The detection of urban expansion through digital processing of satellite images provides valuable information for understanding the dynamics of land use change and its spatial relationship with environmental factors. In order to apply or generate effective land-use planning policies, it is essential to have a historical record of the regional distribution of human settlements, an element that is practically non-existent in our country. For this reason, this text aims to determine the urban growth rate during the period 2000–2014 in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, and to identify potential expansion zones from Landsat images. Six Landsat scenes were used for the spatial analysis of the state urban coverage and their relationship with the road influence area was evaluated. Two maps were obtained as cartographic products: one of urban coverage distribution and another of the municipalities with the greatest expansion, whose areas are located in the Valle del Mezquital region. However, Mineral de la Reforma, Tetepango, Tizayuca and Pachuca de Soto stand out for their growth rates during the study period: 183.44%, 102%, 94% and 68.5%, respectively. In total, the state urban area in-creased 72.3 km² from 2000 to 2014 with an average growth rate of 1.8% per year. Such growth was associated with the areas of influence of important road infrastructure, such as the Libramiento Arco Norte in Hidalgo. Therefore, the Mezquital Valley and the Mexico Basin are considered as potential regions for urban expansion in the state.

The business world is currently undergoing a significant shift towards sustainability and intelligent automation, which presents both promising prospects and formidable hurdles for business owners. The increasing demand for sustainable goods and services, driven by pressing social and environmental issues, opens doors for entrepreneurs to establish companies that address these concerns. Moreover, automation and technological advancements have revolutionized the operational landscape of firms, providing entrepreneurs with novel opportunities to enhance efficiency and foster creativity. However, thriving in this dynamic environment necessitates a fresh skill set and innovative approaches. Entrepreneurs must actively acquire the requisite technological expertise to leverage the potential of intelligent automation while navigating the intricate legislative and social frameworks surrounding sustainability. Furthermore, they must demonstrate agility and adaptability, adept at pivoting strategies and offerings to align with the evolving business panorama. This study’s exploration of the intersection of automation and entrepreneurship resonates deeply with the principles of sustainability. By dissecting the challenges and strategies entrepreneurs use to embrace automation, the research contributes valuable insights to the ongoing discourse on feasible business practices within the context of burgeoning sustainability. The findings will assist policymakers by providing useful information to cultivate an environment conducive to sustainable, technology-based entrepreneurship.

Soil salinity is a major abiotic stress that drastically hinders plant growth and development, resulting in lower crop yields and productivity. As one of the most consumed vegetables worldwide, tomato (Solanum lycropersicum L.) plays a key role in the human diet. The current study aimed to explore the differential tolerance level of two tomato varieties (Rio Grande and Agata) to salt stress. To this end, various growth, physiological and biochemical attributes were assessed after two weeks of 100 mM NaCl treatment. Obtained findings indicated that, although the effects of salt stress included noticeable reductions in shoots’ and roots’ dry weights and relative growth rate as well as total leaf area, for the both cultivars, Rio Grande performed better compared to Agata variety. Furthermore, despite the exposure to salt stress, Rio Grande was able to maintain an adequate tissue hydration and a high leaf mass per area (LMA) through the accumulation of proline. However, relative water content, LMA and proline content were noticeably decreased for Agata cultivar. Likewise, total leaf chlorophyll, soluble proteins and total carbohydrates were significantly decreased; whereas, malondialdehyde was significantly accumulated in response to salt stress for the both cultivars. Moreover, such negative effects were remarkably more pronounced for Agata relative to Rio Grande cultivar. Overall, the current study provided evidence that, at the early growth stage, Rio Grande is more tolerant to salt stress than Agata variety. Therefore, Rio Grande variety may constitute a good candidate for inclusion in tomato breeding programs for salt-tolerance and is highly recommended for tomato growers, particularly in salt-affected fields.

In the context of Vietnam’s extensive international integration, economic concentration emerges as a pivotal strategy employed by businesses across various sectors, notably the retail industry, to foster expansion and bolster competitiveness within the market. As this trend evolves, it necessitates the formulation by the Vietnamese Government of a comprehensive and stringent legal framework tailored to regulate economic concentration among enterprises. Such measures are imperative to preclude the curtailment of market competition, which could potentially undermine the equity and vitality of the business environment in Vietnam. This paper meticulously examines and elucidates theoretical nuances surrounding economic concentration in the retail sector. Additionally, it scrutinizes the current landscape, assessing the impact of extant legislation governing economic concentration and the efficacy of enforcement activities in this realm within the Vietnamese retail sector. Consequently, the paper proffers judicious recommendations to enhance the efficacy of legal mechanisms governing economic concentration to foster competition and fortify Vietnam’s overall economic prowess, particularly within the retail sector.

Purpose: This review mainly aims to identify the lean practice conducted in hospitals, determining what problems lean practice can be helpful to solve in the hospitals. Data sources: Four electronic databases (Scopus, Web of science, Medline, and PubMed) were conducted for searching related literature in this review. Study selection: These studies in the hospitals that related lean healthcare practice and contained outcome variables were included. Data extraction: Related information such as research design, countries, lean tools, outcome variables, results were extracted. Results of data synthesis: 20 eligible articles were identified in this review. There was 20% lean practice being conducted in emergency department of hospitals in this review. Six cases have implemented lean in Brazilian hospitals. There were 12 cases implemented lean practice through Value Stream Mapping. Conclusion: Lean practices were highly valued in Brazilian hospitals, and it was frequently implemented in hospital emergency department. Value Stream Mapping and process mapping were the most commonly used lean tool. Waiting time, lead time and Length of Hospital Stay (LOS) were the primary indicators reflecting improvements in this review.

Since an outbreak of COVID-19 in the late 2019 in Wuhan in China, the pandemic and contagious nature of coronavirus did not spare Nigeria as the most populous Africa nation from being affected. Statistical records have shown that a large number of citizens were affected and overwhelming literature has explored different dimensions of the impacts of COVID-19 in the country. However, there is a less attention in exploring legal, economic, health and ethical impacts of the pandemic on Nigerian children. The paper primarily aims at filling this gap in the existing body of knowledge. Systematic literature review (SLR) and content analysis of secondary data of online peer-reviewed, scholarly articles among others were used as methodology. The findings revealed that, the general economic impact of COVID-19 that affects trade and small & medium scale business activities of parents also directly or indirectly affected their children. The health consequence of COVID-19 affects provision of nutritious foods that would help their balanced diet and growth. It is further noted that the ethical impact of COVID-19 affects their right to education as a result of lockdown during the first phase of the out-break. It is however reiterated that, there has not been adequate legal framework to address the multifarious im-pacts of COVID-19 on the Nigerian children. In conclusion, this paper has novel contribution specifically showing concern for children during the period of COVID-19 pandemic in the country. It is therefore suggested that efforts should be galvanized by the stakeholders in addressing multifarious challenges of the impact of COVID-19 on the Nigerian children as explored in this study.