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Organizations are building sustainable practices due to newer regulations and a commitment to the greater good. They are targeting the majority of consumers who want to live a sustainable lifestyle. As a result, universities have an opportunity to integrate sustainability topics into their coursework. This study addresses a curriculum gap that exists by introducing a project-based assignment using the SHIFT framework by White, Habib, and Hardisty (2019a), which outlines the triggers associated with influencing sustainable behaviors among consumers, namely, social influence, habit formation, individual self, feelings and cognition, and tangibility. We explain the relevance of the project via a literature review on the growing importance of sustainability to consumers, outline the project requirements and recommendations for execution, and share our experiences and those of our students using the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuity of farmers in farming under the impacts of climate change (CC), especially in developing nations, is still less investigated in literature. A survey was conducted among 220 farmers in selected rural communities in Ondo, Nigeria. The data were subjected to both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. The results showed that male gender formed 90% of the respondents, 68% of the respondents cultivate up to 15 acres of farmland while 61% had experienced a decrease in their farmland sizes between 2000 and 2023 of which 47% (103 out of 220) claimed was due to erratic rainfall. Factor analysis identified and extracted three significant options for the sustainability of farmers' living in the CC era, namely, (i) adoption of soil and water conservation option (35.007%); (ii) abandonment of farming for another means of livelihood (15.052%) and (iii) reduction in the farmland size (11.774%). However, in view of the combined weights of options (i) and (iii) ([74.57% of the absolute value]) which explained farmers' preference to remain in farming, it, thus, implied that farmers will rather take options that will keep them in framing despite the impact of CC rather than abandoning it. The results are indications of the prevalence of CC and the policies that will enhance farming in CC era to be put in place to sustain the livelihood of farmers. Further studies are suggested on enhancing farmers' livelihood to keep them in agriculture in the CC era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education plays a crucial role in moving towards a sustainable future. The United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development has advocated education for sustainable development (ESD) to promote global sustainability. UNESCO supports ESD as a way to provide society with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes needed for sustainable living. While considerable progress has been made in many developed countries, particularly in higher education institutions, and to some extent in developing countries, similar success has not been observed in Somalia's higher education establishments. This study examined the influence of ESD on university students' conduct in Somalia. Through cluster sampling, 251 students from SIMAD and Hormuud Universities in Mogadishu were chosen to participate by completing a questionnaire. The research revealed a significant positive connection between ESD and students' behavior. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating ESD into higher education curricula to encourage cultural norms that endorse environmentally friendly practices. This investigation offers valuable insights for academics, policymakers, and businesses seeking to advance sustainability within educational settings and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural areas in Northeast China present a large demand for heating energy in winter, but there are problems in such areas with poor thermal performance of building envelopes and poor indoor thermal comfort. In addition, coal-fired boilers are still widely used. China's "Dual-Carbon Goals" and "Clean Heating" policy call for the creation of a green and comfortable living environment for rural residential buildings. This paper considers the impact of the improvement of the thermal performance of envelope structures on the initial investment of the transformation program and the rated power of the ASHP and proposes an energy-saving transformation method to replace traditional coal-fired boilers with the ASHP on the basis of the improvement of the thermal performance of envelope structures. By establishing a typical rural residential building model in Northeast China, this energy-saving method is simulated based on TRNSYS. The results show that the payback period of investment of the transformation method of "envelope structure + heating system" is not superior to that of the transformation method of only improving the thermal performance of the envelope structure, but it has advantages in the comprehensive life-cycle benefits and it has great advantages in improving the satisfaction of rural residents in the use of heating systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high sodium content in meat products poses health risks to consumers and does not align with modern green and healthy living standards. Current strategies for directly reducing the sodium content in meat products are limited by their negative impact on the sensory or quality attributes of the products. In recent years, there has been great interest in applying ultrasound technology to reduce sodium content. This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of current mainstream strategies for reducing the sodium content in meat products, as well as the potential mechanisms by which ultrasound-assisted marination improves the quality of low-salt meat products. The main findings indicate that ultrasound, through its cavitation and mechanical effects, facilitates the transition of proteins from stable insoluble aggregates to stable soluble complexes, exposing more hydrophilic groups and, thus, enhancing protein solubility. At the same time, ultrasound promotes a greater number of proteins to participate in the formation of interfacial layers, thereby increasing emulsifying activity. Furthermore, ultrasound treatment promotes the interaction between proteins and water, leading to partial unfolding of protein chains, which allows polar residues to more readily capture water in the gel, thereby improving the water-holding capacity of the gel. These effects will contribute to the formation of high-quality low-salt meat products. However, variations in the frequency, intensity, and duration of ultrasound treatment can lead to differing effects on the quality improvement of low-salt meat products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor positioning systems and Air Quality (AQ) monitoring play a crucial role in creating smart environments that promote human well-being and sustainable living.This research paper explores the integration of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) with a Pozyx-based indoor positioning system for advanced AQ monitoring. By addressing the current challenges in network management, scalability, and Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning for indoor AQ monitoring systems, we propose a novel SDN-based routing protocol. Our findings reveal significant enhancements in energy efficiency and Packet Error Rate (PER), showcasing the potential of merging Pozyx and SDN technologies for creating smarter and sustainable living environments. This study contributes to the domain of indoor positioning and AQ monitoring, marking a step forward towards the realization of intelligent environmental monitoring systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: This study investigates consumer perceptions and acceptance of ionizing radiation (IoR) as a perishable food stabilisation technology. Consumers' preferences influence the success of emerging food technologies. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of consumers' behavioural responses and their development over time is essential. Methods: This research employs a mixed-methods approach, surveying 313 young adults in New Zealand on their views of both irradiated (IoR) and genetically modified (GM) highly perishable foods. This study explored both participants' attitudes towards these two technologies and also their willingness to consume these foods. Results: The qualitative research revealed a preponderance of "affective" associations over "cognitive" associations with regard to both IoR and GM technologies. The quantitative research indicated that where consumers were given time to reflect, evaluations of GM improved, while those of IoR did not (p < 0.01). There was a gender divide, with females being more positively inclined towards GM and males towards IoR (p < 0.01). Both technologies were significantly disfavoured compared to non-treated products (p < 0.01). There was a significant discrimination when the two technologies were presented as concepts and as products. GM was more favourably received as a concept than as a product (p < 0.01), while IoR was disfavoured in either form. The two food neophobia scales that were tested showed a divergence in performance, with the more affectively based scale showing a higher level of correlation with behaviour. Conclusions: This research reveals that a largely affective (visceral) distrust of both IoR and GM exists within this young food consumer sample. As it is affective in nature, this position will be very resistant to education efforts, particularly if they are "cognitively" based. However, a significant softening of these affective attitudes towards GM products indicates that such efforts may be effective, given time and investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations anticipates that by 2050, around two-thirds of the global population will reside in urban areas, necessitating a concerted effort to elevate the benchmarks guiding living standards in sustainable cities. The pursuit of sustainable urban development necessitates the identification of robust socio-ecological indicators to ensure the synchronous optimization of human well-being and environmental integrity. Therefore, the study explores the existing quality-of-life indicators grounded in ecosystem services within the urban parks of Lahore. For this, a field survey was conducted in the parks of Lahore, primarily focusing on identifying key measures to enhance living standards. The study was collected by identifying quality-of-life indicators from ecological, social, and economic perspectives and analyzed in MS Excel and ArcGIS version 10.8. The results illustrate that nearly all the examined parks contribute significantly to the quality-of-life key indicators by regulating the air quality and reducing noise and temperature. Jallo Park and Bagh-e-Jinnah have sufficient areas and are adequately maintained, which is a key indicator of the quality of life, but only Gulberg town aligns with global standards (9 to 50 m2) for per capita green space (25.523 m2). So, it is concluded that the urban parks of Lahore support sustainable living with their proper mountainous and sufficient green area. Therefore, a critical need for proactive green infrastructure initiatives is recommended, particularly addressing the shortfall in per capita green space. A strategic intervention in urban planning and green development is a key recommendation for policymakers for a sustainable future in Lahore. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] The aims of this study are to explore the coupling and coordinated relationship between the suitability of production-living-ecological space, to clarify the main contradictions and influencing factors of the development of territorial space, and to provide scientific basis for promoting the coordinated development of production-living-ecological space in Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area. [Methods] Based on the development status of Changsha-Xiangtan area, the evaluation index system of spatial suitability of production-living-ecologyl space was constructed to evaluate the suitability of production, living and ecology space, respectively. The coupling coordination degree model was used to analyze the spatial distribution based on the three types of suitability to explore the relationship between the spatial suitability. [Results] The area of production space was first reduced and then increased, the area of living space increased rapidly, and the area of ecological space decreased rapidly. From 2000 to 2020, a large number of agricultural production space and forest land ecological space transformed into industrial production space and urban living space. The spatial suitability of production-living-ecology space presented the spatial pattern characteristics of of life- production-ecology circle layer, which spreaded from Changsha Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban area. The suitability of production space was high in north and low in south, high inside and low outside. The suitability of the living space presented the characteristics of one piece, eight cores and multiple points'.. The suitability of ecological space was high in east and low in west, high in south and low in north. In the production-living-ecology space pattern based on suitability, production, living and ecology space accounted for 34.36%, 19.55% and 46.09% of the land area, respectively. It was obviously different from the spatial situation of production-living-ecology space, highlighting the key areas of ecological protection. The research area was at a relative coordination level. High coordination, basic coordination, critical imbalance and imbalance areas accounted for 56.29%, 36.65% 6.91% and 0.16% of the land area, respectively. The spatial differentiation of the spatial suitability of production-living-ecology space was obvious reflecting the different development contradictions of territorial space development, so targeted measures should be taken to promote the coordinated development of production-living-ecological space. [Conclusion] The spatial suitability of production-living-ecology space presented the characteristics of the disharmony between ecological space and production or living space, and the relative coordination between production and living space. The incompatibility between ecological space and production space and between ecological space and living space is the main contradictions in the development of territorial space in Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan area. Topography is the fundamental factor affecting the coupling and coordination of the spatial suitability of the production-living-ecological space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization and technology are presently impacting every aspect of life, with digital technologies helping to set the trend. Human-centricity and the ethical use of technology are integral components of Society 5.0, which emphasizes quality of life, productivity, social responsibility, and sustainability. The purpose of this study was to develop a deeper understanding of how Higher Education 5.0 empowers the future workforce in the landscape of Society 5.0. A systematic literature review was conducted using 18 full-text research papers from the Scopus database. It shows that the number of studies in this area is limited. The results revealed the critical role of education in cultivating the digital skills necessary for upcoming professionals. In order to transition from higher education to the workplace, fresh graduates need academic and practical readiness to meet the demands of a future-ready workforce. The contribution of the future workforce will also be crucial in building a harmonious human-centric society that will use technology to improve the quality of life towards sustainable living as envisioned by the United Nations' SDGs. Additionally, we identify the current gaps in the research on Education 5.0 in the landscape of Society 5.0 and subsequently provide recommendations for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth of global urbanization and the rising demand for sustainable development, it is essential to study the performance and durability of building materials. As a traditional and widely employed building material, Chinese clay tiles play a significant role in traditional Chinese architecture. However, traditional methods for assessing structural surface damage necessitate the time-consuming and labor-intensive assessment and judgment of trained professionals. Consequently, it is crucial to employ machine learning techniques for automatic damage type identification. This study identifies the types of damage to Chinese clay tiles in Macau by employing machine learning techniques and the YOLOv4 object detection model. A total of 363 photographs of on-site Chinese clay tiles were used as training samples, and 200 epochs of the model training were performed. The primary findings of this study are as follows: (1) The machine learning method, based on the YOLOv4 model, provides an effective and precise solution for the automatic identification of Chinese clay tiles damage types, overcoming the human and time-cost constraints of conventional evaluation methods. (2) The detection accuracy of the detection model in this study is 95.42% for the detection of Chinese clay tiles cracks, 80.91% for the detection of stains, and 89.34% for the detection of surface wear, with an overall accuracy of 88.98%, which meets the basic detection requirements. (3) The experimental results demonstrate the viability and efficacy of the proposed method for identifying clay tile damage types and provide a method reference for the preservation and sustainable development of historical buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human resource management (HRM), under the influence of the sustainable development paradigm, is evolving towards sustainable HRM. Contemporary HRM is a cross‐functional task that becomes increasingly important in the creation of corporate sustainability. Therefore, HRM plays an important role in building sustainable development. At the same time, HRM becomes more and more human‐centred. HRM is not only recruitment or appraisal orientated; one of its aims is to help different shareholders live sustainable lifestyles. Meanwhile, a sustainable lifestyle is analysed mainly in the context of consumer behaviour. The role of HRM in the promotion of a sustainable lifestyle is overlooked too often. The aim of the paper is to verify the importance of our ascertainment that HRM may (and should) be a link between sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles. We also want to confirm/deny a research gap related to the HRM's role in promotion of a sustainable lifestyle. We used two literature review methods: traditional and systematic review. The research pointed out that the researchers examine the idea of sustainable development as well as analyse the concept of a sustainable lifestyle. The systematic literature review identified a research lacuna in HRM regarding its role in promoting sustainable lifestyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many distantly related organisms have convergently evolved traits and lifestyles that enable them to live in similar ecological environments. However, the extent of phenotypic convergence evolving through the same or distinct genetic trajectories remains an open question. Here, we leverage a comprehensive dataset of genomic and phenotypic data from 1,049 yeast species in the subphylum Saccharomycotina (Kingdom Fungi, Phylum Ascomycota) to explore signatures of convergent evolution in cactophilic yeasts, ecological specialists associated with cacti. We inferred that the ecological association of yeasts with cacti arose independently approximately 17 times. Using a machine learning–based approach, we further found that cactophily can be predicted with 76% accuracy from both functional genomic and phenotypic data. The most informative feature for predicting cactophily was thermotolerance, which we found to be likely associated with altered evolutionary rates of genes impacting the cell envelope in several cactophilic lineages. We also identified horizontal gene transfer and duplication events of plant cell wall–degrading enzymes in distantly related cactophilic clades, suggesting that putatively adaptive traits evolved independently through disparate molecular mechanisms. Notably, we found that multiple cactophilic species and their close relatives have been reported as emerging human opportunistic pathogens, suggesting that the cactophilic lifestyle—and perhaps more generally lifestyles favoring thermotolerance—might preadapt yeasts to cause human disease. This work underscores the potential of a multifaceted approach involving high-throughput genomic and phenotypic data to shed light onto ecological adaptation and highlights how convergent evolution to wild environments could facilitate the transition to human pathogenicity. Many distantly related organisms have convergently evolved traits and lifestyles that enable them to live in similar ecological environments. This study of 1,049 yeast species reveals that across 17 convergent transitions to cactus-association (cactophily), putatively adaptive traits evolved independently through disparate molecular mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil salinization seriously affects soilmicrobial diversity, and crop yield and quality worldwide. Microorganisms play a vital role in the process of crop yield and quality. Traditional Chinese medicine Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch. (licorice) can grow tenaciously in the heavily salinized land. However, the relationship between licorice plants and soilmicroorganisms is not clear. A field experiment was carried out to explore the effects of three different degrees of salinized soils on (i) licorice crop performance indicators, (ii) soil physical and chemical properties, and (iii) the changes in soil bacterial community structure and functional diversity in a semi-arid area of northwest China. The results showed that with the aggravation of soil salinization, the licorice yield, soil nutrients, and the bacterial abundance of Gemmatimonadetes and Myxococcota showed a downward trend, while the concentration of glycyrrhizic acid and liquiritin, and the bacterial abundance of Actinobacteria and Firmicutes showed an upward trend. The change of licorice yield mainly depended on the soil physical and chemical properties (e.g., EC and alkaline hydrolysable nitrogen). The change of licorice quality was more closely related to the change of bacterial diversity. The effect of bacterial diversity on liquiritin was greater than that on glycyrrhizic acid. Among them, Gemmatimonadetes were significantly negatively correlated with liquiritin and glycyrrhizic acid. These findings suggest that the increased soil Actinobacteria and Firmicutes or reduced Gemmatimonadetes and Myxococcota may provide a healthy and suitable living condition for the sustainable development of medicinal plant crops in a salinized soil ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Upon observing the daily lives of older adults, they often experience comfort and emotional stability through nostalgic memories. Hence, this study develops a nostalgic VR game from which older adults can obtain a similar sense of comfort and emotional satisfaction. This study extends the technology acceptance model (TAM) to analyze factors influencing older adults' intention to adopt this VR game. The study involved 102 older adults who participated in the VR experience. The VR game was developed using the Unity engine, designed specifically to trigger nostalgic memories. The analysis shows that the questionnaire was highly reliable. The analysis also revealed that PEOU significantly influences PU (β = 0.559, p < 0.001) and PE (β = 0.694, p < 0.001). PU positively impacts HIPG (β = 0.321, p < 0.05), while ATG strongly influences HIPG (β = 0.270, p < 0.01). The extended TAM model explained 57.3% of the variance in HIPG (R2 = 0.573), indicating the substantial impact of these factors on older adults' intention to engage with the VR game. These results provide valuable insights for developers and healthcare providers aiming to integrate VR as a health tool for older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four studies investigated whether awareness of links between pro-environmental behaviour (PEB) and well-being can motivate sustainable lifestyle shifts. We find that most US adults believe most PEBs do not affect well-being. Yet, when people do expect such benefits, they tend to have more positive attitudes and intentions regarding PEBs and enact more PEBs. We also find that messages about how PEB can increase well-being consistently improved attitudes towards PEBs and made people more persuasive in their subsequent efforts to encourage others to live sustainably. These effects were especially pronounced among people who did not previously believe that PEB improves well-being. Effects on PEB intentions were inconsistent, however, and we found no effect on a revealed measure of PEB (i.e., seeking sustainability tips). Overall, these results underscore the importance of beliefs about PEBs' impact on well-being and suggest that public messaging about that relationship might help motivate sustainable lifestyles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the coordinated development of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region becoming an important national strategy, multi-factor cross-regional flow has formed telecoupling relationships of land use functions. Taking the counties in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region as the research unit, the entropy-weight TOPSIS method was used to measure the production, living and ecological function values of land use, and the social network analysis model was used to explore the land use functions relationship and identify the telecoupling characteristics of land use. The main results are as follows. (1) During 2010-2020, the spatiotemporal differentiation characteristics of land use functions in the studied region are significant. Land use production function declines, showing the characteristics of low northwest and high southeast; living function improves significantly, showing the trend of balanced development of multi-center situation; the fluctuation of ecological function rises, and the "inverted U-shaped" polarization phenomenon is obvious. (2) Production function, living function and ecological function break through the geographical proximity effect, and the telecoupling relationships present the obvious network structure shape, but the overall network structure is relatively loose; the telecoupling networks of land use production function, living function and ecological function have the characteristics of small-world effect and scale-free, and the power structures show obvious "core-periphery" feature. (3) The telecoupling networks of production function, living function and ecological function forms four blocks through spatial clustering: there are five role types as main spillover, main benefit, mediator, two-way spillover and isolate. Therefore, telecoupling effect needs to be taken into account when formulating relevant strategies for land use functions. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region needs to focus on multi-point linkage and complementary advantages. It should play the leading and regulatory role of core counties in the network pattern, cultivate new growth poles, and ultimately achieve multi-functional synergy of land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a novel methodology for devising bike trajectory plans. In this approach, the entire trip is associated with a complex network or graph, where the nodes and edges correspond to potential trajectory segments. Utilizing the information collected from a bike-sharing system, the cost attributed to each segment is determined using the multinomial logistic regression (MLR) technique by analyzing its usage frequency and other user preferences. Consequently, segments with high usage and strong preferences entail lower costs, whereas those with limited use and weaker predilection assume higher costs. After assigning costs to all segments within the network, the subsequent step involves generating the trajectory with the lowest accumulated cost. Unlike other approaches, our method considers realistic conditions and user preferences without inconsistencies imposed by the techniques based on surveys. To validate the performance of the proposed method, a set of extensive experiments and case studies were conducted considering the urban model from downtown Guadalajara, Mexico. As a result, this approach improves the efficiency of the bike trajectory planning system by providing shorter and safer routes for both cyclists and motor vehicle drivers. Practical Applications: The proposed bicycle trajectory planning methodology, grounded in multinomial logistic regression, unfolds various practical applications. Beyond conventional distance-centric models, our approach, driven by user-generated data from bike-sharing systems, crafts tailored routes prioritizing safety and convenience. This breakthrough optimizes trajectories and strategically targets new cyclist adoption, fostering sustainable biking cultures. Successfully validated in the urban model of Guadalajara, Mexico, our methodology equips urban planners and policymakers with a powerful tool for designing trajectories that are not only shorter but also safer. The versatility of our method extends its applicability to diverse data sets, positioning it as a forward-thinking solution in the realm of efficient and sustainable urban transportation. Practitioners can harness its potential to reshape micromobility systems, aligning them with the evolving needs of urban mobility. It is a comprehensive framework for crafting user-centric, secure, and efficient biking experiences. Cities aspiring to enhance their micromobility infrastructure could find a blueprint for urban planners in our methodology, facilitating the creation of accessible, safe, and enjoyable biking environments. In summary, our method catalyzes a transformative shift in micromobility, prompting cities to prioritize the development of not just functional but delightful biking experiences, ultimately contributing to healthier, more sustainable urban living. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the generation of social intimacy is critical to enabling acts of environmental care. By interrogating the intimate socialities of a group of young people who grew up in a village community committed to carbon reduction, I untangle the influence of everyday intimacies on everyday (un)sustainabilities, particularly in relation to the popular but uncritical positioning of young people as 'sustainability saviours'. I problematise assumptions that young people's social intimacies are a straightforward enabler of lifestyle change aligned with sustainability by highlighting the fluidity of intimacies and associated senses of trust throughout young adulthood. I argue further that capitalising on this fluidity might in fact amplify bottom‐up environmental care if young people can move readily between networked spaces of trust and support. Drawing from scholarship on friendship, family and community intimacies and the substantial literature on households as crucibles for more sustainable living, I suggest there is considerable reconciliation work demanded at a personal level in order to live comfortably within the everyday intimacies of social life at the same time as committing to individual environmental action. These arguments advance debates around the optimal social drivers of more sustainable lifestyles, at the same time as sounding a cautionary note in relation to the too easy emplacement of responsibility for driving change at the feet of young people. This paper examines the intimate socialities of a group of young people who grew up in an English village community committed to carbon reduction, in order to untangle the influence of intimacies on everyday (un)sustainabilities, particularly in relation to the positioning of young people as drivers of more sustainable living. I argue there is much reconciliation work demanded at a personal level in order to live comfortably within the everyday intimacies of social life at the same time as committing to reductions in individual environmental footprints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine whether local blue and green space access was associated with weekly physical activity frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Population-based, nationally representative sample of U.S. adults (May and June 2021). Sample: Adults, ages 18-94 (N = 1,771). Measures: Self-reported data included the presence of blue spaces (e.g., lakes, outdoor swimming pools, riverside trails) and green spaces (e.g., parks, forests, or natural trails) in their neighborhoods, and days of physical activity per week (e.g., running, swimming, bicycling, lifting weights, playing sports, or doing yoga). Analysis: Multiple Poisson regression assessed relationships between blue and green spaces and physical activity, with coefficients transformed into incidence risk ratios (IRR). Results: Among participants, 67.2% reported living near a blue space and 86.1% reported living near a green space. Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in access to blue and green spaces were observed, with less access among non-Hispanic Black participants and those with lower income and educational attainment. Living near blue (IRR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.10, 1.39) or green space (IRR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.54) was significantly associated with more frequent weekly physical activity. Conclusion: Proximity to blue or green spaces is associated with more frequent physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health promotion efforts should include equitable strategies to improve accessibility to blue and green spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific literature on vertical gardens presents gaps in the systematization of botanical parameters related to modeling and simulation. To address these gaps, the article aimed to investigate and identify parameters and modeling processes necessary for configuring vertical greening systems in computer simulation software. The systematic literature review method was employed to gather all scientific publications from the past ten years. As a result, the article presents the processes for 3D modeling, the most common software, and information tables containing botanical parameters used for configuring vegetation. Additionally, the work provides an overview of studies conducted on this topic in Architecture in recent years, highlighting other gaps and shortcomings in knowledge for possible future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecocriticism, as a separate school of literary criticism, emerged during the 1970s to study the interconnection between literature and ecology from an interdisciplinary perspective. Deep ecology is one of the key concepts in ecocritical studies, advocated by the Norwegian philosopher Arne Naess, that foregrounds the promotion of ecological consciousness among the human community. The deep ecological principles also highlight the depletion of natural resources through excessive human interference and exploitative attitudes. This paper attempts to critically examine the deep ecological principles in Anuradha Roy's novel All the Lives We Never Lived (2018). Anuradha Roy is an Indian novelist, editor, and journalist, and her novels gained significance not only in India but also in several countries, making her one of the prominent voices of contemporary Indian Literature. This paper explores the need for humans to realise the inherent values of the non-human world and to promote harmonious coexistence with the environment by valuing the richness and diversity of life forms and utilising them only to satisfy their vital needs. It further examines the need for a decrease in population for non-human life to flourish and to reduce excessive human interference with the ecosystem. This paper reiterates the necessity to adhere to each deep ecological principle, accentuating the significant, transformative changes to be embraced to promote environmental responsibility for sustainable living. These aspects are elucidated through relevant instances from the chosen novel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is lack of understanding of sustainability literacy of real estate practitioners and the extent their literacy level can contribute to sustainability performance in housing delivery in Ghana. This study seeks to assess the sustainability literacy level of real estate practitioners in Ghana and the contribution of their knowledge level to sustainability performance in housing delivery. From extant literature review, 25-item indicator variables from three (3) dimensions of sustainability literacy measurement were identified. This 25-item indicator variable was developed into a questionnaire for a survey on real estate practitioners from the Ghana Real Estate Development Agency. Mean score analysis, weighted score, sensitivity analysis, analysis of variance, item-total correlation analysis, reliability and validity assessments were conducted on the data gathered. The results revealed that real estate practitioners had a generally satisfactory sustainability literacy level across the three dimensions. It further showed that the practitioners have high literacy levels in 11 of the indicator variables across the three dimensions. In the case of the contribution to sustainability performance, a combination of the three dimensions of sustainability literacy suggest a significant contribution to sustainability performance in housing delivery than a single or two dimensions combined. These findings provide insight into sustainability literacy of real estate practitioners and the extent their literacy levels across the three dimensions can contribute to sustainability performance in housing delivery. The findings reinforce the significance of the sustainability knowledge of real estate practitioners in contributing to the success of integration of sustainable concepts in housing delivery to engender sustainability performance in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most research on sustainable small-scale local producer lifestyles emphasises healthy food production but lacks the integration of mental and spiritual well-being into a holistic concept of a healthy lifestyle. This study explores the motives behind the production activity of producers engaged in sustainable food production in several western Hungarian sub-regions, aiming to identify their attitudes and motivations. The small-scale entrepreneurial mindset encompasses needs beyond physical and ethical aspects, such as involvement, socio-cultural attachment to the past, tradition, nature, place, and local culture. An online questionnaire was conducted with 73 local producers in the second quarter of 2024. The results of the factor and cluster analyses were used to classify the producers into two clusters: the "Value-Creator" and the "Proud" clusters. The main features of these two clusters were illustrated in persona profiles. The "Value-Creator" cluster, mainly women, feels a strong connection to the local community and views sustainable production as a lifestyle choice. The "Proud" cluster, consisting of young men, focuses on the quality and uniqueness of their products. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of sustainable production by exploring producers' intrinsic motivations and lifestyle choices. The findings could also inform other entrepreneurial projects, such as urban initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing food and industrial waste is essential to match the novel objectives of sustainable living. In this context, grape pomace, a fiber-rich by-product of wine production, was used as a fiber supplement in yogurt after enriching its fiber content through preprocessing. Within the aim of this study, 0.5% and 1% grape pomace fiber were incorporated into yogurt, and the effect on physicochemical, microbial, and sensory quality was investigated. Throughout the 14-day storage period, no significant changes were observed in pH, acidity, and water holding capacity. The total mesophilic aerobic bacteria count ranged between 2-3 log.cfu/g, and the addition of fiber did not result in any undesirable alterations in these counts. Similarly, the fiber did not affect the counts of specific yogurt bacteria, which was 8-9 log.cfu/g. Moreover, sensory evaluations consistently resulted in scores above “5” for all products, with acidity rated level as moderate as expected for yogurt. There were no adverse effects on sensory quality concerning color, flavor, texture, acidity, and overall acceptability. In conclusion, fiber-enriched yogurt from wine waste is feasible without compromising product quality. This study is expected to contribute to the progress of current sustainable living goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the ventilation performance driven by height differences in residential buildings within the Shanghai region, utilizing a quantitative experiment framework based on the Virtualwind (VW) platform. The research emphasizes the integration of a "wind performance-oriented design" (WPOD) paradigm, aimed at promoting sustainable architectural practices. A core objective of this research is to develop a robust set of quantitative control methodologies for height-difference ventilation, designed to streamline the traditionally complex and time-consuming process of case-by-case analysis into a series of precise and reliable wind performance metrics. These metrics are intended to be incorporated into the early stages of architectural design, functioning similarly to the control of sunlight spacing, and serving as critical guiding parameters that align architectural design with natural environmental factors. The WPOD approach is anticipated to optimize ventilation efficiency in residential environments, thereby enhancing the living conditions in densely populated urban areas like Shanghai. Additionally, the paper explores the application of the WPOD design paradigm in higher education, with a focus on its integration into architectural teaching curricula, aiming to equip future architects with the skills necessary to incorporate sustainable design principles into their practice. The results of this study are expected to provide a scientific basis for the development of architectural designs that harmonize with the natural environment, contributing to both the field of architecture and the advancement of sustainable living environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of population, society and economy, human activities have caused serious adverse impacts on the environment, ecosystems and landscape patterns over the long term. In order to address the series of impacts of human activities on the environment, territorial space and resource use, the study of Production–Living–Ecological Space (PLES) and ecological security have all become academic frontiers in the field of sustainable development. In this study, we applied multi‐source data and GIS technology to construct an ecological security evaluation model based on the results of PLES delineation and the Pressure‐State‐Response (PSR) framework, and carried out the three‐period PLES ecological security evaluation for 2000, 2010 and 2020 at the county and grid scales in Yunnan Province. The PLES pattern in Yunnan Province is dominated by ecological space, which accounts for 75%, followed by 23% of production space, with ecological space shrinking from 2000 to 2020. Ecological security in ecological space and living space shows an improving trend from 2000 to 2020. The ecological security of production space improved in 2010 compared to 2000 but then showed a decreasing trend in 2020. Ecological security in ecological space shows that north‐western and southern Yunnan is safer than central Yunnan, while ecological security in living space is safer in central Yunnan, and ecological security in production space is better in southern Yunnan than in northern Yunnan. Comparison with related research results shows that the ecological security evaluation results of PLES in Yunnan Province in this study are scientific and reasonable. The ecological security evaluation model of PLES constructed in this study solves the problem of complex and incomplete ecological security evaluation indexes in the past, and the results of the study are more refined and precise, which provides new ideas for the study of regional ecological security. Based on the functional attributes of land, the evaluation model of ecological security of Production–Living–Ecological space was constructed. Yunnan Province has the largest proportion of ecological space at 75%, but it has been shrinking in the last 20 years. In the past 20 years, the ecological security of ecological space and living space in Yunnan Province has shown an improvement trend, while production space has risen and then declined. This study analyses ecological security at different scales so that it can better reveal its spatial heterogeneity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, scholars have investigated norms of citizenship by focussing primarily on 'dutiful' and 'engaged' norms. In the meantime, contemporary democracies have witnessed growing demands for more sustainable styles of living and increasing public support for authoritarian and populist ideas. These developments point to both a change and an expansion of conventional understandings and conceptions of what a 'good citizen' in a democratic polity ought to do. Specifically, they raise questions about whether demands for more sustainability and increasing support for populist ideas establish new facets of democratic citizenship, and if so, how they can be meaningfully incorporated into existing images of citizenship. This study provides a re-conceptualization of citizenship norms and empirically tests a new measurement instrument using original data collected in Germany in 2019. The empirical application of an expanded set of items demonstrates the existence of more variegated facets of norms of citizenship, including norms to safeguard a sustainable future and distinct populist facets emphasizing the relevance of trust in authorities and experts as well as reliance on feelings and emotions. Contemporary conceptions of citizenship thus go beyond conventional distinctions between dutiful and engaged norms of citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the microalga Cyanophora paradoxa and its classification as a "Living Fossil." The microalga contains archaic plastids called "cyanelles" and has been studied for its structure and function. The article presents the original description of C. paradoxa and highlights recent findings regarding its genome and evolutionary history. It also discusses the structure of photosystem I in C. paradoxa and its significance in understanding the evolution of photosynthetic organisms. The article concludes that C. paradoxa exhibits both ancient and modern traits, making it a paradigmatic "Green Living Fossil." [Extracted from the article]

The north-western coast of Africa is one of the most productive marine systems in the world, where a high diversity of cetacean species has been recorded. However, management of human activities that impact cetacean populations in the area is inadequate, in part due to poor knowledge on cetacean occurrence and the lack of systematic surveys. We reviewed existing knowledge on cetacean distribution between Morocco and Liberia and analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution of records, as well as species occurrence, further discussing the reported distribution ranges. The systematic literature review included 39 sources reporting on 36 species in the area, with a total of 2241 sightings and 2178 non-sighting records. Delphinus delphis (common dolphin) and Tursiops truncatus (bottlenose dolphin) are the two species with the highest number of sources reporting on them. This review reveals a spatially and temporally heterogeneous coverage of the area in the literature and published data on cetacean occurrence. In summary, although most of the compiled sources are recently published (2011-2020), the majority of records are from prior to 2000. In several range states, especially south of Senegal, little information is available. Therefore, the available information is unlikely to represent the current status of cetacean communities in the region. It is essential to fill knowledge gaps by increasing the collection of cetacean distribution data in the area, in order to support effective conservation measures and ensure sustainable utilization of the living marine resources in this rapidly developing region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motor imagery brain–computer interface (MI-BCI) systems hold the potential to restore motor function and offer the opportunity for sustainable autonomous living for individuals with a range of motor and sensory impairments. The feature extraction and classification of motor imagery EEG signals related to motor imagery brain–computer interface systems has become a research hotspot. To address the challenges of difficulty in feature extraction and low recognition rates of motor imagery EEG signals caused by individual variations in EEG signals, a classification algorithm for EEG signals based on multi-feature fusion and the SVM-AdaBoost algorithm was proposed to improve the recognition accuracy of motor imagery EEG signals. Initially, the electroencephalography (EEG) signals are preprocessed using Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters, and a multi-wavelet framework is constructed based on the Morlet wavelet and the Haar wavelet. Subsequently, the preprocessed signals undergo multi-wavelet decomposition to extract energy features, Common Spatial Patterns (CSP) features, Autoregressive (AR) features, and Power Spectral Density (PSD) features. The extracted features are then fused, and the fused feature vector is normalized. Following that, classification is implemented within the SVM-AdaBoost algorithm. To enhance the adaptability of SVM-AdaBoost, the Grid Search method is employed to optimize the penalty parameter and kernel function parameter of the SVM. Concurrently, the Whale Optimization Algorithm is utilized to optimize the learning rate and number of weak learners within the AdaBoost ensemble, thereby refining the overall performance. In addition, the classification performance of the algorithm is validated using a brain-computer interface (BCI) dataset. In this study, it was found that the classification accuracy reached 95.37%. Via the analysis of motor imagery electroencephalography (EEG) signals, the activation patterns in different regions of the brain can be detected and identified, enabling the inference of user intentions and facilitating communication and control between the human brain and external devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the translations of Shakunakharas, which refers to the popular folk ritual songs of the Central Himalayan region of Kumaun, using various translation techniques. Cited are the cultural nuances associated with these ritual folk songs, a background on the cultural and religious beliefs of the Kumauni community, and the socio-psychological constructs of Kumauni folk life and its people.

The document is a contents list for the journal Chemical Society Reviews. It highlights various articles and reviews that have been published in the journal. Topics covered include tunable solid-state emission, anion self-assembly, nanotag design, delayed luminescence, asymmetric synthesis, and more. The journal aims to connect the world with the chemical sciences and is published by The Royal Society of Chemistry. [Extracted from the article]

Globally, 91% of plant production encounters diverse environmental stresses that adversely affect their growth, leading to severe yield losses of 50–60%. In this case, monitoring the connection between the environment and plant health can balance population demands with environmental protection and resource distribution. Fluorescent chemosensors have shown great progress in monitoring the health and environment of plants due to their high sensitivity and biocompatibility. However, to date, no comprehensive analysis and systematic summary of fluorescent chemosensors used in monitoring the correlation between plant health and their environment have been reported. Thus, herein, we summarize the current fluorescent chemosensors ranging from their design strategies to applications in monitoring plant-environment interaction processes. First, we highlight the types of fluorescent chemosensors with design strategies to resolve the bottlenecks encountered in monitoring the health and living environment of plants. In addition, the applications of fluorescent small-molecule, nano and supramolecular chemosensors in the visualization of the health and living environment of plants are discussed. Finally, the major challenges and perspectives in this field are presented. This work will provide guidance for the design of efficient fluorescent chemosensors to monitor plant health, and then promote sustainable agricultural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leveraging the potential of sport can play a significant role in shaping cities of tomorrow, generate environmental and social change. The integration of sport into city planning can provide multiple benefits, such as promoting physical activity, health, well-being, and enhancing social cohesion. However to date, there is a lack of research on the potential of sport innovations to enhance the sustainable development of cities. This study aims to explore the role of sport innovations in sustainable cities through systematic literature review, utilizing interdisciplinary approach that combines sport and urban management disciplines to understand how sport innovations affects the sustainable living. The findings of this study identify sustainable references in sport innovations literature, including best practices for integrating sport into urban planning and development, and thus verifying their contribution to the sustainable development of cities in areas of social inclusion, community participation, collaboration and networking, organizational strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the growing prominence of nature-inspired design philosophies in the context of sustainability and human well-being within the built environment and focuses on their application within laboratory buildings. Biomimicry and biophilic design are highlighted as key nature-inspired design approaches, with biomimicry drawing inspiration from nature for innovations and biophilic design promoting human health through enhancing the connection with the surrounding natural elements. This paper further discusses living building strategy as an emerging method for creating dynamic and adaptable spaces by prioritizing user experience through co-creation and focusing on sustainable and regenerative structures. The potential of integrating these approaches is emphasized using laboratory buildings as an example, with nature-inspired and living laboratories serving as models for future built environments that promote both environmental responsibility and a positive human experience. Accordingly, this work aims to investigate the design and construction of laboratory buildings based on nature-inspired design strategies and the living building concept. Moreover, the paper discusses the application of biomimicry and living building concepts within laboratory buildings as a novel contribution to the body of knowledge, and concludes by proposing the Nature-inspired & Living Laboratory (NILL 1.0)TM Building Assessment index to serve as a guideline for the design and construction of laboratory buildings using nature as an inspiration and the analogy of human body systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present era has witnessed an unprecedented scenario with extreme climate changes, depleting natural resources and rising global food demands and its widespread societal impact. From providing bio-based resources to fulfilling socio-economic necessities, tackling environmental challenges, and ecosystem restoration, microbes exist as integral members of the ecosystem and influence human lives. Microbes demonstrate remarkable potential to adapt and thrive in climatic variations and extreme niches and promote environmental sustainability. It is important to mention that advances in fungal biotechnologies have opened new avenues and significantly contributed to improving human lives through addressing socio-economic challenges. Microbe-based sustainable innovations would likely contribute to the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) by providing affordable energy (use of agro-industrial waste by microbial conversions), reducing economic burdens/affordable living conditions (new opportunities by the creation of bio-based industries for a sustainable living), tackling climatic changes (use of sustainable alternative fuels for reducing carbon footprints), conserving marine life (production of microbe-based bioplastics for safer marine life) and poverty reduction (microbial products), among other microbe-mediated approaches. The article highlights the emerging trends and future directions into how fungal biotechnologies can provide feasible and sustainable solutions to achieve SDGs and address global issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As experiments and models of participatory, sustainable living, ecovillages demonstrate how to enact just, cooperative, and regenerative economic and social constructs, as alternatives to 'unsustainable' capitalist economies and consumerist/individualistic lifestyles. Work is central to these enactments, which provides an opportunity to examine the learning that happens in these spaces, and how that learning may be applied for broader eco-social change. This paper reports on case studies of learning through enterprise work in two ecovillages in the USA. Analysis focuses on what is learned and how it is learned, the role of the learning environment and interactions within the ecovillage on learning outcomes and processes, as well as barriers to learning, and the transferability of learning outside the ecovillage context. Findings evidence a high degree of informal 'on the job' learning, resulting in both job-specific skills and knowledge, and general competencies in eco/ethical business management. Furthermore, participants imbue activities with shared values of ecology and equality, while interacting with oppositional broader market logics, and thus learn to 'trade off' – taking on some aspects of the mainstream economy (e.g. competitiveness, profitability, (self)exploitation), in exchange for 'the greater good.' [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]