Search Results (1,865)

Decarbonisation of urban energy and transportation systems has become a priority for cities worldwide, with policies primarily aiming to promote rooftop solar electricity generation and a shift to private electric vehicles (EVs). However, these policies may also increase inequalities in access to affordable, low-carbon mobility and the associated benefits. While academic literature shows increasing awareness of these equity impacts and risks, the extent to which this applies to policy practice remains unclear. We therefore conducted a case study of seven Dutch cities, analysing local policy documents and conducting interviews with policymakers. The study provided insight into the current policy landscape and revealed a general sensitivity among interviewed policymakers to possible equity impacts of the current decarbonisation policies. Only a few measures to address these impacts are currently in place, but policymakers have proposed a range of novel and more inclusive measures, which can be tested for their impacts and scaling potential in real-life experiments. Another priority for future research is exploring the potential of shared electric mobility to provide equitable access to low-carbon transportation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Exercise is essential for older adults to maintain or improve their physical condition. This study aimed to investigate whether improvements in physical performance, functional mobility, and balance through targeted physical function exercises could positively influence Concerns about Falling (CaF) and frailty in pre-frail community-dwelling older adults. Methods: We conducted an 18-month randomized controlled trial involving 112 pre-frail community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or older. 55 individuals in the control group (CG) and 57 in the intervention group (IG) were assessed. The IG participated in a home-based physical function exercise program. Primary outcomes included Physical Performance (Short Physical Performance Battery, SPPB), Functional Mobility (Timed Up and Go, TUG), Balance (Berg Balance Scale, BBS), CaF (Falls Efficacy Scale–International, FES-I), and Frailty status (SHARE-FI). Assessments were conducted at baseline, 6, 12, and 18 months. Results: The IG showed significant improvements in BBS (p < 0.01, partial eta² 0.17), SPPB (p < 0.01, partial eta² 0.13), TUG (p < 0.01, partial eta² 0.14) and FES-I (p < 0.01, partial eta² 0.07) compared to the CG and their baseline after 6, 12 and 18 months of intervention. By 18 months, frailty status improved in the IG, with 12.3% classified as non-frail compared to 2.0% in the CG, while 14.5% of the CG transitioned to frailty versus none in the IG. Discussion: The intervention appears to support improvements in physical function and may contribute to reductions in CaF and beneficial changes in frailty status among pre-frail community-dwelling older adults. Full article

Water is the source of life and also the lifeline of cities. The reconstruction of secondary water supply systems is a key component of urban renewal reforms, and the collaborative governance of such projects has become a focal topic through academic research. In this article, we try to discover the path to successful “bottom-up” collaborative water governance with Collins’s theory of interaction ritual chains (IRC) through a case study of a secondary water supply reconstruction program in J Estate, Jinshan District, Shanghai. The case study involved a total of 104 households, and we employed convenience sampling for all households through door-to-door inquiries, which included semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations. A total of 15 households participated in our interview. This study demonstrates that repeated social interactive rituals, such as bodily co-presence, rhythmic synchronization, and shared signs, can stimulate the accumulation of residents’ emotional energy, which becomes the initial power to promote community water governance and, in return, becomes the driving force for sustained collective action and mutual trust. Drawing on Collins’s theory of IRC, this article fills a gap by explaining the symbolic mechanism driven by emotions and personal relationships that macro-level governance ignores. We also demonstrate the spillover effects of such social rituals and propose policy recommendations that governments should apply, using these rituals to mobilize and consolidate residents’ emotions to create a virtuous circle of collaborative governance. Full article

This Scoping Review (ScR) synthesizes advances in architectural eye-tracking (ET) research published between 2010 and 2024. Drawing on 75 peer-reviewed studies that met clear inclusion criteria, it monitors the field’s rapid expansion, from only 20 experiments before 2018, to more than 45 new investigations in the three years thereafter, situating these developments within the longer historical evolution of ET hardware and analytical paradigms. The review maps 13 recurrent areas of application, focusing on design evaluation, wayfinding and spatial navigation, end-user experience, and architectural education. Across these domains, ET reliably reveals where occupants focus, for how long, and in what sequence, providing objective evidence that complements designer intuition and conventional post-occupancy surveys. Experts and novices might display distinct gaze signatures; for example, architects spend longer fixating on contextual and structural cues, whereas lay users dwell on decorative details, highlighting possible pedagogical opportunities. Despite these benefits, persistent challenges include data loss in dynamic or outdoor settings, calibration drift, single-user hardware constraints, and the need to triangulate gaze metrics with cognitive or affective measures. Future research directions emphasize integrating ET with virtual or augmented reality (VR) (AR) to validate design interactively, improving mobile tracking accuracy, and establishing shared datasets to enable replication and meta-analysis. Overall, the study demonstrates that ET is maturing into an indispensable, evidence-based lens for creating more intuitive, legible, and human-centered architecture. Full article

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus and hypertension increasingly co-occur in South Africa. Despite publicly funded care, patients with multimorbidity face high out-of-pocket costs, yet limited evidence exists from the patient perspective. Purpose: To quantify the economic burden of comorbid HIV and hypertension, assess predictors of monthly out-of-pocket costs, and explore coping mechanisms. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis using patient-level data from the Mobile Phone Text Messages to Improve Hypertension Medication Adherence in Adults with HIV (MOPHADHIV trial) [Trial number: PACTR201811878799717], a randomized controlled trial evaluating short messages services adherence support for hypertension care in people with HIV. We calculated the monthly direct non-medical, indirect, and coping costs from a patient perspective, valuing indirect costs using both actual income and minimum wage assumptions. Generalized linear models with a gamma distribution and log link were used to identify cost determinants. Catastrophic expenditure thresholds (10–40% of monthly income) were assessed. Results: Among 683 participants, mean monthly total costs were ZAR 105.81 (USD 5.72) using actual income and ZAR 182.3 (USD 9.9) when valuing indirect costs by minimum wage. These time-related productivity losses constituted the largest share of overall expenses. Regression models revealed a strong income gradient: participants in the richest quintile incurred ZAR 131.9 (95% CI: 63.6–200.1) more per month than the poorest. However, this gradient diminished or reversed under standardized wage assumptions, suggesting a heavier proportional burden on middle-income groups. Other socio-demographic factors (gender, employment, education) not significantly associated with total costs, likely reflecting the broad reach of South Africa’s primary health system. Nearly half of the participants also reported resorting to coping mechanisms such as borrowing or asset sales. Conclusions: Comorbid HIV and hypertension impose substantial patient costs, predominantly indirect. Income disparities drive variation, raising equity concerns. Strengthening integrated human immunodeficiency virus—non-communicable diseases care and targeting financial support are key to advancing South Africa’s Universal Health Coverage reforms. Full article

Urban development is the planned growth of cities that takes into account ecological issues, the needs of urban life, social and technical equipment standards, and quality of life. However, as a result of policies implemented by decision-makers and users, both planned and unplanned, urban space is expanding spatially outwards from the city, while also experiencing densification in vacant areas within the city and functional transformations in land use. This process, known as urban sprawl, has been intensely debated over the past century. Making the negative effects of urban sprawl measurable and understandable from a scientific perspective is critically important for sustainable urban planning and management. Transportation surfaces hold a significant share in the land use patterns of expanding cities in physical space, and accessibility is one of the main driving forces behind land use change. Therefore, the most significant consequence of urban sprawl is the increase in urban mobility, which is shaped by the needs of urban residents to access urban functions. This increase poses risk factors for the planning period in terms of time, cost, and especially environmental impact. Urban space has a dynamic and complex structure. Planning is based on being able to guess how this structure will change over time. At first, geometric models were used to study cities, but as time went on and the network of relationships became more complicated, more modern and technological methods were needed. Artificial Neural Networks, Support Vector Machines, Agent-Based Models, Markov Chain Models, and Cellular Automata, developed using computer-aided design technologies, can be cited as examples of these approaches. In this study, the temporal change in urban sprawl and its relationship with influencing factors will be revealed using the SLEUTH model, which is one of the cellular automata-based urban simulation models. Erzurum, one of the medium-sized metropolitan cities that gained importance after the conversion of provincial borders into municipal borders with the Metropolitan Law No. 6360, has been selected as the case study area for this research. The urban sprawl process and determining factors of Erzurum will be analyzed using the SLEUTH model. By creating a simulation model of the current situation within the specified time periods and generating future scenarios, the aim is to develop planning decisions with sustainable, ecological, and optimal size and density values. Full article

Achieving climate protection goals in the transport sector requires the adoption of innovative mobility solutions and new vehicle concepts. In Germany, commercial transport accounts for one-quarter of the total car mileage. Many of these trips are comparatively short, often involve a single passenger, and require the transport of only small or lightweight goods—yet they are typically carried out by car. Substituting cars with small and light electric vehicles (LEVs) wherever feasible could make commercial transport more efficient and environmentally friendly. LEVs combine a favorable weight-to-payload ratio with the high efficiency of electric drivetrains. This study estimates the share of car trips in commercial transport in Germany that could theoretically be substituted by LEVs. The analysis is based on a comparison of trip characteristics from a national travel survey with the technical capabilities of selected LEV categories. Our results indicate that up to 73% of commercial car trips and 44% of mileage could theoretically be covered by LEVs, with particularly high potential for trips in commercial passenger transport. Although limitations in range and payload restrict the universal applicability of LEVs, the findings reveal substantial opportunities to make commercial transport cleaner and more sustainable. These insights highlight the relevance of LEVs for sustainable commercial transport and offer a data-driven basis for further discussion of their potential and for guiding targeted policy and planning. Full article

The medical treatment of people with innate Variations of Sex Characteristics (VSC) and intersex individuals remains a contested ethical field, where personal narratives have emerged as strategic and epistemological tools. This article examines how such narratives challenge entrenched medical authority, resist pathologizing models of care, and shape evolving legal and ethical frameworks. Using a reflective, interpretive approach grounded in thematic analysis of publicly available cases, we trace narrative interventions across two domains: as medical evidence in clinical contexts and as testimony in policy and legal advocacy. Examples include public protest, contested collaborations with medical professionals, and participation in legislative debates. These accounts not only document the harms of non-consensual medical interventions but also reconfigure definitions of legitimate knowledge, positioning lived experience as counter-expertise. In doing so, they disrupt traditional hierarchies of authority and contribute to the co-production of alternative visions for intersex healthcare and rights. While narrative mobilization can catalyze significant institutional change, it also entails emotional and ethical burdens for those repeatedly called upon to share their experiences. We argue that storytelling is not merely an accessory to reform but a foundational mechanism for advancing medical ethics, influencing policy, and expanding human rights protections. Full article

Background/Objectives: As global aging accelerates, there is a pressing and empirically substantiated demand for integrated and sustainable strategies, as evidenced by the rising prevalence rates of chronic conditions, social isolation, and digital exclusion among older adults worldwide. These factors underscore the urgent need for multidimensional interventions that simultaneously target physical, psychological, and social well-being. The HOPE-FIT (Hybrid Outreach Program for Exercise and Follow-up Integrated Training) model and the SAGE (Senior Active Guided Exercise) program were designed to address this need through a hybrid framework. These programs foster inclusive aging by explicitly bridging digitally underserved groups and mobility-restricted populations into mainstream health promotion systems through tailored exercise, psychosocial support, and smart-home technologies, thereby functioning as a scalable meta-model across healthcare, community, and policy domains. Methods: HOPE-FIT was developed through a formative, multi-phase process grounded in the RE-AIM framework and a Hybrid Type II effectiveness–implementation design. The program combines professional health coaching, home-based and digital exercise routines, Acceptance and Commitment Performance Training (ACPT)-based psychological strategies, and smart-home monitoring technologies. Empirical data from pilot studies, large-scale surveys (N = 1000), and in-depth user evaluations were incorporated to strengthen validity and contextual adaptation. Culturally tailored content and participatory feedback from older adults further informed ecological validity and program refinement. Implementation Strategy/Framework: The theoretical foundation integrates implementation science with behavioral and digital health. The RE-AIM framework guided reach, fidelity, and maintenance planning, while the Hybrid E–I design enabled the concurrent evaluation of effectiveness outcomes and contextual implementation strategies. Institutional partnerships with community centers, public health organizations, and welfare agencies further facilitated the translation of the model into real-world aging contexts. Dissemination Plan: The multi-pronged dissemination strategy includes international symposia, interdisciplinary academic networks, policy briefs, localized community deployment, and secure, authenticated data sharing for reproducibility. This design facilitates evidence-informed policy, empowers practitioners, and advances digital health equity. Ultimately, HOPE-FIT constitutes a scalable and inclusive model that concretely addresses health disparities and promotes active, dignified aging across systems and disciplines. Full article

The rapid expansion of mobile financial services (MFSs) has brought about benefits in terms of financial inclusion in developing countries; however, threats have also emerged on the sides of cybersecurity and privacy. Traditional fraud-detection strategies are usually not responsive in time or adaptive to changing threat scenarios. This study investigates how artificial intelligence (AI) can be employed to strengthen fraud detection and methods to address user privacy concerns within MFS platforms in emerging markets. A mixed-method approach was adopted, i.e., a quantitative survey (n = 151) and a qualitative analysis of open-ended response. A reliability analysis showed internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.70 across constructs). The descriptive results demonstrate that 95.4% of those questioned raised privacy concerns, whereas 78.2% recognized the benefits of AI-driven fraud detection. Regression analysis showed that AI significantly improved perceived security (β = 0.63, p < 0.01), although transparency and explainability were critical determinants of trust. The findings indicate that users consider AI a capable real-time fraud detection tool; however, doubts remain regarding data transparency, sharing with third parties, and lack of user-opted control, resulting in the erosion of user trust. The study also indicates that the socio-cultural factors and weak regulatory contexts weigh heavily on users’ acceptance of these AI-powered systems. This study proposes the promotion of Explainable AI (XAI) systems along with privacy-by-design user controls and localized communication approaches to foster trust and further adoption. The study contained within are thus a critical guide for policymakers, fintech developers, and providers, who seek to innovate with user protection within digital fintech. Full article

The astragalus is a key biomechanical link between the autopodium and limb in mammals, modulating stability and mobility during stance. Its morphology provides reliable proxies for inferring posture, body mass, and locomotor behavior in extinct taxa. Mesotheriids (Notoungulata, Mesotheriidae) have traditionally been regarded as fossorial generalists, yet their functional diversity remains poorly tested. The astragali of Caraguatypotherium munozi (Miocene, Chile) and Trachytherus spegazzinianus (early Miocene, Argentina) were analyzed, integrating osteological measurements and functional indices to explore their locomotor ecology. Principal component analyses were performed to compare their morphofunctional spaces with those of 38 extant terrestrial mammals grouped by posture, body mass, top speed, and locomotor habit. Total Angular Excursion (TAE) and Angular Efficiency Index (AEI) were estimated using a comparative dataset of 182 terrestrial mammals spanning 15 taxonomic orders, focused on stance-phase mechanics during comfortable locomotion. C. munozi shows a deeper trochlea and moderately expanded navicular facets, whereas T. spegazzinianus presents a shallower trochlea and narrower articular proportions. Despite these morphological differences, both species share broadly overlapping stance-phase kinematic ranges, reflecting a conserved plantigrade locomotor module optimized for stability and energy-efficient weight support. These findings challenge the view of mesotheriids as functionally uniform and highlight ecological diversification through subtle morphological adjustments within a constrained locomotor framework. Full article

As a key element of the sharing economy, ride-sharing plays a vital role in promoting sustainable urban mobility by optimizing vehicle utilization rates, lowering carbon emissions, and alleviating traffic congestion. Despite its cost-efficiency and sustainability benefits, ride-sharing adoption remains limited in the post-pandemic period due to behavioral changes and safety concerns. Accordingly, using survey data from 425 commuters in Hefei, concerns about COVID-19 and satisfaction with ride-sharing services were integrated into the theory of planned behavior framework. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the relationship between ride-sharing intention and actual usage behaviors. The results indicated that ride-sharing intention was significantly positively affected by subjective norms (β = 0.428 ***), service satisfaction (β = 0.315 ***), and perceived behavioral control (β = 0.162 *), but significantly negatively affected by concerns about COVID-19 (β = −0.183 **). Concerns about COVID-19 significantly negatively affected travelers’ actual ride-sharing behaviors (β = −0.2 **). Furthermore, ride-sharing intention was identified as a significant positive predictor of travelers’ behaviors: specifically, their likelihood of accepting a ride-sharing order (β = 0.395 ***). These findings offer transport authorities evidence-based strategies for designing targeted interventions during health crises, particularly through reinforcing social norms, improving service quality, and implementing transparent health protocols to ensure both user safety and sustainability. Full article

Technological advancements are reshaping New Mobility Services (NMS) by enhancing trip planning, booking, and payment processes, while also improving fleet management, infrastructure utilization, and data-driven decision-making. Despite these developments, challenges persist in integrating technologies into cohesive and interoperable mobility systems. This study draws insights from 163 stakeholders across the NMS ecosystem to examine both the opportunities and barriers associated with the effective integration of technology into NMS, particularly within urban and metropolitan contexts. Using statistical methods, these responses were analyzed across eight stakeholder groups to determine whether their views converge or diverge. Findings reveal a broad consensus on the technologies expected to have the greatest impact, as well as on the main challenges of integrating these technologies into NMS. Divergences arise in the perceived influence on specific mobility attributes, such as environmental sustainability, security, safety, equity, and social inclusion, and in the services considered most likely to benefit. Notably, investors express a more optimistic view across nearly all technologies, prioritizing shared vehicle services and anticipating the strongest impacts in environmental sustainability. The rest of the stakeholder groups emphasize the potential of technology to enhance modal integration and identify Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) as the NMS with the greatest expected benefits. These insights help identify strategic priorities and redirect efforts toward promoting investment in technologies with the highest potential to deliver transformative benefits across the NMS ecosystem. Full article

This paper is aimed at exploring and expanding the concept of mobility culture(s) (MC), with regard to its influence on public transportation (PT) usage share. Despite some factors being positively correlated with collective modes, the modal split is often skewed in favour of private or individual ones. To this end, a comprehensive analysis of 70 cities in Germany and Italy is conducted, employing geographically weighted regression (GWR) to assess the impact of some factors on the local share of PT. Factors examined include land use diversity, fare integration, service quality (measured as level of service), scheduling regularity and characteristics of the transit network maps. The findings of the study provide new perspectives on MC and suggest strategies for promoting sustainable and equitable transportation systems. Full article

While autonomous vehicles (AVs) are increasingly integrated into urban mobility, little is known about how digital capability shapes elderly pedestrians’ willingness to share roads with these technologies. This is especially true in the absence of explicit vehicle–pedestrian communication mechanisms. To address this gap, we combine the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with the Pedestrian Behavior Questionnaire (PBQ) and segment elderly pedestrians using Latent Class Analysis (LCA). A sample of 750 older adults in Wuhan, China, was divided into two latent groups: digitally disengaged (70.8%) and digitally engaged (29.2%). Classification was based on four indicators: smart device usage, online social interaction, online entertainment, and online economic behavior. We then applied ordered logit models to estimate group-specific determinants of AV road-sharing acceptance. Results reveal clear heterogeneity across digital capability levels. For digitally disengaged seniors, positive pedestrian behaviors significantly increased willingness (β = 0.316, p = 0.001). Prior accident experience reduced willingness (0 accident: β = 0.435, p = 0.021; 1–2 accidents: β = −0.518, p = 0.012). For digitally engaged seniors, perceived behavioral control showed a marginally positive effect (β = 0.353, p = 0.066). Errors had a significant positive effect (β = 0.540, p = 0.009). Positive behaviors had a significant negative effect (β = −0.414, p = 0.007). These patterns indicate that digital capability not only modulates the strength of TPB pathways but also reshapes behavior–intention linkages captured by PBQ dimensions. Methodologically, the study contributes an integrated TPB–PBQ–LCA–OLM framework. This framework identifies digital capability as a critical moderator of AV acceptance among elderly pedestrians. Practically, the findings suggest differentiated strategies. For digitally disengaged users, interventions should build digital literacy and reinforce safe walking norms. For digitally engaged users, strategies should prioritize transparent AV intent signaling and features that enhance perceived control. Full article