Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality (4032)

This study examines cyber sextortion research using a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. In the field of cybersecurity, cyber sextortion is a form of cybercrime that leverages privacy violations to exploit a victim. This study reviewed research developments on cyber sextortion progressively over time by looking at scientific productions, thematic developments, scholars’ contributions, and the future thematic trajectory. A bibliometric approach to analyzing the data was applied, which covered 548 peer-reviewed articles, conference papers, and book chapters retrieved from the Scopus database. Results showed a growth trajectory on various thematic concerns in the cyber sextortion field, which has continued to gain traction since the year 2023. Notably, online child sexual abuse is a growing theme in cyber sextortion research. In addition, among other themes, adolescents, mental health, and dating violence are receiving interest among scholars in this field. Additionally, institutions and prolific scholars from countries such as the United States of America, Australia, and the United Kingdom have established research collaborations to improve understanding in this field. The results also showed that research is observed to be emerging from South Africa and Ghana in the African region. Overall, there is potential for more scientific publications and researchers from Africa to contribute to this growing field. The value this study holds is moving beyond deficit-based approaches to how adolescent youth can be resilient and protected from cyber sextortion. A call for a multidisciplinary approach that moves beyond deficit-based approaches toward resilient and autonomy-based approaches is encouraged so that adolescent youth are protected from exploitation. This approach should focus on investigating proactive and resilience-based interventions informed by individuals’ traits and contexts to aid in building digital resilience in adolescents. Full article

Background/Objectives: Empowerment has been associated with several positive outcomes in healthcare; however, there is limited insight on empowerment levels within the adolescent population of those with a chronic condition/disability. The aim of this scoping review was to identify gaps in the existing literature on empowerment levels within this population. Methods: Five databases (MEDLINE [Ovid], EMBASE [Ovid], PsycINFO [Ebsco], CINHAL [Ebsco] and Web of Science [UBC]) and grey literature were searched. Results: A total of 67 studies were included and used for data extraction including descriptive numerical analysis followed by a narrative review. Extracted data were divided into demographic characteristics (e.g., ethnicity/ancestry), type of disability/condition (e.g., type 1 diabetes), interventions used to increase empowerment or empowerment-adjacent elements, quantitative and qualitative tools used to measure empowerment (e.g., questionnaires and/or interviews), domains/outcomes associated with empowerment (e.g., self-control), and review articles. Several interventions were shown to have positive effects on empowerment levels in adolescents with a chronic condition/disability. Conclusions: Gaps were identified in the consideration of ethnicity/ancestry and socioeconomic status, demonstrating a need for future research in this space to focus on the intersection of disability, ethnicity/ancestry, and socio-economic status and the implementation of interventions promoting empowerment. Full article

This paper presents a novel approach to prognosing European economic crises through the development of an economic–financial risk sensitivity model. The model integrates key macroeconomic indicators such as government deficit (NETGDP), GINI coefficient, social protection expenditure (ExSocP), unemployment rate (UNE), research and development spending (RDGDP), and tax structures (TXSwoSC), assessing their role in predicting economic vulnerability across European countries. By applying the Kruskal–Wallis non-parametric test on data from 324 observations across multiple countries, significant differences were identified in the distribution of these variables. The results show that government policies related to social protection, R&D, and taxation play an important role in a country’s resilience to economic shocks. On the other hand, indicators such as income inequality and unemployment exhibit less variation, reflecting global economic conditions. The model provides a comprehensive risk assessment framework, allowing for the early detection of potential economic crises and guiding policy adjustments to mitigate risks. This methodology offers valuable insights into the sensitivity of European economies to financial disruptions, emphasizing the importance of fiscal policies and social expenditure in maintaining economic stability. Full article

(1) Hidden workers include those who are unemployed or underemployed or discouraged workers. This study analyses the probabilities of becoming a hidden worker between males and females in three age groups (youth, young adults, and mid-life) and identifies the extent to which these factors explain the gender gap among hidden workers in Australia. (2) Using the Oaxaca–Blinder decomposition approach, this study aims to contribute to the discussion by highlighting the impact of gender on the hidden worker population, further illustrating how the explained and unexplained impacts on hidden workers differ between the gender groups. (3) Results: Age not only raises the likelihood of being a hidden worker in both gender groups but also contributes to the widening gender gap among hidden workers, especially those in the child-rearing stage of their life. Human capital, including education, health endowment, and social capital, is negatively associated with the likelihood of being a hidden worker and reduces the gender gap. Childcare responsibilities and other care duties are associated with a greater likelihood of being a hidden worker for females and are among the greatest contributors to the gender gap. Local resources are associated with the likelihood of being a hidden worker and widen the gender gap within the 45–64-year old group. (4) Conclusions: The gender gap among hidden workers is widened by care responsibilities and locally available socio-economic resources. On the other hand, it is narrowed by education, individual health endowment, and social capital. The findings of this study corroborate the fact that a wide extent of the gender gap among hidden workers in Australia is socially and politically produced and is thus potentially avoidable through public policy. Greater attention from researchers and policy makers regarding hidden workers should be devoted to reducing this gender gap to prevent further social implications. Full article

Digital rights have been little studied from a gender perspective until now. This research analyses, from a gender perspective, the characteristics of young entrepreneurs, the use of social media in their entrepreneurial projects, and their observance of digital rights. It uses a descriptive methodology based on the analysis of 144 successful cases of youth entrepreneurship. Percentage analysis and Chi-Square tests were carried out to determine gender differences. The results reveal that most of the entrepreneurial projects are led by men. The sectors of choice for female entrepreneurs seem to be, among others, the manufacturing industry and health activities. The most used social media are websites and Facebook. Overall, no statistically significant gender differences were found in terms of respect for digital rights. The results of this study point to the need to design and develop training actions aimed at gender equity in youth entrepreneurship and training in the observance and respect of digital rights. The results of this study have social implications insofar as they highlight the differences between genders in the development of entrepreneurial projects and the importance of protecting and respecting digital rights in social media, as established by international standards. Full article

Background: Diversity of gender representation in surgery is known to positively influence patient outcomes and predict career trajectories for female trainees. This study aims to identify the current and recent past state of gender diversity amongst trainees entering Canadian surgical residency programs. Methods: Data were sourced from the Canadian Post-M.D. Education Registry (CAPER) and the Canadian Resident Matching Service (CaRMs) for ten surgical specialties. CAPER data include PGY-1 trainees in all surgical specialties for the academic years 2012–2013 to 2021–2022. CaRMs provided data of total applicants and matched applicants for Canadian Medical Graduates (CMGs) in the match years 2013–2022. Results: From 2012–2022, there were 4011 PGY-1 surgical residents across Canada (50.4% female, 49.6% male). The surgical specialties with the most female representation were obstetrics/gynecology (82.1–91.9%), general surgery (40.2–70.7%), and plastic surgery (33.3–55.6%). The surgical specialties with the least female representation were neurosurgery (18.7–35.3%), urology (11.8–42%), and orthopedic surgery (17.5–38.5%). The number of female applicants to surgical programs has increased since 2013 and outnumbers male applicants each subsequent year. The match rate to surgical programs for female applicants has varied by year, with the highest being 63.9% in 2014 and the lowest in 2018 at 48.8%. Conclusions: Our study shows promising trends that reflect increased representation of female trainees. However, while the number of female trainees in general surgery and obstetrics/gynecology programs matches and even exceeds Canadian demographic proportions, this is not true for most other surgical specialties. This calls for continued efforts to improve and retain gender equity across surgical specialties in Canada. Full article

Driving the coexistence of manufacturing and producer services by enhancing the synergistic effect of innovation and domestic demand has important practical significance for China in building a new development paradigm with domestic circulation as the mainstay and dual circulation as a complement. Based on the time-series input–output tables and using data from China’s A-share listed companies from 2007 to 2022, this paper selects manufacturing and producer services as research objects to empirically test the driving role of innovation, domestic demand, and their synergy in the co-development of these two industries. The results indicate that innovation, domestic demand, and their synergy positively drive the coexistence and development of the two industries. After addressing endogeneity issues and conducting multiple robustness checks, the results remain robust. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the synergistic effect of innovation and domestic demand on the coexistence of manufacturing and producer services is more pronounced in emerging enterprises, high-tech enterprises, small-sized enterprises, highly competitive enterprises, and enterprises with a high labor income share. This study provides reliable empirical evidence for the coordinated development of enterprise innovation and domestic demand, as well as its economic consequences. They have practical significance for China in forming an industrial symbiosis model, promoting the development of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and breaking the low-end lock-in in the value chain. Full article

The readability (RDB) of annual reports (ARs) plays a crucial role in determining the effectiveness of disclosure of information to interested parties, particularly investors. Given that investors rely on the financial information provided in ARs, the chairman’s letter serves as a key communication tool and is the most extensively read section of the report. Consequently, companies are under pressure to provide understandable ARs that can be easily interpreted by investors. Nevertheless, managers sometimes obscure such disclosures in an attempt to bury negative information and hide their own behavior. Drawing from the “managerial obfuscation hypothesis”, this study investigated how the corporate governance (CG) structures affect the RDB of ARs for a sample of 95 banks across seven countries in the MENA region from 2018 to 2022. The findings revealed that board size, frequency of board meetings, and ownership concentration significantly affected the RDB of ARs. Additionally, board independence and gender diversity had a significant negative effect on ARs’ RDB. Conversely, the study found that the presence of role duality within the board had an insignificant effect on ARs’ RDB. As a result, this study recommends enhancing CG structures to enhance the clarity of banks’ reports and boost investor trust. Full article

In many countries, the urban–rural income inequality affects healthy and sustainable economic development and is a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. As a new industrial development model, rural industrial convergence can provide new ideas and impetus for alleviating the urban–rural income inequality. This study, drawing on provincial panel data from China spanning 2010 to 2022, used the entropy method and Theil index to measure the rural industrial convergence and the urban–rural income inequality, respectively, and empirically tested the effect and mechanism of rural industrial convergence on the urban–rural income inequality. The results showed the following: (1) Rural industrial convergence had a notable impact on alleviating the urban–rural income inequality. (2) Rural industrial convergence could help reduce the urban–rural income inequality by increasing the scale of land operation. (3) The government attention to green development could positively moderate the impact of rural industrial convergence on the urban–rural income inequality; the deeper the government attention to green development, the greater the role rural industrial convergence played in alleviating the urban–rural income inequality. (4) There was a threshold effect in the alleviating effect of rural industrial convergence on the urban–rural income inequality, which was gradually strengthened when the growth of the digital economy and the enhancement of the business environment were beyond the threshold point. (5) Rural industrial convergence also had significant spatial spillover effects on adjacent regions. Overall, the findings of this study enrich the research on the impact of rural industrial convergence on the urban–rural income inequality and provide insights for other similar countries. Full article

The proliferation of mobile health (mHealth) technologies has revolutionized healthcare delivery, particularly in obesity control. This descriptive study aimed to identify the evolving trends and perspectives of mHealth interventions targeting obesity control, leveraging insights from the ChatGPT language model accessed on 1 January 2024. Eighteen items and 32 questions were used to assess trends and perspectives in mHealth for obesity control, with 8 items and 16 questions dedicated to each aspect, respectively. Key trends identified include personalized interventions, integration of emerging technologies, remote monitoring and telemedicine, behavioral economics strategies, and enhanced user engagement. Perspectives highlight potential for equity, empowerment through self-management, privacy and security concerns, evidence-based practice, and interdisciplinary approaches. These findings shed light on mHealth’s potential in combating obesity, offering valuable insights for healthcare practitioners, researchers, and policymakers. They underscore the significance of leveraging technology to address the global burden of obesity and advocate for collaborative efforts to maximize mHealth solutions’ impact on promoting healthier lifestyles and reducing obesity-related complications. Full article

With the use of digital technologies in today’s innovation era, the financial sector has transformed how they facilitate customer business and generate a high level of revenue. This study aims to explore the relationship between innovative work behavior (IWB), digital transformation (DT), and organizational financial performance (OFP) to analyze the mediating role of workers’ psychological empowerment (PE) between independent and dependent variables. Further, we examined the moderating role of smart technologies (ST) between PE and OFP. This study collected data from Saudi banking sector employees using a well-structured questionnaire adopted from previous literature. Next, Smart-PLS was used to analyze the data using the structural equation modeling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS) approach. The results reveal that IW positively relates to OFP, with PE mediating this relationship. Furthermore, DT positively affects OFP. ST acts as a positive moderator that enhances workers’ PE and OFP. Meanwhile, PE, as a mediator, positively relates DT and IWB to OFP. Overall, this study makes valuable theoretical, empirical, and practical contributions, which can benefit bank management, policymakers, and future academic research. Full article

This study explored the role of digital platforms in shaping gender dynamics within Christian religious leadership in Nigeria. Historically, religious leadership in Nigerian Christianity has been predominantly male-dominated, with women often relegated to subordinate roles despite their significant contributions as preachers, healers, and founders. The advent of digital platforms has introduced a new paradigm, offering both male and female leaders with avenues to expand their communication, authority, and influence. Utilizing mediatization theory, this research investigated how online spaces allow women to bypass traditional patriarchal structures, engage broader audiences, and influence religious narratives. Through in-depth interviews with twenty religious leaders across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and comment analysis from online community interactions, the study identified eight main themes that reveal the complex interactions between gender, authority, and influence in both digital and offline contexts. The findings suggest that while digital platforms provide women with increased visibility and opportunities, male leaders retain a higher level of authority and reach, even in online spaces. The study highlights the dual nature of digital media as both liberating and limiting for female leaders, presenting an environment where empowerment coexists with persistent gendered expectations. This research contributes to understanding how digital platforms impact gendered access to religious authority, revealing the ongoing struggle for gender equality within Christian leadership in Nigeria. Full article

Under-five child poverty and income inequality are complex socio-economic phenomena that significantly impact the well-being of children worldwide. While there is a growing body of literature addressing child poverty in South Africa, our understanding of settlement discrepancies and factors influencing multidimensional under-five child poverty and income in the country remains limited. This study assesses under-five-specific multidimensional poverty and the determinates of child poverty and inequality in the lowest geographical areas in South Africa. Alkire-Foster’s methodology was applied to construct and estimate the multidimensional poverty index for under-five children across settlement areas. The selected indicators were designed to reflect the unique deprivations and challenges faced by children in this age group. The results showed that there is a significant number of children who are deprived in indicators such as access to ECD (43%), hunger (20%), and education and employment at 69% and 65%, respectively. These are some key variables that require policy interventions to improve the development outcomes of children. The logistic regression results showed that 14 out of the 34 predictors were significant. Inequality was significant and positive at 1%. The findings suggest that more work still needs to be undertaken to improve the living conditions of children, especially in the former homelands, to achieve the goals set in the National Development Plan and Sustainable Development Goals. In the past, non-whites were assigned a homeland according to their ethnicity or a place where national or ethnic identity has formed. Full article

This article draws on doctoral research conducted at the University of Glasgow and examines the role of youth work and participatory research in shaping young people’s wellbeing in post-COVID-19 Scotland. This study focuses on how participatory methods, such as photovoice and photo-elicitation, can foster socio-political awareness and agency among young people, engaging Scottish youth and local stakeholders. Using empowerment theory, critical pedagogy, and feminist theory, this research reveals how youth participation contributes to personal and collective empowerment, offering insights into the complexities of supporting youth wellbeing. The findings indicate that young people gained control and awareness of community needs through youth work and research engagement, reflecting critical consciousness. However, this study highlights challenges in achieving sustainable change, as structural barriers often constrain the transformative potential of these initiatives. Despite the safe spaces for connection and skill-building provided by youth work, some participants experienced disillusionment when their contributions did not lead to tangible outcomes. This study recommends more inclusive and responsive youth work practices, emphasising the importance of genuine youth-led decision-making and aligning stakeholder efforts with youth aspirations. It contributes to discussions on youth agency, community engagement, and the critical role of supportive relationships in fostering resilience post-pandemic. Full article

Historical trauma has been established as a determinant of health among all Hawaiians, but limited research exists on how Wāhine (Native Hawaiian women) uniquely experience historical trauma. A phenomenological qualitative study was conducted to primarily understand how historical trauma, trauma response, and the transmission and modes of intergenerational trauma intersect with sexism and patriarchy among contemporary Wāhine, as described in the Historical Trauma Conceptual Model. With partnership and approval of the Waimānalo Pono Research Hui, interviews were conducted with 13 Wāhine from various generations in Hawai’i. The structural, institutional, interpersonal, and internal levels of ‘Eha (loosely translated as hurt/suffering/to inflict pain/cause hurt or suffering) were generated as prominent themes from the data. Findings from this project communicate the urgency for change to heal Wāhine with radical aloha and to support them in reimagining a world that is inclusive of their needs. Full article

This study explores the relationship between income inequality, economic growth, and unemployment in Greece from 2003 to 2020, encompassing key economic phases: pre-crisis, crisis, memoranda, and post-memoranda. The aim is to analyze how economic growth (logarithm of GDP-LOGGDP) and unemployment influenced income inequality (GINI coefficient) during periods of economic turmoil and recovery. Using linear regression analysis on 18 years of annual data, this study identifies significant relationships between the variables, with diagnostic tests confirming model robustness. The findings reveal a strong positive and statistically significant relationship between LOGGDP and income inequality, indicating that economic growth, without effective redistributive mechanisms, exacerbated disparities. Unemployment had an even stronger positive effect on inequality, highlighting its role in deepening income disparities, particularly during the crisis years marked by economic contraction and austerity measures. These results underline the critical need for balanced economic policies that promote inclusive growth while addressing structural inequalities and labor market vulnerabilities. This study also employs advanced econometric methods, including Vector Autoregression (VAR), Vector Error Correction Model (VECM), and Granger Causality Test, to analyze the dynamics between GDP (LOGGDP), income inequality (GINI), and unemployment. The Granger Test reveals that unemployment Granger-causes GDP with a two-period lag, highlighting the importance of labor market conditions for economic growth, while no direct causal relationship is found between GDP and inequality. These methods provide deeper insights into the short- and long-term interactions, offering valuable guidance for balanced economic policymaking. Full article

By modernizing Gothic tropes within a narrative exploring the trauma of intimate partner violence, the latest film adaptation of The Invisible Man from Leigh Whannel draws attention to the invisibility of the psychological and societal horrors of abuse. With a blend of psychological and physical horror, this feminist reinterpretation of H.G. Wells’ classic novel navigates intersecting genres of horror to facilitate its emotional impact. In a close reading of the cinematic techniques and plot through a Gothic lens, Whannell’s version of ‘The Invisible Man’ reveals its successful reflection of the dangers of technology-enabled control’s capacity to reinforce societal compliance in gender-based violence. Full article

Introduction: Child trafficking is a clear violation of human rights, robbing minors of their fundamental entitlements. These encompass the right to personal identity, familial bonds, cultural heritage, access to healthcare and proper nourishment, education, freedom of speech, and the assurance of safety and security. Children and young people, given their inherent vulnerability and limited access to support networks, frequently struggle to safeguard themselves effectively. This predicament presents traffickers with opportunities to exploit and manipulate them. Therefore, it is essential for professionals across various sectors—including education, healthcare, protective and social services, as well as the justice system—to undergo comprehensive training and be integrated into a robust social protection system. This preparation should equip them to conduct screenings, accurately assess needs, and adhere to international guidelines when addressing cases of child trafficking. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore the child-centered anti-trafficking approaches employed by Italy and Turkey, situated along migration pathways in the Mediterranean region and experiencing significant regular and irregular migration flows in recent years. Both nations fall within the classification of southern European welfare regimes. Methodology: This research specifically delves into the social protection policies aimed at children and young victims established by these two countries. Carried out between 1 February 2020 and 20 May 2021, this study employed a semi-structured interview approach, conducting qualitative in-depth interviews in both Italy and Turkey. This research targeted experts from various disciplines engaged in combating human trafficking in both countries, with a total sample size of 46 participants, comprising 15 experts from Italy and 31 from Turkey. Grounded theory formed the basis of the study, with data analyzed using the MAXQDA 2020 Pro Analytics program, employing a multidisciplinary and empowerment approach. Results: The analysis yielded 2942 codes, 17 sub-themes, and four main themes. The study identified four main themes: (i) characteristics of child victims and vulnerable child groups, (ii) services provided to at-risk groups and child trafficking victims within the current national counter-trafficking framework, (iii) challenges encountered in delivering services to children and young individuals, and (iv) recommendations for establishing an effective and child-centered protection system. Discussion and Conclusion: It is imperative to ensure that victims of child trafficking have access to comprehensive social protection measures. It has been noted that both Italy and Turkey offer various services to victims of child trafficking, including in-kind and -cash social assistance, free legal aid, shelter services, access to education and healthcare, as well as prevention, awareness, and advocacy programs. However, there are also differences between the two countries in certain aspects. Recommendations aimed at addressing these differences can be developed by adhering to the minimum standards outlined in the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings. Full article

Digital disparities remain a significant challenge in Indonesia, particularly across its diverse regions, with uneven access to digital infrastructure, skills, and economic opportunities. This study aims to map these digital disparities at the district level, analyze the spatial distribution and clustering of digital transformation using the Digital Society Index of Indonesia (IMDI), and investigate the key drivers of digital inequality across four core pillars: Infrastructure and Ecosystem, Digital Skills, Empowerment, and Jobs. To measure the IMDI, primary data were collected from the industrial sector and the general population over three years (2022–2024), combined with secondary data on internet usage and service standards. A multistage random sampling approach ensured representativeness, considering demographic variations and industrial segments. The analysis employed spatiotemporal methods to capture temporal trends and spatial clustering. The results revealed a significant IMDI increase from 37.80 in 2022 to 43.18 in 2023, followed by stability at 43.34 in 2024. The hotspots of digital transformation remain concentrated on Java Island, while low spots persist in eastern Indonesia. This study provides critical insights into Indonesia’s digital readiness, identifying priority areas for targeted interventions to bridge the digital divide and foster equitable digital development. Full article

Environmental quality is a global concern, especially in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries where abundant mineral resources, economic growth, and globalization have strained the environment through urbanization and resource exploitation. This study examines the impact of globalization (GLOL), urbanization (URBN), natural resource extraction (NRER), institutional quality (INSQ), and foreign direct investment (FDI) on environmental quality in GCC countries from 1999 to 2021. Cross-sectional dependence (CSD) was assessed using the Lagrange Multiplier (LM) and cross-dependence (CD) techniques, and stationarity was confirmed with the Levin–Lin–Chu test. The Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) co-integration test verified long-term relationships, and Pooled Mean Group Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG-ARDL) methodology assessed short- and long-term effects. Our findings show that FDI, GLOL, and INSQ have negative long-term impacts on environmental quality, while NRER and URBN are beneficial. In the short term, FDI and INSQ improve green quality, while GLOL, URBN, and NRER have detrimental effects. Policy recommendations include discouraging FDI in non-renewable projects, promoting sustainable FDI, addressing income inequality to improve environmental quality, and investing in urban development to reduce ecological footprints (ECFTs) and enhance environmental quality in GCC countries. Full article

Many countries, including Sri Lanka, are taking steps to integrate sex education into their educational systems to combat child abuse. However, this effort is often met with skepticism in Asian nations, including Sri Lanka. This study takes a unique approach by applying the criteria of the health belief model to predict the quality of reproductive health (SRH) education in Sri Lanka, offering a fresh perspective on this issue. A positive philosophical framework and a deductive approach have been employed to provide justification for the underlying assumptions. A structured questionnaire was used as the survey methodology, which included questions about external cues to action, self-efficacy, perceived barriers, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity. Data was collected from a total of 384 Sri Lankan non-state undergraduate students to test their perception of these factors and how they affect the perceived benefits of quality SRH education. The level of self-efficacy, perceived susceptibility, and perceived severity yielded a coefficient estimate that was statistically significant, thus influencing the perceived benefits of quality SRH education. These results, obtained through a multivariate regression analysis, underscore the importance of one’s role in implementing effective SRH education. Importantly, there is no evidence that external cues to action and perceived barriers predict the perceived benefits of quality SRH education. This underscores the gravity of the situation and the need for immediate action. The findings of this study have significant practical implications. They can be used to develop an effective SRH program that aims to prevent sexual abuse among adolescents. This study also demonstrates that the health belief model can serve as a useful conceptual framework for such intervention programs, providing tangible solutions to the issue of SRH education quality. Full article

In the digital economy era, artificial intelligence implementation has accelerated the intellectualization of productive forces, emphasizing the critical relationship between higher education and this transformation. As the primary conduit for developing advanced human capital, the mechanisms through which higher education adapts to and promotes emerging productive forces require systematic examination. This research establishes a theoretical framework demonstrating the synchronous relationship between higher education development and productive force intellectualization, proposing that higher education development provides essential momentum for this transformation. The framework validation employed panel data analysis from 31 Chinese provinces (2012–2022) using fixed-effects (FE) and mediation effect models. The FE model reveals a positive effect coefficient of 1.561 for higher education development on intelligent productive force enhancement (p < 0.01), indicating substantial promotion of productive force intellectualization without saturation effects. Mediation effect analysis confirms the significance of three mediating factors—labor, capital, and technology (p < 0.05)—validating the influence pathways through human capital, material support, and research innovation mechanisms. The research innovation mechanism demonstrates premier efficacy, while material support mechanisms indicate optimization potential. The human capital mechanism, despite its promise, exhibits implementation time lags. These findings suggest prioritizing intelligent technology talent development, enhancing research investment, and strengthening innovation capabilities to advance higher education’s role in productive force intellectualization. Full article

Cyberbullying entails multiple, problematic consequences for its victims. However, little is known about the factors that influence the dispersion of these damaging messages. Drawing on theories of social interaction, we argue that perpetrators disseminate messages containing sexist and racist slurs that reinforce stereotypical, social norms to enhance their online visibility. We collected cross-sectional and longitudinal samples of tweets (N = 539,558 and 248,497, respectively) that included either gender or Asian slurs. We find that tweets containing gender or Asian slurs that were more negative in sentiment had a significantly higher number of retweets than more positive tweets, thereby heightening a user’s online presence and the reach of their content. Two historical events unfolded during our study—the onset of COVID-19 and the murder of George Floyd by a police officer. Tweet negativity increased following both events. Our findings demonstrate the capacity of aggressive tweets to generate wide-ranging networks, a process which is exacerbated further by public crises. Results suggest that the practice of sending such messages is strategic. Perpetrators likely engage in cyberbullying, consciously or not, to increase their online attention. Moreover, this strategy appears to be successful. Full article

Intelligent transformation plays an important role in enhancing innovation capabilities. This study utilizes data from 5000 A-share firms in China to investigate the effects of intelligent transformation on innovation capability and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. We find that (1) there is a positive relationship between intelligent transformation and innovation capability. Furthermore, pursuing profit maximization and sustainable competitive advantage drives firms to capitalize on the technological dividends of intelligent transformation to enhance substantive innovation capability. (2) Intelligent transformation affects the innovation capability and structure through the mechanism of total factor productivity and market competition. (3) Within the intelligent transformation, non-state-owned enterprises exert a stronger influence on enhancing innovation capability, but state-owned enterprises remain the primary drivers of substantive innovation. The synergistic effect of intelligent transformation, combined with the scale advantages of large enterprises, create substantial opportunities for firms to enhance their innovation capability. Additionally, intelligent transformation notably enhances both the innovation capability and the innovation quality of labor-intensive enterprises. While capital-intensive enterprises experience significant improvements in their overall innovation capability, their substantive innovation capability has not shown comparable advancements. These findings contribute to a more accurate evaluation of the effects of intelligent transformation on innovation capability. The findings also help cultivate differentiated competitive advantages and drive high-quality development through intelligent empowerment. Full article

Emotion recognition through artificial intelligence and smart sensing of physical and physiological signals (affective computing) is achieving very interesting results in terms of accuracy, inference times, and user-independent models. In this sense, there are applications related to the safety and well-being of people (sexual assaults, gender-based violence, children and elderly abuse, mental health, etc.) that require even more improvements. Emotion detection should be done with fast, discrete, and non-luxurious systems working in real time and real life (wearable devices, wireless communications, battery-powered). Furthermore, emotional reactions to violence are not equal in all people. Then, large general models cannot be applied to a multi-user system for people protection, and health and social workers and law enforcement agents would welcome customized and lightweight AI models. These semi-personalized models will be applicable to clusters of subjects sharing similarities in their emotional reactions to external stimuli. This customization requires several steps: creating clusters of subjects with similar behaviors, creating AI models for every cluster, continually updating these models with new data, and enrolling new subjects in clusters when required. An initial approach for clustering labeled data compiled (physiological data, together with emotional labels) is presented in this work, as well as the method to ensure the enrollment of new users with unlabeled data once the AI models are generated. The idea is that this complete methodology can be exportable to any other expert systems where unlabeled data are added during in-field operation and different profiles exist in terms of data. Experimental results demonstrate an improvement of 5% in accuracy and 4% in F1 score with respect to our baseline general model, along with a 32% to 58% reduction in variability, respectively. Full article

Following a coronary ischaemic event, it is essential to promote empowerment in self-care decision making. Primary care nursing is crucial for intensive follow-up to promote adherence to the therapeutic regimen. Objective: To ascertain whether adherence to a protocolised follow-up programme, with the support of a patient notebook, improves compliance behaviours in terms of physical activity, prescribed diet and medication. This is a quasi-experimental multicentre pre/post study. Population: Individuals aged 40–70 years, diagnosed with cardiac ischaemia in the last 18 months with a follow-up from March 2017 to January 2019, were included in a protocolised follow-up programme consisting of 11 visits over 12 months. A total of 194 patients started the programme and 132 completed it. Of these, 67.4% exhibited good adherence to follow-up, 31.8% exhibited medium adherence, and 0.8% exhibited poor adherence. Therefore, the patients were recoded into two variables: Medium–Low Adherence and High. The Nursing Outcomes Classification variables were significantly different between the Poor–Medium and Good Adherence groups and were always higher in the Good Adherence group (p-values < 0.05 t-student). There was a significant relationship between level of adherence and compliance behaviour. Good adherence to a follow-up plan led by primary care nurses improves compliance behaviours in terms of prescribed diet, physical activity, and medication. Early, intensive and protocolised follow-up by primary care nurses is essential to improve adherence to the therapeutic regimen and compliance behaviour among individuals with cardiac ischaemia. The use of a cardiovascular self-care notebook promotes adherence. Full article

Smart manufacturing is an important initiative to promote the transformation and upgrading of industries and the high-quality development of the economy. However, the current situation of digitalized smart transformation in manufacturing enterprises is not optimistic, which is primarily attributed to the ambiguity surrounding the pathways. This study is based on the technology-organization-environment-individual (TOE-I) analytical framework; it selects 20 case studies of advanced manufacturing enterprises; and employs case studies and necessary condition fuzzy set qualitative comparative research methods (NCA and fsQCA) to investigate the pathways through which technology, organization, the environment, and individual microelements synergistically drive smart manufacturing from a configurational perspective. The study reveals that digital technology breakthroughs, digital infrastructure, digital talent, digital sharing, organizational resilience, organizational culture, and the entrepreneurial spirit are the core influencing factors in advancing smart manufacturing for manufacturing enterprises, and four implementation paths driven by smart manufacturing are analyzed. Among them, digital technology breakthroughs and digital infrastructure have a potential substitutive relationship in the “technology + talent” empowerment organizational model. Organizational resilience, organizational culture, and the entrepreneurial spirit are important safeguards for successful advancements in smart manufacturing. In contrast, digital infrastructure plays a more indirect, supporting role. Accordingly, this paper provides theoretical reference and practical guidance. Full article

Youth research has, for decades, focused on examining current societal conditions and their potential shortcomings for young people in areas such as education, income, work, and gender equality. However, it has been less common to integrate planetary boundaries and so-called “overshoot” areas—such as biodiversity loss or climate change—into youth research. This paradigm shift is increasingly necessary, as six out of nine planetary boundaries have already been crossed, and the planet remains on track for approximately 2.7 degrees Celsius (°C) peak warming by 2100. In addition to planetary threats, Morocco faces social challenges, particularly high unemployment. Unemployment is highest among young people aged 15 to 24, reaching 25% over the past decade, nearly double the global youth unemployment rate. This article analyzes a case study we refer to as the “Gardening School” in Morocco, a country facing significant climate stress. It aims to (a) explore new methods for conducting more globally oriented youth research that is ethical and environmentally friendly and (b) examine the wellbeing of young people and their environment, as well as how to support and strengthen both. The findings of this article highlight the potential for youth research to develop new approaches, especially when conducted alongside young people and educational and sustainable environments. These environments enable younger generations to deepen their connection to and understanding of biodiversity, sustainability, and climate change, while learning to use natural resources in a sustainable and ethical manner. This approach ultimately aims to ensure a livable future for the coming generations and foster sustainable employment opportunities. Full article

Faced with a shortage of college graduates with STEM degrees, many countries are seeking ways to attract more high school students to pursue STEM majors after graduation. This study aims to promote the sustainability of high school students in STEM fields by analyzing the effects of digital competence on the STEM major intentions of high school students. The survey collected data from 2415 participants comprising 1230 females and 1185 males from 16 high schools in China. Using hierarchical logistic regression, the study found that digital competence had significant positive effects on high school students’ STEM major intention. Also, computational thinking was the strongest predictor among the four areas of digital competence. Moreover, latent profile analysis identified two profiles of male students and four profiles of female students. Among male students, advanced male users had the strongest STEM major intention; among female students, low-level female novices had the weakest STEM major intention. Thus, digital competence can be considered an effective way to bridge the gender gap in STEM major selection. Based on the findings, strategies are discussed for improving high school students’ STEM major intentions and promoting digital competence, thereby ensuring the sustainable development of students in STEM fields in the digital era. Full article

In recent years, EU member states have faced two significant crises: the COVID-19 pandemic and high inflation, exacerbated by geopolitical instability. These events have led to a decline in household purchasing power. Our study aims to quantify the impact of these crises on household income dynamics in Romania, using data from the EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions and the EUROMOD tax-benefit microsimulation model. We analyze income changes across demographic segments from 2019 to 2021 (COVID-19 period) and 2021 to 2023 (inflation crisis), focusing on household characteristics such as the presence and number of children, the gender of the household head, and the presence of elderly members. Our findings reveal that while disposable income increased from 2019 to 2021, the poorest 10% experienced the smallest gains. In 2022–2023, inflation eroded these increases, and the lower half of the income distribution struggled with reduced earnings and pensions. Despite this, the Gini coefficient for disposable income decreased from 2019 to 2023, indicating a reduced inequality. Our study highlighted that targeted public policy interventions are essential to support vulnerable households and mitigate the effects of economic shocks. Full article

Background/Objectives: Coercion in mental health is challenged, prompting reduction interventions. Among those, the Joint Crisis Plan (JCP), which aims to document individuals’ treatment preferences in case of future de-compensation, regardless of the potential loss of discernment, has been identified as a key path to study. Identified challenges related to its implementation highlight the need to adapt this intervention to the local context. Considering that in Quebec (Canada), the JCP is not widely used, but the scientific literature supports its adoption and corroborates its potential impact on reducing coercion, this study evaluates the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of the JCP among psychiatric and forensic inpatient settings. Methods: A pilot mixed-methods study was conducted through 16 individual interviews with inpatients and healthcare providers, combined with a pre–post analysis of seclusion and restraint use and the violence prevention climate (VPC) based on healthcare providers’ (n = 57) and inpatients’ perspectives (n = 53). Results: Although the challenging implementation of the JCP complicated the evaluation of its effects on seclusion and restraint use, a moderate change (d = 0.40) in the VPC was identified based on healthcare providers’ perspectives. Qualitative findings are also insightful to understand the acceptability and feasibility of the JCP use. A tension emerged between the perspectives of inpatients and healthcare providers: while inpatients valued the reflective process of completing the plan, providers focused more on its technical aspects. Conclusions: The results support the integration of the JCP into patient care pathways, as it provides a tool to amplify patients’ voices, promote patient empowerment, facilitate open dialog on alternatives to coercion, and foster more collaborative and humane mental health care. Full article

Background: Gender-based violence (GBV) is one of the most pronounced expressions of the unequal power relations between women and men. As a tool for action against this phenomenon, psychological intervention programs for perpetrators of GVB are offered. This is how reGENER@r was born; it is a two-month program based on psychoeducational and cognitive-behavioral strategies that is part of the alternative measures to GBV-related prison sentences. The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of the reGENER@r program on the variables of emotional intelligence, empathy, coping responses, emotional dependency, gender role conflict, and sexist beliefs. Method: To this end, a sample of 37 subjects convicted of crimes of GBV was collected, and a pre- and post-evaluation by means of self-report was carried out. Changes were examined for statistical significance and clinical significance. Results: Significant improvements were observed in the variables of cognitive avoidance, emotional attention, hostile sexism, and distorted thoughts about women and the use of violence. Conclusions: Limitations and implications of these findings are discussed, and some modifications are suggested such as making interventions longer, with a greater gender focus, adapted to the individual characteristics of the participants, and complemented with individual sessions. Full article

The general objective of the study is to study the degree of gender-based violence that exists among students at the University of Huelva. The sample of 678 students (540 women and 138 men) answered an anonymous and voluntary questionnaire, which was made up of several validated questionnaires. The results show that many of the students have rarely suffered or carried out any type of violent behavior in their relationships, although there is a very low percentage who claim to have suffered gender-based violence, so we can affirm that it is a phenomenon present to a greater or lesser extent. It is observed that students easily relate physical aggressions to gender-based violence while they hesitate to relate psychological aggressions to it. This difficulty can be supported by other studies that state that adolescents believe that some actions of psychological violence—such as being jealous—are simply signs of love. This is compounded by the large number of romantic myths that are increasingly spread through social networks, media, family patterns, etc. More educational interventions are therefore needed to prevent these outcomes from leading to unhealthy relationships disguised as excessive romanticism. Full article

Child maltreatment is a worldwide issue with serious consequences throughout life. Maltreated children tend to be at greater risk of developing aggressive and antisocial behaviours (e.g., violent behaviour in adulthood). The present study aims to analyse how temperament mediates the relationship between childhood trauma and sexual violence perpetration in adolescence. The present cross-sectional study was conducted with 252 Portuguese adolescent students between ages 11 and 20 years (n = 126 boys), of whom 126 self-identified as perpetrators of sexual violence. Overall, the results show that temperament mediated the relationship between emotional abuse and the perpetration of sexual violence. Limitations and implications for future studies were discussed. This study will be crucial for the development of intervention programs on violence and will help to explore these practices in intimate relationships. A better understanding of violence through the identification of variables of interest will allow a better understanding of this phenomenon, deepening the relational dynamics between the different genders. Full article

Reflecting on findings from over ten years of research, four studies, and a focused two-day workshop, this article argues that it is past time to surface gender as a critical consideration in reimagining care homes to create conditions of dignity and respect for residents, workers, and families in all their diversity. Considering care homes as an indicator of equity in welfare states, we deploy a concept of gender that acknowledges the relationship between bodies and social relations, and an inclusive concept of women that interrogates the differences among women. We outline the reasons that make care homes a women’s issue, explaining why women are the majority of care home residents and staff across jurisdictions in high-income countries. We draw insights from our workshop and research studies to discuss how gender is both ignored and embedded in care home design and offer considerations and possibilities for designing care homes for women in all their diversity. Full article

As demand for privately organized care and domestic work has grown, digital platforms have emerged as key intermediaries connecting prospective workers with clients. Drawing on unique survey data collected in Germany in 2019, this study offers a systematic analysis of the sociodemographic characteristics of platform-mediated care and domestic workers, with particular focus on their family and household compositions and their motivations for using a digital care-work platform. The study’s findings reveal similarities between these workers, traditional care and domestic workers, and other platform workers in the gig economy. This study also focuses on how this work serves as a strategy for reconciling paid work with unpaid family responsibilities. Importantly, a noticeable proportion of the workers have unpaid care responsibilities for children or other family members and friends while pursuing platform work. When asked about their reasons for using a digital platform, the workers mostly name the income potential, job flexibility, and independence that this platform-mediated work provides. However, the motivations of different groups of workers vary: those with children more often value the balance of paid work and family life that this work offers, while financial incentives and professional development are less of a priority. Full article

(1) Background: Patient lifts are evidence-based engineering controls used in Safe Patient Handling Programs to assist healthcare workers in moving patients. They have been shown to be beneficial for both healthcare workers and patients. However, these devices are not consistently used. This review aims to determine the scope of the literature and examine the barriers and facilitators for the use of patient lifts by healthcare workers, on a global level. (2) Methods: Electronic databases, including MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase (Ovid), Global Health (Ovid), CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science—Core Collection, Cochrane CENTRAL, Trials Register of Promoting Health Interventions, PAIS Index (Proquest), and the gray literature were reviewed. Duplicates were removed, titles and abstracts were screened, full texts were assessed, and the quality of the studies were checked. The analysis was carried out qualitatively using thematic analysis. (3) Results: A total of 57 articles were included in this review. Most studies (71.9%) originated in the US alone, and none originated in low- and middle-income countries. The majority were quantitative studies and were conducted in acute care hospitals. The main identified barriers were equipment-related (e.g., time constraints, device unavailability, and inconvenient storage), followed by cultural and behavioral factors (peer pressure, resistance to change, and occupational socialization), followed by organizational factors (staff shortage and workload). The main identified facilitators were mostly organizational factors (leadership support, minimal lift policy, standardized protocols), followed by cultural and behavioral factors (safety culture and worker’s empowerment), then equipment-related factors (device availability and accessibility). Patient- and worker-related factors were the least mentioned. (4) Conclusion: There is a complex interplay of organizational, equipment-related, and cultural factors shaping the use of lifts by healthcare workers. A multifaceted approach that focuses on enhancing organizational support, fostering a robust safety culture, and ensuring equipment availability is warranted. Full article

Worldwide, attempted suicide and suicide death are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Women in South-East Asia are especially vulnerable, as almost 50% of all global female suicides occur in the 11 countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region. This scoping literature analysis aimed to identify and analyze the predictors or risk factors for attempted suicide and suicide death among South-East Asian women. A scoping literature review was conducted. Five databases—PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, PsycINFO, and EMBASE—were searched. Forty studies and twelve literature reviews were eligible for inclusion. Women in South-East Asia, particularly those who are young and married, living in poverty, with low or no education, living in rural areas, with no employment outside the home, with lower socioeconomic position, and living within joint families are highly vulnerable to suicidality. This review identified gender disadvantage, infertility, domestic abuse, intimate partner violence, family conflicts, husband’s alcohol misuse, child marriage, forced marriages, and dowry disputes as the most significant predictors of attempted suicide and suicide death among South-East Asian women. A better understanding of the phenomenon is essential to develop effective gender-specific and culturally appropriate suicide prevention strategies or interventions. Full article

This paper will focus on illustrating through qualitative personal narratives the lived realities of three South Asian Indian women in academia across the continuum of their experiences personally, professionally, and as academics within the field of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT). The authors will speak to their South Asian identity, their acculturation experiences as Asian Indian women in the US professional and academic context, their different generational experiences in immigration journeys, their different academic and clinical journeys, and other contextual variables such as age, solidarity with other South Asian women in academia, peer mentorship experiences, and finding their own voices and empowerment through connections with other women with similar experiences. In addition to the lack of formal academic mentorship, the authors will describe how they as South Asian Indian women have grappled with the challenges of systemic gender and racial biases that undermined their development as academics and hindered their progress toward gender and racial equality in academic and clinical settings. The authors will situate their personal narratives within the frameworks of feminist solidarity and social justice through describing their mentorship experiences, as mentors and mentees, and how they still were able to establish their professional identities as professional, academic, South Asian women of color. Full article

Walking Miracles, a dance/theater project, was created from the stories of six adult survivors of child sexual abuse and completed due to the conscientious work of many collaborators. A psychotherapy group of fourteen sessions was audiotaped and attended by the six survivors, three dancer/choreographers, and one psychotherapist. Our goals were to provide positive psychotherapeutic experiences for the survivors and the foundation for a dance/theater piece that would then be presented to the public at the conclusion of the group sessions. Our hope was that audiences would gain a deeper empathetic understanding of child sexual abuse and would become stronger allies for the survivors and stronger advocates for child abuse prevention. Empathetic abilities were critical for this project—in the psychotherapy process, in the care taken to protect the trust and confidentiality of the survivors, and in the creation of the script, choreography, music, and poetry. I will examine the nature of empathy and the processes for creating specific movements from such dark experiences. How does one approach a work about issues so intensely personal? What care do we need to provide for the participants during the progression of the work? What are the ethical aspects of such projects that use the personal narratives of hidden communities? Full article

The impact of digital empowerment on green innovation is increasingly evident, enabling various subjects to improve the integration of innovation elements and enhance innovation efficacy across a broader temporal and spatial scope. A comprehensive examination of the mechanisms that underlie this process is required. This paper constructs the ‘elements-subjects-environments’ research framework of digital innovation ecosystems, collecting data from 30 provinces in China from 2017 to 2021 and using green total factor productivity (GTFP) to evaluate the level of green regional development. In this study, the dynamic qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method is employed to analyze the intricate causal mechanisms and configurations of green regional development that are driven by digital innovation ecosystems from both temporal and spatial perspectives. The results show that: (1) green regional development requires the interaction of multiple elements, subjects, and the environment, and a single condition does not constitute a necessary condition; (2) there are four pathways with different configurations for high-level green development: data elements-driven enterprise application innovation, data elements-driven enterprise-user co-creation, data elements-driven multi-collaborative innovation, and digital environment-driven university basic innovation; (3) the temporal and spatial dimensions of China’s green regional development pathways are heterogeneous: the significance of data elements in fostering green regional development is increasing; the multi-collaborative innovation configuration is facilitating the green development of the eastern and central regions, whereas the western and northeastern regions are progressing at a relatively slow pace. This study provides theoretical and practical insights to promote the integration of digital innovation and green development. Full article

The Swedish National Curriculum for Preschools states that “the environment in the preschool should inspire and challenge children to broaden their abilities and interests without being constrained by gender stereotyped perceptions”. The aim of a three-year research and development (R&D) project was to both analyse and recreate early childhood education and care (ECEC) units’ indoor spaces, aiming at creating an indoor educational environment that would be socially inclusive and norm-aware, and support preschools to fulfil their curricular assignment around gender equality. The aim of this article is to present a specific process for challenging the norms around certain indoor play places and spaces as well as pieces of furniture in ECEC settings that risk reproducing gender norms. This aim was achieved through a social semiotic multimodal gender analysis of so-called “kitchen furniture”, as a well-established, commonly occurring space in ECEC. The process of how this was challenged is presented in this article. A gender analysis of what affordances for play this kitchen-focused piece of furniture gives, and how it can be recreated, was conducted. The introduction of more inclusive furniture to the ECEC units, through creating and building a play trolley, could affect children’s play in a more inclusive way. The analysis addressed both this idea and teachers’ self-initiated move of the piece of furniture within the ECEC unit. The process was performed with a multidimensional perspective of understanding play as a combination of children’s meaning-making and the affordances of both relationships and the environment. Full article

The Internet allows teenagers to express their identity through the publication of images and texts on social networks, but sometimes they may develop self-esteem problems as a result. The present study analyzed self-esteem levels, and their relationship with sexism, Internet use and the influence of likes, in 309 subjects, by asking them about Internet use, social networks, self-esteem and sexism. The results showed low levels of self-esteem, although boys scored higher on the overall scale and for hostile sexism. Similarly, those with higher percentages of low self-esteem showed higher scores for benevolent sexism. It can be concluded that the use of social networks and the Internet, in relation to sexist attitudes, influences adolescents’ self-esteem and social construction. Full article

This project studies how to raise awareness of the environment and sustainability among secondary school students. The goal is for them to become aware of their role in transforming the world, in order to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into students’ daily educational environment. The goal is to attain the highest possible level of diversity in terms of age, possible knowledge of the SDGs, and environmental awareness. Another important factor is geographical distribution, with the inclusion of students from rural and urban schools. The study was developed within the framework of Forest and Sustainability, a project designed for secondary schools in Catalonia, using interactive learning tools. Survey participants (a total of 1106) are asked to choose and prioritize five SDGs. To obtain information on the trends in the responses, the program Minitab Statistical Software (v.22) was used. The SDGs with the highest score are SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). The humanitarian and health factors concern members of the sample group most, with very interesting results when comparing the responses by gender, educational level, and rural or urban schools’ participants. Full article

This study explores the Potaxie, Fifes, and Tilinx subcultures on TikTok, examining their origins, characteristics, and cultural significance. Originating from a viral video in 2020, the Potaxie subculture emerged within the Spanish-speaking LGBTQ+ community and evolved to symbolise inclusivity and gender equality. Potaxies use vibrant aesthetics influenced by Japanese and Korean pop culture to express their identities and resistance. In contrast, Fifes, associated with cisgender heterosexual men, embody traditional patriarchal values, often sexist and homophobic, creating a narrative of resistance between the groups. The Tilinx, symbolic descendants of the Potaxies, are inspired by ballroom culture and drag houses, with “Potaxie mothers” continuing the fight for inclusion and diversity. Using a mixed-methods approach, including quantitative analysis through the TikTok API and qualitative content analysis via MAXQDA and Python, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the subculture that accumulates over 2.3 billion interactions. The findings highlight how TikTok serves as a platform for identity construction, cultural resistance, and the redefinition of social norms. Additionally, the study examines how digital platforms mediate intersectional experiences, favouring certain types of content through algorithms, and how participants navigate these opportunities and constraints to express their intersecting identities. The implications for communication strategies, youth policies, educational plans, and research on the commercialization of these subcultures are profound, offering insights into the transformative potential of social media in shaping contemporary cultural and social narratives. Full article

Background: Knowing the spatial variation and predictors of women having sole autonomy over their healthcare decisions is crucial to design site-specific interventions. This study examined how women’s sole autonomy over their healthcare choices varies geographically and what factors influence this autonomy among Bangladeshi women of childbearing age. Methods: Data were obtained from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017–18. The final analysis included data from a total of 18,890 (weighted) women. Spatial distribution, hot spot analysis, ordinary Kriging interpolation, and multilevel multinomial regression analysis were employed. Results: The study found that approximately one in ten women (9.62%) exercised complete autonomy in making decisions about their healthcare. Spatial analysis revealed a significant clustering pattern in this autonomy (Moran’s I = 0.234, p < 0.001). Notably, three divisions—Barisal, Chittagong, and Sylhet—emerged as hot spots where women were more likely to have sole autonomy over their healthcare choices. In contrast, the cold spots (poor level of sole healthcare autonomy by women) were mainly identified in Mymensingh and Rangpur divisions. Women in the age group of 25–49 years, who were highly educated, Muslim, urban residents, and had not given birth recently were more likely to have sole autonomy in making healthcare decisions for themselves. Conversely, women whose husbands were highly educated and employed, as well as those who were pregnant, were less likely to have sole autonomy over their healthcare choices. Conclusions: Since the spatial distribution was clustered, public health interventions should be planned to target the cold spot areas of women’s sole healthcare autonomy. In addition, significant predictors contributing to women’s sole healthcare autonomy must be emphasized while developing interventions to improve women’s empowerment toward healthcare decision-making. Full article

A substantial body of research has explored the relationship between inequality and health, yet little is known about the gender-specific effects and pathways through which inequality affects health outcomes. This study focuses on China, a country characterized by high income inequality and uneven health distribution across social groups. In Study 1, repeated nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Chinese General Social Survey is utilized (N = 3798 for 2017, N = 1578 for 2015, and N = 2827 for 2008), revealing that perceived inequality negatively affects self-rated health, particularly among women. The high level of perceived economic inequality substantially contributes to the gender health gap in China. Study 2 employs a randomized experiment (N = 3568) to show that perceived inequality affects the health of women and men differently, that is, social mobility framing accounts for the negative effect on women’s mental well-being, whereas reducing status anxiety mainly benefits men’s mental health. To advance research on economic inequality and health, this study investigates gender differences in whether and how perceived inequality affects health. Full article

In the digital era, social media platforms have seen a substantial increase in the volume of online comments. While these platforms provide users with a space to express their opinions, they also serve as fertile ground for the proliferation of hate speech. Hate comments can be categorized into various types, including discrimination, violence, racism, and sexism, all of which can negatively impact mental health. Among these, sexism poses a significant challenge due to its various forms and the difficulty in defining it, making detection complex. Nevertheless, detecting and preventing sexism on social networks remains a critical issue. Recent studies have leveraged language models such as transformers, known for their ability to capture the semantic nuances of textual data. In this study, we explore different transformer models, including multiple versions of RoBERTa (A Robustly Optimized BERT Pretraining Approach), to detect sexism. We hypothesize that combining a sentiment-focused language model with models specialized in sexism detection can improve overall performance. To test this hypothesis, we developed two approaches. The first involved using classical transformers trained on our dataset, while the second combined embeddings generated by transformers with a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model for classification. The probabilistic outputs of each approach were aggregated through various voting strategies to enhance detection accuracy. The LSTM with embeddings approach improved the F1-score by 0.2% compared to the classical transformer approach. Furthermore, the combination of both approaches confirms our hypothesis, achieving a 1.6% improvement in the F1-score in each case. We determined that an F1 score of over 0.84 effectively measures sexism. Additionally, we constructed our own dataset to train and evaluate the models. Full article

This study aims to examine how interdisciplinary urban interventions within architectural education can effectively address social justice issues. Motivated by the growing need for inclusive and equitable urban spaces, this research explores the potential of collaborative design and participatory research methods to foster social awareness and community engagement. Focusing on student-led projects in cities such as Houston, San Diego, and Amsterdam, this study addresses social justice challenges across themes like Art Activism, Tactical Urbanism, environmental justice, and gender equity. Using case study analysis, digital mapping, and poster creation as core methodologies, the research demonstrates the value of multi-scalar, interdisciplinary approaches in tackling complex urban problems. The key findings highlight that integrating these approaches into architectural education promotes critical engagement with social justice issues, equipping students with practical skills for future professional challenges. The implications suggest that expanding this framework to diverse urban contexts could enhance its impact, offering a foundation for further studies on interdisciplinary design as a tool for urban equity. Full article

Community-engaged research (CER) is a justice-oriented research paradigm that emphasizes equitable and reciprocal knowledge co-production with community members and organizations, sharing power, benefits, contributions, and responsibilities among all participants. This study explores nine teachers’ cases of facilitating CER projects in their respective school settings, aimed to support students’ critical consciousness and action for environmental issues and injustices. This study contributes to educational research by adapting an existing framework for CER for environmental justice that can guide K-12 teaching and research on it. By analyzing data from teacher community meetings and individual interviews in the CER framework, this study articulates classroom practices that addressed the Distribution, Procedure, Recognition, and Transformation dimensions of CER, as well as the positive impacts and challenges of these implementations. The findings report teacher practices categorized by the CER dimensions they addressed (the what of the practices) and the instructional strategies they employed (the how of the practices). The findings also compare the frequency of these practices as an indicator of variation in teacher practices and illustrate this variation through three teachers’ CER cases. The findings also document the positive outcomes of CER in student empowerment, as well as the challenges related to time, resources, assessment, and stakeholder skepticism, underscoring the need for systemic support to enhance CER in school settings. The discussion focuses on the implications of these findings and ways to address the identified challenges through future research and institutional efforts. Full article