Search Results (1,735)

The development of alternative transportation methods has become paramount in the context of sustainable urban population connectivity. The promise of hyperloop as a high-speed, low-emission travel means motivates both academic and industrial interests. The present work centers on the design of hyperloop levitation systems. A component-level optimization is outlined for the appropriate selection of levitation module geometric parameters, followed by an integration into a capsule and bogie system. Two heteropolar levitation module types are numerically studied in realistic operating conditions: a hybrid electromagnet configuration with permanent magnets and a fully active one. To give means for comparison, both configurations are designed with the aid of a general multi-objective optimization approach. For the hybrid case, a position controller is synthesized with a zero-power policy and a specific frequency response function. The active configuration features comparable behavior. Two main power consumption streams are considered: gap control and magnetic drag. While the former depends on the position control effort, the latter depends on the losses of ferromagnetic elements. The two systems are compared in smooth and irregular track conditions over the studied speed range of 400–700 km/h. This study demonstrates that the hybrid heteropolar case achieves a minimum of 97.6% in specific power consumption reduction at the maximum speed of 700 km/h under smooth track conditions. Under irregular track conditions, a benefit in average specific consumption reduction is noted up to 662 km/h for the hybrid case. The maximum reduction in specific consumption is 57.2% at the minimum speed of 400 km/h. Full article

Background: Mobile health (mHealth) applications have shown promise for the primary and secondary prevention of diseases in high-risk individuals. Implementing mHealth solutions for secondary prevention and early alert systems in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) could have significant societal benefits. However, the attitudes of at-risk populations towards these technologies, including concerns about technological literacy and privacy, have not been thoroughly investigated. As technology incorporation expands, these issues are expected to change. This study aimed to evaluate the attitudes of post-ACS patients towards varying levels of intrusive mHealth applications and how these attitudes evolved over a five-year period. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with two cohorts of post-ACS inpatients (110 patients each from 2014 and 2019), who were surveyed using a 39-item questionnaire assessing their technological literacy and opinions on support tools and intrusive technologies, such as wearables and GPS tracking. Results: The two cohorts exhibited stable demographic characteristics, but in 2019, participants showed higher technological literacy and increased engagement in travel and physical activities. Notably, there was a significant rise in hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and family history of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) in the 2019 cohort. Acceptance of remote health monitoring improved significantly in 2019, influenced by technological literacy. Conclusions: Attitudes towards eHealth solutions and remote biosignal monitoring post-ACS may change over time with increased technological literacy. Future research should address patient-specific concerns that could affect the acceptance of new technological solutions to enhance post-ACS outcomes. Our findings emphasize the importance of improving technological literacy to boost the adoption and effectiveness of eHealth interventions. Full article

In the context of increasing environmental and social challenges, sustainable tourism—and particularly awareness of climate-related threats—plays a crucial role in protecting the environment. Certain travel behaviors, such as inappropriate choices of transportation or vacation destinations, have a significant impact on it. Generation Z, defined as individuals born after 1995, stands out due to the cohort’s high environmental awareness and openness to new technologies, which may influence their tourism choices. The aim of this study is to verify hypotheses concerning the main reasons for travel reduction among Generation Z and to identify the relationships between selected demographic factors, such as place of residence and source of income, and the tourism activity of this social group. Statistical methods were employed, and a chi-square test was used to analyze the relationship between the decision to forgo travel and variables such as place of residence and source of income. The results indicate that place of residence and income source are not significantly associated with the likelihood of engaging in tourism in 2024. A considerable proportion of young respondents reported refraining from travel primarily due to a lack of free time. Financial and environmental concerns also played important roles. Tourism policy should therefore consider not only economic and spatial factors but also the growing ecological awareness, promoting sustainable forms of tourism and initiatives that enhance accessibility for diverse social groups. Full article

Elite athletes are at an increased risk of infections due to behavioral and social factors and frequent travel. Furthermore, heavy physical exercise may induce immunosuppression. Most infections in athletes are acute respiratory illnesses (ARIs) with various viral etiologies. Although athletes, as young, healthy adults, are not at risk for severe infections, a prolonged ARI may ruin a training season or a significant competition or may spread within a sports team. Many common infections are vaccine-preventable. This Opinion advocates for more active vaccination among athletes, although some of the vaccines are not officially recommended for young adults. New respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) protein vaccines are effective and well-tolerated. Yearly influenza and COVID-19 vaccinations are strongly recommended. Conjugated polyvalent pneumococcal vaccines are recommended because they may also induce protection against respiratory viral infections. Pertussis and measles outbreaks are occurring globally. The history of measles vaccination should be reviewed, and consideration should be given to a pertussis booster vaccination (Tdap). A recombinant vaccine can effectively prevent herpes zoster. The vaccination of elite athletes is a cost-effective and powerful tool, but it is currently underused. The sports medicine community can address vaccine hesitancy among athletes by listening to their concerns and giving accurate information. Full article

This paper investigates the associations between urban form, neighbourhood characteristics, socioeconomic factors and commuting mode choice and neighbourhood-level active travel (walking and cycling) in Windhoek, Namibia. Despite growing interest in sustainable mobility, limited research has examined these relationships in medium-sized African cities, particularly in distinguishing between commuting and neighbourhood travel behaviour. To address this gap, the study explores three interrelated research questions: (1) In what ways are urban form, accessibility, and socioeconomic factors associated with residents’ choices between motorised and non-motorised commuting modes? (2) What factors determine the propensity of cycling within neighbourhoods? (3) How are similar factors associated with walking propensity at the neighbourhood level? Using survey data from 1000 residents across nine constituencies and spatial analysis through GIS, the study applies binary logistic and multiple linear regression models to analyse commuting and local travel patterns. The findings show that commuting mode choice is significantly associated with socioeconomic status, car ownership, commuting time, and urban sprawl around homes, all of which reduce the likelihood of walking or cycling. Neighbourhood walking, in contrast, is largely driven by necessity in underserved, high-density areas and is positively associated with population density, perceived safety, and community belonging but constrained by inadequate infrastructure and car access. Cycling, though less frequent, is associated with perceived security, access to local amenities, and cycling competence, while negatively constrained by inexperience and cultural norms. The study concludes that fragmented urban form and socioeconomic disparities reinforce mobility exclusion and calls for equity-oriented transport planning that integrates infrastructure and behavioural change. Full article

Australian alpacas contribute to a developing alternative fibre industry with an increasing number of larger-scale enterprises requiring real-time management options. This study aimed to investigate the ability of GNSS real-time tracking tags to monitor alpaca herd behaviour in an extensive production system and assess their suitability as a future management tool. A total of 32 alpacas were fitted with collar-mounted GNSS tracking livestock tags, and an additional 32 alpacas were used as a control group without tags. Both Huacaya (n = 32) and Suri (n = 32) breeds were included. There was no effect of treatment on body condition score change (p = 0. 3648). Breed had a significant effect on distance travelled (p < 0.0184), with Suri alpacas travelling 1.03 (±0.058) km and Huacayas 0.9 (±0.058) km per day. Season significantly impacted the distance travelled each day (p< 0.0001), with alpacas moving a greater distance in winter and spring compared to summer and autumn. The alpacas displayed an increase in activity between 0600 and 1600, with the majority (60%) of their activity occurring during daylight hours. This study outlines normal paddock behaviour for extensively raised alpacas in Australia and showcases the potential for GNSS remote monitoring technology to be utilised as a management tool. Full article

Growing environmental challenges and the need to practice sustainable human actions and attitudes make it necessary to search for new solutions that can minimize the negative impact of human activity on the environment. This also refers to the tourism industry. In this article, the authors propose the use of virtual reality (VR) to visit any destination worldwide as a potential green alternative to traditional forms of travel. The aim of this study presented in this article was to analyze public acceptance and user perceptions of VR as a tool supporting or replacing real-world tourism. This study involved 215 people who used the Google Earth VR application to visit their chosen destinations around the world. Respondents also completed a two-part survey (before and after the VR experience), in which they assessed, among other things, the realism of the VR visiting and the overall VR experience and expressed their opinions on the role of VR in tourism. The results indicate that while VR is not yet widely recognized as a full-fledged substitute for travel (46% of respondents stated that VR would not replace real travel but could be a good complement), it was rated as useful for people who cannot travel (79.1% of respondents) and before trips (79.1% of respondents). The realism of the Google Earth VR application received an average rating of 3.679 on a scale of 1 to 5, with a median of 4. This study addresses the yet unexplored area of VR in tourism, which has great potential given that the results show a quite positive attitude of participants towards using the application enabling virtual travel—nearly three-quarters of the sample (73.9%) expressed a willingness to return to VR-based sightseeing experiences. Full article

Rio Grande do Sul accounts for 22% of Brazil’s losses from extreme events, mainly droughts and floods. The state had the second-worst economic performance in the country between 2000 and 2022. This study quantifies the impacts of major events such as droughts, floods, and the COVID-19 pandemic on economic sectors. Three methods were applied: structural breaks, recovery time, and sector-specific loss estimates. The analysis covers 15,365,123 observations of monthly invoice values from January 2017 to April 2025, involving 357,001 companies paying value-added tax on consumption. The results indicate that negative structural breaks occurred in a few sectors, which account for 5% of the state’s economy. The recovery time followed a similar trajectory between droughts and COVID-19. On average, sectors took 12 months to recover from COVID-19, compared with about 6 months for natural hazards. The sectors most impacted were travel, artistic activities, machinery and equipment industry, accommodation, and domestic services. Aggregated loss estimates were highest during the COVID-19 pandemic (−8%), followed by floods (−1%) and droughts (0%). The results indicate remarkable overall short-run economic resilience. Furthermore, sectors such as information technology, consulting, business services, and healthcare performed exceptionally well. Full article

Fast fashion is a rapidly expanding sector characterized by high production volumes, low costs, and short product lifecycles. While recent efforts have focused on improving sustainability within supply chains, consumer behavior remains a critical yet underexplored driver of environmental impacts. This study presents a web-based calculator tool designed to estimate both the carbon and plastic footprints associated with individual fast fashion consumption, with a particular focus on shopping behaviors, garment disposal, and laundry habits. Adopting a geographical perspective, the analysis explicitly considers the spatial dynamics of consumption and logistics within the urban context of Milan (Italy), a dense metropolitan area representative of high fashion activity and mobility. By incorporating user-reported travel patterns, logistics routes, and localized emission factors, the tool links consumer habits to place-specific environmental impacts. By involving over 360 users, the tool not only quantifies emissions and plastic waste (including microfibers) but also serves an educational function, raising awareness about the hidden consequences of fashion-related choices. Results reveal high variability in environmental impacts depending on user profiles and behaviors, with online shopping, frequent use of private vehicles, and improper garment disposal contributing significantly to emissions and plastic pollution. Our findings highlight the importance of integrating consumer-focused educational tools into broader sustainability strategies. The tool’s dual function as both calculator and awareness-raising platform suggests its potential value for educational and policy initiatives aimed at promoting more sustainable fashion consumption patterns. Full article

In this study, a new nonlinear dynamic model was established for functionally graded material (FGM) beams with layered/porous fractal microstructures, aiming to reveal the cross-scale propagation mechanism of flexural waves under large deflection conditions. The characteristics of layered/porous microstructures were equivalently mapped to the fractal dimension index. In the framework of the fractal derivative, a fractal nonlinear wave governing equation integrating geometric nonlinear effects and microstructure characteristics was derived, and the coupling effect of finite deformation and fractal characteristics was clarified. Four groups of deflection gradient traveling wave analytical solutions were obtained by solving the equation through the extended minimal (G′/G) expansion method. Compared with the traditional (G′/G) expansion method, the new method, which is concise and expands the solution space, generates additional csch² soliton solutions and csc² singular-wave solutions. Numerical simulations showed that the spatiotemporal fractal dimension can dynamically modulate the amplitude attenuation, waveform steepness, and phase rotation characteristics of kink solitary waves in beams. At the same time, it was found that the decrease in the spatial fractal dimension will make the deflection curve of the beam more gentle, revealing that the fractal characteristics of the microstructure have an active control effect on the geometric nonlinearity. This model provides theoretical support for the prediction and regulation of the wave behavior of fractal microstructure FGM components, and has application potential in acoustic metamaterial design and engineering vibration control. Full article

Artemin is a neurotrophic factor that belongs to the four-member family of Glial-derived growth factors. This study aims to investigate changes in artemin correlated with anxiety and depression-like behaviors in a neuroinflammation rodent model. In adult male Wistar rats, neuroinflammation was established through administration of 2 mg/kg LPS. Anxiety-like behaviors and locomotor activity were evaluated by the open field test. The sucrose preference test and the splash test analyzed depression-like behaviors. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and artemin levels were measured in the prefrontal cortex, striatum, and serum. In the neuroinflammation group, rearing, total distance traveled, time spent in the central region, and sucrose solution consumption decreased in the open-field test (p < 0.0001). Grooming time and frequency were shortened, and grooming latency was prolonged in the neuroinflammation group (p < 0.0001). TNF-α was significantly increased in the prefrontal cortex (p < 0.05) and striatum (p < 0.01). lL-1β did not change between groups (p > 0.05). Artemin levels decreased in the prefrontal cortex and striatum (p < 0.05). No difference was observed in serum artemin levels; however, artemin levels of brain regions were higher than those in the serum. An increase in anxiety–depression-like behaviors has accompanied decreased levels of artemin in the brain. Artemin may be a target molecule in psychiatric disorders. Further studies are needed to examine the role of artemin in neuropsychiatric disorders. Full article

Bratislava is currently experiencing massive development, and its developers are very active. As the city develops, the improvement of its public transport becomes increasingly crucial. Public transport (PT) must be ecological, economical, and accessible to all social groups of the population. Bratislava currently has the opportunity to change the modal split in favor of PT and thus end the decline that began in the early 1990s. Rail transport is an ecological type of PT incorporated into smart cities, contributing to city land use. The current PT rail track in Bratislava comprises tram and train infrastructure. Trains ensure the transportation of people from the municipalities surrounding Bratislava, while trams ensure the transportation of people within the city. Tram and train PT must be merged, as their integration could improve traveling times. Bratislava is suitable for the creation of a dual rail transport system covering the urbanized area. The goal of this article is to present a technical solution for a double-gauge system for operation, considering traffic engineering and planning to aid decision making. Considerable professional and expert work was undertaken, in contrast to the political administration’s “decision making”. Cases from Central Europe are presented. Full article

Human brucellosis is a zoonotic, bacterial infection caused by the intracellular, Gram-negative Brucella spp., which is common globally but rare in the United Kingdom, with approximately 20 imported cases per annum following travel to countries with high endemicity. Transmission typically occurs via the ingestion of infected animal products, including unpasteurised dairy products. Human-to-human transmission is rare, and routes include postpartum vertical transmission through breastfeeding. We report here on a familial cluster of three cases within a single UK-based Kurdish household of four, including a 11-month-old infant infected through the consumption of breast milk. Four months prior to presentation, the family had travelled together to northern Iraq for a 5-week holiday and all consumed local dairy products except for the children, including the 11-month-old, who was exclusively breastfed at the time. All three patients, including one adult male with complicated brucellosis, had a favourable outcome with medical therapy.: Brucellosis is an important differential diagnosis in returning travellers and specialist advice should be obtained early to prevent sequelae. It is also important for active case-finding, especially in family units with shared exposure. Paediatricians and adult physicians who may manage brucellosis should consider the possibility of vertical transmission in breastfeeding mothers. Full article

Ecclesia semper reformanda est, as the medieval saying goes. This proved particularly true of the medieval church structure in the first half of the 16th century. The various movements of renewal slowly broke up the forms that had developed during the Middle Ages. In order to address the problems that arose, the Church responded to the old practice of reformatio in capite et in membris by convening a universal synod. The Council of Trent was called to renew the Church and to develop the necessary reform programme. Its convening and its work during its various sessions was a matter not only for Rome but for the whole universal Church, and accordingly it was attended by a varying number and in varying compositions of bishops and other leaders of the Western Church. Despite this, the Hungarian bishops were reluctant from the outset to participate in the work of the Council and to travel to Trent. In my study, I seek to answer the following questions: What was the reason for this reluctance? What was the impact of the spread of the Protestant Reformation and the Ottoman wars on the bishops, and was the case for defending against the Ottomans a rhetorical phrase or an actual reason for this? Which Hungarian bishops travelled to Trent, what activities did they carry out, and on the basis of their speeches and letters, what issues were they concerned with in connection of the renewal of the Church? Full article

Objectives: Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745, a probiotic yeast, is effectively used for the treatment of acute diarrhea as well as for the prevention and treatment of traveller‘s diarrhea and diarrhea under tube feeding. The underlying mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Both antitoxic and regulatory effects on the intestinal barrier, mediated either by the yeast or yeast-derived substrates, have been discussed. Methods: To examine the effects of Saccharomyces boulardii released substrates (S.b.S) on gastrointestinal (GI) barrier function, a murine small intestinal organoid cell model under stress was used. Stress was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure or withdrawal of growth factors from cell culture medium (GF_Red). Stressed organoids were treated with S.b.S (200 µg/mL), and markers of GI barrier and inflammatory response were assessed. Results: GF_Red-induced stress was characterized by disturbances in selected tight junction (TJ) (p < 0.05), adherent junction (AJ) (p < 0.001), and mucin (Muc) formation (p < 0.01), measured by gene expressions, whereby additional S.b.S treatment was found to reverse these effects by increasing Muc2 (from 0.22 to 0.97-fold change, p < 0.05), Occludin (Ocln) (from 0.37 to 3.5-fold change, p < 0.0001), and Claudin (Cldn)7 expression (from 0.13 ± 0.066-fold change, p < 0.05) and by decreasing Muc1, Cldn2, Cldn5, and junctional adhesion molecule A (JAM-A) expression (all p < 0.01). Further, S.b.S normalized expression of nucleotide binding oligomerization domain (Nod)2- (from 44.5 to 0.51, p < 0.0001) and matrix metalloproteinase (Mmp)7-dependent activation (from 28.3 to 0.02875 ± 0.0044 ** p < 0.01) of antimicrobial peptide defense and reduced the expression of several inflammatory markers, such as myeloid differentiation primary response 88 (Myd88) (p < 0.01), tumor necrosis factor α (Tnfα) (p < 0.01), interleukin (IL)-6 (p < 0.01), and IL-1β (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our data provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms by which Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745-derived secretome attenuates inflammatory responses and restores GI barrier function in small intestinal organoids. Full article