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Federal natural-resource-management agencies combined efforts with volunteer scouting staff to develop a conservation area at the 1997 National Boy Scout Jamboree. Profiles the program, which adopted the theme of environmental stewardship, and focuses on how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers interpreted water resources. The exhibit highlighted the limited supply of usable fresh water. (PVD)

Describes a project whereby geography students were charged with designing an urban trail (city walk with informational markers) that would accommodate specific groups. Chosen groups included people with physical disabilities, 10-year olds, and those interested in local street art. Discusses the cognitive, psychomotor, and affective objectives of the assignment. (MJP)

Uses the example of a trail near Lancashire in Northern England to explore the educational values of rural trails. Maintains that studying trails can enhance the appreciation and teaching of conceptual matters as well as develop students' skills for informed observation and interpretation of field evidence. Includes an area map. (MJP)

Described are activities involving a mathematics trail. Guidelines for organizing a mathematics trail for students are included. Excerpts from worksheets used with easy and hard trails are included and can be modified to fit other trails. (KR)

To determine whether trails on visitor maps should indicate distance only or include "time to complete," Cleveland Metroparks interviewed 287 adult visitors to a large regional zoo. The mean perceived "average time to walk a mile" was 17 minutes, but responses ranged from 1.5 to 60 minutes. Half of respondents underestimated the time needed. (SV)

Reviews some differences in the educating approach of environmental education and environmental interpretation and the cognitive processes involved. Also presents an interpretive field study based on the cognitive processes reviewed. The study evaluated the ability of 150 users of forest trails to recognize interpretive messages experienced during a trail hike. (Author/JN)

Describes the planning of a nature trail on a 27-acre school site utilizing teacher, community, administration, and student input. Discusses student involvement in developing the trail and plans for future development. Also lists teaching sites identified on the trail and uses or topics of study suggested for each site. (JM)

Provides primary grade level science activities that focus on insects, tracks and trails, water, and flight. For each topic, six major ideas plus related activities and suggestions about resources are given. (RH)

Describes a chemistry "trail" (similar to a nature trail) which focuses on chemical phenomena in the environment. The trail includes 20 stops in and around a local school. Types of phenomena examined include building materials, air pollution, corrosion of metals, swimming pools, and others. Additional activities are also suggested. (DH)

Reports on a study conducted in Spain in which the environmental preferences of 11 to 14-year-old children were examined using a collection of photographs. Results include the indication that the environmental attitudes of children attending a 15-day nature camp changed noticeably in at least five different aspects. (TW)

Examined are the effects of guides, booklets, and signs for use on a nature trail. Considers the effects of language, educational background, age, interest, and sex on media format. Suggests that guides are more effective, though more costly than other media formats. (CW)

Described are the results of surveys concerning children's use of outdoor areas. Discusses design criteria for outdoor education areas for children. Provides suggestions for enhancing children's exposure to wildlife. Considers playgrounds, trails, backyards and neighborhood areas. (CW)

Discussed is a geology education program which includes hikes, lectures, naturalist training sessions, workshops, writing, collecting, upgrading park facilities, and producing exhibits in state parks in the Lake Michigan District of Wisconsin. The importance of public education and sources of public information are stressed. (CW)

Presented are the results of a study testing the hypothesis that an environmental discontinuity is associated with a reduction in rate of travel along an interpretive trail. (BT)

Describes the development of an educational nature trail. Discusses objectives, methods of use, and possible evaluation techniques for such a trail. Suggests activites. (Author/MA)

Nine articles give information to help make professionals in health, physical education, recreation, dance, and athletics more knowledgeable about planning facilities. Design of natatoriums, physical fitness laboratories, fitness trails, gymnasium lighting, homemade play equipment, indoor soccer arenas, and dance floors is considered. A safety/security checklist is included. (PP)

Describes a self-guided package developed for teacher use on nature trails at Aullwood Audubon Center. The packet contains booklet of trail activities, backpack of simple field discovery equipment, and laminated visual aids. Activities are provided for each station and this format enables teachers to become effective instructors on the trail. (DH)

Describes a wilderness experience course, taught in the Idaho and Wyoming wilderness, for college undergraduates and graduates. (BB)

Natural history facts and concepts were presented to 160 multiaged individuals through tactual and/or visual interpretive stations along a nature trail. Individuals were tested to indicate knowledge retention after the trail experience. Visual, tactual, and visual/tactual approaches proved to be equally effective treatments in most cases. (Author/JDD)

Describes nonvisual sensory experiences to use on a trail walk for blindfolded persons. Provided are suggestions for organizing such a walk and descriptions of resource materials. (WB)

À partir des années cinquante, l'alpinisme connaît une évolution éthique et idéologique. Icône de cette période, Lionel Terray promeut un modèle performatif dont les soubassements se situent dans son parcours. Alors que les Premières constituaient un objectif majeur, désormais, le record devient légitime. Cette nouvelle conception va contribuer à ériger le style alpin en modèle de référence. Mobilisant des données issues des revues fédérales de l'univers montagnard, de la presse généraliste et des comptes-rendus d'expédition, cette étude saisit les fondements de l'évolution de l'alpinisme au regard du positionnement de Lionel Terray. Il amorce sa sportivisation par l'intermédiaire de la rationalisation de sa pratique comme de l'évolution des objectifs. L'émergence de cette conception sportive et performative repose sur des innovations matérielles et conceptuelles qui infléchissent les usages, et dont L. Terray a contribué à leur diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heterogeneous graph embedding models based on non-contrastive learning (NCL) do not rely on negative sampling to learn the intrinsic features and patterns, which may cause the model fail to efficiently learn the differences between vertexes. This paper proposed a heterogeneous graph embedding model based on cross-view prototype non-contrastive learning (XPNCL), which learnt better node representations for downstream tasks by finding additional positive samples with more contextual information, and reconsidered the similarity between positive samples. The model firstly designed a tree structure based on random walks in heterogeneous graph. This directed filtering tree (DFT) about positive samples contained rich neighboring and semantic information by filtering out random walk paths that satisfied local structural constraints. Secondly, to achieve the alignment of similar samples in terms of numerical and quantitative from multiple dimensions, XP-NCL defined the cross-view prototype index (ISDR) and peak operator based on the characteristics of heterogeneous graphs. Furthermore, the model trained using stop-gradient updating. Finally, experiments verify the classification and clustering performance of the node on ACM, DBLP and freebase datasets, and the results show that even without the negative samples, the XP-NCL representation can achieve superior performance in many cases compared to other homogeneous and heterogeneous graph baselines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current research on obstacle avoidance path planning methods for power inspection robots has problems such as poor obstacle avoidance ability and poor inspection effectiveness. Therefore, a planning method for obstacle avoidance path of power inspection robots is proposed. By utilizing motion relationships and the potential field theorem of robot motion, a three-dimensional model of the power inspection robot's route is established to determine the direction of the robot's route when obtaining action tasks. The fuzzy support vector algorithm is used to plan obstacle avoidance paths for the initialized walking path, making the inspection robot intelligent. The experimental results show that the average success rates for avoiding static and dynamic obstacles are 98.37% and 96.12%, respectively. The average time for obstacle avoidance path planning is 1.56 seconds, and it has fast, efficient, and accurate obstacle avoidance and path planning capabilities, which can improve the robot's obstacle avoidance ability and path planning efficiency for dynamic and static obstacles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the growing popularity of nature tourism, we have limited systemic knowledge of how it affects nature, from both an abiotic and biotic perspective, and what these effects are in different regions, habitats or trail types. Here we propose a coordinated global experiment framework – GetDiv – for a comprehensive understanding of the effects of visitor's load on the vegetation of nature trails. For preliminary analysis we selected 20 trails in Estonia, and we show that plant diversity along the trails is negatively affected by visitoŕs load in both forest and open habitat. We present here the rationale for the methodological approach, and call for a coordinated global effort to collect comparable and comprehensive data of diverse aspects of nature trails, with a focus on plant diversity. All the necessary guidelines and protocols to fill out for participating in GetDiv are included in the GetDiv webpage: . For participation in the first GetDiv study, the deadline for contribution is December 2024. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trails are essential transportation infrastructure supporting access to protected natural areas and providing recreation to hikers, runners, cyclists, equestrians, motorists, and many more worldwide. The slope of trails and their surrounding terrain influences physical trail sustainability and difficulty of travel. This research examines methods for using high-resolution digital elevation models to measure terrain steepness near trails and along trails or potential trail routes by comparing geographic information system (GIS) derived measurements to field measurements from the Appalachian Trail. The analysis validates the use of digitally derived trail terrain metrics and provides guidance to improve their utility in future trail planning and assessment efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: When walking and stepping over an obstacle of a certain height, tripping occurs more frequently with the trailing limb than the leading limb. The present study was designed to address whether collisions involving the trailing limb can be improved with experimental manipulation of the placement of the leading limb after stepping over an obstacle. We used an immersive, virtual obstacle-crossing task to ensure that the collision was not improved simply due to the experience of physical collision with an obstacle. Methods: Fourteen young participants (12 males and 2 females, 28.7 ± 3.5 years) were required to walk and step over a virtual horizontal pole under one of four conditions. In three conditions, participants were required to place their leading foot on a square target located along their walking path after crossing the obstacle. The target was positioned so that it was relatively close to the obstacle (10 cm from the obstacle, referred to hereafter as the closer condition), at a position that would naturally be stepped on in successful trials without a collision (20 cm from the obstacle, the middle condition), or relatively far from the obstacle (40 cm from the obstacle, the farther condition). For the fourth condition, participants were free to select where they would step after stepping over the obstacle (the control condition). Results and discussion: The results showed that the collision rate of the trailing limb was significantly lower under the closer condition than under the other three conditions. Compared to the control condition, under the closer condition the movement of the trailing limb was modified so that obstacle crossing was performed at approximately the moment when the height of the toe of the trailing limb was higher, and the walking speed was slower. These findings suggest that placing the foot of the leading limb closer to the obstacle after crossing the obstacle may ensure safe obstacle avoidance by the trailing limb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Methods Results Conclusions Radiation‐induced peripheral neuropathy is a rare, but serious complication often resulting in profound morbidity, life‐long disability, and chronic debilitating pain. Unfortunately, this type of peripheral neuropathy is usually progressive, and almost always irreversible. To date, a standardized rat model of radiation‐induced peripheral neuropathy has not been established. The purpose of the present study was to examine neuropathic pain, sensorimotor impairment, and muscle force parameters following the administration of a clinically relevant radiation dose in a rat model.Ten rats were randomly assigned to one of two experimental groups: (1) radiation and (2) sham‐radiated controls. Radiated animals were given a clinically relevant dose of 35 Gray (Gy) divided into five daily doses of 7 Gy/day. This regimen represents a human equivalent dose of 70 Gy, approximating the same dosage utilized for radiotherapy in oncologic patients. Sham‐radiated controls were anesthetized and placed in the radiation apparatus but were not given radiation. All animals were tested for baseline values in both sensorimotor and pain behavioral tests. Sensorimotor testing consisted of the evaluation of walking tracks with the calculation of the Sciatic Functional Index (SFI). Pain‐related behavioral measures consisted of mechanical allodynia (von Frey test), cold allodynia (Acetone test), and thermal allodynia (Hargreaves test). Animals were tested serially over an 8‐week period. At the study endpoint, electrophysiological and muscle force assessments were completed, and histomorphometric analysis was performed on all sciatic nerves.Animals that underwent radiation treatment displayed significantly greater pain hypersensitivity to mechanical stimulation as compared to sham radiated controls from weeks 4 to 8 of testing. SFI values indicated sensorimotor impairments in the overground gait of radiated animals as compared to non‐radiated animals. Furthermore, radiated animals displayed reduced twitch and tetanic muscle force when compared to sham radiated controls.A clinically relevant human equivalent dose of fractionated 35 Gy in rats established significant pain hypersensitivity, impairments in sensorimotor locomotion, and decreased muscle force capacity. This novel rodent model of radiation‐induced peripheral neuropathy can be utilized to assess the potential efficacy of therapeutic treatments to either prevent or remediate this clinically debilitating condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of partnerships with external stakeholders to support federal land management objectives is a common practice amongst government agencies. At the US Forest Service and National Park Service, partnerships provide critical support to each agency’s recreation stewardship objectives. While partnerships help these agencies increase capacity and meet recreation objectives, literature on federal land management partnerships typically focuses on large-scale collaborations and single case studies. Little remains known about how inputs and processes relate to partnership success across multiple individual partnerships to support federal trail management objectives. This exploratory study examines the perceptions of agency and partner managers in a sample of 89 partnerships to support trail work at the US Forest Service and National Park Service. Using linear regression and relative importance analysis, results show that trust, capacity, and interdependence are the most salient factors to partnership success. Furthermore, our analysis reveals a secondary set of factors that should also be considered when attempting to improve partnership outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real walking is considered as the best locomotion metaphor to explore virtual environments in terms of user experience. In addition to being intuitive for the user, walking captures the true feelings of motion since the visual and proprioceptive sensations are harmonized well. The major disadvantage of choosing walking over other locomotion metaphors involves the physical constraints of the available space, which is usually considerably smaller than the virtual environment. To address this issue, redirected walking (RDW) introduces slight mismatches between a user's visually perceived path and their actual walking pattern, compelling them to subconsciously compensate for the inconsistency by adjusting their walking trajectory. As a result, users are steered to a certain degree, and expansive virtual environments are effectively compressed into smaller physical spaces. Among others, particularly predictive RDW offers immense potential for growth since it unites various algorithmic systems, whereas many approaches from literature depend on drastic restrictions like single-user constraints or architectural limitations to ensure real-time performance. This work presents two novel predictive RDW systems that allow multiple physically colocated users to explore independent and unconstrained virtual environments. The systems rely on two new implementations of prediction systems based on clothoid trajectory generation combined with a cost-based planning concept built on nonharmonic artificial potential fields (APFs), which inherently allow non-convex and dynamic physical environments. Using the APFs, three additional RDW conditions popular in the literature are implemented for comparison purposes. The five RDW concepts are then validated in an extensive user study with 150 participants conducted in 75 pairs. The results indicate that the novel predictive RDW systems outperform the three systems from literature, except for particular sections of the virtual environment with specific architectural traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis study assessed the carrying capacity of an urban aerial trails, considering physical and psychosocial dimensions of crowding. To evaluate physical crowding, the research utilized a quantitative approach to measure tourist density. Psychosocial crowding was assessed using a visual assessment technique. Data collection involved presenting participants with simulated imagery, facilitating the assessment of social and psychological perceptions of crowding on the mountain and sea trails in Xiamen, China. The study found that the discrepancy between physical and psychological crowding primarily arises from the uneven spatial distribution of tourists along the trails. The findings confirm that the proximity of individuals on the trails significantly influences perceived congestion, thereby highlighting the unique nature of congestion analysis and assessment in the context of aerial trails. The research proposes strategies to address the challenges associated with both physical and psychosocial crowding phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Off-road driving activities are common in many protected areas. This study aimed at applying a curvelet-based approach for the automatic extraction, mapping and separation of off-road tracks and animal paths in Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, using high-resolution GeoEye-1 panchromatic satellite imagery (50 cm). A novel hybrid remote sensing-GIS method comprising three main blocks is proposed: (1) extracting the high-contrast curvilinear feature from curvelet magnitudes derived from the finer scale of curvelet coefficient; (2) extracting the low-contrast curvilinear feature from coarser scale curvelets and refine the shape by deformable active contour (Snake), and (3) categorizing the extracted curvilinear feature into vehicle tracks and animal paths by a fuzzy logic inference system. Results from quantification of extraction and categorization performance of the trails were 77.5% for completeness, 89.2% for correctness, and 4.5% for redundancy, with an overall accuracy of 79.5%. Using grid matching, we find a high correlation between off-road vehicle tracks and animal paths in the area (r = 0.75, p < 0.05) indicating co-occurrence of these two types of trails. The proposed approach provides a basis for large-scale mapping and monitoring of off-road tracks and animal paths in the African savanna from space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The physical and the social environment are important predictors of healthy weight, especially in low socioeconomic position (SEP) neighborhoods. Many Dutch municipalities have implemented a healthy weight approach (HWA). Yet, there is room for improvement. This system science study examined what influences the utilization of HWA facilities and activities, and what aspects can help to achieve a desired systems change (also called leverage point themes (LPTs)) in the HWA system as perceived by citizens living in low SEP neighborhoods. Method: All research phases were performed with four citizens co-researchers. Forty-seven citizens living in low SEP neighborhoods were semi-structurally interviewed about the neighborhood HWA facilities and municipal HWA activities. A rapid coding qualitative analysis approach was applied per topic. The topics were citizens' healthy living description, personal circumstances, and satisfaction with foot and cycle paths, sports facilities, playgrounds, green spaces, museums and theaters, community centers, churches, healthcare, school, food supplies, contact with neighborhood, unfamiliar and/or unused activities, familiar and used activities, unavailable but desired (lacking) activities, and reaching citizens. Results: The utilization of HWA facilities and activities was influenced by the overarching themes of social cohesion, familiarity, reaching citizens, maintenance, safety, physical accessibility, financial accessibility, social accessibility, fit with personal context, and fit with the neighborhood's specific needs. Different overarching themes stood out across different facilities and activities. LPTs indicated the overarching themes needed in combination with one another for a specific activity or facility to increase utilization. For example, the LPT regarding foot and cycle paths was "accessible, safe, and maintained foot and cycle paths". The LPTs regarding familiar and used activities were "customized activities; information provision (e.g., about possibilities to join without paying); social contact, meeting others, and everyone feels included". Conclusion: Conducting inclusive qualitative research from a systems perspective among citizens living in low SEP neighborhoods has contributed valuable insights into their needs. This enables practical implementation of HWAs by providing a deeper understanding of the LPTs within the HWA system. LPTs can help HWA stakeholders to further develop current HWAs toward systems approaches. Future research could study the leverage points that may contribute to LPT implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harvester ants are one of the most extensively studied groups of ants, especially the group foraging ants, Messor barbarus (Linnaeus, 1767), which construct long‐lasting trunk trails. Limited laboratory investigations have delved into head‐on encounters along foraging trails involving workers moving in opposing directions, with fewer corresponding studies conducted in the natural environment. To address this gap, we devised an in‐field experimental design to induce lane segregation on the foraging trunk trail of M. barbarus. Using an image‐based tracking method, we analyzed the foraging behavior of this species to assess the costs associated with head‐on encounters and to figure out the natural coexistence of outgoing and returning workers on a bidirectional route. Our results consistently reveal heightened straightness and speed in unidirectional test lanes, accompanied by an elevated foraging rate compared to bidirectional lanes. This suggests a potential impact of head‐on collisions on foraging behavior, especially on foraging efficiency. Additionally, Kinematic analysis revealed distinct movement patterns between outbound and inbound flows, particularly low speed and sinuous trajectories of inbounding unladen workers. The study of encounter rates in two traffic systems hints at the plausible utilization of individual memory by workers within trails, underscoring the pivotal role of encounters in information exchange and load transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-direction skill (SDS) is an essential 21st-century skill that can help learners be independent and organized in their quest for knowledge acquisition. While some studies considered learners from higher education levels as the target audience, providing opportunities to start the SDS practice by K12 learners is still rare. Further, practicing such skills requires a concrete context and scaffolding during the skill acquisition. This article introduces the Goal Oriented Active Learner (GOAL) system that facilitates SDS acquisition in learners utilizing daily activities as context. The GOAL architecture integrates learning logs from online environments and physical activity logs from wearable trackers to provide a data-rich environment for the learners to acquire and practice their SDS. The GOAL users follow DAPER, a five-phase process model, to utilize the affordances in the system while practicing SDS. We implemented the GOAL system at a K12 public institution in Japan in 2019. Learners used the online environments for extensive reading and smartwatches for tracking walking and sleeping activities. This study analyzes detailed interaction patterns in GOAL while learners planned and monitored their self-directed actions. The results illustrate the strategies for DAPER behaviors that emerge in different activity contexts. We discuss the potentials and challenges of this technology ecosystem that connects learners' learning logs and physical activity logs, specifically in the K12 context in Japan and, more generally, from the learning analytics research perspective to provide a context to practice SDS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sleep quality significantly affects the quality of life of older persons. Therefore, this study explored the relationship between sleep quality and living environment of older persons in China to provide a theoretical basis for therapies to alleviate sleep disorders in older persons. A total of 6211 subjects > 60 years of age in Anhui Province, China, were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and a self-reported questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that living alone (OR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.09–1.46) and living in a rural area (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.06–1.34) were significantly associated with a high incidence of sleep disorders in older persons. Living near a park or foot paths suitable for exercise or walking was significantly associated with a lower incidence of sleep disorders in older persons (OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.77–0.96). Individual factors such as female sex (OR = 1.30, 95% CI 1.14–1.48) and depression (OR = 2.80, 95% CI 2.47–3.19) were also associated with sleep quality in older persons. These data indicate a correlation exists between living environment and sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dissemination of communal notifications across the proximally distant homesteads in a rural area is not an easy practice. Against this backdrop, this study investigates the forms of communal notifications and their role in sustaining the community-orientated lifestyle in an isiZulu-speaking rural community in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The study adopted a qualitative research method which employed face-to-face interviews, in isiZulu, that involved 16 participants. The data revealed the prevalence of these forms of communal notifications: social occasion-related notifications, death-related notifications, izimbizo (open meetings)-related notifications, notifications instructing the community dwellers to clear footpaths, politics-related notifications, school meeting notifications, livestock or pet immunisation notifications, and land tilling-related notifications. The study maintained that the custodians who pronounce these notifications to the community employ strategies that aid their effective dissemination. Such strategies involve landscape usage, social occasion platform usage, whistle or horn blowing, loud shouting and the sending of messengers. Importantly, the study established that the communal notifications help inculcate the spirit of ubuntu or humanness among the community dwellers hence sustaining the community-orientated lifestyle, which finds expression in isiZulu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To raise awareness about the ecological importance of orchids and to promote the species commercialized by a company focused on their production through the design of a trail. Design/Methodology/Approach: A diagnosis of the plot was carried out to identify its characteristics and points of interest. A trail was designed to connect the most outstanding points. Native trees, which are the habitat of orchids, were subsequently planted to establish the outdoor collections. Results: The appeal of the place and the established phorophytes were taken into consideration to design the trail. Likewise, recommendations were made on what species of orchids should be planted in each station along the trail. Study Limitations/Implications: Evaluating visitor experience is pending. The trail lacks infrastructure for people with disabilities. The trail is located in an area subjected to anthropization and it will take several years before orchids can be established on the trees planted in July 2023. Findings/Conclusions: Trails are a useful tool to promote the conservation of native orchids; however, under anthropization conditions, it should be subjected to a systematized implementation to provide the climate and phorophyte conditions necessary for the survival of orchids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless technologies are revolutionizing communications, with recent deployments, such as 5G, playing a key role in the future of the Internet of Things (IoT). Such progress is leading to an increasingly higher number of wirelessly connected devices. These require increased battery use and maintenance, consequently straining current powering solutions. Since most wireless systems rely on radiofrequency (RF) waves for communications and feature low-power technologies, it is increasingly feasible to develop and implement wireless power transfer solutions supported by RF. In this paper, a simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) solution targeting small mobile devices is presented. This solution uses beamforming to mitigate the path loss associated with the RF power propagation. It relies on an RF backscattering tracking algorithm to power moving devices. The feasibility to power wearable devices is demonstrated by tracking a walking individual (approximately 5 km/h) at a distance of 0.5 m while transferring a minimum of 6 dBm to a wearable device using 2 GHz RF signals. Simulations were used to determine the viability of such a solution to deliver useful power levels to a 1.2 × 1.4 m2 working area without exceeding specific absorption rate (SAR) limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Universum is the property of Instituto de Estudios Humanisticos Juan Ignacio Molina, Universidad de Talca and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article focuses on the establishment of Fort Kearny in Nebraska Territory, its significance in protecting overland travelers heading west, and the challenges faced by emigrants along the trails. Topics include the fort's relocation for better protection of emigrants, the role it played as a supply station, and the harsh realities of trail life including the struggles, dangers, and diverse backgrounds of those migrating.

Background: Falls are common in a range of clinical cohorts, where routine risk assessment often comprises subjective visual observation only. Typically, observational assessment involves evaluation of an individual's gait during scripted walking protocols within a lab to identify deficits that potentially increase fall risk, but subtle deficits may not be (readily) observable. Therefore, objective approaches (e.g., inertial measurement units, IMUs) are useful for quantifying high resolution gait characteristics, enabling more informed fall risk assessment by capturing subtle deficits. However, IMU-based gait instrumentation alone is limited, failing to consider participant behaviour and details within the environment (e.g., obstacles). Video-based eye-tracking glasses may provide additional insight to fall risk, clarifying how people traverse environments based on head and eye movements. Recording head and eye movements can provide insights into how the allocation of visual attention to environmental stimuli influences successful navigation around obstacles. Yet, manual review of video data to evaluate head and eye movements is time-consuming and subjective. An automated approach is needed but none currently exists. This paper proposes a deep learning-based object detection algorithm (VARFA) to instrument vision and video data during walks, complementing instrumented gait. Method: The approach automatically labels video data captured in a gait lab to assess visual attention and details of the environment. The proposed algorithm uses a YoloV8 model trained on with a novel lab-based dataset. Results: VARFA achieved excellent evaluation metrics (0.93 mAP50), identifying, and localizing static objects (e.g., obstacles in the walking path) with an average accuracy of 93%. Similarly, a U-NET based track/path segmentation model achieved good metrics (IoU 0.82), suggesting that the predicted tracks (i.e., walking paths) align closely with the actual track, with an overlap of 82%. Notably, both models achieved these metrics while processing at real-time speeds, demonstrating efficiency and effectiveness for pragmatic applications. Conclusion: The instrumented approach improves the efficiency and accuracy of fall risk assessment by evaluating the visual allocation of attention (i.e., information about when and where a person is attending) during navigation, improving the breadth of instrumentation in this area. Use of VARFA to instrument vision could be used to better inform fall risk assessment by providing behaviour and context data to complement instrumented e.g., IMU data during gait tasks. That may have notable (e.g., personalized) rehabilitation implications across a wide range of clinical cohorts where poor gait and increased fall risk are common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given environmental contribution of individuals' behavioral change, this study explored how hikers' pro-environmental behavior can be facilitated. The theoretical model incorporated the restorative quality of natural trails as an external environment, hikers' place affect and their pro-environmental behavior. This study used a mixed research approach to test this model, which involved developing measurement items for the restorative quality of nature trails and analyzing survey data from 361 hikers. The analysis showed that the restorative quality of natural trails induced place affect, which increased place-specific pro-environmental behavior. Mediating effect of place affect and moderating function of daily environmental practices were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature exposure affords significant mental and physical health benefits, particularly with a weekly, 120-minute nature-dose threshold (White et al., 2019). As nature exposure is unequal with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) facing greater constraints, nature dosage is likely unequal, rendering fewer benefits. A secondary analysis of urban park and trail visitor data (n = 3,209) explored nature dosage across racial groups (Asian, Black, White, and all BIPOC participants combined). Attaining the 120-minute nature dose threshold was significantly lower for those who identified as BIPOC compared to those who identified as White at trails. Notably, nature dose attainment was rather low among all respondents, regardless of race, with a maximum dose attainment of 25%. Planning efforts can address ways to increase dosage, and future studies can seek primary data and analyses to contextualize how intersectionality and distance impact nature dosage attainment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cover Legend The 28th Congress of the APSR (https://apsr2024.hk/) will be held in Hong Kong, 7–10 November 2024, hosted by the Hong Kong Thoracic Society (HKTS). Photo credit: Sok Kwu Wan bay scenery from the Family Walk trail on Lamma Island, Hong Kong by Wilding on stock.adobe.com [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic economic review examined the cost–benefit and cost-effectiveness of park, trail, and greenway infrastructure interventions to increase physical activity or infrastructure use. The search period covered the date of inception of publications databases through February 2022. Inclusion was limited to studies that reported cost–benefit or cost-effectiveness outcomes and were based in the U.S. and other high-income countries. Analyses were conducted from March 2022 through December 2022. All monetary values reported are in 2021 U.S. dollars. The search yielded 1 study based in the U.S. and 7 based in other high-income countries, with 1 reporting cost-effectiveness and 7 reporting cost–benefit outcomes. The cost-effectiveness study based in the United Kingdom reported $23,254 per disability-adjusted life year averted. The median benefit-to-cost ratio was 3.1 (interquartile interval=2.9–3.9) on the basis of 7 studies. The evidence shows that economic benefits exceed the intervention cost of park, trail, and greenway infrastructure. Given large differences in the size of infrastructure, intervention costs and economic benefits varied substantially across studies. There was insufficient number of studies to determine the cost-effectiveness of these interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article assesses India's views on the evolving liberal international economic order through an analysis of India's 2023 G20 presidency. Despite the G20's commitment to strong, sustainable, balanced, and inclusive growth (SSBIG), economic and social performance and prospects for the least developed economies have steadily deteriorated over the past decade, further compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic, geopolitical polarization and the return of war in Europe. India used the G20 as a platform to craft a distinctive, heterodox view on contemporary growth and development challenges to support its own economic rise and to provide political and intellectual leadership of the Global South. It also brokered the induction of the African Union as a full member of the G20. Through effective economic diplomacy, India's presidency delivered a consensus Leaders' document that articulates a heterodox growth and development model for itself and other emerging and developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Guangdong historical trail comprises two ancient trails, known as Yile (宜乐) and Xijing (西京); can be found within the borders of Lechang (乐昌); and is an integral part of the northern section of the Guangdong historical trail, connecting Hunan and Guangdong. Along these routes, there are various types of ancestral halls. The objectives of this study include analyzing various levels of information about ancestral hall architecture, determining their respective importance through AHP hierarchical analysis, classifying architectural features via cluster analysis using SPSS, and exploring the geographical distribution trajectories of ancestral halls along the ancient paths using GIS technology. Ultimately, this study seeks to shed light on the influence of different cultures brought by the ancient road on the distribution of architectural types and identify three distinct types of ancestral halls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, terrestrial invertebrates are in decline, in part due to habitat fragmentation. Footpaths provide nature-based recreation to the public but can present small-scale spatially continuous changes in forest dynamics. However, their effects on terrestrial invertebrate communities are unknown. Pitfall trapping was undertaken to identify whether terrestrial invertebrate communities were disrupted by a popular recreational footpath in Blean Woods, an ancient UK woodland. The study identified 720 invertebrates across 36 taxa from 20 footpath edge and forest interior traps. It was found that footpaths did not significantly affect terrestrial invertebrate communities. There was no difference in the taxonomic abundance, richness, and diversity; invertebrate trait abundance and richness; or invertebrate community composition between the footpath edge and woodland interior traps. Thus, footpaths in Blean Woods do not disturb the terrestrial invertebrate community, and therefore present a sustainable mechanism for facilitating public engagement with conservation in a nationally important protected ancient woodland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When older adults step over obstacles during multitasking, their performance is impaired; the impairment results from central and/or sensory interference. The purpose was to determine if sensory interference alters performance under low levels of cognitive, temporal, and gait demand, and if the change in performance is different for younger versus older adults. Participants included 17 younger adults (20.9±1.9 years) and 14 older adults (69.7±5.4 years). The concurrent task was a single, simple reaction time (RT) task: depress button in response to light cue. The gait task was stepping over an obstacle (8 m walkway) in three conditions: (1) no sensory interference (no RT task), (2) low sensory interference (light cue on obstacle, allowed concurrent foveation of cue and obstacle), or (3) high sensory interference (light cue away from obstacle, prevented concurrent foveation of cue and obstacle). When standing, the light cue location was not relevant (no sensory interference). An interaction (sensory interference by task, p<0.01) indicated that RT was longer for high sensory interference during walking, but RT was not altered for standing, confirming that sensory interference increased RT during obstacle approach. An interaction (sensory interference by age, p<0.01) was observed for foot placement before the obstacle: With high sensory interference, younger adults placed the trail foot closer to the obstacle while older adults placed it farther back from the obstacle. The change increases the likelihood of tripping with the trail foot for younger adults, but with the lead limb for older adults. Recovery from a lead limb trip is more difficult due to shorter time for corrective actions. Overall, visual sensory interference impaired both RT and gait behavior with low levels of multitask demand. Changes in foot placement increased trip risk for both ages, but for different limbs, reducing the likelihood of balance recovery in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]