Search Results (1,695)

Gesture recognition systems powered by artificial intelligence provide a promising solution for mobility and independence for individuals with physical disabilities. However, the deployment of such systems remains limited due to some challenges related to robustness, different user requirements, affordability for lower income people, and adaptation to low-resource environments. This study presents a systematic review of gesture-controlled intelligent wheelchair systems published recently. After searching academic databases, 600 studies were found. After removing duplicate and irrelevant studies and applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 72 of the most relevant studies were selected for detailed analysis. The review identifies three major approaches: vision-based methods, sensor-based techniques, and signal-based techniques utilizing electromyography (EMG) and inertial measurement units (IMU), and hybrid multimodal frameworks. A comparative study is conducted to analyze performance metrics, computational requirements, datasets, and validation strategies among these approaches. The findings identify several critical research gaps, including limited real-world testing, insufficient handling of pathological tremors, weak environmental robustness, and the lack of culturally aligned gesture vocabularies. The findings identify important design considerations and research directions for developing robust, affordable, and accessible intelligent wheelchair systems suitable for underserved people in low-resource environments. Full article

Fengshui pagodas are one of the predominant types of ancient Chinese pagodas, possessing architectural, cultural, educational, and folkloric research value; their form serves as a central vehicle for the study of cultural relics and architectural styles. Currently, academic research relies solely on architectural proportions to deduce structural components, and there is a lack of research into the implicit mathematical logic underlying the pagoda’s structure; both research methods and mathematical analysis have shortcomings. This study abstracts the standard geometric forms of the Pagoda body, constructs a system of mathematical equations using parametric geometry, and verifies the effectiveness of this method through cross-validation experiments on samples. All data sources consist of precise, field-surveyed architectural measurements. The results indicate that the parametric geometry method is suitable for the quantitative study of feng shui pagodas in northeastern Sichuan, offering greater precision than traditional methods and clarifying the mathematical relationships underlying their architectural forms. This study innovates the mathematical modeling of ancient pagoda forms, breaking through traditional approaches to feng shui pagoda research, and provides a scientific framework for tracing the origins of Qing Dynasty pavilion-style feng shui pagodas and for mathematical research on similar ancient structures. Full article

Background: In contemporary society, marked by rapid transformations in the sphere of communication and social interaction, social networks have gone beyond the role of simple communication platforms, becoming places where identities are formed, cultural norms are negotiated and self-perceptions are shaped. This reality has generated a growing interest in studying the relationship between the digital environment and health behaviors, especially among young people, a social category extremely receptive to visual and normative influences promoted online. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among students enrolled in different kinds of faculties and specialties. An online questionnaire was distributed to gather socio-demographic, academic and medical data along with lifestyle and health-related behaviors. Several psychometric instruments were used: Health Behaviour Scale (HBS) to measure various dimensions of health-related actions, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) to screen for addictive or problematic social media use, Social Media Disorder Scale (SMDS) to measure the problematic social media use among adolescents, Body Appreciation Scale–2 (BAS-2) to evaluate measure of one’s acceptance, favorable opinions and respect of their own body, and Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) to identify the psychological motives behind overeating. Results: More than 70% of students declared that they had their first smartphone before the age of 12 and 65% of students had screentime higher than 3 h per day during the weekdays, with a small increase during the weekends. Women scored higher than men in emotional eating (food consumption in response to negative emotions), and external eating (response to food stimuli in the environment, independent of hunger). Respondents from rural areas showed a significantly lower level of respect and acceptance of their own body and higher risk for Social Media Disorder compared to participants from urban areas. Important statistical correlation has been identified among the variables of the research. Social media addiction was associated with higher emotional eating both directly and indirectly, via lower body appreciation. The analysis also indicated that it does not show a direct relationship with restrictive eating behaviors; rather, its association with restrained eating is fully mediated by the individual’s body appreciation. Conclusions: The use of social platforms is a challenging process, with a great impact on psychological and emotional balance of young people. Even if the study identified a normative use among young people with a high education level, the risks factors should be taken into consideration when dealing with screentime, psychological and mental health and the risk for addiction. Full article

The growing emphasis on 21st-century skills underscores the importance of multiliteracies for pre-service English language teachers in navigating diverse, digital, and multimodal classrooms. However, research on their perceived multiliteracies and associations with demographic factors remains limited. Thus, this study bridges this gap by determining how pre-service English language teachers perceived their multiliteracies using Teacher Multiliteracies Scale (TMS) encompassing four key dimensions: multimodal literacy (ML), digital literacy (DL), critical literacy (CL), socio-cultural literacy (SCL), and analyzing the variations based on demographic characteristics involving a total of 393 pre-service English language teachers. The result showed that the participants generally perceived themselves as moderately competent across all the dimensions, with DL dimension scoring the highest, followed by SCL, ML, and CL dimensions. Interestingly, no significant differences were found for gender, age, or academic level. Further regression analysis confirmed that teaching experience was modestly associated with ML, CL, and SCL dimensions, whereas DL showed no significant variations across the demographic variables among pre-service English language teachers. These findings suggest that teacher education programs may consider providing more authentic teaching experiences and practice-based learning opportunities to support multiliteracies development. Full article

This study encourages mainstream schools to adopt inclusion processes aligned with their resources and capacity to foster own inclusive culture. Within a pilot study initially framed as a quasi-experimental design, the project dynamics demonstrated that participatory action research (PAR) enhances the experimental case study through stakeholder reflection. By implementing a Quality Deployment methodology centered on beneficiary needs, innovative solutions emerged for both students at risk of academic failure and those with high abilities, driven by the necessity to maximize their cognitive potential. Full article

A positive academic climate is critical for improving learning outcomes and advancing sustainable development in higher education. Most existing studies examine individual dimensions of academic climate, while systematic and integrated research frameworks remain relatively limited. This study proposed and validated a comprehensive academic climate construction scheme integrating institutional norms, cultural immersion, interest cultivation, and innovation practice. A quasi-experimental design was adopted, with academic performance data from nine foundational courses being compared to three-year aggregated baseline data. Statistical analyses examined failure rates, make-up examination pass rates, and average scores. Results showed significant reductions in failure rates, notable increases in make-up pass rates and average scores across all courses (p < 0.05). The coordinated, systemic academic climate intervention effectively enhanced student academic performance. Practically, the proposed four-dimensional scheme provides a replicable, operable approach for higher education institutions to optimize disciplinary talent cultivation, foster students’ lifelong learning capacity, and advance the practice of sustainable higher education. Full article

The 15 min city offers a framework for sustainable urban environments. However, its application in historic centres faces challenges such as tourist pressure and heritage fragility. This paper explores cultural heritage as a strategic resource for urban resilience within the European ENACT-15 mC project. The methodology applies four lines of research—socio-economic diagnosis, educational innovation, participatory action research, and digital tool implementation—to the historic centre of Valencia. The study involved 42 students from architecture, commerce and tourism programmes in documenting a selected sample of historic commercial establishments protected by the Special Protection Plan of Ciutat Vella (PEP 2020), while community workshops recruited 30 stakeholders representing local associations, businesses and heritage-related actors to analyse urban conflicts and functional transformation. Results show that integrating educational and participatory approaches facilitates the generation of situated knowledge and social co-responsibility. The technical documentation and diagnostic reports produced serve as empirical evidence of how heritage can be monitored and protected in urban settings under tension. The study concludes that cultural heritage provides a vital social infrastructure for building resilient communities. By bridging the gap between academic research and local agency through digital and participatory mapping, this integrated model provides adaptive intervention strategies that balance tourism demands with the preservation of everyday local life and the proximity economy in heritage-rich environments. Full article

This article examines the comparative method in environmental law through a systematic bilateral analysis of the foundational environmental protection laws adopted in Ukraine in 1991 and in Lithuania in 1992. The overarching aim is to contribute to the underexplored field of Ukraine-Lithuania comparative research by identifying similarities and differences and situating them within post-Soviet legal development and European integration processes. The study adopts a mixed methodological design combining a scoping-oriented literature review, consisting of a targeted narrative review using Google Scholar and a systematic review in accordance with PRISMA 2020 guidelines using the Scopus database (n = 23), with a structured doctrinal comparison of the two legal acts. The literature review identifies four main rationales for comparing Ukraine and Lithuania in academic scholarship: shared Soviet historical heritage, post-socialist transition processes, cultural and societal similarities, and the identification of research gaps. The paper further demonstrates that comparative environmental law studies predominantly rely on broader post-Soviet or regional frameworks, with limited direct bilateral comparison between these two countries. The doctrinal analysis of environmental laws reveals both convergence and divergence. However, Lithuania exhibits a more dynamic and EU-integrated legislative trajectory characterised by continuous amendments and alignment with EU environmental acquis, whereas Ukraine demonstrates a more stable but less systematically EU-oriented legal evolution and comparatively gradual reform processes. The findings indicate that Europeanisation plays a key role in shaping divergent post-socialist environmental legal development. Lithuania represents a model of sustained EU-driven legal integration, while Ukraine reflects a more incremental adaptation path. The study contributes to the literature by providing a structured bilateral comparison of Ukraine and Lithuania in environmental law and by linking doctrinal differences to broader processes of post-Soviet transformation and Europeanisation. Full article

With Generative AI’s (GenAI) widespread use and reliance, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students face key challenges in terms of cross-cultural thinking and linguistic expression as academic writers. There is a gap in research that provides critical frameworks to examine ways that GENAI enables and constrains writing practices and that identifies CALD students’ ambivalence about GenAI use. This article profiles ten international students’ reflections about GenAI-enabled academic writing that offers key insights about critical ways to navigate GenAI-assisted academic writing. Applying Ivanič’s research on writer identityand Mollick’sconcept of “iterative instinct”, we examine how CALD students at a UK university perceive themselves, their culture and their identity within the context of GenAI-assisted writing practices. The research is ethnographic in nature, combining focus group data with a week of AI interactional data from each participant. Findings reveal the gains and losses at stake for CALD as they grapple with developing an academic writing identity in the age of GenAI. In particular, the study shows that writers’ intuition and GenAI-supported iteration become mutually constitutive, giving rise to hybrid forms of academic authorship and extending existing understandings of writer identity in the GenAI era. Full article

One-semester exchange programs place students in university courses within compressed, credit-bearing mobility timelines. This qualitative case study examines how eight Korean undergraduate exchange students described academic learning and adjustment during a one-semester exchange at a U.S. university. Drawing on online written interviews, the study analyzes students’ reported classroom experiences rather than formal course design or enacted instructional practice. The analysis focuses on how students navigated unfamiliar classroom expectations at the level of reported classroom practice. The findings show that participation became visible as academic work when students prepared texts, engaged in discussions, managed language risk, and judged what counted as an appropriate contribution. Feedback and academic help-seeking served as interpretive resources through peer review, instructor clarification, writing tools, and efforts to turn uncertainty into next steps. Across the accounts, adjustment appeared as selective and uneven additions to students’ academic strategies, most visible in discussion, peer feedback, open-ended writing, instructor clarification, and resource assembly. This study contributes to higher education and international student mobility research by showing how temporary exchange students made classroom expectations workable through targeted strategy additions rather than through a shift from one national learning culture to another. It offers implications for participation scaffolding, feedback design, and pre-departure preparation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Depression and burnout are common among medical students, leading to serious academic and professional consequences. LGBTQ+ students are especially vulnerable to mental health issues. This study aims to help understand the associations between sexual orientation and distress levels among Portuguese medical students. Methods: An observational, analytical, cross-sectional study was conducted with participants from Portuguese medical schools. Data collection took place between 2022 and 2025 through electronic questionnaires. Assessment tools included the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory Student Survey. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05 (95% confidence interval). Group comparisons by sexual orientation were conducted using chi-square/Fisher’s exact tests, Mann–Whitney U tests, and independent samples t-tests. Predictors of depression and state anxiety were assessed using multiple linear regression. Results: The sample included 1668 (83.2%) heterosexual students and 336 (16.8%) LGBTQ+ students. The rates of depression and anxiety were 43.2% and 25.7%, respectively. LGBTQ+ students reported more difficulties in personal, academic, social, and financial areas and showed higher levels of distress than heterosexual students. Key factors linked to distress included burnout, social support, and grade satisfaction. Additionally, burnout, low-grade satisfaction, and substance abuse were associated with anxiety and depression levels differently depending on sexual orientation. Conclusions: This study’s findings confirm higher distress levels among the LGBTQ+ group compared to the heterosexual group, helping us identify students who are more vulnerable to developing mental illness and prompting us to reconsider which aspects of medical training and culture contribute to this distress. Full article

Mental fatigue is an increasingly important concern among collegiate athletes whose academic–athletic roles require sustained cognitive effort, emotional regulation, and recovery across overlapping performance contexts. This structured narrative review synthesizes behavioral science, sport psychology, and athlete mental health literature to clarify how perceived stress, competitive anxiety, and psychological resilience may interact in the development and regulation of mental fatigue among collegiate athletes. Rather than treating mental fatigue as simple tiredness or an isolated performance symptom, this review conceptualizes it as a cognitive–emotional and psychobiological outcome shaped by stress appraisal, attentional load, effort regulation, and resource depletion. The main contribution of this review is to integrate previously separate lines of research into a collegiate-athlete-focused behavioral science framework in which perceived stress is positioned as an upstream appraisal-based condition, competitive anxiety as a proximal emotional mechanism, and psychological resilience as a dynamic regulatory resource that may buffer fatigue-related vulnerability. Tennis and Chinese/non-Western collegiate sport contexts are used as illustrative applications rather than exclusive empirical targets, highlighting how individual accountability, academic–athletic role demands, cultural expectations, and support structures may shape fatigue processes. This review also distinguishes established empirical evidence from theoretical inference and identifies key gaps in measurement heterogeneity, methodological transparency, longitudinal evidence, and culturally diverse collegiate athlete research. By refining the stress–anxiety–fatigue pathway and identifying resilience, recovery, and contextual support as important regulatory factors, this review provides a conceptual foundation for future empirical testing and for more targeted behavioral interventions to support collegiate athlete well-being and performance sustainability. Full article

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide an integrative review of Positive Psychology in contemporary organizational contexts, examining how psychological resources such as Psychological Capital, Emotional Intelligence, Mindfulness, Psychological Safety, Self-Determination Theory, and Positive Leadership contribute to employee well-being, flourishing, and organizational effectiveness. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study adopts a narrative integrative literature review approach, synthesizing recent theoretical and empirical research in Positive Organizational Psychology, Organizational Behavior, and Human Resource Management. The review integrates foundational theories with contemporary empirical findings published in high-impact academic journals to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework. Findings: The findings indicate that Positive Psychological constructs are consistently associated with higher levels of employee engagement, job satisfaction, performance, resilience, and flourishing, while reducing burnout, stress, and turnover intentions. Psychological Capital emerges as a key malleable resource, while Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence enhance self-regulation and interpersonal effectiveness. Originality: The paper integrates multiple streams of Positive Psychology into a unified conceptual model, combining individual-level psychological resources with motivational and organizational-contextual factors. Research limitations/implications: As a narrative review, the study does not include primary empirical data or statistical testing. Future research should empirically validate the proposed integrative framework using longitudinal and cross-cultural designs. Practical implications: Organizations can enhance employee well-being and performance by implementing Psychological Capital Interventions, mindfulness-based programs, strengths-based development, and psychologically safe leadership practices. Social implications: The findings highlight the broader societal value of fostering psychologically healthy workplaces that promote sustainable employment, mental health, and human flourishing. Full article

Currently, the revitalization and protection of historic districts have become the focus of academic research. However, existing studies have few investigations into how the perception mediated at the pedestrian scale affects spatial behavior choices within historical and cultural districts. This study takes a certain historic district in Shenyang as an example, using multiple perception methods, including visual perception and online perception, as mediators to explore the relationship between spatial characteristics, spatial quality, and urban vitality. First, through the Factor analysis method (FA), the study divides the built environment within the research scope into four spatial characteristics: street scale, historical and cultural, environmental comfort, and functional business characteristics. Second, by applying the mediating and moderating effect model, this study takes visual quality (visual perception) and public preferences (online perception) as perception mediators and analyzes the associative pathways and conditional effects of various spatial characteristics on urban vitality through the mediation process. The study results indicate: (1) Each spatial characteristic has a significant mediating effect on vitality. (2) The effect pathways of spatial characteristics differ substantially across dimensions, and a significant moderating effect exists exclusively in historical and cultural characteristics. (3) Public preference exerts a significant negative moderating effect on the association between historical and cultural characteristics and urban vitality. This study reveals the mechanism of “spatial characteristics–dual perception dimensions–urban vitality” in historic districts and elaborates the associative mechanism between spatial characteristics and historic district vitality under different levels of public preferences. Full article

This study investigates the relationship between educational leadership, ICT-related factors, and students’ reading performance using the PISA 2022 dataset for Türkiye. Drawing data from 7250 students and 196 school principals, we employed multilevel structural equation modeling and Bayesian estimation. At the student level, between-school actions to sustain learning (SCHSUST) were significantly related to reading achievement. All student-level ICT variables—self-efficacy in digital competencies, practices regarding online information, and subject-related ICT use—significantly predicted reading achievement. Bayesian mediation analysis confirmed significant indirect relationships at student level, indicating that SCHSUST is associated with reading achievement primarily through ICT variables. Students’ economic, social and cultural status predicted reading achievement, indicating socioeconomic inequalities. At the school level, educational leadership (EDULEAD) has been found to be positively associated with preparedness for digital learning and school preparation for remote instruction. However, EDULEAD was negatively related to reading achievement. At the school level, all indirect relationships were insignificant. Furthermore, “economic, social and cultural status” and “academic school selectivity” emerged as the strongest predictors of reading achievement at their respective levels, indicating that the majority of reading inequality is due to substantial between-school inequality, in addition to the socioeconomic basis of digital inequality. Overall, the study highlights that meaningful ICT integration, rather than mere infrastructure provision, is associated with improved reading achievement. Full article