Search Results (13,321)

Speedcubing, the competitive practice of fast solving the Rubik’s Cube, has gained global popularity both as a sporting and an educational activity. Aside from its recreational value, speedcubing may contribute to broader social and developmental outcomes. This study aims to examine the potential of speedcubing as a tool for sustainable social development, concentrating on its educational, psychological, and social implications and its relationship to selected United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An anonymous online survey consisting of 26 items (22 used for the main analysis and 4 demographic items) was conducted among 112 participants associated with the speedcubing community, including active competitors, coaches, and parents. The questionnaire addressed accessibility, cognitive and social competencies, and perceived educational and social benefits, as well as user preferences regarding digital tools supporting learning. The results indicate that participation in speedcubing supports the development of analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, perseverance, and self-control. Respondents also emphasized its educational value, accessibility, and role in fostering fair play and social integration. These findings suggest that speedcubing may contribute to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), and SDG 11 and SDG 12 (Sustainable Cities and Communities; Responsible Consumption and Production). Full article

The synergistic and mutually reinforcing relationship between the development of the new energy industry and comprehensive land consolidation is crucial for integrating ecologically fragile areas into the national “dual carbon” goals and supporting regional high-quality development. Based on a systematic literature review, field investigations in typical regions, and multi-case comparative analysis, this paper analyzes the challenges and opportunities for the new energy industry in ecologically fragile areas as well as the mutually reinforcing mechanisms between new energy industry development and land consolidation. On this basis, it explores pathways for comprehensive land consolidation in coordination with new energy development. Building on local practices, it further identifies five typical models. The results show the following: (1) The development of the new energy industry in ecologically fragile areas faces multiple challenges, including a fragile ecological environment, inadequate infrastructure, a mismatch between resource supply and demand, and land use conflicts. Against the backdrop of the energy transition, breakthroughs in key technologies, and the guidance of territorial spatial planning, the value of wind and solar resources in these areas are becoming increasingly prominent, offering broad prospects for the new energy industry. (2) The development of the new energy industry and comprehensive land consolidation in ecologically fragile areas are mutually reinforcing. Factors such as resource endowment, ecological constraints, new quality productive forces, and investment and financing mechanisms interact and integrate with each other, resulting in diversified synergistic pathways. (3) Based on the priorities of new energy industry development and the primary objectives of consolidation, five models are identified: Ecological Restoration-led Model, Resource Development-led Model, Industrial Collaboration-led Model, Technological Innovation-led Model and Integrated Development Model. Each model has distinct priorities and applicable scenarios. This study will provide a reference for new energy development and sustainable development in ecologically fragile areas, including desertified and Gobi desert areas, coal mining subsidence areas, and areas rich in wind, solar, and hydropower resources. Full article

The aim of this study was to investigate older adults’ engagement in sport through the lens of the Positive Development in Sport (PDS), a framework aimed at fostering human growth in sport environments. This qualitative study involved 80 older athletes (M = 71.91 years, SD = 7.91; 45 women) engaged in regular sport practice and four experienced coaches (37–57-years-old). Data was collected across multiple contexts: brief in-person individual or small-group interviews during a competitive event; five in-person focus groups; and individual interviews. Data was analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings revealed a central theme, autonomy to engage in sport, supported by three subthemes: competence and confidence, health, and setting priorities. Participants described sport as a meaningful component of their identity, with sustained engagement driven by intrinsic motivation and harmonious passion. They reported increased self-awareness, intentional health management, and the ability to balance sport participation with other life domains, highlighting positive implications for mental health. Coaches who actively supported athletes’ psychological needs played a key role in fostering autonomy and personal development. Participants also emphasized the importance of inclusive relationships and pedagogical strategies tailored to older athletes’ goals and lived experiences. The findings suggest that sport in older adulthood can be a context for personal growth and mental health development. Full article

Climate change and population growth are intensifying water scarcity in arid regions, yet previous analyses focusing on a single driver may not fully capture the compounded effects of climatic and anthropogenic factors. This study integrates water-balance analysis, trend analysis, and correlation-based statistical analysis to examine the combined effects of hydroclimatic anomalies and socioeconomic activities on water resource dynamics in ecologically vulnerable Northwest China. Our results show that despite increasing precipitation, warming-associated increases in evapotranspiration, together with irrigation-based water use accounting for 89.8% of total consumption, have offset the potential runoff gains, suggesting that agricultural water use is a major anthropogenic contributor to regional water stress. Based on these findings and a comparative review of representative arid-region practices in Israel, Australia, and Saudi Arabia, we propose a technology-market-institution tripartite governance framework for Northwest China. This framework is intended to support more proactive adaptation in regional water management and to provide a context-specific reference for advancing SDG 6 and SDG 13 in dryland regions. Full article

The sustainable renovation of ageing industrial buildings presents both a challenge and an opportunity to enhance energy efficiency while preserving architectural and structural integrity. This study develops an integrated methodological framework for assessing and optimising multilayer wall systems in such conversions, combining thermal, environmental, and durability analyses. Six composite wall configurations were designed and numerically evaluated using steady-state 2D heat conduction and vapour-diffusion models. The results reveal substantial thermal improvement compared to the reference uninsulated brick wall (U = 1.41 W/m²·K). The proposed systems achieved U-values between 0.351 and 0.172 W/m²·K, meeting or surpassing European energy standards. The BP–EPS wall exhibited the lowest U-value (0.172 W/m²·K), while the FC–EPSR configuration achieved superior corner performance with a 2D surface temperature (Tsi) of 17.99 °C and the highest surface temperature factor (fRsi = 0.943), along with a reduced condensation risk, indicating more balanced overall performance. Weight and thickness reductions of up to 80.5% and 52%, respectively, were observed, enhancing retrofit feasibility and space efficiency. Life Cycle Assessment results indicated that optimised wall configurations reduced embodied carbon (A1–A3) by up to 78% and total life cycle emissions (A1–A3 + B6) by over 86% relative to the reference case. Vapour-diffusion analysis confirmed the FC–EPSR wall’s lowest condensation fraction, indicating excellent hygrothermal durability. Multi-criteria evaluation using the simple additive weighting method and Monte Carlo robustness analysis verified FC–EPSR as the most balanced and reliable system. Overall, the findings present a validated and replicable pathway for the sustainable renovation of industrial buildings, supporting the goals of European carbon neutrality and the circular economy. Full article

Frequent extreme heatwaves (HWs) have significantly exacerbated urban thermal risks, yet the regulatory mechanisms of urban morphology remain poorly understood. This study focuses on the core urban areas of Beijing and develops a Local Climate Zone (LCZ)-constrained spatiotemporal data fusion model (LCZ-FSDAF) to generate high-resolution Land Surface Temperature (LST) datasets from 2015 to 2024. By integrating urban–rural gradient analysis with the XGBoost-SHAP model, this study quantitatively resolves the spatiotemporal evolution of land surface temperature during heatwaves and the nonlinear threshold effects of urban morphological parameters, using a representative extreme heatwave event in July 2023 as a case study. The results indicate that the LCZ-FSDAF model achieves high precision across complex urban underlying surfaces (up to 0.946, RMSE as low as 0.762 K), effectively capturing the spatial heterogeneity of the urban thermal environment. Over the past decade, heatwave events in Beijing have exhibited a significant trend of increasing frequency, duration, and intensity. During these events, LST displays a concentric core-high, periphery-low structure; however, the peak temperature shifts toward high-density built-up areas in the sub-core, manifesting a distinct heat island core shift phenomenon. Furthermore, the impact of urban morphology on LST is characterized by significant nonlinearity, with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Mean Building Height (MBH) identified as dominant factors. Notably, Building Coverage (BC) and Sky View Factor (SVF) exhibit pronounced threshold effects across different thermal indicators. Findings of this study are useful for guiding urban planning, optimizing spatial configurations, formulating urban heat island mitigation policies under heatwaves, and promoting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of cities and communities. Full article

Global urban development has fully entered the stage of stock renewal, and the synergy between public health and historic heritage conservation has become a core issue of urban sustainable development in the post-pandemic era. As special spatial units carrying urban cultural memories, historic districts generally face problems such as chaotic traffic functions, a lack of slow traffic spaces, and insufficient public health support. Existing studies lack a public health-oriented special evaluation system and a sustainable renewal path adapted to their characteristics. This paper systematically sorts out eight core impact paths of street built environment elements on public health and constructs a healthy street evaluation system for historic districts, including six dimensions (transportation facilities, green squares, ancillary facilities, street-front commerce, urban furniture, and street network) and 30 core elements combined with the spatial and cultural characteristics of historic districts. Taking five typical streets in the Liuhe Area of Hankou Historic District as an empirical case, a comprehensive evaluation is carried out using a combination of quantitative surveys, questionnaire surveys, and spatial analyses. The results show that the overall health performance of street space in the study area is low, with extremely unbalanced development across dimensions. The core shortcomings are concentrated in incomplete slow traffic systems, lack of public spaces, prominent parking chaos, and fragmented historic styles, and the health problems of streets with different functional types show significant typological differentiation characteristics. Based on this, this paper proposes five systematic renewal strategies, transportation system optimization, public space improvement, landscape system perfection, historic style activation, and long-term mechanism construction, for achieving the synergistic goals of historic culture conservation, public health promotion, and urban sustainable development. This study not only enriches the theoretical system of research on healthy spaces in historic districts but also provides a referable evaluation framework and practical approach for modern historic districts in China and other similar historic districts with comparable spatial textures and functional characteristics. Full article

The increasing use of antibiotics around the globe has contributed to an increase in antimicrobial resistance and become a major risk to both public health and sustainable development. Reliable and fast detection of antibiotic residues in clinical, agricultural, and environmental matrices is required to monitor antimicrobial resistance effectively. The conventional analytical techniques are sensitive, but they are also expensive, complex and lacking in portability. Voltammetry is a recently emerging electrochemical detection technique that is low-cost and rapid. To the best of our knowledge, for the first time, a meta-analysis was conducted on graphene-based electrochemical sensors and biosensors for antibiotic detection over the last decade. This systematic review critically examines the analytical properties of sensors and biosensors, the physicochemical properties of antibiotics, adsorption characteristics, and the use of nanoparticles to improve the selectivity and sensitivity of devices. This review critically examines the cost-effectiveness, scalability, and practicality of point-of-use devices using graphene-based sensors and biosensors. This systematic review also discusses the potential risks to human health from antibiotic contamination and the role of monitoring in contributing to achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This systematic review identifies a gap between developing sensors in laboratories versus their deployment as field-deployable devices; it highlights challenges associated with stability, matrix effects and the complexity of manufacturing devices. Finally, it provides recommendations for future research that may help to address this gap to promote the transition of innovative devices from academic to practical applications. Full article

Minimum wage policies have become a central instrument for promoting social and economic sustainability by ensuring sufficient income to cover basic needs and reduce inequalities. They align with recent predistribution approaches in the literature and with goal 10.4 of the United Nations 2030 Agenda. In the European context, these policies are explicitly embedded within the sustainable development and just transition agenda, where the European Union emphasises that securing fair wages is a necessary condition for inclusive, balanced and equality-enhancing growth. At the same time, the methodological debate has evolved from early time-series-based approaches to a new generation of quasi-experimental studies, which provide more rigorous and less biased evidence. Within this framework, Spain represents a relevant case due to the scale and persistence of its minimum wage reforms since 2019, yet the Spanish case has lacked a systematic synthesis comparable to those available for other advanced economies (e.g., Germany, the UK, the USA). This article offers the first systematic synthesis of empirical evidence on the effects of the minimum wage in Spain from the 1990s to 2025, following the PRISMA 2020 methodology. This process yielded a large number of articles, from which an initial selection of 249 was made. Following the full screening and eligibility assessment, 34 articles were retained. The results allow for an analysis of the current state of research on the effects of the minimum wage across multiple dimensions, especially on employment and inequality. Other aspects, such as productivity, prices, other business adjustments, administrative obstacles, and public finances, are still poorly addressed in the available literature. In any case, this is a valuable exercise in understanding how wage policies can help to clarify the relationship between minimum wage policies and the transformation of labour markets. Full article

Effective supply chain planning increasingly requires balancing cost-efficiency with environmental responsibility, particularly as organisations face growing pressure to reduce the carbon footprint of logistics operations. This study develops a mixed-integer linear programming model to optimise inventory and transportation decisions in a multi-echelon distribution network comprising a central warehouse, regional warehouses, and retailers. The model integrates a continuous-review (r,Q) replenishment policy, stochastic demand, safety stock requirements, transportation lead times, and stockout behaviour, enabling a detailed representation of operational dynamics under uncertainty and environmental concerns. Unlike most sustainable inventory models—which typically treat environmental impacts and replenishment control separately or rely on simplified service assumptions—this study provides an integrated framework that jointly embeds (r,Q) policies, stochastic demand, stockouts and distance-based CO₂ metrics within a unified optimisation structure. The model advances prior work by explicitly integrating continuous-review (r,Q) replenishment policies with distance-based CO₂ metrics under stochastic demand, a combination rarely addressed in sustainable multi-echelon inventory models. A multi-objective formulation captures the trade-off between economic performance and CO₂ emissions, allowing the identification of Pareto-efficient strategies that reconcile financial and environmental goals. Reducing emissions by over 90% requires an additional cost of only about 4%, demonstrating that substantial emission reductions can be achieved at relatively low additional cost. The findings offer practical insights for managers seeking to design more sustainable and cost-effective distribution policies, highlighting the value of integrated optimisation approaches in contemporary logistics systems. Full article

Many business schools have set strategic objectives to integrate sustainability in their curricula; however, there is limited evidence of effective curriculum change initiatives, including organizational change approaches that could inform effective strategy design and implementation. This paper examines how a business school sought to embed sustainability content in undergraduate business education, and how it navigated contested understandings of sustainability and multiple orientations to teaching sustainability, including ESG, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Social-ecological Systems, and Social Innovation. Using qualitative documentary curriculum data, a curriculum mapping methodology is presented to quantitatively assess year-on-year changes in sustainability content at curriculum, discipline, and orientation levels. Findings show that sustainability integration increased over the period studied, albeit unevenly across the curriculum, with integration driven by educators of various instructor types and sustainability orientations. The discussion highlights factors that likely supported progress, including the School’s approach to change and the strategy’s explicit recognition of multiple sustainability orientations. The study presents a practical methodology that senior managers seeking to integrate sustainability in higher education can use to track curriculum change progress, drivers, and orientations. It also offers guidance on how to advance sustainability integration in organizational contexts characterized by different sustainability orientations. Full article

Enhancing the ESG performance of manufacturing enterprises represents a critical pathway for promoting high-quality economic development and achieving sustainable development goals. Leveraging the establishment of National New-Generation Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zones as a quasi-natural experiment, this study examined A-share listed manufacturing enterprises on the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges from 2010 to 2023, employing a multi-period difference-in-differences model to systematically evaluate the policy’s impact on enterprise ESG performance and its underlying mechanisms. The empirical results demonstrate that the Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zone policy exerts a significant positive effect on manufacturing enterprises’ ESG performance, with the robustness of this conclusion validated through parallel trends tests, placebo tests, and multiple robustness checks. A mechanism analysis revealed that the policy primarily enhances manufacturing enterprises’ ESG performance through two transmission channels: intensifying the R&D expenditure intensity and strengthening environmental compliance pressures. Furthermore, the enterprise resource allocation and operational efficiencies significantly moderate the policy effect, amplifying the enabling effect of the policy on ESG performance. A heterogeneity analysis indicates that, from the perspectives of enterprise ownership and responsibility orientation, the policy demonstrates more pronounced enabling effects on non-state-owned enterprises and non-high-pollution enterprises; from the perspectives of technological endowment and factor structure, the policy effects are more evident among high-tech enterprises, non-capital-intensive enterprises, and non-labor-intensive enterprises. This study elucidates the multi-dimensional transmission mechanisms through which the Artificial Intelligence Innovation and Development Pilot Zone policy empowers ESG development in manufacturing enterprises, providing theoretical foundations and practical guidance for refining artificial intelligence policy frameworks and promoting manufacturing enterprise sustainable development. The research findings also contribute empirical evidence from emerging economies to comparative research on global AI governance. Full article

Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4, the efficient and sustainable allocation of educational resources is essential for improving the quality of higher education. This study investigates the paradox between resource investment and the operational efficiency of Chinese key universities and explores pathways for sustainable resource allocation in higher education. Employing a two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Bootstrap truncated regression, we evaluated the operational efficiency of 60 universities directly affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China from 2004 to 2023 and further analyzed factors influencing efficiency. The results show that greater resource concentration does not necessarily improve operational efficiency and may generate diminishing returns in resource use. Efficiency differences across university groups also vary with model specification and output composition, especially in research performance and doctoral education. Further analysis shows that faculty structure optimization, high-quality postgraduate education, and stable teaching teams are pivotal factors in enhancing universities’ sustainable operational efficiency. These findings highlight the importance of governance reform and performance-oriented resource allocation in supporting the sustainable development of higher education systems and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Full article

The cost of living is rising daily, particularly in rural areas. This is due to a variety of factors, including unemployment and a lack of knowledge about available useful resources. The study meticulously documented the diverse uses of cow dung among community members of the Maungani village of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. The qualitative approach was employed to inventory the uses of cow dung in the Maungani community. The most prevalent use was as a fertilizer for vegetables such as spinach and cabbage, which are commonly cultivated in household backyards. Other significant uses included honey harvesting, paving yards, sprinkling over vegetables to deter herbivores, as a mosquito repellent, in medicinal and cosmetic applications, as a water purifier, and as a fuel source for fire. Furthermore, some respondents emphasized the importance of cow dung in biogas production, which is vital for many communities globally. The study recommended the continued use of cow dung as a fertilizer to mitigate the financial burden of costly inorganic fertilizers on peasant farmers. Further recommendations suggest that the continuous utilization of cow dung in various ways can help rural community members achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2, and 3. Full article

In contemporary debates on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, there is growing recognition that artificial intelligence (AI) may contribute meaningfully to SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), particularly by enhancing the efficiency of food aid distribution and resource allocation. However, such optimism must be critically situated within the broader institutional and ethical contexts in which AI operates. This study argues that the effectiveness of AI in conflict-affected settings is contingent not only on technical capacity but also on governance structures, ethical safeguards, and institutional trust, dimensions closely aligned with SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). Using the Gaza Strip as a case study, this article demonstrates that AI-driven food assistance mechanisms may inadvertently reinforce structural vulnerabilities. Specifically, algorithmic targeting of aid risks deepening dependency, exacerbating digital exclusion, and weakening already fragile governance systems. The absence of robust data accountability frameworks further complicates these dynamics, raising concerns regarding transparency, fairness, and long-term sustainability. The findings caution against privileging technical efficiency at the expense of socio-political stability. Rather, they highlight that the sustainability of AI interventions in humanitarian contexts fundamentally depends on the credibility and legitimacy of institutions. Accordingly, this study proposes a conceptual model for AI in hunger relief and digital humanitarianism that integrates technical innovation with institutional accountability and social trust. This study presents a narrative review informed by structural searching that examines the influence of AI on food security interventions in fragile contexts. This analysis applies a combined ethical governance and sustainability lens to assess current applications and risks. This research advances a broader analytical framework that moves beyond purely technical interpretations of AI, emphasizing its role as a socio-political tool, through identifying five key pillars for sustainable AI governance: data sovereignty, algorithmic accountability, inclusive system design, community-led governance, and market integrity. Full article