Nearby Places Research Articles

Development of a metaverse model to enhance Renu Nakhon Phu-Thai cultural tourism in Nakhon Phanom Province, Thailand

This research aimed to: 1) develop a metaverse model to enhance Renu Nakhon Phu-Thai cultural tourism in Nakhon Phanom Province 2) assess the suitability of the metaverse model to enhance Renu Nakhon Phu-Thai cultural tourism, and 3) study the satisfaction of using the metaverse model of Phu-Thai cultural tourism. This research adopted a qualitative study approach. The research method comprised three steps: 1) developing a model synthesis using document synthesis techniques, 2) assessing the suitability of the metaverse model with input from 9 experts, and 3) implementing the metaverse model for Renu Nakhon Phu-Thai. The target group for the study included 400 tourists in the Mueang Nakhon Phanom area who used the metaverse model of Renu Nakhon Phu-Thai between November 2022 and January 2023, selected through purposive sampling. Data collection tools included: 1) a form for synthesizing the data, 2) a suitability assessment form, and 3) a web application satisfaction questionnaire. Statistical analysis of the collected data involved calculating the mean and standard deviation. The results indicated that the development of the metaverse model to enhance Renu Nakhon Phu-Thai cultural tourism in Nakhon Phanom Province comprised three elements: 1) cultural architecture, 2) local wisdom identity, and 3) creative local community. The developed metaverse model of Renu Nakhon Phu-Thai was found to be highly suitable for use (mean = 4.17, standard deviation = 0.54). Moreover, satisfaction with the developed metaverse model was high (mean = 4.30, standard deviation = 0.76). Suggestions for improvement included adding a distance calculation section and a map of nearby places to aid tourists in deciding whether they could travel at their desired time using the metaverse model.

The Politics of Refugee Resettlement in the Asia Pacific: Belonging and ICT-enabled Transnational Settlement

Abstract This conceptual article examines the interplay of forced displacement and resettlement across the Asia Pacific, situated against the backdrop of unprecedented global displacement, rapid uptake of information communication technologies, and strong border governance regimes. Emphasising the centrality of the politics of belonging, this article distinguishes between refugee resettlement, focused on protection, and the broader concept of refugee settlement as part of a larger project of belonging. Recognising that less than 1 per cent of refugees globally are able to access resettlement pathways every year, we present the implications of ICT-enabled transnational settlement, using New Zealand and Australia’s refugee resettlement programmes to anchor this analysis. By examining ongoing transnational connections, particularly through social media, this article illuminates how refugees can negotiate relationships with nearby and distant places. It outlines a spectrum of opportunities and challenges within resettlement and settlement contexts, transcending traditional territorial boundaries defined by the state and local jurisdictions. This article concludes by considering durable and enduring solutions to forward the possibilities of ICT-enabled transnational settlement as it influences the articulation of safety and belonging in an increasingly interconnected yet unevenly mobile world.

Navigating Hindu Family and Christian Belief

Abstract The paper is an ethnographic study of an urban Bengali Christian neighbourhood in Kolkata where Hindu women from nearby places attend the two Christian prayer meetings – Catholic and Pentecostal – run by the local preachers of the neighbourhood. Borrowing the theoretical understanding of belief, the paper interrogates the question, posed by Cannell (2006) ‘what difference does Christianity make, in the lives of these Hindu women? The paper looks into the experiences of these women in the intimate spaces of kinship, marriage and family as they undergo a form of separation from their Hindu beliefs yet remain largely embedded within Hindu familial ties and obligations without engaging in the practice of baptismal conversion. The study allows us to critically examine the sharp binaries of religious divisions and argues that a focus on baptismal conversion only renders invisible the complex possibilities of what difference Christianity makes on the ground.

"I Go Outdoors for Activities Every Day": Go-Along With Seniors With Slow Walking Speeds to Explore Environmental Factors Influencing Mobility.

This study aims to: 1) Explore the mobility experiences of seniors with slow walking speeds (SSWS) in urban neighborhoods; and 2) Investigate their environmental barriers and supports. Go-along interviews were conducted with 36 SSWS residing in urban neighborhoods of Chongqing City, China. The mobility patterns and built environment factors influencing their mobility were revealed through cartographic analysis and thematic analysis. SSWS primarily focused their activities within a 400-meter radius of their homes. Built environment themes included topography, neighborhood services, sidewalks, seating, traffic safety, weather, greenery, and lighting. Significant mobility barriers included long stairs, steep slopes, fast-moving objects on sidewalks, road crossings, and fast traffic. Available handrails, nearby food-service places, ample seating, and greenery were identified as supportive factors for their mobility. This study stands out as the first to specifically examine the mobility of SSWS within the built environment. We suggest that SSWS should be taken into account when establishing a benchmark for general design frameworks. These improvements not only contribute to the mobility of slow walkers but also have positive impacts on the broader population.

Implementation of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) Method for Fish Processed Cuisine Image Identification Application with Google Maps Features

The rapid advancement of science and technology encourages dynamic transformation in various sectors, especially in the field of information and communication technology (ICT), especially with the existence of Android-based smartphones. This advancement revolutionizes the way we access information, especially about various processed fish dishes in Indonesia. However, despite the plethora of culinary offerings, travelers often find it difficult to discover traditional dishes through social media platforms. To bridge this gap, a new app that utilizes artificial neural networks has been developed. The app allows users to photograph and upload images of processed fish dishes to recognize and provide detailed descriptions and recipes. In addition, integrating Google Maps makes it easy for users to find nearby places that serve these dishes. Testing the app with a dataset consisting of 1577 images of six types of processed fish dishes yielded promising results, with accuracy reaching 97.57% over 120 epochs. This innovation not only preserves cultural heritage but also enhances the culinary experience for locals and tourists.

Life Cycle Assessment of Perishable Wastes from Koyambedu Market

India is the second largest country having highest population which leads to generation of large sum of wastes. Municipal solid waste generally consists of household and commercial waste. Most of the wastes are collected and dumped in the landfill sites but in certain cases these wastes are dumped in nearby empty places which causes environmental pollution and also leads to spreading of various diseases. Koyambedu Market situated in Chennai, Tamil Nadu is one of the largest markets in Asia having a total area of 295 acres with different shops selling vegetables, fruits, flowers and meats. Around 300 tons of wastes are generated in a day from the entire market. The collected data are analyzed using Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) to know the impact caused by the wastes that are disposed from Koyambedu. The methodology of LCA makes modelling simpler, gives more clearly defined system boundaries, and reduces the amount of data that is required in comparison to the conventional method of independently comparing two different criteria. The use of LCA is more feasible in order to find the life cycle of the wastes and to find which waste produces more harm to the environment. With the analyzes it was found the emission of methane is more in vegetable waste than in other wastes that are collected from the market. The electricity consumed by landfill is less compared to the biogas plant. It is suggested that small biogas plants can be built near the markets to extract the gases that are produced from the wastes.

Does the neighborhood built and social environment reduce long-term care costs for Japanese older people? The JAGES2010-2019 cohort study

Japan's population has been aging steadily, evidenced by it spending JPY 11 trillion (USD 110 billion) on annual long-term care (LTC) costs in 2021. In this context, understanding the factors influencing LTC costs has become increasingly vital. Although studies have reported positive relationships between neighborhood environment and health outcomes, the connection between LTC costs and neighborhood environment remains unclear. To address this gap in the literature, this cohort study, conducted from 2010 to 2019 across seven Japanese municipalities and involving 34,982 older people, examined the relationship between eight neighborhood environment elements and the mean monthly cumulate costs (MMCC) of LTC. The results showed that older people who reported the presence of fresh food stores nearby and dangerous places for walking alone at night in the neighborhood had lower MMCC, by JPY 1,367.6 and 1,383.3 per month, respectively, than respondents who did not report the presence of these neighborhood elements. Meanwhile, older people whose neighborhoods had easily accessible facilities had higher MMCC of JPY 739.4. This study's key findings reveal significant relationships between neighborhood environment elements and LTC costs and can be used to support developments in urban design to support healthy aging and reduced LTC costs.

Urban space use for outing before and during the pandemic: A case study of Daejeon, South Korea using social media posts

This study aims to investigate the popularly visited places and their spatial characteristics during the pandemic. To achieve this objective, semantic network analysis (SNA) and GIS spatial analysis were conducted using place-based words collected from Instagram posts from 2018 to June 2021 with the hashtag ‘Daejeon Nadri.’ The findings indicate that during the pandemic, the eigenvector centrality of words related to city centers decreased significantly, while words related to suburban areas increased. Before the pandemic, there was approximately a 10 km distance from the central node to the farthest node in the same modularity class. However, during the pandemic, the visited places were limited to their neighboring areas in the same modularity class. This study found that visited places during the pandemic were predominantly located in suburban areas, particularly around stream and forest areas. Green areas situated in city centers did not show a significant increase in visits during the pandemic. This indicates that people tended to visit less crowded green areas in suburban areas and showed a tendency to visit nearby places during the pandemic. These changes suggest that suburban green areas are also crucial for cities, not just for green areas in cities. In planning for future epidemics, easy access to green areas is crucial. Such accessibility can be made by allocating small green areas, creating linear green belts to link main greens, and strengthening public transport links to suburban areas. Management implicationsThe results of this study imply that individuals tend to prefer natural green spaces with low population density for their outings amid the COVID-19 crisis. This finding underscores the significance of green spaces that accommodate urban residents' leisure activities during specific circumstances such as epidemics. It is worth considering appropriate allocation of green spaces within the city to ensure equal access to public green in urban planning. Another challenge is to enhance the public transportation network to connect major green spaces in the outskirts and suburbs of the metropolitan region.

Simultaneous Assessment of the Nitrates and Nitrites in the Ground Water Samples using Optical Spectrophotometry and Validating the Appropriate Wavelength of Measurement

Background: Nitrate is a renowned pollutant in water and soil. Nitrate is used mostly as a nitrogen fertilizer. When nitrate seeps into the ground it can get into drinking water. Traces of nitrite and nitrate in drinking water may lead to methemoglobinemia in infants and with long term exposure is a possible cancer risk. Concentration of nitrate above 45 mg/L as nitrate and 10 mg/L as nitrate-nitrogen is unsuitable for domestic use according to BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). Methods: Nitrates are mainly determined by the spectrometric, colorimetric and ion chromatography methods. Majority of these methods are slow measurement, laborious and require the use of toxic and expensive reagents. In this study, ultraviolet spectrophotometric method is utilized for detection of nitrate optically with no chemical reagents. This method is simple and cost-effective. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations were analysed at various wavelengths (220 to 370 nm) and 240 nm was found to be efficient for detecting both nitrate and nitrite. Result: Various groundwater samples in and around Karunya Campus and nearby residential places, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu were analysed and compared with one borewell water sample from West Bengal State which was prone to contaminated ground water. The results show that all the ground water samples have nitrate and nitrite concentration within the permissible limit but the sample from West Bengal has higher concentration compared to Coimbatore samples.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices of areca nut and betel quid chewing among the adult population – A questionnaire-based cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Background: The use of areca nut also known as supari or chaali is an age-old tradition and very popular in people living in South Asian countries. However, in general, people know very little about its ill effects. Aims: This study aimed to examine knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the health risks associated with chewing areca nuts and betel quid among the adult population and to evaluate the knowledge about its possible role as a contributing factor in oral cancer among the adult population. Materials and Methods: The unicentric cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1644 adult subjects belonging to the adult population of Aligarh and nearby places between March 2021 and December 2021. We analyzed the data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22. Results: The overall average age of the participants was 39.32 ± 14.18. The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. Among the study subjects, 54% were betel nut or betel quid chewers. Only 30.8% knew that areca nut may cause oral cancer and with low knowledge related to its systematic effect. Conclusion: Areca nut is a known carcinogenic agent and carries the risk of cancer even if it is used alone. However, information about the systemic ill effect especially its carcinogenic effect is very low among the general population.

Solid waste management: The necessity of an epoch for the protection of community, public safety, health, and environmental quality

Solid waste management has been a burning topic that has garnered attention worldwide. Though several studies have been done across metro cities and Upcoming intelligent cities, a sustainable point of view of all the stakeholders in Nagpur city was never registered; hence the researcher intended to have a wholesome knowledge of the process and wanted to get deeper insights about the perception and understanding of solid waste disposal system management in Nagpur. Environment sustainability is the need of the hour. Being a vibrant city, Nagpur has borne the brunt of migration from nearby places but does not have the sustainable infrastructure to dispose of solid waste properly. While analyzing, the researcher discovered that no such research project had been carried out in Nagpur for the purpose described above and intended to do so. The researchers used a structured questionnaire to survey the intended targeted respondents. The questionnaire was distributed, and respondents were identified with a simple random sampling method to avoid bias and maintain the data's accuracy. To get an Expert opinion, the researcher used the scheduled interview method to understand the views and modern techniques available. The researcher gathered detailed information from the stakeholders, which is discussed in detail in the project report. The study offers a holistic view of the complex difficulties faced by garbage accumulation by incorporating aspects of community well-being, public safety, and public health. Furthermore, this research goes above and beyond conventional wisdom by proposing novel solutions. It establishes a structure that safeguards the environment and encourages community participation in garbage management. The originality of this research lies in its multifaceted examination of waste management, community health, public safety, and health.

Who gets left behind by left behind places?

We document that children growing up in places left behind by today's economy experience lower levels of social mobility as adults. Using a longitudinal database that tracks over 20,000 places in the USA from 1980 to 2018, we identify two kinds of left behind places: the 'long-term left behind' that have struggled over long periods of history; and 'recently left-behind' places where conditions have deteriorated. Compared to children of similar baseline household income levels, we find that exposure to left behind places is associated with a 4-percentile reduction in adult income rank. Children fare considerably better when exposed to places where conditions are improving. These outcomes vary across prominent social and spatial categories and are compounded when nearby places are also experiencing hardship. Based on these findings, we argue that left behind places are having 'scarring effects' on children that could manifest long into the future, exacerbating the intergenerational challenges faced by low-income households and communities. Improvements in local economic conditions and outmigration to more prosperous places are, therefore, unlikely to be full remedies for the problems created by left behind places.

RANCANG BANGUN APLIKASI PENCARIAN RUMAH IBADAH SEMUA AGAMA DI KOTA BATAM BERBASIS ANDROID

This journal presents the "House of Worship Locator," an Android application developed using Xamarin Form framework. Its purpose is to provide residents and visitors of Batam City with an efficient tool to find nearby houses of worship, such as mosques, churches, temples, and other religious sites. The app's implementation involved data collection, database creation, interface design, and rigorous testing. Utilizing GPS technology, it accurately pinpoints users' locations and displays nearby places of worship on an interactive map. Additionally, user-friendly features like search filters, reviews, and ratings enhance the user experience. The "House of Worship Locator" app demonstrates its efficacy through user testing, providing reliable information for users to conveniently find suitable religious venues in Batam City. By offering easy access to religious facilities, this application fosters inclusivity and religious tolerance within the community. It exemplifies the potential of mobile technology in promoting harmony among diverse religious communities in Batam City. The journal concludes by discussing future enhancements and its broader applicability in other urban areas. Through the "House of Worship Locator," Batam City embraces technology to support its citizens' religious needs effectively.

Child drowning prevention: GPS and LoRa based emergency alert system

UNICEF recently published in the "Country Office Report 2021" about the mortality of children in Bangladesh, "Every day, 30 children die from drowning – Bangladesh's second leading cause of under-five mortality. Drowning is preventable, and most cases occur within a child's home community." Bangladesh is a country of rivers, which means Bangladesh called a riverine country located in South Asia. The Center for Injury Prevention and Research conducted a survey, Around 19000 people of (all types of ages) drown every year in Bangladesh. Among them, 14500 which mean 77% are children. In our research, the emergency alert system is designed to be cost-effective and user-friendly for village communities in Bangladesh. The system is divided into two components: the kid is equipped with the transmitter, and the receiver is placed at home. The transmitter and receiver both use a LoRa transmission module that can communicate accurately within a 300-meter range (coverage up to 10 Kilometers) and can transmit 256 bytes of data. The transmitter collects geolocation data using a GPS module and sends the data to the receiver using the LoRa module. The receiver module is configured by setting up the geolocation of risky places. The receiver will send SMS or buzzing the receiver to alert the parents when the transmitter or kid is nearby risky places. The Equirectangular approximation method calculates the distance between children's positions from risky areas. Additionally, the transmitter and receiver may communicate encrypted messages using AES 128-bit symmetric encryption technology compatible with Arduino Nano controller. Thus, our emergency alert system can save children from drowning in the home environment.

Understanding the Importance of Eco-Labeling for Organic Foods at UNESCO Biosphere Reserves: A Case Study of the Cocoa Powder at the Dong Nai, Vietnam

This study examined the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of consumers and the determinants of eco-labeling for the organic cocoa powder produced in the Dong Nai UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (DNBR), Southern Vietnam. Eco-labels are designed according to the tiers of eco-labeling for biosphere reserves (BR) introduced by UNESCO; they include BR Destination (Tier 1), BR Quality (Tier 2), and Professional Certification (Tier 3) labels. Questionnaires were delivered to 203 customers in the DNBR and nearby places, such as Dong Nai and HCMC. This study employed a hybrid approach using descriptive statistics, an ANOVA test, and a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that gender and educational level have a positive effect on consumers’ preferences. Customers are willing to pay more for cocoa powder with an eco-label than one with an organic label. Perceived food safety and product knowledge lower customers’ WTP, whereas agricultural environment and pricing concerns increase it. Tier 2 is suggested for labeling cocoa powder in the DNBR. The DNBR Management Board, together with the federal and provincial governments, should all follow a similar certification process. Increased eco-label awareness is crucial for the future of environmentally responsible shopping and responsible business practices.

VOCALICIOUS-Voice-Assisted Food Ordering Web Application

Abstract: Vocalicious-voice assisted food ordering website is revolutionizing the way users interact with the platform by incorporating an Artificial Intelligence (AI) voice assistant. This advanced voice assistant not only suggests a wide range of food options available for ordering but also provides users with accurate cooking time estimates. Furthermore, it goes beyond the traditional food ordering experience bysuggesting nearby places to visit during cooking time, ensuring users can make the most of their time in the kitchen.

Visually Impaired People Positioning Assistance System Using Artificial Intelligence

Blindness and visual impairment are commonly associated with social and functional limitations, almost 45 million people in the world have blindness, and 135 million have any visual impairment. This condition has a significant impact on the quality of life and brings many challenges to the individual, one of which is the navigation and positioning tasks. Although there are already apps capable of helping visually impaired people for mobility purposes, most of them focus on detecting obstacles and, therefore, on avoiding dangerous situations. However, mobility of visually impaired people involves many more tasks, such as knowing their exact position and staying informed along an entire route. For this purpose, a standalone and customizable solution is proposed that uses traditional visual recognition of landmarks to process the surroundings of the current location of the visually impaired person using a smartphone and informing about the nearby places assuring the user a sense of the site. For feature detection, it was used the Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF (ORB) algorithm, and for feature matching, it was used the brute-force method with the k-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm. Results show that the proposed solution can analyze pictures in fractions of a second with satisfactory accuracy.

Potential impacts of climate change on the distribution of the relict plant Shaniodendron subaequale

Shaniodendron subeaqualis is a tertiary relict plant unique to China. This species has high greening, ecological, and scientific research value, and has been listed as a national I-level key protected plant. Clarifying the main climatic factors restricting the geographical distribution of S. subeaqualis and predicting the potential geographical distribution pattern of this species can provide a scientific basis for the protection of the germplasm resources of this rare species. Based on 104 S. subeaqualis natural distribution records and 9 climate factors, the MaxEnt software was used to predict the potential suitable areas of S. subeaqualis in different periods (LGM, MH, Current, SSP245-2050s, SSP245-2090s, SSP585-2050s, SSP585-2090s). The results showed that the contemporary AUC predicted by MaxEnt is 0.996, with high simulation accuracy; Precipitation in the driest season (Bio17), the average temperature in the coldest season (Bio11) are main factors affecting the distribution of S. subeaqualis. At present, the suitable area of S. subeaqualis is mainly distributed in Jiangsu, Anhui, and Zhejiang province, with a total area of 11.575 × 104 km2, of which the high suitable area is 1.424 × 104 km2 and the medium suitable area is 3.826 × 104 km2. In the LGM, the area of S. subeaqualis was roughly similar to that of the contemporary period, but there was a southward migration phenomenon in some areas, such as the suitable area in the south of Zhejiang. In order to avoid the influence of ice age, S. subeaqualis moved to nearby refuge places, such as Dabie Mountain area of Anhui province, the west of Tianmu Mountain area of Zhejiang province and mountain area of Jiangsu province. In the MH, the suitable area for S. subeaqualis was reduced and moved northward to a small extent. In the future period, the suitable range of S. subeaqualis will not change greatly, but the overall degree of fragmentation will intensify. If effective measures are not taken, it is bound to bring severe challenges to the survival of S. subeaqualis. In order to protect S. subeaqualis germplasm resources more effectively, it is suggested to dynamically monitor the existing S. subeaqualis population and take various measures actively to reduce the negative effects of climate change on S. subeaqualis.

CrowdSPaFE: A Crowd-Sourced Multimodal Recommendation System for Urban Route Safety

In the age of information technology, location-based services such as Google Maps, Bing Maps, and Apple Maps have become popular for navigation and traffic information. These services usually consider the shortest path, traffic information, nearby places, and multi-modal alternative route suggestions based on a user’s constraints. Nevertheless, these services do not always provide the best choice in terms of "user safety". Recently, some research and mobile applications have considered safety issues. Notably, none of these are capable of adapting to dynamic, conflicting safety features and real-time user feedback. Recently, a population-based algorithm called "SPaFE" has been introduced, which deals with crowd-sourced data along with historic data. This population-based approach, however, does not give more weight to recent feedback than to earlier feedback and does not consider updated crime reports. Furthermore, this approach does not consider distance and performs poorly in the area with insignificant or zero feedback. Considering the above background, we have introduced the population based algorithm "CrowdSPaFE" to adapt with dynamic crime reports, latest feedback, navigation in areas with insignificant feedback, and a trade-off between distance and safety factors. Finally, our empirical results of the "CrowdSPaFE" algorithm depict that it significantly outperforms the state of the art.

Effects of Perceptions of The Immediate Surroundings on Obesity and Physical Activity Levels in University Students

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of perception of the close environment on obesity and physical activity levels in university students. Included in this study were 113 students between 18–25 years of age, taking into account that there may be erroneous and missing data according to the 95% confidence level in the pre-sample size calculation table according to the confidence level and acceptable error for the research, 10% more than the recommended sample size was calculated and 113 students participated. Up to 20% of the participants were fitted with a pedometer and heart rate monitor for 1 day to determine their objective physical activity levels. Height measurement, body weight measurement, bioimpedance analysis, International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF), pedometer, heart rate, and Immediate Walkability Perception Questionnaire (IWPQ) were applied to the participants. As a result, a significant relationship was found between the number of steps and the shops, facilities, and other nearby places in the vicinity (P < 0.05; r = –0.353). At the same time, a significant relationship was observed between the stores, facilities, and other nearby places in the vicinity and the level of physical activity (P < 0.13; r = –234). Relationships were found between the body mass index (BMI), Body fat percentage, and abdominal circumference data, which are considered as obesity indicators, and the sub-dimensions of the perception of walkability in the immediate environment, but none of these were statistically significant.