Search Results (17,126)

The concept of awareness in the visual arts has become an ethical, professional, and social imperative. Adopting a sustainable approach to creative practice is no longer a trend but an established and necessary field of inquiry. Within this context, awareness has been expressed not only through eco-branding and design campaigns but also through artworks and contemporary artistic practices that embody sustainable values both aesthetically and philosophically. Visual arts thus function as a reflective and critical tool, capable of reassessing past and present paradigms, encouraging more responsible uses of resources, promoting environmental sustainability, and shaping public attitudes through conscious and critical forms of expression. This study adopts a qualitative approach to examine transformations in contemporary art practices within the Saudi Arabian art scene. Selected artworks are analysed to explore historical and conceptual narratives shaping artistic production. The research is based on a bibliographic and documentary review that includes academic literature, exhibition catalogues and press sources related to the Saudi cultural context. Data are gathered through observing artworks and, where possible, through interviews with artists. A comparative analysis was developed, with the study framed by art practices, their concepts, and their ecological contributions, leading to a sustainable awareness and their potential role in encouraging social change. The comparative study among artists provides an innovative research framework and initiates a broader dialogue on sustainable creative practices rooted in Saudi cultural contexts. The findings highlight how visual arts contribute to ecological awareness and climate activism through art installations, recycled materials, and digital practices, reinforcing sustainability as a core value within contemporary Saudi society. Full article

Under growing geopolitical uncertainty and rising expectations for responsible development, regional governance increasingly functions as a cross-border signal that shapes how region brands are evaluated in international markets. Drawing on moral legitimacy theory, this study examines whether morally legitimatized regional governance is associated with region brand reputation and, in turn, host-country consumer trust. We conceptualize morally legitimatized regional governance through three dimensions—governance vision altruism, governance procedural transparency, and governance structural compatibility—and test the proposed model using survey data from 975 consumers who had purchased or intended to purchase foreign brands. Structural equation modeling shows that all three dimensions are positively associated with region brand reputation, which is subsequently associated with higher host-country consumer trust. Among the three governance dimensions, procedural transparency shows the strongest association with region brand reputation, followed by structural compatibility and vision altruism. Multi-group analyses further show that perceived economic distance and cultural distance significantly condition the associations between morally legitimatized regional governance and region brand reputation. These findings indicate that responsible regional governance is not only a public governance issue but also a sustainability-relevant intangible asset associated with reputation spillovers in international markets. The study extends moral legitimacy theory to the regional governance context, clarifies the reputational transmission mechanism from governance to host-country consumer trust, and shows that the effectiveness of governance signals depends on host-country context. The results also suggest that regions seeking to build reputation in international markets should move beyond symbolic sustainability narratives and invest in verifiable transparency, governance capability, and context-sensitive communication. Full article

Doping research has predominantly focused on proximal cognitive predictors of athletes’ intentions to use prohibited substances, often conceptualizing doping as a final behavioral outcome. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory and Goal Systems Theory, the present study examined the relationships between doping intentions, perceived means of performance enhancement, and internal and external life aspirations among competitive athletes. A total of 204 athletes (Mage = 22.99 years) completed measures assessing doping intentions, perceived effectiveness of different performance enhancement means, and aspiration components. The results indicated that stronger doping intentions were negatively associated with internal aspiration components and positively associated with external aspiration components. Doping intentions were also positively related to perceived effectiveness of nutritional supplements, doping, and combined enhancement practices, while being negatively associated with reliance on training and nutrition alone. Several indirect effects were observed, demonstrating that perceived performance enhancement partially mediated the relationships between doping intentions and aspiration components. These findings suggest that performance enhancement behaviors are cognitively embedded within athletes’ motivational goal systems and play an active role in shaping aspiration-related evaluations. Overall, this study advances doping research by conceptualizing doping behavior as part of a broader, goal-directed, motivational structure rather than an isolated outcome. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become a central driver of transformation in innovation management, reshaping how organizations design strategies, develop offerings, and generate knowledge. This study examines how innovation management has evolved from the pre-ChatGPT era—characterized by analytics, automation, and decision support—to the post-ChatGPT period, marked by the widespread adoption of generative AI (GenAI) and human–AI collaboration. Using a structured literature review of Scopus-indexed studies published between 2020 and 2025, the paper identifies the following six dominant thematic dimensions of AI-enabled innovation management: strategic and business model innovation, product and service innovation, sustainability-oriented innovation, organizational agility and capabilities, human-centric innovation, and knowledge, learning, and research. The findings reveal a conceptual shift from efficiency-driven applications toward more creative, strategic, and collaborative uses of AI, with generative models acting as co-creators rather than mere analytical tools. The study contributes by synthesizing the fragmented literature into an integrative framework that captures this transition and by highlighting emerging research gaps, particularly in sustainability and human-centered innovation. Practical implications for managers and policymakers are discussed. Full article

Background/Objectives: The angiosome concept is widely used to guide infrapopliteal revascularization in patients with chronic limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI). However, clinical outcomes are not always fully explained by anatomical target-artery alignment alone. The present study aimed to revisit a previously published angiosome-based cohort through a wound-oriented conceptual perspective and to explore whether perfusion heterogeneity may help contextualize variability in clinical outcomes. Methods: This retrospective secondary analysis included 51 patients with CLTI who underwent infrapopliteal endovascular revascularization. Patients were originally classified as direct, indirect, or mixed revascularization according to angiosome-based criteria. The present study represents an exploratory conceptual reinterpretation of the original dataset. No new variables were introduced, and the woundosome concept was not operationalized as a measurable patient-level variable. Statistical analyses were exploratory and descriptive in nature. Results: High rates of wound healing and limb salvage were observed across all revascularization patterns at 12 months. Within the limitations of this small exploratory cohort, no consistent detectable differences in clinical outcomes were observed across anatomical revascularization patterns. Stratification according to the number of affected angiosomes did not reveal clear outcome differences. The findings suggest that factors beyond anatomical target-artery alignment may contribute to wound healing variability in CLTI. Conclusions: The present study does not establish a validated wound-oriented perfusion model but highlights the limitations of relying exclusively on anatomical angiosome classification when interpreting clinical outcomes in CLTI. In this context, the woundosome may serve as a descriptive and hypothesis-generating conceptual framework for discussing perfusion heterogeneity and wound-level perfusion complexity. Prospective studies integrating objective perfusion assessment and standardized wound evaluation are required. Full article

This article investigates Black American Islam as a semiotically mediated New Religious Movement (NRM), hybrid in nature and emerging from conditions of racialized governance, state surveillance, and social marginalization. Focused on the intersection of NRMs and political environments, the work engages in the reconstruction of a historical and conceptual lineage between Black Muslim movements and their mediated negotiation by Hip Hop artists. Grounded in Hall’s model of encoding/decoding and Hebdige’s subcultural theory, the transition of Islam-inspired semiotic markers from esoteric subcultural opacity to explicit orthodox adherence is demonstrated using historical analysis and close reading of symbolic expression in lyrics. The findings support a consideration of religious illegibility as aesthetic negotiation and strategy for political survival in circumstances of state scrutiny, with the subsequent consolidation of orthodox interpretations in Hip Hop signifying a recalibration of religious legibility in the securitized climate of a post-9/11 world. The contribution asserts that Black American Islam exemplifies NRMs’ instrumentalization of doctrinal elasticity and semiotic mediation in challenging socio-political surroundings, and its impact on negotiations of citizenship, political opposition, and religious identity. Full article

Background/Objectives: Gut microbiota dysregulation has been increasingly implicated in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet clinical responses to standardized probiotic interventions remain inconsistent, likely reflecting substantial inter-individual variability in baseline microbiome composition, host–microbe interactions, immune tone, and metabolic function. Here, we present a pilot implementation of a metagenomics-guided, personalized synbiotic intervention in children with ASD using the Systematic Microbiome Assessment and Reconstruction Therapy (SMART) framework. Methods: Seven children (aged 5–12 years) underwent longitudinal fecal shotgun metagenomic profiling, and dietary habits, food sensitivities, and regional dietary background were recorded as contextual factors potentially influencing microbiome composition and response to intervention. Individualized synbiotic formulations were constructed based on microbial taxonomic composition and inferred functional capacity and iteratively refined over time. Gastrointestinal outcomes were assessed through caregiver-reported clinical observations, whereas behavioral changes were evaluated using standardized instruments. Results: Several participants demonstrated improvements in gastrointestinal symptoms and selected behavioral domains. Notably, in a subset of participants, improvements in gastrointestinal function preceded measurable behavioral changes. Conclusions: Although limited by a small sample size and lack of a control group, these findings provide preliminary evidence supporting the feasibility of implementing a metagenomics-guided personalized synbiotic framework in ASD and generate hypotheses for future investigation. This work presents a preliminary conceptual framework for integrating microbial composition and inferred functional profiling into individualized intervention design and highlights the potential value of microbiome-informed stratification in future studies of treatment response. Larger controlled studies with objective outcome measures are warranted to further evaluate feasibility, reproducibility, and potential clinical utility. Full article

Background/Objectives: Management of cervical esophageal cancer after induction therapy remains unsettled. Definitive chemoradiotherapy is the guideline default, but a subset of patients with residual but resectable disease may still benefit from surgery. No validated multidisciplinary selection framework exists for this subsite. Methods: We conducted a systematic review registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; CRD420261369102) and guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 statement, using searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library from inception through 14 April 2026. We identified 1779 records, removed 873 duplicates, and screened 906 records; 87 full-text reports were assessed, of which 67 were excluded at the full-text stage (66 on population grounds—disease not cervical esophageal; and 1 because cervical-direct outcomes were not separable within a mixed cervical/thoracic cohort), leaving 20 cervical-direct studies included in the primary synthesis. Thoracic and meta-analytic sources are cited for indirect comparison and biological rationale but are not counted in the included set. Included studies were evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS) and Risk Of Bias In Non-randomised Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I); certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. Formal meta-analysis was not performed because study design, treatment approach, and outcome reporting were too heterogeneous. Results: Cervical-specific evidence is predominantly retrospective but consistent in direction. Available cervical-specific observational data suggest benefit mainly in patients with biopsy-confirmed incomplete response, resectable residual disease, preserved performance status, and access to experienced centers. Larynx-preserving resection is feasible in 90% of T1–2 tumors and 54% of T3–4 responders. In thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy yields pathologic complete response rates of approximately 29–48%; in cervical disease, the SCENIC trial has reported interim clinical response of approximately 50% in 28 patients, but pathology-confirmed response is not yet available. We present a proposed multidisciplinary selection framework integrating response depth, post-induction stage, laryngeal preservation feasibility, sarcopenia, circulating tumor DNA dynamics, and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression. The framework has not been prospectively validated and is presented as a hypothesis-generating, conceptual tool for multidisciplinary discussion rather than a clinically validated instrument. Adjuvant nivolumab is recommended for residual pathologic disease after margin-negative (R0) resection when surgery follows preoperative chemoradiotherapy; after PD-1-based induction, adjuvant checkpoint inhibition remains investigational. Conclusions: The available cervical-direct evidence is predominantly retrospective and selection-prone, and several inputs supporting the framework are extrapolated from thoracic ESCC cohorts; conclusions about the survival benefit of surgery should therefore be read as associations rather than causal claims. Surgery has a role after induction therapy in carefully selected incomplete responders. The proposed framework is designed for multidisciplinary use and requires prospective validation before routine clinical application. Full article

Pregnancy modulates the function of the thyroid gland to facilitate maternal immune tolerance, and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) subunits, the IκB family, and toll-like receptors (TLRs) and complement signaling pathways may be implicated in maternal thyroid immunoregulation. However, it is unclear whether early pregnancy modulates the expression of NF-κB subunits, the IκB family, TLRs, and complement components in the maternal thyroid. The objective of this study was to analyze the effects of early pregnancy on the expression of genes and proteins of these signaling pathways in the maternal thyroid in ewes. In this study, ovine thyroids (n = 6 for each group) were sampled on day 16 of the estrous cycle (N16) and on days 13, 16, and 25 of pregnancy (P13, P16, and P25) with one conceptus. The ewes had an average weight of 41 kg and a body condition score of 3. The mRNA and protein expression of the NF-κB subunits and IκB family were analyzed by RT-qPCR, western blot, and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the expression of all NF-κB subunits, the IκB family, and TLRs, as well as C1q, C1r, C2, C4a, C5b, and C9, peaked at P16 among these four stages (p < 0.05). In addition, C1s expression was greater at N16 and P16 than at P13 and P25 (p < 0.05), and C3 expression was stronger at P16 and P25 compared to N16 and P13 (p < 0.05). In conclusion, early pregnancy modulates the expression of NF-κB subunits, the IκB family, TLRs, and complement components in the ovine thyroid at both the mRNA and protein levels, which may be essential for maternal thyroid adaptation to pregnancy and beneficial for the prevention of pregnancy-related thyroid diseases in ewes. Full article

The criminal law assessment of consensual sexting between minors requires interpretation within a child-rights framework that accounts for children’s evolving capacities and the ultima ratio principle of criminal law. Although child self-generated sexual images and videos (CSGIV) may, in many jurisdictions, conceptually fall within the scope of offences relating to child pornography or child sexual abuse material (CSAM), consensual peer-to-peer sharing typically lacks the classical elements of sexual exploitation. This article provides a structured comparative overview of how the criminal law systems of the twenty-seven European Union (EU) Member States regulate consensual minor-to-minor sexting, identifying three regulatory models and assessing their compatibility with child-rights standards. The research is based on a structured comparative legal analysis drawing on the report and country reports of the second monitoring round of the Lanzarote Committee, complemented by a primary analysis of the relevant criminal law provisions of the Member States. The analytical framework relies on a coding manual developed by the authors along thematic dimensions. The findings identify three regulatory models: systems that provide explicit differentiation and safeguards; systems that formally criminalise the conduct but operate with implicit mitigation; and systems that entail a broad risk of criminalisation. The analysis reveals considerable normative fragmentation and demonstrates that the absence of explicit differentiation may expose forms of adolescent self-expression to criminal liability. The article concludes that, to comply with child-rights standards, explicit normative safeguards and a consistent application of the exceptional character of criminal law are required. Full article

This research synthesizes a more than a decade of empirical and conceptual research on Industry 4.0 technologies with circular economy ecosystem in the European context. The shifting from linear to circular economy requires adoption of I4.0 technologies in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and Virtual Reality (VR). Yet current scholarship on circular economy ecosystems (CEE) remains theoretically fragmented. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of 94 peer-reviewed journal articles (2010–2025) using the Web of Science (WoS) database following the PRISMA protocol by deploying theories, contexts, methods (TCM) framework and thematic analysis. We developed a comprehensive framework based on addressing key barriers e.g., diverse expectations of stakeholders, resistance to change, sustainable leadership challenges, lack of digitally enabled-capabilities and institutional pressure with the help of important enablers such as AI capabilities, collaboration with stakeholders, frugal innovation and supportive government policies. Our findings contribute to the emerging discourse on how combining digital technologies with circular economy practices can support the development of low emission manufacturing systems, in line with current zero-emission policy goals in the European Union. This review contributes fragmented literature by highlighting theoretical, contextual and methodological gaps as previously disparate perspectives to help align and move research forward. This research contributes to SDG 9- “Industry, innovation and infrastructure” and SDG 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production”. Full article

Eco-labeling has become an important tool for stimulating sustainable production and consumption, but the rapid increase in schemes can lead to a fragmented and sometimes confusing landscape. The purpose of this study is to map the eco-labeling landscape with a systematic review, trace the design and governance patterns, and identify gaps that prevent coherence. A systematic literature review was conducted using peer-reviewed journals and conference articles. The process followed predefined selection criteria, with consistent coding and synthesis used to categorize eco-labels by sector, region, governance type, and methodological features. The review shows a varied but fragmented eco-labeling landscape, with considerable overlap and inconsistency across sectors and regions. Governance approaches differ significantly: some schemes use third-party verification, while others depend on voluntary or industry-led systems. Major gaps include a lack of harmonization, poor integration of social factors, and little clear evidence that these labels change consumer behavior or drive meaningful sustainability results. Future research should focus on developing harmonized frameworks, strengthening meta-governance, and integrating social alongside environmental criteria. Policy efforts should aim to improve comparability and credibility, while balancing diversity and innovation. Advancing systematic evaluation of eco-label performance will be essential for informing coherent governance and guiding the future of sustainable consumption and production. Full article

Therapeutic cancer vaccines represent a rational immunotherapeutic strategy aimed at inducing tumor-specific adaptive immune responses in patients with established malignancies. In contrast to prophylactic vaccines, these approaches must function within immunosuppressive tumor microenvironments characterized by antigenic heterogeneity, immune dysfunction, and dynamic tumor evolution. Effective vaccine design requires the integration of three essential components: the selection of appropriate tumor-associated or tumor-specific antigens, efficient delivery platforms that enable antigen presentation, and adjuvant systems that promote robust T-cell priming and expansion. Initial clinical investigations in B-cell malignancies and multiple myeloma demonstrated that idiotype-based vaccines can elicit tumor-specific immune responses. However, durable clinical benefit has been inconsistent, reflecting limitations in antigen selection, suboptimal immunogenicity, and tumor-mediated immune evasion. Over the past decade, advances in tumor genomics, next-generation sequencing, and immune monitoring have enabled the development of next-generation vaccine platforms, including dendritic cell-based approaches, personalized neoantigen vaccines, and mRNA-based technologies. Emerging evidence suggests that vaccine efficacy is highly dependent on disease context. Biologically favorable settings such as minimal residual disease (MRD) and post-transplant immune reconstitution provide reduced tumor burden and improved immune competence, thereby enhancing the likelihood of effective immune priming. In parallel, combination strategies incorporating immune checkpoint inhibitors, immunomodulatory agents, and cellular therapies are increasingly being explored to overcome tumor-induced immunosuppression. This review synthesizes current knowledge of therapeutic cancer vaccines in B-cell malignancies and multiple myeloma, with emphasis on immunologic mechanisms, antigen selection, vaccine platforms, and clinical evidence. We further propose a conceptual framework integrating tumor biology, immune context, and combination strategies to guide the rational development of next-generation vaccine therapies. Full article

This study examines individualized teaching, personalized learning, and adaptive learning within the framework of constructivist pedagogy in higher education. The aim is to systematically analyze and map conceptual and empirical literature published between 2019 and 2026 to identify dominant research trends, methodological approaches, and key findings related to student-centered instructional models. A systematic mapping review was conducted using a structured research matrix aligned with PRISMA guidelines to map and compare existing studies on the selected concepts. The analysis focused on how individualized, personalized, and adaptive approaches are operationalized in higher education practice and how they contribute to student-centered learning environments. The findings indicate that although these approaches are widely discussed in the literature, they are often conceptually fragmented and inconsistently defined across studies. Several research gaps were identified, particularly regarding the integration of technological and pedagogical dimensions and the lack of coherent conceptual frameworks that connect the three approaches. Based on a synthesis of the findings, the study proposes directions for future research and suggests developing a more integrated conceptual orientation for student-centered teaching in higher education. Building on these patterns, the Transformative-Dynamic Learning and Teaching Approach (TDLTA) is introduced as a potential framework for further theoretical refinement and empirical validation. Full article

Cross-border e-commerce offers consumers broader product access, yet uncertainty surrounding returns continues to suppress online purchase decisions. This study conceptualizes digital local return services as a digital assurance mechanism in cross-border e-commerce rather than merely a reverse logistics function. Drawing on UTAUT2, perceived risk theory, and trust theory, we develop and test a research model using survey data from South Korean consumers with prior experience of digital local return services (LRS). Structural equation modeling (SEM) is used to test the proposed relationships, and artificial neural networks (ANN) are employed to capture nonlinear effects and compare the relative importance of key predictors. Qualitative interview evidence is further incorporated to enrich the interpretation of the findings. The results show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, and hedonic motivation significantly reduce perceived risk. Perceived risk, in turn, exerts a strong negative effect on purchase intention and weakens consumer trust. Additional ANN results indicate that hedonic motivation and facilitating conditions are particularly influential in lowering perceived risk, while perceived risk is more important than trust in predicting purchase intention. These findings show that digital return service design shapes consumer decisions primarily through risk reduction rather than trust enhancement alone. The study contributes to digital commerce research by explaining how return service design functions as a customer-facing platform assurance mechanism that improves conversion in cross-border online retailing. Full article