This paper takes the old district of the east Huan Shi Road area in the Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City, as an example. Through field research, resident visits, and expert interviews, the secondary and tertiary indicators in the measurement framework were obtained by combining six years of living experience. The questionnaire was designed through the relationship between the indicators, and a small sample test was conducted to test the results before generating the final questionnaire. The questionnaires were distributed both online and offline, and the data were analysed in conjunction with the Kano model; then, the results were compared with the field research. Based on the perspective of living experience, a sustainable renewal strategy is proposed for the renovation of old neighbourhoods in practice.

The security measures of IoT devices used in intelligent buildings are one of the ways by which energy efficiency can be accomplished. IoT devices are very important for data collecting and monitoring in intelligent buildings, but a lack of security could result in errors in energy consumption decisions that result in energy waste. To ensure the success of the control systems used for energy optimization, it is necessary to address the security of IoT devices in order to avoid illegal access, data manipulation, and disruptions. This work proposes a research idea and scheme for energy-saving optimization of intelligent buildings by assuring the security of IoT devices used in intelligent buildings. First of all, we defined several parameters that are related to IoT devices’ security, energy consumption, and occupant comfort in the intelligent building environment. Secondly, we collected data for each of these parameters by utilizing IoT devices such as actuators, sensors, and other control systems. The niche genetic algorithm (NGA) refers to a particular class of genetic algorithms that is used to tackle problems involving many optimization objectives. We focused on optimizing both energy consumption and occupants’ comfort; therefore, we used an NGA for the preprocessed data with the goal of evaluating the data for the purpose of ensuring the comfort of occupants and protection of the security of IoT devices, which eventually leads to energy optimization. Finally, the results of the proposed approach are analyzed and carefully compared with earlier work, demonstrating that our proposed approach is significantly more effective and energy-optimized than earlier approaches. The results show that the total power consumption of the intelligent building system after using our proposed model is generally reduced by more than 18% compared with that before optimization, which shows that the intelligent building system-adaptive optimization control model can effectively optimize the operating parameters of the energy-saving system and achieve the security of IoT devices.

Background/Objectives: Art-based interventions have been shown to enhance communication skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet their impact on prefrontal hemodynamics remains unclear. Methods: This study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine hemoglobin oxygenation (HbO) changes in the prefrontal cortex of school-age children with ASD, providing empirical support for its therapeutic efficacy. Sixty age-matched children participated in a 9-week art therapy program, including twenty ASD children and forty typically developing peers. Assessments included self-portrait drawing (SPD), the Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS), and the General Quality of Life Inventory (GQOL-74). In addition, we performed fNIRS measurements in the ASD participants and observed changes in prefrontal HbO at rest and while drawing. Results: The drawing intervention significantly enhanced drawing ability, emotional expression, and cognitive skills, with the intervention group outperforming the controls. ASD participants exhibited distinct prefrontal connectivity patterns with visual, motor, and language-related regions, including the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontal eye field, and Broca’s area. Task-based painting interventions indirectly influenced the frontal lobe’s hemodynamic characteristics, indicating drawing intervention as an effective intervention for ASD.

The Macao rammed earth wall is a typical representative of cultural heritage in hot-humid regions. However, the spatial differentiation mechanisms of its surface deterioration remain unclear. This study, taking the Old Wall in Macao as a case, combined field investigation with terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and thermal imaging to systematically reveal the spatial distribution patterns of surface pathologies and their hydrological driving mechanisms. Based on structural separations and deterioration characteristics, the wall was divided into three adjacent sections for comparative analysis. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Quantitative analysis showed the section with a gentler slope (77%) experienced significant flatness deterioration due to uneven settlement, promoting internal water penetration that triggered severe undercutting (35% of its surface area); (2) The other two sections maintained steep slopes (86%) that promoted surface runoff, which combined with adjacent building drainage led to significant biological colonization (68% in the section most affected by nearby temple drainage); (3) Thermal imaging verified the correlation between water infiltration cores and temperature-flatness anomalies, enabling construction of a coupled “geometry-hydrology-pathology” model that elucidates the complete causal chain from foundation settlement to surface pathology. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the differentiated protection of rammed earth heritage in hot-humid environments.

The rapid aging of the population in urban China has led to a significant increase in empty-nest households, necessitating a rigorous evaluation of residential environment suitability. Grounded in Person-Environment Fit theory, this study develops and validates a multidimensional Aging-Suitability Index (ASI) specifically for urban empty-nest seniors. We analyzed survey data from 753 participants across 19 provinces using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The comprehensive structural model demonstrated robust explanatory power ( R² = 0.754). The results reveal a hierarchical mechanism of needs: safety features and physical design serve as the survival foundation, exerting the most substantial direct effects on overall suitability. Accessibility was found to enhance suitability primarily by fostering perceived independence, indicating a psychological mechanism of empowerment (Variance Accounted For = 67.35%). Furthermore, intelligent technology and social support function as complementary resources that improve the environment-person fit. These findings suggest that aging-in-place interventions should prioritize mandatory safety upgrades while integrating accessibility modifications to sustain functional autonomy for independent seniors.

Learning intangible cultural heritage (ICH) crafts requires more than recognizing symbols or recalling historical context. Learners also need to understand ordered, error-sensitive procedures and the feedback loops through which craft knowledge becomes usable. This study examined a serious game for Siqian woodblock New Year print as an interactive procedural simulation and compared it with content-matched video instruction. Using an MDA-ARCS design rationale, the game translated craft stages into mechanics, dynamics, and aesthetic cues intended to support Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction. In a posttest-only controlled experiment, 83 undergraduate design students were assigned to a serious-game condition (N = 41) or a video condition (N = 42). The game group reported higher post-intervention scores on all four ARCS dimensions. No statistically significant conceptual-knowledge difference was detected (p = .085; 95% CI for the mean difference [-0.38, 5.85]); this result does not establish equivalence between conditions. The game group scored higher on procedural knowledge. The formal procedural-minus-conceptual contrast was positive but marginal (p = .069, 95% CI [-0.34, 8.76]). Thus, the study documents a procedural-score advantage but provides only conditional, inconclusive evidence that the game selectively benefited procedural rather than conceptual knowledge. The study therefore interprets MDA-ARCS at the level of intervention design and knowledge outcomes at the level of the administered items.