Urban Neighbourhood Environments, Cardiometabolic Health and Cognitive Function: A National Cross-Sectional Study of Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Australia

Population ageing and urbanisation are global phenomena that call for an understanding of the impacts of features of the urban environment on older adults’ cognitive function. Because neighbourhood characteristics that can potentially have opposite effects on cognitive function are interdependent, they need to be considered in conjunction. Using data from an Australian national sample of 4141 adult urban dwellers, we examined the extent to which the associations of interrelated built and natural environment features and ambient air pollution with cognitive function are explained by cardiometabolic risk factors relevant to cognitive health. All examined environmental features were directly and/or indirectly related to cognitive function via other environmental features and/or cardiometabolic risk factors. Findings suggest that dense, interconnected urban environments with access to parks, blue spaces and low levels of air pollution may benefit cognitive health through cardiometabolic risk factors and other mechanisms not captured in this study. This study also highlights the need for a particularly fine-grained characterisation of the built environment in research on cognitive function, which would enable the differentiation of the positive effects of destination-rich neighbourhoods on cognition via participation in cognition-enhancing activities from the negative effects of air pollutants typically present in dense, destination-rich urban areas.

A Quantitative Framework for Identifying Patterns of Route-Use in Animal Movement Data

Animal movement along repeatedly used, “habitual” routes could emerge from a variety of cognitive mechanisms, as well as in response to a diverse set of environmental features. Because of the high conservation value of identifying wildlife movement corridors, there has been extensive work focusing on environmental factors that contribute to the emergence of habitual routes between protected habitats. In parallel, significant work has focused on disentangling the cognitive mechanisms underlying animal route use, as such movement patterns are of fundamental interest to the study of decision making and navigation. We reviewed the types of processes that can generate routine patterns of animal movement, suggested a new methodological workflow for classifying one of these patterns—high fidelity path reuse—in animal tracking data, and compared the prevalence of this pattern across four sympatric species of frugivorous mammals in Panama. We found the highest prevalence of route-use in kinkajous, the only nocturnal species in our study, and propose that further development of this method could help to distinguish the processes underlying the presence of specific routes in animal movement data.

Horizontal Grid Spacing Comparison Among Random Forest Algorithms to Nowcast Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Occurrence

This paper discusses the use of Random Forest (RF), a popular Machine Learning (ML) algorithm, to perform spatially explicit nowcasting of cloud-to-ground lightning occurrence. An application to the Italian territory and the surrounding seas is presented. Specifically, 1-hour ahead lightning occurrences over the months of August, September and October from 2017 to 2019 have been modelled using a dataset including geo-environmental features. Results obtained with three different spatial resolutions have been compared, for nowcasting both positive and negative strokes. The features’ importance resulting from the best RF models showed how datadriven models are able to identify the relationships between meteorological variables, in agreement with previous physically based knowledge of the phenomenon. The encouraging results obtained in terms of forecasting accuracy support the idea to use ML-based algorithms in early warning procedures for disaster risk management.

Post Occupancy Evaluation of Students’ Satisfaction with Hostel Facilities in Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria

The study focuses on post occupancy evaluation of students’ satisfaction with hostels facilities in Federal Polytechnic Offa, Kwara State with a view to determine factors that promote users’ satisfaction with the hostel facility in terms of its services/amenities provided, structural features, environmental features, accommodation details and locational attributes. The hostel is wholly under the management and control of the Polytechnic. Four Hundred and Sixty (460) respondents were taken as the sample size for the study. 28 structured questionnaires were administered to the workforce of the hostel management using purposive sampling while 432 structured questionnaires were administered to the students occupying the school hostel. A total of 341 (74%) questionnaires was returned and found valid for analysis. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive statistical techniques such as frequency distribution table, Weighted Mean Score (WMS) and Relative Importance Indexes (RII). Findings revealed that there were mixed levels of satisfaction with elements of student hostel facilities. There was a strong indication of satisfaction with the environmental features compared to the other four elements of the hostel facilities. The students were dissatisfied with facilities either because they are inadequate in number or quality or because of the location. The study recommends that the polytechnic management should ensure that facilities that aid students' academic performance should be prioritized. This will help to improve the satisfaction level among students with hostel facilities.

Current condition of populations and spatial-environmental features of habitats of russet ground squirrel Spermophilus major

The russet ground squirrel (Spermophilus major ) is known in the literature as a numerous widespread ground squirrel species. In recent decades, a decline in its abundance was found in some parts of its range. We have assessed the condition of this species in most parts of its distribution area based on our observations and interviews with local people. Spatial, landscape and vegetation cover parameters of S. major settlements have been studied. The research results showed a decline in the number, disappearance of settlements and a decrease in suitable habitats for this species. Small and medium-sized settlements with relatively low density of burrows, associated with low grass meadow communities typical for pastures and cattle grazing, prevail among the found settlements. One of the main factors for the decline in the number and disappearance of settlements of russet ground squirrel is, apparently, a decrease of pasture cattle grazing intensity. The continuing trend of degradation of pasture ecosystems may pose a threat to the existence of this species.

Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) Epidemiology in an Integrated Pig Company of Northern Italy: A Multilevel Threat Requiring Multilevel Interventions

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is probably the most relevant viral disease affecting pig farming. Despite the remarkable efforts paid in terms of vaccination administration and biosecurity, eradication and long-term control have often been frustrated. Unfortunately, few studies are currently available that objectively link, using a formal statistical approach, viral molecular epidemiology to the risk factors determining the observed scenario. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to filling this knowledge gap taking advantage of the advancements in the field of phylodynamics. Approximately one-thousand ORF7 sequences were obtained from strains collected between 2004 and 2021 from the largest Italian pig company, which implements strict compartmentalization among independent three-sites (i.e., sow herds, nurseries and finishing units) pig flows. The history and dynamics of the viral population and its evolution over time were reconstructed and linked to managerial choices. The viral fluxes within and among independent pig flows were evaluated, and the contribution of other integrated pig companies and rurally risen pigs in mediating such spreading was investigated. Moreover, viral circulation in Northern Italy was reconstructed using a continuous phylogeographic approach, and the impact of several environmental features on PRRSV strain persistence and spreading velocity was assessed. The results demonstrate that PRRSV epidemiology is shaped by a multitude of factors, including pig herd management (e.g., immunization strategy), implementation of strict-independent pig flows, and environmental features (e.g., climate, altitude, pig density, road density, etc.) among the others. Small farms and rurally raised animals also emerged as a potential threat for larger, integrated companies. These pieces of evidence suggest that none of the implemented measures can be considered effective alone, and a multidimensional approach, ranging from individual herd management to collaboration and information sharing among different companies, is mandatory for effective infection control.

Impacts of Soil Properties, Topography, and Environmental Features on Soil Water Holding Capacities (SWHCs) and Their Interrelationships

Soil water holding capacities (SWHCs) are among the most important factors for understanding the water cycle in forested catchments because they control available plant water that supports evapotranspiration. The direct determination of SWHCs, however, is time consuming and expensive, so many pedotransfer functions (PTFs) and digital soil mapping (DSM) models have been developed for predicting SWHCs. Thus, it is important to select the correct soil properties, topographies, and environmental features when developing a prediction model, as well as to understand the interrelationships among variables. In this study, we collected soil samples at 971 forest sites and developed PTF and DSM models for predicting three kinds of SWHCs: saturated water content (θS) and water content at pF1.8 and pF2.7 (θ1.8 and θ2.7). Important explanatory variables for SWHC prediction were selected from two variable importance analyses. Correlation matrix and sensitivity analysis based on the developed models showed that, as the matric suction changed, the soil physical and chemical properties that influence the SWHCs changed, i.e., soil structure rather than soil particle distribution at θS, coarse soil particles at θ1.8, and finer soil particle at θ2.7. In addition, organic matter had a considerable influence on all SWHCs. Among the topographic features, elevation was the most influential, and it was closely related to the geological variability of bedrock and soil properties. Aspect was highly related to vegetation, confirming that it was an important variable for DSM modeling. Information about important variables and their interrelationship can be used to strengthen PTFs and DSM models for future research.

Offshore and Onshore Wave Energy Converters: Engineering and Environmental Features

In the last decade, extensive research has been carried out with the aim of designing new prototype devices that allow for the extraction of electricity from renewable energy sources, in order to contribute to a reduction in the use of nonrenewable resources, and thereby mitigate climate change impacts [...]