Search Results (2,806)

This essay highlights how, in lieu of a supportive community, Toni Morrison’s artistic daughter-protagonist, Sula, creates her own safe space within her liberated imagination through self-mothering. Thematic motifs of creative identity, the social role of the artist, and revolutionary self-care are relevant not only to Sula but to how Morrison herself conceived of transformative, safe spaces for Black women writers through her work as a writer and editor. In addition to discussing Sula, I briefly expound on Morrison’s novels, Beloved, Song of Solomon, Tar Baby, Paradise, and Bluest Eye, showing how audacious self-preservation undergirds the moral, political, and social dimensions of art, leading to personal and communal good. Reflecting on how Morrison flourished as a writer and editor after her divorce, while being the single parent to two young boys, I explicate Morrison’s understanding of motherwork as a complement to her artistic life, instructive of the ways in which carework, including self-care, helps artists and communities thrive. Morrison praised self-mothering in her unconventional artistic characters to reveal how female community and self-love are essential to sustain Black women artists. Full article

Futures Literacy, as defined and promoted by UNESCO, is the capability to imagine, question, and use the future as a resource for better understanding the present and acting with intention. When applied to Cultural Heritage Education, it reframes heritage from a static object of preservation into a dynamic anticipatory system that evolves through dialogue between past, present, and future. This integrative approach enables learners and communities to strengthen what can be called cultural adaptive capacity, understood as the ability to ensure continuity of identity and traditions, to promote responsive innovation in the face of change, and to transmit heritage knowledge across generations. This entry situates Futures Literacy within a wider theoretical framework that includes complexity theory, anticipatory systems, and sustainability education. It emphasizes that heritage education must increasingly address uncertainty, diversity of perspectives, and interconnected challenges such as globalization, climate change, and cultural transformations. UNESCO Futures Literacy Laboratories conducted in different regions of the world, as well as ICCROM’s foresight initiatives, provide concrete examples of how anticipatory competences can be fostered in varied cultural contexts, demonstrating both universal patterns and context-specific adaptations. By embedding Futures Literacy into heritage education, cultural heritage becomes a living resource for nurturing resilience, global citizenship, and creativity. It allows communities not only to preserve their legacy but also to reimagine it as a driver of innovation and inclusion. Ultimately, this perspective highlights the potential of education to enhance cultural sustainability, foster intergenerational solidarity, and cultivate temporal justice, preparing societies to face the uncertainties of the future with confidence and responsibility. Full article

The Dark Web, a hidden segment of the internet, has become a hub for illicit activities, facilitated by various forms of digital identification (IDs) such as email addresses, Telegram accounts, and cryptocurrency wallets. This study conducts a comprehensive analysis of the Dark Web’s identification and communication patterns, focusing on the roles of different ID types and their associated activities. Using a dataset of Dark Web documents, we construct and analyze a bipartite network to model the relationships between IDs and web documents, employing graph–theoretical metrics such as degree centrality, closeness centrality, betweenness centrality, and k-core decomposition, while analyzing subnetworks formed by ID type. Our findings reveal that Telegram forms the backbone of the network, serving as the primary communication tool for hacking-related activities, particularly within Russian-speaking communities. In contrast, email plays a more decentralized role, facilitating finance–crypto and other activities but with a high level of fragmentation and English as the predominant language. XMR (Monero) wallets emerge as a key component in financial transactions, forming a cohesive subnetwork focused on cryptocurrency-related activities. The analysis also highlights the modular and hierarchical nature of the Dark Web, with distinct clusters for hacking, finance–crypto, and drugs–narcotics, often operating independently but with some cross-topic interactions. This study provides a foundation for understanding the Dark Web’s structure and dynamics, offering insights that can inform strategies for monitoring and mitigating its risks. Full article

This case study examines the experience of solastalgia among individuals residing in gold mining towns in Zimbabwe, particularly as environmental degradation intensified, to illustrate the experience of solastalgia through the expressions and reflections of individuals who have been impacted by it. Ecological degradation has intensified, and national forest cover has been declining at an average rate of 327,000 hectares per year between 2000 and 2010. Meanwhile, artisanal gold mining releases more than 24 tons of mercury into ecosystems annually, contaminating water bodies. The research employed a qualitative design grounded in the interpretivist paradigm and utilized an inductive methodology. Data were obtained through in-depth interviews with 11 individuals who had resided in areas impacted by mining for an extended period. Thematic analysis was employed to examine individuals’ emotions, thoughts, and behaviours in response to environmental changes, with an emphasis on feelings of loss, sadness, frustration, and disconnection from place. Participants exhibited intense emotional reactions to environmental changes, including profound sadness, anger, feelings of helplessness, and a longing for the past. Of the participants, 70% reported experiencing profound sorrow, while 60% indicated that they employed community support as a coping strategy. The degradation of forests, water sources, and biodiversity contributed to a sense of alienation regarding their environment and identity. Nevertheless, some demonstrated resilience through their faith, community support, and efforts to safeguard the environment. However, their ability to heal and adapt was hindered by persistent systematic neglect and unfulfilled commitments. This case study contributes to the growing literature on solastalgia by presenting specific instances from Zimbabwe, a region where the phenomenon remains inadequately comprehended. This expands the concept of solastalgia to encompass the ecological degradation resulting from mining activities in Africa. Full article

This paper presents a performance analysis of the reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-aided ambient backscatter communication (AmBC) network. The system consists of a base station (BS), a backscatter device (BD), an RIS, and a destination (D). No direct link exists between the BS and RIS and between the BD and D. We propose a novel tight Jensen’s inequality. A new tighter upper bound is derived for the ergodic capacity, and we demonstrate that the proposed upper bound is much tighter than the existing bound. Monte Carlo simulations are performed to validate the analytical results. The tightened upper bound is found to be almost identical to that in the Monte Carlo simulation results, and the ergodic capacity significantly increases with the number of reflecting elements. In addition, the ergodic capacity improves when the RIS is placed close to the BD or D, and when the distance between the BS and BD is small, the ergodic capacity is severely affected. Full article

The demand for sustainable protein has increased interest in edible insects, and fermentation can improve the sensory and nutritional profiles of novel foods. This study aimed to develop a fermented cricket paste using a method analogous to traditional shrimp paste and evaluate the physiochemical, nutritional, microbiological, and sensory properties. Both pastes were produced via a biphasic fermentation protocol and subsequently analyzed for their physicochemical, nutritional, microbiological, and sensory properties including consumer acceptance testing in a chili paste. The cricket paste showed a comparable protein content, but higher in carbohydrates and lower in fat. It also showed enhanced stability and safety, with a significantly lower level of histamine (2.37 ppm) compared with shrimp paste (50.51 ppm). While the microbial profiles were broadly similar, the cricket paste had a lower lactic acid bacteria community. Sensory analysis revealed distinct profiles, with the cricket paste characterized by a dark color, coarse texture, nutty/earthy aroma, bitter, and less umami. Despite these differences, consumer liking for chili pastes made with either product was statistically identical. Cricket paste is therefore a safe, stable, and nutritionally advantageous alternative that is highly acceptable to consumers when used as a culinary ingredient. Full article

Historic urban alleys encapsulate cultural identity and collective memory but are increasingly threatened by commercialization and context-insensitive redevelopment. Preserving their authenticity while enhancing environmental resilience requires design strategies that integrate both heritage and ecological values. This study explores the potential of generative artificial intelligence (AI) to support biophilic design in historic alleys, focusing on Daegu, South Korea. Four alley typologies—path, stairs, edge, and node—were identified through fieldwork and analyzed across cognitive, emotional, and physical dimensions of place identity. A Flux-based diffusion model was fine-tuned using low-rank adaptation (LoRA) with site-specific images, while a structured biophilic design prompt (BDP) framework was developed to embed ecological attributes into generative simulations. The outputs were evaluated through perceptual and statistical similarity indices and expert reviews (n = 8). Results showed that LoRA training significantly improved alignment with ground-truth images compared to prompt-only generation, capturing both material realism and symbolic cues. Expert evaluations confirmed the contextual authenticity and biophilic effectiveness of AI-generated designs, revealing typology-specific strengths: the path enhanced spatial legibility and continuity; the stairs supported immersive sequential experiences; the edge transformed rigid boundaries into ecological transitions; and the node reinforced communal symbolism. Emotional identity was more difficult to reproduce, highlighting the need for multimodal and interactive approaches. This study demonstrates that generative AI can serve not only as a visualization tool but also as a methodological platform for participatory design and heritage-sensitive urban regeneration. Future research will expand the dataset and adopt multimodal and dynamic simulation approaches to further generalize and validate the framework across diverse urban contexts. Full article

Nutrition is a cornerstone of public health, yet the unique nutrition needs and considerations of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and others (LGBT+) communities remain largely invisible in the field of dietetics. These populations face disproportionate burdens of obesity, eating disorders, body dysmorphia, metabolic risks, and food insecurity, often driven by stigma, minority stress, and structural inequities. This narrative review aimed to synthesize current evidence on nutrition-related disparities among LGBT+ populations and identify opportunities for dietitians to advance equity in care. A comprehensive search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science was conducted for studies addressing diet quality, obesity, eating disorders, food insecurity, and metabolic health in sexual and gender minorities. Evidence indicates clear subgroup differences: lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to experience obesity and food insecurity; gay and bisexual men report lower BMI but greater body image concerns and disordered eating; transgender individuals face nutritional challenges linked to gender-affirming therapy and high rates of food insecurity; and people living with HIV encounter additional metabolic risks associated with treatment. Despite these findings, LGBT+ health remains rarely reflected in dietary guidelines or professional training. Embedding inclusivity into dietetic education and clinical encounters, adopting culturally competent and structurally aware practices, and tailoring interventions to subgroup-specific needs are key priorities. Inclusive, equity-driven, and person-centered nutrition care is essential to closing health gaps for LGBT+ populations and ensuring that every patient receives guidance that affirms their identity and lived experience. Full article

This article is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Bologna between 2022 and 2023, including anonymized interviews and participant observation, and examines the role of Islamic religious spaces in fostering civic participation and identity among second-generation Muslims in Italy. Focusing on the experience of the Islamic Community of Bologna—and particularly on the engagement of young Muslims born or raised in the city—the study addresses how mosques, often perceived as marginal or insular, can become spaces of urban integration. The analysis shows that the religiosity expressed by the youth diverges from that of the first generation and serves as a resource for building social capital and legitimising new forms of public citizenship. Particular attention is devoted to the collective experience of the Iftar street, which constitutes a moment of institutional recognition and symbolic co-construction of belonging: no longer “immigrant Muslims,” but “Muslims of Bologna.” In the absence of a national integration model, the article concludes that local dynamics can generate implicit forms of inclusion, enabling new generations to emerge as civic actors capable of redefining the boundaries of urban belonging and articulating a post-ethnic, citizen-oriented Islam. Full article

This paper investigates layered workplace exclusions experienced by African professionals in Australian workplaces. Through semi-structured interviews with 44 participants and a qualitative phenomenological design, the study reveals experiences of subtle exclusion, workplace gatekeeping, and power struggles that African professionals face from various sources—dominant cultural groups, other migrant communities, and within their own professional networks. An integrated theoretical framework combining Intersectionality Theory, Social Dominance Theory, and Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural capital and habitus examines how overlapping identities and power hierarchies shape workplace relationships and professional belonging. The findings show that diversity and inclusion efforts often neglect the layered nature of exclusion that African professionals navigate, limiting their effectiveness. This study contributes to migration and workplace diversity scholarship by highlighting the need for inclusion strategies that address the complex realities of workplace exclusion in multicultural professional environments rather than relying on simple majority–minority binaries. Full article

In increasingly networked environments, artificial agents are required to operate not with fixed roles but with identities that adapt, evolve, and emerge through interaction. Traditional identity modeling approaches, whether symbolic or statistical, fail to capture this dynamic, relational nature. This paper proposes a network-based framework for constructing and analyzing AI identity by modeling interaction, representation, and emergence within complex networks. The goal is to uncover how agent identity can be inferred and explained through structural roles, temporal behaviors, and community dynamics. The approach begins by transforming raw data from three benchmark domain, Reddit, the Interaction Network dataset, and AMine, into temporal interaction graphs. These graphs are structurally enriched via motif extraction, centrality scoring, and community detection. Graph Neural Networks (GNNs), including GCNs, GATs, and GraphSAGE, are applied to learn identity embeddings across time slices. Extensive evaluations include identity coherence, role classification accuracy, and temporal embedding consistency. Ablation studies assess the contribution of motif and temporal layers. The proposed model achieves strong performance across all metrics. On the AMiner dataset, identity coherence reaches 0.854, with a role classification accuracy of 80.2%. GAT demonstrates the highest temporal consistency and resilience to noise. Role trajectories and motif patterns confirm the emergence of stable and transient identities over time. The results validate the fact that the framework is not only associated with healthy quantitative performance but also offers information on behavioral development. The model will be expanded with semantic representations and be more concerned with ethical considerations, such as privacy, fairness, and transparency, to make identity modeling in artificial intelligence systems responsible and trustworthy. Full article

Industrial heritage has emerged in recent decades as a distinctive category within cultural heritage, though its aesthetic significance remains underexplored. Unlike traditional monuments with long historical resonance, industrial remains are often recent, standardized, and seemingly devoid of unique cultural symbolism. Yet, in China—where industrial production expanded massively under both demographic pressures and the Maoist planned economy—these sites now constitute one of the world’s largest inventories of heritage. This study builds on earlier discussions of heritage aesthetics by systematically analyzing the foundations of aesthetic value in industrial heritage, combining historical, functional, and identity-driven perspectives. Drawing on long-term field research, archival documentation, and policy analysis, it examines how adaptive reuse projects—from Beijing’s 798 Art District to Shougang Park and the reconfigured factories of Shanghai and Wuhan—redefine the visual and social significance of former industrial sites. The methodology integrates heritage aesthetic theory with case-based evidence to assess three key components: technological–historical traces, landscape transformation, and collective memory. Results indicate that aesthetic value rarely arises from static preservation but is constructed through refunctionalization, where industrial ruins acquire renewed meaning as cultural parks, creative hubs, or community spaces. Moreover, large-scale Chinese practices reveal that industrial heritage possesses not only visual appeal but also profound identity-based resonance for generations shaped by the “factory managing community.” By situating industrial heritage within the broader aesthetic system of cultural heritage, this research demonstrates that its value lies in the synthesis of function, memory, and landscape, and that China’s experience provides a compelling framework for rethinking global approaches to industrial heritage aesthetics. Full article

Part of the relics of colonialism on the African continent is the loss of social identity caused by the adoption of colonial languages, leading to the endangered status of indigenous African languages. This qualitative study examines the potential and challenges of podcasting in indigenous African languages, with a focus on Yoruba. We conducted a sentiment analysis of the podcast “I Speak Yoruba Too” and “learn Yoruba online” to assess the range of audience feedback on the podcast. 735 data points were gathered and preprocessed, Hugging face transformers were used to analyse the sentiments on audience feedback. The result of the analysis shows that the negative reviews were 183, the neutral reviews 226, and the positive reviews 326. The visualisation of the word cloud of the labels shows the words frequently used in the reviews, revealing the challenges and the appreciation of the commenter. An in-depth interview was conducted with the host of the “I Speak Yoruba Too” podcast and the “learn Yoruba online Podcast”. The findings reveal that part of the challenges of podcasting include the absence of a standard Yoruba curriculum for foreign learners and time constraints. This paper argues that the deterministic nature of podcast technology offers opportunities to content creators and listeners, based on the medium’s flexibility and ease of access in facilitating language acquisition. Audience reviews and interview results also confirm the potential of the podcast to generate community building and social identity formation among learners. However, the monetisation of such digital products is often underexplored by both emerging and established podcasters. Full article

The motivations behind terrorism have emerged from debates on armed conflict. This article seeks to explore the membership status of the Taliban that maintained a positive social identity as an in-group to fight vigorously against the international community and seize Afghanistan in August 2021. With a range of semi-structured interviews with key security and justice stakeholders and civil society groups in Kabul from 2010 to 2016, opinions are based on efforts that engaged with Security Sector Reform (SSR) and fighting the resilience of the Taliban. It was found that the Taliban continued its fight and growth in membership and partial civic support due to its strong social identity (as an in-group) fighting an undesired, illegitimate, and corrupt state, judiciary, and police force supported by the international community. As part of social identity theory, poverty, unemployment, corruption and immorality are seen to serve a strategic and tactical purpose in aiding the socioeconomic, political and religious motives for recruitment towards the Taliban. However, after reseizing power, sanctions, a reduction in international aid, poverty and civic discontent with strict governance have resulted in other rival terrorist and resistance groups posing a threat to the Taliban, losing its positive social identity. Full article

The grapevine microbiome is shaped by a complex interplay of biotic and abiotic factors, affecting microbial community structure and plant health. This study investigates the diversity, composition, and dynamics of fungal communities associated with grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and neighboring cultivated plants, as well as plants from semi-natural vegetation, including pear (Pyrus communis), apricot (Prunus armeniaca), dogrose (Rosa canina), and blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), in a landscape-level habitat matrix. Using metabarcoding techniques, fungal communities from leaves and woody tissues of grapevine and neighboring plants were analyzed over a growing season. Fungal richness and abundance differed significantly among host plants, with woody tissues exhibiting higher diversity. Host plant identity was the primary factor shaping wood-associated fungal communities (15.7% of explained variance), whereas sampling time dominated in leaves (16.3%), with sampling site having a weaker effect in both cases. Pathogenic fungi associated with grapevine trunk diseases, such as Diaporthe, Eutypa, and Phaeomoniella, were identified across grapevine and neighboring plants, suggesting that multiple hosts may act as reservoirs for fungal inoculum. These findings highlight the complex interactions between fungal communities, host plants, and environmental factors, underscoring the need for landscape-level approaches to plant protection that account for both cultivated and surrounding ecosystems. Full article