global aging, outdoor environments, especially urban green space’s planning and design, play a crucial role in not only promoting physical health but also significantly increasing the opportunities for social interactions for older adults. In recent years, the study of age-friendly outdoor environments has attracted increasing attention, with digital methods emerging as essential tools due to their precision and versatility. In this research, three parks in the Nankai District, Tianjin, are taken as the subject of a case study to explore the spatial factors that may exert influence on the behavior distribution of older adults in summery urban parks’ planning and design. With the behavior data of the older adults in the park collected using an Insta360 camera every hour (from 8 a.m. to 15 p.m.), the three parks are divided into a total of 49 areas for further analysis. Additionally, the visual indexes of the spatial syntax are analyzed with Depthmap 10, the sunlight conditions are analyzed with the Tangent model, and some other spatial factors, such as the green space ratio and the hard ground ratio, are calculated according to the semantic segmentation of the 360-degree panoramic view photo from the center of every area. SPSS and Gradient Boosting Decision Trees (GBDTs) are used to reveal not only the correlations between the sunlight conditions and the behavior distribution of behavior of the older adults, but also the importance ranking of spatial factors. Furthermore, some improvement strategies are proposed for spatial facility configuration, park furniture arrangement, rational hardscape planning, as well as greening and landscape design. By exploring how to improve the spatial planning and design of summery urban green space for older adults, this research provides guidance on the creation of urban green spaces in extremely hot weather that are not only visually appealing but also socially equitable and environmentally sustainable. Full article

The narrow conceptualization of capitalism is increasingly challenged as destinations recognize the need to integrate equity and resilience into tourism development. Increasingly, destinations have been using tourism to move away from extractive industries and there is no shortage of literature outlining the need for a more inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach to ensure that sustainability is at the forefront of tourism development considerations. Whether destinations are actually moving towards the more sustainable development of tourism is not always evident and rarely are studies of destinations undertaken over time. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine qualitative research spanning 15 years using a multi-stakeholder approach to understand impacts, issues, and solutions relating to tourism development in Tofino, Canada. Tofino has achieved notable advancements in financial, natural, and social capital but continues to face gaps in addressing other dimensions of the Community Capitals Framework (CCF). Insights from this research to focus on social, human, and built capital earlier on in tourism planning and development may help other destinations who partially or fully depend on tourism for their livelihood. This paper addresses real-world tourism development challenges and encompasses multiple stakeholder views on sustainable development, socio-political responsibilities, governance, leadership, destination management, policies, and other practices. Full article

The rapid increase in urban population density driven by urban development has intensified inequity in urban green space distribution. Identifying the causes of changes in green equity and developing strategies to improve urban greening are crucial for optimizing resource allocation and alleviating social inequalities. However, the long-term spatio-temporal evolution of green visibility and equity remains underexplored. This study utilized the “Time Machine” feature to capture street view images from 2014, 2017, and 2021, analyzing changes in green visibility and its equity across residential communities in Wuhan. Deep learning techniques and statistical methods, including the Gini coefficient and location quotient (LQ), were employed to assess the distribution and spatial equity of street-level greenery. The results showed that overall green visibility in Wuhan increased by 4.18% between 2014 and 2021. However, this improvement did not translate into better spatial equity, as the Gini coefficient consistently ranged between 0.4 and 0.5. Among the seven municipal districts, only the Jiang’an District demonstrated relatively equitable green visibility in 2017 and 2021. Despite a gradual reduction in disparities in green visibility, a spatial mismatch persisted between UGS growth and population distribution, leading to uneven patterns in UGS equity. This study explores the factors driving inequities in green visibility and proposes strategies to enhance urban greening. Key recommendations include integrating the green visibility equity evaluation framework into urban planning to guide fair green space allocation, prioritizing greenery in low-income neighborhoods, and reducing hardscapes to support the planting and maintenance of tall canopy trees. These measures aim to enhance accessible and visible green resources and promote equitable access across communities. Full article

Cognitive navigation, crucial in architectural and urban planning, involves the mental processes individuals use for navigation within spatial environments. This study investigates the relationship between a path network design and cognitive navigation experiences surrounding closed-access university campuses, focusing on design optimization’s impact on user experience and its alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research encompasses site visits, quantitative surveys of 120 randomly selected cases, and qualitative surveys of 60 cases from universities in Egypt. Findings reveal significant factors influencing path choices, such as directness and clear signage, with 77% of participants encountering navigation obstacles. Public universities prioritize clear pathways, while private institutions emphasize scenic views and landmarks. The study highlights the moderate integration of cultural and contextual elements and identifies key challenges, including traffic congestion and signage difficulties. Conclusions underscore the importance of user-centered design, infrastructure improvements, cultural sensitivity, and dynamic campus environments in optimizing path networks. This research aligns with SDGs by promoting good health and well-being (SDG 3), quality education (SDG 4), innovation and infrastructure (SDG 9), sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11), climate action (SDG 13), and life on land (SDG 15), providing valuable insights for enhancing navigable, sustainable, and intuitive educational spaces. Full article

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter, respectfully, Indigenous) men’s health and social indicators reflect an ongoing legacy of social disruption with profound implications for broader family and community contexts. In response to recognized needs, healing programs have been implemented within Australia. The literature on relevant best practices for Indigenous men’s healing was explored to inform the planning and implementation of a local program. A scoping review of electronic databases was undertaken to retrieve information between 2012 and 2022 on social and emotional healing programs for Indigenous men that included a program evaluation. Of the 2123 identified articles, many lacked a program evaluation or were not specific to male participants, with nine meeting the inclusion criteria for the review. Six central elements that supported the programs’ reported efficacy were identified: kinship, cultural understanding, a view of healing as being holistic, a strengths-based approach, a male leadership team, and a consistent meeting space. These elements were important for the social and emotional healing of the Indigenous male participants. Based on these findings, there is an increased need for the identified elements to be incorporated into programs for Indigenous men to accompany ongoing efforts in improving the wellbeing of the Indigenous population overall. Full article

This article examines the ideological and spatial characteristics of neighborhoods built through the initiative of various states, particularly in Europe, in the post-World War II years, from 1945 to 1980. We argue that despite these neighborhoods being older and subject to economic, professional, and ideological criticism, they feature beneficial physical spaces that came to light, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. These spaces provided opportunities for well-being, relaxation, and community building during times of lockdown and restricted human movement in the built environment. However, residents discovered these spaces, which we term here as “invisible spaces”, through a bottom-up process, and these spaces remain largely unknown to planners or other external stakeholders. In this article, we detail the ideological, economic, and professional approaches that informed the initial planning of these neighborhoods, the contemporary criticisms they face, and the methodology for objectively and comprehensively assessing the quality of their spaces to uncover the “invisible spaces”. We argue that examining urban location, human spatial diversity, intra-neighborhood visibility, and walkability can provide insights into the neighborhood’s qualities and human activity within it, particularly revealing the potential for the emergence of these beneficial “invisible spaces”. Full article

In this research article, budding journalists’ views and attitudes toward a prototype radio lesson that was designed and implemented utilizing advanced technologies are explored. These budding journalists hail from Greece, were studying in higher education or adult education at the time of the survey, and belong to one of the three youngest generational cohorts within adults (i.e., 18 years old and older); Generation X where their members are now known as Xers, Generation Y where their members are already known as Millennials, and Generation Z where their members are also known as Zoomers—XYZ Generations. The survey’s research data were collected after six interactive teachings from and through advanced technologies, via a specially designed written questionnaire, as case study experiments that applied qualitative action research with quasi-experiments. Analysis, descriptive, and inductive statistics were then applied to them from and through Internet applications and services. This is essentially empirical qualitative research that incorporates the approach of the quantitative analysis process. The resulting survey findings and results mainly contribute to the quality of higher education and adult education, especially in the field of media studies. Likewise, they align with or confirm previous contemporary empirical studies and research papers on the genealogical characteristics, habits, and ethos of the XYZ Generations, and particularly regarding the similarities among Xers and Zoomers, as well as that Generation Z can also be characterized as a “Sound Generation”. An important conclusion of this research article is that the success of a lesson or even a lecture seems to depend (a) on the good design and/or development of the lesson plan itself, as well as (b) on the communication classroom where the educational praxis takes place. Finally, these survey findings and results are also considered encouraging and could be utilized (a) for any audiovisual-supported teaching–learning procedure for adult learners; (b) across various educational levels and disciplines; or even (c) for members other generational cohorts. Full article

Urban agriculture (UA) is a longstanding practice in African cities, characterized by some distinctive features. In particular, the amount of land devoted to UA in these cities exceeds that used in Western countries, presenting challenges in areas such as land tenure. Beyond land tenure, UA also intersects with significant health concerns, as it contributes to food security, nutrition, and urban environmental health. However, the literature highlights a gap: urban planners in Africa often show limited interest in the connection between UA and health, despite its significance. This article addresses this gap by bringing together perspectives from architects, urban planners, geographers, economists, and sociologists to explore the links between human health and UA. The experts’ points of view are contrasted with ideas drawn from surveys of urban farmers in Greater Lomé, Togo, and official urban planning documents. Methodologically, 11 experts were selected in Greater Lomé and interviewed virtually via Zoom 5.6.6, and their audio files were anonymized, transcribed, and manually coded. According to the experts, the impacts of UA practices on human health and the built environment in Greater Lomé are mixed. This study’s key findings reveal that urban farmers identify a variety of challenges, including health-related difficulties, while experts tend to assume different health concerns, highlighting a disconnect between the two perspectives. The authors recommend developing joint planning guides in collaboration with experts from various fields in the cities concerned, in order to recognize local knowledge and integrate the perspectives of urban farmers into UA policies. Full article

This study, as a contribution to the research on urban land grabbing (grabs) as a global phenomenon, seeks to evaluate the populist belief that developers swallow up urban land originally zoned for community purposes under Government, Institution and Community (GIC) zoning, thus depriving communities of space for their own benefit. The authors applied a systematic analysis of non-aggregate planning and development statistics to better interpret the features of the land market as regulated by zoning. Their research focuses on the salient features of redevelopment projects that enjoy successful planning applications and onsite development in GIC zones. They compared the planning and development statistics, obtained from the Planning Department’s website, of 425 approved GIC projects with those of the 261 Comprehensive Development Area (CDA) zone projects. Subject to the limitations of the data collected, the results qualify a negative view of land oligarchs (powerful land developers) who sought land under unitary ownership obtained in the past at nominal land premiums for quick windfalls. Particularly, GIC redevelopments were found to have proceeded much faster than CDA developments and, hence, were a natural attraction to developers, which were diverse, not exclusively private, and produced a few urban innovations during the redevelopment process. Full article

Objectives: Buccal cortical bone dimensions are crucial in dental radiology, as they impact orthodontic treatment outcomes. Changes in alveolar bone dimensions can result in malocclusion and require interdisciplinary approaches for correction. The accurate quantification of buccal bone dimensions is crucial for appropriate treatment planning and avoiding medico-legal issues. This study aimed to compare buccal bone height measurements between three-dimensional (3D) digital imaging and communications in medicine (DICOM) data and portable document format (PDF) cone beam computer topography reports for mandibular frontal teeth, testing the hypothesis of no difference in values between the two modalities. Methods: Each of the five observers performed a total of 720 height measurements (360 by DICOM and 360 by PDF), yielding a total of 3600 measurements overall. Results: Compared with the DICOM format, using PDF files was associated with a significantly greater rate of inability to carry out the measurements (8.8% vs. 3%, respectively, p < 0.001, chi-square). The average buccal bone height measured in the DICOM was 11.51 mm, which was significantly greater than the 10.35 mm measured in the PDF (p < 0.001). The mean height measured by the DICOM was consistently greater than that measured by the PDF, with highly significant differences in the findings of four of the examiners (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Viewing modality significantly affected the height of the buccal bone in the frontal mandibular area. Compared with the generated PDF reports, the 3D DICOM viewer performed better than the printed PDF and enabled more measurements in the target area. Full article

Urban commercial streets are a crucial component of urban life, serving as the central hubs of commercial activity and providing vital spaces for both residents and visitors to engage in various activities. Walkability is commonly used as a key indicator of environmental quality, playing a significant role in improving residents’ health, community interaction, and environmental quality of life. Therefore, promoting the development of a high-quality walking environment in commercial districts is crucial for fostering urban economic growth and the creation of livable cities. However, existing studies predominantly focus on the impact of the built environment on walkability at the urban scale, with limited attention given to commercial streets, particularly the influence of their physical features on walking-need perceptions. In this study, we utilized Google Street-View Panorama (GSVP) images of the Tenjin commercial district and applied the Semantic Differential (SD) method to assess four walking-need perceptions of visual walkability perception, including usefulness, comfort, safety, and attractiveness. Additionally, deep-learning-based semantic segmentation was employed to extract and calculate the physical features of the Tenjin commercial district. Correlation and regression analysis were used to investigate the impact of these physical features on the four walking-need perceptions. The results showed that the different walking-need perceptions in the Tenjin commercial district are attractiveness > safety > comfort > usefulness. Furthermore, the results show that there are significant spatial distribution differences in walking-need perceptions in the Tenjin commercial district. Safety perception is more prominent on primary roads, all four walking-need perceptions in the secondary roads at a high level, and the tertiary roads have generally lower scores for all walking-need perceptions. The regression analysis indicates that walkable space and the landmark visibility index have a significant impact on usefulness, street cleanliness emerges as the most influential factor affecting safety, greenness is identified as the primary determinant of comfort, while the landmark visibility index exerts the greatest influence on attractiveness. This study expands the existing perspectives on urban street walkability by focusing on street-level analysis and proposes strategies to enhance the visual walkability perception of commercial streets. These findings aim to better meet pedestrian needs and provide valuable insights for future urban planning efforts. Full article

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the effect of observing actions at different speeds on the speed of motor task performance in subsequent actions. Methods: Sixty individuals, divided equally between those with non-specific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP) and asymptomatic subjects, were enrolled. Participants were further split into subgroups to observe lumbar flexion and Timed Up and Go (TUG) test actions at either a slow or fast pace, following a randomized assignment. For post-video observation, participants replicated the observed actions three times without specific performance instructions, allowing for the assessment of their execution speed. Results: The analysis revealed that individuals observing actions at a faster pace executed the subsequent motor tasks significantly quicker than their counterparts who viewed the same actions at a slower speed. This was consistent across both NSCLBP sufferers and asymptomatic subjects, indicating that the action observation (AO) speed directly influenced the execution speeds of lumbar flexion and TUG test movements. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that AO speed significantly affects the pace of motor execution, irrespective of NSCLBP presence. This underscores the potential of utilizing varied AO speeds as a strategic component in clinical practice, particularly for enhancing motor planning and execution in physical therapy settings. The study highlights the importance of incorporating AO speed variations into therapeutic interventions for improving patient outcomes in motor task performance. Full article