Search Results (6,240)

Name.Narrate.Navigate (NNN) is a trauma-informed program for justice-involved young people aged 12–18 years, recognising that experience and use of violence are often interconnected and may involve serious criminal behaviour, including vulnerability to criminal exploitation. NNN addresses a gap in evidence-based, culturally responsive tertiary interventions for this cohort in regional New South Wales (NSW), Australia, integrating dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) principles with Aboriginal ways of knowing and doing, co-designed through community-based participatory research (CBPR) with Aboriginal community members, young people, and frontline practitioners. The program aims to strengthen skills for self-awareness, self-regulation and healthy connection through relational, creative, and participatory approaches. Using a realist evaluation framework, this paper examines what works in NNN, for whom, and under what circumstances. Drawing on participant session ratings, practitioner observations, program documentation, and interviews, findings are organised across four domains: effects, mechanisms, moderators, and implementation. Indicative findings show that engagement, emerging changes in the narratives of self, and developing skills for self-regulation were most evident when trauma-informed and culturally safe practice was enacted within genuinely relational, strengths-based encounters. These conditions are identified and discussed as transferable principles for the field, key amongst them that intervention readiness must be treated as a capacity to be actively built rather than a precondition to be screened for; and that creative, participant-led methods represent an epistemological commitment to whose knowledge counts in practice. This case study contributes to a critically underserved evidence base by documenting not only what a tertiary youth violence intervention looks like, but the conditions under which it begins to work and for whom. Full article

This study aims to analyse the influence of sustainability knowledge on sustainable lifestyles with attitudes toward sustainability as a mediating variable, within the framework of Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR). The study respondents were 311 tourism managers in Yogyakarta with various destinations who were selected using non-probability sampling techniques due to limited population access and the specific needs of subjects relevant to sustainability issues. The data analysis uses Structural Equation Modelling–Partial Least Squares (SEM-PLS) with Smart PLS. The results of the study show that sustainability knowledge directly affects sustainable lifestyles; in addition, attitudes towards sustainability partially mediate the influence of sustainability knowledge on sustainable lifestyles. Sustainability knowledge is seen as an external stimulus that influences positive attitudes towards sustainability, which then drives a response in the form of adopting a sustainable lifestyle. Although knowledge is often assumed to directly influence behaviour, theoretical and empirical findings suggest that attitudes play an important role as mediators that bridge knowledge with real behaviour. Other results show that sustainable awareness does not directly affect a sustainable lifestyle. Attitude toward sustainability plays a mediating role in the influence of sustainable awareness on sustainable lifestyles. Individuals or tourism managers who have a deep awareness of environmental, social, and economic issues tend to internalise sustainability values, form positive attitudes, and ultimately adopt sustainable lifestyles. This research is expected to make a theoretical contribution by strengthening the application of the SOR framework in sustainable tourism, as well as a practical contribution through educational programme recommendations that emphasise the importance of forming positive attitudes in behaviour transformation. Full article

Geopolymer concretes are increasingly regarded as advanced construction materials for applications requiring high thermal and chemical resistance. This article is a continuation of previously published research and focuses on the mechanical behaviour of geopolymer concretes containing aggregates made of foamed geopolymers and lightweight mineral aggregates, such as expanded clay and perlite, intended for use in chimney flue components. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of lightweight aggregates on the relationship between thermal insulation and the strength parameters of geopolymer concretes intended for use at elevated temperatures. Foamed geopolymer aggregates were produced by a controlled chemical foaming process, followed by grinding to specific grain sizes, yielding highly porous aggregates with low thermal conductivity, reaching approximately 0.075–0.099 W/(m·K). These aggregates were used as lightweight fillers in geopolymer concretes based on class F fly ash activated with alkaline solutions. The resulting composites were designed to combine low density and high thermal insulation with adequate mechanical strength. The mechanical properties of the developed concretes were assessed on the basis of compressive strength tests on cubic specimens and tensile strength in beam bending tests, carried out in accordance with standards. The results presented confirm that the use of foamed geopolymer aggregates enables a simultaneous increase in thermal insulation and the design of ultra-lightweight structural elements with sufficient load-bearing capacity for chimney systems (including suspended ones). This combination of low thermal conductivity, reduced mass, and appropriate mechanical properties makes geopolymer concretes with lightweight mineral and geopolymer aggregates a promising alternative to traditional ceramic materials. Full article

Street soundscapes significantly shape communities’ environmental perceptions, behaviour and urban sustainability. Previous research has mainly focused on physical and acoustic aspects, while limited attention has been given to emotional and behavioural dimensions. This study explores how expert participants perceive street soundscapes through personal, physical, behavioural, and emotional dimensions, using international online focus groups with soundscape experts, urban planners, and policymakers (n = 12). Analysis followed a deductive thematic approach establishing four main a priori themes, with additional inductive coding used to refine these themes. The findings reveal that perception is shaped by contextual, cultural, temporal, multisensory, and environmental affordance factors. Notably, silence was found to carry a dilemma—perceived as either safe or unsafe depending on pedestrian density—and religious and cultural soundmarks were identified as evoking place attachment and belonging, areas largely overlooked in existing literature. These soundscapes were associated with emotional responses, including comfort, safety, restoration, and belonging, and with pedestrian behaviour encompassing mobility choices, coping strategies, and social interactions. Furthermore, seven out of ten Healthy Streets metrics were directly referenced by participants, highlighting the close relationship between acoustic environments and healthy streets design. Future studies should examine cultural, temporal, and spatial street characteristics and their effects on human behaviour and emotional responses. Full article

The rapid and accelerating depletion of natural resources has spurred governments and pressure groups to call for effective environmental management initiatives. One such initiative is the creation of a green organisational culture to combat environmental degradation. As a result, there has been a burgeoning of the literature on the concept of green organisational culture; however, the research is still in its nascent stage. For this reason, this study investigated the mediating role of green employee behaviours in the relationship between green organisational culture and environmental performance in the mining industry. Data were systematically collected from 277 participants and analysed using SMARTPLS 4. The results revealed that, while green organisational culture significantly impacted environmental performance, green employee behaviours partially mediated this relationship. These results offer important insights for mine managers. Full article

Urban nature and nature-based solutions are increasingly promoted to enhance public space experience and urban climate resilience. In Public and semi-public indoor settings, biophilic design is considered beneficial for stress reduction and mental health restoration through the introduction of natural elements such as plants. However, research focusing on the specific visual features of plants and the underlying mechanisms remains limited. Based on 200 indoor greenery images and their multi-dimensional feature vectors, and combined with questionnaire data from 253 valid participants, this study developed a quantitative framework of plant visual features and adopted a two-level analytical approach. At the image level, linear mixed-effects models (LMMs) were used to identify how plant features influenced immediate responses. At the group level, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to examine how cumulative restorative experience translated into affective states, perceived restorativeness, and behavioural intention. The results showed that Green View Index (GVI) and species richness were the most stable positive features, while plant health status, certain planting modes, and spatial layer-related features also showed significant effects. Restorative experience influenced behavioural intention mainly through positive affect and perceived restorativeness. These findings provide evidence for biophilic design, offering quantitative support for incorporating indoor public space into broader urban nature and public space framework. Full article

Buying local food can support local economies, but the factors that drive these purchases in specific retail settings, such as local shops, are still not well understood. Research that considers sustainability alongside factors such as trust and perceived retail access remains limited. This study examines how dimensions of sustainability, trust, and perceived retail access influence purchase intention, using the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). Data were collected via an online survey in Međimurje County, Croatia (n = 303), and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), which explained 55% of the variance in purchase intention. The results show that, in addition to attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioural control, only the environmental dimension of sustainability significantly influences purchase intention. These findings suggest that consumer decision-making in local shops is more strongly shaped by internal evaluations and perceived environmental benefits than by trust or access. The study provides channel-specific evidence from an intermediated short food supply chain (SFSC) format and shows that the relevance of extended TPB predictors varies across retail contexts. Full article

Microplastic (MP) and nanoplastic (NP) pollution has emerged as a pervasive and still insufficiently quantified pressure on terrestrial ecosystems, yet its consequences for wild herbivores remain incompletely understood. As key links between primary producers and higher trophic levels, wild herbivores occupy a critical ecological position and may serve both as exposed receptors and as biological vectors of plastic contamination. This manuscript presents a narrative review that synthesizes recent advances in understanding the physiological, behavioural, and ecological implications of MP and/or NP exposure in free-ranging herbivorous mammals, integrating evidence from field surveys, experimental studies, ecological modelling, and supportive mechanistic findings from livestock and experimental mammalian systems. Available evidence indicates that MPs and NPs are consistently detected in wild herbivores from both human-modified and protected landscapes, demonstrating widespread terrestrial exposure. Reported biological effects include oxidative stress, digestive dysfunction, inflammatory and immune responses, altered gut microbial communities, impaired nutrient assimilation, and organ-level damage, although much of the mechanistic evidence derives from controlled laboratory or livestock-based studies rather than direct wildlife investigations. Behavioural responses remain comparatively underexplored, particularly in large-bodied herbivores, with limited evidence for altered foraging, habitat use, and stress-related behaviours. At the ecosystem level, emerging studies suggest that herbivores may contribute to the landscape-scale redistribution of MPs and NPs through movement and faecal deposition, with potential downstream effects on soil processes, nutrient cycling, and plant–herbivore interactions. However, the current evidence base is constrained by major methodological and conceptual limitations, including the lack of standardized detection and reporting protocols, limited ecological realism in exposure studies, taxonomic and geographic biases, and poor resolution of long-term population-level and food-web consequences. Overall, the available literature indicates that MP and NP pollution represent a multifaceted and emerging risk to wild herbivores and the ecosystems they inhabit. Future research should prioritize standardized contamination-controlled monitoring, non-invasive faecal surveillance, ecologically realistic chronic exposure studies, and integrated conservation frameworks that recognize wild herbivores as sentinel species for terrestrial plastic pollution. Full article

This study advances research on river extreme events by applying the peaks-over-threshold (POT) approach to Lithuanian rivers. Extreme flow regimes were analysed for three rivers representing distinct hydrological regions and one large river. Results from the annual maximum series and three POT samples (POT1, POT2, and POT3) demonstrated the added value of the POT approach, as it enabled substantially more information on flood magnitude, frequency, and seasonality to be extracted from a single daily discharge time series. Trend analysis and seasonal flood frequency assessment revealed pronounced differences among rivers in regions with contrasting runoff-generation processes. Overall, the POT approach provided a more comprehensive characterisation of extreme flow behaviour, particularly for rivers susceptible to frequent flash flooding. Full article

The scope of actual pro-environmental initiatives, programs, interventions, and campaigns is limited. Therefore, spillover effects from these activities to other domains of economy, the private sphere, and society are crucial to achieve a transformation of society towards sustainability. Starting from the known literature and using Google Scholar as a platform for searching additional studies, this explorative, traditional narrative review analyses behavioural spillover effects, where either one behaviour influences the likelihood of another behaviour, or an intervention shows an impact on an environmentally significant behaviour, which it did not primarily address. In the scientific literature, spillover is classified by direction (environmentally positive versus negative), involved behaviours (similar or cross-behavioural), timing (short or long term), context (e.g., work to private life), and social scope (personal, interpersonal, intra- and inter-organisational, intergroup, or international). Positive spillover can result from cognitive dissonance reduction, consistent self-perception, pro-environmental values, norms, self-identity, action-based learning, and habit formation. Negative spillover emerges through rebound effects, moral licensing, and psychological reactance. Stronger spillover is observed between similar behaviours, while cross-domain spillover is generally weaker. According to previous research, a facilitated participatory approach with strong pro-environmental orientation appears recommendable for practitioners to foster the value change required for effective and sustained positive spillover. Full article

Wheelchair users face significant mobility limitations related to both medical issues (e.g., musculoskeletal strain, pressure ulcers) and urban accessibility challenges. This pilot study introduces a sensor system integrating an inertial measurement unit (IMU), GPS (Global Positioning System), and a pressure-measuring seat to monitor distance travelled, speed, and posture in relation to real-world conditions. Seven participants navigated an approximately 800-metre outdoor course, divided into 13 sections, while real-time data were recorded. The results showed an average speed of 1.24 ± 0.41 m/s with peak speeds of up to 2.67 m/s. The centre of pressure on the seat fluctuated by an average of 25 mm in the x and y directions (left-right: COPx, back-forward: COPy). The data for average speed, COPx, and COPy showed significant differences between most of the 13 sections, with large, very large, and huge effect sizes. Comparing the speed, COPx, and COPy data with respect to distance travelled, and correlating them between the seven participants by applying the rank-sum method to the mean R² and calculating Kendall’s W, revealed that speed, COPx, and COPy were influenced by course conditions (R² medians between 0.013 and 0.499; W = 0.7857, strong agreement; χ²p = 0.0281). Small R² values indicate more individualised participant behaviour, while large R² values highlight the stronger influence of course conditions on the parameters. This non-invasive and cost-effective system provides objective motion data that can be used for future research in wheelchair design and rehabilitation strategies. Despite its advantages, this study was limited to able-bodied participants, so further clinical trials with individuals with mobility impairments are needed. Full article

Objectives: The objectives of this review are to explore the effects of various nutrition and exercise lifestyle interventions on pregnancy outcomes in individuals with, or at risk of, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), as well as to examine whether interventions that are culturally and/or religiously sensitive influence clinical and behavioural outcomes. Methods: This study was conducted as a narrative review. PRISMA was used solely as a reporting guide to enhance transparency in the search and study selection process. PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus were searched for studies published up to November 2025. Intervention-based studies evaluating nutrition, physical activity, or combined lifestyle interventions targeting either GDM incidence, insulin use, or glycemic outcomes were included. Forty-three studies met eligibility criteria. Study designs consisted primarily of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with one case–control and one quasi-experimental design trial. Results: Combined lifestyle interventions generally showed the most consistent improvements in glycemic control; however, findings were not uniform across all studies, and reporting on insulin outcomes was limited. The Mediterranean, low-glycemic index (LGI) and DASH diets, along with supervised, prenatal exercise programs with low–moderate intensity, delivered at least three times per week, were effective in managing GDM. Regarding culturally or religiously sensitive interventions, only one study was identified. Conclusions: Lifestyle interventions may improve glycemic outcomes in GDM; however, further high-quality research is needed, particularly studies incorporating culturally and religiously sensitive approaches and improved reporting of insulin-related outcomes. Full article

Serotoninomics, a nascent emerging discipline within the field of omics, provides a transdisciplinary framework for understanding reproductive toxicology via serotonergic signalling. This research investigates the neuroendocrine effects of permethrin, a commonly used pyrethroid insecticide often considered to pose a low risk to humans, and positions it as a model compound for evaluating reproductive susceptibility beyond conventional endocrine endpoints. It is hypothesized that serotonin, traditionally examined in neuropsychiatric contexts, plays an essential role in gonadal function, hormonal regulation, and emotional resilience. Although permethrins are generally regarded as safe, acute exposure may subtly interfere with serotonergic pathways, potentially resulting in molecular, biochemical, behavioural, and reproductive alterations. These effects could extend beyond immediate exposure, including during gestation, considering permethrins’ ability to cross the placental barrier and influence foetal development. By synthesizing evidence across molecular, organismal, and environmental domains, we advocate for a serotonergic approach to facilitate a more comprehensive assessment of risk and resilience. We emphasize the importance of fostering a transdisciplinary dialogue to redefine reproductive health through the perspectives of serotonergic vulnerability and systemic resilience. Full article

We introduce the Normalising Flow GARCH (NF-GARCH), a two-stage hybrid framework that enhances traditional GARCH models by replacing restrictive parametric innovation distributions with learned densities via normalising flows. Our approach preserves the interpretability of standard variance dynamics while addressing the common issue of innovation misspecification. In the first stage, we estimate standard GARCH variants (sGARCH, TGARCH, and gjrGARCH) to extract standardised residuals. In the second stage, a Masked Autoregressive Flow learns the underlying residual distribution, with samples from the flow subsequently driving the GARCH recursion for out-of-sample forecasting. Evaluated on 13 daily financial series (six FX pairs and seven equities), NF-GARCH demonstrates systematic, statistically significant improvements in forecast accuracy for skewed-t baselines. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests confirm superior performance specifically for gjrGARCH-sstd and sGARCH-sstd specifications. While the framework offers enhanced flexibility and generative realism, we observe that computational overhead is increased, and the log-variance specification of eGARCH exhibits instability when paired with flow-based innovations. These results suggest that while NF-GARCH effectively captures empirical tail behaviour in univariate settings, future research should explore conditional flow architectures and multivariate extensions to account for time-varying innovation shapes. For risk management, gains are most relevant where skewed-t baselines are used and where closer residual realism supports scenario analysis; effect sizes remain modest relative to model risk and implementation cost. Full article

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been associated with a poorer prognosis than other subtypes, due to its more aggressive behaviour. Since 2020, significant advances in locoregional and systemic therapy have improved outcomes for patients with TNBC, but the implementation of these treatments remains inconsistent across Canada. There is, therefore, a critical need for evidence-informed, consensus-driven guidance to support the integration of new therapies into practice. Research Excellence, Active Leadership Canadian Breast Cancer Alliance (REAL Alliance), a pan-Canadian group of breast cancer specialists and Breast Cancer Canada, a patient advocacy organization, convened to develop national clinical consensus recommendations for the management of breast cancer. Through a selective literature review and modified Delphi process of national experts in the fields of medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology and pharmacy, REAL Alliance developed national consensus recommendations for the management of TNBC. The result is a set of 23 recommendations: four overall general recommendations, 11 in early-stage TNBC, and eight in metastatic TNBC. These recommendations are intended for oncology healthcare professionals, and are intended to guide evidence-informed, consistent care across Canada. Full article