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This introductory view of the relationships and issues that connect contemporary urban regeneration with the climate crisis and its consequences represents a work in progress. While noting many close connections between regeneration and climate action, the paper suggests that full understanding of the connections and their further development requires much more work in clarifying the detail around climate change challenges. These challenges come at every level of society from individual people to international governments, and good practice is emerging. As well as mitigation and adaptation -- the two key actions in response to climate change -- there is need for clear communication, both to educate us all about these actions and to support campaigning to encourage other groups and agencies to do so as well. The burning question overall is what will good and effective regeneration look like under these changing conditions? There is a need to review and potentially replace past solutions with approaches that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, so that we can become more fit for the 22nd century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SQL injection is a type of database-targeted attack for data-driven applications. It is performed by inserting malicious code in the SQL query to alter and modify its meaning, enabling the attacker to retrieve sensitive data or to access the database. Many techniques have been improved and proposed to detect and mitigate these types of attacks. This paper provides a systematic review for a pool of 60 papers on web applications' SQL injection detection methods. The pool was selected using a developed searching and filtering methodology for the existing literature based on scholar databases (IEEE, ScienceDirect, and Springer) with the aim to provide specific answering for several research questions in the area of SQL injection detection. This provides a basis for the design and use of effective SQL injection detection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper assesses four relevant climate actions in Indian agricultural sector through the lens of United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to understand how climate actions (SDG 13) are linked with other SDGs and their targets and what measures can be taken to scale up these actions. Four board categories of climate actions are considered for this exercise: shift to less-flooded paddy water management practices; minimizing overuse of nitrogen-based fertilizer, system of rice intensification and climate smart agricultural practices. A mixed method has been followed: first, scoping review of literature between 2010 and 2022 is undertaken to capture the growing body of literature and then a normalized weighted score is used to understand the net strength of the linkages. Scoping review helped in identifying 100 studies spanned across Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) and the eastern part of Peninsular India. Findings from the scoring method suggest that these practices have linkages with 15 SDGs and as many as 43 SDG targets. Almost all linkages are positive (synergy) but there are a few negative linkages (trade-offs) as well. Trade-offs include exacerbating inequalities including gender, high upfront cost, requirement of skilled labor, lack of access to information and finance. This paper provides a detailed description of these trade-offs and suggests measures to tackle and minimize them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has emerged as a transformative paradigm for network management, offering centralized control and programmability. However, with the proliferation of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks that pose significant threats to network infrastructures, effective mitigation strategies are needed. The subject matter of this study is to explore the importance of datasets in the mitigation of DDoS attacks in SDN environments. The paper discusses the significance of datasets for training machine learning models, evaluating detection mechanisms, and enhancing the resilience of SDN-based defense systems. Goal of the paper is to assist researchers in effectively selecting and usage of datasets for DDoS mitigation in SDN, thereby maximizing benefits and overcoming challenges involved in dataset selection. This paper outlines the challenges associated with dataset collection, labeling, and management, along with potential solutions to address these challenges. Effective detection and mitigation of DDoS attacks in SDN require robust datasets that capture the diverse and evolving nature of attack scenarios. Characterization of tasks for each section is as follows: Importance of datasets in DDoS attack mitigation in SDN, challenges in dataset utilization in DDoS mitigation in SDN, Guidelines for dataset selection, comparison of datasets used and their results and different dataset usage according to the need. Methodology involves collecting results in tabular form based on prior research to analyze the characteristics of existing datasets, techniques for dataset augmentation and enhancement, and evaluating the effectiveness of different datasets in detecting and mitigating DDoS attacks through comprehensive experimentation. Results of our findings indicate that effective detection and mitigation of DDoS attacks in SDN require robust datasets that capture the diverse and evolving nature of attack scenarios. Our findings provide valuable insights into the importance of datasets in enhancing the resilience of SDN infrastructures against DDoS attacks. In conclusion, ourfindings provide valuable insights into the importance of datasets in enhancing the resilience of SDN infrastructures against DDoS attacks and highlight the need for further research in this critical area. Thorough guidelines for dataset selection and impacts of different datasets used in recent studies, provide research challenges and future directions in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to investigate the role of deontic modality as a strategic means of mitigating evaluative meanings within and across texts. Evaluative meanings concern the function of language as used to express the speaker's or writer's subjective opinions, and such meanings have been extensively analysed through Appraisal framework. The framework has been used to account for evaluative/attitudinal meanings in texts, as well as dealing with the interaction of voices as one way through which speakers and writers can attribute evaluations to third parties in order to downplay or distance themselves from the evaluations that are expressed. Within the literature on Appraisal, however, the potential for deontic modality to mitigate subjective evaluation in texts has largely been overlooked and, thus, under-analysed. In this paper therefore, we develop a systems network for analysing the role of deontic modality and its interaction with other features as a tool for text analysis. We illustrate the distinctions in the network with examples of contrasting values from hard news stories that covered the 2011 public sector workers' strike in Botswana and finish up with a short textual analysis to demonstrate how the consideration of deontic modality as a strategy of mitigation can not only enhance our understanding of how evaluative meanings are downplayed or overridden in texts, but also of how the distinctions between text types themselves can be blurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of National Nutrition Journal / Media Gizi Indonesia is the property of Universitas Airlangga 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.)

In this paper the role of a sociologist/criminologist as a mitigation expert in a case of double murder is examined. The defendant was a young black male defendant. The victims were his 8-month pregnant girlfriend and their unborn child. The defendant was born into terrible social circumstances; including five generations of violence; sexual abuse; incarcerated; and neglect. The circumstances of his tragic life leading up to the murder is presented as mitigation. The author of this paper has worked as a sociologist/ mitigation expert for almost 30 years in over 300 sentencing hearings/penalty phases most of which were capital murder but have also included manslaughter, habitual offenders, Miller cases; and other cases of violent crimes where the sentence is plastic. The utility of sociology in criminal cases in general is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) provides both financial and expert support for sustainable forest management initiatives and also boosts compliance with such initiatives in Africa. Thus, there is a need to monitor the progress of implementing such initiatives. The objective of this paper is to describe the role of timber harvesting entities in environmental impact discussions, and to also identify the role of EU institutions in promoting forest sustainability in Sierra Leone. Data were collected in a controlled survey from four communities, using a questionnaire formulated according to guidelines recommended by Babbie and Mouton (2010). The reliability test shows a 0.68 internal consistency among the latent variables (Cronbach alpha test). The selected four communities were Bambawo, Dia, Basara, and Menima, with a population of 6 000, 5 400, 7 500, and 5 600 inhabitants, respectively (Stats SL 2021). A Confirmatory Factor Assessment (CFA) was used for a descriptive statistical analysis of the data. The results showed that the environmental impact has an eigenvalue of 1.08, where only variables with a factor loading exceeding 0.5 were used. The paper concludes with discussions and relevant recommendations on mitigating the impacts of timber harvesting on the environment within the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Due to the current volatile environment and fierce competition, manufacturing firms (MFs) must improve their performance to survive. In this regard, checking and monitoring the suppliers' risk should significantly improve the performance of MFs. In addition, a relation based on not being an opportunist, confidence and reliance are influential factors in reducing the supplier defaults on his/her supply obligations and improving supply chain performance (SCP). Besides, the moderator function of supplier involvement (SI) in the relationship between quality of the relationship (QoR) and supply risk mitigation (SRM) is undeniable. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the survey of 148 samples from small to large-sized MFs in Jordan, Turkey and Egypt, empirical evidence has been conducted to support a majority of the authors' hypotheses. This paper provides a theoretical review of buyer–supplier relationships and supply risk. Hypotheses were tested by using structural equation modeling (SEM)/Smart PLS-4. Findings: According to the results, confidence and reliance have statistically significant and positive impacts on SRM, resulting in better SCP. Moreover, the findings show that SI positively affects and moderates the relationship between confidence (C) and SRM, while it has no statistically significant influence on the relationship between reliance (R) and SRM. Practical implications: This study provides necessary material for managers and decision-makers in MFs to confirm the importance and understanding of the QoR in building relationships and business dealings with partners in the SC, in addition to limiting and mitigating the risks of an interruption in supply in particular. Therefore, building a high-quality relationship as a practice based on trust and reliability with suppliers positively affects the performance of the SCs of MFs. Originality/value: This research paper offers empirical evidence for using QoR within SRM resources of MFs' context for enhancing their supply chain performance. This study is one of few studies that examine the QoR and SRM that contribute to enhancing SCP in MFs in developing countries, which also can serve as a reference for many SC managers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the role of electricity in the transition to renewable energy to mitigate climate change. A systematic literature review with the Scopus database identified 92 papers relevant to the renewable electricity transition. A PESTLE (Political, Economic, Sociological, Technological, Legal, and Environmental) review of the papers provided a multidisciplinary analysis. The Paris Agreement created a global movement for carbon neutrality to address the threats of climate change, calling for a transition to renewable electricity to lead the way and expand into new sectors and regions. Although smaller renewable technologies are ramping up, complexities thwarting the transition include locked-in assets, high upfront costs, variability of solar and wind energy, infrastructure, difficulty in decarbonizing transportation and industry, material resource constraints, and fossil fuel support. This research found that renewables are not replacing fossil fuels to date but adding further energy demands, so that greenhouse gas emissions rose in 2021 despite an increased renewable electricity share. Without a major shift in the trillions of dollars of subsidies and investment away from fossil fuels to renewables, catastrophic climate change is predicted. This paper found that the Paris Agreement's commitment to net-zero carbon and the transition to renewable electricity are undermined by record-high levels of subsidies and financing for fossil fuel industry expansion. Transitioning to a climate-neutral economy requires an investment away from fossil fuels into renewable energy ecosystems. Renewable electricity provides possibilities to realize sustainable development goals, climate stabilization, job creation, a green economy, and energy security with careful planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is an editorial published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science titled "Farm animal welfare and climate change: methods of assessment and mitigation." The editorial highlights the intersection of farm animal welfare and climate change as a critical area of concern in veterinary sciences. It emphasizes the need for innovative solutions to protect animal well-being and the environment. The editorial introduces a research topic that explores the relationship between farm animal welfare and climate change, focusing on assessment methods and mitigation strategies. The research papers included in the topic cover various aspects such as genetic merit in dairy heifers, thermal well-being of dairy calves, physiological response of pigs to heat stress, effects of transportation stress on piglets, and the unique adaptations of yaks in harsh environments. The interdisciplinary nature of the research presented underscores the importance of comprehensive strategies to address the challenges arising from the intersection of farm animal welfare and climate change. The editorial concludes by emphasizing the role of the veterinary community in promoting sustainable and humane livestock farming practices. [Extracted from the article]

Cybersecurity is a significant concern for businesses worldwide, as cybercriminals target business data and system resources. Cyber threat intelligence (CTI) enhances organizational cybersecurity resilience by obtaining, processing, evaluating, and disseminating information about potential risks and opportunities inside the cyber domain. This research investigates how companies can employ CTI to improve their precautionary measures against security breaches. The study follows a systematic review methodology, including selecting primary studies based on specific criteria and quality valuation of the selected papers. As a result, a comprehensive framework is proposed for implementing CTI in organizations. The proposed framework is comprised of a knowledge base, detection models, and visualization dashboards. The detection model layer consists of behavior-based, signature-based, and anomaly-based detection. In contrast, the knowledge base layer contains information resources on possible threats, vulnerabilities, and dangers to key assets. The visualization dashboard layer provides an overview of key metrics related to cyber threats, such as an organizational risk meter, the number of attacks detected, types of attacks, and their severity level. This relevant systematic study also provides insight for future studies, such as how organizations can tailor their approach to their needs and resources to facilitate more effective collaboration between stakeholders while navigating legal/regulatory constraints related to information sharing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scenarios are central to fisheries and aquatic conservation research on climate change. Scenarios project future greenhouse-gas emissions, which climate models translate into warming projections. Recent climate research and global development trends have significantly changed our understanding of plausible emissions pathways to 2100 and climate sensitivities to emissions. Here, we review these developments and make recommendations for scenario use in fisheries and aquatic conservation research. Although emissions pathways are uncertain, recent research suggests that scenarios producing ∼3.4–4.5 W/m2 radiative forcing by 2100 (e.g. scenarios SSP2-3.4 and SSP2-4.5/RCP4.5) might be most plausible. This corresponds to ∼2–3 degrees C global warming by 2100 with median climate sensitivities, or 1.5–4 degrees C considering climate-system uncertainties. Higher- and lower-emissions scenarios (e.g. RCP2.6 and RCP6.0) might be plausible and should be explored in research. However, high-emission scenarios (RCP8.5/SSP5-8.5, SSP3-7.0) seem implausible and should be used with clear rationales and caveats to ensure results are not misinterpreted by scholars, policymakers, and media. We analyse fisheries and aquatic conservation papers published from 2015 to 2022 in major journals, and find that RCP8.5/SSP5-8.5 are the most commonly used scenarios, though RCP4.5/SSP2-4.5 use has increased since 2020. Studies predominantly project quantitative rather than qualitative differences between these scenarios' impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caribbean Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Given high mitigation and adaptation costs and constrained domestic finances, they seek international funding to meet their climate objectives. This paper investigates Caribbean SIDS perspectives on the role of international climate finance in addressing climate change and its effectiveness in meeting climate goals. The paper first explored the climate financing needs of sixteen Caribbean SIDS through a content analysis of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It then compares the climate finance needs of the region with international climate finance commitments received by examining climate finance trends using data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Development Assistance Committee’s (DAC) Creditor Reporting System (CRS). The study revealed large gaps in estimating the climate finance needs of the region, as well as important patterns in the way climate finance is being distributed across mitigation, adaptation and overlap activity; principal versus significant climate objective; recipient country; sector; and source and type of funding. These findings are useful to help countries make decisions about how international climate finance should be used, and how its impacts should be evaluated and a basis for climate finance negotiations and dialogue with bilateral development partners and multilateral climate funds, and to assess whether available funds are being put to good use and identify problems that need to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to pressure to improve energy efficiency, the maritime industry may soon face demands to reduce underwater noise from shipping. This is illustrated by a large number of studies being reviewed by UN panels to bring clarity to the subject. In this paper, the studies relevant to shipping and shipbuilding are reviewed. From this review the progress of the consultative process, possible shortcomings, and potential collaborative actions beneficial to the marine industry are identified. Key revelations include inconsistencies in the way the scientific community represents shipping noise and areas where more focus is needed to ensure resilience. Furthermore, several future research focus topics are suggested in order to address these issues. This paper does not argue for or against underwater noise being viewed as harmful to marine life; it only serves to review the current consultative process and how the maritime industry could benefit from participating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector is receiving increasing attention in climate change mitigation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission offsetting. The sector itself and measures applied to mobilize this sector in order to tackle climate change are dominant in nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement as well as in national strategies, as in the case of Lithuania. Lithuania has set the goal of becoming a carbon-neutral country in 2050, reducing GHGs by 80% compared to 1990 and offsetting the remaining 20% through the LULUCF sector. Therefore, this paper aims at analyzing historical land-use changes in 1990–2021, as reported for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, and LULUCF's potential to achieve climate change mitigation goals, taking into account different land-use change scenarios (business as usual, forest development, forest development + additional measures and forest land 40% + additional measures) for 2030 and 2050 in Lithuania. The scenarios are based on historical and potential future policy-based land-use changes. Projections of GHG emissions/removals for different scenarios are prepared according to the Good Practice Guidance and Uncertainty Management in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (2006) by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The results indicate that land-use changes over the period 1990–2021 remained rather stable, with some increases in forest area and grassland at the expense of cropland. The whole LULUCF sector acted as a carbon sink in most cases, forests being a key category for removal. However, reaching climate neutrality in 2050 might be challenging, as the goal to offset 20% of remaining GHG emission compared to 1990 through LULUCF would not be met in any of the scenarios analyzed, even the scenario of maximal forest-area development and additional measures. Considering the high historical GHG-removal fluctuations and the uncertainties of the sector itself, caution should be taken when relying on LULUCF's potential to reach the set goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research paper extensively covers the phenomenon of bioaccumulation, focusing on its impact in freshwater ecosystems, particularly on fish. It details how heavy metals like mercury, lead, cadmium, and arsenic, originating from industrial pollution, agricultural runoff, and atmospheric deposition, accumulate in fish tissues over time. The abstract highlights the adverse effects of such bioaccumulation on fish health, including reproduction issues, growth abnormalities, and organ damage. It also underscores the consequent risks to human health when these contaminated fish are consumed. The study emphasizes the importance of addressing heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems through effective waste management, reduction of industrial discharges, sustainable agricultural practices, and regular monitoring of fish populations. This approach is crucial to manage and mitigate the risks of heavy metal bioaccumulation in freshwater fish, thereby protecting both aquatic life and human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change impacts occur at varying spatial scales requiring appropriately scaled responses. In impoverished rural areas, adapting to or mitigating the effects of climate change is challenging, with any short-term impairment to precarious livelihoods likely triggering negative community responses even if people are aware of long-term benefits. The paper will discuss a community-based carbon sequestration project in eastern Iran. It started in 2003 and since then has been expanded widely. It was nominated by UNDP as one of 10 transformative projects in Asia/Pacific in 2016. Over the past 20 years, the project has targeted improving the livelihood of the local communities while addressing local measures to adapt to/mitigate climate change. The paper elaborates on the formation of village development groups as pivotal drivers of success by highlighting local income-generating schemes and project documentation. Key lessons for climate change adaptation can be learnt and are applicable to other developing countries. Extreme poverty in rural areas facing climate change could be tackled through implementing bottom-up approaches in which local communities can be respected and engaged in co-leadership and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThe first climate action stocktake cycle under the Paris Agreement was completed in 2023 to assess global progress on mitigation, adaptation, and climate finance goals. State-driven action needs to be complemented by sectoral efforts, and this paper builds on the first Tourism Stocktake undertaken in 2023 that examined climate action in the tourism sector. First, an expert elicitation survey was conducted to validate and deepen the findings from the stocktaking activity. Second, an analysis of the Stocktake’s 40 metrics was undertaken against six criteria of indicator quality. The expert survey revealed a sector still in the early stages of implementing its climate response, with a consensus that 2030 tourism emission reduction targets would not be achieved. Tourism policy and investment were deemed inconsistent with climate ambitions, and current adaptation is insufficient for projected climate change, so that future impacts will restrict tourism development in some destinations. Analysis of the metrics exposed significant data gaps and a core set of 13 robust metrics to measure change over the next stocktaking cycle is identified. The paper concludes with recommendations to advance sector capabilities and collaboration to monitor progress on climate action for an updated Tourism Stocktake in 2026. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's sense of place is important for wellbeing, development and belonging in a community or place. The VIP-CLEAR (Voices in a Pandemic – Children's Lockdown Experiences Applied to Recovery) project used creative methods and repeat engagement to capture children's experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic in socially disadvantaged, urban settings, in Bristol, UK. This paper focuses on findings from the two-phased 'deep mapping' activity conducted in schools with 6–11-year-olds to consider children's sense of place at this time. Children's maps showed how their mobility was restricted to the home and/or adult-controlled, looped routes for functional tasks rather than child-directed exploration. Key locations - including school, family houses, and parks - were disconnected and highlighted as sites of 'absence', where children were excluded. These places were given meaning due to pre-COVID practice, sensory experience, and/or their relationship with valued people. As pandemic mitigation relaxed, children's maps showed increasing connections and greater visibility of the community and non-essential activities. As places changed, the amplification of existing social inequalities became apparent. In both phases, sense of place evolved and digital and natural spaces (through animals) showed potential for children to increase practice and connections with place. A strong sense of place may support adaptation to change, and this paper contributes to limited research on how children's sense of place is dynamic, altering with fluctuating social and environmental conditions, e.g. mitigation of a global pandemic. The implications of findings on future recovery planning involving children are also considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet of Things is a disruptive technology that has changed the face of many industries. On the contrary, the unpresidential growth of IoT has also introduced many cybersecurity challenges. An adversary can exploit a zero-day vulnerability in an IoT to create a botnet of things. An IoT botnet is a group of compromised Internet of Things weaponized to launch cyber attacks. Machine learning and other artificial intelligence techniques are being used to combat the wide range of cyberattacks on the Internet of Things. However, in order to overcome challenges such as early diagnosis, real-time monitoring, and adaptability to different threats, these Machine Learning approaches still require significant feature engineering. In order to identify IoT botnet assaults early on, this paper suggests using a customized convolutional neural network (CCNN) model. The four phases of the model are feature extraction, attack detection, mitigation, and pre-processing. The class imbalance has been improved and the input data pre-processed using the Enhanced Synthetic minority oversampling approach. Furthermore, flow-based features, raw attributes, mean, median, standard deviation, improved entropy, mutual information, and other statistical features are retrieved and regarded as part of the feature set. The CCNN model provides the detection or classification output during the attack detection phase, which operates depending on the features derived from the input data. Additionally, a mitigation process based on entropy has been suggested to locate the attacker node, aiding in the removal of the susceptible attacker IoT node from the network. The compromised IoT node is removed through the entropy-based mitigation method, which establishes the entropy formulation based on the node's activity. The suggested model's specificity is 97.09%, compared to the minimal specificity reached by conventional techniques, including CNN (83.58%), RNN (86.17%), RF (60.46%), SVM (78.50%), and DNN (84.12%) and SMIE (88.42%), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen embrittlement (HE) remains a pressing issue in materials science and engineering, given its significant impact on the structural integrity of metals and alloys. This exhaustive review aims to thoroughly examine HE, covering a range of aspects that collectively enhance our understanding of this intricate phenomenon. It proceeds to investigate the varied effects of hydrogen on metals, illustrating its ability to profoundly alter mechanical properties, thereby increasing vulnerability to fractures and failures. A crucial section of the review delves into how different metals and their alloys exhibit unique responses to hydrogen exposure, shedding light on their distinct behaviors. This knowledge is essential for customizing materials to specific applications and ensuring structural dependability. Additionally, the paper explores a diverse array of models and classifications of HE, offering a structured framework for comprehending its complexities. These models play a crucial role in forecasting, preventing, and mitigating HE across various domains, ranging from industrial settings to critical infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the climate-development interface, research for development gained a strong interest in climate-smart agriculture and sustainable forms of intensification. Moreover, the urgency to respond to climate change stimulates a strong and sometimes exclusive focus on mitigation, driven by research-based agricultural practices. In the livestock sector, this materialises in strategies to lower emissions from livestock, which centralises the adoption question: what can we do to stimulate the use of best practices by smallholder farmers? This paper flags the risk that this outlook may overlooksmallholder farmers' capacities to navigate sub-optimal conditions of drought or scarcity. The paper applies an alternative lens for understanding 'agriculture-as-performance' and highlights smallholder cattle owners' agency and resourcefulness. It aims to create a conceptual space to examine how adaptive capacities are grounded in the rhythms of agriculture under suboptimal conditions. Empirically, the study focuses on the cattle-feeding practices of five farming households evolving through seasons and lifetimes in a sedentary agricultural system in Kenya. Our frame identifies diverse affordances, conceptualised as opportunities for actions, emerging and disappearing in the immediate material environment, and we portray cattle feeding as a networked response anchored in practices of giving, sharing, and receiving. We use our insights into the dynamics and performance of entangled socio-technical practices to sketch the contours of an alternative pathway for agriculture for development. We argue in favour of a shift from an exclusive focus on the adoption of predefined optimal solutions to a diagnostic and catalytic approach integrating situated adaptive performances through which farming households respond to action opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated how e-procurement can reduce corruption in construction project delivery in Rivers State. The study followed a survey research design. We distributed one hundred and fifty-six questionnaires (156) to various professionals in both the public and private sectors, of which one hundred and twelve (112) returned and deemed valid for further analysis. The data collection and measurement instrument was a well-structured, standardised questionnaire based on Likert five-point scales and used to elicit responses from a variety of professionals. We analysed the major issues of the study using statistical tools (SPSS version 25.0) and Microsoft Excel software, which included factor analysis, mean item score (MIS), and relative importance index. According to the study's findings, there are several factors that contribute to corrupt practices in construction project delivery, including a lack of control mechanisms, poor record documentation, monopolies, and personal greed. The study also uncovered the use of various e-procurement tools and techniques, such as an internet-based tool, a web-based enterprise resource planning tool, an e-sourcing tool, an e-tendering tool, and others, to counteract corrupt practices in construction project delivery. Furthermore, the findings reveal that measures are in place to combat corrupt practices in construction project delivery, such as the government's commitment to open contracting, the establishment of a formal integrity framework, the implementation of construction work and process supervision throughout the project's lifecycle, and so on. The study recommends that the government, as a matter of policy, should be organizing periodic awareness and reorientation workshops and seminars via professional association platforms through web-based portals for both the public and private sectors, and enlightening them of the dangers of factors precipitating corrupt practices in construction project delivery. There is a need to implement all eprocurement tools and techniques in both public and private companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) like nitrous oxide (N2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) are both emitted and removed by soils. Accurate worldwide allocations of carbon budget are essential for land use planning, global climate change, and climate-related research. Precise measurements, drivers, and mitigation strategies are necessary, given agricultural soil's significant potential storage and emission capacities. Different agricultural management practices cause greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into the atmosphere and contribute to anthropogenic emissions. Agricultural soils can generate 70% of the world's manmade N2O emissions and also behave as a CO2 sink and a source of organic carbon and as producers and consumers of CH4. When it comes to agronomic management, the source and sink of all these GHGs are distinct. Therefore, several approaches to measuring GHG emissions from agricultural soils are available and can be categorized into chamber systems and remote sensing approaches. Sustainable agriculture stands out as a viable and transformative approach to increase agricultural efficiency while addressing the challenge of GHG emissions. Incorporating advanced technologies, precise data analytics, and site-specific management practices can offer a pathway to mitigate GHG emissions, thereby reducing the global warming potential (GWP). Therefore, this review paper focuses solely on the drivers influencing and involving soil emissions and on quantification approaches for GHG emissions. In addition, mitigation practices aimed at optimizing GHG emissions from agricultural soils are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to highlight the relevance of ancient international adaptation measures of built heritage and how can they be relevant and applied to Norway. Specifically, it will focus on historic measures applied to mitigate extreme hazards (fire and floods) and slow degradation (decay) of built heritage. For this, we used the scientific database Google Scholar (GS) and 20 papers and reports were deemed relevant for our analysis. There is a limited body of literature (in English) addressing decay and fire, but a richer one referring to floods. The analysis highlights the fact that there is a gap between theory and practice within contemporary adaptation measures (which is also highlighted by previous studies). It was also shown that historic climate adaptation measures are passed on through generations and traditions, rather than scientific research, a finding also supported by UNESCO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to discuss the importance of the climate crisis and embodied carbon in the landscape architecture sector. The study was carried out in a multiprofessional team with the collaboration of the Landscape Institute (LI) Chartered Body of Landscape Architecture, UK, and experts in the field. Using the expertise and knowledge of professionals as well as existing landscape examples and pioneering tools on carbon, this review paper focuses on the importance of low/net-zero carbon landscapes for our cities and regions and the ways in which these can contribute to the broader health and wellbeing of our communities. Examining the current situation on carbon methodologies and the latest knowledge on carbon calculations through a landscape lens, the paper explores why embodied carbon is important for open spaces/landscapes and the necessary policies to support a more efficient implementation of these concepts. The intensity of recent environmental challenges demands action. This review highlights the need for holistic approaches that integrate embodied carbon calculations on large-scale landscape design. Using the innovative example of the Pathfinder App, a carbon calculation tool, as well as other similar software, this paper argues that more steps are needed towards the calculation and adaptation of CO2 emissions resulting from design, construction and materials in landscape schemes. The low availability of carbon calculation tools, specially developed for landscape schemes, is a major concern for the profession as it creates several issues with the sustainable development of the landscape projects as well as fragmented policies that exclude spatial and open spaces. Even though carbon calculation and embodied carbon are being calculated in buildings or materials, it is a relatively new area when it comes to land, the landscape and open and green space, and therefore, this study will present and discuss some of the pioneering carbon calculation tools focusing on landscape projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease is a contagious respiratory ailment that has spread significantly around the world. Most cases of COVID-19 are spread from person to person by coming into contact with respiratory droplets that are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. In this manuscript, we have highlighted the possible transmission of COVID-19 through food, water, air and paper. In the case of food, we have extensively covered the transmission of COVID-19 through meat, frozen foods, food packaging and food market along with the incidences worldwide. In the nextsection, we have highlighted the different components of air which are responsible for the transmission and also covered its relation with PM 2.5 incidence. The SARS-CoV-2 was isolated from sewage water/wastewater of various countries namely the United States, India, Australia, Netherlands and France signifying that wastewater can be a mode of virus transmission. The paper circulation by the infected COVID-19 patients can also be a virus conveyance route. It can be concluded that SARS-CoV-2 can therefore be transmitted indirectly through food via the workers involved in food packing or food marts. By following general safety precautions (wearing masks, using hand sanitisers, cleaning and disinfecting contact surfaces, and avoiding close contact), heating and using chemicals like ethanol (67-71%), sodium hypochlorite (0.1%) and hydrogen peroxide (0.5%) on environmental surfaces, along with vaccination, it is possible to reduce the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]