Restorative properties of green sheltered spaces and their morphological characteristics in urban parks

The properties of green space for physical and mental health have been widely demonstrated, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. However, few studies have systematically focused on spatial indicator thresholds that provide a sense of refuge with restoration benefits. Four morphological indicators as area, coverage, enclosure, and the ratio of width to height(D/H), were quantified for thirty-one scenes in outdoor green sheltered spaces in seven urban parks of Harbin in China. The results show that the sense of refuge and the morphological character of a green space constitute elements that influence restorative properties. Green spaces with different morphological indicators have different restorative properties. The morphological indicator ranges that produce better restorative properties were obtained: 250 m2 to 500 m2 for area, 0.25-0.35 for coverage, 0.3-0.4 or 0.8-1 for enclosure, and 0.7-1.5 for D/H. This can provide references for the construction of restorative activity spaces in urban parks.

Multi-faceted CRISPR/Cas technological innovation aspects in the framework of 3P medicine.

Since 2009, the European Association for Predictive, Preventive and Personalised Medicine (EPMA, Brussels) promotes the paradigm change from reactive approach to predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM/3PM) to protect individuals in sub-optimal health conditions from the health-to-disease transition, to increase life-quality of the affected patient cohorts improving, therefore, ethical standards and cost-efficacy of healthcare to great benefits of the society at large. The gene-editing technology utilizing CRISPR/Cas gene-editing approach has demonstrated its enormous value as a powerful tool in a broad spectrum of bio/medical research areas. Further, CRISPR/Cas gene-editing system is considered applicable to primary and secondary healthcare, in order to prevent disease spread and to treat clinically manifested disorders, involving diagnostics of SARS-Cov-2 infection and experimental treatment of COVID-19. Although the principle of the proposed gene editing is simple and elegant, there are a lot of technological challenges and ethical considerations to be solved prior to its broadly scaled clinical implementation. This article highlights technological innovation beyond the state of the art, exemplifies current achievements, discusses unsolved technological and ethical problems, and provides clinically relevant outlook in the framework of 3PM.

63 - Rehabilitation and Reconstruction

Recovery is a multifactorial process including the physical reconstruction of homes and public buildings, transportation, and basic services infrastructure, the psychological mending of the community, and the economic recovery of lost time and resources. This phase of the disaster cycle cannot be considered in isolation from the others, because mitigation, for example, must be integrated into recovery for it to be sustainable. Moreover, the historical perspective of the recovery phases is also inevitably enriched by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Indeed, this pandemic highlights the overlap between the different phases of the disaster cycle: in particular, the mitigation, the planning/preparation, and the recovery phases with that of response, making the recovery phase even more difficult.

The outdoor nature, indoors: relationship between contact with nature, life satisfaction and affect during a COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic led to national lockdown measures, implying individuals' household confinement, constraining active contact with outdoor nature, with potential associated mental health consequences. Hence, this cross-sectional correlational design study with 310 participants examined the relationship between self-reported measures of variety and intensity of indoor/outdoor activities involving contact with nature, life satisfaction and affect during the first nationwide lockdown in Portugal in 2020. Results showed a positive weak association between indoor activity intensity and positive affect, and between reported indoor mental recreation of contact with nature and negative affect. Actual indoor contact with nature was positively associated with life satisfaction and positive affect. Individuals without a variety of contact with indoor nature reported lower life satisfaction than those with high variety. Indoor contact with nature seemed particularly important for well-being during lockdown. During prolonged household confinement, mental health and well-being could be promoted through outdoor contact but indoor alternatives should also be considered.

Influence of Revitalization on the Social and Economic Well-Being of Residents: Case Study of Lithuania

The lack of public spaces, recreational areas, and sports facilities in older city neighborhoods, as well as the importance of people's social and economic well-being, have been exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Revitalization is used to update the physical environment of old neighborhoods;it improves not only the physical environment of the neighborhood, but also contributes to ensuring the social and economic well-being of the residents. The article aims to identify which typical revitalization project solutions, only referring to physical environmental improvement projects, improve the social and economic well-being of the residents. To achieve this goal, a statistical analysis of the Žirmūnai triangle residents was performed with obtained survey data. The hypothesized connections between typical revitalization solutions and changes in the social and economic well-being of the population were verified using Pearson's Chi-Square test. The results showed that the public spaces, sports, and playgrounds provided by revitalization were directly related to the social and economic well-being of the residents. As a result of this typical revitalization solution, 17% of the residents experienced an improvement in their economic well-being, 17% of the residents got to know their neighbors, and 95% of the residents indicated that they enjoy living in the neighborhood.

Access to Nature Fosters Well-Being in Solitude

There has been growing interest in the ways that individuals connected with nature during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly when they were alone in solitude. This study explored key themes describing individuals' relationships with nature during this period and, more specifically, when individuals were relating to nature during time spent alone. Sixty participants (aged 19-80 years) discussed solitude during in-depth interviews. Participants were from different backgrounds and 20 different countries of origin. Thematic analysis was conducted by two architects (who may have been sensitive to the functional interaction of spaces in connecting people and nature) and identified descriptions of nature from broader narratives of solitude and time spent alone. Extracts from interview transcripts were coded using hierarchical thematic analysis and a pragmatist approach. The results showed that natural spaces were integral to experiencing positive solitude and increased the chance that solitude time could be used for rest, rejuvenation, stress relief, and reflective thought. Being in their local natural spaces also allowed participants to more spontaneously shift from solitude to social connection, supporting a sense of balance between these two states of being. Finally, solitude in nature, in part because of attention to shifting weather, gave a new perspective. As a result, participants reported increased species solidarity-the awareness that humans are part of an ecosystem shared with other species. We interpret the results in terms of the implications for built environments and the importance of accessing nature for well-being.

Migración climática y fronteras militarizadas: seguridad humana, de género y ambiental

En este artículo se aborda la migración climática centroamericana desde un enfoque de seguridad humana, de género y ambiental (seguridad HUGE). Se examinan documentos, reportes gubernamentales, publicaciones de prensa, datos estadísticos internacionales y nacionales, así como entrevistas para establecer interrelaciones complejas entre migración, desastres, pobreza, pandemia y dilema de supervivencia. Las fronteras militarizadas, las presiones del gobierno estadounidense y el crimen organizado transnacional han incrementado los peligros y el costo de la migración indocumentada. ¿Pudiera una reforma migratoria en Estados Unidos superar esta vorágine de migración ilegal y generar desarrollo en el norte de Centroamérica por medio del envío de remesas a las familias que se quedan? El artículo explora la multiculturalidad, la restauración de ecosistemas, la adaptación al cambio climático, el reconocimiento de género y una cultura del cuidado que ofrecería a personas vulnerables de Centroamérica una agenda alternativa de vida en sus lugares de origen.Alternate abstract:This article addresses Central American climate migration from a human, gender, and environmental (HUGE security) approach. It examines documents, government reports, press publications, international and national statistical data, and interviews to establish complex interrelationships between migration, disasters, poverty, pandemic, and survival dilemma. Militarized borders, pressure from the U.S. government, and transnational organized crime have increased the dangers and costs of undocumented migration. Could a U.S. immigration reform overcome this maelstrom of illegal migration and generate development in northern Central America by sending remittances to their families? The article explores multiculturalism. ecosystem restoration, climate change adaptation, gender recognition, and a culture of care that would offer vulnerable people in Central America an alternative livelihood agenda in their country of origin.

Perceived privacy of the dwelling and psychological restoration during the COVID-19 lockdown

Dwelling is a fundamental factor for mental health. Lockdowns, established to contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2, forced millions of people to take shelter in their homes, enhancing the need to understand the characteristics of the dwelling that promote psychological restoration. In this paper, we analyze the relationship between some perceived conditions of dwelling habitability (appreciation of the physical environment, visible nature, crowding, and privacy) and their effect on psychological restoration through the concept of the perceived restorativeness of dwelling. An online survey was carried out with the participation of 478 Mexican adults. Physical environment, visible nature, crowding, and privacy showed significant correlations with the perceived restorativeness of housing and psychological restoration itself. However, only privacy showed an effect on psychological restoration in structural modelling. We propose that privacy is fundamental to improving dwellings' restorativeness and restoring their inhabitants, and experts should consider it when designing housing spaces. However, more evidence is needed to generalize beyond the context of lockdowns. © 2023 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Impact of Environmental Factors on Short-Term Eye Strain Relief during COVID-19 Quarantine: A Pilot Study

Some policies implemented during the pandemic extended the time that students spend on electronic devices, increasing the risk of physical and eye strain. However, the role of different environments on eye strain recovery has not been determined. We recruited 20 undergraduate students (10 males and 10 females) from a university in eastern China and explored the restoration effects of their eye strain in different types of spaces (wayside greenspace, a playground, a square, and woodland) on campus through scale measurements. The results showed that the eye strain of the students accumulated by 15 min of e-learning was significantly relieved after 10 min of greenspace exposure compared to the indoor environment, and the recovery effect varied depending on the type of landscape. The effect of eye strain relief was found to be positively correlated with temperature, wind speed, visible sky ratio, canopy density, tree density, and solar radiation intensity, while it was negatively correlated with relative humidity. These findings enrich the research on the restoration benefits of greenspaces and provide a basis for predicting the effect of different environments on the relief of eye strain. © 2022 by the authors.

Visibility Improvement in Air Pollution Scene by Joint Sharpness - Contrast Enhanced Dehazing

In the latter half of the 1980s, PM2.5 pollution in Beijing became a serious problem, and there were concerns about health hazards. It was expected that China's emissions must be reduced from 2013 to 2016, and the lockdown effect of Covid-19 would bring about an end, but it is still reluctant to regulate CO2 emissions. Again, in Beijing in November 2021, a visibility of 500 m or less has been observed, then road traffic is dangerous in addition to health. After that, the center of pollution has moved from India to Mongolia, and now Nepal, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. The situation is still serious in developing countries. Image restoration to remove the effects of haze and fog has been a long-standing concern of NASA, and their original Visual Servo has been put into practical use. Though the mainstream moved to the technique based on atmospheric physics. He et al.'s Dark Channel Priority (DCP) logic has had a certain effect on heavily polluted PM 2.5 scenes, but there is a limit to the restoration of detailed visibility. The observed images are affected by two spatial inhomogeneities of 1) atmospheric layer and 2) illumination. As a countermeasure, we have improved DCP process with the help of Retinex and introduced the veil coefficient as reported in CIC24. Recently, a variety of improvements in single image Dehazing, using FFA-net, BPP-net, LCA-net, or Vision-based model are in progress. However, in each case, visibility of details is still a common problem. This paper proposes an improvement in detail visibility by (1) joint sharpness-contrast preprocess (2) adjustment in Dehaze effect with veil coefficient v Lastly, we challenge numerical evaluation of improvement in detail visibility by the two ways of attenuation of high-frequency Fourier spectrum and the expansion rate of the color gamut. © 2022 Society for Imaging Science and Technology.

Toward High-quality Face-Mask Occluded Restoration

Face-mask occluded restoration aims at restoring the masked region of a human face, which has attracted increasing attention in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. One major challenge of this task is the large visual variance of masks in the real world. To solve it we first construct a large-scale Face-mask Occluded Restoration (FMOR) dataset, which contains 5,500 unmasked images and 5,500 face-mask occluded images with various illuminations, and involves 1,100 subjects of different races, face orientations, and mask types. Moreover, we propose a Face-Mask Occluded Detection and Restoration (FMODR) framework, which can detect face-mask regions with large visual variations and restore them to realistic human faces. In particular, our FMODR contains a self-adaptive contextual attention module specifically designed for this task, which is able to exploit the contextual information and correlations of adjacent pixels for achieving high realism of the restored faces, which are however often neglected in existing contextual attention models. Our framework achieves state-of-the-art results of face restoration on three datasets, including CelebA, AR, and our FMOR datasets. Moreover, experimental results on AR and FMOR datasets demonstrate that our framework can significantly improve masked face recognition and verification performance. © 2023 Association for Computing Machinery.

The Intersection of Natural Landscapes, Human Health, and Adventure Experiences: Linkages and Outcomes

Defined as nonmotorized activities and experiences usually done in a natural or nature-based environment that involve elements of challenge and either real or perceived risk, in which the outcome is uncertain but influenced by the skill and ability of the participant, outdoor adventure recreation (OAR) often involves specific types of mental states, emotions, cognitions, perceptions, motivations, and associated behaviors that often have connections to personal health. OAR activities and associated programs can facilitate the development of positive and beneficial outcomes for individuals and groups with health-related outcomes that span the range of emotional, physical, psychological, and spiritual benefits. Although the health benefits of nature have long been ascribed to, and more recently are commanding greater attention, the relationship between OAR activities and personal health has a more recent history. To date, however, research has consistently shown that adventure activities, particularly those using natural and outdoor settings, can be important in promoting a broad range of positive health outcomes. This article provides an overview of what OAR is, what activities constitute the OAR experience, and how these experiences and activities can contribute to positive health-related outcomes within a natural environment. The article concludes with implications for the future including (1) responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) nature prescriptions, and (3) therapeutic programming for positive health outcomes. © 2023 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

Designing a Soft-Actuated Smart Garment for Postural Control and Fall Prevention in Elderly Women

A fall in third age triggers a domino effect of consequences that are recognized by specialists as leading causes of further falls. After the first event, the post-fall syndrome onsets: a pathological fear of falling that affects quality of life. It leads to loss of self-efficacy, sedentarism, musculoskeletal weakening, reduced mobility, postural insufficiency, gait disorders, isolation and depression—all acknowledged as fall risk factors. Specialists agreed that the most effective approach to prevent new episodes is to restore confident postures and good alignments. This paper presents the first design stages of a soft-actuated re-educational garment for remote post-fall rehabilitation in female users. The objective is to i) restore postural control by providing a gentle pressure stimulus, suggesting corrections when poor body alignments are detected;ii) restore the perceived self-efficacy;iii) promote physical activity by motion monitoring and providing daily reports through a patient-therapist smartphone app. To date, we have tested a soft body-postures detection system by cross-checking data from a network of e-textile stretch sensors, along with a pneumatic actuator system around the user's torso providing a targeted pressure stimulus to correct bad habits. Tests have been run on a limited number of users due to the Covid-19 emergency. Data are not yet statistically conclusive but suggest the way to a new dimensional approach, both for rehabilitation and prevention. © 2023, ICST Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering.

Welcome to stay-at-home travel and virtual attention restoration

The present investigation takes a qualitative approach to explore Airbnb's Online Experience as a new virtual tourism initiative through the lens of attention restoration theory. Data were collected from tourist reviews at Airbnb's platform with an emphasis on touring services such as sightseeing and cultural immersion sessions. Our findings first point to a multitude of virtual tour experiences germane to deep immersion, authenticity, nostalgia, hedonism, past-present resonance, novelty, learning, social interaction, and escape. These stay-at-home virtual restorative experiences were infused by Airbnb's state-of-the-art platform with features such as a super host, storytelling, personalization, virtual connection, stay-at-home indulgence, and technology enablement, which ultimately transcend home as the center stage for virtual attention restoration under the COVID-19 new normal. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)

Koala conservation in South East Queensland: A grey literature review analysis

This grey literature review documents koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) conservation initiatives applied across 12 local government areas in South East Queensland, Australia. To overcome threats to koalas' survival, the grey literature indicates that local governments in this region focus on wildlife management solutions, wildlife signage, habitat restoration projects and koala awareness campaigns. Despite these measures, land clearing of koala habitat to cater for urban population growth combined with recent bushfires and floods have contributed to the decline of koalas in this region. Recommendations to enhance progress include greater usage of the grey literature in peer review work and further application of social marketing to encourage residents to uptake behaviors that can mitigate threats to koalas, including slowing down when driving in koala zones, participating in citizen science, and leashing dogs when walking in native bush areas. The need for collaborative efforts aimed at conserving the koala from potential extinction is indicated. This paper provides an approach that can be applied to track progress on coordinated efforts to conserve koalas.

The rediscovery of characteristic rural landscapes. An opportunity to create new activities?

For some years now, researchers in many geographical and other disciplinary fields have believed that historical rural landscapes contain an educational value for the landscapes of the future, in terms of analysis as well as protection in general and geo-economic aspects in particular, as an identity expression of the territory and as a preponderant element for the recovery of the same. In fact, in landscape studies the idea is widespread that historical and characteristic rural landscapes are not only the elements of a cultural heritage capable of preserving the memory of the past but also the bearers of a rational perspective for the future of European agriculture. The COVID-19 pandemic caused social and economic changes;critical issues highlight the need for a more integrated approach, taking into account the rediscovery of rural landscapes to practice open-air activities. Through a review of the international literature and the analysis of case studies, the paper aims to highlight the renewal processes of some cultural practices abandoned over the years but which today are an integral part of the local economy. In particular, the paper analyses the cases of two characteristic citrus groves in Apulia and Sicily, in the south of Italy. They demonstrate how the renewal of ancient practices such as the cultivation of citrus fruits together with the value of landscapes can represent an opportunity for an economic development of territories. © 2022 Societe Belge de Geographie. All rights reserved.

Restoring hope and optimism through staycation programs: an application of psychological capital theory

This study marks an early attempt to evaluate staycation incentive programs initiated by local authorities. It aims to gauge the effectiveness of staycation programs in cultivating learning opportunities and restorative benefits with an emphasis on temporal positive psychological outcomes amid this continuing pandemic. Relying on a survey-based research design, we conducted a survey with 409 local tourists in Macau, where a recent staycation initiative has attained prominent success. We then undertook the structural equation modeling test using AMOS. Results show how short local excursions could still fortify one's psychological capital with respect to ephemeral improvement in hope, confidence, optimism, and resilience in the face of extenuating circumstances. By synthesizing a path leading from COVID-related distress to fortification of a more prepared mental state for the new normal through the staycation's experiential benefits, this study thus puts forth a mechanism that explains why tourists/residents engage in staycation programs, as well as illuminating the psychological values associated with such activities. By answering these questions, this research improvises a three-stage process that identifies pre-trip, during-trip, and post-trip mental encounters that improve participants' psychological capabilities, even if only temporarily. The present inquiry sheds light on a new form of sustainability: mental (or psychological) sustainability. © 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Multiple paths towards Eco islands and blue development: Conference report

Seas and islands cannot be separated when it comes to sustainable development. For island countries (regions), the sustainable use of marine resources is an obvious choice and a top priority. Despite the fact that many people are still affected by COVID-19, increasing attention is being given to developing island resilience as a means to adapt to many challenges, including climate change. The core concerns of island development are therefore balancing the needs of ecological protection and the sustainable use of natural resources. The Island Research Center of the Ministry of Natural Resources of China etc. organized the 2022 International Island Forum on November 10, 2022 with the theme, ‘Eco Islands, Blue Development.' A hybrid conference was held to bring together representatives of government agencies, academic institutions, and experts from many countries around the world to discuss the key issues of sustainable island development. © 2023

How does digitalisation influence supply chain performance? Evidence from a supply chain risk management perspective

This study explores the contribution of supply chain digitalisation (SCD) to supply chain performance (SCP) via the mediating roles of SC responsiveness, resilience, and restoration (SC 3Rs) and examines the moderating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic from a risk management perspective. We surveyed 215 Chinese companies from January to April 2021 and examined the hypothesised relationships in a moderated mediation model. We find that SCD positively affects SC 3Rs, which in turn play positive mediating roles in the relationship between SCD and SCP, and that the mediating effects are stronger when pandemic impact is higher. The results of post-hoc analyses indicate that the mediating role of SC resilience is stronger than those of SC responsiveness and SC restoration. These findings enrich our understanding of how the roles of SCD and SC 3Rs vary in a turbulent context, contributing to both academic research and practice on digitalisation for a sustainable SC.

Resiliency and reliability of the power grid in the time of COVID-19: An integrated ABC-K-means model for optimal positioning of repair crew

More than one year has passed since the outbreak of a new phenomenon in the world, a phenomenon that has affected and transformed all aspects of human life, it is nothing but pandemic of COVID-19. The field of electrical energy is no exception to this rule and has faced many changes and challenges over the 2020. In this paper, by applying artificial intelligence and the integrated clustering model, by k-means technique, combined with the meta-heuristic artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm a new methodology is presented in order to optimal positioning of the repair crew based on annual data of power grid under situation of COVID-19 to improve the reliability and resiliency of the network due to the importance of electricity for medical purposes, home quarantine, telecommuting, and electronic services. Current research benefits from real interruption data related to year 2020 in Isfahan Province (Iran), reflexing both the huge changes in patterns of power consumption and dispatching as well as novel geographical distribution of blackouts due to COVID pandemic. The temporal distribution of interruptions is very close to the uniform distribution and the geographical distribution of interruptions relative to the density of subscribers had a normal distribution. Accordingly, proposed model is implemented for clustering the spatial data of blackouts recorded during 2020. The number of clusters is equal to the number of repair teams which in this study is considered equal to three. In the next step, the average spatial coordinates of the points of each cluster are calculated, which after reviewing the geographical conditions in the geo-spatial information system (GIS), indicates the optimal point for the deployment of electrical repair crew related to that cluster. The research findings show that after using the optimal points for a month, system average interruption duration index (SAIDI) decreased by an average of 23% compared to the same period of the 2020.