Sites In City Research Articles

Evaluation of a Seed Award scheme to promote the involvement of global health researchers in public and community engagement: approaches, challenges and lessons learned

Background Public and community engagement (PCE) in health research is becoming more common and many research organizations are committed to fostering PCE to strengthen their research culture. However, barriers that may make researchers hesitate to undertake PCE activities may be heightened in Global South research settings. To address these challenges, we set up a PCE Seed Award scheme at the Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) across four research sites in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi -Vietnam, Indonesia, and Nepal to enable researchers to incorporate public engagement activities in their research. Methods The Seed Award scheme followed three steps: 1. A call for applications and funding decisions: Researchers were invited to submit grant applications twice per year. Applications were reviewed and funding decisions made by a committee including external reviewers. 2. Supporting and monitoring: Successful awardees were supported to further develop their proposals, strengthen engagement capacity and to plan evaluation. 3. Reporting and evaluation: Awardees were asked to conduct evaluation throughout the activities and to submit an end-of-project report. The scheme itself was evaluated using mixed methods. Results Over a six-year period from 2016-2022, 41 small grants were awarded. The PCE team supporting the scheme delivered 19 training sessions to help strengthen awardees PCE capacity. Conclusions We conclude that the scheme has made a profound impact in encouraging researchers at the OUCRU research units to lead and be involved with PCE activities. During this period, many more researchers, of all grades, were active in engagement projects. The scheme was improved by adding mentoring and training, and one-on-one mentoring helped attract more applicants. In this paper, we describe the process of development and implementation of this award programme, which aims to support and promote researcher-led public engagement and reflect on the challenges and lessons learned.

Low-carbon city pilots and site selection for migrant employment: Evidence from China

This study examines the impact of China's Low-Carbon City Pilot (LCCP) program on employment site selection using the difference-in-differences (DID) method. We found that the LCCP significantly promoted the inflow of labor into pilot cities by promoting city-level industrial innovation and facilitating the transfer of industrial firms, while high-tech laborers were more inclined to migrate. We also found that laborers lacked incentives to integrate into local society after moving to the pilot cities, but their welfare levels certainly improved. The findings demonstrate the employment effects of a low-carbon policy and provide micro-empirical evidence for the driving factors of urban industrial transformation and labor geographical distribution.

Spatial–Temporal Evolution Analysis of the Development of Jingdang and Famen Townships in the Vicinity of the Capital City Site of the Western Zhou Dynasty in China

This study aimed to explore the evolution of Jingdang and Famen towns near the Zhouyuan site, the capital city site of the Western Zhou Dynasty in China, to elucidate the relationship between township development and the essential ancient relics conservation areas. Based on the remote sensing satellite images from 1982 to 2022, combining with historical demographic data, this study used four methods, including land use classification, land use transfer matrix, landscape pattern center of gravity changes, and population count statistics, to study the spatial–temporal evolution of land, population, and ecology in the region over the past 40 years. The results showed that under the strict relic conservation regimen, these two towns are in a declining stage. To improve their decaying status, some potential strategies valuable for township development are proposed to balance the relationship between relic conservation and township development for their mutual benefit and coexistence.

Detecting the impacts of humidity, rainfall, temperature, and season on chikungunya, dengue and Zika viruses in Aedes albopictus mosquitoes from selected sites in Cebu city, Philippines

BackgroundAedes albopictus is the secondary vector for dengue virus (DENV) in the Philippines, and also harbors chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses. This study aimed to determine the minimum infection rates (MIRs) of CHIKV, DENV serotypes, and ZIKV in Ae. albopictus collected from selected two-site categories by altitude (highland [H] and lowland [L] sites) in Cebu city, Philippines during the wet (WS) and dry seasons (DS) of 2021–2022, and to explore the relationships between these arboviral MIRs and the local weather.MethodsThe viral RNA extracts in pooled and reared adult Ae. albopictus collected during the DS and WS from two-site categories were subjected to RT-PCR to amplify and detect gene loci specific for CHIKV, DENV-1 to DENV-4, and ZIKV and analyzed with the weather data.ResultsThe range of CHIKV MIRs was higher in the WS (13.61–107.38 infected individuals per 1,000 mosquitoes) than in the DS (13.22–44.12), but was similar between the two-site categories. Rainfall (RF) influenced the CHIKV MIR. The MIR ranges of both DENV-2 (WS: H = 0, L = 0; DS: H = 0–5.92; L = 0–2.6) and DENV-4 (WS: H = 0, L = 0–2.90; DS: H = 2.96–6.13, L = 0–15.63) differed by season but not between the two-site categories. Relative humidity (RH), RF, and temperature did not influence DENVs’ MIRs. The MIR range of ZIKV was similar in both seasons (WS: 11.36–40.27; DS: 0–46.15) and two-site categories (H = 0–90.91, L = 0–55.56). RH and temperature influenced ZIKV MIR.ConclusionsRF influenced CHIKV MIR in Ae. albopictus, whereas RH and temperature influenced that of ZIKV. Season influenced the MIRs of CHIKV and DENVs but not in ZIKV. Ae. albopictus were co-infected with CHIKV, DENVs, and ZIKV in both highland and lowland sites in Cebu city. Recommendations include all-year-round implementation of the Philippine Department of Health’s 4S enhanced strategy and installation of water pipelines in rural highlands for vector and disease control. Our findings are relevant to protect public health in the tropics in this climate change.

WATER ABSORPTION AND SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF RECYCLED CONCRETE AGGREGATE FROM DEMOLISHING WASTE OF NAWABSHAH CITY

Concrete has been proved to be a leading construction material all over the world. Because of the demand for new structures, new construction is increasing day by day. This rapid demand of structures has increased the requirement of concrete. New structures are being constructed and old structures are being demolished. This results in the generation of construction waste on a large scale. The throwing away of this huge mass of construction waste has happened to a major social and environmental issue all around the world, mostly in developing countries. Therefore, a proper utilization of demolished waste is important in order to deal with this waste and have an alternate material for utilization in concrete. Therefore, experimental research has been conducted to utilize this waste as recycled coarse aggregates to partially replace natural coarse aggregates. Old concrete was collected from 5 locations in Nawabshah. After collecting all the material we used 5 samples from each source, so we used 25 samples of recycled aggregates. 25 samples of recycled coarse aggregate are tested for water absorption and specific gravity to understand its properties and compare to the natural coarse aggregates. The water absorption of recycled coarse aggregate is greater than the water absorption of natural coarse aggregates. Among these five sites of Nawabshah city, New Naka area’s recycled coarse aggregates have greater water absorption which is 5.8%. The specific gravity of recycled coarse aggregate is lower than the specific gravity of natural coarse aggregates. Among these five sites of Nawabshah city, New Naka & Mehran Hotel area’s have lesser specific gravity which is 2.237. So, these aggregates can be used in new constructions, but it is proposed to be initially utilized in low load areas.

Comparative life-cycle sustainability assessment of centralized and decentralized remediation strategies at the city level

Remediation of contaminated soil at industrial sites has become a challenge and an opportunity for sustainable urban land use, considering the substantial secondary impacts resulting from remediation activities. The design of soil remediation strategies for multi-site remediation from a regional perspective is of great significance for cities with a large number of brownfields. Centralized and decentralized facilities have been studied in different environmental fields, yet limited research has focused on centralized soil remediation, specifically the treatment of contaminated soil from different sites through the construction of shared soil treatment facilities. This study proposes a framework for comparing centralized and decentralized strategies for contaminated soil remediation based on the integration of life-cycle sustainability assessment and multi-objective optimization. With Zhuzhou, an industrial city in China, serving as an example, results show that after optimization, the centralized scenario can reduce total environmental impacts by 25 %–41 %. In addition, the centralized scenario can reduce economic costs by 27 %–39 %, saving up to 176 million USD. The advantages of the centralized soil remediation strategy include: (1) increased use of soil washing, (2) reduced use of off-site disposal, and (3) reduced construction and efficient utilization of soil treatment facilities. In conclusion, the centralized strategy is relatively suitable for cities or areas with a large number of medium or small-sized contaminated sites. The built framework can quantitatively evaluate multiple sites soil remediation at both the city and individual site level, allowing for a straightforward and objective comparison with the optimal remediation design.

Analysis of Risk Factors for Microbial Contamination of Vegetables in Market Gardening Environments in Niamey, Niger

Market gardening is an income-generating activity that is developing more and more in large African cities due to the strong demand for consumption in households and hotels. Market gardening has become a new profession and plays an important role in the supply of fresh vegetables. The aim of the present study was to assess market gardening practices at risk of causing vegetable microbial contamination in the market gardening environment of the urban community of Niamey. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out from march to June 2022 on three market gardening sites (Harobanda, Gamkalé and Gounti yéna) in Niamey city with market gardeners. A total of 108 market gardeners were surveyed using a pre-established questionnaire. Market gardening is 100% practiced by men, most of them are over 40 years old (53.70%), of Niger nationality (62.96%) and unschooled (45.10%). River water (swimming pool) is used for 81.48% of watering, without any treatment (92.30%). Market gardeners are unaware of the danger of going down to the water source to draw water (61.11%). Some 87.04% of fields have no latrine, 37.04% are near garbage, 35.19% near drainage channels and 100% near a road. Two (2) types of fertilizer are used: chemical fertilizer (96.30%) and manure (98.15%), without any treatment (69.23%). Vegetables are stored on the ground (87.04%) after harvesting. The behavior of market gardeners on production sites gives no guarantee of healthy vegetables. In view of this behavior, sanitary education seems necessary for market gardeners.

The contamination of in situ archaeological remains: A pilot analysis of microplastics in sediment samples using μFTIR

BackgroundMicroplastics (MPs) are found in all environments: aquatic, airborne, and terrestrial. While their presence is not disputed, their potential impacts are not yet known. ObjectiveTo undertake a pilot analysis of MP contamination in archaeological sediment samples, taken in the late 1980s from two archaeological excavation sites in the historic city of York (UK) as well as contemporary sources close to the same sites, with respect to the presence (if any), levels, and characteristics of any particles identified. MethodsThis study analysed pre-digested sediment samples as follows: n = 3 from Queens Hotel (QH) site and n = 3 Wellington Row (WR) contemporary core-source, and n = 3 QH and n = 3 WR archival-source samples, alongside procedural controls (n = 8), using μFTIR spectroscopy (size limitation of 5 μm) to detect and characterise any MPs present. ResultsIn total, 66 MP particles consisting of 16 MP polymer types were identified across both site and contemporary/archived samples. The highest levels of MP particles, 20,588 MP/kg was identified at the lowest sample depth (∼7.35 m) at archived WR, 5910 MP/kg in the mid depth layer (∼5.85 m) at the contemporary QH site. Of the MPs detected in sediment samples overall, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polybutylene sulfone (PSU), and polypropylene: polyethylene (PE:PP) copolymer polymer types were most abundant; mainly fragmented and irregular shape. ConclusionsThis is believed to be the first evidence of MP contamination in archaeological sediment (or soil) samples with polymers and size ranges measured and while accounting for procedural blanks. These results support the phenomenon of transport of MPs within archaeological stratigraphy, and the characterisation of types, shapes and size ranges identified therein. Through contamination, MPs may compromise the scientific value of archaeological deposits, and environmental proxies suspended within significant sediment, and as such represent a new consideration in the dynamism of, as well as arguments for preserving, archaeological deposits in situ.

Estimating the Seasonality of Bent-Nose Clam (Macoma nasuta) Harvesting at a 3,000-Year-Old Ancestral Ohlone Site (CA-ALA-11) on the San Francisco Bay

ABSTRACT This article investigates the harvest month for bent-nose clams (Macoma nasuta) at CA-ALA-11, an estuarine site in the modern-day city of Alameda along the San Francisco Bay. The archaeological deposit in which the clam shells were recovered dates primarily to the Early Period (3,350–2,550 cal BP) and Early-Middle Transition (2,550–2,150 cal BP), although some activity continues through 2,650 BP. Season of harvest estimates for clams offers insight into Indigenous use of estuarine resources and the degree of sedentism or length of habitation at this locality. Water salinity varies predictably in San Francisco Bay, from annual lows in winter to highs in summer. We used oxygen isotopes (δ18O) to estimate season of harvest by sampling at the intact terminal growth edge of the shell, which records salinity at the time of harvest. Three additional samples represent earlier periods of shell growth. Results show that while clams comprise a minority of the shellfish harvested, clamming took place between January and August, with a marked peak in mid-winter (February). There is no evidence for fall harvesting, which suggests that people were either not living at CA-ALA-11 during this time or focused on acquiring other seasonally available foods. We compare these results to previously published data on seasonality of clam harvesting from five other San Francisco Bay area sites.

Drivers of urban biodiversity in Mexico and joint risks from future urban expansion, climate change, and urban heat island effect.

Urbanization is a phenomenon where humans concentrate in high densities and consume more per capita energy than in rural areas, imposing high pressures on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Although Mexico is recognized as a megadiverse country and there is an understanding of ecological and evolutionary processes underlying this high diversity, only some efforts have been devoted to understanding how urban biodiversity has been shaped. Here, we compiled a set of socioeconomic and ecological variables to explore macroecological patterns in urban biodiversity across Mexican municipalities. Specifically, we tested the species-area relationships (SAR) between rural and urban areas across municipalities and evaluated the relative role of different socioeconomic and ecological variables driving urban species richness for terrestrial vertebrates. Finally, we explored the exposure of Mexican municipalities to future urban expansion, the urban heat island (UHI) effect, and climate change. Urban and rural settlements show differences in the shape of SAR models. We found that urban area, size of the network of urban protected areas, the number of ecoregions, and GDP explained the urban total species richness relatively well. Mexican cities in the northeast region may be at a higher risk than others. Based on our analyses, policymakers should identify priority urban conservation sites in cities with high species richness and low urbanization development. These actions would alleviate future urban biodiversity loss in these growing cities.

Nitrate Contamination of Groundwater in Selected Industrial and Non Industrial Sites, Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu: Exposure and Health Risk Assessment

Groundwater resources are essential for sustaining human health, agricultural productivity, and industrial growth. In recent years, anthropogenic influences have caused a sharp decline in ground water quality, which is also having an impact on human health in many parts of India. It is crucial to analyze the risk of contamination to human health and the quality of the water supply. Coimbatore is one of the rapidly growing industrial areas in South India. The industrial areas of ground water have a significant impact on ground water quality due to anthropogenic activities such as discharge of Industrial waste, chemicals and pollutants into the ground which make water unsuitable for human and industrial use. Nitrate is the emerging contaminant which can cause a deadly disease methehemoglobinemia. Hence the present study is focused to analyze the ground water of selected industrial and non industrial sites of Coimbatore city. Nitrate concentration ranged from 32.90 to 88.13 mg/l in the samples industrial and non-industrial sites, and over 37% of both the sites had nitrate levels that above the Bureau of Indian Standards’ and WHO’s acceptable limits (45 mg/l and 50 mg/l, respectively). The USEPA human health risk assessment tool was used to examine the potential health hazards of increased nitrate intake for both adults and children.

What is news for local digital journalism? Newsworthiness criteria in five online news sites of an intermediate city in Argentina in 2022

Resumen Se analizan los criterios de noticiabilidad que rigen las prácticas periodísticas de cinco portales informativos online de la ciudad de Olavarría, Buenos Aires, Argentina, en el año 2022. Los objetivos de la investigación son: identificar si las noticias son redactadas por periodistas del medio; identificar los tópicos de las noticias en la conformación de la agenda noticiosa; identificar los criterios de noticiabilidad que rigen en los principales tópicos analizados y comprender los valores noticiosos desde los significados que los periodistas les otorgan a sus prácticas. Para alcanzar estos objetivos se propone una estrategia mixta, cuantitativa y cualitativa, con técnicas de recolección y producción de datos, tales como el análisis de contenido sobre un corpus de 175 noticias y entrevistas semiestructuradas a periodistas locales. Los principales hallazgos de este trabajo radican en el predominio de información de alcance local, que tiene como principales tópicos la información deportiva y policiales y, como principales criterios de noticiabilidad el impacto de la noticia, la proximidad, la jerarquía de los actores involucrados y el entretenimiento. En las conclusiones se problematiza el rol del periodismo local y su relevancia para las comunidades próximas a las cuales se dirige.

Population genetic structure of tropical bed bug (Hemiptera: Cimicidae) populations and their breeding pattern in Iraq.

A study was conducted to investigate the population genetic structure and breeding pattern of 140 tropical bed bugs, Cimex hemipterus (F.) (Hemiptera: Cimicidae), collected from 14 infested sites in major cities in Iraq. The samples were genotyped using a set of 7 polymorphic microsatellite markers. High genetic variety was seen among populations, with an average of 2-9 alleles per locus. The number of alleles across 7 microsatellite loci was between 6 and 18. There was a notable disparity in the alleles per loci when comparing the overall population to those within it. The overall population exhibited an average observed heterozygosity of 0.175 and an average expected heterozygosity of 0.730. Among the population, the average observed heterozygosity was 0.173, while the average expected heterozygosity was 0.673. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that 93% of the genetic variability was within the populations, and 7% was among them. The genetic differentiation coefficient (FST = 0.045), indicates a low degree of genetic differentiation and a high degree of inbreeding (FIS = 0.761), as indicated by notably significant positive inbreeding coefficients. Admixed individuals were revealed using STRUCTURE and neighbor-joining phylogenetic trees, demonstrating moderate gene flow between populations and a lack of genetic structure in the regional groups. Thus, both active dispersion and human-mediated dispersion possess the potential to influence the low population genetic structure of tropical bed bug C. hemipterus populations in Iraq, which can have implications toward tropical bed bug and management strategies.

Research on the Protection and Management of Ancient City Sites from the Perspective of World Heritage—A Case Study of Liangzhu Ancient City

Research on the Protection and Management of Ancient City Sites from the Perspective of World Heritage—A Case Study of Liangzhu Ancient City

Assessment of Water Quality of House Water using Water Pollution Index in Mosul City

The current study included an assessment of the pollution index (WPI) for house waste water collected in five sites in Mosul city, depending on some physical and chemical analyzes of twelve samples of water from these sites distributed on both sides of the right and left in Mosul city for seven months, starting from August 2022 until February of 2023, which was collected a sample from each month and analyzed in a laboratory to evaluate the characteristics of this water, For Chemical Oxygen demand, Biological Oxygen demand, sodium, Phosphates, sulfates, nitrates, chlorides, turbidity PH, magnesium, calcium. The results indicated that the values of the water pollution Index (WPI) were between (1.0-2.0) in sites 1, 3, 4, and 5. Thus, the water of the studied sites is of Moderately polluted (???), suitable effect casting in the river, while WPI values are in Location 2 was less than 1.0 of pure type (??).

DUST DIFFUSION IN LARGE-SCALE URBAN CONSTRUCTION COMBINING WRF AND CALPUFF MODEL—TAKE XIAMEN AS AN EXAMPLE

With the increasing number of construction sites in cities, construction dust, as one of the essential factors affecting the atmospheric environment, urgently needs more attention. Most existing studies have studied construction dust and other particle sources comprehensively. There remains a need for research on large-scale diffusion ultimately aiming at construction dust, especially studies on the diffusion law of dust generated only by construction dust at a large-scale city level where all construction sites within the city working at the same time. To systematically explore the diffusion distribution of construction dust in such a situation, this paper takes Xiamen as the research object and puts forward a large-scale construction dust diffusion research method by integrating emission factors and combining WRF and CALPUFF model. The spatial distribution of PM10 emission during the simultaneous construction of all sites in Xiamen in 2019 was simulated. The diffusion law of dust in large-scale construction in Xiamen is obtained. On this basis, the regional contribution of construction dust PM10 in various districts of Xiamen and the best start month of each district are obtained, which provides valuable suggestions for government construction control. This research method can be effectively applied to cities similar to Xiamen.

Moderate use of pesticides in allotment gardens as indicated by their residues in larval food provisions of Osmia solitary bees

Exposure to pesticides may jeopardize pollinators, but it has rarely been examined in urban landscapes. We used larval food provisions (mix of pollen and nectar) of mason bees (Osmia spp.) nested in artificial shelters as matrices to investigate the rate of pesticide pollution in twelve allotment sites in Prague and Brno cities. Seven commercial croplands (fruit orchards, oilseed rape fields) were selected for comparison. In total, 79 samples of larval provisions were analysed using a validated UPLC–MS/MS method for the presence of 262 pesticides and/or important metabolites. Fifty-six pesticide residues were detected in the allotments and 74 in cropland sites. Fifty pesticide compounds were common to both landscapes. Fewer residues were found in the allotments (14.3 ± 0.9, mean ± SE) than in croplands (21.5 ± 1.1, mean ± SE; df = 17.4; t = −2.9; p < 0.01), and they were present at low levels up to 16 ppb. In cropland sites, ten residues occurred at high individual concentrations (mean per site > 10 ppb). The highest levels were observed for the fungicide pyrimethanil (mean = 1,989 ppb, maximum = 3,983 ppb) and among insecticides for thiacloprid (mean = 136 ppb, maximum = 170 ppb). The results supported the presumption of a lower risk of pesticide exposure in urban gardens than in croplands. Given the limited knowledge on the sublethal effects of pesticides and especially pesticide mixtures on solitary bee development, the regulation or control of pesticide use in allotment gardens is recommended.

Sequence analysis of Paragonimus internal transcribed spacer 2 and cyclooxygenase 1 genes in freshwater crabs in Henan Province

To investigate the sequences of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and cyclooxygenase 1 (COX1) genes of Paragonimus metacercariae in freshwater crabs in Henan Province, identify the species of Paragonimus and evaluate its genetic relationships with Paragonimus isolates from other provinces in China. Freshwater crabs were collected from 8 survey sites in Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Pingdingshan, Nanyang and Jiyuan cities of Henan Province from 2016 to 2021, and Paragonimus metacercariae were detected in freshwater crabs. Genomic DNA was extracted from Paragonimus metacercariae, and the ITS2 and COX1 genes were amplified using PCR assay, followed by sequencing of PCR amplification products. The gene sequences were spliced and aligned using the software DNASTAR, and aligned with the sequences of Paragonimus genes in the GenBank. Phylogenetic trees were created using the MEGA6 software with the Neighbor-Joining method based on ITS2 and COX1 gene sequences, with Fasciola hepatica as the outgroup. The detection rates of Paragonimus metacercariae were 6.83% (11/161), 50.82% (31/61), 18.52% (5/26), 8.76% (12/137), 14.29% (9/63), 17.76% (19/105), 18.50% (32/173) and 42.71% (41/96) in freshwater crabs from 8 survey sites in Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Pingdingshan, Nanyang and Jiyuan cities of Henan Province, with a mean detection rate of 19.46% (160/822), and a mean infection intensity of 0.57 metacercariae/g. The amplified ITS2 and COX1 gene fragments of Paragonimus were approximately 500 bp and 450 bp in lengths, respectively. The ITS2 gene sequences of Paragonimus metacercariae from 8 survey sites of Henan Province showed the highest homology (99.8% to 100.0%) with the gene sequence of P. skrjabini (GenBank accession number: MW960209.1), and phylogenetic analysis showed that the Paragonimus in this study was clustered into the same clade with P. skrjabini from Sichuan Province (GenBank accession number: AY618747.1), Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GenBank accession number: AY618729.1) and Hubei Province (GenBank accession number: AY618751.1), and P. miyazaki from Fujian Province (GenBank accession number: AY618741.1) and Japan (GenBank accession number: AB713405.1). The COX1 gene sequences of Paragonimus metacercariae from 8 survey sites of Henan Province showed the highest homology (90.0% to 100.0%) with the gene sequence of P. skrjabini (GenBank accession number: AY618798.1), and phylogenetic analysis showed that the Paragonimus in this study was clustered into the same clade with all P. skrjabini and clustered into the same sub-clade with P. skrjabini from Hubei Province (GenBank accession numbers: AY618782.1 and AY618764.1). Paragonimus species from freshwater crabs in Henan Province were all characterized as P. skrjabini, and the ITS2 and COX1 gene sequences had the highest homology to those of P. skrjabini from Hubei Province. The results provide insights into study of Paragonimus in Henan Province and China.

Driving renovation: A comparative research project in urban regeneration across cities in China

Post-industrial sites in Chinese cities are being redeveloped as catalysts for urban regeneration, often tuning into the creative cultures of these cities to provide platforms for creative enterprises to flourish. The success of these projects in driving the development of China’s creative economy, however, has led to many imitative redevelopment projects, creating a blueprint for the format of industrial zones and cultural parks in cities. Many recent urban renewal projects have placed great emphasis on commercial and practical aspects of implementation and creative practice but have failed to respond to the different contexts of each location within the design and planning, and therefore performed poorly in providing opportunities for developing local enterprise or addressing social welfare needs. A recent funded research project has been conducted by an international cross-disciplinary team that is seeking different opportunities for developing relevant creative industries while retaining cultural and industrial heritage. The project focuses on regional culture and, with use of new methodologies, studies its impact on urban regeneration. By working with participants who are both site users and developers, this paper explores the research conducted so far and offers initial findings. Findings include that regenerations should integrate the characteristics of historic industrial sites with the new requirements of the creative industries. The major stakeholders whose impact on urban regenerations have also been identified and the most important factors for successful transformations from heavy to creative industry are discovered to be local geography, history, culture, politics, economy and ethnography.

Spatial Distribution of Microplastics and Mesoplastics in Sediments across Hsinchu, Taiwan

Microplastics are becoming a major environmental concern, as they are ubiquitous, but their harm is not fully understood. Since research on microplastics in sediments in urban areas is scarce, this study aimed to uncover where microplastics may be the most abundant. City center, city border, and outer city sites were examined. One city center site was chosen (Gongshiyi Park), three city border sites were chosen (Touqian River North Bank, Touqian River South Bank, and Shixing Air Quality Purification Zone), and one outer city site was chosen (Shibajian Mountain). In each site, 25 samples were collected from an area of 10x10 cm and a depth of 2 cm, and plastic particles were filtered out using a 1mm sieve. The highest abundance of microplastics was at the city border (413.3 microplastics/m2), followed by the outer city (200 microplastics/m2), and lastly, the city center (100 microplastics/m2). Similarly, mesoplastics were collected and counted from the same samples, displaying a different trend with the highest abundance at the city border (273.3 mesoplastics/m2), followed by the city center (80 mesoplastics/m2), and lastly, the outer city (40 mesoplastics/m2). Contrary to previous research which showed a decrease in microplastic abundance from rural to urban areas, the findings of this study suggest that external anthropogenic variables, such as effective maintenance regimes, may have altered microplastic dispersal. Future studies should include a larger sample size, span over a longer period of time, and include a more complete land use analysis.