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Search Results (390)

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Keywords = conceptual framing

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17 pages, 533 KiB  
Article
Collaborative Practices in Mental Health Care: A Concept Analysis
by Eslia Pinheiro, Carlos Laranjeira, Camila Harmuch, José Mateus Bezerra Graça, Amira Mohammed Ali, Feten Fekih-Romdhane, Murat Yıldırım, Ana Kalliny Severo and Elisângela Franco
Healthcare 2025, 13(15), 1891; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13151891 (registering DOI) - 2 Aug 2025
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Collaboration in mental health care is essential for implementing a model oriented towards the psychosocial rehabilitation of people based on multifaceted interventions involving different actors and sectors of society to respond to demands. Despite the benefits presented by the scientific evidence, there [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Collaboration in mental health care is essential for implementing a model oriented towards the psychosocial rehabilitation of people based on multifaceted interventions involving different actors and sectors of society to respond to demands. Despite the benefits presented by the scientific evidence, there are still many barriers to collaborative care, and professionals continue to struggle in reorienting their conduct. The current situation demands organization and the framing of well-founded action plans to overcome challenges, which in turn requires a detailed understanding of collaborative practices in mental health care and their conceptual boundaries. A concept analysis was undertaken to propose a working definition of collaborative practices in mental health care (CPMHC). Methods: This paper used the Walker and Avant concept analysis method. This includes identifying the defining concept attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents. A literature search was carried out from November 2024 to February 2025 in three databases (Medline, CINAHL, and LILACS), considering studies published between 2010 and 2024. Results: The final sample of literature investigated consisted of 30 studies. The key attributes were effective communication, building bonds, co-responsibility for care, hierarchical flexibility, articulation between services, providers and community, monitoring and evaluating of care processes, and attention to the plurality of sociocultural contexts. Conclusions: This comprehensive analysis contributes to guiding future research and policy development of collaborative practices in mental health, considering the individual, relational, institutional, and social levels. Further research is possible to deepen the understanding of the production of collaborative practices in mental health in the face of the complexity of social relations and structural inequities. Full article
25 pages, 687 KiB  
Article
Inter-Municipal Planning as a Framework for Managing Policies for Inner Areas: Insights from the Italian Context
by Alessio Floris and Sergio Serra
Sustainability 2025, 17(15), 6896; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17156896 - 29 Jul 2025
Viewed by 125
Abstract
The socio-economic geography of the Italian territory is framed by strong imbalances in the settlement development, with consequent inequalities in terms of accessibility to essential services. These challenges are most critical in the ‘inner areas’, which are remote from metropolitan and urban centers [...] Read more.
The socio-economic geography of the Italian territory is framed by strong imbalances in the settlement development, with consequent inequalities in terms of accessibility to essential services. These challenges are most critical in the ‘inner areas’, which are remote from metropolitan and urban centers and affected by chronic demographic decline and depopulation. Both European and national policies have relied primarily on financial interventions, often implemented with limited integration into comprehensive urban and territorial planning frameworks. Using a case study methodology, this research examines the area-based strategies of the 72 pilot areas designated under the 2014–2020 program-ming cycle of the National Strategy for Inner Areas (SNAI). The main research question guiding this study is as follows: how does economic planning intersect with territorial governance in Italy’s inner areas, and what is the specific role of local autonomies and the management of core functions, particularly in relation to urban and regional planning? Through this lens, this study proposes a conceptual reframing of the inter-municipal ad-ministrative scale as a strategic framework for promoting more effective territorial policies. Full article
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19 pages, 424 KiB  
Article
“Words Falter in Encapsulating the Dao 言語道斷”: The Philosophy of Language of Zen Buddhism in The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
by Xiangqian Che
Religions 2025, 16(8), 974; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16080974 - 27 Jul 2025
Viewed by 283
Abstract
This paper examines the philosophy of language in The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (六祖壇經), demonstrating its centrality to Zen Buddhism and Buddhist sinicization. The sutra emphasizes the ineffability of ultimate truth (至道無言) and the principle that words falter in encapsulating the [...] Read more.
This paper examines the philosophy of language in The Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch (六祖壇經), demonstrating its centrality to Zen Buddhism and Buddhist sinicization. The sutra emphasizes the ineffability of ultimate truth (至道無言) and the principle that words falter in encapsulating the Dao (言語道斷), framing language as a provisional “raft” (筏) that must be instrumentalized yet transcended through a dialectic of employing and abandoning (用離辯證). It ontologically grounds this view in Buddha-nature’s (佛性) pre-linguistic essence, advocating transcending reliance on words and letters (不假文字) while strategically deploying language to dismantle its own authority. Historically, this constituted a revolt against Tang scholasticism’s textual fetishism. The text adopts a dynamic dialectic, neither clinging to nor rejecting language, exemplified by Huineng’s awakening through the Diamond Sutra, where recitation catalyzes internal insight. Operationally, it utilizes negational discourse, the “Two Paths Mutually Condition” method (二道相因) embedded in the “Twelve Pairs of Dharmic Forms” (法相語言十二對) in particular, to systematically deconstruct dualisms, while promoting embodied unity of speech, mind, and action (口念心行) to critique empty recitation. Ultimately, the sutra orchestrates language as a self-subverting medium: balancing acknowledgment of its limitations with pragmatic instrumentality, it presents an Eastern paradigm where language actively disrupts conceptual fetters to facilitate direct insight into Buddha-nature, reframing it as a dynamic catalyst for “illuminating the mind and seeing one’s nature” (明心見性). Full article
19 pages, 598 KiB  
Article
Influencing Beauty Perceptions: Role of TikTok Influencer Information Adoption in Shaping Consumer Views of Cosmetic Product Quality
by Mohamed Ben Arbia, Myriam Ertz, Aws Horrich and Olfa Bouzaabia
Adm. Sci. 2025, 15(8), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci15080294 - 27 Jul 2025
Viewed by 348
Abstract
This research examines how influencer information spreads and is accepted by consumers, focusing on a Tunisian sample of social media users, and how these effects percolate into consumers’ perception of the quality of cosmetic products. Drawing on the Information Adoption Model (IAM), this [...] Read more.
This research examines how influencer information spreads and is accepted by consumers, focusing on a Tunisian sample of social media users, and how these effects percolate into consumers’ perception of the quality of cosmetic products. Drawing on the Information Adoption Model (IAM), this study develops a conceptual framework adapted to the social media landscape, particularly the TikTok platform. To test this framework, we conducted a survey targeting 285 consumers using a non-random sampling frame, primarily through Facebook and Instagram. The findings suggest that consumers perceive influencer information as useful when they believe it is credible and of high quality. Interestingly, while high-quality information tends to lead to influencer information adoption, credibility alone does not guarantee adoption. Additionally, our study emphasizes the role of influencer information usefulness in driving its adoption. One notable discovery is the link between influencer information adoption and consumers’ perceptions of the quality of cosmetic products. However, this correlation does not hold equally for both genders, thus suggesting a moderation effect between gender and influencer information processing in this context. Full article
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58 pages, 1238 KiB  
Review
The Collapse of Brain Clearance: Glymphatic-Venous Failure, Aquaporin-4 Breakdown, and AI-Empowered Precision Neurotherapeutics in Intracranial Hypertension
by Matei Șerban, Corneliu Toader and Răzvan-Adrian Covache-Busuioc
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(15), 7223; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26157223 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 285
Abstract
Although intracranial hypertension (ICH) has traditionally been framed as simply a numerical escalation of intracranial pressure (ICP) and usually dealt with in its clinical form and not in terms of its complex underlying pathophysiology, an emerging body of evidence indicates that ICH is [...] Read more.
Although intracranial hypertension (ICH) has traditionally been framed as simply a numerical escalation of intracranial pressure (ICP) and usually dealt with in its clinical form and not in terms of its complex underlying pathophysiology, an emerging body of evidence indicates that ICH is not simply an elevated ICP process but a complex process of molecular dysregulation, glymphatic dysfunction, and neurovascular insufficiency. Our aim in this paper is to provide a complete synthesis of all the new thinking that is occurring in this space, primarily on the intersection of glymphatic dysfunction and cerebral vein physiology. The aspiration is to review how glymphatic dysfunction, largely secondary to aquaporin-4 (AQP4) dysfunction, can lead to delayed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) clearance and thus the accumulation of extravascular fluid resulting in elevated ICP. A range of other factors such as oxidative stress, endothelin-1, and neuroinflammation seem to significantly impair cerebral autoregulation, making ICH challenging to manage. Combining recent studies, we intend to provide a revised conceptualization of ICH that recognizes the nuance and complexity of ICH that is understated by previous models. We wish to also address novel diagnostics aimed at better capturing the dynamic nature of ICH. Recent advances in non-invasive imaging (i.e., 4D flow MRI and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI; DCE-MRI) allow for better visualization of dynamic changes to the glymphatic and cerebral blood flow (CBF) system. Finally, wearable ICP monitors and AI-assisted diagnostics will create opportunities for these continuous and real-time assessments, especially in limited resource settings. Our goal is to provide examples of opportunities that exist that might augment early recognition and improve personalized care while ensuring we realize practical challenges and limitations. We also consider what may be therapeutically possible now and in the future. Therapeutic opportunities discussed include CRISPR-based gene editing aimed at restoring AQP4 function, nano-robotics aimed at drug targeting, and bioelectronic devices purposed for ICP modulation. Certainly, these proposals are innovative in nature but will require ethically responsible confirmation of long-term safety and availability, particularly to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the burdens of secondary ICH remain preeminent. Throughout the review, we will be restrained to a balanced pursuit of innovative ideas and ethical considerations to attain global health equity. It is not our intent to provide unequivocal answers, but instead to encourage informed discussions at the intersections of research, clinical practice, and the public health field. We hope this review may stimulate further discussion about ICH and highlight research opportunities to conduct translational research in modern neuroscience with real, approachable, and patient-centered care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Review Papers in Molecular Neurobiology 2025)
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25 pages, 1785 KiB  
Article
Understanding the Social and Cultural Significance of Science-Fiction and Fantasy Posters
by Rhianna M. Morse
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(7), 443; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14070443 - 21 Jul 2025
Viewed by 372
Abstract
This research was designed to explore science-fiction and fantasy (SFF) posters, specifically those related to films and television shows, from the perspective of their owners, examining their potential as sources of social and cultural significance and meaning. The research explored these in terms [...] Read more.
This research was designed to explore science-fiction and fantasy (SFF) posters, specifically those related to films and television shows, from the perspective of their owners, examining their potential as sources of social and cultural significance and meaning. The research explored these in terms of the content of the poster, placement, media texts they reference, morals, behavior, identity, sense of self, well-being and self-expression. Data collection took place between 2020 and 2022 via an online survey (N = 273) and follow-up semi-structured interviews (N = 28) with adult science-fiction and fantasy film and television show poster owners. The significance and meaning of SFF posters were framed by two conceptual models: ‘The Three Significances’—esthetics, functionality, and significance (both spatial and personal)—and ‘The Big Three’—content, design, and color. Among these, content held the greatest significance for owners. Posters served as tools for self-expression, reflecting their owners’ identities, affinities, and convictions, while also reinforcing their connection to the media they reference. Posters helped to reinforce a sense of self and fan identity and evoke emotional responses, and the space in which they were displayed helped shape their meaning and significance. The paper sets out some suggestions for future research in this important topic. Full article
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14 pages, 217 KiB  
Article
Eco-Spiritual Threads: Karma, Dharma, and Ecosystem in Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island
by Muhammad Hafeez ur Rehman
Religions 2025, 16(7), 931; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel16070931 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 292
Abstract
This paper examines Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island through a Hindu eco-spiritual framework to explore how ancient cosmological concepts illuminate contemporary environmental crises. Building upon the legend of Bonduki Sadagar and Manasa Devi, Ghosh narrates the rupture of sacred human–nature relationships in both colonial [...] Read more.
This paper examines Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island through a Hindu eco-spiritual framework to explore how ancient cosmological concepts illuminate contemporary environmental crises. Building upon the legend of Bonduki Sadagar and Manasa Devi, Ghosh narrates the rupture of sacred human–nature relationships in both colonial and postcolonial contexts. This study employs a tripartite conceptual lens of karma, dharma, and ecosystem drawn from Hindu philosophy to analyze how the novel frames environmental degradation, human moral failure, and ecological interconnectedness. Karma, as the law of cause and effect, is used to depict the consequences of human exploitation through natural disasters, climate migration, and the collapse of ecosystems. Dharma emerges as a principle advocating ecological responsibility and symbiosis between humans and nonhuman life. This paper argues that Ghosh tactfully intertwines Hindu metaphysics with contemporary ecological science to critique capitalist modernity’s environmental violence. The novel’s depiction of floods, the sinking of Venice, and the global refugee crisis dramatizes karmic consequences, while its evocation of myth–science convergence offers a vision of sacred interdependence. Ultimately, this paper concludes that Gun Island provides an urgent eco-spiritual model for reimagining planetary ethics and responding to the Anthropocene through humility, relationality, and spiritual responsibility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Postcolonial Literature and Ecotheology)
16 pages, 493 KiB  
Article
Techno-Pessimistic Shock and the Banning of Mobile Phones in Secondary Schools: The Case of Madrid
by Joaquín Paredes-Labra, Isabel Solana-Domínguez, Marco Ramos-Ramiro and Ada Freitas-Cortina
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(7), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14070441 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 686
Abstract
Over a three-year R&D project, the perception of mobile phone use in Spanish secondary schools shifted from initial tolerance to increasingly prohibitive policies. Drawing on the Actor–Network Theory, this study examines how mobile phones—alongside institutional discourses and school and family concerns—acted as dynamic [...] Read more.
Over a three-year R&D project, the perception of mobile phone use in Spanish secondary schools shifted from initial tolerance to increasingly prohibitive policies. Drawing on the Actor–Network Theory, this study examines how mobile phones—alongside institutional discourses and school and family concerns—acted as dynamic actants, shaping public and political responses. The research adopted a qualitative design combining policy and media document analysis, nine semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders, ten regional case studies, and twelve focus groups. The study concluded with a public multiplier event that engaged the broader educational community. The Madrid region, among the first to adopt a restrictive stance, contributed two school-based case studies and three focus groups with teachers, students, and families. Findings suggest that the turn toward prohibition was motivated less by pedagogical evidence than by cultural anxieties, consistent with what it conceptualizes as a techno-pessimistic shock. This shift mirrors the historical patterns of societal reaction to disruption and technological saturation. Rather than reinforcing binary framings of promotion versus prohibition, such moments invite critical reflection. The study argues for nuanced, evidence-based, and multilevel governance strategies to address the complex role of mobile technologies in education. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Educational Technology for a Multimodal Society)
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22 pages, 538 KiB  
Article
Meaning in the Algorithmic Museum: Towards a Dialectical Modelling Nexus of Virtual Curation
by Huining Guan and Pengbo Chen
Heritage 2025, 8(7), 284; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage8070284 - 17 Jul 2025
Viewed by 236
Abstract
The rise of algorithm-driven virtual museums presents a philosophical challenge for how cultural meaning is constructed and critiqued in digital curation. Prevailing approaches highlight important but partial aspects: the loss of aura and authenticity in digital reproductions, efforts to maintain semiotic continuity with [...] Read more.
The rise of algorithm-driven virtual museums presents a philosophical challenge for how cultural meaning is constructed and critiqued in digital curation. Prevailing approaches highlight important but partial aspects: the loss of aura and authenticity in digital reproductions, efforts to maintain semiotic continuity with physical exhibits, optimistic narratives of technological democratisation, and critical technopessimist warnings about commodification and bias. Yet none provides a unified theoretical model of meaning-making under algorithmic curation. This paper proposes a dialectical-semiotic framework to synthesise and transcend these positions. The Dialectical Modelling Nexus (DMN) is a new conceptual structure that views meaning in virtual museums as emerging from the dynamic interplay of original and reproduced contexts, human and algorithmic sign systems, personal interpretation, and ideological framing. Through a critique of prior theories and a synthesis of their insights, the DMN offers a comprehensive model to diagnose how algorithms mediate museum content and to guide critical curatorial practice. The framework illuminates the dialectical tensions at the heart of algorithmic cultural mediation and suggests principles for preserving authentic, multi-layered meaning in the digital museum milieu. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Museology and Emerging Technologies in Cultural Heritage)
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36 pages, 1084 KiB  
Article
Quantifying Claim Robustness Through Adversarial Framing: A Conceptual Framework for an AI-Enabled Diagnostic Tool
by Christophe Faugere
AI 2025, 6(7), 147; https://doi.org/10.3390/ai6070147 - 7 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1026
Abstract
Objectives: We introduce the conceptual framework for the Adversarial Claim Robustness Diagnostics (ACRD) protocol, a novel tool for assessing how factual claims withstand ideological distortion. Methods: Based on semantics, adversarial collaboration, and the devil’s advocate approach, we develop a three-phase evaluation process combining [...] Read more.
Objectives: We introduce the conceptual framework for the Adversarial Claim Robustness Diagnostics (ACRD) protocol, a novel tool for assessing how factual claims withstand ideological distortion. Methods: Based on semantics, adversarial collaboration, and the devil’s advocate approach, we develop a three-phase evaluation process combining baseline evaluations, adversarial speaker reframing, and dynamic AI calibration along with quantified robustness scoring. We introduce the Claim Robustness Index that constitutes our final validity scoring measure. Results: We model the evaluation of claims by ideologically opposed groups as a strategic game with a Bayesian-Nash equilibrium to infer the normative behavior of evaluators after the reframing phase. The ACRD addresses shortcomings in traditional fact-checking approaches and employs large language models to simulate counterfactual attributions while mitigating potential biases. Conclusions: The framework’s ability to identify boundary conditions of persuasive validity across polarized groups can be tested across important societal and political debates ranging from climate change issues to trade policy discourses. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue AI Bias in the Media and Beyond)
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30 pages, 1325 KiB  
Review
Refined Wilding and Urban Forests: Conceptual Guidance for a More Significant Urban Green Space Type
by Melissa Vogt
Forests 2025, 16(7), 1087; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16071087 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 377
Abstract
Urban forests have a definition that has developed over time. Initially defined as urban greenery or as a measure of human impacts from urbanisation on forest systems, urban forests have varying definitions and are more often referred to for urban greenery. This urban [...] Read more.
Urban forests have a definition that has developed over time. Initially defined as urban greenery or as a measure of human impacts from urbanisation on forest systems, urban forests have varying definitions and are more often referred to for urban greenery. This urban greenery and measures of outcomes in sustainability terms are in urban landscapes and surroundings. With more specific definitions according to forest system definitions the complexity, multiple functions and advanced outcomes and functions of urban forest systems compared to other urban green space (UGS) types is more clearly understood. This article, using a literature review, discusses the definition of urban forests influencing how their impacts are measured, expected, and optimised. With clarified definitions, urban forest quality is considered in the literature review by search terms and topics of selected articles. Examples of selected indicators of the quality of urban forests and then of software and metrics used to plan and design urban greenery are presented. Refined wilding as a concept for urban functional biodiversity is then compared and used as a conceptual frame to analyse findings and prove the relevance and contribution of knowledge of the concept itself. Indicators of measures are provided, and they lead to a suggestion for clearer defining of urban forests. The findings can influence planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of urban forests as a higher-quality UGS type with multiple functions. Urban forests require improved defining of the value, quality, and coverage of their UGS type to be optimised. Refined wilding can give conceptual guidance for understanding the multiple and advanced functions that urban forest biodiversity provides for urban landscapes and populations. Urban tree canopy and urban forest systems in an urban landscape, as compared to other UGSs that connect to forested areas, either urban or peri-urban, are important differentiating definitional factors. Different metrics encourage a measure of this difference. The human realities of an urban landscape and population will determine whether and how a forest system can exist in a suburban landscape and are influential as to whether an urban tree canopy compared to a multifunctional diverse stratified semi-natural system of wild native and non-native varieties is established and can be maintained. The importance of maintaining newly established and existing urban forests and trees is a significant factor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Urban Forestry)
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31 pages, 1734 KiB  
Article
Bi5: An Autoethnographic Analysis of a Lived Experience Suicide Attempt Survivor Through Grief Concepts and ‘Participant’ Positionality in Community Research
by amelia elias noor
Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(7), 405; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14070405 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1070
Abstract
This paper explores suicidality and suicide research from an autoethnographic analysis framed through grief concepts. Self-identifying as a Muslim in the United States, the author explains how lived experiences being racialized through Islamophobia, identifying as a genderfluid non-binary woman, being socially biracial, holding [...] Read more.
This paper explores suicidality and suicide research from an autoethnographic analysis framed through grief concepts. Self-identifying as a Muslim in the United States, the author explains how lived experiences being racialized through Islamophobia, identifying as a genderfluid non-binary woman, being socially biracial, holding a postpartum bipolar diagnosis, and being connected to a diaspora, are critical elements to develop a deeper sociocultural understanding of suicide. Grief concepts that are used to analyze these themes include disenfranchised grief, ambiguous loss, anticipatory grief, and secondary loss. While these grief concepts are understood as part of the author’s embodied lived experience as an individual, there is also a collective grief that is explored through the author’s bilingual experience with Arabic as it relates to the topics of suicide and genocide occurring in the Arabic-speaking diaspora located in Gaza, Palestine. A conceptual framework is offered to make sense of the author’s lived experience by both incorporating and challenging existing academic perspectives on suicide and research. The emic, or insider, perspective is contextualized such that it may hold implications beyond the individual author, such as for U.S. Muslims and other hard-to-reach populations. A positionality statement demonstrates the author’s reflexivity of being an insider ‘participant’–researcher in conducting transformative research approaches with the U.S. Muslim community. Further directions are shared for scholars with lived experience who may seek to utilize comparable individual or collaborative autoethnographic approaches with such majority-world communities. Full article
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20 pages, 1120 KiB  
Article
Safe and Sound: Governance for Planning Public Space in a Security-by-Design Paradigm
by Martina Massari, Danila Longo and Sara Branchini
Urban Sci. 2025, 9(7), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9070241 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 431
Abstract
Security in public spaces has long been the subject of debate and extensive experimentation. With the exponential growth in risks (both expected and unexpected) that public spaces are exposed to, further exacerbated by the pandemic crisis, urban security management increasingly conflicts with the [...] Read more.
Security in public spaces has long been the subject of debate and extensive experimentation. With the exponential growth in risks (both expected and unexpected) that public spaces are exposed to, further exacerbated by the pandemic crisis, urban security management increasingly conflicts with the right to social interaction in space. To avoid creating overly controlled spaces that are unsuitable for generating sociality and spontaneous interactions, and which often reproduce discriminatory social dynamics, while at the same time ensuring users’ awareness of being in a safe environment, it is necessary for all three dimensions of public space security—policy, design, and governance—to converge. This study focuses on governance, exploring how security management shapes public life and how it can align with planning that supports vibrant, spontaneous interaction. Using a multi-method qualitative approach, including a critical literature review, EU policy analysis, and empirical research from the Horizon Europe SAFE CITIES project, the study introduces two tools: the Security and Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) framework and the Atlas for Safe Public Spaces Design. These were tested in pilot sites, including the Gorizia-Nova Gorica cross-border square. Results support a governance model integrating “security by design,” which aligns with Foucault’s view of governance as adaptable to uncertainty and flow. This mixed-method approach allowed for a comprehensive examination of the governance dynamics shaping urban security, ensuring that the study’s conclusions are grounded in theoretical insights and practical implementation, though necessarily limited in generalizability. By framing security as a process of negotiated governance rather than a set of technical constraints, the study offers a conceptual contribution to urban security discourse and practical guidance for planning secure, inclusive public spaces. Full article
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18 pages, 826 KiB  
Article
Iterative Situated Engagement Perspective: Meaning-Making Challenges Across Cancer Screening Phases
by Daniela Lemmo, Maria Luisa Martino, Roberto Bianco, Anna Rosa Donizzetti, Maria Francesca Freda and Daniela Caso
Cancers 2025, 17(12), 2007; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17122007 - 16 Jun 2025
Viewed by 577
Abstract
Background/Objectives:Breast and cervical cancer screening programs are essential for early detection and timely treatment, yet participation rates remain suboptimal. Within a patient-centered care approach, engagement is increasingly viewed as a dynamic and emotionally grounded process. The literature conceptualizes three phases of engagement [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives:Breast and cervical cancer screening programs are essential for early detection and timely treatment, yet participation rates remain suboptimal. Within a patient-centered care approach, engagement is increasingly viewed as a dynamic and emotionally grounded process. The literature conceptualizes three phases of engagement in healthcare decision-making: ‘recruit’, ‘retain’, and ‘sustain’. When these phases intersect with the structured pathway of cancer screening, they generate specific meaning-making challenges that shape how women relate to prevention and care. This study adopts the lens of Iterative Situated Engagement (ISE) to explore how women experience and negotiate these challenges, differentiating them across the three engagement phases. Methods: A theory-driven qualitative design was adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 40 women aged 25–69 years participating in public breast and cervical cancer screening programs. Thematic analysis was conducted using the Framework Method. Results: In the ‘recruit’ phase, engagement was driven by Cancer Risk Monitoring, Self-care Motivation, Fear of Death Management, and Coincidence. The ‘retain’ phase emphasized Trust in Healthcare Providers, Accessibility of Services, Recurrent Invitations, and Informal Result Previews. About the ‘sustain’ phase, Continuity of Healthcare Providers, Driving Best Practices Dissemination, Flexible Organization of Healthcare Services, and Shorter Waiting Times for Results were highlighted as key factors in maintaining engagement over time. Conclusions: Women’s engagement in cancer screening emerges as a dynamic, multi-phase process shaped by psychological, emotional, and organizational levels. These findings contribute to the development of the ISE conceptual proposal, which frames participation as an iterative, situated, and meaning-making trajectory. Strengthening personalized health communication and improving the coordination of primary care services could enhance sustained participation in screening programs, supporting strategies to reduce health disparities and promote preventive practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cancer Screening and Primary Care)
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36 pages, 464 KiB  
Review
Refined Wilding and Functional Biodiversity in Smart Cities for Improved Sustainable Urban Development
by Melissa Vogt
Land 2025, 14(6), 1284; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14061284 - 16 Jun 2025
Viewed by 406
Abstract
Urban landscapes are capable of responsive urban development that optimises the quality of Urban Green Space (UGS) for advanced function as a matter of efficient and convenient knowledge management. As a theory for positive outcomes for urban landscapes substantiated by refined wilding, functional [...] Read more.
Urban landscapes are capable of responsive urban development that optimises the quality of Urban Green Space (UGS) for advanced function as a matter of efficient and convenient knowledge management. As a theory for positive outcomes for urban landscapes substantiated by refined wilding, functional urban biodiversity can optimise the use of cross-disciplinary knowledge sets, leading to more efficient design and policy for UGS that accommodates human health and the natural-environment in urban landscapes. This optimisation is complementary to the smart cities concept, offering convenience, efficiency, and quality of life, and can ensure that sustainable urban development advances with smart cities. The smart cities concept has, over the last decades, developed to integrate sustainability and UGS. This article suggests and finds that refined wilding could provide conceptual guidance for smart cities, as a concept, component model, and planning process, and for smart city devices and technologies, with functional biodiversity as an aim and positive outcome for different UGS types, including residential gardens, which are at an individual level of initiative, responsibility, and choice, and public UGSs which are more likely to be top–down-designed and -implemented. Using a literature review and conceptually framed analysis, functional biodiversity in UGS is found to positively contribute to the smart cities concept by encouraging the efficient use of advanced knowledge sets from various disciplines for the topic of UGS. This article finds that refined wilding supports and furthers ideas like the importance of the quality of UGS as compared to the quantity, the advantages of high-quality and advanced-function UGS as compared to the disadvantages of less functional UGS, and how wild-refined UGS furthers or complements and supports more advanced ideas for UGS. The recommendations for future directions give further examples of advances in refined wilding for sustainable smart cities. The focus on the quality of UGS and advanced function brings refined wilding for functional biodiversity to smart cities with efficiency and convenience in urban development and sustainability terms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Land Use Change and Its Spatial Planning)
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