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Particulate air pollution from wildfires in the Western US under climate change
Wildfire can impose a direct impact on human health under climate change. While the potential impacts of climate change on wildfires and resulting air pollution have been studied, it is not known who will be most affected by the growing threat of wildfires. Identifying communities that will be most affected will inform development of fire management strategies and disaster preparedness programs. We estimate levels of fine particulate matter (PM
2.5
) directly attributable to wildfires in 561 western US counties during fire seasons for the present-day (2004–2009) and future (2046–2051), using a fire prediction model and GEOS-Chem, a 3-D global chemical transport model. Future estimates are obtained under a scenario of moderately increasing greenhouse gases by mid-century. We create a new term “Smoke Wave,” defined as ≥2 consecutive days with high wildfire-specific PM
2.5
, to describe episodes of high air pollution from wildfires. We develop an interactive map to demonstrate the counties likely to suffer from future high wildfire pollution events. For 2004–2009, on days exceeding regulatory PM
2.5
standards, wildfires contributed an average of 71.3 % of total PM
2.5
. Under future climate change, we estimate that more than 82 million individuals will experience a 57 % and 31 % increase in the frequency and intensity, respectively, of Smoke Waves. Northern California, Western Oregon and the Great Plains are likely to suffer the highest exposure to widlfire smoke in the future. Results point to the potential health impacts of increasing wildfire activity on large numbers of people in a warming climate and the need to establish or modify US wildfire management and evacuation programs in high-risk regions. The study also adds to the growing literature arguing that extreme events in a changing climate could have significant consequences for human health.
Journal Article
What makes us
\"Eran Sharon knows nothing of his father except that he left when Eran was a baby. Now a senior in high school and living with his protective but tight-lipped mother, Eran is a passionate young man deeply interested in social justice and equality. When he learns that the Houston police have launched a program to increase traffic stops, Eran organizes a peaceful protest. But a heated moment at the protest goes viral, and a reporter connects the Sharon family to a tragedy fifteen years earlier--and asks if Eran is anything like his father, a supposed terrorist\"-- Publisher's description.
Book
Religiosity and Voluntary Simplicity: The Mediating Role of Spiritual Well-Being
Although there has been considerable theoretical support outlining a positive relationship between religiosity and voluntary simplicity, there is limited empirical evidence validating this relationship. This study examines the relationships among religious orientations (Allport and Ross in J Pers Soc Psychol 5(4):432-443, 1967) and voluntary simplicity in a sample of Australian consumers. The results demonstrate that intrinsic religiosity is positively related to voluntary simplicity; however, there is no relationship between extrinsic religiosity and voluntary simplicity. Furthermore, this research investigates the processes through which intrinsic religiosity affects voluntary simplicity. The relationship between intrinsic religiosity and voluntary simplicity is sequentially mediated by communal/personal wellbeing and environmental well-being. The findings not only identify a prosocial role of intrinsic religiosity in motivating voluntary simplicity, but also indicate that secular pursuits that enhance communal/personal well-being and environmental well-being may also motivate voluntary simplicity.
Journal Article
Religious But Not Ethical: The Effects of Extrinsic Religiosity, Ethnocentrism and Self-righteousness on Consumers' Ethical Judgments
The current research investigates how religiosity can influence unethicality in a consumption context. In particular, considering the link between extrinsic religious orientations and unethicality, this research clarifies why and when extrinsic religiosity leads to unethical decisions. Across two studies, findings show that ethnocentrism is both a mediator (Study 1) and a moderator (Studies 1 and 2) of the effects of extrinsic religiosity on consumers' ethical judgments. This is because extrinsic religiosity leads to ethnocentrism, and in-group loyalty manifested through ethnocentrism increases support for unethical consumer actions, thus establishing ethnocentrism as a mediator. At the same time, different levels of ethnocentrism can also influence how extrinsic religiosity leads to supporting unethical consumption via self-righteousness, thus establishing ethnocentrism as a moderator. The findings from this research have significant implications for diverse stakeholders who have an interest in religiosity and consumer behavior.
Journal Article
Artificial intelligence and telemedicine in elderly healthcare: A mixed-methods study
Background
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and telemedicine are increasingly integrated into geriatric healthcare, offering opportunities for early detection, monitoring, and improved access. Adoption among older adults in India remains limited because of accessibility, digital literacy, cost, and ethical concerns.
Methods
A cross-sectional mixed-methods study was conducted in Aligarh (urban, semi-urban), India, between January and June 2025. Quantitative surveys were administered to 200 older adults (≥ 60 years) and in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 elderly participants and 10 healthcare professionals. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression; qualitative data underwent thematic analysis.
Results
Fifty-two percent of participants reported using at least one AI-enabled healthcare tool (wearable monitors 32%; teleconsultations 28%). Adoption was higher in urban than rural participants (
p
< 0.01). Regression analysis showed digital literacy (β = 0.41,
p
= 0.002) and family support (β = 0.36,
p
= 0.004) were significant predictors of perceived empowerment, independent of age and education. Reported benefits included convenient access (61%), improved chronic-disease monitoring (54%), and better medication adherence (42%); primary barriers were low digital literacy (49%), cost (45%), and lack of trust (37%). Healthcare professionals highlighted data-privacy and ethical concerns and the risk of reduced human contact.
Conclusions
AI-enabled telemedicine holds promise for improving aspects of geriatric care in India but is constrained by inequities, literacy gaps, affordability, and ethical challenges. Policy actions to promote elder-centered digital literacy, subsidized access, and regulatory safeguards are needed to ensure technologies complement rather than replace human care. Findings may inform national digital-inclusion and elder-care initiatives.
Journal Article
An EPR model for predicting the bearing capacity of single and double-strip foundations near earth slope crests
It is imperative to understand how foundations behave on earthen slopes to accurately predict their allowable carrying capacity in geotechnical engineering. A comprehensive finite element (FE) simulation with PLAXIS 2D was conducted to assess the effects of various parameters on the bearing capacity (BC) of single- and double-strip foundations placed near the earth’s slope crest. The specified parameters include foundation width (B) and depth (D f /B) ; setback distance between the slope edge and foundation (b/B) ; soil internal friction (ϕ) and cohesion (c) ; slope inclination ( β ); and spacing between foundations ( S/B ). In addition, the numerically simulated database was used to develop simple mathematical expressions for predicting the capacities in both cases using evolutionary polynomial regression (EPR) . The results revealed that the bearing capacity of single- and double-strip foundations increased with an increase in all studied parameters except slope inclination. For single-strip foundations, the outcomes demonstrated that slope inclination has no impact on BC when it is located 6B from the slope edge. However, under interference conditions, the critical center-to-center spacing between foundations is 3–4B, beyond which they behave as individual foundations. Additionally, EPR provides a robust method of predicting the BC of single- and double-strip foundations within slope crests based on the strong correlation of various statistical criteria between simulated and predicted results from training, validation, and testing. Finally, according to sensitivity analysis, in both single and double-strip foundations resting on an earthen slope crest, b/B , B , and ϕ are the most important input parameters that impact the output results.
Journal Article