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Jason Wright's book, "Blake's Job: Adventures in Becoming," explores the author's personal journey from a career in theater to becoming a psychotherapist, inspired by the works of C.G. Jung and William Blake. The book focuses on Blake's "Illustrations of the Book of Job," which depict the struggle between Human Imagination and an inner accusatory voice. Wright connects Blake's visionary insights to contemporary thinkers and explores themes of exploitation, communal resonance, and the need for a fundamental change in perception. The book includes clinical vignettes, poems, and narratives to illustrate the relevance of Job's journey in therapeutic practice and human development. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: To estimate variation in emotional and behavioural problems between primary schools in Bradford, an ethnically diverse and relatively deprived city in the UK. Methods: We did a cross-sectional analysis of data collected from 2017 to 2021 as part of the 'Born In Bradford' birth cohort study. We used multilevel linear regression in which the dependent variable was the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) total score, with a random intercept for schools. We adjusted for pupil-level characteristics including age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and parental mental health. Results: The study included 5,036 participants from 135 schools. Participants were aged 7–11 years and 56% were of Pakistani heritage. The mean SDQ score was 8.84 out of a maximum 40. We estimated that the standard deviation in school-level scores was 1.41 (95% CI 1.11–1.74) and 5.49% (95% CI 3.19–9.37%) of variation was explained at school level. After adjusting for pupil characteristics, the standard deviation of school-level scores was 1.04 (95% CI 0.76–1.32) and 3.51% (95% CI 1.75–6.18%) of variation was explained at school level. Simulation suggested that a primary school with 396 pupils at the middle of the distribution has 63 pupils (95% CI 49–78) with a 'raised' SDQ score of 15 + /40; and shifting a school from the lower to the upper quartile would prevent 26 cases (95% CI 5–46). Conclusion: The prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems varies between schools. This is partially explained by pupil characteristics; though residual variation in adjusted scores may suggest that schools have a differential impact on mental wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sudan ebolavirus (SUDV) is a member of the genus Ebolavirus (Family Filoviridae) and has caused sporadic outbreaks of Ebola disease (EBOD), or more specifically Sudan virus disease (SVD), with high mortality rates in Africa. Current vaccines and therapies that have been developed for filoviruses are almost all specific for Ebola virus (EBOV; of the species Zaire ebolavirus), and there is a current lack of therapeutics specific for SUDV. The recent SUDV outbreak in Uganda, which was distributed across multiple districts, including Kampala, a densely populated urban center, highlights the critical need for the development of novel SUDV-specific or pan-Ebola virus therapeutics. Previous work has characterized two monoclonal antibodies, FVM04 and CA45, which have neutralization capabilities against both EBOV and SUDV and have shown protective efficacy in animal challenge studies. Here, we expand upon this work, showing that treatment with a monoclonal antibody cocktail consisting of FVM04 and CA45 provides full protection against lethal SUDV infection in cynomolgus macaques. Studies that evaluate outcomes at late time points after infection, once clinical signs of illness are apparent, are vital for assessing the therapeutic efficacy of antibody therapeutics. We have shown that when treatment is initiated as late as 5 days after infection, with a second dose given on day 8, that treated groups showed few clinical signs or morbidity, with complete survival. This work provides further evidence that FVM04 and CA45 have strong therapeutic potential against SUDV and their development as a pan-Ebola virus therapeutic should be pursued. IMPORTANCE There are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for Sudan virus, a filovirus which is highly related to Ebola virus and causes similar disease and outbreaks. In this study, a cocktail of two potent monoclonal antibodies that effectively neutralize Sudan virus was tested in a nonhuman primate model of Sudan virus disease. Treatment was highly effective, even when initiated as late as 5 days after infection, when clinical signs of infection were already evident. All treated animals showed complete recovery from infection, with little evidence of disease, while all animals that received a control treatment succumbed to infection within 8 days. The study further demonstrated the strong therapeutic potential of the antibody treatment and supported further development for use in Sudan virus outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing volume of personal motorized vehicles (PMVs) in cities has become a serious issue leading to congestion, noise, air pollution and high land consumption. To ensure the sustainability of urban transportation, it is imperative to transition the current transportation paradigm toward a more sustainable state. Transitions within socio-technical systems often arise from niche innovation. Therefore, this paper pursues the technical optimization of such a niche innovation by applying a technical sustainability perspective on an innovative mobility and logistics concept within a case study. This case study is based on a centrally managed connected, automated, shared and electric (CASE) vehicle fleet which might replace PMV use in urban city centers of the future. The key technical system components of the envisioned mobility and logistics concept are analyzed and optimized with regard to economic, ecological and social sustainability dimensions to maximize the overall sustainability of the ecosystem. Specifically, this paper identifies key challenges and proposes possible solutions across the vehicle components as well as the orchestration of the vehicles' operations within the envisioned mobility and logistics concept. Thereby, the case study gives an example of how different engineering disciplines can contribute to different sustainability dimensions, highlighting the interdependences. Finally, the discussion concludes that the early integration of sustainability considerations in the technical optimization efforts of innovative transportation systems can provide an important building block for the transition of the current transportation paradigm to a more sustainable state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the challenges of restricted land resources and net-zero carbon city initiatives, it is crucial to seek a balance between intensive land use and carbon neutrality during the construction of development zones. By incorporating net-zero carbon balance into the land use efficiency evaluation system and utilizing a quasi-natural experiment based on the 2009 provincial development zone upgrading policy, this study investigates the policy's impact on urban land use efficiency under the net-zero carbon city goal. The study finds that the upgrading of provincial development zones significantly enhances urban land use efficiency, while exhibiting the dual effects of reducing carbon emissions and increasing carbon sinks. Mechanism analysis reveals that the upgrade policy improves land use efficiency by enhancing land-use and environmental regulations, optimizing resource allocation, and fostering green technological innovation. Heterogeneity analyses show that the policy effect is more significant in eastern and central cities, with the impact being strongest in central cities. Additionally, the impact of upgrading to a national high-tech development zone is greater than that of upgrading to a national economic development zone. This article provides insights into how to use industrial policies effectively to achieve intensive land use and high-quality development while aiming for carbon neutrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central China Normal University is the property of Huazhong Normal University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aims to reveal the spatial structural characteristics of 1,652 Ethnic-Minority Villages (EMV) in China and to analyze the mechanisms driving their spatial heterogeneity. EMV are a special type of settlement space that preserve a large number of historical traces of the ethnic culture of ancient China. They are important carriers of China's excellent traditional culture and are key to the implementation of rural revitalization strategies. In this study, 1652 EMV in China were selected as the research subjects. The Nearest Neighbor Index, kernel density, and spatial autocorrelation index were employed to reveal the spatial structural characteristics of minority villages. Neural network models, spatial lag models, and geographical detectors were used to analyze the formation mechanism of spatial heterogeneity in EMV. The results indicate that: (1) EMV exhibit significant spatial differentiation characterized by "single-core with multiple surrounding sub-centers," "polarization between east and west," "decreasing quantity from southwest to east coast to northeast to northwest," and "large dispersion with small agglomeration." (2) EMV are mainly distributed in areas rich in intangible cultural heritage, with high vegetation coverage and low altitude, far from central cities, and having limited arable land and an underdeveloped economy and transportation, particularly in shaded or riverbank areas. (3) Distance from the nearest river (X3), distance from central cities (X8), national intangible cultural heritage (X9), and NDVI (X10) were the main driving factors affecting the spatial distribution of EMV, whereas elevation (X1) and GDP (X5) had the weakest influence. As EMV are a relatively unique territorial spatial unit, the identification of their spatial heterogeneity characteristics not only deepens the research content of settlement geography, but also involves the assessment, protection, and development of Minority Villages, which is of great significance for the inheritance and utilization of excellent ethnic cultures in the era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the availability of free screening mammograms (SMG) through the Breast Cancer Early Detection (BCED) Program in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia, a notable gap exists between program implementation and the actual uptake of SMG. This study aims to assess the refusal rate, identify barriers to participation, and shed light on the factors influencing women's decisions regarding SMG. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among consecutive women aged 40– 69 participating anonymously in the BCED program in September 2023. The participants were administered a validated Arabic language survey encompassing breast cancer screening backgrounds and knowledge, reasons for refusal, and factors influencing SMG reconsideration. Logistic regression was employed to identify factors linked with SMG refusal using SPSS version 28. Results: Of the 2446 eligible women in the study, 576 (23.6%) declined to undergo SMG. The median age of participants was 49 years, primarily married (91.5%) and residing in central cities (60.3%). Previous mammogram history was reported by 21.4%, with only 12.9% performing regular SMGs every 1– 2 years. Married women had a 31% lower refusal likelihood to SMG compared to widowed/divorced women (Adjusted Odds Ratio [aOR] = 0.69, p = 0.02). Women residing in peripheral areas showed approximately 1.45 times higher odds of refusal compared to those in central cities (aOR = 1.45, p < 0.001), and women without prior history of SMG had 2.13 times higher odds of refusal (aOR = 2.14, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The refusal rate for SMG in the Qassim region aligns closely with rates observed in developed countries. Despite this progress, significant barriers to SMG uptake persist, and tailored interventions targeting specific demographic groups and addressing these barriers are essential to improving screening participation, promoting a culture of proactive screening behavior, and ensuring equitable access to screening services for all eligible women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among the archaeological evidence, some have a complex nature that, although presented as ruins, maintain the characteristics and problems of an urban center, whose organization, from a managerial point of view, is comparable to those of a contemporary medium-sized city. These are archaeological contexts whose conservation can only be ensured in contextualized form through the integral maintenance of the sites. The contribution aims to analyze what happened in the archaeological area of Ostia Antica - a port city of Roman times located near the mouth of the Tevere River along the coast of Lazio - to make some reflections on both the different visions with which we approached the discovery and knowledge of the city over time, both the various methods of intervention adopted throughout the history of excavations, starting from the eighteenth century until the second post-war period. The aim of the paper is to compare the different approaches, produced based on the indications given by the laws and the Charters of Restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to understand the dynamics of diffusion of Covid-19 in the urban network of the Immediate Geographic Region of São João dos Patos (RGISJP), Maranhão, Brazil. The analysis period considers one year of pandemic, to be counted from the first case of the disease in Maranhão (March 20, 2020 to March 20, 2021). This is an empirical spatial analysis, anchored in the systematization of secondary and public data, followed by a qualitative examination of the polarization and urban influence in the geographic distribution of cases. The offer of medical-hospital equipment, facilities and medical specialists is considered as the main drivers in the search for Covid-19 care in the urban network of such municipalities. As main sources for this research, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), the State Department of Health (SES-MA) and the Department of Informatics of the Unified Health System (DATASUS) were used through Tabwin, using the Ambulatory and Hospital Information Systems of SUS as well as the National Health Registry (CNES). The data point to the rarefied and concentrated supply of medical-hospital services, and the main urban center (São João dos Patos) does not have so much prominence in the offer of these services, which, consequently, drives more population flows, expanding the contagion network to other municipalities in the region and increasing the rate of contamination and deaths from the new coronavirus in centers that concentrate health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Homo Sacer, Giorgio Agamben argues that the foundational dichotomy of politics is to be found in the separation of an 'inside' from an 'outside.' It is our contention that homo sacer is a useful tool for assessing the sacrificial quality of life under unequal social systems. Specifically, we argue that in the United States, impoverished Black residents of, above all, but not only American 'ghettos' can potentially be understood as homo sacer. However, we also show that Agamben's conceptualization faces some significant barriers to sociological implementation. We, therefore, update homo sacer using a Deleuzian framework focused on the concepts of assemblage and identitarian articulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate variability, climate change, and anthropogenic disturbances increase the likelihood and intensity of heatwaves. Urban centers, characterized by dense populations, are experiencing a growing impact from these heatwaves. A comprehensive understanding of the spatiotemporal characteristics of heatwaves is essential for proposing effective mitigation strategies. This study utilizes land surface temperature datasets from 2003 to 2020 to characterize spatial and temporal variability of heatwaves across the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal, and identify regions and periods with high heat hazards, exposure, and risks. Regions with high heatwave hazards are identified based on frequency, duration, and magnitude of heatwaves for daytime, nighttime, average of daytime and nighttime, and a combination of both conditions. Additionally, vulnerability is assessed based on demographic distribution. Heatwave Risk Index is computed by superimposing composite heatwave index and vulnerability. Through geospatial analysis, our study identifies distinct regions and time periods characterized by varying levels of heatwave severity and associated risks to diverse population distributions. In recent years, there has been a notable increase in the prevalence of extreme heatwave conditions, particularly after 2010 and especially from 2012 onwards. Importantly, this trend is more pronounced in nighttime temperature data, highlighting discomfort during the night when the body requires rest and recovery. Our findings emphasize the crucial need for policies tailored to urban environments, addressing factors related to the built environment factors, societal stresses, and vulnerabilities. These policies are essential for enhancing systematic preparedness in response to the challenges posed by a changing climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing is one of the greatest needs that African immigrants confront in Johannesburg's inner city, South Africa. One of the reasons for the manifestation of shortage of housing correlates with the large-scale and uncontrollable migration, which has occurred over the past three decades or so. This mass migration, predominantly of black Africans, has drastically reconfigured the demographics of Johannesburg's inner city. Unfortunately, most African migrants and refugees who happened to be foreigners find that they are excluded from the benefits of housing services. This reality brings into focus one of the socio-economic gaps and class realities of cities, that is, most of the urban migrants, specifically in the Johannesburg inner city are poor. Berea Baptist Mission Church (BBMC) ministers daily to this volatile vulnerable 'rightless' migrant community. Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: In this article, the author argues for ways that BBMC can mobilise its assets towards formulating and reimagining new conditions under which affordable, sustainable and aesthetically attractive housing in an urban environment such as Johannesburg's inner city is feasible. Insights from the 'oiko-missiological perspective' are helpful in this process of formulation and reimagination of new conditions towards 'just housing' in Johannesburg's inner city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In promoting China's comprehensive modernization in pursuit of the grand revitalization of the Chinese nation, the relationship between industry and cities has become increasingly interconnected. National central cities, as the country's economic, cultural, and financial centers, play a pivotal role in driving the development of their surrounding regions. Therefore, this paper focuses on nine national central cities in China and constructs an assessment index framework for urban–rural integration and modernization. This index system covers two aspects: industrial modernization (with a focus on the modernization of the service sector and industry) and urban modernization (with a focus on the harmonious development of people and nature). Using data from 2021, we determine the weights of individual indicators through the entropy weight method. Moreover, the coupling coordination model is utilized to compute the coupling coordination degree for each city, assessing the level of urban–rural integration and modernization. Using Hubei Province as an illustration, we incorporate the measured coupling coordination degree into the analysis of urban–rural integration effects. Spatial autocorrelation using Global Moran's I is applied to explore the spatial radiation effects of the national central city, Wuhan, on its surrounding cities. Simultaneously, 13 prefecture level cities in Hubei Province were selected as radiation areas, and relevant data from 2017 to 2021 were collected. The Durbin, robust regression, and panel model were employed to analyze the economic radiation impact, learning effect, and transportation accessibility effect of Wuhan as a national central city on surrounding cities. Our findings unequivocally demonstrate the paramount role of the service sector in shaping urban–rural integration, as evidenced by Shanghai emerging with the highest level of such integration and modernization, while Zhengzhou lags with the least progress. Moreover, the innovative prowess inherent in Wuhan, which functions as a national central city, exerts a positive influence on the innovation capacity witnessed in its radiating vicinity. Concurrently, the transportation accessibility quotient between peripheral cities and the central city manifests a positive correlation with the economic development level within the radiation zone. These results furnish invaluable insights into strategies aimed at elevating the echelon of urban–rural integration and modernization within national central cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: To enhance its data capability, Australia recently set up a longitudinal administrative micro-dataset, the Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA). OBJECTIVE: To ensure that users in both scholarly and applied settings understand how PLIDA can be reliably used, we assess its Combined Location Module, which provides place of residence by combining three administrative datasets since 2006. METHODS: Using descriptive statistics and regression analysis, we compare the population coverage of PLIDA to the census, estimate the incidence of missing values at various spatial scales, quantify spatial mismatch between PLIDA and the census, and compare the intensity, selectivity, and spatial patterns of internal migration between the two datasets. RESULTS: The PLIDA population is higher than the census population, but very remote populations and recently arrived and temporary migrants are under-represented. We uncover a high mismatch rate between PLIDA and the census for small spatial units, particularly among highly mobile groups. As a result, PLIDA overestimates the level of internal migration and slightly distorts migration age patterns at young ages. Migration patterns are broadly comparable at large spatial scales, except for rapidly growing peri-urban regions, inner cities with short-term residents, and regions with a seasonal or temporary workforce. CONCLUSION: PLIDA can be used in some applied settings outside demography if the spatial scale of analysis is aggregated, the analysis is restricted to census respondents, or the analysis is limited to well-represented groups. However, in its current form PLIDA is not suitable for demographic applications such as internal migration estimates, and we discourage its use for population projections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Chengdu University (Social Science) is the property of Journal of Chengdu University (Social Science Edition) Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background/Objectives: Transitions to and from Emergency Departments (EDs) can be detrimental to long‐term care (LTC) residents and burden the healthcare system. While reducing avoidable transfers is imperative, various terms are used interchangeably including inappropriate, preventable, or unnecessary transitions. Our study objectives were to develop a conceptual definition of avoidable LTC‐ED transitions and to verify the level of stakeholder agreement with this definition. Methods: The EXamining Aged Care Transitions study adopted an exploratory sequential mixed‐method design. The study was conducted in 2015–2016 in 16 LTC facilities, 1 ED, and 1 Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in a major urban center in western Canada. Phase 1 included 80 participants, (healthcare aides, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, LTC managers, family members of residents, and EMS staff). We conducted semistructured interviews (n = 25) and focus groups (n = 19). In Phase 2, 327 ED staff, EMS staff, LTC staff, and medical directors responded to a survey based on the qualitative findings. Results: Avoidable transitions were attributed to limited resources in LTC, insufficient preventive care, and resident or family wishes. The definition generated was: A transition of an LTC resident to the ED is considered avoidable if: (a) Diagnostic testing, medical assessment, and treatment can be accessed in a timely manner by other means; (b) the reasons for a transfer are unclear and the transition would increase the disorientation, pain, or discomfort of a resident, outweighing a clear benefit of a transfer; and (c) the transition is against the wishes expressed by the resident over time, including through informal and undocumented conversations. There was a high level of agreement with the definition across the four participant groups. Conclusions and Implications: To effectively reduce LTC resident avoidable transitions, stakeholders must share a common definition. Our conceptual definition may significantly contribute to improved care for LTC residents. Key points: Important dimensions in assessing transition avoidability include timely diagnostic testing availability, in‐facility assessment and treatment options, clear transfer purpose, risk/benefit analysis for resident well‐being, and recognition of advanced care goals and informal care preferences.Our findings highlighted essential differences between perceptions of unnecessary and avoidable transitions.Avoidable transitions were attributed to limited resources in long‐term care, insufficient preventive care, and resident or family wishes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis, is highly genetically recombinant, resulting in significant genomic diversity. Multiple virulence factors have been associated with specific disease presentations. To date, there are limited data relating to genomic diversity and virulence factors associated with melioidosis cases in North Queensland, Australia. Aim: To describe the genetic diversity of B. pseudomallei and identify virulence factors associated with clinical risk factors and patient outcomes. Methods: Whole genome sequencing of clinical isolates was performed and analysed with clinical data obtained from a retrospective melioidosis cohort study. Results: Fifty-nine distinct sequence types (STs) were identified from the 128 clinical isolates. Six STs comprised 64/128 (50%) isolates. Novel STs accounted for 38/59 (64%) STs, with ST TSV-13 as the most prevalent (n = 7), and were less likely to possess an LPS A genotype or YLF gene cluster (p < 0.001). These isolates were most likely to be found outside the inner city (aOR: 4.0, 95% CI: 1.7–9.0, p = 0.001). ST TSV-13 was associated with increased mortality (aOR: 6.1, 95% CI: 1.2–30.9, p = 0.03). Patients with a history of alcohol excess were less likely to be infected by fhaB3 (aOR 0.2, 95% CI: 0.1–0.7, p = 0.01) or YLF (aOR: 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2–0.9, p = 0.04) positive isolates. Conclusions: There are a significant number of novel sequence types in Townsville, Australia. An emerging novel ST appears to have an association with geographic location and mortality. Ongoing investigation is required to further understand the impact of this ST on the Townsville region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The establishment of the Free Trade (Pilot) Zone (FTZ) is a new attempt by China to embark on modern sustainable urban planning and governmental territorial management at the development stage of a high-quality economy. As urban lands serve as the limited resource foundation for civic production and livelihoods, enhancing land use efficiency becomes a key measure to facilitate metropolitan economies of high quality. Utilizing panel data from prefecture-level cities spanning from 2005 to 2021, this study constructs a multi-period difference-in-differences model to explore the impact of FTZs on urban land use efficiency (ULUE). The results indicate that FTZs can significantly enhance urban land use efficiency, with a more pronounced policy effect observed in central cities, inland cities, and cities with higher urbanization rates. Furthermore, the FTZs also demonstrate spatial spillover effects on urban land use efficiency. This study holds great significance for relevant government departments in formulating policies to optimize land resource allocation, promote FTZ development, and foster high-quality urban planning and territorial management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex dynamic interactions exist between urbanization and sustainable urban development, and clarifying the collaborative relationship and interactive response mechanism between the two systems is key to ensuring high-quality urban development. Taking Yangtze River Delta as a typical case, dynamic coordinated and interactive response relationships between urbanization and sustainable urban development were measured using a multi-index comprehensive evaluation method, grey correlation analysis, and panel-data vector autoregressive (PVAR) model. The results indicate that: (a) a high urbanization level and significant polarization characteristics of regional central cities alongside low economic development in more peripheral cities and insufficient attraction to factors including population, capital, and technology, which widens their development gap with regional central cities; (b) a significant increasing trend in sustainable urban development, coupled with a spatiotemporal evolution trend of urbanization; (c) bidirectional Granger causal relationship between urbanization and sustainable urban development, with the PVAR model results indicating a positive interactive response relationship, which has certain path-dependent characteristics and an inertial development trend; and (d) in the long run, urbanization has a greater impact on changes in sustainable urban development than vice versa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Makerspaces (MS) represent a type of new working space (NWS), a subject addressed by numerous researchers. Nevertheless, among the abundance of publications on NWS, only a limited number discuss the detailed distribution of MS and address the significant issue of their location factors. This article aims to supplement these research gaps based on the example of Polish makerspaces, through a comprehensive database of Polish NWS and spatial analysis conducted through GIS systems. According to the results, there is a predominance of MS in the main metropolitan centers, alongside a rising significance in peripheral areas while a co-occurrence of MS with other institutions focusing on innovation, creativity and education is recorded. It is also pointed out that location factors related to transportation are mainly found in large urban centers, but not noticeable elsewhere. Through the use of in-depth interviews, the author points to the significant relevance of social factors in the MS creation phase, together with accessibility and infrastructure-related factors. In addition, crucial components impacting on MS establishment include the engagement of MS members, municipal support, location and the characteristics of the MS environment. Lastly, the validity of the rules and regulations of organizations supporting the creation of MS are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tarih İncelemeleri Dergisi is the property of Tarih Incelemeleri Dergisi and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Ensaio: Avaliação e Políticas Públicas em Educação is the property of Ensaio: Avaliacao e Politicas Publicas em Educacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Reducing carbon emissions in the building sector is crucial to achieving carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals. Identifying the influencing factors of carbon emissions from building operations at the city level and predicting carbon peaks is of great significance for developing locally adapted policies. This article examines the spatial and temporal trends of carbon emissions at the building operation stage in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region over the last 15 years. This article analyzes the driving factors at a city level using the GDIM method and evaluates the decoupling status of income growth and carbon emissions with the GDIMbased decoupling model. The peak time and peak value of operational carbon emissions in the YRD region are predicted through a combination of scenario analysis and the Monte Carlo method. The research shows that: (1) the total carbon emissions from the building operational stage in the YRD region increased by 163.63%, of residents' disposable income and energy consumption contributed the most. (2) In terms of decoupling relationship between carbon emissions and income growth, rural residential buildings (RR) outperform urban residential buildings (UR) and public buildings (PB). (3) According to the dynamic simulation, the operational carbon emission in the YRD region is expected to peak at 498.18-504.83 Mt MtCO2 between 2030 and 2035. (4) The peak of PBs and URs in Nanjing, Suzhou and some third- and fourth-tier cities, and RRs in eastern and central cities in the YRD will occur at the latest, necessitating close monitoring. These findings can serve as a basis for developing scientific and reasonable building emission reduction policies in a multilevel governance context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the nesting behavior of the Chimango Caracara, a medium-sized raptor, in urban areas of Argentina. While urban environments can provide resources for birds, they also pose risks such as pollution and collisions. The study documents four recorded nests in major cities, highlighting the adaptability of the Chimango Caracara's nesting habits. This is the first case of successful nesting on a human structure within a highly populated city. The article suggests that further research is needed on the presence of chimango pairs nesting in urban areas and the occurrence of colonial nesting in cities. [Extracted from the article]

Increased interest in urban food security across Southern Africa is a welcome development, particularly given the considerable challenges faced by slum dwellers in accessing food. In Malawi, high urbanization rates, coupled with stagnant economic growth, have stimulated the expansion of slums and highlighted increasing poverty. While other researchers have noted the importance of geographic variance within countries of SSA, there still exists the need to elucidate geographic variance of urban food security within cities. Based on data from Kauma and Mgona settlements, this article argues for the incorporation of situation geography. We discovered that their respective geographies governed both levels of food insecurity and livelihood strategies. Peri-urban Kauma residents accessed multiple livelihood opportunities including satellite urban farming and ganyu (piecework), both of which were more inaccessible for residents of inner city, industrial Mgona. Kauma residents spread risk by employing different strategies, which translated to lower levels of food insecurity. This finding reaffirms the need for geographical, context-based strategies for alleviating urban food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After nearly two hundred years of continuous occupation, the Spanish port town of St. Augustine, Florida, came under British control in 1763. With the arrival of the new regime, noticeable changes occurred in the colony, including the mass exodus of Spanish residents and a new emphasis on plantation agriculture as in other areas of British America. Yet, Florida's "British Period" lasted only until 1784, and this article examines the evidence for it in St. Augustine collections at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Vessel form analysis of ceramics from four different sites in the city are compared to both Spanish St. Augustine and the nearby British urban center of Charleston to understand the material signatures of these two different colonial societies. By building an analytical focus on ceramics through the lens of consumption, the meaning of the archaeological trends is considered through questions of identity and colonialism in a more marginal locale in the British Atlantic world. Given that the British St. Augustine assemblages shared similarities, and all had distinctly "British" ceramics, their use in facilitating shared dining practices that formed social identities in the newly formed colony is further examined in local documents. Examining how material culture functioned in the social performances of dining practices in British St. Augustine can distinguish how mass-produced goods were made meaningful in different colonial societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly automated vehicles are subject to high expectations, encompassing safety improvements, efficiency in traffic flow and overall higher comfort. However, it is still unclear to what extent automation will be able to meet these expectations. Failures in sensors or erroneous data processing might bring an automated drive to a sudden stop. In such situations, the user of the vehicle could cooperate with the automated vehicle, to bridge system limits and directly continue the drive. How this cooperation process should be implemented and how much the vehicle user wants to be involved in this process is examined. In this paper, we investigate four different cooperation strategies, ranging from low involvement of the user in the driving task (pressing a button to continue the drive) to high involvement (performing the entire driving task with steering wheel and pedals). Participants experienced these strategies in a driving simulator, in which they encountered five inner city traffic scenarios where the automation reached its limits. The cooperation strategies were evaluated along the dimensions comfort, discomfort, mental demand, usability, perceived safety, trust in automation, personal benefit, and personal preference. As a main result, strategies with less involvement show increases in comfort and personal benefit as well as decreases in discomfort and mental demand. Further, perceived safety was rated highly for all strategies. In traffic scenarios perceived as more unsafe, strategies with higher involvement are preferred. This paper offers insights into user involvement in cooperative human machine interfaces, potentially enhancing the application of automated driving in urban traffic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple conflicts of spatial planning are currently intensifying in the context of sustainability transformations. This paper aims to better understand the conflicts involved in planning inter-municipal commercial areas (IMCA) in city-regional constellations. Choosing an explicit conflict perspective integrating different strands of literature, a qualitative in-depth case study using cognitive-affective mapping (CAM) is carried out. The case study analyzes a region comprising a large urban center and multiple smaller surrounding communities in Southern Germany, where several attempts to cooperate have failed, ostensibly due to poor urban-rural relations. Our findings reveal that the situation is more complex: IMCA is hindered by vertical and horizontal governance conflicts and sectoral conflicts of interest. While land use conflicts on where to implement IMCA are hindering concrete projects, a deeper conflict potential lies in the question of whether to plan new commercial areas at all. Albeit IMCA are proposed as the solution for reducing land take and realizing economic growth, the planning of IMCA reflects this global tension on the regional and local level without being able to solve it per se. We conclude that an explicit conflict perspective as well as the CAM method can be fruitful for planning research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rurality in education research is a function of the size of the school, the distance of a school in relation to urban areas, and factors within each school that may differentiate the school community based on geography. Distance matters. This study finds variation between rural communities at different distances from an urban center and differences based on analysis of student groups and student outcomes within a locale. By taking a granulated geographic approach to rurality we can better compare differences within locales. This analysis of the distance a student lives from school highlights socioeconomic differences between student groups. One related measure is the degree to which income estimates explain variation in student outcomes. Out-of-town students in rural areas have lower family incomes. These income data explain fewer school-level student outcomes than for students who live near to school. Use of data pertinent to students who live near to school reflects a certain bias in poverty measures and may not include variation in family income of students at a distance from school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper examines an established working-class community in Dublin’s southeast inner city. It describes the experience of root shock in a community that has experienced ‘displacement in place’ following urban renewal and gentrification in the surrounding area. The article highlights the shrinking of ‘third places’ for public mixing: older men have lost their pubs, younger people have lost their playgrounds, and young adults express a profound sense of displacement in place. As the class composition of the area changes, there are few places where classes can mingle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the "big microdata revolution" has transformed access to transcribed historical census data for social science research. However, the population records of the Ottoman Empire, spanning Southeastern Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, remained inaccessible to the big microdata ecosystem due to their prolonged unavailability. This publication marks the inaugural release of complete population data for an Ottoman urban center, Bursa, derived from the 1839 population registers. The dataset presents originally non-tabulated register data in a tabular format integrated into a relational Microsoft Access database. Thus, we showcase the extensive and diverse data found in the Ottoman population registers, demonstrating a level of quality and sophistication akin to the censuses conducted worldwide in the nineteenth century. This valuable resource, whose potential has been massively underexploited, is now presented in an accessible format compatible with global microdata repositories. Our aim with this dataset is to enable historical demographic studies for the Ottoman realm and beyond, while also broadening access to the datasets constructed by our large research team. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the post-Soviet period, a political decision was taken to relocate Vilnius' old center to the Neris River's right bank, thus completing the tortuous and complicated process of urban transformation that began during the 1970s modernization. This article examines the development and evolution of the unsuccessful transformation of the former Vilnius suburb of Šnipiškės into a new representative center of the capital. The authors attempt to clarify how the future problematic identity of the new center has been influenced by the neglect and disregard of the historical spatial development of this part of the city and the genius loci of the heritage of wooden architecture. The new center has not yet acquired a new cultural identity, has not become an attractive place for the city's residents, and therefore, cannot be considered a successfully created official 'face' of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of spatial factors in reducing carbon emissions has been receiving increasing attention from researchers; however, these impacts may involve spatial heterogeneity. In this study, 337 prefecture-level cities in China were taken as the research object. Based on national-level urban data, the global impact of urban spatial form on carbon emissions was then investigated using ordinary least squares regression, the spatial error model, and the spatial lag model. The local effects of urban spatial form on carbon emissions in different cities were then investigated using geographically weighted regression. The findings are as follows. Overall, the larger the urban built-up area and the more fragmented and decentralized the urban land use, the greater the carbon emissions. Conversely, the more centralized the urban center of a city, the lower its carbon emissions. Locally, for some Chinese cities, the total area, landscape shape index, and mean Euclidean nearest-neighbor distance were found to have significant positive effects on carbon emissions, while the largest-patch index had a significant negative impact. For all Chinese cities, the patch density was found to have no significant effect on carbon emissions. In 29% of the cities in which the landscape division index was found to significantly affect carbon emissions, this effect was positive, while it was negative in the remaining 71%. The policy implications emerging from this study lie in the need for decision-makers and urban planners to guide the shaping of low-carbon urban spatial forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of ecological space quality (ESQ) and its spatio-temporal change monitoring are crucial for regional ecological management and sustainable development. However, there are few studies on how to construct a comprehensive ESQ assessment system to reveal the spatial and temporal change patterns of ESQ over a long time series. Therefore, this study constructs an ESQ evaluation model with comprehensive ecological characteristics to quantitatively assess the spatio-temporal dynamics of ESQ from 2001 to 2020 based on policy objectives and public demands, using the urban agglomeration in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River as an example. The results show that, in the past 20 years, the mean value of ESQ in urban agglomeration has decreased (−0.179·year−1), and the overall ESQ is dominated by a good level. The ESQ has shifted from improvement (2001–2010) to deterioration (2010–2020) and shows the spatial distribution characteristics of "high in the periphery and center, low in the interior". From the trend of change, the degraded area of ESQ is greater than the improved area, and the degraded area of ESQ will increase in the future compared with the trend of 2001–2020. The distribution of ESQ has a significant spatial agglomeration and scale effect. The hot spots of ESQ at the town scale are mainly concentrated in the central part of urban agglomeration and mountainous areas in the periphery. The cold spots are mainly concentrated in the surrounding areas of central cities (Wuhan, Changsha, and Nanchang). The proposed assessment framework can be used to quantify spatial and temporal changes in ESQ and identify potential ecological space management issues, providing basic information for implementing ecological space protection, restoration, and developing adaptive ESQ management measures. The research results are of significant importance for ecosystem restoration and long-term development in the Yangtze River Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inland areas have been affected by demographic and economic decline over the past decades. New economic models, which are more focused on a humane quality of life, encourage a revival of these territories as newer, healthier places for living. This paper focuses on minor centers, rethought as energy communities and how these can sustain themselves and become new places of living. The first part of the research critically analyzes current strategies of SECAPs (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans) in smaller historic urban centers. The second part of the paper starts with the typological, morphological, and technological interscalar analysis of two case studies, testing a repeatable expeditious knowledge collection and an intervention method on them. For urban environments, the hypothesized interventions include the management of energy production from renewable sources that are compatible with the presence and value of urban and built heritage; concerning rural territories, an agro-energy park is proposed. The document aims to provide a repeatable method for planning strategic actions within SECAPs in smaller urban centers with a high historical connotation. The case studies show that energy self-sufficiency can be an opportunity to valorize the urban center while favoring environmental sustainability and local development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human actions have led to consistent and profound alterations in land use, which in turn have had a notable effect on the services provided by ecosystems. In this research, the Google Earth Engine (GEE) was initially employed to perform a supervised classification of Landsat satellite images from 2000 to 2020, which allowed us to obtain land-use data for Putian City, China. Next, the geo-informatic Tupu model and the revised valuation model were used to explore the spatial attributes and ecological effects of land-use changes (LUCs). Subsequently, EEH (eco-economic harmony), ESTD (ecosystem services tradeoffs and synergies degree index), and ESDA (exploratory spatial data analysis) methods were employed to further analyze the coordination level, trade-offs, synergies, and spatial patterns of ecological-economic system development. The findings revealed that: (1) The land-use composition in Putian City was predominantly cultivated land and forest land, with other types of land intermixed. Concurrently, there was an ongoing trend of expansion in urban areas. (2) ESV in Putian City exhibited an upward trend, increasing from 15.4 billion CNY to 23.1 billion CNY from 2000 to 2020. (3) ESV exhibited an imbalance in spatial distribution, with high-high agglomeration areas concentrated in the central part of Putian City and the coastal region of Hanjiang District, while low-low agglomeration areas were prevalent in Xianyou County in the southwest, Xiuyu District along the coast, and Licheng District in the urban center. (4) Synergistic relationships among ESs predominated, though the trade-off relationship showed a tendency to expand. (5) The ecological environment and economic progress in Putian City collectively faced a region of potential risk. The findings of this study are intended to serve as a guide for improving the distribution of land resources and for developing strategies that ensure the sustainable development of the region's socio-economic framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cultivating places and spaces to encourage sociality and foster sociocultural inclusion is a very pertinent societal challenge. Community festivals are often marshalled in the interest of making cities more hospitable for the increasing numbers of migrants, refugees, remote workers and tourists internationally on the move. This study investigates if and how community festivals are constructing hospitality through their practices. The findings are drawn from a qualitative study of two community festivals in Dublin's North East Inner City, an ethnically diverse area characterized by social disadvantage. They suggest that community festivals can make places more hospitable. However, the approaches taken to inculcating hospitality can differ substantially. Here, the two study festivals were found to differ in terms of how they extended welcome and exerted social control, how they constructed the host-guest dynamic and how they operationalized the concept of gifting. Overall, the findings encourage further analysis of festivals using the concept of hospitality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider the problem of real-time reconstruction of urban air pollution maps. The task is challenging due to the heterogeneous sources of available data, the scarcity of direct measurements, the presence of noise, and the large surfaces that need to be considered. In this work, we introduce different reconstruction methods based on posing the problem on city graphs. Our strategies can be classified as fully data-driven, physics-driven, or hybrid, and we combine them with super-learning models. The performance of the methods is tested in the case of the inner city of Paris, France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, fossil fuels used in urban transportation vehicles have great harm to the environment. In order to minimize these damages, the demand for transportation vehicles that use renewable energy sources is increasing day by day. Their high energy efficiency, zero emission values, not causing traffic congestion, saving time, no parking problems and being affordable have made the use of electric scooters (e-scooter) more advantageous than other means of transportation. Studies carried out to increase the performance of e-scooters, which have become popular in modern city life, are of great importance. With this study, we aimed to eliminate the problems encountered in electric scooters, such as short charging life of the battery, long charging times and most importantly, short driving range. For this purpose, a scooter simulation model was proposed in which a fuel cell, the energy source of the future, is used instead of a battery in an electric scooter. In addition, it is powered from the battery to be able to compare the results obtained and a scooter model with regenerative recovery was also realized. The dynamic behaviors of both models presented are compared for the first time according to long-term driving cycle conditions, and it is aimed to provide motivation to the researchers for future studies on this subject. In order to make the driving conditions more realistic in the simulation were chosen from the most popular inner city driving cycles, the European Economic Commission-15 (ECE 15), the Worldwide Harmonized Motorcycle Emissions Certification Procedure (WMTC) and the Assessment and Reliability of Transport Emission Models and Inventory Systems (ARTEMIS) Urban driving cycles. During these driving cycles, the performance of the scooter models was compared and the results were evaluated. From the results obtained from three different driving cycles, it is seen that a scooter designed using a fuel cell can provide over 120% increase in range compared to a battery scooter. [Display omitted] • PEMFC use is recommended in e-scooters. • The system has been tested for different cycles in e-scooter model. • The obtained results are given graphically. • Results show the advantages of the model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interplay between urban centers and peri-urban villages plays a pivotal role in rural development, particularly in the economic dimension. Analyzing these relationships and their influence on the progress and prosperity of peri-urban villages, coupled with capacity building, empowerment, and the integration of urban-rural management, is essential to reduce disparities and promote spatial justice, aligning with the sustainable development of rural areas. This study aims to assess the effects of Zanjan city's economic drivers on the livability quality of Do Asb and Payin Kouh, two peri-urban villages situated in Zanjan city. Employing a descriptive-analytical and practical approach, the study's statistical population comprises the aforementioned villages in Zanjan city. A sample of 219 households was selected from among the sample population based on Cochran's formula. Data collection involved both library research and fieldwork, including the use of questionnaires. Descriptive and inferential statistics (multivariate regression) were employed for data analysis, along with descriptive statistics (averages) and geographic information systems to analyze land use changes. The research findings unveiled a robust correlation (0.87) between the quality of life in peri-urban villages and the economic drivers of Zanjan city. This indicates a significant and positive relationship between Zanjan city's economic drivers (independent variable) and the quality of life in peri-urban villages (dependent variable). Among the examined variables, communication flow for purchases, with a coefficient of 0.28, contributed most to the variance analysis of the quality of life in peri-urban villages. In contrast, the investment flow of urban residents in village economic activities and the flow of money exchange had relatively lower coefficients of 0.13 and 0.14, respectively. Thus, the research underscores the considerable impact of Zanjan's economic drivers on enhancing the quality of life in peri-urban villages and highlights the pivotal role of rural-urban links in fostering sustainable rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transit‐oriented development (TOD) promotes sustainable urban growth by integrating land use and transportation systems around public transportation nodes. Many high‐density Chinese cities have effectively applied TOD. However, studies on TODness in cities with relatively less‐developed metro networks are still nascent. This study developed a new geographic information system‐based method to assess TODness utilizing data from official departments and open sources. We employed 15 sub‐indicators of "Transit (T)," "Oriented (O)," and "Development (D)" dimensions to assess the TODness of Shenyang metro station areas (MSAs). We tested the validity of this tool by examining the relationship between TODness and urban vitality using an ordinary least squares model. Each MSA was comprehensively quantified and organized by categorizing their TODness into five types. The results indicate that the TODness index was closely associated with urban vitality, thereby validating the reasonableness of the proposed tool. Furthermore, the TODness of Shenyang's MSAs presents a spatial distribution of "high, medium, and low" from the urban center to the periphery. The proposed method is expected to enhance the effectiveness of TOD planning by providing a comprehensive and data‐driven approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a growing emphasis on dissemination of empirically supported treatments. Dissemination, however, should not be restricted to treatment. It can and, in the spirit of the scientific-practitioner model, should also involve research. Because it focuses on the investigation of clinical routine as it takes place in local settings and because it can involve the collaboration of several stakeholders, practice-oriented research (POR) can be viewed as an optimal research method to be disseminated. POR has the potential of addressing particularly relevant gaps of knowledge and action when implemented in regions of the world that have limited resources for or experiences with empirical research, and/or in clinical settings that are serving clinical populations who are not typically receiving optimal mental care services - specifically, individuals in rural and inner cities that have limited economic and social resources. The establishment and maintenance of POR in such regions and/or settings, however, come with specific obstacles and challenges. Integrating the experiences acquired from research conducted in various continents (Africa, Europe, Latin America, and North America), the goal of this paper is to describe some of these challenges, strategies that have been implemented to address them, as well as new possible directions to facilitate the creation and growth of POR. It also describes how these challenges and ways to deal with them can provide helpful lessons for already existing POR infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-regional cooperation among innovation subjects is an effective method to respond to and solve the dilemma of existing innovation needs and is an important way of creating a scientific and technological innovation community by utilizing the innovation synergy of research subjects. From the perspective of corporate cross-regional cooperative innovation, this study theoretically analyzed the mechanisms of China Railway High-speed (CRH) connectivity in promoting such innovation. Using the panel data of patent applications from CRH connectivity and 'enterprise-city relationship pairs' from 2005 to 2019, we empirically tested the impact and mechanisms of CRH connectivity on the optimization of innovation space for enterprises by adopting the multi-period differences-in-differences method. The results showed that: (1) CRH connectivity between cities where enterprises were located and cities where partners were located significantly increased the number of cooperative patent applications. This conclusion remained robust after the endogenetic test, parallel trend test, placebo test, and robustness test. (2) Under the influence of CRH connectivity, the number of objects of corporate cooperative innovation increased significantly, but they mainly sought such innovation within close distances and close central cities, showing the spatial contraction effect and spatial classification effect of 'agglomeration in dispersion.' (3) CRH connectivity also enhanced the quality of cooperative innovation, transforming low-quality cooperative innovation within short distances into high-quality cooperative innovation, indicating a spatial stratification effect. Further research showed that:(1) CRH connectivity mainly promoted cooperative innovation of non-manufacturing enterprises, without a significant promoting effect on manufacturing enterprises. (2) CRH connectivity increased the number of patent application by enterprises with state-owned capital in cross-regional cooperation, but had no obvious impact on private, foreign, and other enterprises. (3) CRH connectivity could improve the cooperative innovation level of large enterprises, but the effect on relatively small enterprises was not significant. The research conclusions can provide new insights for governments to promote the establishment of innovation consortiums led by enterprises and improve the construction of innovation system. It is suggested that the CRH network layout should be continuously optimized and improved to connect more potential cities to the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy-environmental efficiency directly relates to global climate change and sustainable development. The research applies a staggered DiD design to estimate the effects of low-carbon governance on energy-environmental efficiency via panel data of 284 cities in China. Results show that low-carbon governance significantly improves both unified energy-environmental efficiency and pure energy-environmental efficiency. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that low-carbon governance in central cities has no significant effect on energy-environmental efficiency, while that in peripheral cities can improve energy-environmental efficiency, which indirectly confirms the law of decreasing returns to scale. At the same time, low-carbon governance in both resource-based and non-resource-based cities improves energyenvironmental efficiency. However, among resource-based cities, low-carbon governance in growth and mature cities facilitates energy-environmental efficiency, while this effect disappears in declining and regeneration cities. Mechanism tests suggest that low-carbon governance immediately improves energy-environmental efficiency through intensive energy use and carbon emission reduction channels. The intermediate effect channels are mainly driven by fiscal decentralization, industrial structure upgrading, industrial agglomeration, innovation, and marketization, where fiscal decentralization plays a dominant role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The building stock in most historical urban areas in Algeria consists of old masonry buildings which are characterized by the rather high vulnerability. In that respect, to reduce the seismic risk there is a requirement for strategic urban planning and urban management policies. This paper focuses on the assessment of the seismic vulnerability using the RISK-UE methodology, namely the mechanical method LM2, which is adopted and applied to fit the Algerian urban features. In order to implement the RISK-UE LM2 methodology, an old urban center in Annaba city is chosen as a pilot area. Almost, the majority of the structures are unreinforced masonry buildings. In total 226 buildings were assessed, which are typical not only for this region but can be found in many other medium-sized Algerian urban environments. Three scenarios that take into account various values of the peak ground accelerations (PGA) are elaborated. Two scenarios use PGAs issued from an existing probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) of Annaba city for 100 and 475 return periods. The third PGA for the last scenario is taken from the Algerian seismic code (RPA99/2003). In order to highlight the degree of vulnerability and risk of the studied masonry buildings, a comparison between the three seismic scenarios is presented in detail for each building’s typology. The obtained seismic vulnerability outcomes offer a great prospect to provide recommendations for making correct decisions to reduce the seismic risk and conduct adequate emergency planning in Algerian urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]