Article
Environmental Sciences
Wenting Cao, Yuyu Zhou, Burak Guneralp, Xuecao Li, Kaiguang Zhao, Huaguo Zhang
Summary: An improved understanding of global Urban Exposure to Flooding (UEF) is essential for developing risk-reduction strategies for sustainable urban development. This study assesses the long-term historical global UEF, with accelerated trends, and highlights the significant growth in UEF in Asia and Europe. China and the US are the two countries with the largest UEF. The study also emphasizes the high proportion of urban expansion in floodplains compared to global land areas.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Review
Food Science & Technology
Jovana Kos, Mislav Anic, Bojana Radic, Manuela Zadravec, Elizabet Janic Hajnal, Jelka Pleadin
Summary: Over the past decade, scientists have raised concerns about global warming and its correlation with mycotoxin-producing moulds worldwide. A more pronounced climate change could affect host resilience, host-pathogen interaction, and the development of toxicogenic moulds and mycotoxins. The changing climate calls for new diagnostic tools and understanding of agricultural cultivars and toxicogenic moulds. The increasing opportunities for Aspergillus flavus growth in European climates could lead to a heightened risk of cereal contamination with highly toxic aflatoxins, while the frequency of Fusarium graminearum contamination in northern and central Europe poses a significant concern due to its ability to produce various harmful mycotoxins. This paper aims to propose a high-quality preventative strategy to mitigate the contamination of food and feed by toxicogenic moulds and mycotoxins in the near future.
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Shampa Ghosh, Jitendra Kumar Sinha, Soumya Ghosh, Kshitij Vashisth, Sungsoo Han, Rakesh Bhaskar
Summary: In recent years, there has been increasing concern about the impact of microplastics on human health and the natural environment, particularly on marine life and ecosystems. Microplastics also have significant economic implications and pose potential health risks to humans. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach, including reducing plastic use, promoting proper disposal and recycling of plastic waste, developing innovative technologies for capturing and removing microplastics, raising public awareness, and implementing effective regulations and policies.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cascade Tuholske, Kelly Caylor, Chris Funk, Andrew Verdin, Stuart Sweeney, Kathryn Grace, Pete Peterson, Tom Evans
Summary: The study highlights the increasing threat of extreme heat exposure to rapidly growing urban settlements globally, especially impacting the urban poor. By estimating daily urban population exposure to extreme heat from 1983 to 2016, the research shows that total urban warming plays a crucial role in the increase of exposure, outweighing the impact of urban population growth.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Chih-Cheng Lai, Chi-Kuei Hsu, Muh-Yong Yen, Ping-Ing Lee, Wen-Chien Ko, Po-Ren Hsueh
Summary: The emergence of monkeypox outbreak in early 2022 has resulted in 9069 laboratory-confirmed cases, primarily from non-endemic countries. The virus transmission includes human-to-human contact, with unclear evidence of spread through sexual contact.
JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY IMMUNOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Zahra Jandaghian, Hashem Akbari
Summary: The research demonstrates that changes in urban surface albedo and heat mitigation strategies can significantly reduce heat-related mortality, improve urban climate, enhance human thermal comfort, and mitigate the impacts of extreme heat events.
ENERGY AND BUILDINGS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guwei Zhang, Gang Zeng, Xin-Zhong Liang, Cunrui Huang
Summary: The study predicts a sharp increase in heat danger days in Chinese urban agglomerations during periods of population explosion, with approximately one-third of the population facing three or more heat danger days annually. In the coming decades, the heat risk is expected to significantly increase, especially under high emission pathways, highlighting the need to develop strategic plans to reduce heat risk.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Review
Engineering, Environmental
Manish Kumar, Hongyu Chen, Surendra Sarsaiya, Shiyi Qin, Huimin Liu, Mukesh Kumar Awasthi, Sunil Kumar, Lal Singh, Zengqiang Zhang, Nanthi S. Bolan, Ashok Pandey, Sunita Varjani, Mohammad J. Taherzadeh
Summary: Micro-and nano-plastics (MNPs) are emerging environmental pollutants with high persistence and potential impacts on living organisms. MNPs can migrate between environmental compartments and affect the viability, development, movements of living organisms through potential mechanisms such as irritation, oxidative damage.
JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Immunology
Vittoria Mattioni Marchetti, Jaroslav Hrabak, Ibrahim Bitar
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance is a global threat and the increasing resistance of Gram-negative pathogens to the antibiotic fosfomycin is of concern. This review investigates the mechanisms of fosfomycin resistance and summarizes the global epidemiology of FosA/C2/L1-2 enzymes in the Enterobacterales family. The lack of commercial phenotypic susceptibility tests and rapid systems for MIC detection makes it difficult to accurately identify fosfomycin resistance.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicolas Freychet, Gabriele C. Hegerl, Natalie S. Lord, Y. T. Eunice Lo, Dann Mitchell, Matthew Collins
Summary: Extreme heat, especially when combined with humidity, poses a severe risk to human health. As global temperatures rise, regions such as South and East Asia and the Middle East are highly exposed to heat stress hazards. Additionally, vulnerable countries with less adaptive capacity, like West Africa and Central and South America, also face substantial increases in heat health risks.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hongli Tan, Liu Yang, Xiaolin Liang, Diedie Huang, Xinhang Qiao, Qingyuan Dai, Da Chen, Zongwei Cai
Summary: With the tightening restrictions on phthalate esters (PAEs), nonphthalate plasticizers (NPPs) are increasingly used. However, there is limited knowledge on the environmental occurrences, fate, and human exposure risks of many emerging NPPs. This study investigated the presence of NPPs and major PAEs in house dust, finding widespread occurrences of NPPs, such as ATBC, TCTM, TOTM, GMO, MO, and DiBA. Although current exposure may not pose significant health risks, potential hazards cannot be overlooked due to the lack of toxic threshold data and possible cocktail effects.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Choo-yoon Yi, Chengzhi Peng, Darren Robinson
Summary: Due to climate change, the intensity, duration, and frequency of heatwaves are expected to increase in the future. This study focuses on enhancing Heat-Health Warning and Planning by modeling indoor heat stress in urban dwellings. The research quantifies the effects of housing typologies on indoor thermal conditions and identifies specific outdoor climatic thresholds to trigger warnings for indoor heat stress.
BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Urban Studies
Wei Zhu, Chao Yuan
Summary: This study developed a systematic method to assess the urban heat health risk to the aging population in high-density tropical cities. The findings showed that the old HDB neighborhoods in the Central Region of Singapore are at the highest risk.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fengqi Cui, Rafiq Hamdi, Xiuliang Yuan, Huili He, Tao Yang, Wenhui Kuang, Piet Termonia, Philippe De Maeyer
Summary: The study reveals that the cooling effect of urban green space (UGS) has a significant impact on surface urban heat island intensity (SUHI) under different climatic backgrounds, effectively mitigating nighttime heat island effects and improving citizens' quality of life and health.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Matthew F. Chersich, Fiona Scorgie, Veronique Filippi, Stanley Luchters
Summary: Anatomical, physiologic, and socio-cultural changes during pregnancy and childbirth increase vulnerability to high ambient temperatures in women and newborns. This can lead to various clinical consequences. To adapt to this situation, behavioral changes, health system interventions, building modifications, and climate financing are proposed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGY & OBSTETRICS
(2023)
Article
Regional & Urban Planning
Greg Paine, Laura Goh, Susan Thompson, Irena L. C. Connon, Jason H. Prior, Leena Thomas
Summary: This paper uses Green Square, Sydney as a case study to examine the impact of higher density living on health-supportive behaviors. The findings show consistency with existing research on healthy built environments, but also highlight a lack of consistent terminology for 'healthy density' and a neglect of high-rise high density in the discussion. The study emphasizes the need for active engagement with complexity and ongoing institutional support in addressing this issue.
AUSTRALIAN PLANNER
(2021)
Article
Public Administration
Michael Falla, Jason Prior, Brent Jacobs
Summary: This paper addresses the impact of strategies, norms, and rules used to govern sporting mega-events on the social and physical capitals of communities in the host city, using a novel methodology combining the Institutional Grammar Tool and the Community Capitals Framework.
COMMONWEALTH JOURNAL OF LOCAL GOVERNANCE
(2022)
Article
Urban Studies
Patrick Harris, Ben Harris-Roxas, Jason Prior, Nicky Morrison, Erica McIntyre, Jane Frawley, Jon Adams, Whitney Bevan, Fiona Haigh, Evan Freeman, Myna Hua, Jennie Pry, Soumya Mazumdar, Ben Cave, Francesca Viliani, Benjamin Kwan
Summary: COVID-19 has highlighted the need for better understanding of city planning and design. In this article, a rapid review methodology was adopted to review historical literature on respiratory pandemics and their connections to urban planning and design. The study identified ten themes that represent the multi-scalar nature of cities and pandemics. The findings emphasize the importance of considering various scales and responses in urban planning and design.
Article
Geography
Rupert Legg, Jason Prior, Jon Adams, Erica McIntyre
Summary: This study explores how the mental health and wellbeing of residents living on or near environmental contamination may be affected by and reproduced in place. By investigating the case of per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in New South Wales, Australia, it is found that residents reported psychological distress associated with the contamination, which may permeate to other places.
EMOTION SPACE AND SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jun Cao, Jason Prior, Damien Giurco
Summary: This study examines the development of collaborative governance of dockless bike-sharing schemes in Sydney, Australia, and reveals the context-specific drivers and dynamics that shaped the development of particular forms of governance.
Article
Environmental Studies
Jun Cao, Jason Prior, Dasong Gu, Damien Giurco
Summary: This paper addresses the gap in understanding how stakeholders engage in collaborative governance in particular cultural contexts by studying the case of government and industry interactions in Nanjing's dockless bike-sharing scheme. The findings highlight the shift in power dynamics among stakeholders and emphasize the importance of culturally-specific studies in collaborative governance.
URBAN POLICY AND RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Tamara Al-Obaidi, Jason Prior, Erica McIntyre
Summary: Due to the complexity of environmental challenges, researchers are using integrated human-environment systems thinking to study health issues in urban environments. However, in Australia, there is a lack of research that applies systemic and integrated thinking in studying residents' health in high-density apartment living. Current study designs also do not fully grasp the complexity of health and the urban environment. Future research should adopt relational and integrated thinking and consider ecological perspectives to address residents' multiple challenges and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Article
Geography
Rupert Legg, Jason Prior
Summary: Residents living near contaminated sites may suffer financial losses and property devaluation, leading to negative mental and physical health effects that necessitate compensation. Toxic tort litigation, where victims claim that contamination has harmed them, is a common legal process seeking compensation. Recent examples in Australia involving per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination highlight the use of toxic tort class actions to secure compensation. However, these actions may not fully address the concerns of plaintiffs regarding contamination's impact on health, property, and the environment.
GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Environmental Studies
Rupert Legg, Jason Prior, Jon Adams, Erica McIntyre
Summary: This review explores the relationship between living with environmental contamination and residents' mental health and psychological wellbeing. The findings suggest that the impact of living with environmental contamination on mental health is significant. The factors associated with mental health outcomes were categorized into five themes: intrinsic, extrinsic (sociodemographic and personal), social, environmental, and regulatory. This framework contributes to our understanding of the impact of environmental contamination on mental health and may help prevent poor mental health outcomes in contaminated neighborhoods.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Humanities, Multidisciplinary
Jun Cao, Jason Prior, Damien Giurco, Dasong Gu
Summary: Since the early 2000s, the sharing economy has rapidly expanded worldwide. It can promote resource efficiency and sustainable urban living, but also poses challenges to urban governance. To address these challenges, a collaborative governance approach involving public and private partnerships has been adopted in global cities. However, the influence of stakeholder power relations on the governance of the sharing economy has been insufficiently explored. This article argues that clarifying power relations can enhance multi-actor collaboration and improve governance practices in shared and global cities.
HUMANITIES & SOCIAL SCIENCES COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Soumya Mazumdar, Karla Jaques, Stephen Conaty, Evelyne De Leeuw, Ori Gudes, Jinwoo (Brian) Lee, Jason Prior, Bin Jalaludin, Patrick Harris
Summary: This study investigates factors that contribute to the increase in public transport use in focused local areas through a geospatial mixed-method approach. The findings suggest that proximity to train stations, the professional and socioeconomic profile of the surrounding neighborhoods, the attractiveness of train lines, and parking availability are important factors in determining usage rates. Therefore, a range of built environment factors should be considered when planning for changes that encourage public transport use.
JOURNAL OF TRANSPORT & HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Regional & Urban Planning
Greg Paine, Susan Thompson, Jason Prior, Irena Connon, Jennifer L. Kent
Summary: This article provides a historical review of planning documents related to a newly developing high-density locality in Sydney, Australia. The review aims to support a larger project that investigates how to integrate knowledge and experience from the health disciplines into planning to ensure a healthy living environment. The article presents key findings from the historical data, offering insights for better planning practice.
JOURNAL OF PLANNING HISTORY
(2022)
Review
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jun Cao, Jason Prior, Claudine Moutou
Summary: This paper provides a systematic review of the literature on the governance of dockless bicycle-sharing systems (DBSS), highlighting a shift in research focus from problem identification and definition to problem-solving. Studies mainly focus on Chinese cities and more papers are written in Chinese than English.
CLEANER ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Irena L. C. Connon, Jason H. Prior, Erica McIntyre, Jon Adams, Benjamin Madden
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS-HUMAN AND POLICY DIMENSIONS
(2019)
