Perception Of Environment Research Articles

Correlates of Exercise Behavior Based on Socio-Ecological Theoretical Model among Chinese Urban Adults: An Empirical Study.

Identifying the correlates of exercise behavior is essential to combating physical inactivity as a public health concern. The purpose of this study is to identify the correlates of physical activity among urban Chinese adults under the social-ecological theoretical model in order to facilitate targeted interventions to promote physical activity. Using the socio-ecological model, we conducted a questionnaire survey among 1459 urban residents in Zhejiang and Shaanxi provinces of China, collecting data on individual demographic factors, sociological factors, environmental perception, and exercise behavior. Binary logistic regression models were employed to analyze the relationships between exercise behavior and socio-ecological factors. Male gender (p < 0.01), advanced age (p < 0.001), higher education level (p < 0.05), living independently from parents (p < 0.05), absence of childcare responsibilities (p < 0.01), residence in a county/prefecture-level city (p < 0.001), favorable neighborhood esthetics (p < 0.001), available greenways/parks (p < 0.001), and family support for exercise participation (p < 0.05) were significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of participating in physical activity. Male gender (p < 0.001), advanced age (p < 0.001), absence of childcare responsibilities (p < 0.05), good neighborhood vegetation (p < 0.01), availability of free neighborhood exercise facilities (p < 0.05), and support from friends for exercise participation (p < 0.01) were significantly correlated with an increased likelihood of engaging in physical activity for more than 150 min per week. BMI, community air quality, traffic safety, public safety, and level of social development were not major correlates. To promote exercise behavior, more attention should be paid to individuals who are female, young, have lower levels of education, bear childcare responsibilities, or reside in provincial capitals in China. Improving the habitat environment and providing convenient and affordable facilities should also be considered. Furthermore, support from family and friends can positively reinforce exercise behavior.

Fighting fire with apathy – understanding managers’ perception of the natural environment as a stakeholder in the aftermath of a natural disaster

Purpose This research aims to investigate post-forest fire perceptions of businesses towards the environment as a stakeholder. Through interviews with affected businesses, the authors aim to understand whether disasters prompt sustainability prioritisation beyond legal or market demands, shedding light on potential shifts in environmental attitudes and decision-making processes. Design/methodology/approach The authors used qualitative methods to investigate post-disaster shifts in environmental perceptions. Using site visits, preparatory meetings and semi-structured interviews between October 2017 and April 2021, the authors gained insights into destruction, recovery efforts and stakeholder perspectives. Content analysis provided valuable decision-making insights, particularly in understanding the landscape dominated by SMEs reliant on short-term strategies. Findings Interviews revealed varied perspectives on stakeholder recognition, especially concerning the natural environment. Although some managers promptly acknowledged stakeholder groups, the recognition of the natural environment as one varied. Concerning the natural environment as a stakeholder, responses ranged from ecological acknowledgment to denying its stakeholder status. Despite differing views, many agreed on the forest's importance, especially for resource-reliant industries. The findings suggest that although many decision makers verbally acknowledge the natural environment as a stakeholder, their actions reveal the opposite. Research limitations/implications The limitations are the COVID-19 pandemic in the data research phase. The methodology applied (qualitative) can be a limitation in itself and the authors recommend further research, applying mixed or quantitative methods. The research covers one event in one country. It is relevant to test our questions and conclusions in other countries/after other natural disasters. Incorporating other stakeholders' views and exploring alternative theories could enhance understanding and challenge existing results. Practical implications This study holds practical implications for understanding the relationship between organisations and the natural environment, particularly in recognising it as a stakeholder. By acknowledging the environment as a stakeholder, organisations can mitigate the effects of future natural disasters, as well as reducing their environmental footprints. Implementing these insights can lead to more informed decision-making processes and contribute to more effective resources and stakeholder management. Social implications Recognizing the environment as a stakeholder fosters environmental consciousness and community engagement. Addressing the natural environment as such enhances the ownership and responsibility of the surrounding natural environment. Originality/value The study's originality lies in its exploration of organisational responses to natural disasters, particularly in recognizing the environment as a stakeholder. It offers unique insights into decision-making processes and attitudes towards environmental responsibility, contributing to advancing understanding and informing strategies for sustainable disaster management on a global scale.

Human factors and their acting pathway influencing livestock and poultry farmers' willingness to environmental management in coastal areas: a model of bayesian network

Environmental pollution of livestock and poultry breeding (LPB) has always been a global hot topic. This study has introduced a bayesian network model to explore factors influencing the LPB farmers' willingness to environmental management based on 121 questionnaires obtained from coastal China. This study revealed that: (1) Educational level, breeding scale, annual income of breeding, farmers' environmental awareness, the availability of technical guidance, environmental perception, policy publicity and the completeness of relevant social policies all positively affected farmers' willingness to environmental management. However, farmer's age and subsidies for dead animal showed an opposite effect. (2) Among all factors, acting pathway of "technical guidance → enhancing environmental awareness/increasing breeding income → promoting willingness to prevent environmental pollution" may likely play a dominating role in the LPB environmental management, which deserved to be focused closely in the future. (3) For local government, enhancing perceptions on changes of surrounding soils and air, strengthening the LPB training, and accurately adopting subsidy policies can effectively rise farmers' willingness to the LPB environmental management. This study will be helpful to accurately promote the LPB management in coastal areas.

Research on SLAM Localization Algorithm for Orchard Dynamic Vision Based on YOLOD-SLAM2

With the development of agriculture, the complexity and dynamism of orchard environments pose challenges to the perception and positioning of inter-row environments for agricultural vehicles. This paper proposes a method for extracting navigation lines and measuring pedestrian obstacles. The improved YOLOv5 algorithm is used to detect tree trunks between left and right rows in orchards. The experimental results show that the average angle deviation of the extracted navigation lines was less than 5 degrees, verifying its accuracy. Due to the variable posture of pedestrians and ineffective camera depth, a distance measurement algorithm based on a four-zone depth comparison is proposed for pedestrian obstacle distance measurement. Experimental results showed that within a range of 6 m, the average relative error of distance measurement did not exceed 1%, and within a range of 9 m, the maximum relative error was 2.03%. The average distance measurement time was 30 ms, which could accurately and quickly achieve pedestrian distance measurement in orchard environments. On the publicly available TUM RGB-D dynamic dataset, YOLOD-SLAM2 significantly reduced the RMSE index of absolute trajectory error compared to the ORB-SLAM2 algorithm, which was less than 0.05 m/s. In actual orchard environments, YOLOD-SLAM2 had a higher degree of agreement between the estimated trajectory and the true trajectory when the vehicle was traveling in straight and circular directions. The RMSE index of the absolute trajectory error was less than 0.03 m/s, and the average tracking time was 47 ms, indicating that the YOLOD-SLAM2 algorithm proposed in this paper could meet the accuracy and real-time requirements of agricultural vehicle positioning in orchard environments.

CTAFFNet: CNN–Transformer Adaptive Feature Fusion Object Detection Algorithm for Complex Traffic Scenarios

As the core technology of an environmental perception system, object detection has received more and more attention and has become a hot research direction for intelligent driving vehicles. The CNN–Transformer hybrid model has poor generalization ability, making it difficult to meet the detection requirements for small objects in complex scenes. We propose a novel convolutional neural network (CNN)–Transformer Adaptive Feature Fusion Network (CTAFFNet) for object detection. First, we design a Local–Global Feature Fusion unit known as the Convolutional Transformation Adaptive Fusion Kernel (CTAFFK), which is integrated into CTAFFNet. The CTAFFK kernel utilizes two branches, namely CNN and Transformer, to extract local and global features from the image, and adaptively fuses the features from both branches. Subsequently, we develop an adaptive feature fusion strategy that combines local high-frequency and global low-frequency features to obtain comprehensive feature information. Finally, CTAFFNet employs an encoder–decoder structure to facilitate the flow of fused local–global information between different stages, ensuring the model’s generalization capabilities. Results from the experiment conducted on the large and challenging KITTI dataset demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed network. Compared with other mainstream networks, it achieves an average precision of 91.17%, particularly excelling in the detection of small objects at longer distances with a remarkable 70.18% accuracy, while also providing real-time detection capabilities.

The audio-visual incongruency asymmetry. Natural sounds in an urban visual setting are more relaxing than urban sounds in visual nature

Audio-visual interactions play a crucial role in environmental perception. Incongruent audio-visual environments, although prominent in the urban fabric, have been underlit in research. Contrasting exposures to visually natural environments combined with urban sounds, as well as the reverse scenario of visually urban environments with natural sounds, are explored for their restorative potential, both at the cognitive level by means of self-reported evaluations and instinctively through measurements of electrodermal activity. The test panel (n=67) results point at a strong audio-visual urban-nature incongruency asymmetry. Eventful natural sounds in an urban setting were perceived as more pleasant and relaxing than eventful urban sounds in a green environment. So augmenting an urban environment with natural sounds, even in absence of any visual natural features, could be an interesting soundscape intervention. In contrast, a visually natural environment paired with urban sounds is strongly negatively perceived. The findings further contribute to a growing body of literature emphasizing the importance of the sonic environment in designing restorative spaces.

Parents’ perceptions of the safe environment for every kid (SEEK) model in the Swedish child health services

BackgroundThe Safe Environment for Every Kid (SEEK) model was developed to address psychosocial risk factors (financial worries, depressive symptoms, major parental stress, alcohol misuse and intimate partner violence) in the pediatric primary care setting but has not been evaluated from the parents’ perspective. To further investigate the usefulness of SEEK, it is important to explore how parents perceive the model.ObjectiveThe aim of the present study was to explore parents’ perceptions of the SEEK model as a part of regular health visits in the Child Health Services in Sweden.Participants and settingEighteen parents (13 women and five men) in two Swedish counties participated in the study.MethodsSemi-structured telephone interviews were conducted, and the resulting data were analyzed using reflective thematic analysis.ResultsThree themes were identified: Acceptance and understanding of the SEEK model in the child health services, The questionnaire as a bridge to a dialogue, and Feeling trust in the system and the child health nurse’s professional competence. Further, an overarching theme was created that encompassed a core meaning of all three themes; SEEK provides a process-oriented framework to receive support in parenting with a focus on child health.ConclusionsThe study showed that parents express both acceptance and understanding of the SEEK model and they perceive that the model provides an avenue for repeated dialogues about the family’s situation during the child’s upbringing and an opportunity to access support if needed.

CLONING OF CDNA-GENE OF ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA RIBOSOMAL PROTEIN S6, ITS EXPRESSION IN ESCHERICHIA COLI AND PURIFICATION OF ATRPS6B1 RECOMBINANT PROTEIN

Living organisms must adapt their growth and development in response to external factors like stress and nutrient availability throughout their lifespan. Consequently, they have evolved various regulatory pathways to enhance environmental perception and facilitate necessary metabolic adjustments. These pathways involve key proteins that, under stress and nutrient limitation, initiate anabolic and catabolic cellular processes. One critical pathway present in all eukaryotes involves the protein kinase TOR (Target of rapamycin), a large kinase that governs numerous biological processes, including the activation of S6K kinase, which phosphorylates the S6 protein (RPS6). Crystal structures have revealed the precise location of RPS6 within the 40S ribosomal subunit, highlighting structural features such as the C-terminal helix containing multiple phosphorylation sites. RPS6 primarily regulates mechanisms controlling cell growth and division. In plants, eS6 is encoded by two conserved genes, and its activation and phosphorylation are closely linked to S6Ks. Recent studies emphasize the significance of S6 protein phosphorylation as a key event in signaling pathways related to cell growth and survival factors, crucially regulating translation initiation and protein synthesis. S6 protein can be phosphorylated on various serine and threonine residues by S6K kinase, and further research shows its interaction with other molecules and proteins, expanding its functional roles in cell signaling. Further exploration of ribosomal protein S6 could unveil new insights into its molecular interactions, roles in cellular physiology and pathophysiology, and potential applications in enhancing plant biomass and yield. This study involved cloning and site-directed mutagenesis of cDNA for the second isoform of AtRPS6 protein (AtRPS6B), followed by expression of natural and phosphomimetic forms of the protein in E. coli ArcticExpress (DE3) cells. The proteins were then purified using metal-chelate affinity chromatography (IMAC), and their presence and degree of purification were confirmed via Western blotting. These findings contribute to the broader research context surrounding ribosomal protein S6. RPS6, a key effector in the TOR signaling pathway, plays a crucial role in regulating ribosome biosynthesis by controlling transcription and translation processes. Phosphorylation of RPS6, indicative of S6K activity, is associated with actively dividing cells. However, the precise role of RPS6 in ribosome biosynthesis regulation remains a subject of ongoing investigation. The data obtained from the study on AtRPS6B expand our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying ribosomal biosynthesis regulation. These insights may significantly contribute to our knowledge of the interplay between signaling pathways, ribosomal proteins, cellular metabolism, and offer new perspectives for therapeutic interventions targeting cellular processes associated with ribosomes.

Path Analysis: Interrelationships Between Nurse Manager Competencies, Practice Environment Perceptions, and Frontline Nurses' Intent to Stay.

To examine the correlation between nurse manager (NM) competencies, work environment (Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index [PES-NWI]), and frontline nurses' intent to stay; the direct effect of NM competency on frontline nurses' intent to stay; and the indirect effect of NM competency on frontline nurses' intent to stay, mediated by PES-NWI. PES-NWI and NMs' competency can impact frontline nurses' intent to stay. Cross-sectional study with secondary analysis of NM Competency and NDNQI® (National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators®) RN Survey data with path analysis for effects of the model's variables. Positive, weak correlations between NM competencies and frontline nurses' practice environments were found; NM competencies and frontline nurses' intent to stay were not correlated. Paths were NM competency/PES-NWI (β = 0.20, P = 0.001) and PES-NWI/intent to stay (β = 0.55, P < 0.001); NM competency/intent to stay was not significant. Indirect effect of NM competency on frontline nurses' intent to stay was mediated through PES-NWI (β = 0.11, P = 0.002; 95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.17). Investing in NMs' competency can help create supportive work environments and frontline nurses' intent to stay.

Leading by Example: Supervisor Downward Feedback Seeking, Power Distance, and the Implications for the Feedback Environment

This study explores the relationship between supervisors’ feedback-seeking behavior (FSB) and (1) employees’ FSB and (2) employees’ perceptions of the feedback environment. It examines the moderating role of power distance perceptions in order to study FSB in high power distance contexts. Participants were asked to track feedback exchanges with their supervisor over a two-week period. Surveying 273 employees across 32 diverse organizations, the study reveals a positive correlation between supervisors’ FSB and employees’ FSB and their perceptions of the feedback environment. Employees seemed to mimic their supervisors’ seeking behaviors, emphasizing the importance of positive role modeling. Importantly, the relationship was more pronounced when power distance was high, indicating the significance of supervisors’ FSB in such contexts. The study challenges the traditional employee-centered perspective on FSB by focusing on FSB by individuals in leadership positions. Based on these findings, organizations can develop training interventions that encourage supervisors to model effective behaviors.

Model-Mediated Teleoperation: An Operator-Centric Perspective

Abstract Haptic teleoperation is a means of dexterously manipulating environments wherein a human operator can be situated several hundreds of kilometers away from the site of manipulation. Time delays between the local and remote sites pose problems for the user experience. Model-mediated teleoperation addresses these problems, but assumes a sufficiently representative model of the operator and of the environment. When applied to complex environments, this model becomes difficult to work with. A solution to this difficulty lies in the fact that human perceptual capabilities are limited. So too, possibly, is the amount of feedback needed in order to accomplish tasks effectively. In this work, we review information on human perception of the environmental properties involved in environmental perception (inertia, friction, roughness, compliance, and geometry). Moreover, we detail how these properties can be modeled. Finally, we propose some open questions that are relevant in understanding the link between the environment presented to the operator and their effectiveness at accomplishing tasks.

A Study on the Relationship between Campus Environment and College Students’ Emotional Perception: A Case Study of Yuelu Mountain National University Science and Technology City

The campus environment directly impacts college students’ psychological and emotional well-being, influencing their behavioral performance and the development of their personalities. Investigating the complex relationship between the campus spatial environment and students’ emotions is crucial for designing urban environments that support mental health. Using Yuelu Mountain National University Science and Technology City as a case study, this research developed a framework to analyze campus environment characteristics and emotional perception. The study quantitatively assessed emotional perceptions, examined the specific contributions of different campus environment elements to individual emotions, and created an emotion prediction map to explore these relationships in depth. The results indicate that “campus greenery” and “diversity” negatively affect “disappointment” and “depression”, while “sky views” positively impact “happiness” and “sense of security”. Additionally, “diversity” positively affects “relaxation”, and “campus greenery” and “diversity” have negative effects on “disappointment” and “depression”, with “diversity” having a particularly strong positive effect on “relaxation”. The pronounced spatial clustering of emotional perceptions on campus further underscores the significant influence of the campus environment on individual emotional experiences. As the first study to explore the mechanisms underlying the emotional perceptions of Chinese college students in relation to the campus environment, this research overcomes the limitations of traditional environmental assessment indicators by identifying campus environmental elements and psychological factors that better align with the psychological needs of college students. This provides a scientific basis for optimizing campus environments based on the emotional perceptions of students, thereby supporting mental health promotion and guiding campus environment construction. Moreover, the research methodology is broadly applicable. The integration of campus environment image data and deep learning offers a significant tool for assessing campus space and environmental perception, thereby enhancing human-centered environmental assessment and prediction while more accurately reflecting architectural space perception.

Deep learning in driverless: Research results, issues, challenges

As computing and communication technologies continue to evolve, leading technology companies are investing significant resources in self-driving car techniques. With the use of deep learning in driverless driving, driverless cars are enabling them to sense, make decisions and control in complex environments, leading to truly autonomous driving. Deep learning is used for environment perception, which enables driverless cars to understand their surroundings by recognizing information such as road surfaces, pedestrians and vehicles, and also used for decision formulation, by predicting the behavior of other vehicles, pedestrians and identifying the environment around the road conditions to control the driverless car to make the optimal driving decision. But in order to achieve fully autonomous driving, there are still some technical aspects. Therefore, we deep learning in the existing driverless technology is reviewed, mainly discussing the application in the direction of driverless implementation and safety inspection. Through reading a large amount of literature, we discuss the problems that hinder the development of the driverless field, and at the same time, how to solve the problems in the future to promote the breakthrough of the driverless field. The application of deep learning in driverless not only enhances the intelligence level of driverless cars, but also prepares for the commercial application of driverless cars in the future. It enables driverless cars to better identify and adapt to complex traffic environments. Finally, realizing truly autonomous driving.

An experiment on the stability of business environment perceptions in a firm survey

An experiment on the stability of business environment perceptions in a firm survey

Transactional Distance’s Influence on Students’ Social, Cognitive, Teaching Presence, and Academic Achievement

ABSTRACT The study aimed to investigate how different levels of transactional distance impact students’ perceptions of social, cognitive, and teaching presence, as well as their academic achievement. The research involved 72 students from a state university’s education faculty and used a 3 × 2 factorial design, with structured, semi-structured, and unstructured online environments provided, all with a “high” dialog dimension according to transactional distance theory. These environments were established based on the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process. Over 15 weeks, students in the three experimental groups received education through these online environments. The study found no significant difference in academic achievement scores or community of inquiry scale scores among the groups. Students reported positive perceptions of the online environments they were in. The satisfaction they experienced in the online environment was influential in the absence of differences in academic achievement scores and community of inquiry scale scores among the groups. In conclusion, high dialog, provided at different levels of transactional distance, effectively eliminated potential differences arising from the structural dimension among the groups. If dialogue is kept at the maximum level in online environments, transactional distance that may arise from the structure dimension can be prevented.

Understanding the association between neighborhoods and adolescent sleep: Evidence from Add Health

IntroductionResearch suggests that perceived neighborhood social environments (PNSE) may contribute to gender and race/ethnicity-based sleep disparities. Our study aimed to examine associations between PNSE factors and adolescents’ sleep patterns. As a secondary aim, we examined how gender and race/ethnic groups might moderate these associations. MethodData came from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (n = 5158; mean age=15.34 years). Four self-reported sleep outcomes were created: 1) sleep duration (hours/night), 2) short sleep (≥8 h [reference] vs <8 h), 3) parental set bedtime (10:00PM/earlier [reference] vs by 11:00PM vs by/after 12:00AM), and 4) sleep satisfaction (enough sleep [reference] vs not enough sleep). PNSE included total scores for contentedness, social cohesion, and safety. Weighted linear and generalized logistic regressions were used to examine the relationships between each PNSE factor and sleep outcomes, adjusting for covariates. Associations were stratified by gender and race/ethnicity, separately. ResultsNeighborhood contentedness was associated with longer sleep duration and lower odds of short sleep, parental set bedtime by/after 12:00AM, and not enough sleep. Neighborhood social cohesion was related to lower odds of a parental set bedtime by/after 12:00AM. Neighborhood safety was related to lower odds of short sleep and not enough sleep. Gender and race/ethnic-specific results were mixed. ConclusionPositive perceptions of neighborhood social environments served as a protective factor against adverse sleep outcomes among adolescents. Efforts to improve adolescent sleep should consider the role of the neighborhood social context, gender, and racial and ethnic groups.

Perception of the Learning Environment among Fifth-Year Students of the Faculty of Dental Medicine of Casablanca

Introduction: The “learning environment” (LE) concept generally refers to educational climate and university culture. It is an intrinsically complex phenomenon. It has various connotations (physical, social, cultural, emotional, and intellectual). In addition to influencing student behavior, the learning environment can predict their academic success, satisfaction, and success. Objective: This work aimed to evaluate the students’ perception of the learning environment within the Fixed Prosthodontics department of Casablanca and to collect their suggestions for improving this learning environment. Materials and method: A mixed epidemiological study was conducted with 5th-year students of the Faculty of Dental Medicine of Casablanca. The learning environment was assessed across the Dundee Ready Education Environment Measure (DREEM) for the quantitative part of the study and through focus groups for the qualitative part. Results: The population studied comprised 58.5% female students with an average age of 22 years +/- 0.856. According to the charter interpretation of DREEM scores, learning domains, teaching, and atmosphere present many problems. Their respective scores were 27.4 +/- 6.32, 25.7 +/- 5.5 and 25.6 +/- 6.88. The areas of academic competence and social life received high scores. The students made suggestions for improvement in each field. Discussion and conclusion: The students’ perception of their learning environment is an essential source of information for improving problem areas and enhancing the learning experience of students in terms of academic performance, overall health, well-being, quality of life, and future professional development.

A Method for All-Weather Unstructured Road Drivable Area Detection Based on Improved Lite-Mobilenetv2

This paper presents an all-weather drivable area detection method based on deep learning, addressing the challenges of recognizing unstructured roads and achieving clear environmental perception under adverse weather conditions in current autonomous driving systems. The method enhances the Lite-Mobilenetv2 feature extraction module and integrates a pyramid pooling module with an attention mechanism. Moreover, it introduces a defogging preprocessing module suitable for real-time detection, which transforms foggy images into clear ones for accurate drivable area detection. The experiments adopt a transfer learning-based training approach, training an all-road-condition semantic segmentation model on four datasets that include both structured and unstructured roads, with and without fog. This strategy reduces computational load and enhances detection accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate a 3.84% efficiency improvement compared to existing algorithms.

Proyecto de concientización ambiental “Granito de Arena”

The "Granito de Arena" project aims to increase environmental awareness among children in Huanchaco, Peru. It focuses on providing children with tools and knowledge to contribute to environmental protection from an early age. The methodology used involves data collection before and after program implementation, aiming to assess its impact on children's environmental awareness. A combination of surveys and interviews was used to gather information on participants' prior knowledge and subsequent changes in environmental perception. The results show significant improvements in children's knowledge and environmental awareness, as well as in the internalization of sustainable practices. In conclusion, the study highlights the effectiveness of educational interventions in instilling environmental values from an early age and emphasizes the importance of continuing to strengthen these efforts to achieve lasting impact on environmental protection.

Do environmental risk perceptions promote individual pro-environmental behaviors? — the role of environmental concerns and natural exposure

Do environmental risk perceptions promote individual pro-environmental behaviors? — the role of environmental concerns and natural exposure