Search Results (952)

Background/Objectives: Improving health outcomes for Indigenous people by strengthening the cultural safety of care is a vital challenge for the health sector. University Departments of Rural Health (UDRH), academic centres based in regional, rural, and remote (RRR) locations across Australia, are uniquely positioned to foster a culturally safe rural health workforce through training, education, and engagement with Indigenous communities. This narrative review examines the contributions of UDRHs to health workforce issues through analysis of their publications focused on Indigenous health. Methods: Research articles relating to workforce were identified from an established database of UDRH Indigenous health-related publications published 2010–2021. Results: Of 46 articles identified across the 12 years, 19 focused on developing the understanding and cultural safety skills of university students studying in a health field, including campus-based Indigenous health education and support for students undertaking rural clinical placements. Twelve articles investigated cultural safety skills and recruitment and retention of the rural health workforce. Fifteen articles focused on Indigenous people in the health workforce, examining clinical training and resources, and the enablers and barriers to retaining Indigenous students and workers. Conclusions: This analysis highlights the sustained efforts of UDRHs to improve Indigenous health through multiple areas within their influence, including curriculum design, health student training on campus, and rural placement opportunities to transform understanding of Indigenous strengths and disadvantages and rural health workforce development. A continuing effort is needed on ways UDRHs can support Indigenous health students during their studies and while on placement, how to improve cultural safety in the health workforce, and ways to better support Indigenous health professionals. Full article

Background/Objectives: International students pursuing higher education in the United States face unique challenges that increase their risk of food insecurity, including limited financial resources, employment restrictions, and cultural barriers. While food insecurity among domestic students has been widely studied, limited research focuses on the lived experiences of international graduate students. This study explores the challenges, perceptions, and coping strategies related to food insecurity among international graduate students at a large public university in North Texas. Methods: This qualitative, ethnographic study involved 20 semi-structured interviews with international graduate students who were clients of the university’s food pantry. Participants were recruited using purposive convenience sampling. Interviews focused on students’ experiences with food access, financial constraints, campus resources, and cultural food preferences. Data were analyzed using thematic coding in MAXQDA. Two standardized food insecurity measures—the USDA and FAO scales—were also administered and analyzed using SPSS. Results: Findings revealed that 85% of participants experienced limited access to nutritious and culturally appropriate foods, with 70% reporting hunger due to financial constraints. Themes included lack of cooking skills, limited campus food options, difficulty accessing familiar groceries, and limited job opportunities. Students expressed that food insecurity significantly impacted their physical health, mental well-being, and social lives, though many continued to prioritize academics over personal nourishment. Conclusions: Food insecurity among international graduate students is multifaceted, shaped by financial, cultural, and institutional barriers. Addressing this issue requires culturally sensitive interventions, improved access to diverse food options, tailored student support services, and institutional efforts to better understand and meet the needs of international students. Full article

Extracellular vesicle (EV)-based therapies have attracted considerable attention as a novel class of biologics with broad clinical potential. However, their clinical translation is impeded by the fragmented and rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, with significant disparities between the United States, European Union, and key Asian jurisdictions. In this review, we systematically analyze regional guidelines and strategic frameworks governing EV therapeutics, emphasizing critical hurdles in quality control, safety evaluation, and efficacy demonstration. We further explore the implications of EVs’ heterogeneity on product characterization and the emerging direct-to-consumer market for EVs and secretome preparations. Drawing on these insights, in this review, we aim to provide a roadmap for harmonizing regulatory requirements, advancing standardized analytical approaches, and fostering ongoing collaboration among regulatory authorities, industry stakeholders, and academic investigators. Such coordinated efforts are essential to safeguard patient welfare, ensure product consistency, and accelerate the responsible integration of EV-based interventions into clinical practice. Full article

Background: Vaccine hesitancy (VH) represents a growing concern among healthcare professionals and students, potentially undermining public health efforts. Nursing, pediatric nursing, and midwifery students are future vaccinators and educators, making it essential to understand their attitudes, knowledge, and confidence toward vaccination. This study aims to assess vaccine-related perceptions and behaviors among these student populations in an Italian university. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2022 and February 2024 at the University of Rome “Tor Vergata.” A structured, anonymous questionnaire, including the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) scale, vaccine knowledge items, and sources of information, was administered to students in nursing (n = 205), pediatric nursing (n = 46), and midwifery (n = 21). Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, ANOVA, post hoc tests, and Mann–Whitney U tests. Results: Among the 272 participants, 20.6% reported refusing at least one recommended vaccine, and 18.4% delayed vaccination for non-medical reasons. Vaccine knowledge and confidence increased significantly with academic progression (p < 0.001). Midwifery students showed both the highest concern for long-term vaccine effects and the greatest confidence in vaccine safety. Institutional and scientific sources were the most trusted, though traditional and non-institutional media also influenced perceptions, particularly among midwifery students. Conclusions: Despite high COVID-19 vaccine uptake, VH persists among health professional students. Discipline-specific patterns highlight the need for early, targeted educational strategies to enhance vaccine literacy and reduce hesitancy. Tailored training may empower future professionals to become informed and credible advocates for vaccination. Full article

Rail transit as a high-energy consumption field urgently requires the adoption of clean energy innovations to reduce energy consumption and accelerate the transition to new energy applications. As an energy-saving fluid machinery, the ejector exhibits significant application potential and academic value within this field. This paper reviewed the recent advances, technical challenges, research hotspots, and future development directions of ejector applications in rail transit, aiming to address gaps in existing reviews. (1) In waste heat recovery, exhaust heat is utilized for propulsion in vehicle ejector refrigeration air conditioning systems, resulting in energy consumption being reduced by 12~17%. (2) In vehicle pneumatic pressure reduction systems, the throttle valve is replaced with an ejector, leading to an output power increase of more than 13% and providing support for zero-emission new energy vehicle applications. (3) In hydrogen supply systems, hydrogen recirculation efficiency exceeding 68.5% is achieved in fuel cells using multi-nozzle ejector technology. (4) Ejector-based active flow control enables precise ± 20 N dynamic pantograph lift adjustment at 300 km/h. However, current research still faces challenges including the tendency toward subcritical mode in fixed geometry ejectors under variable operating conditions, scarcity of application data for global warming potential refrigerants, insufficient stability of hydrogen recycling under wide power output ranges, and thermodynamic irreversibility causing turbulence loss. To address these issues, future efforts should focus on developing dynamic intelligent control technology based on machine learning, designing adjustable nozzles and other structural innovations, optimizing multi-system efficiency through hybrid architectures, and investigating global warming potential refrigerants. These strategies will facilitate the evolution of ejector technology toward greater intelligence and efficiency, thereby supporting the green transformation and energy conservation objectives of rail transit. Full article

The purpose of this study is to synthesize existing peer-reviewed literature on fashion renting and provide insights into its role within the broader framework of sustainable consumption and business practices within different cultural contexts, while also guiding future research efforts. This review includes only peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters in English, with the search conducted up to 31 March 2025. A total of 95 academic papers published between 2010 and 2025 were analyzed to explore the evolving landscape of fashion rental consumption and business practices. NVivo 14 was used for the analysis of the collected literature. The findings revealed six key motivating benefits and six significant barriers that influence consumer participation in fashion renting. Additionally, five success factors and four critical challenges were identified as shaping the development of the fashion rental market. This research represents the first attempt to synthesize literature from both the consumer and business perspectives of fashion renting. The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics related to fashion rental consumption and business practices, shedding light on the key factors that support the sustainability of fashion rental businesses as well as the challenges they face. Both theoretical and practical implications are discussed, offering valuable guidance for researchers and fashion industry stakeholders. Full article

The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development centers on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Among these goals, two address climate change education: Goal 13, Climate Action, and Goal 4, Quality Education. In order to build a more sustainable future, climate change education is critical. In 2022, New Jersey became the first state in the US to integrate climate change into learning standards across subjects and grade levels K-12. In an effort to better understand the way in which teachers began to include climate change in their instruction, 50 teachers were observed implementing a lesson of their choosing that included climate change throughout the 2023–2024 academic year. Though most of the observed lessons featured science, many subject areas were included in the dataset, such as art, technology, history, and physical education. Teachers engaging in climate change instruction tended to use a variety of instructional practices. In nearly all cases, a multitude of methodologies were used in each lesson. However, small group instruction was featured in nearly all observed lessons. Quantitative descriptions of the findings are followed by three vignettes of exemplar instruction to provide a clearer understanding of the context of this work. These findings provide a scope for how climate change can be integrated in instructional settings at scale and suggestions for leveraging the experiences of early adopters of this innovation to support widespread implementation. Full article

Considerable amounts of research have discussed “No Excuses” charter schools preparing traditionally disadvantaged students for higher education. Yet, no scholarly work has identified or investigated U.S. academically intensive charter schools (AICS) that were founded to enable students to excel academically as much as their abilities and efforts allow. Here, we offer an exploratory study of AICS, defining them, describing the lived experience of an AICS principal, presenting the first national data comparing AICS campus and student characteristics to those of other charter schools, and assessing whether, nationally, AICS succeed on their own terms, with relatively high academic achievements. The data indicate that AICS resemble other charter schools in terms of measurable campus and student characteristics. Standardized, NAEP-adjusted Z-scores reveal that AICS consistently outperform other charter and district schools in literacy and mathematics across demographic groups, with differences expanding after the COVID-19 pandemic. We end with limitations and suggestions for future research. Full article

In the Hexaflex model of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), psychological flexibility refers to the ability to openly embrace difficult thoughts and emotions while acting in alignment with personal values. In contrast, psychological inflexibility involves rigid avoidance and control strategies that hinder adaptive functioning. Although previously studied, more culturally relevant evidence is needed to inform interventions that promote well-being and mental health among Latin American students. This study explored manifestations of psychological flexibility and inflexibility in 15 undergraduate students from the University of Magdalena in Colombia (mean age = 20.13 years; 53.33% female) through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews (~45 min each). Data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), focusing on how participants described and made sense of their experiences. A total of 25 emergent themes were identified and grouped into 12 subordinate themes, mapped onto the 6 core ACT processes. The participants reported efforts to control or avoid distressing internal experiences, often resulting in difficulty acting in accordance with their values. The findings highlight a recurring ambivalence between avoidance and acceptance, and barriers to committed action, underscoring the dynamic interplay between flexibility and inflexibility. These results support the relevance of ACT-based interventions, such as structured group sessions that foster acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based behavior. Integrating this training into counseling and academic support services could enhance students’ well-being and performance. Future research should examine these dynamics longitudinally and across diverse contexts. Full article

In recent years, studies that examine the relationship between economic development and population change have drawn more attention from the academic community. The intrinsic links between changes in age structure and economic development rates at the macro-national level as well as specific regional aspects have been the subject of extensive theoretical analysis and empirical investigations by numerous academics. Using panel data from 16 prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province between 2010 and 2023, this study investigates the impact of population aging on economic growth and its underlying mechanisms. This is obtained by using benchmark regression, the instrumental variable method (2SLS), mediation effect testing, and regional heterogeneity analysis. The study’s main conclusions are as follows: (1) Anhui Province’s population aging has a negative impact on economic growth; (2) the income gap between urban and rural areas is a significant mediating factor in the relationship between population aging and economic growth; and (3) there is significant regional variation among the 16 prefectural-level cities in Anhui Province. To lessen the negative effects of population aging on economic growth, Anhui Province must implement coordinated and integrated efforts to improve the social security system, accelerate industrial development, and lessen the gap between urban and rural areas. Full article

Engaging in nightlife activities is an essential form of leisure, especially among young people. However, it also presents considerable risks associated with the occurrence of various forms of violence. Recently, increasing attention has been directed toward sexual violence occurring in nightlife settings. Despite numerous preventive efforts, such as awareness raising, bystander intervention training, alcohol policies, and situational preventive measures, sexual violence remains a persistent issue in nightlife contexts. With the extended usage of smartphones, mobile apps represent a promising approach that complements sexual violence prevention. This article presents findings from a systematic literature review and an online overview of mobile apps aimed at the intervention and prevention of sexual violence, focusing on identifying features suitable for nightlife contexts. The literature review revealed limited academic resources addressing such mobile apps, with only six articles found across four databases. An online review highlighted a wide range of mobile apps that tackle violence. However, when it comes to sexual violence, only 18 apps explicitly focus on prevention or intervention. Although many apps address some aspects of the problem, we noticed a lack of a comprehensive approach that would target all relevant stakeholders. Based on the conducted mobile app’s feature assessment, we propose a set of functionalities that should be incorporated into a holistic mobile app for nightlife sexual violence prevention, which may complement existing educational, community-based, and structural prevention efforts. Full article

Food security constitutes a fundamental pillar of future sustainable development. A systematic evaluation of the impact of urban expansion on food security is critical to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly “Zero Hunger” (SDG 2). Drawing on bibliographic data from the Web of Science Core Collection, this study employs the bibliometrix package in R to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the literature on the “urban expansion–food security” nexus spanning from 1982 to 2024. The analysis focuses on knowledge production, collaborative structures, and thematic research trends. The results indicate the following: (1) The publication trajectory in this field exhibits a generally increasing trend with three distinct phases: an incubation period (1982–2000), a development phase (2001–2014), and a phase of rapid growth (2015–2024). Land Use Policy stands out as the most influential journal in the domain, with an average citation rate of 43.5 per article. (2) China and the United States are the leading contributors in terms of publication output, with 3491 and 1359 articles, respectively. However, their international collaboration rates remain relatively modest (0.19 and 0.35) and considerably lower than those observed for the United Kingdom (0.84) and Germany (0.76), suggesting significant potential for enhanced global research cooperation. (3) The major research hotspots cluster around four core areas: urban expansion and land use dynamics, agricultural systems and food security, environmental and climate change, and socio-economic and policy drivers. These focal areas reflect a high degree of interdisciplinary integration, particularly involving land system science, agroecology, and socio-economic studies. Collectively, the field has established a relatively robust academic network and coherent knowledge framework. Nonetheless, it still confronts several limitations, including geographical imbalances, fragmented research scales, and methodological heterogeneity. Future efforts should emphasize cross-regional, interdisciplinary, and multi-scalar integration to strengthen the systematic understanding of urban expansion–food security interactions, thereby informing global strategies for sustainable development. Full article

In today’s globalized and rapidly evolving technological landscape, innovation serves as a critical driver of economic growth and competitive advantage. The concept of an innovation ecosystem has emerged to elucidate the complex interactions among various stakeholders—including public sectors, startups, academia, businesses, NGOs, and venture capitalists—who collaborate and compete to foster technological advancements and economic growth. Open innovation emphasizes leveraging external ideas alongside internal efforts to enhance innovation capabilities, fostering more dynamic and resilient systems. Additionally, learning from innovation failures plays a crucial role in shaping effective strategies for growth, as startups often translate these learnings into robust innovation frameworks. Given the increasing complexity and interconnectedness of innovation ecosystems, traditional metrics often fail to capture their dynamic and collaborative nature. The European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) provides a comprehensive framework for assessing the innovation performance of EU countries, offering insights into the overall health and performance of innovation ecosystems. This review article addresses the need to identify metrics and methods for measuring open innovation’s impact on innovation ecosystems. Building upon foundational theories and empirical findings, this study proposes a framework for evaluating the impact of open innovation on innovation ecosystems. It integrates insights from the academic literature with EIS metrics to develop robust methods for assessing open innovation’s multifaceted influence. This review article is particularly relevant as firms and policymakers strive to understand which metrics are most affected by open innovation and how these can be leveraged to enhance the performance and sustainability of innovation ecosystems. Full article

This study explores how Black student leaders (BSLs) at public historically white institutions (HWIs) in Florida and Georgia navigate racial battle fatigue (RBF) in the context of anti-DEI legislation. Amid rising political hostility toward diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, this research examines the lived experiences of 11 BSLs as they respond to racialized campus climates that are increasingly ambiguous and unsupportive. Using a critical qualitative approach, data were collected through two in-depth interviews per participant and analyzed using inductive and deductive coding. Four major findings emerged: (1) BSLs experience heightened psychological, physiological, and emotional forms if stress linked to their identity and leadership roles; (2) anti-DEI policies contribute to institutional erasure and confusion; (3) students express emotional withdrawal, hypervigilance, and disillusionment with performative leadership; (4) students employ culturally grounded coping strategies centered on self-care, spirituality, and community. This study underscores that BSLs are both empowered and burdened by their leadership, especially under politically restrictive conditions. The findings call for student affairs educators to prioritize engagement and belonging and offer identity-affirming support. Further, scholars with academic freedom are urged to continue documenting racialized student experiences. These insights are critical to protecting Black student leadership and equity-centered educational transformation. Full article

Amidst global efforts toward sustainable development, this research addresses underexplored academic dimensions by evaluating the transformative potential of intelligent, sustainable architecture. Employing bibliometric techniques and Citespace 6.4.R1, we analyze two decades (2005–2024) of the Web of Science literature to identify patterns and challenges. Findings demonstrate rising scholarly output, dominated by themes like energy-efficient design, Building Information Modeling integration, and circular economy principles in urban contexts. While Europe and North America lead research activity, systemic limitations persist—including duplicated methodologies, fragmented institutional networks, and incompatible smart technologies. This study advocates for three strategic priorities: fostering interdisciplinary innovation to break homogeneity, establishing cross-sector collaboration frameworks, and accelerating industry–academia knowledge transfer. Intelligent, sustainable architecture emerges as a dual solution—technologically enabling carbon-neutral construction practices while redefining human-centric spatial quality. This dual advantage positions the International Sustainability Alliance as critical infrastructure for achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals, reconciling ecological responsibility with evolving societal demands for resilient, adaptive built environments. Full article