Background: Evaluation of nutrition programs is essential to guarantee the effectiveness of community-based management of acute malnutrition (CMAM). Methods: The Rainbow Project Supplementary Feeding Programs (SFPs) in Zambia were evaluated between years 2015-17, following implementation of new recommendations based on previous evaluations (years 2012-14). Outcomes of the program were compared with International Standards and with those of 2012-14. Cox proportional risk regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of mortality and defaulting. Results: Data for 900 under age 5 years malnourished children (48.8% male; mean age 19.7months ±9.9) were analyzed. Rainbow 2015-17 program outcomes met International Standards, for general malnutrition or stratified moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) and severe acute malnutrition (SAM). When comparing with 2012-14 outcomes, better performance was noted: mortality rates were reduced by half (5.6% vs 3.1%, p = 0.01; for SAM: 12.4% vs 6.7%, p = 0.006), with significant improvement in average weight gain and mean length of stay (p<0.001), and increased awareness of HIV status (+30%; p < 0.001). HIV infection (5.5; 1.9–15.9), WAZ < −3 at baseline (4.6; 1.3–16.1) and kwashiorkor (3.5; 1.2–9.5) remained the major predictors of mortality. Conclusion: The effectiveness of the Rainbow SFPs for child malnutrition treatment and prevention in Zambia has significantly improved after evaluation and implementation activities, with impressive outcomes which resulted in a 50% reduction in mortality.

Estimating ground surface PM2.5 with fine spatiotemporal resolution is a critical technique for exposure assessments in epidemiological studies of its health risks. Previous studies have utilized monitoring, satellite remote sensing or air quality modeling data to evaluate the spatiotemporal variations of PM2.5 concentrations, but such studies rarely combined these data simultaneously. We develop a three-stage model to fuse PM2.5 monitoring data, satellite-derived aerosol optical depth (AOD) and community multi-scale air quality (CMAQ) simulations together and apply it to estimate daily PM2.5 at a spatial resolution of 0.1˚ over China. Performance of the three-stage model is evaluated using a cross-validation (CV) method step by step. CV results show that the finally fused estimator of PM2.5 is in good agreement with the observational data (RMSE = 23.00 μg/m^3 and R2 = 0.72) and outperforms either AOD-retrieved PM2.5 (R2 = 0.62) or CMAQ simulations (R2 = 0.51). According to step-specific CVs, in data fusion, AOD-retrieved PM2.5 plays a key role to reduce mean bias, whereas CMAQ provides all-spacetime-covered predictions, which avoids sampling bias caused by non-random incompleteness in satellite-derived AOD. Our fused products are more capable than either CMAQ simulations or AOD-based estimates in characterizing the polluting procedure during haze episodes and thus can support both chronic and acute exposure assessments of ambient PM2.5. Based on the products, averaged concentration of annual exposure to PM2.5 was 55.75 μg/m3, while averaged count of polluted days (PM2.5 > 75 μg/m3) was 81, across China during 2014. Fused estimates will be publicly available for future health-related studies.

The sustainable development of public open spaces (POS) in suburban areas is crucial to enhancing neighborhood livability, especially in the face of uncontrolled urban sprawl. Therefore, the question was asked: what forms of gathering and recreation places are in suburbs that are subjected to mature urban planning? The research focuses on the Netherlands (Bunnik commune), a country known for its sustainable suburban areas. By conducting field research that involved analyzing physical traces and engaging in non-participatory observation, the study identified and categorized 18 distinct spatial-functional units of POS looking from a top-down design and planning lens. The types of gathering and recreation places identified through top-down development included: estates with recreational areas for neighbors; communal playgrounds; greenery sites by pedestrian routes; social places in central zone; open sports grounds; public allotment gardens; multi-purpose recreational areas at schools, communal facilities generating informal meetings. POS types created as a result of both top-down and bottom-up development were: entrance zones to public facilities with a social value; viewpoints accompanying pedestrian routes; network of green walks for recreation in rural and natural landscapes. Other POS types (resulting from bottom-up development): diner's garden and urban farm.

Differences are an unavoidable reality, both in Java-Indonesia and throughout the world. Therefore, a social psychological foundation for healthy coexistence is crucial. Differences can lead to unhealthy social problems without wisdom, such as tensions, quarrels, and even bloody social conflicts. For this reason, the study of the indigenous local wisdom of Keselarasan can provide the social psychological foundations for community well-being. Keselarasan contains basic principles for living together in multicultural societal conditions. This descriptive research type utilizes philosophical analysis, ethnography, and literature study. This study finds the basic behavioral principles of respect (urmat), peace (rukun), and empan papan (knowing how to place oneself). They constitute a psychological mindset and pattern of thought needed to manage differences and advance community well-being. These social and psychological principles contribute an alternative way to avoid 1bloody conflicts and build togetherness, or human coexistence in peace.

Resource conflicts represent a significant global challenge in regions abundant with natural re-sources. Modelling the myriad factors driving natural resource-based conflicts (NRBCs), spanning environmental, health, socio-economic, and political dimensions, is a complex endeavor exacer-bated by data scarcity. Furthermore, existing quantitative studies often focus solely on large-scale conflicts. This article introduces a novel algorithm, the Spatially Explicit Fuzzy Logic-Adapted Model for Conflict Management (SEFLAME-CM), which integrates the local knowledge of stakeholders into spatial decision-making technologies to support sustainable peace efforts. The results are validated with spatial multi-criteria evaluation (SMCE) using spatial statistics. The Moran’s I scatter plots for the overall conflicts reveal significant values of 0.99 and 0.98 for both the SEFLAME-CM and SMCE, respectively, with significant spatial autocorrelation. While there re-mains room for improvement in enhancing the model's quality, SEFLAME-CM demonstrates its capacity to transparently model complex real-world problems. The findings underscore the im-perative for a holistic approach to addressing environmental degradation, socio-economic, and political drivers of resource conflicts at the community level. Our paper demonstrates the signif-icance of spatial information technologies and knowledge exchange between experts and local stakeholders in effectively managing resource conflicts. These insights should inform national policies and international interventions, ensuring that the complex underlying issues are ad-dressed while prioritizing the knowledge and needs of affected communities.

Background: Misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotic use contribute to inappropriate antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance. Aim: Identifying and prioritizing misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotic use from a healthcare professionals’ perspective. Methods: A modified Delphi study of two rounds with an expert meeting. A literature search was conducted to create statements about misconceptions and knowledge gaps about antibiotic use. These were rated by healthcare professionals from five EU countries representing general practice, out-of-hour services, nursing homes, and pharmacies. Consensus was achieved if ≥80% of the participants rated 4+ on a five-point Likert scale during the second Delphi round. Results. In total, 44 misconceptions were identified through the literature search within four themes: 1) antimicrobial resistance in general, 2) use of antibiotics in general, 3) use of antibiotics for respiratory tract infections, and 4) use of antibiotics for urinary tract infections. Consensus was reached for more than half of the statements within each setting. Conclusions. Experts from different settings and nationalities acknowledge that multiple misconceptions and knowledge gaps can contribute to inappropriate use of antibiotics in the community. These results provide valuable information to use in educational campaigns for patients and healthcare professionals to improve the use of antibiotics.

Caries are lesions caused by acidic compounds derived from the metabolism of bacteria such as streptococci. It is not merely the presence of acidogenic bacteria that causes caries but an imbalance in the oral biofilm microhabitat and its behavior. One factor underlying biofilm formation is quorum sensing (QS), that in gram-positives relies on peptidic molecules, whereas in gram-negatives is driven by small diffusible signals. Strategies based on QS inhibition have been proposed as alter-natives to antimicrobial therapies. Here, we investigate the antibiofilm potential of the lactonase enzyme Aii20J, previously reported as effective against biofilms of periodontal disease origin. We generated in vitro polymicrobial biofilms dominated by gram-positive taxa using supragingival samples from caries-free and caries-active children. The effect of Aii20J on the biofilms was evalu-ated regarding its biomass-reducing ability, as assessed with crystal violet assay, and its effects on the bacterial composition of the polymicrobial biofilms, as assessed by 16S community profiling. We describe significant biomass reductions upon Aii20J exposure without significant changes in bac-terial composition at the genus level. Our results support the use of Aii20J to prevent oral biofilm formation while highlighting the influence of the polymicrobial environment on bacterial commu-nities and their response to antibiofilm treatments.

Climate change and environmental degradation are major threats to sustainable agricultural development in Southern Africa. Thus, the concept of sustainable intensification (SI) i.e. getting more output from less input using certain practices such as agroforestry, organic fertilizer, sustainable water management etc. has become an important topic among researchers and policy makers in the region in the last three decades. A comprehensive review of literatures on the adoption of SI in the region identify nine relevant drivers of adoption of SI among (smallholder) farmers. These drivers include (i) age, (ii) size of arable land, (iii) education, (iv) extension services, (v) gender, (vi) household size, (vii) income, (viii) membership in farming organization and (ix) access to credit. We present the results of a meta-analysis of 21 papers on the impact of these determinants on SI adoption among (smallholder) farmers in Southern African Development Community (SADC) using random-effects estimation techniques for the true effect size. While our result suggests that variables such as extension services, education, age, and household size may influence the adoption of SI in SADC, factors such as access to credit is also of great importance. Decision-makers should therefore concentrate efforts on these factors in promoting SI across the SADC. This includes increasing the efficiency of public extension service as well as involvement of private sector in extension service. Furthermore, both public and private agriculture financing models should consider sustainability indicators in their assessment process.

In this study, we present case studies to explore the dynamics of implementation and maintenance of health interventions. We analyze how specific interventions are built and eroded, how the building and erosion mechanisms are interconnected, and why we can see significantly different erosion rates across otherwise similar organizations. We use multiple comparative obesity prevention case studies to provide empirical information on the mechanisms of interest, and use qualitative systems modeling to integrate our evolving understanding into an internally consistent and transparent theory of the phenomenon. Our preliminary results identify reinforcing feedback mechanisms, including design of organizational processes, motivation of stakeholders, and communication among stakeholders, which influence implementation and maintenance of intervention components. Over time, these feedback mechanisms may drive a wedge between otherwise similar organizations, leading to distinct configurations of implementation and maintenance processes.

Despite innovative advances in anti-infective therapies and vaccine development technologies, community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains the most persistent cause of infection-related mortality globally. Confronting the ongoing threat posed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus), the most common bacterial cause of CAP, particularly to the non-immune elderly, remains challenging due to the propensity of the elderly to develop invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), together with the predilection of the pathogen for the heart. The resultant development of often fatal cardiovascular events (CVEs), particularly during the first seven days of acute infection, is now recognized as a relatively common complication of IPD. The current review represents an update on the prevalence and types of CVEs associated with acute bacterial CAP, particularly IPD. In addition, it is focused on recent insights into the involvement of the pneumococcal pore-forming toxin, pneumolysin (Ply), in subverting host immune defenses, particularly the protective functions of the alveolar macrophage during early-stage disease. This, in turn, enables extra-pulmonary dissemination of the pathogen, leading to cardiac invasion, cardiotoxicity and myocardial dysfunction. The review concludes with an overview of the current status of macrolide antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial CAP in general, as well as severe pneumococcal CAP, including a consideration of the mechanisms by which these agents inhibit the production of Ply by macrolide-resistant strains of the pathogen.

The article is devoted to the preliminary concept of the Future Planetary Defense System (FPDS), emphasizing Astroballistics. This paper is intended to support international efforts to improve the planetary security of the Earth. The work covers three areas of knowledge: Astronautics, Astrodynamics, and Astroballistics. The most important part of the presented article is dynamic, contact combat modeling against small, deformable celestial bodies. For these purposes, the original, proprietary hydrocode of the Free Particle Method (HEFPM-G) with gravity was used. The main aim of combat is to redirect the Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs) to orbits safe for the Earth or destroy them. This concept's first task is to find, prepare and use dynamic three-dimensional models of celestial bodies' motion and spacecraft or human-crewed spaceships in the Solar System's relativistic frame. The second task is to prepare the FPDS' architecture and computer simulation space missions' initial concepts in the internal part of the solar system. The third and main task covers simulating, using hydrocodes, selected methods of fighting 100 m and 140 m diameter asteroids. The order of the article is as follows. The first part of the article presents an architecture and FPDS' modus operandi. Preliminary design and development of FPDS' space missions, including navigation, mission dynamics simulation, is prepared using an open-source space mission analysis and design tool. E.g., Asterank and Trajectory Browser or GMAT are presented in the second part. The third part of the article is devoted to computer hydrocodes (HEFPM-G) and the modeling and simulation of asteroid–asteroid collision, laser radiation effects on an asteroid, and FPDS spacecraft's warhead contact interaction on the small celestial body. The authors formulated the Main Planetary Defense Problem (MPDP) in this paper. The proposition of this problem solving has been realized by preparing its concepts, architecture, and modus operandi of the FPDS mission. Finally, a series of realistic simulations were made using hydrocode to deflect or destroy dangerous asteroids. The summary and conclusions can be found in the fourth part of the article.

Marine litter, comprising persistent and human-made solid materials discarded in marine environments, poses a severe threat to Nigeria's coastal and marine ecosystems. Despite existing international, regional, and national regulations, ineffective enforcement and compliance have led to widespread environmental degradation (UNEP, 2021). This study examines the factors contributing to the proliferation of marine litter in Nigeria, focusing on regulatory gaps, insufficient waste management infrastructure, and the lack of public awareness. The findings reveal that the marine ecosystem is deteriorating due to inadequate waste disposal practices and limited understanding of the impacts of marine litter on both the environment and human health (UNEP, 2021). The paper concludes with recommendations for improving regulatory enforcement, enhancing public education, and investing in waste management infrastructure to address the growing crisis of marine litter. Throughout this article, the limited information on the impacts of marine pollution across Africa is highlighted, emphasizing the value of these insights despite their scarcity.

Abstract: Agriculture uses plastic products for containers, packaging, tunnels, drip irrigation tub-ing, mulches. Large amounts of plastics are used as mulches on the soil surface for vegetable pro-duction (tomato, cucumber, watermelon, strawberry, vine) to reduce the weed competition, in-crease water and fertilizer use efficiency and enhance crop yield. Portugal uses around 4,500 t/year of polyethylene plastic to cover approximately 23,000 ha of agricultural land and only a small amount is recovered for recycling or secondary uses because of dirt with soil, vegetation, pesticide and fertilizers. Cleaning and decontaminating polyethylene mulch are costly and commercial technology is often not accessible nor economically viable in the current economic Portuguese situation. Most plastic mulch is composed of polyethylene that degrades slowly and produces a large quantity of residues in soil with negative impact in the environment. In the present study, the effects of long-term cultivation of blueberry using green 100% high density polyethylene mulch, in the south Portugal were evaluated for soil chemical and biological changes. High density green plastic mulch did not contaminate the topsoil with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and heavy metals, buttotal nitrogen and organic carbon concentrations, electric conductivity and microbial activity were reduced in the planting row compared with bare soil, without mulching. Further-more, the presence of plastic mulch did not affect negatively the presence of nematodes, and the Rhabditida (bacterial feeders) increased in the planting and covered row.

Guiding the visitor to appreciate the sights during an excursion is crucial to building a memorable experience. In the literature, we find many articles exploring the use of sophisticated technologies towards such a goal. The case of tourism proposals for inland areas exhibits a noteworthy aspect, since the presence of human artifacts and the signage may damage the experience, and introduce pollutants as well. This paper analyzes the signage for a natural trail putting into practice a holistic methodology that takes into account all aspects of the problem, starting from the touristic vocation of the area and the social fabric. The analysis indicates slow, community-involved tourism as the preferable target, with extreme requirements of sustainability in the social, economic, and environmental domains for the signage solution. Appropriate governance guidelines are given to implement the proposal. Footprint evaluations address the QR-code technology, which is used to design a real-scale solution finally deployed on the field.

Longitudinal studies tracing high-risk samples over decades have illuminated powerful pathways of resilient adaptation among individuals who overcome adversities faced early in life. This research demonstrates resilience is a common phenomenon driven by dynamic interactions between individual traits and environmental resources that enable positive adjustment despite adversity exposure. For clinical social workers supporting clients impacted by childhood trauma, abuse, violence and other adversities, understanding these resilience processes is vital for developing strengths-based, trauma -informed interventions that enhance positive adaptation. This paper synthesizes key findings from landmark longitudinal resilience studies and explores specific practice implications for resilience-oriented clinical assessment, intervention planning, prevention efforts, and social worker training. By integrating resilience research insights, social workers can more effectively identify and cultivate clients' innate capacities for resilience, facilitating a journey towards posttraumatic growth.

In this paper, the performance of Cu-(In,Ga)-S2 (CIGS2) solar cells with adjusting composite CGI-ratio absorber is explored and compared through an improved three-stage co-evaporation technique. For co-evaporating CIGS2 absorber as a less toxic alternative to Cd-containing film, we analyse the effect of the CGI-ratio stoichiometry and crystallinity, and explore its opto-electric sensing characteristic of individual solar cell. The results of this research signify the potential of high-performance CIGS2-absorption solar cells for photovoltaic (PV)-module industrial applications. For the optimal CIGS2-absorption film (CGI=0.95), the Raman main-phase signal (A1) falls at 291 cm-1, which is excited by the 532-nm line of Ar+-laser. Using photo-luminescence (PL) spectroscopy, the corresponding main-peak bandgaps measured is 1.59 eV at the same CGI-ratio film. Meanwhile, the best conversion efficiency (=3.212%) and the average external quantum efficiency (EQE=51.1% in the visible-wavelength region) of photo-electric properties were achieved for the developed CIGS2-solar cells (CGI=0.95). The discoveries of this CIGS2-absorption PV research provide a new scientific understanding of solar cells. Moreover, this research undeniably contributes to a major advancement towards practical PV-module applications and can help more to build an eco-friendly community.

Electrical microgrids are deemed to be the future of modern power systems. Microgrids are sophisticated, decentralized, and self-sufficient small-scale power systems consisting of various resources ranging from wind turbines, solar photovoltaics, electric vehicles, smart energy storage, and complex communication infrastructure. However, renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaics and wind-based generators are highly intermittent, and if not appropriately planned, they can compromise the stability of the grid. Formal methods can define and analyze the functionality and behavior of any system and show if the system design is correct before the actual system is implemented. Although formal methods have been around for many years, it is surprising that little to none are utilized in the design of safety-critical electrical power systems. Currently, in modeling microgrids, few to no attempts of formalization are being used to improve the design reliability and reduce system operating costs and time. This work demonstrates how complex systems such as microgrids can be modeled elegantly using a formal specification method. In this work, the Z state-based formal specification language (Z-Method) is used to model and verify microgrid designs. In this work, 3-interconnected microgrid systems with a high penetration level of solar and wind-based renewable energy sources with plugin hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) as battery energy storage systems (BESS) are modeled using the Z-method. To the best of authors, the knowledge presented formal method is one of the first reported attempts in modeling microgrid communities using Software Engineering formalism.

We conducted a monocentric observational study aimed at evaluating the pharmaceutical service provided at a Community Pharmacy (C.PH.) during pandemia in our Puglia Region in the period from 29.12.2021 to 12.03.2022 on 550 patients of various ages, sexes, and with concomitant diseases. We collected anamnestic data and any post-vaccination adverse reactions. Interviews with the integrated EQ5 method on evaluating the quality of the service offered and any therapy preference were also performed. As expected, the vaccines were reactogenic after the first dose in the patients with mild-moderate reactions with younger age and female gender as risk factors. Immune-allergic reactions of moderate-severe degree were observed in adult females. In the elderly, the vaccination procedure was well tolerated. Comirnaty showed a favorable O.R.<;1 vs other vaccines. No myocarditis and thromboembolic events in our population were observed. All treatments in May 2023 were correlated with a viremia trend, Paxlovid was prescribed in 3% of the patients in our center and in 1.46% in the Puglia Region with no effects in the hospitalization. It was distributed/dispensed by a novel on behalf of third parties distribution/dispensation (D.P.C.) protocol by the C.PH. The C.PH. resulted in a safe vaccination center providing appropriate patient inclusion during vaccination.

Restraint use in Australian residential aged care has been highlighted by the media, and investigated by researchers, government and advocacy bodies. In 2018, the Royal Commission into Aged Care selected ‘Restraint’ as a key focus of inquiry. Subsequently, Federal legislation was passed to ensure restraint is only used in residential aged care services as the ‘last resort’. To inform and develop Government educational resources, we conducted qualitative research to gain greater understanding of the experiences and attitudes of aged care stakeholders around restraint practice. Semi-structured interviews were held with 28 participants, comprising nurses, care staff, doctors, physiotherapists, pharmacists and relatives. Two focus groups were also conducted to ascertain the views of residential and community aged care senior management staff. Data were thematically analyzed using a pragmatic approach of inductive and deductive coding and theme development. Five themes were identified during the study: 1. Understanding of restraint; 2. Support for Legislation; 3. Restraint-free environments are not possible; 4. Low-level restraint, and 5. Restraint in the community is uncharted. Although most staff, health practitioners and relatives have a basic understanding of restraint, more education is needed at a conceptual level to enable them to identify and avoid restraint practice, particularly ‘low-level’ forms and chemical restraint. There was strong support for the new restraint regulations, but most interviewees admitted they were unsure what the legislation entailed. With regards to resources, stakeholders wanted recognition that there were times when restraint was necessary and advice on what to do in these situations, as opposed to unrealistic aspirations for restraint-free care. Stakeholders reported greater oversight of restraint in residential aged care but stated that community restraint use was largely unknown. Research is needed to investigate the extent and types of restraint practice in community aged care.

Ever since pharmacy has become a profession, pharmacist's role has been continuously subjected to changes due to specific influences from historical, socio-economic, political, and scientific context. Nowadays the classic perception of pharmaceutical profession in Community Pharmacy is facing worldwide extinction due to many factors. Modern services, such as online, mail-order, and telephone-order pharmacies are increasingly gaining ground thanks to their ability to facilitate customer demand. However, at the same time, they are endangering “face-to-face” contact, affecting the building of customer loyalty based on direct “human” interaction, and consequently reducing pharmacists to mere commercial figures. Communication is in fact emphasized as the essential element to build a solid and appropriate interpersonal relationship with the client, to make the consultancy process effective, and to strengthen pharmacist's professionalism in community pharmacy. The aim of this work is to analyze pharmacist’s role in modern society by pinpointing the factors affecting pharmacy profession practice. Specific purpose will be improving both the academic training of future professionals and their capacity to approach public relations through a deepened study and practice of behavioral, communication, educational, and sociological methodologies and techniques that would allow the development of more effective communication skills useful for providing an efficient consultancy service.

Whereas waste management research has focused on mostly urban municipalities in South Africa, not much is known about the current performance of waste management services from the perspective of community residents in rural municipalities. This study reports on the status and effectiveness of waste management practices from the perspective of community residents in the Umkhanyakude and Zululand Districts in the rural areas of the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. Making use of structured questionnaires, primary data was obtained by interviewing 333 respondents representing households in the study area. Results have revealed several shortfalls in the provision of municipal waste management services, except for solid waste removal from households (66%), and management of landfill sites (41%). The degree of dissatisfaction for waste management services rendered was very high (97.3%). Furthermore, the majority (61.4%) of respondents were not willing to participate in waste segregation due to lack of appropriate knowledge and infrastructure. The study also pinpointed some benefits associated with waste minimization, as well as barriers constraining effective waste recycling. Based on these findings, there is a dire need for transforming current waste management practices toward increased recycling rates by creating more environmental awareness and a supporting infrastructure.

Eco-innovation denotes developing green practices using environmentally friendly innovative approaches or technologies. Although, eco-innovation has been broadly applied in different in-dustries, such as low-carbon production and manufacturing, how to implement such innovation in education for sustainable development (ESD) has rarely been studied. Therefore, this research considered a reflective and cooperative learning approach to science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) education. A case study examined Wanluan Township of Pingtung County in southern Taiwan. Four departments’ students and teachers at Meiho University were involved in situated learning. Students of hospitality management played farm owners who en-gaged in organic agriculture to produce food and beverages. These agricultural products were farm-to-table, cooked and served for customers in a natural dining setting through the students’ teamwork. Students of tourism, sports & leisure management, and food science & nutrition played tourists in a self-guided travel context, who engaged in acts such as visiting buildings to understand heritage while observing that the houses were still in use a dwelling. This encouraged reflection on the importance of cultural preservation. According to the results from the role-play farm owners and tourists, eco-innovation can represent a sustainable marketing strategy for im-proving the local-community economy and can be implemented in a practical situation in STEAM. The goal of ESD for 2030 — societal transformation — is to foster students’ responsible behavior and attitudes in a personally authentic manner, thereby fostering sustainability learning and understanding.

Iturbide is located in the Northeast of Mexico, it has a rich native and exotic flora, however, there are no ethnobotanical records, therefore, it requires attention in the documentation of traditional practices and uses of its botanical resources. In 2021, twelve field trips were carried out, applying 110 semi-structured interviews. Plant samples were collected, identified and deposited in an herbarium. We used the Chi-square test to compare ethnobotanical uses with respect to others reported in Mexico. To determine the cultural importance, three ethnobotanical indices were applied (UVI, ICF and FL). We recorded 250 species with ethnobotanical uses associated with 121 genera and 83 families, including 140 native and 110 exotic species. The most common plant families were Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, and Fabaceae. The main uses were ornamental, medicinal and food. The species with the highest UVI values ​​were Lepidium peruvianum, Ocimum basilicum and Rosmarinus officinale. The multifunctionality of the native and exotic flora demonstrates the extensive knowledge associated with botanical resources. Examples, the role of ornamental plants, with a direct impact on human well-being, the resilience of healers and traditional inhabitants by using different species for the treatment of various ailments. or indigenous edible plants in the daily diet.

Off-grid electrification planning increasingly recognizes the importance of productive use of electricity (PUE) to promote community value creation and (financial) project sustainability. To ensure a sustainable and efficient integration in the community and energy system, PUE assets must carefully be evaluated to match both the community needs and the residential electricity demand patterns. We propose a novel methodology interlinking qualitative interviews, statistical analysis, and energy system modelling to optimize decision-making for PUE integration in off-grid energy systems in rural Madagascar by aligning relevant PUE effectively with anticipated residential electricity demand patterns based on socio-economic determinants of the community. We find that a possible contribution of the PUE to reducing the electricity costs depends signifi-cantly on three factors: 1. the residential electricity consumption patterns that are influenced by the socio-economic composition of the community, 2. the degree of flexibility of i) PUE assets and ii) operational preferences of the PUE user, and 3. the capacity of community members to finance and operate PUE assets. Our study demonstrates that significant cost reductions for PUE-integrated off-grid energy systems can be achieved by applying our proposed methodology. When matching PUE and residential consumption patterns, the integration of PUE assets in residential community energy system can reduce the financial risk of operators, provided the PUE enterprise operates reliably and sustainably. We highlight that the consideration of local value chains and co-creation approaches are essential to ensure the energy system is addressing the community’s needs, creates value for the community, enhances the project´s financial sustainability, and is achieving the overall objectives of decentralized energy system planning.

Sanitation, water supply and their governance remain major challenges in many Pacific Island Countries. National sustainable development strategies (NSDSs) are promoted throughout the Pacific as overarching improved governance instruments to identify priorities, plan solutions and fulfill commitments to sustainable development. Their relevance to local village-level development priorities is uncertain. The Kingdom of Tonga provides opportunities to compare both. Tonga’s Strategic Development Frameworks (TSDFI 2011-2014 and TSDFII 2015-2025) were developed to focus government and its agencies on national outcomes. From 2007 to 2016, 136 villages throughout Tonga’s five Island Divisions (IDs) formulated Community Development Plans (CDPs) involving separately 80% of women, youth and men in each village. Censuses in 2006 and 2016 show linked improvements in water supply and sanitation systems but reveal IDs with continuing challenges. Sanitation and water are prominent in TSDFI but absent from the current TSDFII. In contrast, CDPs show in one ID, 53% of villages ranked sanitation as a priority with marked differences between IDs and between women, youth and men. CDPs’ sanitation priorities in IDs mostly correspond to sanitation and water metrics in the Censuses, but some reflect impacts of natural disasters. Explanations for differences in sanitation priorities between national and local development plans, as well as suggestions for improving NSDS processes in island countries, are advanced.

In this paper, the overall performance of Cu-(In,Ga)-Se₂ (CIGSe) solar cells was improved in the ultraviolet (UV)–visible wavelength region by two-segment process. In which, adjusting DC sputtering powers (20–40 W) for absorbers (segment I), and metal-alloy compositions (CdS, ZnO/CdS, ZnMgO/CdS and ZnMgO) for buffers (segment II) were explored and characterized. Upon choosing the optimal-30-W CIGSe-absorber (with 0.95-CGI ratio) sputtered by the segment-I process, the Cu-rich film can distinctly boost grain growth, thus reducing the trap state density. After segment-II process as the toxic-CdS alternative, the optimal Zn_0.9Mg_0.1O-alloy buffer can reach the best conversion efficiency (η = 8.70%) was attained for the environmental protection. Meanwhile, and the overall internal/external quantum efficiencies (IQE/EQE) were improved by 13.15%, respectively for the 2.48–3.62-eV bandgap (short wavelength) range. The developed photovoltaic (PV) module (with 9 optimum-CIGSe cells) exhibits acceptable stability with a variance within ±5% over the 60-day experiment. This discovery in PV-device research contributes to a new scientific understanding of renewable energy. Furthermore, this study undeniably enhances the progress of practical applications for PV-modules in alignment with sustainable development goals. It also actively supports the development of eco-friendly communities.

Energy conversion and distribution (heat and electricity) is characterized by long planning horizons, investment periods and depreciation times, and it is thus difficult to plan and tell the technology that optimally fits for decades. Uncertainties include future energy prices, applicable subsidies, regulation, and even the evolution of market designs. To achieve higher adaptability to arbitrary transition paths, a technical concept based on integrated energy systems is envisioned and described. The problem of intermediate steps of evolution is tackled by introducing a novel paradigm in urban infrastructure design.It builds on standardization, modularization and economies of scale for underlying conversion units. Building on conceptual arguments for such a platform, it is then argued how actors like (among others) municipalities and district heating system operators can use this as a practical starting point for a manageable and smooth transition towards more environmental friendly supply technologies, and to commit to their own pace of transition (bearable investment/risk). environmental friendly supply technologies. Merits are not only supported by technical arguments but also by strategical and societal prospects like technology neutrality and availability of real options.

Historically, the military and non-religious, sub-continent’s intellectual elite Muslim men crafted state ideologies before partition, by actively contributing to sociocultural constructs prevalent to this day, in service of colonial patriarchal concepts. The purpose of this ideological collaboration has been to mould a Pakistani cis-gendered female child primarily into the ideal “Pakistan-Muslim” bride for marriage, carried out through her family and society. This has shaped the lives of cis-gendered female children in Pakistan through coerced, gendered control, implemented as prescriptive societal norms. These norms are rooted in colonial, patriarchal ideologies and are functions of capital and coercion intentionally perpetuated to erase her pluralistic identity, reducing her to a central resource within a family unit. To the military concept of nationalism, her mind and her body symbolize the unification and centralization of a statist ideology. Thus, the military state plays an essential role in shaping her purpose around the concept of nationalism. The intellectual elite, via the state, uphold colonial, patriarchal ideologies, where the primary identity of a cis-gendered female child is actualized through her marriage. The cis-gendered female child’s life is a vehicle to unify the state’s two-fold “Pakistani-Muslim” agenda, by implementing a ‘singular statist narrative’. A narrative that attempts to resolve two major tensions: First, it seeks to wipe out the possibility of a nation connecting with and exploring its own immense, internal ethnocultural diversity. It does this by imposing an imagined “homogenous Muslim” identity — which doesn’t exist — and is instead imported from multiple countries to reinforce a ‘singular statist narrative’, Second, it aims to control the mixing of local, sociocultural narratives by bridging any disjuncture between them by labelling colonial institutional patriarchy concepts as inherently “Pakistani”; in service of its preferred ‘singular statist narrative’.

Smart Living, an increasingly prominent concept, entails incorporating sophisticated technologies in homes and urban environments to elevate the quality of life for citizens. A critical success factor for Smart Living services and applications, from energy management to healthcare and transportation, is the efficacy of human action recognition (HAR). HAR, rooted in computer vision, seeks to identify human actions and activities using visual data and various sensor modalities. This paper extensively reviews the literature on HAR in Smart Living services and applications, amalgamating key contributions and challenges while providing insights into future research directions. The review delves into the essential aspects of Smart Living, the state of the art in HAR, and the potential societal implications of this technology. Moreover, the paper meticulously examines the primary application sectors in Smart Living that stand to gain from HAR, such as smart homes, smart healthcare, and smart cities. By underscoring the significance of the four dimensions of Context Awareness, Data Availability, Personalization, and Privacy in HAR, this paper serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners striving to advance Smart Living services and applications.

Smart living, a concept that has gained increasing attention in recent years, revolves around integrating advanced technologies in homes and cities to enhance the quality of life for citizens. Sensing and human action recognition are crucial aspects of this concept. Smart living applications span various domains, such as energy consumption, healthcare, transportation, and education, which greatly benefit from effective human action recognition. This field, originating from computer vision, seeks to recognize human actions and activities using not only visual data but also many other sensor modalities. This paper comprehensively reviews the literature on human action recognition in smart living environments, synthesizing the main contributions, challenges, and future research directions. This review selects five key domains: Sensing Technology, Multimodality, Real-time Processing, Interoperability, and Resource-Constrained Processing, as they encompass the critical aspects required for successfully deploying human action recognition in smart living. These domains highlight the essential role that sensing and human action recognition play in successfully developing and implementing smart living solutions. This paper serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners seeking to explore further and advance the field of human action recognition in smart living.

The simplified, combined protocol admits children with a mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) of <125 mm or edema to malnutrition treatment with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) prescribing 2 daily RUTF sachets to children with MUAC <115 mm or edema and 1 daily sachet to those with MUAC ≥115 mm but <125 mm. This treatment has previously been shown to result in non-inferior programmatic outcomes compared to standard treatment. We aimed at observing its effectiveness in a routine setting at scale, including via delivery by community health workers (CHW). A total of 27 601 children were admitted to the simplified, combined treatment. Treatment resulted in 96% overall recovery with a mean LOS of 40 days and a mean RUTF consumption of 63 sachets per child treated. Among children admitted with MUAC <115 mm or edema 94% recovered with a mean LOS of 55 days and consuming an average of 97 RUTF sachets. Recovery in all sub-groups studied exceeded 90%.Treatment by CHWs resulted in similar (96%) recovery as treatment by formal health care workers (96%). The simplified, combined protocol results in high recovery and low RUTF consumption per child treated, and can safely be adopted by CHWs to provide treatment in the community-level.

This study investigates the long-term stability of the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (S-NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) moderate-resolution Thermal Emissive Bands (M TEBs; M12 – M16) covering a period from February 2012 to August 2020. It also assesses inter-sensor consistency of the VIIRS M TEBs among three satellites-S-NPP, NOAA-20, and NOAA-21 over eight months spanning from March 18 to November 30, 2023. The field of interesting is limited to the ocean surface between 60°S and 60°N, specifically under clear-sky conditions. Taking radiative transfer modeling (RTM) as the transfer reference, we employed the Community Radiative Transfer Model (CRTM) to simulate VIIRS TEB brightness temperature (BTs), incorporating European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis data as inputs. Our results reveal two key findings. Firstly, the reprocessed S-NPP VIIRS TEBs exhibit a robust long-term stability, as demonstrated through analyses of the observation minus background BT differences (O-B ∆BTs) between VIIRS measurements (O) and CRTM simulations (B). The drifts of the O-B BT differences are consistently less than 0.105 K/Decade across all S-NPP VIIRS M TEB bands. Notably, observations from VIIRS M14 and M16 stand out with drifts well within 0.04 K/Decade, reinforcing their exceptional reliability for climate change studies. Secondly, excellent inter-sensor consistency among these three VIIRS instruments is confirmed through the double-difference analysis method (O-O). This method relies on the O-B BT differences obtained from daily data. The mean inter-VIIRS O-O BT differences remain within 0.08 K for all M TEBs, except for M13. Even in the case of M13, the O-O BT differences between NOAA-21 and NOAA-20/S-NPP have values of 0.312 K and 0.234 K, respectively, which are comparable to the 0.2 K difference between some TEBs among VIIRS and MODIS. These disparities are primarily attributed to the significant differences in the Spectral Response Function (SRF) of NOAA-21 compared to NOAA-20 and S-NPP. Our study confirms the RTM-based TEB quality evaluation method’s versatility and effectiveness in assessing long-term sensor stability and inter-sensor consistency. The double-difference approach effectively mitigates uncertainties and biases inherent to CRTM simulations, establishing itself a robust mechanism for assessing inter-sensor consistency. In addition, we’ve observed that, except for M13, M12 always exhibits larger spatial variations of O-O BT differences with greater uncertainties compared to the other M TEBs. The influence of solar contribution through sea surface reflection on the Top of Atmosphere (TOA) radiance measurements during daytime in M12 should not be underestimated.

This case study explores the transformative effects of emergent digital technologies, particularly augmented reality (AR), on literacy engagement and reading for pleasure. The United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education implemented the UAE Storytime programme, utilising AR to create an interactive literacy experience for young learners. The programme incorporated bilingual episodes, featuring stories based on local and global contexts, with 3D objects and interactive games to enhance understanding. The results indicate a positive correlation between the use of AR and literacy engagement. A high proportion of learners scanned the QR codes to access the AR objects, which enhanced their engagement and understanding of the stories. The programme fostered a learner agency, engaged family members in the learning process, and established a sense of global community. The study recommends the integration of similar initiatives into the curriculum to promote collaboration, creativity, and holistic learning experiences.