Attractive Location Research Articles

Luwuk Banggai Geoheritage: A Story about the Collision and Obduction of the Banggai Microcontinent

Abstract Various publications have discussed the geological uniqueness of Banggai-Sula in numerous scientific papers. This interest increased particularly after the discovery of petroleum in the area, making it the only oil field operating on Sulawesi Island. In this region, a rather rare geological phenomenon occurs: obduction, which has brought ophiolite rocks from the eastern arm of Sulawesi (East Sulawesi Ophiolite belt) into collision with the Banggai-Sula microcontinent. This obduction process has resulted in various rock exposures related to the formation of the Luwuk landmass, the presence of nickel minerals, and the emergence of petroleum. The local government of Luwuk Regency then proposed to designate this area as a geopark with the aim of conserving its various rock exposures, developing earth science-based education, and empowering the community through tourism enhancement. Based on field observations, there are three geosites related to ophiolites, two geosites related to the Banggai-Sula microcontinent, two geosites related to post-collision sedimentation, and two geosites related to obduction and fault zones that will be proposed as geoheritage sites. All of these sites are located in areas with good access, beautiful views, and highly unique exposures. They could all become attractive locations for conservation, study, and development into tourist destinations.

Assessment of the demand for cultural ecosystem services Action Group association of a case study from Slovakia

Abstract This paper deals with the assessment of the demand for cultural using participatory mapping in the Local Action Group (LAG) ties of the White Carpathians and Trenčín Microregion and the Bošáčka vakia. CES as non-material services provided by ecosystems are development. While, tourism is not very developed in the case study of residents and visitors to the area were investigated and compared. per is to map the demand for CES, both from the perspective of and to propose appropriate forms of tourism for LAG municipalities ferent demand for CES. We collected the data using a questionnaire locations in the territory of the LAG from July to October in 2023, target groups (n=100 and n=108). Participatory mapping helped to locations in the country. Based on the results, we established a tance of locations in terms of tourism interest. The survey shows is influenced by the availability of the location as well as the about the area. In the case of attractive locations, both residents to tolerate the lack of tourism services such as small number of ing facilities, incomplete information or worse transport that high demand for CES prevails among residents and visitors in residents identified more locations where demand for CES occurs. search are of considerable importance in the implementation of the tem services in the territory development documents, since on their to strengthen and especially optimise the development of tourism Highlights for public administration, management and planning: This paper assesses demand for cultural ecosystem services (CES) tory mapping within specific regions of Slovakia, with a focus velopment in less-visited areas. Data collected from residents and visitors shows shared interest CES locations, where limited tourism infrastructure is tolerated natural and cultural appeal. Findings provide insight for integrating CES demand into plans, aiming to enhance and optimize tourism sustainably based tor preferences.

Hydrokinetic energy applications within hydropower tailrace channels: Implications, siting, and U.S. potential

Hydropower tailrace channels are unique and attractive locations for hydrokinetic energy harvesting due to fast currents, scheduled flow releases, proximity to existing structural and electrical infrastructures, and low risk of additional environmental impacts. However, energy-extracting devices create flow resistance, inducing a small but measurable water level increase which may diminish the available hydraulic head and reduce hydropower generation, defeating the initial value proposition. This study combines a one-dimensional momentum balance approach with the backwater equation for surface-varying open channel flow to analyze the water level increase and determine the optimal turbine siting distance that maximizes the net power production (balancing hydropower loss vs. hydrokinetic gain), as a function of the channel hydraulic conditions and the hydrokinetic turbine characteristics. Finally, using a subset of sites from the U.S. hydropower fleet, we provide a high-level estimation of the hydrokinetic potential available in tailraces in the United States and discuss two case studies. This work advocates for the adoption of hydrokinetic turbines downstream of dams as an opportunity to increase energy production at existing plants and Non-Powered Dams (NPDs) with minimal structural intervention, and, alternatively, as viable sites for large-scale field testing for hydrokinetic devices.

ROCK SLOPE STABILITY ASSESSMENT WITH PROPOSAL OF GEOTECHNICAL SOLUTIONS FOR UNSTABLE PARTS

In recent years, the lack of construction land in attractive locations, especially in urban areas, has posed increasing challenges to designers and builders. That is why projects for the construction pit protection and ensuring the permanent slopes stability are increasingly present in geotechnical engineering. This paper presents a practical example from the initial phase of the commercial building construction in a rock cut at the entrance to Vrbnik, island of Krk. Due to the lack of construction space, and the floor plan placement of the building itself and accompanying contents, the construction project planned the implementation of an almost vertical rock slope in the background of the main object. To be able to propose a conceptual solution that would ensure the permanent stability of the mentioned rock slope, during the excavation phase of the construction pit (cut), a geodetic survey of the found condition and a geotechnical-geological prospecting of the rock mass were performed. The purpose of the investigation was to determine the condition of the slope, along with detecting the quality zones of the rock mass according to different engineering classifications, and with the aim of proposing techniques that need to protect certain parts of the slope. As proof of the permanent stability of the slope, for the established parameters of the rock mass and the proposed geometry and protection techniques, a stability analysis was carried out for characteristic cross-sections.

A novel computational signal processing framework towards multimodal vital signs extraction using neck-worn wearable devices

Pulse rate (PR) and respiratory rate (RR) are two of the most important vital signs. Monitoring them would benefit from easy-to-use technologies. Hence, wearable devices would, in principle, be ideal candidates for such systems. The neck, although highly susceptible to artifacts, presents an attractive location for a diverse pool of physiological biomarkers monitoring purposes such as airflow sensing in a non-obstructive manner. This paper presents a methodology for PR and RR estimation using photoplethysmography (PPG) and accelerometry (Acc) sensors placed on the neck. Neck PPG and Acc signals were recorded from 22 healthy participants for RR estimation, where the resting subjects performed guided breathing following a visual metronome. Neck PPG signals were obtained from 16 healthy participants who breathed through an altitude generator machine in order to acquire a wider range of PR readings while at rest. The proposed methodology was able to provide rate estimates via a combination of recursive FFT-based dominance scoring coupled with an exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA)-driven aggregation scheme. The recursion aimed at bypassing sudden intra-window amplitude deviations caused by momentary artifacts, while the EWMA-based aggregation was utilized for handling inter-window artifact-induced deviations. To further improve estimation stability and confidence, estimates were calculated in the form of rate bands taking into account the relevant clinically acceptable error margins, and results when considering rate values and rate bands are presented and discussed. The framework was able to achieve an overall pulse rate value accuracy of 93.67±7.64\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$93.67\\pm 7.64$$\\end{document}% within the clinically acceptable ± 5 BPM with reference to the gold-standard reference devices while providing an overall respiratory rate value accuracy within the clinically appropriate ± 3 BrPM of 94.94±3.56\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$94.94\\pm 3.56$$\\end{document}% with reference to the guiding visual metronome, and 88.4±7.63\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$88.4\\pm 7.63$$\\end{document}% with respect to the gold-standard reference device. The proposed methodology achieves acceptable PR and RR estimation capabilities, even when signals are acquired from an unusual location such as the neck. This work introduces novel ideas that can lead to the development of medical device outputs for PR and RR monitoring, especially capitalizing on the advantages of the neck as a multi-modal physiological monitoring location.

Public residential charging of electric vehicles: An exploration of UK user preferences

In the global transition from fossil-fuel to electric vehicles (EVs), drivers without a driveway or attached garage at home are most likely to be dependent upon public charging options if they adopt an EV. To better understand how such drivers can be supported to switch to EVs, this study assesses how public charging might best mimic key attributes of private residential EV charging by investigating the preferences of a sample of 2001 car drivers from households in the UK without a driveway or attached garage. A stated choice experiment offered on-street or car-park options for overnight, public residential charging (PRC) with seven attributes – charging fee, space guarantee, duration of stay, walk time, security measures, walk experience, and payment frequency. Logit and latent class modelling are used to identify the relative importance of those attributes, and the manner in which their valuation varies according to study participants’ experiential legacy. This legacy is to some extent informed by their social identity; residential environment; and parking conditions, perceptions and intentions. Walk experience is shown to be the most highly valued non-monetary attribute overall, not least because many women consider this a particularly important attribute of PRC options. Meanwhile, parking-related variables, such as whether participants currently park on-street or pay to park, influences both price-sensitivity, willingness to walk to PRC and the valuation of a space guarantee. We conclude that diverse public residential charging options should be designed to offer certainty, reliability and affordability in safe, attractive locations near households without parking on their private property.

Geothermal energy potential of basement hot springs: Case study of Ulu Slim (Perak, Malaysia)

Interest in geothermal energy as a clean, renewable and stable source of energy is mounting as part of the strive towards carbon emissions reduction and transition away from fossil fuels. Hot springs occur in locations of active hydrothermal systems that may have exploitation potential and this paper assesses the potential of Ulu Slim hot-spring, the warmest of some 60 basement hot-springs reported across Peninsular Malaysia. Available data and analogue inferences i.e., hot-spring surface temperature and flowrate, applicable ranges in geothermal gradients, geothermometer indications of source temperature, hydraulic head differences related to surface topography, indicative and tentative fault and fracture dimensions, geometry and distribution, are summarized and supplemented by conceptual hydrodynamic- and thermodynamic-model calculations to bracket the possible range in key subsurface parameters like source depth and geometry and properties of the fracture system that control extractable heat. Results are then used in another mathematical model that simulates the heat-extraction and electric power potential of hypothetical wells drilled into the hot-spring source, supported by injector wells (re-injecting the cool waste stream from the powerplant). Model outcomes suggest that premature cooling due to fluid circulation through narrow fracture/fault corridors is a significant risk. Overall, study results suggest that utilizing the geothermal heat of hot springs like Ulu Slim for electric power generation may be not so straightforward. Maybe the search for attractive geothermal locations should be less guided by hot-spring locations but instead, driven by proximity to infrastructure and electricity demand.

One-Step Purification and N-Terminal Functionalization of Bioactive Proteins via Atypically Split Inteins.

Site-specific installation of non-natural functionality onto proteins has enabled countless applications in biotechnology, chemical biology, and biomaterials science. Though the N-terminus is an attractive derivatization location, prior methodologies targeting this site have suffered from low selectivity, a limited selection of potential chemical modifications, and/or challenges associated with divergent protein purification/modification steps. In this work, we harness the atypically split VidaL intein to simultaneously N-functionalize and purify homogeneous protein populations in a single step. Our method─referred to as VidaL-tagged expression and protein ligation (VEPL)─enables modular and scalable production of N-terminally modified proteins with native bioactivity. Demonstrating its flexibility and ease of use, we employ VEPL to combinatorially install 4 distinct (multi)functional handles (e.g., biotin, alkyne, fluorophores) to the N-terminus of 4 proteins that span three different classes: fluorescent (Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein, mCherry), enzymatic (β-lactamase), and growth factor (epidermal growth factor). Moving forward, we anticipate that VEPL's ability to rapidly generate and isolate N-modified proteins will prove useful across the growing fields of applied chemical biology.

A comparative ethical analysis of the Egyptian clinical research law

BackgroundIn this study, we examined the ethical implications of Egypt’s new clinical trial law, employing the ethical framework proposed by Emanuel et al. and comparing it to various national and supranational laws. This analysis is crucial as Egypt, considered a high-growth pharmaceutical market, has become an attractive location for clinical trials, offering insights into the ethical implementation of bioethical regulations in a large population country with a robust healthcare infrastructure and predominantly treatment-naïve patients.MethodsWe conducted a comparative analysis of Egyptian law with regulations from Sweden and France, including the EU Clinical Trials Regulation, considering ethical human subject research criteria, and used a directed approach to qualitative content analysis to examine the laws and regulations. This study involved extensive peer scrutiny, frequent debriefing sessions, and collaboration with legal experts with relevant international legal expertise to ensure rigorous analysis and interpretation of the laws.ResultsOn the rating of the seven different principles (social and scientific values, scientific validity, fair selection of participants, risk-benefit ratio, independent review, informed consent and respect for participants) Egypt, France, and EU regulations had comparable scores. Specific principles (Social Value, Scientific Value, and Fair selection of participants) were challenging to directly identify due to certain regulations embodying 'implicit' principles more than explicitly stated ones.ConclusionThe analysis underscores Egypt's alignment with internationally recognized ethical principles, as outlined by Emanuel et al., through its comparison with French, Swedish, and EU regulations, emphasizing the critical need for Egypt to continuously refine its ethical regulations to safeguard participant protection and research integrity. Key issues identified include the necessity to clarify and standardize the concept of social value in research, alongside concerns regarding the expertise and impartiality of ethical review boards, pointing towards a broader agenda for enhancing research ethics in Egypt and beyond.

Do urban renewal programs make suburbs safer? A fine-grained GIS and space syntax study of an urban renewal project in the city of Toulouse

ABSTRACT This paper evaluates the impact of urban renewal programs (PRU) on creating a safe environment. People’s perceptions of PRU and its impact on security were collected through questionnaires and sketch maps. This study applies a space syntax approach to analyse the spatial and structural properties of successive urban space evolutions and compare them with people’s perceptions of security. The findings reveal a strong correlation between areas with high levels of social housing concentration, poverty rates and insecurity. Surprisingly, visually controlled areas are vulnerable and attractive locations for drug trafficking. Density indicators have a minor influence on the perception of insecurity.

Ulikhet, marginalisering og politikk: erfaringer fra russiske monobyer

This paper addresses inequality and marginality in Russia through an urban lens. Mono-industrial cities, in short “monotowns”, are attractive locations for this research because of the legacy of city-building enterprises, industrial reconstruction, and crisis. Approaching experiences of people, whose voices are rarely heard in studies of (pre-war) Russia, the paper addresses two interconnected questions: How do people in monotowns describe experiences with marginality in the everyday? What does marginality mean for politics and societal development in Russia at war? The empirical analysis draws on experiences from three monotowns, Tolyatti, Nikel, and Zapolyarny. Interviews were conducted in the period 2019–2022. The analysis illustrates subjective experiences with urban transformation and includes reflections on industrial restructuring, downsizing, and precarity, as well as civic activism, entrepreneurship, and self-employment. Across these experiences, narratives of marginality and decay emerge, which complement research on political economic change in Russia with perspectives on a new social periphery. This development in monotows is situated in context of the global financial crisis 2008 and the annexation of Crimea in 2014. In conclusion, the experiences are about subjects living through the “transit” and endless “collapse” of the previous system. A final discussion addresses the risk marginality entails for political legitimacy in Russia.

GIS and remote sensing-based site suitability analysis for a new abattoir: a case study in Adola Woyu town, Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study aimed to determine the ideal location for an abattoir in Adola Woyu town, taking into account environmental considerations by utilizing remote sensing and GIS, and collaborated with Ethiopia’s national urban planning agency for guidance on urban land use planning. The study analyzed various factors such as land use, cover, elevation, slope, streams, distance from roads, high-tension lines, social services, and boreholes. Researchers found acceptable areas with a highly attractive location of 1.27%, 28.42% being suitable, 21.54% being somewhat suitable, and 48.75% being unsuitable by hierarchical weighting utilizing the MCE approach. The highly desirable areas are in the north-west, north-east, and south-east, classified as bare land. The suitable areas are near the edges of built-up zones, while the unsuitable sites are in developed areas. The study’s main objective is to have the abattoir situated in an ideal location to minimize environmental impact from liquid and solid waste, airborne waste, and noise pollution while promoting sustainable land-use practices. The results are readily applicable for land-use planners and managers to make informed decisions on the strategic placement of the abattoir. By implementing the study’s recommendations, we can effectively minimize negative impacts on adjacent ecosystems while promoting responsible and sustainable development practices.

Tourism Touché: USA Fencing’s Delicate Dance With Tournament Site Selection

This case explores the complex process of developing a national calendar of marquee events for the Olympic sport of fencing. USA Fencing, the national governing body, must meet diverse stakeholders’ needs while balancing competing priorities. Chief among the tensions is maximizing organizational revenues to fund operations versus minimizing costs and barriers to event access for participants. Suitable venues are scarce and clustered in major metropolitan areas with restrictive calendars. The limited number of potential locations impedes USA Fencing’s ability to extract concessions from host cities and negotiate hotel room rebates and venue rental fees. This also limits USA Fencing’s ability to accommodate other stakeholder preferences, such as attractive locations and adhering to a recently adopted policy to give preference to locations in states with inclusive laws regulating women’s reproductive health and LGBTQIA+ issues. With no perfect solutions, navigating these constraints requires judicious analysis of alternatives and artful negotiation between attendee demands and organizational imperatives to develop event schedules aligning with USA Fencing’s mission. By wrestling with this multidimensional resource allocation dilemma, students sharpen analytic skills and strategic decision-making competencies, grappling with the same complex questions event directors face in real-world scheduling environments marked by inadequacy and compromise.

Gorzów Wielkopolski As an Attractive Location for an Innovative River Port Equipped With a Sustainable Energy Security System

The role of inland navigation in the global logistics system is gaining significance. This process is stimulated by policies implemented by major economies and international organizations such as the European Union. The objective is to achieve sustainability in transportation by exploring alternatives to conventional infrastructure. These initiatives also extend to tourism and recreation associated with inland navigation. This article presents the results of an analysis related to the location of a tourist river port, considering optimized benefits and developmental opportunities. An interesting location meeting these criteria, as well as possessing scenic, cultural, ecological, and environmental values, is Gorzów Wielkopolski. In the second part of the article, the authors propose a concept for a sustainable energy system that meets the requirements of port operations and customer demands in an era of rapidly advancing technology and increased emphasis on environmental protection.

Faraway Hills May Not Be Greener; Can Ireland Maintain Its Competitive Advantage With a 15% Minimum Tax?

With its attractive 12.5% corporate tax rate, Ireland would seem to be most heavily impacted by the European Union’s decision to adopt the Pillar Two 15% global minimum tax. With implementation looming in 2024, questions have arisen about whether Ireland will be able to maintain its competitive advantage, even with the higher tax rate. In this Talking Points, Anna Crowley examines the steps the Irish government has taken to ward off any ill effects of the rate hike, as it seeks to maintain its position as an attractive location for foreign direct investment.

A Review of Data Intelligence Applications Within Healthcare Sector in the United States

Data intelligence technologies have transformed the United States healthcare sector, bringing about transformational advances in patient care, research, and healthcare management. United States is the focus due fact that many academic and research institutions in the country are at the forefront of healthcare data research, making it an attractive location for in-depth studies.This paper explores the diverse realm of Data Intelligence in Healthcare, examining its applications, challenges, ethical considerations, and emerging trends. Data Intelligence Applications encompass a spectrum of technologies designed to collect, process, analyze, and interpret data effectively. These apps enable healthcare practitioners to make more educated decisions, forecast health outcomes, manage population health, customize treatment, optimize workflows, assist research, improve data security, and drive healthcare analytics. However, the use of data intelligence applications raises issues and concerns about data privacy, fairness, transparency, data quality, accountability, fair data access, regulatory compliance, and the balance between automation and human judgment. Emerging themes include AI and machine learning domination, stronger ethical and regulatory frameworks, edge and quantum computing, data democratization, sustainability applications, and developing human-machine collaboration. Data intelligence has an impact that goes beyond healthcare delivery, influencing decision-making, scientific discovery, education, and economic growth. Understanding its potential and ethical responsibilities is paramount as data-driven insights redefine healthcare excellence and extend their influence across sectors.

Establishing a framework for the ethical and legal use of web scrapers by cybercrime and cybersecurity researchers: learnings from a systematic review of Australian research

Abstract The Internet has become an increasingly attractive location for collecting data about cyber threats, driven by the abundance of quality data available and accessible online. As such, researchers and practitioners have turned to automated data collection technologies (ADCT), including ‘web crawlers’ and ‘web scrapers’, to study these threats. The rapid proliferation of ADCT has meant directions for their ethical and legal operation have been slow to adapt, with no clear guidelines regulating their use for research. This article identifies the relevant ethical and legal frameworks guiding the deployment of ADCT in Australia for cybersecurity research. This is accomplished through a systematic review of research within this context, coupled with ethical and jurisprudential analysis. We argue that the use of ADCT can be both ethical and legal, but only where mitigating measures are implemented. We provide a series of practical directions to guide researchers and practitioners when navigating this novel terrain.

소셜미디어 관광 담론의 특징과 키치 관광과의 관계

The impact of social media on the travel and tourism sector has been growing over time as the digital environment has developed. The tourism literature has, however, hardly ever looked into the tourism discourses created on social media. The purpose of this essay is to investigate the type of tourism that is being promoted through social media discourse and to conceptualise aspects of that tourism using the term “kitsch.” In order to avoid the common negative associations with kitsch, it also aims to view it as a sociocultural phenomenon. Both quantitative (text mining) and qualitative (content analysis) methods were used to examine the tourism discourse on social media. According to research, social media portrays Busan as an attractive or exotic location by referring to it as “Venezia of Busan” and “Santorini of Busan,” instead of emphasising the identity of the location. Bloggers also demonstrate how to take a “proof-shot” using stunning scenery, and these “proof-shot” locations end up as landmarks for the location. Thus, through signs and images, aesthetic emotional consumption, conspicuous tourism behaviour, and vicarious satisfaction-all characteristics of kitsch tourism-the discourse created on social media creates a narrative that encourages play-oriented tourism. This study is important because it conceptualises the aspects of social media-disseminated tourism and explains why kitsch tourism is still popular today.

Carbon and Energy Life Cycle Analysis of Wind Energy Industry in Libya

By analyzing a wide range of energy, economic, and environmental variables for a variety of attractive locations in Libya, the study established the fundamentals of localizing the wind energy business in Libya. The estimate of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emission factor resulting from the conversion of wind energy into electric energy also includes the quantity of GHG emissions from cement manufacturing and transportation, as well as manufacturing (for various wind turbine manufacturers), sea transportation of wind energy equipment from the site of manufacture to the port of Tripoli, land transportation to the location of the wind energy farm, and calculating the energy and emissions used for recycling recyclable materials and for transportation. Hourly climate data over a 25-year period (1995-2020) were gathered from the SolarGis climate information portal. For many viable wind energy production locations in Libya, the System Advisor Model (SAM) software was used to calculate the productivity of wind farms with a 100 MW capacity. The study's findings showed that the Gamesa turbine, whose capital cost was around (146,916,400 dollars), had the best economic and environmental indices. The GHG emission rates for all the cities that were targeted ranged from 24-63g GHG/kWh. The time needed for carbon to recover ranged from 5.5 to 14.5 months. The expected energy payback time was 14 to 22 months. An LCOE's production costs ranged from 4.8 to 11.1 cents per kWh.

Built Space Hinders Lived Space: Social Encounters and Appropriation in Large Housing Estates

The fundamental structural, demographic, and socio-economic changes afflicting large housing estates in Eastern German cities raise questions about how these neighborhoods could be maintained and developed into attractive residential locations where people want to live and settle down. Besides personal, social, economic, and even administrative factors, individual location decisions are influenced by the physical conditions of space and how they affect a sense of “home”—a crucial precondition for long-term habitation. In terms of urban planning and regeneration activities, we ask: To what extent do the current physical and infrastructural conditions (“built space”) of large housing estates encourage residents to “feel at home”? We understand home as an atmosphere of well-being and belonging that is based on the individual and communal appropriation of spaces, which in turn presupposes the possibility of contact and social exchanges among neighbors. The concept of “home” we present here is grounded in philosophical anthropology, new phenomenology, and architectural theory. It provides a specific spatial approach to housing from which we develop indicators to evaluate space. In particular, we apply the concept of “lived space” to evaluate infrastructural amenities, open and green spaces, as well as built structures in three case studies of large housing estates in East German cities. We aim to uncover local potentials for and obstacles to spatial appropriation and encounters in these settings. This allows us to draw conclusions on how urban regeneration policies and measures can make large housing estates more liveable in the long term by promoting encounters and appropriation.