On-site Survey Research Articles

Debris Flow Classification and Risk Assessment Based on Combination Weighting Method and Cluster Analysis: A Case Study of Debris Flow Clusters in Longmenshan Town, Pengzhou, China

Debris flows can damage infrastructure and threaten human life and property safety, especially in tourist attractions. Therefore, it is crucial to classify and evaluate the risk of debris flows. This article takes 14 debris flows in Longmenshan Town, Pengzhou, Sichuan, China, as the research object. Based on on-site geological surveys, combined with drone images and multiple remote sensing images, the essential characteristics of each debris flow are comprehensively determined. A total of nine factors are used as the primary indicators affecting the risk of debris flow: drainage density, roundness, the average gradient of the main channel, maximum elevation difference, bending coefficient of the main channel, the loose-material supply length ratio, vegetation area ratio, population density, and loose-material volume of unit area. The subjective weights of each indicator are obtained using the Analytic Hierarchy Process, while the objective weights are obtained using the CRITIC method. Based on this, the distance function is introduced to couple the subjective and objective weights, determine each indicator’s combined weights, and obtain the integrated evaluation score values of different debris flow hazards. Considering the integrated evaluation score of debris flow, cluster analysis was used to classify 14 debris flows and cluster effectiveness indicators were introduced to determine the effectiveness of debris flow classification. A quantitative standard for the risk of debris flow within the study area was proposed, and finally, a risk assessment of debris flow in the study area was made. Comparing the results of this paper with the gray correlation method, the coupled synergistic method, and the geological field survey results, proves that the proposed method is feasible and provides a reasonable scientific basis for the study of the hazard assessment of regional debris flow clusters and other related issues within the scope of the Jianjiang River basin and other areas.

Damage and restoration of historical urban walls: literature review and case of studies

Within this work, the causes of collapses and damages occurred in masonry artefacts have been evaluated to properly identify suitable monitoring and restoration methods. In this regard, a comprehensive literature review has been performed. Based on the results, the moisture has found to be a critical parameter, which affects the structural health of masonry artefacts. Diverse non-destructive methods were employed to measure the moisture and monitor the materials involved: the Infrared Thermography, the Electrical Resistivity Tomography and the Ground Penetrating Radar, the Laser Scanning and Digital Terrestrial Photogrammetry, the Global Navigation Satellite Systems, the Unilateral Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, the Laser-Induced Fluorescence technique, the Acoustic Imaging and the Acoustic Tomography, the Geographic Information System and on-site survey process as well as computer modeling of the structure with specific FEM software. Finally, the implementation of tie-beams, Fiber Reinforced Polymers layers, ventilation, draining systems, and high-quality materials are proposed as solutions for controlling the moisture effect and retrofitting.

Effect of sincere social interaction on tourist inspiration: an affective events theory framework

ABSTRACT Inspiration is crucial to the self-development and creative experiences of tourists, which has increasingly received research attention. However, the role of host–tourist interactions in arousing tourist inspiration has yet to be examined. This study applies affective events theory to investigate how sincere social interaction evokes tourist inspiration and the boundary of that relationship. An on-site questionnaire survey was administered to 402 tourists who visited the Wuyi Mountain Scenic Resort in China. Through structural equation modelling based on partial least squares, this study revealed that tourist inspiration was directly stimulated by sincere social interaction and that this link was mediated by tourist delight. Travel risk appraisal moderated both the direct impact of sincere social interaction on tourist delight and the indirect influence of sincere social interaction on tourist inspiration via tourist delight. These effects were significant only among tourists with low travel risk appraisal. The findings extend the application of affective events theory to host–tourist interactions, highlight the critical role of sincere social interaction in engendering tourist inspiration, and identify the boundary effects of travel risk appraisal at a destination.

Pro-Environmental Behavior of Religious Tourists: Moderating Role of Religious Beliefs

While providing economic benefits, tourism also contributes to environmental problems. Besides regulatory measures to mitigate tourism’s impact on the environment, voluntary changes in the behavior of tourists are needed to encourage environment-friendly behavior. This research examines religious tourists’ pro-environmental behavior (PEB) by using the value-belief-norm (VBN) theory and the concept of religious beliefs. Data were collected through on-site and online surveys of 391 tourists who visited religious destinations and analyzed using partial least squares (PLS)-structural equation modeling. The results confirmed the relationships between tourists’ values, beliefs, and personal norms that predicted PEB. This study also found that religious beliefs strengthen the effect of personal norms on PEB. This research contributes to improving the understanding of religious tourists’ PEB and offers suggestions for destination management organizations (DMOs), religious center authorities, and policymakers to encourage the PEB of tourists in religious destinations.

Research on the Conservation Methods of Qu Street’s Living Heritage from the Perspective of Life Continuity

In the current context of urban development transformation and the gradual decline of historic and cultural districts, new demands have been raised for the preservation of such districts. The question of how to effectively safeguard historically and culturally significant districts, imbued with the vibrant essence of indigenous life, has become a topic worthy of contemplation. This paper takes the historical and cultural district of Leizhou Qu Street as a case study, using the concept of continuity of life as its focal point. Employing methods such as on-site observation, questionnaire surveys, and case studies, this paper investigates and evaluates the core community through identification and collaboration, and proposes corresponding preservation strategies and subsequent maintenance approaches. In doing so, the paper aims to achieve community identity, cultural heritage transmission, and the continuity of life. The findings reveal that the method of protecting the living heritage through continuity of life is applicable to historically and culturally significant districts that still thrive with the vibrancy of daily life, and this method can be effectively implemented. This research deepens our understanding of the concept of living heritage preservation in historic and cultural districts, further substantiating and implementing the principle of continuity of life in their preservation. The study also aims to provide valuable insights and references for the preservation of similar heritage sites.

Perception in cultural heritage tourism: an analysis of tourists to the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, China

ABSTRACT Based on two on-site questionnaire surveys in the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, this study identifies the constructs of tourists’ perception by exploratory factor analysis, and proposes a relationship model. Then the complex relationships are explored by structural equation modelling. The results suggest heritage attraction and cultural experience positively affect tourists’ attitude towards heritage protection, while cultural experience, service facilities and market conditions positively affect tourists’ preference of tourism development. More importantly, tourists’ attitude towards heritage protection positively affects preference of tourism development, and they affect satisfaction positively. This study offers suggestions for rationally optimizing management and promoting cultural heritage tourism development.

Development of a new seismic vulnerability model for churches based on simple typological features

The sequence of seismic events occurred in last decades in Italy highlighted the high vulnerability of churches. Since the Umbria–Marche earthquake in 1997, a systematic series of post-earthquake surveys has been carried out. The data collected during those surveys were used to propose first sets of vulnerability and fragility curves. After the three last major earthquakes (L’Aquila 2009, Emilia 2012, Central Italy 2016–2017), other significant series of on-site surveys led to the collection of a large amount of data, both on the damage suffered by churches and their typological characteristics. In this study, a data set of 1127 churches damaged by the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake and the 2016–2017 Central Italy seismic sequence was analyzed. This article presents a new simplified approach to determine vulnerability indexes of churches, in order to obtain vulnerability curves, and then a set of fragility curves, depending on the typological characteristics of the single church. This allows to have a single set of curves with the entire sample and without a typological subdivision. This article first analyzes in detail the available database records to define their representativeness and influence on vulnerability. Then, a series of vulnerability modifiers are defined, pointing out which parameters effectively affect the overall vulnerability. These observations also allow identifying which parameters deserve to be collected onsite, improving the efficiency of future survey campaigns. In conclusion, starting from the vulnerability modifiers, a set of vulnerability and fragility curves are presented.

Characteristics of urban park recreation and health during early COVID-19 by on-site survey in Beijing

The positive health effects of green space have received increasing attention, however, on-site surveys and city-level research to reveal the relationship between urban park recreation and urbanite health in metropolitan areas during a post-pandemic period are lacking. We conducted an on-site survey using a questionnaire with 225 respondents from 22 urban parks distributed across the metropolitan area of Beijing during the early COVID-19 eased period with another 1346 respondents in 2021 to make verification. We identified factors that could influence public perceptions of park quality and human health (i.e., physical, mental, and social health) and revealed gender differences in perceptions of park characteristics. The correspondence pattern of perceived urban park quality with social health is distinct from that of physical and mental health. Due to the strict social distancing policy in early COVID-19 period, urban parks in different levels of urbanization environment could exert varied health effects.

Accelerating the discovery of new Nasca geoglyphs using deep learning

We discuss an archaeological research of employing deep learning (DL) based object detection on high-resolution aerial photographs to discover Nasca geoglyphs, which have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Owing to extremely limited archaeological ground truth data and their differences in scale and design, it is difficult to detect new geoglyphs merely training DL on the known geoglyphs. Therefore, we developed a pipeline of DL to mine such data and address the challenges unique to archaeology. With this approach, we identified four new geoglyphs in the northern area of the Nasca Pampa, namely: a humanoid, a pair of legs, a fish, and a bird. The geoglyphs got verified through on-site surveys. We could identify new geoglyph's candidates approximately 21 times faster than with the naked eye alone. The approach would be beneficial for the future of archaeology in a new paradigm of combining field survey and AI.

Training and Marketing of Fashion Upcycling Products in Local Communities

This article focuses on the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12), about responsible consumption and production, particularly the fifth target of reducing waste production through prevention, reduction, recycling, and reuse. The study explored and evaluated the results of the product upgrading performed in a community empowerment activity, which involved upcycling denim waste into A-line skirts and tote bags, and adding decorative materials using sewing techniques such as decorative stitches, tie-dye, and macrame. The article also discusses the importance of producing goods with greater value in terms of sustainability in natural resource utilization. On-site surveys were conducted to evaluate the results of the product upgrading, and the survey results were analyzed qualitatively for further sustainability efforts related to upcycling. Overall, 15 buyers participated, and the results showed positive perceptions about the use of products from fashion waste and there is interest in participating in similar activities in the future.

ETHICAL PRACTICES OF DENTISTS IN PUNE CITY: A CROSS SECTIONAL STUDY

Introduction: Every professional body has its own code of conduct for its members. Dental profession in India is regulated by the Dental Council of India (DCI) under the aegis of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. DCI; a statutory body formed by an act of parliament- the Dentists Act, 1948 (XVI of 1948). Crowding of dentists across cities leads to unhealthy competition and commercialization. This leads to violating the code of conduct put forth by the state dental councils and many of the norms are openly flouted and rules randomly bent. The objective of the present study is to access the amount of violation of the code of conduct by the dental clinics with respect to the clinic name board and advertisement, in and around Pune city, by an on-site survey. Materials and methods-Ethical clearance was obtained from the Ethics Committee of M.C.E society, Azam Campus, Pune. The study consisted of questions regarding the size of the dental clinic board, attractive symbols or wordings, qualifications other than the academic ones, and advertisements of the clinics through media or sign boards. In all, 123 clinics were observed. Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS 22.0 (Chicago, U.S.A). Results-There were in all 123 clinics (60- BDS and 63- MDS). More BDS practitioners faulted the regulations with respect to size of the sign board, slogans on the board- like “family dentists”, “tooth designing”; fixing the sign board far away from the place of practice- at the pharmacist. Higher percentage of MDS practitioners advertised through media for promoting their clinics compared to the BDS practitioners. Overall more than half of the dentists mentioned their place of study and the university from where they obtained their degrees. Almost 25% mentioned that they had obtained gold medal in their academics and a few of them also specified the subject in which they won the medals. Conclusion: The current study highlights the violation of codes by dentists in Pune city. It also shows that post graduates are also violating norms. It is up to the DCI, to take appropriate steps including the earliest revision of its norms and its supervision of its strict adherence.

A human–AI collaboration workflow for archaeological sites detection

This paper illustrates the results obtained by using pre-trained semantic segmentation deep learning models for the detection of archaeological sites within the Mesopotamian floodplains environment. The models were fine-tuned using openly available satellite imagery and vector shapes coming from a large corpus of annotations (i.e., surveyed sites). A randomized test showed that the best model reaches a detection accuracy in the neighborhood of 80%. Integrating domain expertise was crucial to define how to build the dataset and how to evaluate the predictions, since defining if a proposed mask counts as a prediction is very subjective. Furthermore, even an inaccurate prediction can be useful when put into context and interpreted by a trained archaeologist. Coming from these considerations we close the paper with a vision for a Human–AI collaboration workflow. Starting with an annotated dataset that is refined by the human expert we obtain a model whose predictions can either be combined to create a heatmap, to be overlaid on satellite and/or aerial imagery, or alternatively can be vectorized to make further analysis in a GIS software easier and automatic. In turn, the archaeologists can analyze the predictions, organize their onsite surveys, and refine the dataset with new, corrected, annotations.

Active ingredients of science communication impact: a quantitative study at a science festival

This quantitative survey study aimed to identify “active ingredients” of a science festival in The Netherlands. Active ingredients are the elements of science communication activities that drive the impact on visitors' knowledge, attitudes, or behavior. Factor analyses of data from on-site surveys conducted in two different festival years (Total N=456) revealed three active ingredients: personal relevance, accessibility, and interactivity. Furthermore, the analyses revealed two impacts: increased knowledge/insight and increased familiarity with science. The strongest predictor of impact was personal relevance, which denotes the feeling that the festival activities touched on visitors' emotions and personal life.

A Study on the Application of Narrative Transportation in Storytelling Tourism Marketing Communication in Taiwan

In recent years, interactive multimedia guides have become increasingly common in museums, exhibition spaces, and tourist attractions. Over the past decade, Hsin Beitou government and local residents have launched a series of reform movements for local tourism. During the research process, it was found that the current planning of attractions lacks pre-tour guidance and itinerary arrangements. In on-site surveys, tourists expressed uncertainty about the route guidance of the attractions, and their itineraries usually began upon arrival at the destination or by searching for fragmented video materials beforehand. Through this research, the design of different types of videos, including narrative attraction animation videos, influencer videos focusing on attractions, and videos solely introducing attractions, were explored to investigate their impact on viewer attitudes and travel motivations.Previous studies have mainly focused on one-sided tourism discussions. This thesis, however, conducted field surveys, preliminary studies, and interviews to connect cultural and historical tourist attractions into a complete narrative-guided video. Drawing on literature research and analysis of narrative transportation theory, story-based tourism marketing, and video tourism, the thesis designed a video that provides clear and concise travel guidance, saving tourists' time. The 3 types of videos, including narrative animated tour video, influencer tour video and attraction introduction video were provided for tourists to explore the impact of these 3 videos on their travel motivations and the narrative transportation effectiveness. The study employed a questionnaire based on the narrative transportation theory and Likert 5-point scale to understand the satisfaction of the participants with the narrative-guided video and their motivation to visit the attractions.Based on literature research, this study connected significant attractions of Hsin Beitou area to create a narrative-guided video called "Hsin Beitou Healing Notebook". The content of the video was designed according to Gerrig's TIM scale, which includes The TIM scale included 11absorption propensity items and one imagery ability item capturing its major dimensions of cognitive, affective, and imagery involvement. The narrative of the video focused on a Japanese wounded soldier revisiting old sites in Hsin Beitou and recalling his experiences of healing after World War II. From this narrative, nine highlights of Hsin Beitou tourism were identified. The study applied narrative transportation theory to tourism, examining the impact of video design on tourists' travel motivations, using narrative-guided video design as the research method.

Damage Assessment Through the Use of SBAS-DInsar Data: An Application to the “Vittorino da Feltre” Masonry School Building in Rome

ABSTRACT The detection and monitoring of deformation patterns induced by causes of various nature is fundamental to prevent and mitigate the associated risk. To this aim, one of the most innovative, non-invasive monitoring approaches is based on the use of satellite radar images through the advanced multi-temporal Differential Interferometry Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) technique, which is able to detect deformations induced by slowly evolving phenomena. In this work, the multi-temporal DInSAR technique referred to as full resolution SBAS approach is exploited for the monitoring of the ground deformations and their effects on the “Vittorino da Feltre” school building located in the city of Rome (Italy), which is undergoing a retrofitting project. The displacement measurements were obtained by using the COSMO-SkyMed satellite dataset related to the city of Rome during the 2011–2019 time interval, processed with full resolution Small. The damage progression during the last years has been evaluated by comparing a recent survey of the structural damage with the previously available ones. An integration of SAR-derived data and outcomes of the on-site damage surveys is presented, aimed to perform a damage assessment of the structure using literature scales of damage.

Toward the Definition of a Soundscape Ranking Index (SRI) in an Urban Park Using Machine Learning Techniques

The goal of estimating a soundscape index, aimed at evaluating the contribution of the environmental sound components, is to provide an accurate “acoustic quality” assessment of a complex habitat. Such an index can prove to be a powerful ecological tool associated with both rapid on-site and remote surveys. The soundscape ranking index (SRI), introduced by us recently, can empirically account for the contribution of different sound sources by assigning a positive weight to natural sounds (biophony) and a negative weight to anthropogenic ones. The optimization of such weights was performed by training four machine learning algorithms (decision tree, DT; random forest, RF; adaptive boosting, AdaBoost; support vector machine, SVM) over a relatively small fraction of a labeled sound recording dataset. The sound recordings were taken at 16 sites distributed over an area of approximately 22 hectares at Parco Nord (Northern Park) of the city Milan (Italy). From the audio recordings, we extracted four different spectral features: two based on ecoacoustic indices and the other two based on mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs). The labeling was focused on the identification of sounds belonging to biophonies and anthropophonies. This preliminary approach revealed that two classification models, DT and AdaBoost, trained by using 84 extracted features from each recording, are able to provide a set of weights characterized by a rather good classification performance (F1-score = 0.70, 0.71). The present results are in quantitative agreement with a self-consistent estimation of the mean SRI values at each site that was recently obtained by us using a different statistical approach.

Quantitative strong motion simulations at three locations in downtown Mashiki during the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake (Mw 7.0) based on the nonlinear ground response analyses with soil liquefaction

The mainshock of the 2016 Kumamoto Earthquake (Mw 7.0) caused extensive damage to buildings in downtown Mashiki, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The heavy building damage in the area was associated with both strong ground motion and building response characteristics. Fortunately, there were two strong motion stations in the area and the observed records during the mainshock were distributed, showing peak ground velocities exceeding 100 cm/s on the surface. The level of shaking would be sufficient to make soft surface sediments nonlinear. To reproduce observed ground motions quantitatively, one-dimensional nonlinear effective-stress time-history analyses were conducted at three locations in downtown Mashiki. The input wave was employed as either the observed underground wave or simulated outcrop input motion based on the diffuse field theory. The main purpose of the study was twofold: to investigate the proper soil constitutive relationship and its nonlinear parameters based on the limited amount of in situ information, and to validate the method of input motion evaluation at the seismological bedrock level based on diffuse field theory. The nonlinear time history analyses using the on-site boring survey and the outcrop wave based on diffuse field theory showed that the waveform of the mainshock observed on the ground surface was explained with sufficient accuracy. In addition, the results of the effective stress analysis indicated that soil liquefaction might have occurred in the area with thick surface layers along the Akitsu River where the water table was considered to be quite shallow.Graphical

More than a work of art: Exploring restorative experience in tourism at the Net Master’s Garden, Suzhou, China

Classical gardens in Suzhou were designed not only as an art of work but also for use in daily life. This study explored the tourist experience in the Net Master’s Garden in Suzhou, China, as a restorative environment based on attention restoration theory. Analysis of the results of the on-site questionnaire survey revealed three dimensions of perceived restorative characteristics: “fascination-compatibility”, “being away” and “extent”. Using multiple correspondence analysis, we also found three types of restorative experiences influenced by different activities and landscape impressions: a salient sightseeing experience, an immersive experience and a low restorative experience. In a salient sightseeing experience, when strolling visitors enjoyed the varying picturesque views, they perceived “fascination-compatibility” and “being away” more strongly. In an immersive experience, the visitors tended to do leisure activities, acquired a holistic sense of the garden, and perceived “extent” and “fascination-compatibility” more strongly. Visitors who acted more passively tended to perceive a low restorative experience. We think this study provides clues to expanding the meaning of garden visits from “appreciation” to “restoration” for both garden management and garden visitors. The classical garden might play a more important role in pleasure-derived leisure experiences in local areas, especially during times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Comparing Support for Dog Regulations Among Adjacent Households and Other Visitors at a Multiple-Use Recreation Area

Ongoing management and research interest in dog-related issues at recreation areas necessitates examining support for relevant management strategies among different visitor groups. Using data collected from an onsite survey of nonadjacent visitors (n=1,257) and a household mail survey of visitors who live adjacent (n=74) to a multiple-use recreation area (referred to as the Forests) in Oregon, we compare visitation characteristics and attitudes about dog-related management strategies among these two visitor groups. Nearly half of all respondents reported bringing dogs with them. Overall, respondents supported providing more dog waste bags and trash cans and requiring leashes in busy areas. They opposed requiring leashes everywhere. Compared to non-adjacent respondents, adjacent respondents have been recreating at the Forests longer, used stricter leash behavior with their dogs, and supported stricter leash regulations and increased enforcement of regulations. However, effect sizes for these statistically significant differences were small. Thus, communication and management strategies that aim to mitigate unwanted impacts from dogs may not need to be targeted uniquely to adjacent visitors compared to those who travel to the Forests. We discuss other pertinent management and communication implications.

Recurrent U-Net based dynamic paddy rice mapping in South Korea with enhanced data compatibility to support agricultural decision making

ABSTRACT The integration of remote sensing and state-of-the-art deep learning models has enabled the generation of highly accurate semantic segmentation maps to serve the agricultural sector, for which continuous land monitoring is required. However, despite their wide presence in the research field, only a few such products are used in on-site decision-making processes. This is due to their incompatibility with existing datasets that are at the core of current operating processes. In this study, paddy rice mapping in South Korea was examined to determine whether it produces qualified products that can complement on-site surveys and simultaneously be compatible with existing domestic datasets. Cases of early predictions for timely rice supply control were examined using a recurrent U-Net architecture with diverse applications: chronological batch training (CBT), time-inversed padding (TIP), and super-resolution (SR). In addition, the paddy area was confirmed using diverse datasets by standardizing its spatial extent in the definition of each data manual and calibrating the levee error, which was considered a major source of incompatibility. The robustness of the recurrent U-Net in early predictions dramatically increased upon CBT and TIP, recording an F1 score of over 0.75 on July 10, when the on-site survey was performed; meanwhile, the best performance score was 0.81 at the end of the growing period. SR enhanced the spatial details of rice mapping near the levee area, which had an estimated width of 60 cm; however, the area was more similar to that in existing datasets when it was calibrated with the predicted probability of the levee ratio rather than SR. The calibration was scalable from the patch to city level, with the paddy area at both levels recording high R2 for the farm map and statistics (0.99 for both the farm map and statistics at the city level, and 0.93 and 0.95, respectively, at the patch level). This study shows that remote-sensing-based paddy rice mapping can produce not only accurate but also timely and compatible predictions by integrating deep learning applications. The results show that the predictions are compatible with domestic datasets as much as they are with each other; therefore, remote-sensing approaches are expected to be more actively and practically integrated into agricultural decision-making processes.