Search Results (5,933)

This study investigates the transformations of the Hungarian Catholic clergy during the 20th century in its social relations, self-perception, and attitudes, with a particular focus on the Diocese of Pécs. It concentrates on events that caused collective shock, such as the advance of the front and the Soviet occupation during World War II; the confiscation of church property; the enforced migration processes; and the impact of the Communist regime’s ecclesiastical and social policies. The analysis emphasizes the role- and context-dependent patterns discernible in the documents produced by the clergy concerning these events, particularly in the parish Historia Domus. The study models the impact of these violent reconfigurations on clergy dispositions within the framework of Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, specifically the notions of “cleft” and “plural habitus”, highlighting the significance of behavior patterns in praxis transmitted through generations of clergy. It interprets the discrepancy between the altered context of action and the long-established, “interiorized” habitus, considering the phenomenon of asynchronicity, and identifies general and context-specific characteristics through a method of historical comparison. Overall, the study offers a perspective that perceives the historically evolved specificities of the norm as intrinsically linked to the local context. Full article

(1) Background: Help-seeking behavior is a key way to maintain health and seek effective treatment, and it also helps to improve patients’ self-management ability. This study aimed to investigate the facilitating and hindering factors of help-seeking behaviors among patients with chronic diseases concerning their health issues. (2) Methods: Based on the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation-Behavior (COM-B) model, 18 patients with chronic diseases in a tertiary hospital in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province, were selected for semi-structured in-depth interviews between July and November 2024 using a descriptive qualitative research approach. The collected data were analyzed using directed content analysis. (3) Results: A total of 18 interviews were conducted, and two themes and six sub-themes were extracted. The factors that promote health help-seeking behavior in patients with chronic diseases include ability (self-health monitoring ability, sufficient communication preparation ability), opportunity (health support in social bonds, effective support of medical staff), and motivation (good illness identity, past successful experience of health seeking help). Barriers include ability (symptom attribution bias, difficulty in identifying health information), opportunity (heavier financial burden, poor sense of gain in interactions), and motivation (fear and avoidance, stigma of illness). (4) Conclusions: There are some hindering factors and obvious contributing factors regarding health help-seeking behavior among patients with chronic diseases. Medical staff should prioritize guiding patients to seek help for health problems. The COM-B model can be applied to develop targeted intervention strategies for improving help-seeking behavior. This approach is beneficial for enhancing patients’ health management capabilities by promoting proactive health help-seeking practices. Full article

This study concerns the evaluation of adhesive and wettability energetic signatures of a model orthodontic wire exposed to commercial mouthrinses. The surface wetting properties were evaluated from the contact angle hysteresis (CAH) approach applied to dynamic contact angle data derived from the original drop on a vertical filament method. Young, advancing, receding CA apart from adhesive film pressure, surface energy, work of adhesion, etc. were chosen as interfacial interaction indicators, allowing for the optimal concentration and placement of the key component(s) accumulation to be predicted for effective antibacterial activity to eliminate plaque formation on the prosthetic materials. Surfactant compounds when adsorb at interfaces confer rheological properties to the surfaces, leading to surface relaxation, which depends on the timescale of the deformation. The surface dilatational complex modulus E, with compression elasticity E_d and viscosity E_i parts, determined in the stress–relaxation Langmuir trough measurements, exhibited the viscoelastic surface film behavior with the relaxation times (0.41–3.13 s), pointing to the vertically segregated film structure as distinct, stratified layers with the most insoluble compound on the system top (as indicated with the 2D polymer film scaling theory exponent y = 12.9–15.5). Kinetic rheology parameters could affect the wettability, adhesion, and spreading characteristics of mouthrinse liquids. Full article

Heatwaves are increasing in frequency and intensity owing to climate change, posing severe health risks to urban populations, particularly vulnerable groups. This study investigates public perceptions, adaptive behavior, and policy awareness regarding extreme heat in Gwangju Metropolitan City, South Korea, a heat-prone urban area. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyzed primary survey data from 814 residents and secondary data from the 2020 Gwangju Citizen Heatwave Awareness Survey. Statistical analyses, including chi-squared and t-tests, examined differences across socioeconomic age groups. Results indicate that while general awareness of heatwave risks is high, low-income residents exhibit lower perceived severity, limited access to mechanical cooling, and greater reliance on passive avoidance behaviors. Awareness and use of municipal cooling shelters were low, with satisfaction hindered by concerns over accessibility, cleanliness, and operational hours. Television and emergency text alerts were the main information channels; however, trust and perceived usefulness were limited. Policy recommendations include spatially targeted shelter placement informed by vulnerability mapping, improved operational standards, diversified risk communication, and enhanced community engagement. This study underscores the importance of equity-driven adaptation strategies and provides practical insights for global municipalities facing similar climate-related heat risks. Full article

Background: Smoking is a major public health concern in Saudi Arabia, with significant gender differences influencing smoking behavior and cessation. Aim: This study aimed to investigate smoking abstinence self-efficacy (ASE), decisional balance (DB), quitting desire, and their predictors among adult male and female smokers in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of 375 male and 220 female adult smokers recruited via social media. Data were collected through an online survey assessing personal health, smoking behavior, desire to quit, ASE, and DB. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of earnest quitting desire, high ASE, and negative DB. Results: Males were more likely to smoke for 10 or more years (70.7% vs. 29.1%), maintain regular smoking patterns (86.9% vs. 54.1%), and exhibit high nicotine dependence (29.3% vs. 6.4%) compared to females. A higher proportion of females (76.8%) than males (66.9%) expressed a strong desire to quit. ASE was generally higher in males, with 49.6% showing average levels, while 46.4% of females had low ASE, particularly in social and positive mood contexts. Females displayed a higher prevalence of negative DB (73.6% vs. 58.1%), indicating greater awareness of smoking’s drawbacks. Both genders acknowledged the cons of smoking, though males perceived fewer pros. Conclusions: A complex interplay of factors influences smoking behavior and cessation among adult smokers. Gender differences also play a crucial role in smoking cessation factors among Saudi adults. Tailored cessation strategies addressing self-efficacy and motivation are recommended to enhance quitting success. Full article

This study examines the evolution of willingness to accept the monkeypox (Mpox) vaccine in Romania between 2022 and 2025. It explores key sociodemographic and behavioral predictors of vaccine acceptance and investigates how public perceptions—particularly concerning disease severity and conspiracy beliefs—have shifted across two independent cross-sectional samples. Two nationally distributed surveys were conducted in July 2022 (n = 820) and January–February 2025 (n = 1029), targeting Romanian residents aged 18 and above. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests, and a Random Forest classification model to assess the relative importance of predictors of vaccine acceptance. Between 2022 and 2025, vaccine acceptance increased modestly, particularly among individuals aged 36–65 and those with prior experience of voluntary or COVID-19 vaccination. Random Forest analysis identified behavioral factors as the strongest predictors of acceptance in both years, while the influence of education and gender varied over time. Belief in conspiracy theories slightly declined and lost predictive relevance by 2025. Perceptions of pandemic potential and fear of infection also decreased, suggesting reduced risk salience and possible pandemic fatigue. Despite a slight upward trend, overall Mpox vaccine acceptance in Romania remains among the lowest in Europe. These findings highlight the need for targeted public health communication, particularly toward skeptical or demographically vulnerable groups. Prior vaccination behavior emerged as a key driver of acceptance, indicating that trust-building strategies should capitalize on existing pro-vaccination habits. Future research should adopt qualitative and longitudinal approaches to better capture the evolving psychosocial dynamics of vaccine hesitancy. Full article

The use of commercial off-the-shelf smart devices in digital signage for sentient spaces is emerging as a promising solution within smart city environments. In such scenarios, these devices are often required to execute resource-intensive applications despite limited local computational capacity. Although cloud and fog infrastructures have been proposed to offload demanding workloads, they are not always suitable due to privacy and security concerns. As a result, executing sentient space applications directly on smart devices may exceed their processing capabilities. To address this limitation, state-of-the-art solutions have introduced load balancing techniques for smart devices. However, these approaches typically rely on centralized coordination or require extensive system profiling, making them unsuitable for sentient spaces, where device availability is intermittent and cooperative behavior must remain lightweight, adaptive, and decentralized. This paper proposes a distributed load balancing strategy tailored for sentient spaces that operate without reliance on cloud or fog infrastructures. The approach is based on reactive cooperation among neighboring devices and employs a local feasibility-check mechanism to determine when to offload computation and which neighboring devices are available to process it. The proposed solution is evaluated in a laboratory setting that emulates a real-world sentient space scenario within a commercial mall. Experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed approach in maintaining real-time performance and mitigating local computational overload without relying on centralized infrastructure. Even under dynamic operating conditions, the system achieves a load balancing execution time of 5 ms on an ARM Cortex-A53 processor integrated in an AMD Zynq UltraScale+ platform. Full article

This study explores factors influencing micromobility (MM) use in Bursa, Turkey, focusing on personality traits, financial well-being, weather, terrain, and demographics. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with survey data from 597 respondents, the results show that neuroticism increases MM intention, while financial anxiety decreases it. Personal competence lowers financial anxiety and security concerns. Weather negatively affects MM intention, whereas terrain conditions have no significant impact. Middle-aged individuals are more likely to use MM, while associate degree graduates are less inclined. Gender directly influences MM behavior. MM intention positively affects actual use, with financial anxiety indirectly reducing usage and neuroticism indirectly increasing it. Financial anxiety mediates the link between all personality dimensions and MM use. This study uniquely integrates personality and financial well-being into MM research, offering insights for policy measures such as financial support programs, weather-adaptive infrastructure, and training initiatives for neurotic individuals to encourage MM adoption. Full article

This study examines the relationship between attitudes toward artificial intelligence (AI) and AI dependency among Ecuadorian university students. A cross-sectional design was used, applying two validated instruments: the Artificial Intelligence Dependence Scale (DAI) and the General Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence Scale (GAAIS), with a sample of 540 students. Structural equation modeling (SEM) assessed how both positive and negative attitudes predict dependency levels. Results indicate a moderate level of AI dependency and an ambivalent attitudinal profile. Both attitudinal dimensions significantly predicted dependency, suggesting dual-use behaviors shaped by perceived utility and ethical concerns. Urban students reported higher dependency and greater sensitivity to AI-related risks, highlighting digital inequalities. Although the SEM model showed adequate comparative fit (CFI = 0.976; TLI = 0.973), residual indicators (RMSEA = 0.075) suggest further refinement is needed. This study contributes to underexplored Latin American contexts and emphasizes the need for equity-driven digital literacy strategies in higher education. Findings support pedagogical frameworks promoting critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and responsible AI use. The study aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities), reinforcing the importance of inclusive, learner-centered approaches to AI integration. Full article

Background/Objectives: E-cigarette use has increased substantially among university students in recent years, coinciding with a broader shift in nicotine consumption patterns globally. Despite initial perceptions of e-cigarettes as harm-reduction tools, growing evidence indicates significant health risks, misinformation, and limited awareness—especially within higher education environments. This structured literature review aims to synthesize peer-reviewed evidence on the health impacts, behavioral determinants, and the role of nursing in addressing e-cigarette use among university students. Methods: A literature search was conducted across five databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase, Dialnet) between February and March 2025. Eligible studies were published between January 2020 and January 2025 in English or Spanish. A total of 43 studies were included. Data were synthesized narratively, and methodological quality was assessed using Joanna Briggs Institute checklists and The Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Reviews Articles. Results: E-cigarette use among university students showed wide variability in prevalence, with higher rates among males, students in non-health disciplines, and users of disposable devices. Key behavioral and social determinants included peer influence, curiosity, stress management, and social media exposure. Despite documented health risks—such as nicotine dependence, respiratory and cardiovascular impairment, and mental health concerns—misconceptions about safety and cessation efficacy were common, even among health science students. Nursing-led interventions hold great potential for prevention but remain underdeveloped within university settings. Conclusions: The findings underscore the urgent need for evidence-based prevention strategies—particularly those led by nurses—to reduce e-cigarette use, bridge knowledge gaps, and mitigate associated health risks in higher education. Future efforts should prioritize institutional policy reinforcement, improved health communication, and the integration of vaping-related education into nursing curricula and public health campaigns targeting emerging adults. Full article

To promote the sustainable development of urban smart transportation systems, this study constructs a structural equation model (SEM) based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), incorporating extended variables including social influence, environmental awareness, privacy concerns, and service similarity to investigate users’ behavioral intentions toward Mobility as a Service (MaaS). The research systematically examines key factors influencing user adoption behavior and their underlying mechanisms, providing theoretical foundations and practical guidance for optimizing MaaS system design and policy making. Using SEM as the core analytical framework, this study employs mediation analysis, moderation analysis, and multigroup comparison to empirically examine the direct and indirect effects among variables, as well as group heterogeneity. Data were collected through an online questionnaire survey, with Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) applied to identify the differential impacts of demographic and travel behavior characteristics on users’ intentions and related psychological constructs, thereby supporting precise user segmentation and evidence-based policy interventions. Key findings include the following: (1) Social influence, ease of use, and environmental awareness boost MaaS adoption, while privacy concerns hinder it. (2) Freelancers/self-employed weaken the positive effects of usefulness, ease of use, and social influence on adoption. (3) Service similarity and ease of use effects vary significantly between single-mode and multimodal commuters. The findings extend the theoretical boundaries of TAM and provide both theoretical and practical support for the development of sustainable urban transportation systems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Problematic polydrug use represents a relevant public health concern, with strong relationships with mental health problems and suicide behavior. Existing studies have just focused on problematic use, overlooking the potentially cumulative effect of coexisting substance use and addictive behaviors. This study aims to analyze the association between the polydrug use profile (no problematic use, problematic use of a single drug, and polydrug use) and mental health outcomes, specifically anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and suicide behavior. Methods: A sample of 1307 Spanish young adults (66.2% male; M = 21.2 years, SD = 3.31) were assessed for problematic use of substances and behavioral addictions as well as for the internalizing symptoms and suicide behavior. Participants were categorized into three groups: no problematic drug use (n = 880), problematic single drug use (n = 316), and polydrug use (n = 111). Results: Results showed an increasing level in depressive symptoms and suicide behavior with polydrug use, with significant differences between groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, both groups of problematic use presented higher levels of anxiety than no-use participants, regardless of the number of use modalities. Conclusions: These findings suggest that problematic polydrug use is associated with greater clinical severity, particularly in terms of depressive symptoms and suicide behavior, while anxiety remains elevated even when a problematic single drug pattern is observed. This study highlights the importance of considering polydrug use in dual diagnosis and the need for an integrative clinical approach. Full article

Background/Objectives: Problematic smartphone use among early adolescents is a growing public health concern, often influenced by psychosocial stressors such as parental academic achievement pressure. Despite evidence linking academic pressure to adolescent stress and maladaptive coping behaviors, the mediating role of family communication in this relationship remains underexplored. This study investigates whether family communication mediates the association between perceived parental academic pressure and problematic smartphone use in early adolescents. Methods: Using a cross-sectional correlational design, data from the 15th wave (2022) of the nationally representative Public Korean Children’s Panel (PSKC) were analyzed, including 1249 adolescents born in 2008. Logistic regression and mediation analyses assessed direct and indirect relationships among variables. Results: Among participants, 16.2% were classified as potential or high-risk smartphone users. Higher perceived parental academic pressure significantly increased the odds of problematic smartphone use (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.20–1.72), whereas better family communication was associated with lower odds (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.53–0.83). Mediation analysis showed that family communication partially mediated the effect of academic pressure on smartphone addiction. Conclusions: These findings highlight family communication as a key psychosocial mechanism buffering the negative impact of parental academic pressure on adolescent smartphone use. Enhancing family communication may be a critical focus for interventions to prevent problematic smartphone behaviors in adolescents facing high academic demands. Full article

Background/Objectives: Leadership in physical education plays a critical role in the holistic development of students, influencing variables such as satisfaction, group cohesion, and performance. Despite the abundance of cross-sectional studies, there is a paucity of longitudinal evidence exploring the temporal stability of these perceptions in adolescent populations, which limits the current understanding of leadership development in educational settings. This longitudinal study investigates how secondary and high school students perceive and prefer different leadership styles in PE and how these relate to gender, academic level, and sport participation, grounded in the multidimensional leadership model. The analysis is further contextualized by recent research emphasizing adaptive, evidence-based pedagogical approaches in physical education, the influence of competitive environments on leadership expectations, and the role of emotional support in training contexts. Methods: Using validated questionnaires (LSS-1 and LSS-2), five dimensions were assessed: Training and Instruction, democratic behavior, autocratic behavior, Social Support, and positive feedback, considering variables such as gender, academic level, and extracurricular sport participation. Data were collected at two time points over a 12-month interval, enabling the identification of temporal patterns in students’ perceptions and preferences. Sampling procedures were clearly defined to enhance transparency and potential replicability, and the choice of a convenience sample from two private schools was justified by accessibility and continuity in longitudinal tracking. Although no a priori power analysis was conducted, the sample size (n = 370) was deemed adequate for the non-parametric analyses employed, with an estimated statistical power ≥ 0.80 for medium effect sizes (Cohen’s d = 0.3–0.5). Results: The results revealed a marked preference for leadership styles emphasizing social support and positive feedback, particularly among students engaged in sports. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were identified based on gender and academic maturity, with female students favoring democratic behavior and students in the fourth year of compulsory secondary education showing a stronger inclination toward styles prioritizing emotional support. Trends toward statistical significance (p < 0.10) were also reported, following precedents in the sport psychology and sport sciences literature, as they provide potentially relevant indications for future research directions. The congruence between perceived and preferred leadership emerged as a key factor in student satisfaction, confirming that adaptive leadership enhances students’ learning experiences and overall well-being. However, this satisfaction was inferred from congruence measures, rather than directly assessed, representing a key methodological limitation. Conclusions: This study underscores the importance of physical education teachers tailoring their leadership styles to the individual and group characteristics of their students. The findings align with methodological approaches used in preference hierarchy analyses in sport contexts and support calls for individualized pedagogical strategies observed in sports medicine and training research. By providing longitudinal evidence on leadership perception stability and integrating recent cross-disciplinary findings, the study makes an original contribution to bridging the gap between educational theory and practice. The results address a gap in the literature concerning the temporal stability of leadership perceptions among adolescents, offering a theoretically grounded basis for future research and the design of pedagogical innovations in PE. Full article

The Forensic Anthropology Research Facility (FARF) at Texas State University (TXST), San Marcos, TX, USA, is a leading human taphonomy facility (HTF), dedicated to advancing forensic science through the study of human decomposition. This systematic review synthesizes 15 scholarly outputs comprising 7 peer-reviewed journal articles and 8 dissertations centered on arthropod-associated research undertaken at FARF, with particular emphasis on its contribution to forensic entomology. The analyzed body of literature is organized into six overarching thematic domains: (1): refining postmortem interval (PMI) estimation; (2): developmental biology of forensic arthropods; (3): arthropod behavior and forensic implications; (4): Taxonomy and systematics; (5): microbial–arthropod interactions; and (6): forensic decomposition scenarios with arthropod involvement. Key contributions from these studies include refined methodologies for PMI estimation, the systematic revision of forensically relevant arthropods and identification of accidental arthropod activity. Additionally, studies at FARF have incorporated interdisciplinary approaches bridging entomology, microbiology and ecology. The semi-arid, subtropical environment and large open natural range of FARF provides some unique regional and specific insights concerning decomposition. This entomological review on FARF is the first to be completed concerning any HTF and adds to the knowledge of forensic evidence involving arthropods. Full article