Search Results (11,062)

This study addresses second-home ownership not merely as a form of tourism accommodation or real estate investment, but as a home-building process intersecting with local life, belonging, daily practices, and sustainable destination governance. While the economic, environmental, and community impacts of second-homes have been extensively discussed in the literature, how individuals perceive their primary and secondary homes differently in terms of the bodily, material, vibrant, imaginary, and emotional dimensions of home has been examined in a limited number of studies. This research analyzes paired data obtained through a two-stage online questionnaire from 223 British participants who own a secondary home in the Mugla–Ortaca region and a primary home in the United Kingdom. The 18-item Home Scale was used as the measurement tool. Confirmatory factor analysis, reliability–validity analyses, measurement invariance, and paired-samples t-tests were applied. The findings show that the bodily home difference was not statistically significant at the conventional 0.05 threshold, whereas primary-home scores were significantly higher in the material, vibrant, imaginary, and emotional home dimensions. The small to small-medium effect sizes suggest that the results should be interpreted cautiously as an asymmetrical home-building process rather than as evidence of a hierarchical superiority of the primary home. The study proposes a planning approach that does not view second home owners as merely transient consumers in sustainable coastal–rural destinations, but rather considers social sustainability, service planning, seasonality management, and local community engagement channels together. Full article

Background: Mobile health has been increasingly integrated into tuberculosis care to support patient education, communication, and treatment engagement. However, evidence remains limited regarding whether positive engagement with mHealth is associated with knowledge, attitudes, and practices among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. This study aimed to examine the association between positive mHealth engagement and knowledge, attitude, practice, and total KAP among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and to evaluate the psychometric properties of the engagement score used as the primary exposure variable. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. A positive mHealth engagement score was constructed from 12 mHealth-related items after harmonizing item directionality so that higher scores indicated more favorable engagement. The 12 items reflected five behavioural domains: intensity of use, ease and acceptability of use, functional engagement (communication with providers, access to health information, and perceived benefit for disease self-management), continuity of use, and barriers to sustained engagement. The composite score was computed as the mean of the 12 standardised items, with higher values indicating more positive engagement. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and corrected item–total correlations, and structural validity was explored using principal component analysis. Adjusted linear regression models were used to examine associations between the engagement score and Knowledge, Attitude, Practice, and total KAP scores, controlling for age, sex, and occupation. Sensitivity analyses were performed after excluding a poorly performing item, and tertile analyses were used to assess dose–response patterns. Results: The positive mHealth engagement score showed good internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.852. One item demonstrated poor psychometric performance, and Cronbach’s alpha increased to 0.864 after its exclusion. The data were suitable for dimensionality assessment, with a Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin value of 0.870 and a significant Bartlett’s test. Principal component analysis identified a dominant first component explaining 43.29% of the total variance. Using the refined score, higher positive mHealth engagement was significantly associated with higher Knowledge scores (β = 2.06; 95% CI: 1.28–2.85; p < 0.001), higher Attitude scores (β = 4.68; 95% CI: 3.30–6.06; p < 0.001), and higher total KAP scores (β = 6.68; 95% CI: 4.62–8.74; p < 0.001), whereas no significant association was observed for the Practice score (β = −0.07; 95% CI: −0.63 to 0.49; p = 0.804). In tertile analyses, Knowledge, Attitude, and total KAP scores increased significantly across engagement levels, while Practice scores did not. Conclusions: Positive mHealth engagement was associated with better knowledge, attitudes, and overall KAP among patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, but not with practice. These findings are associative; the cross-sectional design does not permit causal conclusions. The engagement score demonstrated good reliability and acceptable structural validity and may be a useful summary measure for evaluating patient interaction with mHealth interventions in tuberculosis care. Integrated strategies combining mHealth with clinical follow-up, adherence counseling, and structural support may be needed to translate informational and attitudinal gains into practice change. Full article

The agricultural sector, particularly animal production, faces numerous unprecedented challenges driven by climate change, resource depletion, and an ever-growing global demand for quality food. These challenges are further compounded by the increasing environmental impact of livestock farming, including greenhouse gas emissions, overuse of water and land resources, and the destruction of vital ecosystems. Ensuring the sustainability of animal production systems while mitigating the negative environmental impacts of these factors is essential for future global food security. As the demand for animal-derived products continues to rise, there is a pressing need for innovations that can enhance productivity without compromising environmental integrity or animal welfare. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative technology with the potential to revolutionize the animal production industry. AI-driven solutions offer promising avenues for optimizing production efficiency, enhancing animal health and welfare, and reducing the environmental footprint of livestock farming. Machine learning, sensor technologies, and advanced data analytics are being increasingly utilized to monitor and predict various aspects of animal farming, such as feed efficiency, disease prevention, and climate resilience. These technologies enable farmers to make data-driven decisions, fostering more sustainable and environmentally responsible practices. This review examines the integration of AI into animal production systems, emphasizing its applications in climate change mitigation, resource management, and advancing sustainability. The discussion addresses how AI technologies can be utilized to improve productivity while minimizing environmental impact and enhancing animal welfare. Additionally, the paper outlines future opportunities, challenges, and potential barriers to integrating AI technologies into livestock farming, thereby ensuring long-term sustainability amid global challenges. Full article

The utilization of unconventional feed resources offers a sustainable strategy to mitigate feed shortages particularly in tropical and subtropical regions where access to conventional feeds is often limited. Among these, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is one of the world’s most aggressive aquatic weeds, which has drawn attention due to its dual role as a problematic invasive species and a potential livestock feed. This plant reduces water quality, contributes to biodiversity loss and causes economic damage in farming systems. At the same time, its high capacity for nutrient absorption makes it a viable source of protein and energy for ruminants when properly harvested and processed into forms such as hay, dried leaves, and silage. However, its utilization requires caution, as the plant can accumulate toxins and heavy metals from polluted water, which may harm animal health if unprocessed. This review focuses on the potential of water hyacinth to improve ruminant growth performance, nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation. Including water hyacinth in ruminant diet safely can possibly improve animal productivity, contribute to sustainable weed management and also provide a practical strategy to alleviate feed shortage in dry seasons, thereby encouraging resilience and sustainable ruminant production. Full article

This paper presents a practical and communication-independent energy management system (EMS) for a DC microgrid supply within the firezone of a cruise ship. The proposed approach prioritizes operational reliability and fault tolerance under emergency conditions, where communication availability and control complexity should be minimized. The proposed DC microgrid integrates photovoltaic systems (PVs), fuel cell systems (FCs), and lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery energy storage systems (BESSs), coordinated through a rule-based EMS combined with droop-controlled converters. The electrical topology considered in this study is a collaborative development of the project consortium of the publicly funded project Sustainable DC Systems (SuSy), featuring a novel configuration with two independent horizontal busbars for the Cabin Area Distribution (CAD) and Technical Area Distribution (TAD). The EMS can manage two operational scenarios: (i) regular operation, with two decentralized droop controls where power generation is distributed among all generators based on their respective capacities, and a power curtailment strategy is applied to prevent overcharging of BESSs; and (ii) irregular operation, where a fault on one of the vertical busbars triggers the use of reserved battery storage capacity on both sides of the ship and activates load-shedding to ensure continued operation of critical loads and sustain grid functionality. The effectiveness of the proposed architecture is validated through detailed MATLAB/Simulink simulations. Under regular conditions, the EMS achieves stable voltage regulation, balanced power sharing, and efficient energy curtailment. During fault conditions, the battery storage on both sides successfully supports the critical loads. The fuel cells are operated in power-controlled mode effectively up to their full rated 6$\mathrm{k}$$\mathrm{W}$ capacity while the DC bus voltage stabilization is ensured by the battery energy storage systems. These results validate the proposed EMS as a robust and low-complexity solution for maritime DC microgrids, offering stable voltage regulation, effective load prioritization, and resilient operation of critical loads. Full article

Yaks are a critical livestock species for plateau regions; however, their poor reproductive efficiency—characterized by low estrus and pregnancy rates—significantly hampers genetic improvement and industry sustainability. Although synchronization protocols are widely utilized in cows to enhance reproductive performance, research on yaks is limited. Our study systematically evaluated 3 estrus synchronization protocols (CIDR-GPPG, CIDR-GPG, GPPG) on 99 female yaks. The GPPG treatment resulted in the lowest estrus detection (40.63%) and pregnancy rate (15.38%), while the CIDR-GPG protocol significantly improved these rates, achieving an estrus rate of 65.71% and a pregnancy rate of 52.17%. Notably, serum estradiol concentrations were significantly elevated in the CIDR-GPG group compared to the GPPG group. Given the importance of body condition for synchronization outcomes, we analyzed correlation between body measurements and reproductive performance. Among 10 body measurements, chest girth demonstrated the strongest positive correlation with both estrus (R = 0.75) and pregnancy success (R = 0.72). Further logistic regression modeling based on chest girth generated robust predictors for estrus (AUC = 0.934) and pregnancy (AUC = 0.923). Importantly, CIDR-GPG protocol effectively lowered the body condition threshold required for successful reproductive outcomes, indicating that yaks with smaller chest girths can still achieve comparable probabilities of estrus and pregnancy when employing this protocol. Overall, our findings supported the CIDR-GPG protocol as an effective strategy for optimizing yak reproduction and highlighted chest girth as a valuable indicator for predicting reproductive outcomes, providing a practical approach to enhance reproductive management, even in animals with suboptimal body conditions. Full article

Most major crops in agricultural soils exhibit relatively low nutrient use efficiency for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), often necessitating supplemental nutrient inputs to achieve sustainable yields. Furthermore, the increasing use of biowastes such as compost, manure, and biosolids, which frequently have nutrient ratios that do not match crop requirements, has contributed to excessive nutrient inputs and subsequent accumulation in soils. This situation has been further exacerbated by intensive farming practices involving multiple cropping cycles per season. Overuse of nutrients causes them to accumulate in the soil, creating a legacy nutrient pool. The application of biochar as soil amendment is considered a potential strategy to control legacy nutrients dynamics. The current review inspects the possible value of biochar in modulating legacy nutrient reserves in the soil, thereby increasing the bioavailability of nutrients and improving crop yield. This review discusses the search scope and synthesis approaches for the bibliometric methodological component through rigorous screening process (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA)), focusing on journal articles published in last 20 years that specifically address legacy nutrient management. The significance of the economic and environmental effects of legacy nutrients and the insufficient knowledge of how biochar application influences nutrient dynamics in soil highlight the necessity for additional research to address current gaps. Full article

The transition towards a circular economy (CE) has emerged as a key strategy for promoting sustainable development, particularly in resource-intensive industries. Representing such an industry, the automotive sector offers substantial CE potential. However, its practical implementation remains fragmented, and the theoretical discourse lacks consistency. This study addresses these gaps through a scoping review. The analysis first identifies key industry-specific research gaps in the CE transition. A subsequent evaluation of practical case studies reveals significant heterogeneity in the implementation of circular practices across companies and value chain positions. In addition, the summary of recommendations from the existing literature provides a structured overview of necessary measures in the areas of management, research, and policy. The results indicate a strong concentration on two CE-related areas: electric vehicle (EV) batteries and recycling strategies, while higher-value circular strategies remain underrepresented. Moreover, the maturity of circular practices varies considerably across value chain actors, with suppliers in particular lagging behind OEMs and downstream actors. Based on these findings, the study critically discusses the roles of industry, research institutions, and policymakers in enabling a more comprehensive and systemic transition towards circularity in the automotive sector. By systematically linking theoretical developments, empirical evidence, and stakeholder-specific implications, the study advances the field of automotive-related CE research. Full article

As global resource depletion and environmental challenges continue to intensify, the circular economy has emerged as a critical strategy for firms pursuing sustainable development. This study integrates the perspectives of circular economy, the resource-based view (RBV), and stakeholder theory, and incorporates a system dynamics approach to construct a causal feedback model of circular economy systems. First, through a comprehensive literature review and systems thinking, this study develops a causal loop diagram (CLD) that captures the dynamic interactions among key elements, including firms, resources, design, products, consumers, recycling, and waste, thereby illustrating the underlying mechanisms of circular economy operations. Subsequently, the CLD is transformed into a structural equation model (SEM), and empirical analysis is conducted using 134 valid questionnaire responses. The results indicate that significant and positive causal relationships exist among the constructs. In particular, resource-based design advantage is identified as the core driving factor of the system, influencing waste reduction through circular recycling and resource circulation mechanisms. Moreover, the interaction between reinforcing feedback loops and balancing feedback loops forms a dynamic equilibrium within the circular economy system. The findings not only validate the theoretical framework of circular economy systems but also provide practical implications for firms in terms of resource allocation, product design, and recycling management, thereby facilitating resource circulation and sustainable development. Full article

The shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is a key component in achieving global sustainability and dealing with climate change. Natural resources, such as sunlight, air, water, and biomass, have tremendous potential to create clean energy; however, exploiting these resources in an efficient, stable, and large-scale integration manner is difficult due to their variable and distributed nature. Artificial intelligence (AI) approaches that mimic human learning and decision-making have recently become viable approaches to solving renewable energy problems. This study mainly examines the current landscape of AI applications across solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, ocean, hydrogen, bioenergy, and hybrid energy systems. AI enhances renewable energy forecasting, improves power system frequency analysis and stability assessments, and optimizes dispatch and distribution networks. Beyond technical optimization, AI also contributes to broader sustainability goals, including energy efficiency improvements, intelligent smart grid management, and enabling mechanisms such as carbon trading and circular economy practices to reduce exposure to climate extremes. Drawing on evidence from a range of renewable energy areas, this review highlights the importance of AI in bridging the link between technological innovation and sustainable energy management. This paper discusses potential future research avenues, such as building sophisticated AI designs, energy-efficient chips, and data communication networks. Ultimately, the synergy between AI and renewable energy systems represents not only a technological advancement but also a transformative pathway toward a resilient, low-carbon future. Full article

Biodiversity, as the foundation of life on Earth, sustains the balance of ecosystems and supports human sustainable development. However, the current accelerated decline in biodiversity poses ecological threats that require urgent attention. This research based on the perspective of ethnic ecological wisdom, explores the customary practices of biological conservation among the Miao ethnic group in Southwest China, the Tao ethnic group on Orchid Island (Lanyu), Taiwan, and the Maasai ethnic group on the East African Plateau. By conducting in-depth case studies, combined with literature review and data validation, it investigates their practical value and implementation pathways in biodiversity conservation. By analyzing the ecological conservation wisdom models of the Miao, Tao and Maasai ethnic groups, it is found that the core species populations in each region have shown a positive growth trend since the gradual integration of traditional ethnic customary laws with modern ecological protection systems and practices. Drawing on the extensive experience accumulated in integrating customary law into ecological governance across the three cases, this study proposes a three-dimensional optimization pathway: at the policy level, construct a mechanism integrating customary law and diversified ecological compensation; at the community level, implement a model featuring benefit sharing, patrol mediation and digital management; and at the cultural level, strengthen the development and dissemination of ethnic ecological conservation wisdom through multidisciplinary talent training and IP-based communication of exemplary customary law outcomes. We aspire to slow the rate of global biodiversity loss and achieve a bright future of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature. Full article

The digital transformation of construction processes has highlighted the need for integrated and sustainable automation frameworks, particularly in public-sector infrastructure planning where cost estimation, documentation, and approval workflows remain fragmented. This study proposes OnlinePlan, a computational and system-level framework that operationalizes a regulation-compliant cost estimation process within an integrated digital platform. The framework integrates heterogeneous data sources, category-specific engineering models, and regulatory transformations into a structured workflow that combines the Standard Construction Cost Estimation System, the Construction Planning and Budget Documentation System, and the Highway Maintenance Budget Planning Information System, with interoperability to PlanNET. A real-world dataset of 74 projects is used to evaluate system performance against traditional workflows. The results demonstrate zero computational deviation (0.00%) and significant efficiency improvements, with total processing time reduced by approximately 75.7%. Statistical validation confirms strong significance (t = 35.09, p < 0.001) and an exceptionally large effect size (Cohen’s d = 7.85), indicating substantial practical impact. The findings reveal that the primary contribution of construction automation lies not only in computational acceleration but in the integration of estimation, documentation, and approval processes into a workflow-governed digital system. This study contributes a scalable and interpretable framework for sustainable construction automation, advancing ICT-enabled decision-making, resource efficiency, and institutional transparency in infrastructure management. These dimensions are explicitly interpreted as measurable indicators of sustainability in public-sector infrastructure management. The primary contribution lies in the integration of estimation, documentation, and approval workflows into a unified system, rather than in the formulation of new cost equations. Full article

Hydrolyzed polyacrylamide stabilized oil-in-water emulsions are highly persistent because the polymer strengthens both continuous-phase rheology and the oil–water interfacial film, making demulsification difficult in polymer-flooding produced liquids. Here, an hydrolyzed polyacrylamide degrading bacterium, Delftia lacustris EPDB-8, was isolated, and its ability to destabilize hydrolyzed polyacrylamide-containing emulsions was investigated from molecular, bulk rheological, and interfacial perspectives. EPDB-8 effectively degraded HPAM, causing marked reductions in total organic carbon, total nitrogen, absolute zeta potential, and polymer molecular weight, with an approximately 63-fold decrease after 7 days. SEM, FT-IR, and GPC analyses showed that biodegradation proceeded through deamidation and random chain scission, collapsing the polymer network and generating low-molecular-weight fragments. Driven by bacterial hydrolyzed polyacrylamide degradation, these structural alterations disrupted the viscoelastic composite interfacial film formed by hydrolyzed polyacrylamide and indigenous surface-active species, directly causing emulsion stabilization to shift from polymer-assisted viscous and steric protection to a less effective asphaltene-dominated interfacial structure and thereby accelerating droplet aggregation, coalescence, and phase separation. Although bacterial cells exerted a transient particle-assisted interfacial effect, long-term emulsion stability remained governed by polymer integrity. This study establishes a mechanistic link between hydrolyzed polyacrylamide biodegradation and the rheological and interfacial evolution governing emulsion breakdown, providing a cost-effective and environmentally benign biological strategy for demulsification and treatment of polymer-flooding produced water. These findings offer practical guidance for the design of microbial-based produced-water treatment systems and contribute to the sustainable management of oilfield wastewater generated during enhanced oil recovery operations. Full article

Background: Multisite digital psychiatry trials increasingly rely on complex onboarding and implementation processes at local research sites. While outcome-focused evaluations are common, less attention has been paid to the site-level labor required to operationalize such studies in real-world settings, particularly at smaller or resource-constrained sites. This study addresses this gap by examining hidden implementation labor from a single-site reflexive perspective. Methods: This study adopts a reflexive qualitative case study approach to examine onboarding and implementation processes at a single research site participating in a multisite digital psychiatry trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04953208). The analysis draws on longitudinal experiential data, supported by site-specific documentation, onboarding timelines, troubleshooting records, device-management materials, data quality assurance activities, and internal communications generated during site coordination and implementation activities. Results: Five interrelated themes were identified: hidden labor and role overload; resource scarcity at small research sites; fragmented remote communication and technical coordination; multi-role professional contexts and competing demands; and the impact of external systemic disruptions. Findings show how administrative, technical, logistical, and coordination tasks were absorbed into individual roles, often exceeding initial role expectations. Despite limited resources, the site achieved high performance through intensified individual effort, masking the true implementation burden. This pattern is conceptualized as a high-performance paradox, in which apparent site efficiency may conceal substantial hidden labor and role compression. Conclusions: This site-level reflexive account highlights the central role of hidden labor in sustaining implementation in multisite digital psychiatry trials. Recognizing and explicitly resourcing implementation work, particularly at small research sites, may improve feasibility, sustainability, and equity across study settings. The study contributes a practice-based methodological perspective on how implementation burden can be identified through reflexive analysis of site-level trial processes. Full article

With the advancement of urbanization and motorization, urban traffic conditions increasingly affect both travel efficiency and system stability, yet existing studies based on high-frequency OD data mainly focus on single aspects such as congestion patterns or travel time variability, lacking a unified analytical framework that jointly captures time-varying travel impedance, reliability, and anomaly risks under comparable conditions, especially in cross-city contexts. This study constructs a standardized analytical framework with a novel integration based on a “city × weekday × 5 min interval” structure, using high-frequency navigation OD data from eight major cities in China over four consecutive weeks, totaling approximately 560,000 valid samples. Travel Time per Unit Distance (TTUD) is employed as the core metric, and a distance-stratified weighting approach is adopted to improve cross-city comparability. Reliability is characterized by variability, dispersion, and tail risk, and anomalous events are identified using a dynamic baseline. The results reveal clear intra-week temporal regularity and significant inter-city heterogeneity, with weekday evening peaks generally lasting longer than those on weekends, reflecting sustained commuting pressure and slower dissipation of travel demand. A total of 249 anomaly events are detected, with higher frequency and persistence on weekdays, highlighting the increased vulnerability of traffic systems during peak commuting periods and indicating that commuting periods are more prone to sustained deviations due to higher system load and demand instability. Overall, the proposed framework provides a unified and comparable basis for cross-city traffic performance evaluation and supports practical applications such as peak-period traffic management, congestion mitigation, and traffic risk monitoring. Full article