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Background: The Australian population is highly diverse in terms of cultural heritage, languages spoken, and geographical dispersion. Health outcomes are often worse among these culturally, linguistically, and geographically diverse populations, and this is reflected in rates of physical activity participation, with people from these groups often engaging in insufficient physical activity for health benefits. This research aimed to investigate if physical activity intervention studies conducted in Australia were (1) designed to recruit culturally, linguistically, and geographically diverse participants and (2) recruiting culturally, linguistically, and geographically diverse participants. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of physical activity intervention studies conducted in adults in Australia between 2015 and November 2022. Information relevant to inclusivity in study recruitment methods and diversity of recruited participants was extracted. Results: We identified and extracted data from 371 studies, of which 98 were protocol papers for which no follow-up data was available. Only 26 studies (7%) included methods to recruit culturally or linguistically diverse participants. Most studies (189, 51%) recruited participants from major city locations, with few studies recruiting from more remote locations. No studies included recruitment from very remote regions. Information on cultural, linguistic, or geographic diversity of participants recruited to physical activity studies was provided by 109 studies (40% of studies including results) with the majority recruiting White, English-speakers from major cities. Conclusions: Few Australian physical activity studies are designed to recruit culturally, linguistically, and geographically diverse participants. Due to limited reporting of the diversity of participants, comparisons with population-representative data are unreliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Event-Chain Monte Carlo (ECMC) methods generate continuous-time and non-reversible Markov processes, which often display significant accelerations compared to their reversible counterparts. However, their generalization to any system may appear less straightforward. In this work, our aim is to distinctly define the essential symmetries that such ECMC algorithms must adhere to, differentiating between necessary and sufficient conditions. This exploration intends to delineate the balance between requirements that could be overly limiting in broad applications and those that are fundamentally essential. To do so, we build on the recent analytical description of such methods as generating piecewise deterministic Markov processes. Therefore, starting with translational flows, we establish the necessary rotational invariance of the probability flows, along with determining the minimum event rate. This rate is identified with the corresponding infinitesimal Metropolis rejection rate. Obeying such conditions ensures the correct invariance for any ECMC scheme. Subsequently, we extend these findings to encompass schemes involving deterministic flows that are more general than mere translational ones. Specifically, we define two classes of interest of general flows: the ideal and uniform-ideal ones. They, respectively, suppress or reduce the event rates. From there, we implement a comprehensive non-reversible sampling of a system of hard dimers by introducing rotational flows, which are uniform-ideal. This implementation results in a speed-up of up to ∼3 compared to the state-of-the-art ECMC/Metropolis hybrid scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, New York City passed some of the most progressive nuclear disarmament legislation of any major city in the United States, supported by local activists from the New York Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (NYCAN). In this essay, two of the people behind this effort share some details of their success with local government as an example of what others can do to bring nuclear abolitionist activism home. They also give a sense of New York's long history as a nuclear city—and as a locus of action for disarmament. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lattice simulations are an important class of problems in crystalline solids, surface science, alloys, adsorption, absorption, separation, catalysis, to name a few. We describe a fast computational method for performing lattice thermodynamic calculations that is based on the use of the reverse Monte Carlo (RMC) technique and multiple short-range order (SRO) parameters. The approach is comparable in accuracy to the Metropolis Monte Carlo (MC) method. The equilibrium configuration is determined in 5–10 Newton–Raphson iterations by solving a system of coupled nonlinear algebraic SRO growth rate equations. This makes the RMC-based method computationally more efficient than MC, given that MC typically requires sampling of millions of configurations. The technique is applied to the interacting 2D adsorption problem. Unlike grand canonical MC, RMC is found to be adept at tackling geometric frustration, as it is able to quickly and correctly provide the ordered c(2 × 2) adlayer configuration for Cl adsorbed on a Cu (100) surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic farmers’ markets have rapidly expanded in major Chinese cities as a response to food safety concerns, with the concept of “organic” serving as the driving force behind this movement. This study examines the Beijing Farmers’ Market, the first organic farmers’ market in mainland China, to explore its role in reconfiguring foodways and promoting social sustainability. The development of the Beijing Farmers’ Market is driven by the changing values, attitudes, and ideologies of both producers and consumers, that set them apart from the mainstream food system. While this study is situated within the broader context of food safety concerns that contribute to the emergence of such markets, it primarily focuses on how the market fosters trust and proactive relationships between health-conscious consumers and new farmers committed to safe food production. These dynamic connections are shaped by shifting lifestyles among both producers and consumers. This research highlights how food serves as a socio-spatial space for reconnecting people with nature and cultivating food communities, engagement and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the evolution of Internet speed and its implications for access to key digital services, as well as the resilience of the network during crises, focusing on six major Brazilian cities: Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Fortaleza, Manaus, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. Leveraging a unique dataset of Internet Speedtest® results provided by Ookla®, we analyze Internet speed trends from 2017 to 2023. Our findings reveal significant improvements in Internet speed across all cities. However, we find that prosperous areas generally exhibit better Internet access, and that the dependence of Internet quality on wealth have increased over time. Additionally, we investigate the impact of Internet quality on access to critical online services, focusing on e-learning. Our analysis shows that nearly 13% of catchment areas around educational facilities have Internet speeds below the threshold required for e-learning, with disadvantaged areas experiencing more significant challenges. Moreover, we investigate the network's resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding a sharp decline in network quality following the declaration of national emergency. We also find that less wealthy areas experience larger drops in network quality during crises. Overall, this study underscores the importance of addressing disparities in Internet access to ensure equitable digital services and enhance network resilience during crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School buses are a prevalent mode of school travel that may negatively affect students’ academic performance due to numerous factors, including longer commutes. These extended travel times can introduce or exacerbate mental and physical stressors, including air pollution exposure and bullying, while reducing opportunities for health‐promoting activities like physical activity and sleep. While a few researchers have explored the effects of school bus transportation on academic achievement, the research is limited. In this study, we used data from two major Canadian cities, Toronto and Ottawa, to investigate the relationship between the proportion of students commuting by bus to and from school and the percentage meeting standards on standardized tests. We employed beta regression models to analyze performance in reading, writing, math, and literacy across Grades 3, 6, 9, and 10 while controlling for family and income variables that may influence school travel mode and student achievement. Our findings indicate a significant inverse correlation between school bus transportation and academic achievement for Grade 10 literacy. Longer commutes appear to impair academic performance, given that Grade 10 students presumably spend more time on the bus than younger students. Notably, the negative effects on literacy outcomes are greater than on math. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the historical and legal aspects of the formation and development of the oldest scientific centers of Kyivan Rus at the end of the 10th and beginning of the 12th centuries. Art., as well as the economic and legal regime of their property. It has been studied that in Kyivan Rus, as one of the powerful states of Europe in the IX–XII centuries. starting from the 10th century a significant development of education, literature and science was observed, which is connected with the Baptism of Vladimir the Great of Russia, the introduction of Byzantine, canonical law and the formation of the original ancient Russian state and legal thought. It has been established that education and science gained special development under Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise at the end of the 10th century. and the formation of the first national science center in Ukraine – the academic center «Yaroslav Academy», which was established at Sophia Cathedral in 1037. It was found that the activities of the «Yaroslav Academy» were based on both national traditions and the use of ancient and Bulgarian-Byzantine experience. It was noted that the activities of the «Yaroslav Academy» were characterized by the presence of a spectrum of scientific directions: translation activities, creation of own literary works and the first legal monuments («Pravda Ruska»). It has been established that the «Yaroslav Academy» should be considered the first scientific academic environment on the territory of medieval Ukraine, which operated in the format of reviving and spreading scientific knowledge and creating its own scientific works. It is noted that one of the important issues of the Yaroslav Academy’s activities is the study of the economic and legal regime of its property. The article analyzes the legal regulation of land ownership, including the land ownership of the church (Kyiv Metropolis). It was found that the institution of the metropolis provided for the right to independent church-administrative activity in the internal affairs of its diocese. It was established that the management of church property was carried out in accordance with the church statutes. It was concluded that the economic management of the property of the «Yaroslav Academy» was carried out by the Kyiv Metropolitanate, which had the right to manage church property, which was formed at the expense of the «princely tithe», which was deducted in favor of the Church (Kyiv Metropolis) and profits from «church courts». [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this era of rapid development, environmental quality is an essential aspect of sustainable development. A healthy urban environment supports, regulates, and provides livable conditions. In urban areas, environmental quality is considerably affected by socioeconomic factors such as population expansion and economic development. For decision‐making, it is also significant for stakeholders and policymakers to understand the impact of urban expansion on environmental quality. While previous studies have examined urban environmental quality, they often focused on single cities or limited environmental parameters. This research addresses these limitations by conducting a comparative analysis of two major Asian cities with similar demographic features, utilizing a comprehensive set of socioeconomic and environmental variables. Our innovative approach combines open‐source datasets with advanced remote sensing techniques to provide a more holistic assessment of urban environmental quality over two decades. We analyzed urban environmental quality for last two decades with the selected urban environmental quality parameters: surface greenness, surface moisture, and land surface temperature. Lahore (Pakistan) and Wuhan (China) cities were selected for having approximately same demographic features. Correlation matrix has been used to assess the relationship between these environmental variables and social‐economic variables: urban expansion and carbon emission. Correlation coefficient indicated that urban expansion correlates negatively with surface greenness and surface moisture for both Lahore (−0.67 and −0.71) and Wuhan District (−0.5 and −0.75), respectively, while it had a positive relation with land surface temperature: 0.65 and 0.57 for Lahore and Wuhan District, respectively. These effects are more prominent within 10 km distance from the city center, where a substantial urban expansion is observed during the time window. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic, which originated in China at the end of 2019, escalated into a global crisis by March 2020. To mitigate its spread, governments worldwide implemented strict lockdown measures. While these lockdowns had adverse social, economic, and health impacts, they also led to significant environmental improvements in many regions. India's urban environment also significantly improved during lockdown. This study investigates the changes in Land Surface Temperature (LST) across eight major Indian cities, each representing diverse climatic and physiographic zones: Delhi, Dehradun, Lucknow, Kolkata, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Mumbai, and Hyderabad. It aims to enhance the understanding of how sudden reductions in anthropogenic activities influence urban temperatures. The LST was computed for the lockdown period of April to May 2020 and was compared with the pre‐lockdown years of 2018 and 2019 and the post‐lockdown year of 2021, utilizing Landsat thermal data processed through the mono‐window algorithm. The results exhibit significant reductions in LST during the lockdown period. Cities like Delhi, Dehradun, and Lucknow experienced a reduction of 6°C, 5°C, and 4°C, respectively, in LST from pre‐lockdown to lockdown periods. In contrast, cities like Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Mumbai, and Hyderabad experienced a reduction of around 2°C–3°C. However, the city of Kolkata showed an increase of 3°C from 2019 to 2020. These results highlight the substantial influence of human activities on urban thermal environments and underline the potential benefits of reducing anthropogenic impacts to improve urban thermal well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Berlin, the Zentral- und Landesbibliothek Berlin (ZLB) is tasked with implementing the legal deposit requirement. As a major publishing city, access to deposit copies is particularly wide-ranging here. The amendment of the legal deposit regulations in 2021 requires that publishers deliver deposit copies of digital media works as well, starting from 2024 ("e-obligation"). The mandate has been implemented on a cooperative basis in Berlin, with a focus on high-level automation. Deliveries can be made individually and independently by completing a web form. Also, a new cooperation with the German National Library, NP regional, has been launched. Berlin's city society as dialogue partner is involved in the collecting activities as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-quality land-use dataset is crucial for constructing a high-performance land-use classification model. Due to the complexity and spatial heterogeneity of land-use, the dataset construction process is inefficient and costly. This challenge affects the quality of datasets, consequently impacting the model's performance. The emerging field of Data-Centric Artificial Intelligence (DCAI) is expected to deliver techniques for dataset optimization, offering a promising solution to the problem. Therefore, this study proposes a data-centric framework named DCAI-CLUD for the construction of land-use datasets. Based on this framework, the accuracy and rate of data labeling are improved by 5.93 and 28.97%. The Gini index of the dataset and the proportion of samples with non-mixed land-use categories are enhanced by 3.27 and 8.52%. The overall accuracy (OA) and Kappa of the land-use classification model improved significantly by 27.87 and 58.08%. This study is the first to introduce DCAI into the field of geographic information and remote sensing and verify its effectiveness. The proposed framework can effectively improve the construction efficiency and quality of the dataset and synchronously optimize the model performance. Based on the proposed framework, we constructed a multi-source land-use dataset of major cities in China named CN-MSLU-100K. HIGHLIGHTS: A framework for optimizing the land-use dataset construction process is proposed. Filtering and pre-labeling improved the quality and efficiency of data labeling. The performance of land-use classification model is enhanced by dataset optimization. Preconceived results have a subjective impact on the data labelers. The first study to introduce DCAI for land-use classification is launched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last half-century, the 'centre–periphery' model has become insufficient to describe the increasingly fragmented and multicentric Latin American metropolises. Frontiers between central and peripheral areas are shifting, in part, due to the emergence of new corporate centralities, usually located outside historical city centres and heavily equipped with private 'security' agents and devices. By examining the evolving governing practices taking place in and around the dynamic frontier of a business centrality in São Paulo, Brazil, this article discusses the connections between the transformation in centre–periphery relations and the reworking of prior forms of socio-spatial control since the 'security' turn of the 1990s. More specifically, it explores the effects of the production of securitised corporate centralities on the racialised differential governance of urban space. For this purpose, the article draws from empirical work involving fieldwork, interviews with public and private 'security' agents, the observation of meetings of the local Public Security Community Council (CONSEG), and the analysis of police statistics. In sum, the argument presented here is that the evolution of segregation mechanisms and governing practices in Latin-American metropolises reproduces centre–periphery relations under new spatial configurations, and increases the capacity of private agents to subject urban space to their own rules and regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When planned metro disruptions occur, the connectivity of the metro network is severely reduced, impacting the travel of a large number of commuters. The duration of planned metro disruptions varies from a few days to several weeks. To ensure the quality of public transportation services during this period, we propose a bus bridging strategy to address the travel issues of disrupted passengers. This paper introduces a mathematical model for the timetable and bus scheduling of bus bridging when a section of a metro line is planned for disruption, considering two types of buses. In this model, regular buses transfer disrupted passengers whose original destinations are on the disrupted metro section, whereas shuttle buses transfer disrupted passengers whose destinations are on the normal metro line. The model takes into account the impact of metro disruptions on the original passengers of regular buses and aims to minimize passenger transfer waiting time and congestion disutility. The model is solved using a commercial solver and is validated with the case study of Beijing Bus No. 16 and a hypothetical metro line. The results demonstrate that metro disruptions have a significant negative impact on the transfer waiting time and congestion disutility of regular buses. However, the timetable generated by the model effectively mitigates this impact. Additionally, the shuttle bus scheduling solutions generated by the model are not unique, and a specific schedule can be determined based on the shuttle bus costs and service quality. Both the crowding threshold of buses and the maximum number of pickups can reduce the congestion disutility of shuttle buses, but the impact of the crowding threshold is more significant. Practical Applications: This study introduces a model to manage the evacuation of metro commuters during planned service disruptions, such as maintenance closures, announced in advance with a set disruption plan and duration. The model employs a coordinated strategy involving both regular buses and dedicated shuttle buses to evacuate affected passengers efficiently while minimizing disruptions to regular bus passengers. Case study results demonstrate that, although metro disruptions significantly impact regular bus passengers, the optimized timetable developed by the model can alleviate these effects. Passenger waiting time and congestion disutility are developed as key performance indicators. Future applications of this model extend beyond metro disruptions to encompass a wide range of urban transit challenges. For instance, the model can be adapted to manage passenger flow during major city events, natural disasters, or unexpected infrastructure failures. By providing a flexible and scalable framework, this model can support urban planners and transit authorities in enhancing resilience and efficiency in their public transportation systems, ultimately reducing the impact of transit disruptions on daily life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To estimate changes in the incidence of clinically diagnosed type 2 diabetes in Australia, overall and by age, sex, socio‐economic disadvantage, geographic remoteness, and country of birth. Study design: Population‐based study; analysis of National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) data (age–period–cohort models). Setting, participants: Data were extracted for incident cases of type 2 diabetes, 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2019, in residents of the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria aged 20 years or older registered with the NDSS. The numbers of people at risk were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Main outcome measures: Changes in the incidence of type 2 diabetes, 2005–2019, by age, postcode‐level socio‐economic disadvantage (Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage) and remoteness (major city, inner regional, outer regional/remote/very remote), and country of birth, stratified by sex. Results: During 2005–2019, 741 535 people aged 20 years or older with incident type 2 diabetes were registered with the NDSS; 421 190 were men (56.8%). Overall, the incidence of type 2 diabetes increased with age (until about age 70 years) and socio‐economic disadvantage for both sexes; it was higher in inner regional areas than in major cities or outer regional/remote/very remote areas during 2005–2015, but highest among people in major cities after 2015. The age‐standardised incidence of type 2 diabetes increased during 2005–2010, both among men (annual percentage change [APC], 4.4%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.6–5.2%) and women (APC, 2.9%; 95% CI, 2.2–3.7%); it declined during 2010–2019 among both men (APC, –5.2%; 95% CI, –5.4% to –4.9%) and women (APC, –6.5%; 95% CI, –6.8% to –6.2%). In general, similar patterns (but of differing magnitude) applied to all age, sex, socio‐economic disadvantage, and remoteness groups. However, the incidence of type 2 diabetes increased during 2011–2019 among people born in Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands. Conclusions: The incidence of type 2 diabetes in Australian adults declined during 2010–2019 across all age, sex, socio‐economic disadvantage, and remoteness groups, but increased among people from Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, and the Pacific Islands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatories (OCO‐2 and OCO‐3) provide measurements of column‐averaged carbon dioxide concentrations (XCO2) with sufficient spatial resolution and precision to constrain bottom‐up estimates of CO2 fluxes at regional scales. We use Bayesian inversion methods assimilating satellite retrievals to improve estimates of CO2 fluxes in the South Coast Air Basin (SoCAB) which surrounds Los Angeles, and in the San Francisco Bay Area Air Basin (SFBA). We study 2020 to understand the impact of the COVID‐19 lockdowns and an active wildfire season. Our results indicated that a 50% (30%) reduction in CO2 emissions relative to 2015 during the COVID‐19 lockdown period was consistent with OCO measurements for SFBA (SoCAB). We find that posterior wildfire emissions differed significantly from the prior at the scale of individual wildfires, though with large uncertainties, and that wildfire emissions in SFBA are significant, attributing 72% of the region's CO2 emissions during August 2020 to wildfires. Plain Language Summary: Satellites can measure variations in carbon dioxide concentrations over urban areas. These measurements can be combined with models of the atmosphere to validate estimates of carbon dioxide emissions. We use this approach to better understand emissions in and around San Francisco and Los Angeles, the two major cities in California. We study the year 2020 to see how emissions changed in response to COVID‐19 lockdowns and to observe emissions from wildfires. The satellite measurements combined with the atmospheric model provide us with updated emission estimates that more closely match the measurements and provide greater certainty than our initial estimate of emissions. We also observe reduced emissions during lockdowns in both cities, updated emissions at the scale of individual wildfires, and large emissions from wildfires during peak wildfire season in the San Francisco Bay Area. Key Points: Satellite measurements can be used to validate emission inventories of CO2 within urban areas of CaliforniaChanges in CO2 emissions due to COVID‐19 lockdowns and wildfires in 2020 are captured by satellitesDuring August 2020, wildfires were responsible for 72% of CO2 emissions in the Bay Area [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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[Display omitted] Urban landscape is directly perceived by residents and is a significant symbol of urbanization development. A comprehensive assessment of urban landscapes is crucial for guiding the development of inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities and human settlements. Previous studies have primarily analyzed two-dimensional landscape indicators derived from satellite remote sensing, potentially overlooking the valuable insights provided by the three-dimensional configuration of landscapes. This limitation arises from the high cost of acquiring large-area three-dimensional data and the lack of effective assessment indicators. Here, we propose four urban landscapes indicators in three dimensions (UL3D): greenness, grayness, openness, and crowding. We construct the UL3D using 4.03 million street view images from 303 major cities in China, employing a deep learning approach. We combine urban background and two-dimensional urban landscape indicators with UL3D to predict the socioeconomic profiles of cities. The results show that UL3D indicators differs from two-dimensional landscape indicators, with a low average correlation coefficient of 0.31 between them. Urban landscapes had a changing point in 2018–2019 due to new urbanization initiatives, with grayness and crowding rates slowing, while openness increased. The incorporation of UL3D indicators significantly enhances the explanatory power of the regression model for predicting socioeconomic profiles. Specifically, GDP per capita, urban population rate, built-up area per capita, and hospital count correspond to improvements of 25.0%, 19.8%, 35.5%, and 19.2%, respectively. These findings indicate that UL3D indicators have the potential to reflect the socioeconomic profiles of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Do representatives provide fair and proportional representation to each place in their district or, rather, do they favour some places, creating winners and losers of representation? While the impact of geography on representation has been extensively examined in majoritarian systems, we know little about the geographical losers of representation in proportional representation systems. We investigate the extent to which different places receive unequal levels of attention in parliament, relative to what we would expect based on their population size as a normative proportional ideal. Crucially, we conceptualize place‐based representation at the micro‐level by looking inside electoral districts, using Google Places and Named Entity Recognition. Findings indicate that there are significant deviations from the proportional ideal. We find that small localities and large cities are overrepresented in parliament, while the medium‐sized cities and suburban peripheries of major metropolises are underrepresented. Places with a higher percentage of the population with university degrees are also overrepresented in parliament. These results carry important normative implications for forms of territorial‐based representation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sewage metagenomics has risen to prominence in urban population surveillance of pathogens and antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Unknown species with similarity to known genomes cause database bias in reference-based metagenomics. To improve surveillance, we seek to recover sewage genomes and develop a quantification and correlation workflow for these genomes and AMR over time. We use longitudinal sewage sampling in seven treatment plants from five major European cities to explore the utility of catch-all sequencing of these population-level samples. Using metagenomic assembly methods, we recover 2332 metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) from prokaryotic species, 1334 of which were previously undescribed. These genomes account for ~69% of sequenced DNA and provide insight into sewage microbial dynamics. Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Copenhagen (Denmark) show strong seasonal microbial community shifts, while Bologna, Rome, (Italy) and Budapest (Hungary) have occasional blooms of Pseudomonas-dominated communities, accounting for up to ~95% of sample DNA. Seasonal shifts and blooms present challenges for effective sewage surveillance. We find that bacteria of known shared origin, like human gut microbiota, form communities, suggesting the potential for source-attributing novel species and their ARGs through network community analysis. This could significantly improve AMR tracking in urban environments. In this study, the authors use metagenomics to analyze sewage samples from five European cities over time and report enhanced detection of rare taxa through combined assembly methods, significant seasonal and geographical microbiome variations, and the potential to attribute microbial sequences to specific sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malawi has one of the highest incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer in the world. Despite a national strategic plan and the roll-out of VIA and screen-and-treat services, cervical cancer screening coverage in Malawi remains far below the national target.Using a nationally representative sample of women enumerated in the Malawi Population-based Impact Assessment (MPHIA) survey we estimated the prevalence and spatial distribution of self-reported cervical cancer screening as a proxy for uptake in Malawi. Methods: MPHIA was a nationally representative household survey in Malawi, targeting adults aged 15 and above, that employed a cross-sectional, two-stage, cluster design. The primary aim of MPHIA was to assess the regional prevalence of viral load suppression and the progress towards achieving the UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals among adults aged 15 and above. The survey was carried out between January 2020 and April 2021. Prevalence of self-reported cervical cancer screening by different characteristics was estimated accounting for the survey design using the Taylor series approach. We used univariable and multivariable logistic regression approaches to examine associations between the prevalence of cervical cancer screening and demographic characteristics. Findings: A total of 13,067 adult (15 years and older) female individuals were surveyed during the MPHIA 2020 to 2021 survey, corresponding to a weighted total of 5,604,578. The prevalence of self-reported cervical cancer screening was 16.5% (95% CI 15.5–18.0%), with women living with HIV having a higher prevalence of 37.8% (95% CI 34.8–40.9) compared to 14.0% (95% CI 13.0–15.0) in HIV negative women. The highest prevalence of screening was reported in the Southwest zone (SWZ) (24.1%, 95% CI 21.3–26.9) and in major cities of Blantyre (25.9%, 95% CI 22.9–29.0), and Lilongwe (19.6%, 95% CI 18.0–21.3). Higher self-reported screening was observed in women who resided in urban regions ((22.7%; 95% CI 21.4–24.0) versus women who resided in rural areas (15.2%; 95% CI 14.0–16.8). Cervical cancer screening was strongly associated with being HIV positive (aOR 2.83; 95% CI 2.29–3.50), ever having been pregnant (aOR 1.93; 95% CI 1.19–3.14), attaining higher education level than secondary education (aOR 2.74; 95% CI 1.67–4.52) and being in the highest wealth quintile (aOR 2.86; 95% CI 2.01–4.08). Interpretation: The coverage of cervical cancer screening in Malawi remains low and unequal by region and wealth/education class. Current screening efforts are largely being focussed on women accessing HIV services. There is need for deliberate interventions to upscale cervical cancer screening in both HIV negative women and women living with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessibility is one of the crucial criteria for measuring the ease of access to public services in a region. Given China’s historical rural–urban dualism and rapid urbanization process, there exist significant disparities in public services within metropolises. This study selects Nanjing as a representative metropolis and employs the Gaussian two-step floating catchment area method and an improved potential model to calculate the accessibility of comprehensive hospitals. Spatial autocorrelation and urban–rural disparities are analyzed, confirming spatial variations in healthcare service equity. The results show that: ①The spatial variability of accessibility to comprehensive hospitals is significant. The Gaussian two-step floating catchment method overestimates overall accessibility, and for Nanjing, the improved potential model with β = 1.5 proves more suitable. ②Accessibility exhibits pronounced clustering characteristics. Healthcare conditions for residents in the northern part of Liuhe District, eastern part of Qixia District, western part of Pukou District, peripheral areas of Jiangning District, eastern part of Gaochun District, and residents in Lishui District need improvement. ③Comprehensive healthcare services are relatively lacking in nearly 60% of rural areas. Our research findings provide valuable insights for improving spatial justice in public infrastructure in metropolises of developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Subway systems are becoming increasingly common worldwide transporting large populations in major cities. PM2.5 concentrations have been demonstrated to be exceptionally high when underground, however. Studies on the impact of subway PM exposure on cardiopulmonary health in the United States are limited. Methods: Healthy volunteers in New York City were exposed to a 2-h visit on the 9th Street Station platform on the Port Authority Trans-Hudson train system. Blood pressure, heart rate variability (HRV), spirometry, and forced impulse oscillometry were measured, and urine, blood spot, and nasal swab biosamples were collected for cytokine analysis at the end of the 2-h exposure period. These endpoints were compared against individual control measurements collected after 2-h in a "clean" control space. In addition to paired comparisons, mixed effects models with subject as a random effect were employed to investigate the effect of the PM2.5 concentrations and visit type (i.e., subway vs. control). Results: Mean PM2.5 concentrations on the platform and during the control visit were 293.6 ± 65.7 (SD) and 4.6 ± 1.9 µg/m3, respectively. There was no change in any of the health metrics, but there was a non-significant trend for SDNN to be lower after subway exposure compared to control exposure. Total symptomatic scores did increase post-subway exposure compared to reported values prior to exposure or after the control visit. No significant changes in cytokine concentrations in any specimen type were observed. Mixed-effects models mostly corroborated these paired comparisons. Conclusions: Acute exposures to PM on a subway platform do not cause measurable cardiopulmonary effects apart from reductions in HRV and increases in symptoms in healthy volunteers. These findings match other studies that found little to no changes in lung function and blood pressure after exposure in underground subway stations. Future work should still target potentially more vulnerable populations, such as individuals with asthma or those who spend increased time underground on the subway such as transit workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the compression of spatial and temporal distance, the actual service population has increasingly become a new category of territorial spatial planning, urban planning and management response. Based on the town-ness and city-ness perspective of the central flow theory, we refined the systematic concept of the actual service population, constructed the framework system for estimating the actual service population, and took 35 metropolises as examples to research the scale structure and spatial-temporal characteristics. The conclusions are as follows : (1) The actual service population should be the average daily population in need of transportation, municipal, commercial and other basic urban services and administrative management in the city, including the permanent population living in the local area for more than half a year and the short-term visitor in the city where the local stay is ' more than one day and less than six months. (2) Integrated traditional statistical data such as population, tourism, transportation and Tencent migration data, took the differentiated demand of population for urban services as the breakthrough point, taking the demand of the permanent population as the benchmark, and converting the short-term visitor into the permanent population, a full-aperture population measurement framework system for the actual service population was constructed. The actual serving population coefficient of 35 metropolises was between 1. 09 and 1. 36, with an average of 1. 19. (3) The annual change of the short-term resident population in China presents the spatiotemporal characteristics of "M" shape annual change and megalopolis directivity, while the inter-city shortterm resident population presents the daily change and holiday characteristics of "big wave peak, small sawtooth" shape. This population flow presents a "diamond structure" with Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen-Guangzhou, Chengdu-Chongqing and Wuhan as the apex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the thematic and phraseological parallels between the Sumerian City Laments and the Biblical book of Lamentations, both grieving the destruction of major cities. Lamentations focuses on Jerusalem's fall, emphasizing themes of loneliness, abandonment, and suffering. The Sumerian City Laments depict the destruction of cities and temples by divine forces, with a focus on the patron gods' pleas for mercy. Both texts address the devastation caused by deities and the possibility of restoring relationships with them, reflecting unique theological perspectives. The article highlights the differences in divine interactions and human involvement between the Sumerian and biblical texts, shedding light on cultural and theological distinctions. [Extracted from the article]

The post‐globalization of the Indian economy marks the beginning of a new era for various industries, including manufacturing and the service sector. As a result, people begin to migrate from sub‐urban/rural area to nearby major cities in search of employment and access to modern conveniences. Land Use Land Cover (LULC) pattern change is caused by human and natural factors which include geology, elevation, and slope. LULC change assessment is best ways to manage and understand landscape transformation. Bilari block in Moradabad is India's brass city and one of Uttar Pradesh's major cities, its population growth has pushed the rapid urbanization of city in last two decades. In the present study Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Manager (OLI) data for years 2000 and 2023 have been employed to assess. ArcGIS Pro 2.9.0 software is used to perform layer stacking and on the raw Landsat data for pre‐processing. To find LULC changes in the study area between 2000 and 2023, supervised classification is done by adopting Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC). From the results, it is observed that the area from pervious to impervious changes very quickly in Bilari. This research will aid in regional and urban planning, as well as agricultural management, in the years ahead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the career paths of 33 graduates from Swiss Hospitality Management schools in China and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), exploring the nuances of international credential valuation. It identifies two key factors influencing access to management positions: (1) the degree of internationalization in major cities, which impacts the significance of international versus local skills and (2) individual cosmopolitan capital's role in shaping local career opportunities. The paper introduces a post‐colonial conceptualization of cosmopolitan capital, encompassing institutionalized, embodied and objectified forms, challenging Western‐centric views. By doing so, it reveals how mechanisms of racialization influence the assessment of international qualifications. In Hong Kong and Shanghai, returning Chinese are prospering in corporate head offices by mobilizing both local/national and international capital, challenging the white privilege of Western managers in this sector. Meanwhile, in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the competition is for a pool of 'international talent', even though being perceived as 'Arab' or 'white' seems to improve career prospects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canadian immigration programs are increasingly emphasizing regionalization in order to contribute to the population base of smaller Canadian communities and to address local labour market needs. Despite frequent Canadian national surveys of public attitudes toward immigrants and immigration, however, little is known about the warmth of the welcome presented to immigrants in regions outside of the large metropolises. The current study involved a representative survey of attitudes toward immigrants and immigration in eleven smaller communities across Canada, including Kamloops (BC), Wood Buffalo (AB), Prince Albert (SK), Brandon (MB), Thunder Bay (ON), Greater Sudbury (ON), Saint-Hyacinthe (QC), Bathurst (NB), Charlottetown (PEI), Cape Breton (NS), and St. John’s (NL). The study also examined the extent to which individual demographic characteristics and two community variables – the size of the community and the immigrant share of the community population – predicted these attitudes. While there were differences between the surveyed communities, overall, residents of these communities were relatively satisfied with Canada’s immigration levels, were quite willing to believe that refugee claimants are “real” refugees and that the Federal Government has control over who can immigrate, and supported bringing in immigrants who have the work skills that the country needs. They were less sure of the integration of immigrants into Canadian society in terms of adopting Canadian values. Younger, female, White and highly educated residents of these communities were more likely to hold positive immigration attitudes. Furthermore, immigrant respondents were more likely to hold positive attitudes toward immigration and less likely to believe that immigrants are not adopting Canadian values and that the government has lost control over who can immigrate. At the community level, residents in communities in which immigrants constitute a higher share of the population were more likely to express negative attitudes toward immigrants and immigration. Overall, the findings provide some optimism for the positive reception that immigrants are likely to receive in smaller Canadian communities. They also demonstrate, however, that attitudes in these communities are not uniform and provide information for community leaders and policy-makers about who is most likely to benefit from interventions to promote more positive attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western liberal media theories often neglect to recognize "news translation" as one of the journalistic practices. This paper problematizes this dominant understanding of journalistic practice and expands the Bourdieusian media sociology project beyond western media systems by applying it to Indian agency journalism. A case study of the United News of India Urdu (UNIU) serves as the basis for this examination, drawing on an ethnography of news production practices, and supplemented with in-depth interviews conducted with Muslim journalists from 2018 to 2020 across four major Indian cities. Through this investigation, the paper asserts that "news translation" is indeed a vital but contested component of media work within the sphere of Indian-language journalism. The paper uses "media work" as a key concept to demonstrate that UNIU's journalists are anchored in the field of journalism, as is evidenced by their institutional-cum-organizational location and their application of the elements of journalistic practice to their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban imaginations, imageries and conceptualizations are always plural and illustrate the formation of knowledge hegemonies. In this article, we engage with the problematic of reading infrastructures with a southern theory lens. We explore multiple imaginations, imageries and conceptualizations of the Kirulapana Canal in Colombo via everyday practices. Analysing the geographical imaginations of the state officials and residents, we illustrate (i) how varied imageries draws from the same hegemonic register, and (ii) how this process reinforces and correspondingly in-turn constructs hegemonic imageries. Using these illustrations, this article will broaden the southern theory discussions via analysing the everyday formation of the metropolis (concentration of knowledge and power) and knowledge hegemony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient PM2.5 samples were collected in Laiwu, a small industrial city in China known for steel production, to measure and evaluate the mass concentrations of PM2.5 and the inorganic water-soluble ions (IWS ions). The highest PM2.5 value recorded was 251.28 μg/m3, which occurred during winter and was lower than other major Chinese cities. The spatial distribution showed that the center of the city, which is connected to the downtown area, was heavily polluted (170 μg/m3 higher) compared to the suburbs. With the exception of winter, the weight of PM2.5 was dominated by IWS ions, with three secondary ions (NO3-, SO42-, and NH4+) accounting for more than 70% of the total ions in mass. This percentage is higher than that of big cities. An increase in sulfur oxidation ratios (SOR), nitrogen oxidation rate (NOR), and anion equivalent/cation equivalent (AE/CE) indicated that the atmosphere in Laiwu was more oxidized than other big cities. The ion analysis revealed that PM2.5 was highly correlated with NO3-, SO42-, and NH4+. The principal component analysis indicated that district heating during winter and industrial output and secondary transformation during summer were the major sources of the water-soluble ions. The backward trajectory study identified the north of Shandong Province as the likely source-area that affected air quality in Laiwu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explored how the three major trends evident in the labor market since the 1970s (narrowing gender inequality, increased enrollment in higher education, occupational inequality) are related to income differences between the baby boom and millennial generations in Hong Kong, a major city in East Asia. We have incorporated analysis that examines the differences between local-born individuals and migrants in order to highlight a significant feature of Hong Kong society. Using the Hong Kong census for 1991 and 2016, we showed that from 1991 to 2016, the income gap between local-born Chinese and migrants widened substantially between millennials and baby boomers. RIF regression analysis and the decomposition based on the RIF regression results show that the three major social trends are related to the incomes of young adult baby boomers and millennials in Hong Kong in different ways. These patterns also vary by high and lower-income groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban park green spaces not only significantly enhance urban environmental quality, but also increase social interactions, making them a crucial factor in urban vitality, particularly in densely populated and ecologically stressed metropolitan areas. This study utilizes panel data from 35 major cities in China from 2012 to 2022 to analyze the impact of per capita urban park green space areas on urban vitality. The results confirm the significant effect of per capita park green space areas on urban vitality. However, this impact diminishes under the single-threshold conditions of GDP and total park green space areas, as well as the double-threshold condition of total population. Based on these findings, the study proposes policy recommendations emphasizing the importance of park green space construction to promote sustainable urban development and improve residents' quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Objectives and importance of study: Despite an increasing trend in digitally delivered health promotion programs, evidence of their effectiveness compared to face-to-face approaches is limited. Go4Fun is a 10-week, scaled-up healthy lifestyle program in New South Wales (NSW) for children 7–13 years who are above a healthy weight and their families, delivered either face-to-face or digitally. We compared the impact of Standard Go4Fun (face-to-face) and Go4Fun Online (digital) on children’s weight and health behaviour outcomes and whether attendance levels influenced outcomes. Study type: Pre-post study. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of Go4Fun cohort data from 1893 face-to-face and 1283 digital participants (January 2018 to May 2022). Outcomes of interest were body mass index z-score (zBMI), physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and fruit, vegetable, sugary drink and takeaway food consumption. Results: A higher proportion of Standard Go4Fun children lived in major cities, in areas of greatest disadvantage and spoke a language other than English at home than in Go4Fun Online. Children in both Standard Go4Fun and Go4Fun Online demonstrated improvements in all outcomes; however, children in Go4Fun Online showed significantly larger improvements. On average, digital participants had a reduction in zBMI of 0.11 more than the reduction seen in face-to-face participants (95% Confidence Interval [CI] –0.12, –0.09), increased the days/week of moderate-to-vigorous-physical-activity by 30% more (95% CI 24%, 36%), were more likely to eat ≥ 2 serves of fruit/day (compared to < 2, Odds Ratio [OR] 1.85; 95% CI: 1.36, 2.52) or eat ≥ 3 serves of vegetables/day (compared to < 3, OR 1.96; CI: 1.58, 2.42). Across both modes, with each additional session attended, the odds of eating ≥ 3 serves of vegetables/day increased by 10% (95% CI 1.02, 1.19). There were no significant differences for other health outcomes. Conclusions: Our evaluation demonstrated that both face-to-face and digital program delivery helped children above a healthy weight to improve their weight and health behaviour outcomes. Go4Fun Online achieved significantly greater improvements in outcomes, which is encouraging for the future of digital interventions. Participation in Standard Go4Fun by more children with obesity from disadvantaged areas and non-English speaking backgrounds suggests that ongoing delivery of both modes of Go4Fun could facilitate program reach among all children above a healthy weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asthma is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the United States and is particularly sensitive to environmental changes in urban areas. While it is known that traffic congestion contributes to increased vehicle emissions and poorer air quality, its direct association with asthma incidence has not been thoroughly explored. This study aimed to address this void by analyzing 148 city-level observations from 2016 to 2020 in Texas, using data from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Definitive Healthcare. We investigated the association between traffic congestion, measured by the travel time index, and annual city-level asthma hospital discharges, while adjusting for refinery productivity, minority groups, and education levels through multivariate regression. Our findings revealed a significant positive correlation between the travel time index and asthma visits, indicating that higher traffic congestion is associated with increased hospital visits for asthma. This finding remains consistent across different models, regardless of whether control variables are included. For the control variables, we found that higher refinery productivity was linked to elevated risks of asthma-related hospitalizations, aligning with previous research findings. Although correlations with Black or African American and Hispanic or Latino populations, as well as those with less than a high school education, were not statistically significant, a positive trend was observed. These results emphasize the impact of traffic congestion on asthma prevalence and the necessity for targeted public health interventions and urban planning strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using publicly available data, this paper investigates the diffusion of COVID-19 across neighborhoods in two major cities, London and New York. We link neighborhood demographics to incidence, and we investigate patterns of change over time in conjunction with changing policy responses to the pandemic. By comparing and contrasting these two cities, we are able to exploit surveillance and policy differences, demonstrating how each contributes information to the other. We conclude that better coordination can be translated into improved health policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Historically, tobacco companies have used flavored tobacco products to enhance the appeal of tobacco consumption, encourage initiation and experimentation of tobacco use, and contribute to sustained tobacco use. While flavored tobacco products are regulated in several countries, there is no existing regulation on flavored tobacco products in the Philippines, specifically for cigarettes and cigars. This study aims to update evidence on the flavored tobacco product landscape in the Philippines by assessing both the flavor descriptors and flavor imagery featured on cigarette and cigar packaging. Results: We collected 106 cigarette and cigar products from four major cities in the National Capital Region, Balanced Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Of these 106 cigarette and cigar products, 62 (58.49%) had flavor descriptors. Three crushable capsule products did not feature any flavor descriptor but were included for flavor imagery examination. We identified five categories of flavor descriptors: menthol, concept descriptors, tobacco, beverages, and other flavors. Out of 62 packs, ten featured more than one flavor descriptor on the packaging. Menthol flavor descriptors comprised the majority of flavor descriptors. Imagery and other graphic elements closely resonate with and enhance the flavor descriptors found on these packs. Conclusions: This study aimed to update the evidence on the flavored tobacco product landscape in the Philippines and address their absence of regulation. Regulating flavored tobacco products requires a comprehensive policy approach complemented by complete enforcement. Flavor substances, flavor descriptors, and flavor imagery must be regulated altogether; however, it is ideal to enforce a ban on flavored tobacco products in compliance with the WHO FCTC, to which the Philippines is a signatory. Policymakers should consider plain packaging as an intervention to eliminate the appeals associated with flavored tobacco products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization processes modulate the immunological challenges faced by animals. Urban habitat transformations reshape pathogen diversity and abundance, while high population density—common in urban exploiter species—promotes disease transmission. Responses to urbanization may include adaptive adjustments of constitutive innate immune defenses (e.g. complement system and natural antibodies [NAbs]), which serve as first‐line protection against infections. Here, we investigated associations of habitat urbanization and host population density with complement and NAbs in an urban bird, the feral pigeon Columba livia domestica. To do so, we employed the hemolysis–hemagglutination assay to analyze nearly 200 plasma samples collected across urbanization and pigeon population density gradients in five major cities in Poland. We found a negative association between urbanization score and hemagglutination (i.e. NAbs activity), but not hemolysis (i.e. complement activity), indicating either immunosuppression or adaptive downregulation of this immune defense in highly transformed urban landscape. Population density was not significantly related to either immune parameter, providing no evidence for density‐dependent modulation of immune defenses. At the same time, there was a negative association of hemolysis with condition (scaled mass index), suggesting resource allocation trade‐offs or contrasting effects of the urban environment on immune defenses and body condition. The results demonstrate that habitat structure can be an important factor shaping the immune defenses of the feral pigeon, although these associations were not mediated by variation in population density. Our study highlights the complexity of the links between immune defenses in wildlife and urbanization and reinforces the need for comprehensive ecoimmunological studies on urban animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engagement with institutions from migrants' country of origin, both in the destination country and in the country of origin, is distinct transnational behaviour. This study investigates the impact of geographical distance on the institutional engagement of migrants from Czechia in five global regions. We examine how geographic (physical) proximity to Czechia shapes institutional engagement with the country of origin and identify factors beyond distance influencing institutional engagement. We analyzed survey data from Czech emigrants (N = 940) in neighbouring countries, Western and Northern Europe, Southern and Eastern Europe, overseas Anglo-Saxon countries, and other countries. We found that respondents from all more distant regions have higher levels of institutional engagement in the destination country than those from neighbouring countries. Length of stay and education were relevant factors for all selected regions, while place of residence (living in a metropolis) and the level of transnational behavior had varying impacts across regions. Concerning institutional engagement in origin country, the level of transnationalism was consistently the strongest predictor across. Transnational studies should incorporate geographic variables, such as physical distance into their conceptual frameworks. We expect our findings to be generalizable to other countries similar to Czechia, i.e. high-income countries whose citizens benefit from liberal visa regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the competition among four carriers from two major airline groups in Indonesia, namely Indonesia group (Garuda Indonesia and Citilink of Garuda), and Lion Air group (Lion Air and Batik Air). An airline route choice econometric model in the spirit of Probit model is constructed and estimated to shed light on the interactions of the four airlines of these two groups. Specifically, our empirical examination accentuates how the two groups utilize the Airline-within-Airline (AWA) strategy, which refers to operating a full-service carrier (FSC) and a low-cost carrier (LCC) at the same time, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our estimation results suggest that the established FSC, Garuda Indonesia, used its LCC subsidiary, Citilink, as a fighting brand against its LCC rivalry, Lion Air. By contrast, Lion Air established a FSC brand, Batik, to broaden the market coverage instead of purely as a fighting brand. This competition structure was however shifted by the COVID-19 pandemic. All carriers became more aggressive to serve the routes involving those major airports in the big cities with more price-inelastic travellers. The overlapping routes between Lion Air and Batik Air have increased during the pandemic. The routes serving the tourism destinations have been cut due to the drop of inbound overseas visitors during the pandemic. • Study examines competition among Indonesian carriers, focusing on FSCs and LCCs, and explores AWA strategy and COVID-19 impact. • Garuda Indonesia used Citilink as a fighting brand against Lion Air, while Lion Air established Batik Air for market expansion. • COVID-19 led to increased aggression in serving major city routes and more overlapping routes between Lion Air and Batik Air. • Study provides insights into AWA strategy, industry growth in LCC-dominated markets, and the need for adaptability during disruptions like COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Han River Ecological Economic Belt (HREEB) has a substantial amount of water resources; however, its distribution is uneven, and issues such as seasonal and engineering water shortages are prevalent. This necessitates a thorough assessment of the current water resource situation and trends in water resource carrying capacity (WRCC) to provide scientific support for the rational allocation of water resources. This study employed the RAGA-PP model to establish a WRCC evaluation index system composed of four subsystems: water resources, economy, society, and the ecological environment. The WRCC of the 17 major cities in the HREEB was evaluated from 2008 to 2022. The differentiation method was introduced to compare the reliability of the RAGA-PP model with three evaluation methods: the entropy weight TOPSIS method, the rank sum ratio method, and the principal component analysis method. In addition, an obstacle degree model was introduced to analyze the factors influencing WRCC enhancement. The results indicated the following. (1) In the differentiation test of the four models, the RAGA-PP model was found to have the highest differentiation value, and the results showed that it was more reliable in the WRCC evaluation of HREEB. (2) WRCC in the HREEB underwent significant changes between 2008 and 2022. (3) The WRCC in Shiyan and Wuhan, which are located in the eastern part of the HREEB, were high in Hubei, low in four cities in Henan, and satisfactory in three cities in Shaanxi. (4) The carrying capacity of the subsystems of the cities in the HREEB exhibited fluctuating changes with obvious internal variations. (5) The problems in the WRCC guideline layer were consistent across all cities in the HREEB, with limited per capita water resources being the primary issue in the indicator layer. Assessing WRCC is essential for achieving sustainable water resource use and high-quality regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of sporting events on local economies and their spatial distribution is a topic of active policy debate. This study adds to the discussion by examining granular cellphone location data to assess the spillover effects of Major League Baseball (MLB) games in a major US city. Focusing on the 2019 season, we explore granular geospatial patterns in mobility and consumer spending on game days versus non-game days in the Saint Louis region. Through density-based clustering and hotspot analysis, we uncover distinct spatiotemporal signatures and variations in visitor affluence across different teams. This study uses features like game day characteristics, location data (latitude and longitude), business types, and spending data. A significant finding is that specific spatial clusters of economic activity are formed around the stadium, particularly on game days, with multiple clusters identified. These clusters reveal a marked increase in spending at businesses such as restaurants, bars, and liquor stores, with revenue surges of up to 38% in certain areas. We identified a significant change in spending patterns in the local economy during games, with results varying greatly across teams. Notably, the XGBoost model performs best, achieving a test R2 of 0.80. The framework presented enhances the literature at the intersection of urban economics, sports analytics, and spatial modeling while providing data-driven actionable insights for businesses and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study takes a unique approach to analyzing the sustainability and climate planning in major Hungarian cities. It conducts a qualitative analysis, examining the selected cities' sustainability and climate strategy objectives/goals. The aim is to comprehensively assess the extent of harmony between these objectives and identify potential hindering factors. An impact series with six distinct levels (+ + , + , 0, NR, −, –) was established for this analysis, from which positive (+ + , +), neutral (0, NR), and negative (−,–) categories were formulated. The main result of the study presents the efficiency score of the sustainability and climate goals, in which only the ratio of the positive impacts are covered. The findings reveal that the impacts of sustainability objectives show significant differences among the cities, particularly concerning positive and neutral effects. However, climate objectives present a more modest discrepancy regarding positive, neutral, and negative effects observed among the cities. There was no clear regional pattern in terms of sustainability and climate planning efficiency; on the other hand, Budapest, Győr, and Nyíregyháza emerged with outstanding performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Objective Methods Results Conclusions Western Australia (WA) spans a large, sparsely‐populated area of Australia, presenting a challenge for the provision of Emergency Medical Service (EMS), particularly for time‐critical emergencies such as out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).To assess the impact of rurality on the epidemiology, incidence and survival of OHCA in WA.We conducted a retrospective cohort study of EMS‐attended OHCA in WA from 2015 to 2022. Incidence was calculated on all OHCAs, but the study cohort for the multivariable regression analysis of rurality on survival outcomes consisted of OHCAs of medical aetiology with EMS resuscitation attempted. Rurality was categorised into four categories, derived from the Australian Standard Geographic Classification – Remoteness Areas.The age‐standardised incidence of EMS‐attended OHCA per 100 000 population increased with increasing remoteness: Major Cities = 104.9, Inner Regional = 123.3, Outer Regional = 138.0 and Remote = 103.9. Compared to Major Cities, the adjusted odds for return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) at hospital were lower in Inner Regional (aOR = 0.71, 95%CI 0.53–0.95), Outer Regional (aOR = 0.62, 95%CI 0.45–0.86) and Remote areas (aOR = 0.52, 95%CI 0.35–0.77) but there was no statistically significant difference for 30‐day survival. Relative to Major Cities, Regional and Remote areas had longer response times, shorter transport‐to‐hospital times, and higher rates of bystander CPR and automated external defibrillator use.Out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest in rural areas had lower odds of ROSC at hospital compared to metropolitan areas, despite adjustment for known prognostic covariates. Despite WA's highly sparse regional population, these differences in ROSC are consistent with those reported in other international studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsidence refers to the gradual lowering or sudden sinking of the ground surface and is known to impact human lives in terms of damages to the infrastructures, utility lines, and buildings as well as changes in the surficial drainage systems and groundwater conditions. The impacts of land subsidence will be greater in the future, considering the sea level rise, population growth, intensification of coastal erosion and extreme events, as well as increase in flood risk or freshwater salinization, mostly in coastal cities. The main aim of this work is to provide an open-source, peer-reviewed, and comprehensive database identifying the main and secondary causes of land subsidence in 143 coastal cities. We highlight the potential impacts of subsidence that are still unknown in some at-risk cities and non-existence of mitigation measures. The database additionally shows that mitigation measures, specifically those addressing subsidence due to groundwater extraction, have proven successful in the past. The proposed database aims to increase the knowledge on the subsidence phenomenon and also global awareness of land subsidence issues among researchers, the scientific community, stakeholders, and policymakers in terms of urban planning and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study sought to assess the prevalence and determinants of tobacco use (cigarette smoking and shisha use) and khat chewing among Yemeni adolescents, and to evaluate their knowledge and attitudes toward these habits. Methods: This school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 13 to 19-year-old students attending middle/high schools (both private and public) across five main cities in Yemen. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires comprising questions/items related to sociodemographic data, cigarette smoking, shisha use, khat chewing, and knowledge on and attitudes toward these habits. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were used to explore the most determinant factors. Results: A total of 7505 students were recruited from 42 schools across five major cities in Yemen. The prevalence rates of khat chewing, cigarette smoking, and shisha use were 42.4%, 6.8%, and 19.3%, respectively. Compared to females, male subjects reported significantly higher prevalence of khat chewing (51.4% vs. 23.5%, p < 0.001), shisha use (20.3% vs. 17.2%, p < 0.01), and cigarette smoking (8.8% vs. 2.6%, p < 0.001). Male gender, older age, poor knowledge, khat chewing, parents' low education level, and parents' and peers' smoking habits were significant determinants of adolescents' cigarette smoking status. Private education, male gender, older age, poor knowledge, parents' low education level, and parents' and peers' khat chewing habits were significant determinants of adolescents' khat chewing status. The participant's knowledge of and attitudes toward tobacco use and khat chewing were inadequate. Conclusion: The prevalence of khat chewing, shisha use, and to lesser extent cigarette smoking among Yemeni adolescents is high that needs immediate intervention. The results highlight the urgent need to implement prevention strategies to tackle these habits among the youth in Yemen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, cancer is the second leading cause of death, with a growing burden also observed in Kazakhstan. This study evaluates the burden of common cancers in Almaty, Kazakhstan's major city, from 2017 to 2021, utilizing data from the Information System of the Ministry of Health. In Kazakhstan, most common cancers among men include lung, stomach, and prostate cancer, while breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers are predominant among women. Employing measures like disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), we found that selected cancer types accounted for a total DALY burden of 25,016.60 in 2021, with mortality contributing more than disability (95.2% vs. 4.7%) with the ratio of non-fatal to fatal outcomes being 1.4 times higher in women than in men. The share of non-fatal burden (YLD) proportion within DALYs increased for almost all selected cancer types, except stomach and cervical cancer over the observed period in Almaty. Despite the overall increase in cancer burden observed during the time period, a downward trend in specific cancers suggests the efficacy of implemented cancer control strategies. Comparison with global trends highlights the significance of targeted interventions. This analysis underscores the need for continuous comprehensive cancer control strategies in Almaty and Kazakhstan, including vaccination against human papillomavirus, stomach cancer screening programs, and increased cancer awareness initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many large cities after the success of opposition in local elections are becoming ‘democratic enclaves’ in the de-democratising countries. It is worth posing a question about the effectiveness of this role in the face of further autocratisation at the national level. It requires investigating if taking over the power by these democratic forces as well as characteristics of major cities, favourable in many aspects for democratisation (they have often a ‘democratic potential’) enable the cities to play a role of effective democratisers. The author of this paper takes this task and analyses the cases of Warsaw and Istanbul. He verifies the hypothesis that the combination of long-term democratic deficits, including the local level, impact of the de-democratisation present at the national level and the current centralisation or re-centralisation process undermines the role of both cities as democratic enclaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the center of developments on local, regional, national, and global scales, and the site of influential actors, Tehran's metropolitan area has long been a stage for political power dynamics. Additionally, the presence of geopolitical drivers has further elevated its position in power relations. The central question of this research was this: What are the drivers and future scenarios of power relations in Tehran Metropolis? This was an applied research study with an exploratory nature. To answer the research question, indicators were extracted through a multi-stage interview process involving 30 elite experts and an elite panel. The Delphi method was also used to screen the propellants. The data were analyzed using the MicMac and Scenario Wizard software. The research results revealed 45 possible situations across 7 scenarios with strong and likely compatibilities. Based on the scenario table of geopolitical drivers affecting the future of power relations in Tehran Metropolis, 33.33% were in a favorable situation, 41.6% were in a semi-favorable situation, and 25% were in a static situation. The 1st and 2nd scenario boards were the most prominent in terms of position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]