Search Results (1,686)

Disamenity and amenity facilities pull property values in opposite directions, yet prior studies have treated disamenities as a homogeneous category and have been constrained by data scattered across agencies and by mismatched spatial scales. This study integrates multi-source spatial data, comprising 3426 sub-districts (eup-myeon-dong) nationwide, a 500 m population grid of 376,668 cells, and the actual point locations of individual facilities, into a single spatial framework and applies a multi-method design that combines a spatial Durbin model (SDM), explainable machine learning (XGBoost–SHAP), an environmental-justice analysis, and a micro-siting analysis. Four findings emerge. First, not all disamenities are associated with lower prices: only pollution-emitting facilities with a clear emission signature, namely, sewage treatment plants and incinerators, capitalize robustly as cross-sectional associations, into both housing prices and officially assessed land values, with the effect extending into neighboring sub-districts rather than staying purely local. The other disamenities show no robust total effect on either price; their estimates are small or unstable across specifications. Second, capitalization of pollution-emitting facilities is pronounced in the urban sample and disappears in the rural one, and the coefficient structure differs overall between urban and rural areas (global Chow test, p < 10⁻²¹). Third, micro-siting analysis shows that where a facility is placed (siting) and what it leaves behind in prices (capitalization) are distinct layers, and that capitalization tracks the population a facility keeps nearby rather than its nuisance type: pollution-emitting facilities retain enough nearby housing for their burden to register, whereas funerary facilities sited far from people do not. Fourth, the environmental inequity of pollution exposure runs along income rather than age and concentrates in cities rather than in rural areas: the exposure rate among residents of low-income urban sub-districts (49%) is 2.5 times that of the urban population as a whole (19%), while the greater Seoul metropolitan area remains comparatively insulated. These layered findings were possible only once the dispersed spatial data had been integrated and standardized, and the study demonstrates that fusing and efficiently managing spatial data is a precondition for evidence-based land-use and environmental policy. Full article

Early-stage architectural design is characterized by high decision uncertainty, ill-defined requirements, and limited opportunities to elicit reliable user feedback, despite the disproportionate impact of early decisions on downstream outcomes. While recent AI-enabled design tools increasingly support generative exploration and performance-driven optimization, they largely rely on static models trained on aggregated data, thereby producing “average-user” responses that fail to capture pronounced inter-individual variation in architectural preferences. This conceptual framework paper, developed through critical narrative synthesis of interdisciplinary literature, argues that meta-learning—i.e., learning-to-learn—offers a conceptually appropriate mechanism to address this personalization gap by enabling rapid adaptation to a new user’s preference structure from limited interactions, while leveraging transferable knowledge learned across many users. Drawing on a structured, PRISMA-informed literature identification process complemented by purposive theoretical sampling across user-centered design traditions in architecture, computational preference-elicitation methods, and contemporary meta-learning research, the paper develops a theoretically grounded conceptual framework for adaptive user preference modeling in early-stage design workflows. The framework articulates four interdependent constructs—(1) Preference Representation, (2) Adaptation Engine, (3) Design Space Navigator, and (4) Feedback Loop—describing how iterative preference refinement can co-evolve with design-space exploration without displacing architectural agency. An illustrative application scenario is also presented to demonstrate the operational logic of the framework in a realistic early-stage design context. The paper further formulates a set of testable propositions and evaluation pathways to guide future empirical investigation, alongside a discussion of implications for practice and education and key ethical considerations (bias, privacy, and digital equity). The proposed framework provides conceptual scaffolding for developing AI-augmented, user-responsive design systems that are aligned with the epistemic conditions of early-stage architectural design. Full article

Directive (EU) 2022/2555 (NIS2) designated healthcare a sector of high criticality, with a transposition deadline of 17 October 2024. Only four of twenty-seven Member States met it: Croatia transposed eight months early and Italy one day before the deadline. Because the formal regulatory gap between them is small—and, on the primary instrument, favours Croatia—this paper asks not whether but how two Member States with near-identical transposition timelines diverge in the operational practice and transparency of healthcare-sector incident reporting. Drawing on neo-institutional theory and the economics of information security, it synthesises the literature and compares the two transposition instruments against the primary legal texts. Both reproduce the NIS2 notification timeline faithfully, so divergence cannot be attributed to differing statutory obligations. Public-reporting transparency is therefore operationalised as a measurable dependent variable: Italy’s Agenzia per la Cybersicurezza Nazionale (ACN), an autonomous agency since 2021, publishes healthcare-specific data, whereas Croatia’s National Cybersecurity Centre (NCSC-HR)—competent authority only since 2025—publishes only aggregate figures. The asymmetry is autonomy and mandate, not institutional age. A portable four-indicator transparency index is proposed and demonstrated in a two-coder pilot (κ_w = 0.80); an independent incident-composition cross-check is consistent with the asymmetry. Full article

Decolonising assessment remains an underdeveloped yet essential component of higher education transformation. In research, much attention has been assigned to decolonising content knowledge and pedagogy, with limited attention to assessment. Hence, this systematic literature review examines empirical studies published between 2018 and 2025 to explore how decolonial assessment is enacted in higher education. Using the PRISMA 2020 framework, 17 studies were analysed to identify theoretical foundations, methodological trends, dominant themes, key findings, and literature gaps to make recommendations for future research. The findings reveal six interconnected practices characterising decolonial assessment: humanising learning, contextualising assessment within students’ cultural and community realities, disrupting power hierarchies through co-creation, collaborative and peer-based approaches, diversifying modes of expression, and enhancing transparency and cultural responsiveness. These practices validate students’ lived experiences, foreground multiple epistemologies, and challenge traditional assessment norms, thereby promoting deeper engagement, agency, and belonging. However, the scholarship is constrained by a reliance on small-scale qualitative designs, limited theoretical development, and regional concentration, particularly in South Africa and the United States. The review concludes that while decolonial assessment offers transformative potential, its broader institutional uptake requires methodological pluralism, stronger theoretical frameworks, and policy-level support. The paper recommends embedding decolonial principles in assessment design, expanding research across diverse contexts, and strengthening lecturer capacity to develop equitable, inclusive, and contextually grounded assessment practices that advance epistemic justice in higher education. Full article

This study explores the role of arts-based educational interventions in fostering social mending and urban regeneration in disadvantaged urban contexts. The intervention consisted of participatory mosaic workshops designed to foster cooperation, inclusion, and civic engagement, culminating in the co-creation of public artworks installed in a degraded urban underpass and included 193 children aged 5–15 living in Tor Bella Monaca, a highly marginalized suburb of Rome (Italy). The analysis of the intervention used a mixed-methods approach, based on systematic observation, questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis. The findings indicate that the artistic process acted as a catalyst for both individual and collective transformation: at the individual level, participation enhanced relational skills, emotional expression, and sense of agency; at the community level, the intervention contributed to the reactivation of public space, increased social cohesion, and improved care for the urban environment. We interpret these outcomes through the capability approach, identifying art as a “conversion factor” linking individual capabilities to collective regeneration. The intervention aligns with SDGs 4, 10, 11, and 17 of the 2030 Agenda and supports the relevance of scalable, community-based models for inclusive and sustainable urban policies in deprived areas. Full article

Learner progression policy in South Africa is intended to promote inclusive education by reducing grade repetition and preventing learner dropout, yet its implementation remains contested, particularly in under-resourced schooling contexts. Drawing on teacher agency and socio-ecological theories, this study explored teachers’ perceptions and experiences of learner progression policy in five underperforming secondary schools in Limpopo Province. A qualitative interpretivist design was employed, with data generated through open-ended questionnaires from eleven purposively selected teachers and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings reveal that, while teachers support progression as a mechanism for promoting access and reducing exclusion, they express significant concern about learners advancing without foundational knowledge, contributing to cumulative learning deficits. Teachers employ strategies such as differentiated instruction and extra lessons, yet these efforts are constrained by large class sizes, limited time, and inadequate resources. The study highlights the central role of teacher experience and professional judgment in mediating policy implementation, alongside the influence of socio-economic factors on learner outcomes. The study concludes that learner progression requires substantially stronger support structures, including structured academic support, robust monitoring systems, and improved alignment between policy intentions and classroom realities, to be effective. By foregrounding teachers’ perspectives from under-resourced contexts, the study contributes to ongoing debates about the persistent tension between inclusion and academic quality, offering implications for strengthening inclusive education in South Africa and similar contexts. Full article

This exploratory, classroom-based mixed-methods study examined a five-phase, AI-supported multimodal literacy sequence implemented with 25 Grade 4 students over four weeks. The intervention combined interactive digital reading, collaborative narrative writing, AI-supported comic imagery, multimedia editing, and peer reflection. Quantitative analyses compared students’ baseline and post-intervention comprehension scores and summarized responses to a 12-item post-intervention questionnaire. Qualitative data from open-ended responses, classroom observations, and student artifacts were analyzed thematically. Students’ mean comprehension scores increased from 63.81 (SD = 9.70) at baseline to 75.37 (SD = 7.63) after the intervention, representing a significant within-group change, t(24) = 5.49, p < 0.001, dz = 1.10. Questionnaire responses were generally positive, particularly for original story writing, digital comic creation, and the addition of movement and sound. Three qualitative themes were identified: AI-supported representations as scaffolds for narrative comprehension, as catalysts for authorial identity and creative agency, and as mediators of collaborative meaning-making. Because the study used a single-group design and the comparability of the parallel assessment forms was supported through expert content review rather than large-scale psychometric equating, the findings should be interpreted as exploratory evidence of association rather than as causal effects of AI. The study nevertheless illustrates how developmentally appropriate, teacher-mediated AI activities may support multimodal literacy participation in primary education. Full article

Many law enforcement agencies operate crisis service models that utilize the expertise of mental health professionals in assisting law enforcement officers (LEOs) when interacting with people experiencing a mental health crisis. This study examines three agencies with two different types of established crisis service models in the same geographical area to answer three research questions: (1) Does the type of crisis service model affect facilitators of success for the model? (2) Does the type of crisis service model affect how practitioners personally measure the success of the model they use? (3) What patterns exist in involuntary psychiatric examination rates before and after the implementation of the crisis service models? Sixteen practitioners representing two crisis service models responded to a survey investigating the first two questions. Participants were recruited through email. The analysis used inferential and descriptive statistics to examine their responses. A before-and-after design using descriptive statistics of publicly available data about involuntary psychiatric examinations was employed to investigate the third research question. Results showed variation across the model participants’ choices of facilitators important for model success and metrics, but only differences between the responses from members of two models in choosing the facilitator of clear policies and procedures (e.g., clearly written protocols) and the metric of use of force were at statistically significant levels. The practitioners of the models are the experts. Understanding how they judge the success of their work and what facilitates that success is vital for allocating resources effectively and adjusting policies as needed. The study determined that involuntary psychiatric examinations decreased concurrently with the use of crisis service models, but it is not possible to establish causation. More investigation is needed. Full article

Overnight programming is an effective intervention that builds social satisfaction, well-being and community; however, the mechanisms supporting these outcomes are not well understood. This qualitative study explores concepts that contribute to social benefits of overnight programs and outlines best practices. Using purposive convenience sampling of an agency that conducts overnight programming, eight adults with disabilities (ages 22–56) participated in semi-structured interviews. Researchers utilized thematic analysis to analyze the interviews. Five themes developed: (a) Experience (program activities, connection to friends, and fun), (b) Liminality (being away from everyday life, respite, and transitory spaces), (c) Opportunity (personal growth, and trying new things), (d) Social Facilitation (interactions between participants, like-mindedness and relationship building), and (e) Support (friends, and staff). Results illustrate overnight programming provides opportunities for participants to experience new things and build social connections. The findings of this study are consistent with the ideas of liminality and communitas, supported by sense of community theory. Practitioners should consider incorporating the four elements of sense of community (membership, influence, fulfillment of needs, and strong emotional connections) when designing overnight programming. Full article

Chikungunya poses a major clinical and public health challenge due to its wide range of manifestations and, consequently, frequent misdiagnoses. This pitfall may lead to compromised long-term outcomes when treatment is inadequate. This scoping review aims to summarize the clinical features, current management strategies, and long-term outcomes of chikungunya infection in adults. The review was designed and reported according to Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) framework. Three main databases—PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Wiley Online Library—were searched, and additional gray literature from international and national health agencies was consulted. Nineteen studies met inclusion criteria. Chikungunya in adults commonly begins as an acute febrile illness with prominent musculoskeletal symptoms, but may evolve into a chronic, disabling disease, substantially impairing quality of life. Treatment is largely symptomatic for the acute phase, whereas chronic infections require long-term multidisciplinary care, supported by preventive measures through public health interventions. In summary, while most patients recover with appropriate care, a significant number of patients experience persistent sequelae requiring rehabilitation, continued clinical follow-up, and targeted preventive and public health actions. Full article

Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) has emerged as a promising instructional technology for STEM education, yet relatively few classroom-based studies have examined student learning experiences through the lens of the Cognitive-Affective Model of Immersive Learning (CAMIL). This study compared undergraduate students’ perceptions of IVR and traditional PowerPoint (PPT)-based instruction across four CAMIL-related constructs: immersion, presence, agency, and intrinsic motivation. A counterbalanced crossover design was implemented with 40 undergraduate STEM students enrolled in a leadership course at a large Midwestern research university. Participants experienced both IVR and PPT instructional modalities across three learning modules. Student perceptions were measured using an adapted questionnaire consisting of validated subscales administered on a six-point Likert scale. Because questionnaire completion varied across instructional sessions, analyses were conducted using 64 complete IVR-PPT paired observations. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyze motivation, presence, and immersion, while the Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze agency because of non-normality. Results indicated a significant difference in immersion between instructional modalities, whereas motivation and presence did not differ significantly. Agency also differed significantly between conditions based on the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. These findings demonstrate that instructional modality influences selected dimensions of the student learning experience while suggesting that the relationships proposed by the CAMIL framework may depend on implementation context and instructional design. Rather than validating the CAMIL model, this study illustrates its usefulness as an interpretive framework for examining learner perceptions in authentic undergraduate STEM instruction. Limitations include the modest sample size, incomplete questionnaire responses across sessions, the absence of formal testing for sequence effects, and the use of paired observations rather than participant-level analyses. Full article

Co-Creative Robotics combines computational creativity, robotic embodiment, and human–robot collaboration to support or generate creative behavior in physical and social environments. As these systems become more autonomous, data-intensive, and interactive, cybersecurity and privacy can no longer be treated as external safeguards added after creative functionality has been designed. This PRISMA-informed review investigates whether principles of cybersecurity-by-design and privacy-by-design can be integrated into Co-Creative Robotics without constraining creativity, autonomy, and user agency. The database search covered ACM Digital Library, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, Scopus, SpringerLink, and Web of Science, and was complemented by two focused backward and forward snowballing iterations. From 623 database records, the final synthesis includes 27 primary studies. The results show that direct literature combining cybersecurity, privacy, and Co-Creative Robotics remains limited, but evidence from creative HRI, social-robot privacy, cyber-physical security, privacy-preserving interaction design, security modeling, and robot ethics supports a conditional answer. Integration is feasible when security and privacy mechanisms are adaptive, explainable, participatory, context-sensitive, and lifecycle-aware. However, the evidence on transparency-oriented privacy mechanisms is mixed: improvements in awareness or acceptance do not consistently translate into reduced disclosure or greater perceived safety. Rigid controls may constrain creative exploration, whereas well-designed controls can support trust, accountable autonomy, safe embodiment, privacy-aware interaction, provenance, and agency-preserving creativity. The review proposes a conceptual lifecycle-oriented research agenda for secure and privacy-aware Co-Creative Robotics. Full article

Racial bias emerges early in life: explicit bias is often observable in childhood but tends to decline with age, whereas implicit bias typically persists through adolescence, shaped by stereotypes, peer dynamics, and identity development. Given adolescents’ heightened sensitivity to peer exclusion and discrimination, interventions targeting implicit bias during this stage may have important implications. Prior studies suggest that embodying avatars of different races in virtual reality (VR) can influence implicit attitudes, with effects depending on surrounding social context: positive interactions may reduce bias, whereas negative experiences may exacerbate it. This study extends this work, examining whether implicit racial bias changes from pre- to post-exposure following embodiment in a Black virtual body presented in either a positive or negative social context among White adolescents and adults. Participants experienced a strong sense of embodiment, with adolescents reporting greater perceived agency, while adults exhibited stronger emotional reactions to social cues. Nevertheless, no statistically detectable changes in racial bias were found from pre- to post-exposure, and these changes did not differ significantly by social context condition or age group. Overall, in this brief, single-session, and primarily non-interactive embodiment scenario with non-reciprocal crowd exposure, we found no statistically significant short-term changes in racial bias. However, the intervention elicited strong embodiment and selective, age-dependent differences in socio-affective experience, suggesting that more intensive, socially interactive, and tailored VR designs may be required for attitude change. Full article

Education for sustainability should connect planetary environmental change with local place, cultural meaning, and feasible collective action. Yet inclusive arts-based ocean-literacy education remains underexamined, especially for children from migrant backgrounds. This study examines Gyeongju Sea Rescue Team: Protecting the Sea through Minhwa, a five-session programme for elementary-school children from Koryoin and other migrant-background families in South Korea. A provenance-separated dual-strand design combined hybrid thematic analysis of programme documents and non-identifying artwork images with a fully synthetic 100-case corpus used only to audit a future artwork-elicitation protocol and codebook. The documentary strand identified four provisional mechanisms: the ecological reinterpretation of auspicious symbols, localisation through Gyeongju’s maritime heritage, multimodal participation across linguistic differences, and collective stewardship. The synthetic audit did not validate these mechanisms or programme outcomes. Instead, participant-correction and self-action prompts generated more clearly codable material on agency, cultural identity, multilingual meaning-making, and intercultural integration. Two designed perturbation passes yielded a quadratic-weighted kappa of 0.726 as a within-corpus stability diagnostic rather than human intercoder reliability. Diagnostic cases exposed adult projection, assimilationist interpretation, pressure to disclose private meanings, and advice without self-agency. The article proposes a provisional MIOL framework and four safeguards: child-led interpretation, reciprocal cultural exchange, appropriate consent and permissions, and continuity from symbolic expression to sustained action. Synthetic outputs concern method development only and do not represent children’s experiences or programme effectiveness. Full article

This study assesses the multi-dimensional impacts of large-scale urban mass transit infrastructure on network sustainability and individual mobility behavior, using the newly operational Riyadh Metro as a case study. Adopting a qualitative interpretive synthesis method, the research integrates peer-reviewed literature, institutional policy reports, and early operational datasets to evaluate transit outcomes across network accessibility, spatial equity, and localized environmental constraints. The study shows the interactions between infrastructure provision, urban form, and climatic conditions. The results reveal that while the infrastructure significantly enhances raw corridor accessibility, its systemic impact is heavily constrained by extreme climatic conditions, institutional fragmentation, and critical first- and last-mile gaps. Extreme heat significantly reduces effective walking. Additionally, continued reliance on private vehicles, resulting in a hybrid mobility regime rather than a full modal transition. The analysis also further reveals uneven spatial distribution of the metro for easy accessibility. To overcome these barriers, this paper introduces the Climate-Constrained Sustainable Transit Transition Framework (CSTTF) as an analytical tool. The study concludes that infrastructure-led urban transformation in hyper-arid megacities requires a comprehensive policy shift that integrates land-use reform, behavioral incentives, and climate-adaptive urban design. The proposed Climate-Constrained Sustainable Transit Transition Framework (CSTTF) provides a transferable decision-support framework that can assist policymakers, urban planners, and transit agencies in designing climate-resilient metro systems, optimizing first- and last-mile connectivity, and informing sustainable transport planning in Riyadh and other hot-arid metropolitan regions facing similar environmental and urbanization challenges. Full article