Can flood resilience of green-grey-blue system cope with future uncertainty?

Urban flooding is becoming a great global concern due to growing cities, while climate change and urbanization may pose daunting challenges to both environment and humans. The integrated green-grey-blue (IGGB) system has gained interests worldwide to mitigate flood issues, however, how IGGB system acts in urban flood resilience and whether it can address future uncertainties have not been fully understood. In this study, a new framework, which combined an evaluation index system and coupling model, was constructed to quantify urban flood resilience (FR) and its responses to future uncertainties. The results showed that higher FR upstream than downstream; however, upstream FR declined approximately twice as much as downstream when faced with climate change and urbanization. Generally, climate change appeared to have a greater impact on urban flood resilience than urbanization, resulting to 3.20%-4.28% and 2.08%-4.09% FR reduction, respectively. The IGGB system could greatly improve robustness against future uncertainty, due to the fact that the IGGB without low impact development facilities (LIDs) was about 2 times in FR decline compared with IGGB with LIDs. The increase of LIDs proportion could diminish the impact of climate change, which shifted the dominant factor affecting FR from the interaction between urbanization and climate change to urbanization. Notably, a threshold of 13% construction land increase was quantified, beyond which negative effects of rainfall become dominant again. The results could guide IGGB design and urban flooding management in other similar regions.

Characterization of fibronectin properties by integrated micro-fluidic experiments and fluid-structure interaction simulations

Fibronectin (Fn) has been observed to assemble in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of cell culture and stretch in response to the external force. The alteration of molecule domain functions generally follows the extension of Fn. Several researchers have investigated fibronectin extensively in molecular architecture and conformation structure. However, the bulk material behavior of the Fn in the ECM has not been fully depicted at the cell scale, and many studies have ignored physiological conditions. Conversely, microfluidic techniques that explore cellular properties based on cell deformation and adhesion have emerged as a powerful and effective platform to study cell rheological transformation in a physiological environment. However, directly quantifying properties from microfluidic measurements remains a challenge. Therefore, it is an efficient way to combine experimental measurements with a robust and reliable numerical framework to calibrate the mechanical stress distribution in the test sample. In this paper, we present a monolithic Lagrangian fluid-structure interaction (FSI) approach within the Optimal Transportation Meshfree (OTM) framework that enables the investigation of the adherent Red Blood Cell (RBC) interacting with fluid and overcomes the drawbacks of the traditional computational tools such as the mesh entanglement and interface tracking, etc. This study aims to assess the material properties of the RBC and Fn fiber by calibrating the numerical predictions to experimental measurements. Moreover, a physical-based constitutive model will be proposed to describe the bulk behavior of the Fn fiber inflow, and the rate-dependent deformation and separation of the Fn fiber will be discussed.

A review of common natural disasters as analogs for asteroid impact effects and cascading hazards

Modern civilization has no collective experience with possible wide-ranging effects from a medium-sized asteroid impactor. Currently, modeling efforts that predict initial effects from a meteor impact or airburst provide needed information for initial preparation and evacuation plans, but longer-term cascading hazards are not typically considered. However, more common natural disasters, such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, wildfires, dust storms, and hurricanes, are likely analogs that can provide the scope and scale of these potential effects. These events, especially the larger events with cascading effects, are key for understanding the scope and complexity of mitigation, relief, and recovery efforts for a medium-sized asteroid impact event. This paper reviews the initial and cascading effects of these natural hazards, describes the state of the art for modeling these hazards, and discusses the relevance of these hazards to expected long-term effects of an asteroid impact. Emergency managers, resource managers and planners, and research scientists involved in mitigation and recovery efforts would likely derive significant benefit from a framework linking multiple hazard models to provide a seamless sequence of related forecasts.

Review: An integrated framework for understanding ecological drought and drought resistance

Droughts are a frequent natural phenomenon that has amplified globally in the 21st century and are projected to become more common and extreme in the future. Consequently, this affects the progress of drought indices and frameworks to categorize drought conditions. Several drought-related indices and variables are required to capture different features of complex drought conditions. Therefore, we explained the signs of progress of ecological drought that were ecologically expressive to promote the integration between the research on and identification of water scarcity situations and analyzed different frameworks to synthesize the drought effects on species and ecosystems. Notably, we present an inclusive review of an integrated framework for an ecological drought. The ecological drought framework affords the advantage of improved methodologies for assessing ecological drought. This is supported by research on water-limited ecosystems that incorporated several drought-related elements and indicators to produce an integrated drought framework. In this framework, we combined multiple studies on drought recovery, early warning signs, and the effects of land management interferences, along with a schematic representation of a new extension of the framework into ecological systems, to contribute to the success and long-term sustainability of ecological drought adaptation, as well as on-the-ground examples of climate-informed ecological drought management in action for an integrated framework for ecological drought. This study provides an integrated approach to the understanding of ecological drought in line with accelerated scientific advancement to promote persistence and plan for a future that irretrievably exceeds the ecosystem thresholds and new multivariate drought indices.

Social, political, commercial, and corporate determinants of rural health equity in Canada: an integrated framework

People in rural and remote areas often experience greater vulnerability and higher health-related risks as a result of complex issues that include limited access to affordable health services and programs. During disruptive events, rural populations face unique barriers and challenges due to their remoteness and limited access to resources, including digital technologies. While social determinants of health have been highlighted as a tool to understand how health is impacted by various social factors, it is crucial to create a holistic framework to fully understand rural health equity. In this commentary, we propose an integrated framework that connects the social determinants of health (SDOH), the political determinants of health (PDOH), the commercial determinants of health (ComDOH), and the corporate determinants of health (CorpDOH) to address health inequity in rural and remote communities in Canada. The goal of this commentary is to situate these four determinants of health as key to inform policy-makers and practitioners for future development of rural health equity policies and programs in Canada.

An integrated cognitive framework for understanding modern cities

Modern urban development urgently requires a new management concept and operational mechanism to encourage the exploration of frameworks for cognizing and studying urban characteristics. In the present study, modern cities are first understood from the perspective of their basic theoretical evolution. Each modern city is seen as a complex system of organic life forms. Urban information science propels modern urban research in the direction of rationality. This paper also presents the new characteristics of modern cities (and how they have changed) in relation to external structure and internal functions. It examines the generation of urban problems and governance adaptability. On this basis, this paper proposes a cognitive model for studying modern cities, integrating basic theoretical, methodological support, and governance systems. It discusses the basic rationale and core idea for constructing each of these three systems. The research aims to guide and implement modern urban construction and sustainable development in a more effective way.

Individual and situational determinants of plastic waste sorting: an experience sampling method study protocol

Background

Plastic waste management is one of the most challenging problems of our time. Until now, only 9% of the produced plastics has been recycled. In order to increase recycling, a behavior change towards sorting of plastic waste is needed. Therefore, the main aim of the study is to gain insight in the individual and situational determinants associated with plastic waste sorting behavior. The Integrated Framework for Encouraging Pro-environmental Behaviour will be used as the theoretical framework. This framework assumes that individual egoistic and hedonic values are negatively related to pro-environmental behaviour, whereas individual biospheric and altruistic values are positively related to pro-environmental behaviour. Situational cues can activate these values, resulting in (non) pro-environmental behaviour. Taking the Integrated Framework for Encouraging Pro-environmental Behaviour into account, this study will test the hypothesized associations between individual and situational determinants and plastic waste sorting behavior, using an ecological momentary assessment approach (Experience Sampling Method, ESM).

Methods

A signal-contingent scheme with semi-random intervals will be used for the ESM questionnaire. Over a period of seven consecutive days, an ESM-based smartphone app will prompt participants ten times a day to fill in a short questionnaire containing questions about situational determinants and plastic waste sorting behaviour. Participants will also complete an online questionnaire before and after the study measuring the individual determinants and plastic waste sorting behaviour.

Discussion

ESM has many benefits over traditional surveys, such as improved ecological validity and the possibility to explore temporal relationships. The disadvantages of ESM are mainly related to the burden for the participants and the possibility of reactivity effects. The results will provide insight into the relationship between situational cues, individual values and plastic waste behaviour. The practical implications of the findings of this study can be of interest for policy makers in order to reach plastic waste reduction targets. Furthermore, the situational cues that activate values, which increase or decrease plastic waste sorting, can be targeted in interventions. The results of this study can also be relevant for further research studying and stimulating pro-environmental behaviour in general.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40359-021-00596-5.

Preferences for an HIV prevention mobile phone app: a qualitative study among men who have sex with men in China

BACKGROUND

Men who have sex with men (MSM) have a disproportionate burden of HIV infection. Mobile phone apps provide a promising means of improving HIV prevention among MSM. But this has received little examination in China. The objective of this study was to explore MSM's preferences for an HIV prevention mobile phone app.

METHODS

Qualitative semi-structured personal interviews were conducted with 19 MSM to determine their preferences for features and content to inform the design of an app aimed at HIV prevention in China.

RESULTS

Five categories were identified under the main category preferences for features of the app: target population, attributes, language used, potential user access, and perceived usefulness. Five categories were identified under the main category preferences for content of the app: functions to facilitate HIV testing behavior, HIV post-exposure prevention, warning against substance use, psychological support, and areas for communication.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that the design of an app targeting MSM in China should use an integrated framework addressing behavioral and psychological aspects, satisfy common needs of potential users, avoid perpetuating negative stereotypes and stigma, and avoid possible increase of risk behavior due to using the app.

Towards an integrated framework for understanding the links between inequalities and wellbeing of places in low and middle income countries

As part of a larger research programme undertaking the development of a global index of wellbeing (GLOWING) through the exploration of population wellbeing in low to middle income countries (LMICs), this paper examines the role of inequality in shaping experiences of wellbeing. The paper explores various conceptualizations of wellbeing and inequality and outlines an integrated framework for understanding the importance of measuring the wellbeing of places. We conclude by urging geographers to explicitly engage with theory and cross-disciplinary research in order to adequately conceptualize the role of place in 'Beyond GDP' and progress measures.

Working towards an integrated land contamination management framework for Nigeria

Over the past five decades, Nigeria has developed a number of contaminated land legislations to address the damage caused primarily by oil and gas exploitation activities. Within these legislations exists elements of risk assessment and risk-based corrective action. Despite this progress, we argue that contaminated land management approaches in Nigeria need further development to be able to integrate new scientific information, and to address environmental, economic, and social values. By comparison, advanced contaminated land regimes in the United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America (USA) apply a number of integrative approaches (e.g. sustainability appraisal, liability regime, funding mechanisms, technology demonstration) that enable them to meet the environmental, economic, and social needs of their populations. In comparison, Nigerian governance lacks many of these mechanisms and management of contaminated land is ad hoc. In this paper we propose an integrated risk assessment framework for Nigeria that incorporates the principles of sustainability and stakeholder engagement into the decision-making processes for contaminated land risk assessment and risk management. The integrated approach relies on transparency to promote acceptance and build trust in institutions, and uses stakeholder engagement to address data deficiencies. We conclude this paper with a roadmap for how Nigeria might implement such an integrative approach into their existing contaminated land regulatory system, as well as identify a series of policy priorities that should be addressed.

Spatio-temporal patterns of soil erosion and suspended sediment dynamics in the Mekong River Basin

Understanding of the distribution patterns of sediment erosion, concentration and transport in river basins is critically important as sediment plays a major role in river basin hydrophysical and ecological processes. In this study, we proposed an integrated framework for the assessment of sediment dynamics, including soil erosion (SE), suspended sediment load (SSL) and suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and applied this framework to the Mekong River Basin. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model was adopted with a geographic information system to assess SE and was coupled with a sediment accumulation and a routing scheme to simulate SSL. This framework also analyzed Landsat imagery captured between 1987 and 2000 together with ground observations to interpolate spatio-temporal patterns of SSC. The simulated SSL results from 1987 to 2000 showed the relative root mean square error of 41% and coefficient of determination (R(2)) of 0.89. The polynomial relationship of the near infrared exoatmospheric reflectance and the band 4 wavelength (760-900nm) to the observed SSC at 9 sites demonstrated the good agreement (overall relative RMSE=5.2%, R(2)=0.87). The result found that the severe SE occurs in the upper (China and Lao PDR) and lower (western part of Vietnam) regions. The SSC in the rainy season (June-November) showed increasing and decreasing trends longitudinally in the upper (China and Lao PDR) and lower regions (Cambodia), respectively, while the longitudinal profile of SSL showed a fluctuating trend along the river in the early rainy season. Overall, the results described the unique spatio-temporal patterns of SE, SSL and SSC in the Mekong River Basin. Thus, the proposed integrated framework is useful for elucidating complex process of sediment generation and transport in the land and river systems of large river basins.

An integrated text mining framework for metabolic interaction network reconstruction

Text mining (TM) in the field of biology is fast becoming a routine analysis for the extraction and curation of biological entities (e.g., genes, proteins, simple chemicals) as well as their relationships. Due to the wide applicability of TM in situations involving complex relationships, it is valuable to apply TM to the extraction of metabolic interactions (i.e., enzyme and metabolite interactions) through metabolic events. Here we present an integrated TM framework containing two modules for the extraction of metabolic events (Metabolic Event Extraction module—MEE) and for the construction of a metabolic interaction network (Metabolic Interaction Network Reconstruction module—MINR). The proposed integrated TM framework performed well based on standard measures of recall, precision and F-score. Evaluation of the MEE module using the constructed Metabolic Entities (ME) corpus yielded F-scores of 59.15% and 48.59% for the detection of metabolic events for production and consumption, respectively. As for the testing of the entity tagger for Gene and Protein (GP) and metabolite with the test corpus, the obtained F-score was greater than 80% for the Superpathway of leucine, valine, and isoleucine biosynthesis. Mapping of enzyme and metabolite interactions through network reconstruction showed a fair performance for the MINR module on the test corpus with F-score >70%. Finally, an application of our integrated TM framework on a big-scale data (i.e., EcoCyc extraction data) for reconstructing a metabolic interaction network showed reasonable precisions at 69.93%, 70.63% and 46.71% for enzyme, metabolite and enzyme–metabolite interaction, respectively. This study presents the first open-source integrated TM framework for reconstructing a metabolic interaction network. This framework can be a powerful tool that helps biologists to extract metabolic events for further reconstruction of a metabolic interaction network. The ME corpus, test corpus, source code, and virtual machine image with pre-configured software are available at www.sbi.kmutt.ac.th/ preecha/metrecon.

Comparative review of multifunctionality and ecosystem services in sustainable agriculture

Two scientific communities with broad interest in sustainable agriculture independently focus on multifunctional agriculture or ecosystem services. These communities have limited interaction and exchange, and each group faces research challenges according to independently operating paradigms. This paper presents a comparative review of published research in multifunctional agriculture and ecosystem services. The motivation for this work is to improve communication, integrate experimental approaches, and propose areas of consensus and dialog for the two communities. This extensive analysis of publication trends, ideologies, and approaches enables formulation of four main conclusions. First, the two communities are closely related through their use of the term "function." However, multifunctional agriculture considers functions as agricultural activity outputs and prefers farm-centred approaches, whereas ecosystem services considers ecosystem functions in the provision of services and prefers service-centred approaches. Second, research approaches to common questions in these two communities share some similarities, and there would be great value in integrating these approaches. Third, the two communities have potential for dialog regarding the bundle of ecosystem services and the spectrum of multifunctional agriculture, or regarding land sharing and land sparing. Fourth, we propose an integrated conceptual framework that distinguishes six groups of ecosystem services and disservices in the agricultural landscape, and combines the concepts of multifunctional agriculture and ecosystem services. This integrated framework improves applications of multifunctional agriculture and ecosystem services for operational use. Future research should examine if the framework can be readily adapted for modelling specific problems in agricultural management.