Search Results (1,454)

Ukraine’s reconstruction, estimated at $524 billion over the next decade, presents an unprecedented opportunity to embed circular economy principles into industrial rebuilding, but the financial architecture currently deployed for reconstruction is structurally blind to circular outcomes. This paper examines how digital tools and innovative financing mechanisms can channel investment toward circular industrial reconstruction in Ukraine, drawing on Germany’s National Circular Economy Strategy (NCES, adopted December 2024) as a reference model. A comparative institutional analysis combines a documentary review of Ukrainian reconstruction policy frameworks (Ukraine Plan 2024–2027, RDNA4, Ukraine Facility) and German NCES instruments with the construction of a financing−technology pathway typology. Five pathways are proposed: circular bond issuance with Digital Product Passport integration; blended finance with blockchain impact verification; EU Facility conditionality with AI-driven resource management; war risk insurance with circular construction standards; and SME digitalisation credit with circular economy competency building. Each pathway is assessed against five criteria: investment scale, risk mitigation, circular measurement, digital readiness, and institutional feasibility, and applied to four industrial corridors (Dnipro region, Zaporizhzhia region, Kharkiv region, and Donetsk region). The analysis reveals that no single pathway is sufficient; a layered strategy differentiating by region is required. Digital tools, particularly the Digital Product Passport and blockchain traceability, serve as partial substitutes for institutional trust in post-conflict settings, reducing information asymmetry between investors and project operators. The paper contributes a practically oriented framework at the under-theorised intersection of post-conflict reconstruction finance and circular economy scholarship. Full article

This study examines the effects of a three-month pedagogical intervention that integrated artificial intelligence (AI), social media, and web-based tools to strengthen digital literacy, creativity, and cultural participation among secondary education students in Ecuador. The intervention was theoretically grounded in perspectives of inclusive digital education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), emphasizing participation, accessibility, and collaborative knowledge construction. The intervention involved 61 students supported by 31 university facilitators and was developed under a mixed-methods action research design with a pre–post (quasi-experimental) approach. Pre- and post-test surveys were administered to assess changes in digital competencies and creativity, while semi-structured interviews explored students’ perceptions of creative expression and their engagement with the cultural and technological ecosystem. Quantitative results showed statistically significant improvements in digital literacy and creativity (p < 0.001), while qualitative findings evidenced increased student empowerment, critical awareness of algorithms, and active cultural participation. The integration of AI and social media promoted an inclusive, student-centered learning environment that enhanced autonomy, reflective thinking, and media engagement. These results suggest that hybrid and culturally contextualized AI-mediated interventions may foster 21st-century competencies, strengthen digital equity, and promote creative agency in educational contexts of the Global South, particularly within emerging digital learning environments in Ecuador. Full article

Energy transition is most often examined through the lens of technological development and integration, including renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, and digital energy management solutions. In practice, however, the actual performance of energy systems—understood as both energy efficiency and environmental impact across the life cycle—depends not only on technical parameters but also on decision-making processes, operational practices, and management capabilities. This paper aims to conceptualize energy and environmental awareness as a determinant influencing energy system performance at organizational and system levels. The study is based on a structured review of the literature from energy engineering, life cycle assessment, and energy management, complemented by a comparative analysis of how similar energy technologies are utilized under different decision-making contexts. On this basis, an integrated analytical framework is proposed that combines conventional energy and environmental performance indicators with awareness-related dimensions, including energy knowledge, perception of environmental risk, and managerial competence. The analysis demonstrates that insufficient energy awareness leads to systematic gaps between the technological potential of energy systems and their actual performance, resulting in increased environmental burdens despite high nominal technical efficiency. The proposed framework helps to explain performance variability in energy systems operating under comparable technical conditions and highlights the importance of incorporating managerial and competency-related factors into life cycle assessments and energy transition policies. The paper contributes to the literature by extending energy system evaluation beyond purely technical criteria and offers practical implications for the design of energy systems, industrial energy management, and policy instruments supporting sustainable energy transitions. Full article

This study falls within the field of lifelong education and investigates the role of aesthetic-sensory experiences—particularly those mediated by digital visual arts—in the development of critical thinking, a key competence identified in the European LifeComp Framework. In light of contemporary social transformations characterised by complexity, uncertainty, and change, critical thinking emerges as a transversal skill of fundamental importance for the education of conscious and autonomous citizens. The objective of this research is to analyse how digital sensory experiences, integrated with innovative teaching methodologies—such as laboratory-based teaching and collaborative learning—can foster the activation and enhancement of critical thinking in educational contexts. The work is based on a narrative analysis of the literature, conducted through the consultation of academic databases (e.g., Scopus, ERIC, and Google Scholar), and is developed within a theoretical framework encompassing digital education, laboratory didactics, and collaborative learning strategies. Studies published in recent years were selected according to their relevance to digital aesthetic experiences and critical thinking in educational contexts and were analysed through a thematic synthesis of the main conceptual contributions. The knowledge activities include the selection, categorisation, and discussion of recent studies that relate aesthetic experiences to the development of soft skills, in line with the principles of visual education understood as aesthetic and critical literacy in visual languages. The results of the review indicate that the intentional use of aesthetic digital environments, in combination with active and reflective teaching approaches, can stimulate complex cognitive processes and significantly contribute to the formation of critical thinking. The contribution implements an interdisciplinary approach among visual education, digital education, and experiential aesthetics, emphasising the need for further empirical research to consolidate the evidence and guide the implementation of innovative educational practices based on this approach. Full article

The growing integration of AI in business systems has intensified the need for empirical evidence on how organizational capability, governance orientation, and performance-related expectations shape AI adoption. This study examines how AI integration is perceived in terms of efficiency and effectiveness in relation to governance considerations and analyses the extent to which technological competence influences implementation intention. A quantitative research design was employed based on a structured questionnaire administered online to 248 respondents from diverse organizational contexts in Romania between September and December 2025, using a non-probabilistic sampling approach. The data collection procedure followed a voluntary participation approach, and the analysis includes descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, ANOVA, correlation analysis, and multiple regression. The findings indicate that AI is primarily associated with operational performance benefits, while governance-related perceptions play a contextual rather than a direct role in shaping implementation intention. Technological competence and resource adequacy emerge as the main factors associated with AI adoption, whereas favorable attitudes toward AI do not independently predict implementation decisions. The study contributes to the literature by introducing the Capability–Governance–Performance (CGP) framework as an integrative analytical perspective that explains how internal capabilities, governance considerations, and performance expectations jointly shape AI implementation intentions. It also provides empirical evidence from a transition-to-economic context, contributing to a more integrated understanding of AI adoption. Full article

The study examines the impact of Work Social Media Usage (WSMU) on employee skills through the mediating roles of perceived relatedness, perceived autonomy, and perceived competence. A comprehensive questionnaire was formulated to measure WSMU and employee skills, based on self-determination theory, along with collecting data using a five-scale Likert questionnaire. The study focused on local and international consulting and training firms that are registered and operational in Jordan. Managers, trainers, marketers, evaluators, consultants, and academics were the main participants of the sample, which was chosen with convenience sampling. There was a total of 518 employees in the sample. The results obtained through structural equation modeling show that WSMU greatly increases employee skills, with perceived competence being the strongest mediator. The research illustrates how social media is useful in promoting the sharing of knowledge, emotional care, and skill acquisition, which can be helpful to organizations in making use of digital interactions for the development of employees. Full article

Background/Objectives: Digital obesity therapy requires exercise therapists with adequate digital competences, yet training opportunities remain limited. This study provides the first application of the DigCompThExO questionnaire to assess exercise therapists’ digital competences and their predictors in obesity therapy, addressing digital sovereignty as an educational outcome and informing future training programs. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey assessed self-perceived digital competences among German-speaking exercise therapists in obesity care using the validated DigCompThExO questionnaire (14 items). Descriptive and regression analyses examined personal (age, gender, qualification) and contextual (type of therapy, therapeutic targets) predictors of overall digital competence, with correction for multiple testing. Results: Of 203 therapists (mean age 33.3 ± 5.9 years), ‘Teaching Strategies’ yielded the highest scores, ‘Selection Criteria’ the lowest. Regression analysis (n = 202) accounted for a substantial proportion of variance in overall digital competence (R² = 0.801, adjusted R² = 0.790, p < 0.001), with the digitally pursued therapeutic target body awareness emerging as significant predictor (B = 0.18, p_FDR = 0.003). Conclusions: This study provides initial insights into the digital competence profiles of exercise therapists in obesity therapy. In exploratory analysis, the therapeutic target of digitally fostering body awareness was the only predictor that remained significant after correction. The findings suggest that targeted education in data protection, media reflection, and the communication of exercise-related therapeutic targets may be relevant to support digital competence development. Full article

The Digital Services Act (DSA) represents a landmark regulatory context aiming to secure a safer, trusted and more transparent digital environment. While the DSA establishes a harmonised regulatory framework for intermediary services across the EU, its enforcement system relies significantly on national regulatory authorities, leaving member states a degree of institutional autonomy in designing the supervisory structures. This article examines the implementation of the DSA in Cyprus and discusses the national legal framework adopted through primary and secondary legislation. It analyses the powers, legally mandated tasks, rights, and obligations of the digital services coordinator in Cyprus including its supervisory, investigatory, and enforcement competences as well as the sanctioning mechanisms. This article provides a comprehensive legal analysis of the coordinator’s operation and contributes to the academic debate on the national implementation of the DSA as a horizontal legal tool of intermediary services and digital platforms accessed by European citizens. Full article

Background/Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed healthcare delivery by revolutionizing the offering opportunities in prognosis, diagnosis, personalized treatment, and improving patient outcomes. However, little is known about the nurses’ attitudes toward the integration of AI-driven conversational technology and AI chatbots into clinical practice. The aim of our study was to investigate nurses’ attitudes regarding the use of AI chatbots as a tool for mental health support. Additionally, the study aimed to evaluate their levels of acceptance and fear toward AI, while examining the influence of demographic variables on these attitudes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. We employed the Artificial Intelligence in Mental Health Scale (AIMHS) to measure attitudes toward the use of AI-powered chatbots for mental health support. Additionally, we utilized the Attitudes Towards Artificial Intelligence Scale (ATAI) to assess nurses’ levels of acceptance and fear regarding artificial intelligence. Results: Technical advantages score in the AIMHS reflected low positive attitudes toward the technical aspect of AI chatbots for mental health support, while personal advantages score showed moderate positive attitudes toward the personal aspect of chatbots. ATAI scores indicated a moderate level of acceptance and fear toward AI. Results from multivariable analysis showed that increased age (b = 0.011, p-value = 0.018) and increased daily engagement with social media and websites (b = 0.058, p-value = 0.002) were significantly associated with more favorable technical attitudes towards AI-based mental health chatbots. Also, male nurses exhibited significantly more favorable attitudes toward AI-based mental health chatbots in terms of perceived personal benefits (b = 0.548, p-value < 0.001). Higher levels of digital technology competence were significantly associated with greater acceptance of artificial intelligence (b = 0.164, p = 0.032). Additionally, male nurses reported significantly higher acceptance of AI compared to their female counterparts (b = 1.587, p < 0.001). We found that lower financial status was significantly associated with heightened fear of AI (b = −0.329, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Nurses generally held moderately positive attitudes toward both AI-based mental health chatbots and AI more broadly. Several demographic factors were found to significantly influence these attitudes. Full article

Under the dual carbon strategy and the sweeping tide of digital transformation in education, higher education confronts an urgent imperative: cultivating talent equipped with interdisciplinary skills and sustainable decision-making capabilities. To meet this critical challenge, this study pioneers the PAMD (Patient Capital–Accounting–Matrix–Development) interdisciplinary teaching framework. Rooted firmly in Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) principles, PAMD uniquely weaves together patient capital, carbon asset accounting, and linear algebra matrix modeling. Utilizing a quasi-experimental design with undergraduate business students, we implemented “Carbon Asset Accounting and Low-Carbon Transition Investment Analysis” as a case study. We rigorously evaluated teaching effectiveness across academic performance, competency, and cognitive attitude dimensions using Welch’s t-test, Hedges’ g, and ANCOVA. After controlling for baseline scores, the experimental group significantly surpassed the control group in comprehensive decision-making (81.22 vs. 72.41, g = 0.71) and matrix modeling competency (3.74 vs. 3.22, g = 0.77). The experimental cohort also demonstrated consistent gains in carbon accounting reporting precision and data representation clarity. Cognitive assessments revealed moderate effect sizes for both low-carbon investment literacy and interdisciplinary learning interest. These compelling results demonstrate that embedding a long-term value orientation into accounting representation and matrix modeling powerfully cultivates students’ ability to transfer interdisciplinary knowledge and make sound sustainable decisions within complex contexts. This study offers a robust, evidence-based, and replicable pathway for driving sustainability-oriented interdisciplinary reform within business education. Full article

Digital transformation is frequently argued to improve how agricultural businesses compete, coordinate, and capture value in markets, yet evidence remains limited of how regional innovation ecosystems shape farms’ digital readiness and how this readiness translates into accounting-relevant outcomes. This study addresses that gap by linking regional innovation capacity, observed farm digital readiness, and accounting performance within a single regional analytical framework. Using cross-sectional data for 180 EU NUTS2 regions (2023), we estimate a moderated mediation model with formative constructs based on harmonized secondary indicators. This study is original in shifting the analysis from the farm or firm level to the regional scale and in operationalizing digital readiness through observable uptake of precision technologies, robotics, livestock-management machinery, internet access, and management information systems. Regional innovation capacity is positively associated with farmers’ digital readiness, and digital readiness is positively associated with accounting performance in the baseline specification. The indirect pathway from innovation capacity to accounting performance via digital readiness is significant, consistent with digital readiness acting as a transmission channel through which ecosystems relate to measurable economic outcomes. Managerial composition conditions these relationships: the share of managers under 40 weakens both the ecosystem-to-digital link and the digital-to-performance link, while female managerial share shows only marginal moderation of the first stage and no significant moderation of the second. The findings provide a basis for future multilevel research and place-based policies and advisory actions aimed at strengthening digital uptake where regional innovation capacity is weaker. Full article

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly integrated into healthcare systems, with important implications for nursing practice and clinical workflows. However, evidence regarding nurses’ digital skills, perceptions, and readiness to adopt AI-enabled technologies remains limited, particularly in national healthcare contexts such as Greece. Objectives: This study examined nurses’ digital skills, perceptions of AI, and readiness for AI adoption in clinical practice, and explored demographic and professional factors associated with these outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 166 nurses working in two public hospitals in Greece. Results: Nurses reported moderate digital skills, with 59.1% indicating competence in email/video communication and 27.2% reporting adequate use of digital security tools, while exposure to AI remained limited (18.0% reported using AI products/services in daily life). Perceived professional impact of AI was moderate, whereas readiness for AI adoption was comparatively lower, with only 7.8% considering health professionals adequately prepared and 7.2% reporting adequate AI training. Statistical analyses indicated that educational level and computer literacy certification were positively associated with digital skills, whereas longer professional experience was negatively associated with readiness for AI adoption. Conclusions: These findings highlight a gap between general digital competence and preparedness for AI-driven healthcare applications and underline the need for targeted education and implementation strategies to support effective and ethical integration of AI in nursing practice. From a nursing workforce perspective, the results underscore the importance of integrating AI literacy into continuing professional education and aligning digital health implementation strategies with clinical nursing practice. Full article

This study proposes an interdisciplinary approach that integrates bioclimatology, agronomy, environmental education, and information and communication technologies (ICT) to analyze their potential to support sustainable land management in the context of climate change. The research focuses on the application of bioclimatic indices, the continentality index (Ic), the ombrothermic index (Io), and the thermicity index (It/Itc), combined with the use of a virtual herbarium as a didactic resource for interpreting ecological indicators associated with vegetation. The study was conducted using a pretest–posttest design aimed at assessing students’ self-reported understanding of ecological concepts, bioclimatology, geobotany, and the use of digital tools for learning plant species. The results show a significant improvement in students’ perceived understanding following the educational intervention, with the mean questionnaire score increasing from 21.99 (SD = 5.03) in the pretest to 31.33 (SD = 5.06) in the posttest (t(69) = 37.13, p < 0.001). The normalized gain (g = 0.42) indicates a moderate improvement in students’ self-reported comprehension of bioclimatic and ecological concepts. These findings highlight the potential of ICT to strengthen environmental education and to foster the development of competencies related to sustainable agricultural and forest land management. Full article

Background: Problematic Internet use (PIU) among adolescents has emerged as a significant public health concern, associated with the types of online activities and underlying psychological processes rather than screen time alone. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 750 adolescents (46.4% female) with a mean age of 15.39 years (SD = 1.76; range = 13–19) recruited from 7th and 8th grade primary school students and secondary school students in Split-Dalmatia County (Croatia). The study investigated the associations between specific online activities, psychological variables, and PIU using hierarchical regression and multiple mediation analyses. Results: Results revealed that time spent online remains the most strongly associated with PIU. While streaming and online shopping showed significant associations with problematic use, reading and browsing for information did not. Stress and loneliness were identified as variables associated with higher that significantly statistically mediate the relationships between online engagement and PIU, whereas emotional competence functioned as a protective factor, particularly in relation to social media use. These findings support theoretical models that conceptualize PIU as a maladaptive coping strategy for psychological distress. Conclusions: Based on these findings, prevention efforts should move beyond simple screen-time reduction and focus on strengthening adolescents’ emotional competence, stress management, and self-regulatory skills to promote healthier and more adaptive patterns of digital engagement. Full article

This mixed-methods study explores the views and experiences of 55 English-language teacher candidates in Chile who designed gamified project-based lessons aimed at fostering inclusive learning and social justice in culturally diverse classrooms. Data were collected through lesson plans, semi-structured interviews, and a Likert-scale survey, and were analysed using inductive content analysis and descriptive statistics. The findings reveal that participants valued gamification for enhancing student engagement, collaboration, and critical thinking, and they perceived gains in their ability to integrate social justice themes into language teaching. However, discrepancies emerged when participants had to plan lessons that had a social justice orientation because they perceived they did not have enough competence to approach equity-oriented themes. This study adopts a justice lens that foregrounds power, agency, and digital equity in teacher candidates’ lesson-planning skills to examine how they can redistribute voice, recognise situated knowledges, and expand their capacity to act within and against structural constraints. The study underscores the need for teacher education programmes to move beyond technical and motivational uses of gamification and digital tools. From their lesson plans, teacher candidates were not simply adopting digital tools at a technical level but seem to be designing an integrated pedagogical ecosystem that aligned gamification and project-based learning. However, it is inconclusive whether they are able to design gamified PBL environments that do not reproduce existing social and educational inequalities and ensure that access and participation are carefully scaffolded. Full article