Search Results (3,860)

The aim of this study is to examine the potential role of inclusive leadership in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. A qualitative research method and case study were employed in the study. The study group consists of 53 participants. A semi-structured interview form was used, and the findings were analyzed through content analysis. In the study, 5 themes, 20 codes, and 34 sub-codes were created. According to the findings, first, inclusive leadership was predominantly conceptualised through the principles of equality, fairness, and participation, with stakeholders emphasising equal treatment, inclusion of all individuals in school processes, and participatory decision-making. While school administrators tended to view inclusion from a structural and managerial perspective, teachers emphasised its relational, emotional, and communicative dimensions. Second, the cultural structure of disadvantaged neighbourhoods was characterised primarily by low socioeconomic conditions, strong traditional values, and cultural diversity, creating both challenges and opportunities for inclusive leadership practices. Third, school administrators’ inclusive leadership practices were largely perceived positively and reflected instructional leadership, open communication, stakeholder participation, attention to individual differences, collaboration, and fairness, although weaknesses related to empathy and engagement with external stakeholders were also identified. Fourth, inclusive leadership was perceived to contribute to academic achievement indirectly through enhanced student motivation, school belonging, organisational trust, positive school climate, cooperation, and respect for individual differences. Finally, participants identified family disengagement, economic hardship, inadequate physical resources, and limited community support as major barriers to inclusive leadership, while recommending stronger family-school collaboration, increased community involvement, leadership training, and structural improvements as key strategies for enhancing both inclusion and academic success. Overall, the findings suggest that the influence of inclusive leadership on academic achievement in disadvantaged contexts operates through both structural and relational mechanisms and is strongly shaped by broader socioeconomic and community conditions. Full article

The high rate of the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in education is changing how teachers teach, how they are trained, and how institutions are managed. While many studies explore the use of AI in teaching and learning, there is a lack of research on how it supports capacity building for special education pre-service teachers in rural South African universities. This review examines existing studies on how AI can develop skills and knowledge in pre-service teacher education for inclusive teaching. Using the AI-Capacity-Content Interaction Model and a structured scoping review method, relevant peer-reviewed studies were selected from major academic databases. The findings reveal that AI supports capacity building through improved teaching methods, the use of data for decision-making, hands-on learning, and collaboration. It also helps teachers address diverse learner needs. However, the study also identifies key challenges in rural universities, such as limited infrastructure, lack of resources, weak policy support, digital inequality, and insufficient training for lecturers. These barriers limit the effective use of AI in teacher education. The study highlights the need for better digital infrastructure, ongoing professional development for pre-service teachers, and policies that consider local contexts. These steps are important for ensuring fair access to AI and improving teacher education in rural areas. Full article

Higher education institutions face growing pressure to demonstrate and quantify societal contributions beyond research and teaching; this study addresses measurement challenges for third-mission activity by developing both a conceptual typology and a practical assessment framework. We developed a four-dimension typology—research-based impact, teaching-based impact, campus-management-anchored impact, and administrative infrastructure—that synthesizes the existing literature while drawing attention to under-examined areas such as campus operations and institutional support. Methodologically, we synthesize the literature, analyze national and international best practices, and design an assessment approach that combines individual case studies and evidence-based questionnaires with automated metrics applied in multi-year cycles. We demonstrate that the typology reflects a broad range of impact pathways and argue that the proposed framework balances rigor and feasibility while surfacing key measurement tensions—breadth versus depth; general-purpose versus domain-specific metrics; input versus output indicators; levels of analysis; and assessment burden versus outcome quality. We conclude with actionable recommendations for academic staff, institutional leaders, and national agencies to integrate third-mission activities into evaluation and funding systems, offering a methodological toolkit that may support impact assessment into HEI evaluation without overstating conclusions. Full article

Background/Objectives: The diagnosis of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is challenging and frequently delayed. Clinically accessible and minimally invasive diagnostic tools are needed to expedite the diagnosis of ILD while minimizing risk to patients. Fibresolve is an imaging artificial intelligence (AI) tool recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in ILD diagnosis and made available to clinicians. The objective of this study was to describe its utility in clinical practice. Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational study of patients across the United States (US) in whom Fibresolve was utilized during routine clinical practice between July 2024 and June 2026. Information on patient demographics, Fibresolve test results (positive = suggestive of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF); negative = unsupportive of IPF), and disease management pre- and post-Fibresolve utilization were collected, including the use of ILD-specific pharmacotherapy and planned and/or completed invasive diagnostic procedures. Results: There were 209 patients that underwent evaluation with Fibresolve across 47 medical centers. Of those, 16 were academic centers (n = 57 patients), and 31 were community-based (n = 152 patients). Fibresolve was positive in 89/209 (42.6%) patients. The percentage of patients receiving ILD-specific pharmacotherapy increased significantly following Fibresolve utilization (12.5% to 44.4%, p < 0.001). Pre-Fibresolve, 59/154 (38.3%) patients had an invasive diagnostic procedure planned; post-Fibresolve, only 12/77 (15.6%) patients had an invasive procedure performed (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this real-world study evaluating the use of an FDA-authorized imaging tool for ILD diagnosis in diverse clinical practices across the US, we found that following utilization of Fibresolve, there was a statistically significant increase in the percentage of patients receiving guideline-directed therapy for ILD, and previously-planned invasive diagnostic procedures were avoided in many cases. These findings support the use of Fibresolve as an adjunct for ILD diagnosis in clinical practice. Full article

Resilience, the capacity to recover from adversity, manage stress, and maintain well-being, is vital for pharmacy students to manage academic stress, clinical challenges, and future professional demands. Despite its recognised importance, pharmacy curricula often lack structured resilience education. This pilot study aimed to design, implement, and evaluate resilience-focused activities within Monash University’s Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons)/Master of Pharmacy program. This study employed a descriptive cross-sectional educational evaluation design using a single post-intervention survey to explore student perceptions following participation in curriculum-integrated resilience activities within the Skills Coaching program. Sessions used reflective frameworks and interactive small-group activities facilitated by staff and pharmacists across the Australian and Malaysian campuses. In 2022, 1061 students participated, with feedback response rates between 26 and 40%. Students reported perceived improvements in their understanding of resilience following participation in the sessions. Likert-scale responses indicated improved understanding of resilience and highlighted strong engagement with case discussions and reflective exercises. Findings from this pilot inform curriculum refinement, assessment design, and faculty development to support sustainable integration of resilience education in pharmacy programs. This work also supports the lead author’s doctoral research to develop a comprehensive resilience curriculum for undergraduate pharmacy education. Full article

The Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) is the standard metric for evaluating renewable energy project economics; however, conventional formulations inadequately represent the dynamic effects of logistics performance, supply chain disruptions, geopolitical risk, and institutional constraints on project costs. This study addresses this gap by proposing the Integrated Levelized Cost of Energy (I-LCOE), a conceptual framework designed for macro-level renewable energy planning and policy analysis. An interpretivist qualitative research design was adopted, combining a systematic literature review with twelve semi-structured interviews involving renewable energy, logistics, regulatory, and academic experts from the MENA and GCC regions. Thematic analysis identified five recurring challenges: limited knowledge management, weak integration of logistics within conventional LCOE models, fragmented sustainability metrics, stakeholder coordination inefficiencies, and reliance on tacit knowledge. The findings indicate that transportation delays, customs bottlenecks, infrastructure limitations, and geopolitical disruptions generate dynamic risk premiums that are insufficiently reflected in existing macro-level cost assessment approaches. In response, the study develops the four-layer I-LCOE framework, supported by an operational proxy variable mapping framework, a comparative assessment against established uncertainty methods, and an integrated digital knowledge management platform. The proposed framework provides a structured approach for incorporating logistics-induced uncertainty into renewable energy cost assessment, supporting more informed strategic planning, investment prioritization, and policy development aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the Paris Agreement. Full article

The ontological status of journalism in Greece has long been marked by a profound tension between the perception of the field as an innate craft and its institutionalization as an academic discipline. This paper investigates the perceived utility of university-level journalism education and its impact on professional identity within the Greek media landscape. Utilizing a quantitative methodological approach, the study involved the distribution of structured questionnaires to professional journalists in Greece to capture their attitudes toward academic training, press freedom, and contemporary journalistic practices. The findings suggest differentiated perceptions within the professional community, reflecting an ongoing negotiation between practical experience and academic approaches to journalism. Notably, despite the fact that only a small fraction of the surveyed journalists hold academic degrees in journalism, a large proportion of respondents acknowledges the utility of specialized higher education for aspiring professionals entering the field. Furthermore, the study explores how these perceptions correlate with views on press autonomy and ethical challenges, emphasizing consensus on the positive contribution of university education to journalistic practices related to press freedom and editorial independence. However, a persistent “theory-practice gap” remains evident, as respondents identified deficiencies in journalism curricula regarding preparation for practical demands and real-time reporting. Ultimately, the findings reveal strong criticism of the current state of press freedom in Greece, highlighting the need to re-evaluate the role of higher education in strengthening the professional legitimacy and democratic mandate of Greek journalism. Full article

Growing urbanization, housing affordability pressures, and increasing sustainability demands have positioned modular and flexible design strategies as central approaches in contemporary residential architecture. Modularity enhances construction efficiency, reduces material waste, and accelerates delivery through the use of prefabricated, standardized components. Flexibility, in turn, enables spaces to adapt in configuration and function over time, responding to the evolving needs of occupants and communities. Following PRISMA 2020 guidance, a systematic search was conducted across Web of Science, Scopus, and ScienceDirect academic databases resulting in 2140 records. After duplicate removal and sequential screening, 98 studies were included in the final review. The selected literature spans peer-reviewed journal articles and documented case studies, with emphasis on publications from 2015 onwards. The review identifies key advantages of modular and flexible residential systems, including cost-effectiveness, reduced environmental impact, and improved user satisfaction, while also highlighting persistent challenges such as regulatory barriers, standardization constraints, and limited interdisciplinary integration. The review contributes three synthesis outputs: a typology of modular residential systems, a critical comparison of modular–flexible strategies, and a cross-scale conceptual framework linking production logic, occupant adaptation, and sustainability outcomes. The findings underscore the potential of hybrid strategies that combine modular construction with flexible design principles to produce residential environments that are resilient, adaptable, and sustainable. The review provides structured insights and evidence-based recommendations for architects, planners, and policymakers involved in the development of future housing systems. Full article

Student dropout remains a persistent challenge in higher education, with significant academic, social and institutional implications. Although machine learning (ML) models for dropout prediction have proliferated, most select input variables based on data availability rather than theory and rarely report psychometric validation of the constructs used. This study addresses both gaps by developing and validating an early warning system at a Mexican university using exclusively pre-enrollment data from more than 46,000 student records from 2014 to 2025. Following the CRISP-DM methodology, eight theoretically grounded constructs, anchored in Tinto’s integration model, Bean’s attrition model, and Cabrera et al.’s persistence model, were operationalized from institutional intake questionnaires and assessed for internal consistency using Cronbach’s alpha prior to model training. Eight supervised ML algorithms were benchmarked across distance-based (Logistic Regression, SVM, AdaBoost, ANN) and tree-based (Random Forest, XGBoost, LightGBM, CatBoost) families. A tuned and isotonically calibrated Random Forest achieved the best overall performance (recall = 0.743, F1 = 0.524, ROC-AUC = 0.734, PR-AUC = 0.478) on a strictly held-out test set that was not used at any stage of model development. The 2023–2025 cohorts, whose dropout labels were not yet observable under the institutional definition, were scored prospectively to generate operational risk profiles. SHAP analysis identified high-school GPA, parental education, and household asset indices as dominant predictors, which mapped directly onto the three theoretical frameworks. These findings demonstrate that psychometrically grounded pre-enrollment data alone can support an operationally deployable dropout detection system, enabling proactive, evidence-based retention interventions from the first day of enrollment. Full article

The rapid proliferation of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies has transformed the modern home into a complex cyber–physical ecosystem encompassing hundreds of millions of connected devices globally. Smart homes support automation, energy management, and healthcare monitoring, but they also introduce a broad and evolving range of security and privacy challenges. This review examines 233 sources published between 2018 and May 2025, selected through a PRISMA-informed process covering five major academic databases and relevant standards and technical reports. It discusses communication protocols, including Matter, develops a Threat-Layer-Defense synthesis matrix covering ten attack categories; examines the practical limitations of AI-based anomaly detection and blockchain-based trust management; and derives recommendations for manufacturers, platform providers, users, and regulators. Privacy challenges, regulatory frameworks, and user behavior are considered alongside technical threats. The findings suggest that scalable smart home security requires coordinated progress in protocol standardization, enforceable device update lifecycles, gateway-level anomaly detection, and privacy-preserving local analytics rather than reliance on a single technical solution. Full article

The world’s food industry faces significant obstacles today as it strives to meet the nutritional needs of its rapidly expanding global population while also managing an immense amount of food processing waste (FPW) generated throughout the entire food supply chain. The widespread use of traditional disposal techniques for food waste (landfilling and incineration) regularly faces challenges related to environmental sustainability and economic efficiency. This manuscript reviews the necessary transition from a linear “take-make-dispose” approach to food production to a more circular model that recycles food waste into high-value intermediate chemicals and renewable energy through the development of biorefineries. The manuscript explores the biochemical composition of food waste, with carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and bioactive materials, making it a suitable feedstock for different multi-stage biorefinery operations. In addition, this review will evaluate a variety of existing conversion technologies for food processing waste, such as biological methods (e.g., anaerobic digestion and fermentation) and thermochemical methods (e.g., pyrolysis, gasification, and hydrothermal liquefaction), to create various platform chemicals, including organic acids, bio-alcohols and volatile fatty acids (VFAs), as well as the production of sustainable biofuels and biopolymers. The review also elucidates the three most determinative constraints on large-scale industrial implementation of food waste valorisation: feedstock variability, techno-economic feasibility, and the need for comprehensive life cycle assessments (LCAs). The alignment of food waste management strategies with the UN SDGs (in particular, SDG 12 ‘Responsible Consumption and Production’ and SDG 13 ‘Climate Action’) reflects the opportunity for food waste to serve as a foundation for a carbon-neutral, sustainable future. This review provides a strategic roadmap for academics, practitioners, and policymakers to tap into the full potential of food waste through a sustainable circular economy model. Full article

Contemporary sustainable development is affected by geopolitical competition, geoeconomic fragmentation and growing strategic uncertainty. These developments challenge conventional assumptions on which sustainability governance is based and raise questions about the relationship between sustainable development, economic security and strategic autonomy. This article examines how geopolitical and geoeconomic transformations are reshaping sustainable development within the European Union and assesses their implications for the future evolution of the European development model. The analysis is based on a qualitative analysis of policies and documents in key EU strategic frameworks, legislative instruments, sustainability reports and the academic literature. Particular attention is paid to the European Green Deal, the European Economic Security Strategy and the Europe 2026 Sustainable Development Report. Sustainable development now depends not only on environmental and social outcomes but also on resilience, secure access to key resources and technologies and the ability to adapt to external disruptions. Economic security and strategic autonomy do not emerge as competing priorities but as enabling conditions for the implementation of sustainability goals. This article argues that sustainability governance in the European Union is undergoing a process of geopoliticisation, in which environmental, economic and strategic considerations are now closely intertwined. Its main contribution is the creation of a framework of sustainable strategic resilience that conceptualises these interactions as mutually reinforcing dimensions of contemporary EU governance. Full article

Assessment feedback on complex written reports remains one of the most persistent and resource-intensive challenges in higher education. However, no principled framework exists for deciding which feedback tasks might appropriately involve artificial intelligence and which must remain human responsibilities. This paper addresses that gap by proposing a tripartite feedback framework that distinguishes three analytically distinct levels: low-level structural and presentational feedback, intermediate-level factual content validation, and high-level critical evaluation and synthesis. Grounded in established feedback theory, including Hattie and Timperley’s feedback model and Boud and Molloy’s sustainable feedback design principles, the framework provides pedagogically justified criteria for allocating tasks between AI systems and human assessors, rather than automating whatever technology can technically perform. Five non-negotiable boundary principles govern any AI involvement at the intermediate level, preserving human oversight, academic accountability, and assessment integrity. This paper examines current technological capabilities and limitations at each level, proposes a phased implementation pathway with explicit human-in-the-loop requirements, and addresses implications for feedback literacy, student agency, equity, and security. A comprehensive mixed-methods evaluation design specifying the evidence required for empirical validation is also presented. The framework’s contribution lies not in prescriptive solutions but in providing structured categories, explicit boundary conditions, and validation criteria to guide context-sensitive institutional decision-making about AI integration in assessment. Full article

Background: Thalidomide, prescribed to pregnant women in the late 1950s and early 1960s, caused severe congenital impairments known as thalidomide embryopathy, yet the long-term health and wellbeing of survivors as they reach older adulthood remains underexplored. Objectives: This scoping review updates the 2017 Newbronner and Atkin review by exploring evidence published between 2017 and 2025 on the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of ageing thalidomide survivors, identifying emerging health issues, care needs, and evidence gaps. Methods: Searches across nine academic databases and grey literature sources identified studies reporting health, wellbeing, or quality of life among middle-aged and older adults with documented prenatal thalidomide exposure. Results: Thirty papers from the UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Canada, and Australia were included, showing pervasive musculoskeletal deterioration, chronic pain, and increased metabolic disorders. Mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety, and stress, were common and often linked to pain severity and functional limitations, alongside sensory impairments, dental issues, and functional decline, though many survivors demonstrated resilience. Conclusions: Ageing thalidomide survivors face complex, progressive health challenges that extend beyond congenital impairments, highlighting a need for coordinated, specialist care to support wellbeing in later life. Full article

Introduction: Storytelling is gaining interest as a potentially useful research and communication approach in health. However, there remains a huge gap in synthesized evidence in relation to its use in vaccination. We set out to map existing evidence on the use of storytelling in vaccination practice. Methods: This review was conducted in accordance with Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Databases were searched for eligible studies using search strings in PubMed, Scopus, Academic Search Premier, Africa Wide Information, PsycINFO, ERIC, Cochrane Library, Web of Science Core Collection, and SciELO Citation Index via Web of Science. The gray literature was searched on Primo and Google Scholar. References from other sources were identified through a manual search using Google. Identified citations were uploaded into Covidence for screening and data extraction. Qualitative content analysis was used to summarize data in conceptual categories, including frequency counts. Results: Overall, 6236 studies were identified and imported into Covidence. Following removal of duplicates, 3804 studies were screened for title and abstract. 386 studies met eligibility criteria for full-text screening, which led to 110 included studies. Storytelling was used in immunization between 1997 and 2025 as a communication intervention (96/110 studies), research method (12/110 studies), and therapeutic approach (3/110 studies). Most studies originated from North America (67/110 studies), while six originated from Africa. Two-thirds of included studies (64/110 studies) were randomized controlled trials. Among the 62 studies reporting vaccine-related outcomes, 80.6% (50/62 studies) reported changes in one or more vaccine-related outcomes following exposure to storytelling interventions. The trustworthiness of these outcome findings is unknown. Reported changes were more frequently observed for cognitive, affective, and intentional outcomes than for behavioral outcomes such as vaccine uptake. Again, these findings have not been subject to critical appraisal. Conclusions: Storytelling is emerging as an adaptable approach with potential for addressing contextual vaccine challenges. Although several studies reported changes in cognitive, affective, and intentional outcomes, this scoping review cannot ascertain whether these changes were attributed to storytelling itself. Full article