Search Results (4,181)

How individuals and organizations interface with the digital economy has been largely influenced by transformations ushered in on the global financial map by the rapidly expanding Financial Technology (FinTech). This paper seeks to shed light on the successes of FinTech, namely on how it contributed to sustainability through financial inclusion, reduction in reliance on cash and the promotion of an innovation-driven economy known for being paperless. Based on contributions from students at Taif University in Saudi Arabia, determinants of FinTech adoption intentions are analyzed using data from n = 544. Our study focuses on evaluating the effects of financial, technical and external factors on adoption behavior by using a two-prong approach: first, we use the DeLone and McLean IS Success Model; then we employ a Second-Order Construct using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The results indicated that the strongest effects on attitudes stem from technical factors—information, system and service quality. Additionally, they also show that adoption intention is considerably shaped by financial as well as external dimensions. The Saudi Vision 2030 has set national goals of digital transformation, financial inclusion and human capital empowerment. This study provides a modest contribution to those goals by fostering FinTech adoption among the youth. Furthermore, its findings also offer educators, policymakers and Fintech providers a platform to enhance literacy, strengthen trust and develop sustainable digital finance ecosystems in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives. Full article

Contemporary cultural tourism faces a critical digital authenticity paradox where social media engagement necessitates platform integration, yet algorithms prioritize engagement-driven content over culturally accurate heritage representations. This systematic review develops an initial framework addressing authenticity preservation challenges through systematic analysis of platform-mediated heritage representation. Following PRISMA guidelines, researchers searched Scopus and ScienceDirect databases for peer-reviewed articles published 2020–2025 using search terms: “Cultural Tourism” AND “Heritage Tourism” AND “Photograph” AND “Social media” AND “Authenticity.” Inclusion criteria encompassed English-language journal articles and conference papers in social sciences, business, management, and humanities. VOSviewer software facilitated bibliometric analysis through keyword co-occurrence mapping with minimum three-occurrence threshold. From 68 articles, analysis revealed five thematic clusters: Ecosystem Tourism, Social Media and Technology, Tourism Management, Authenticity, and Photography & Storytelling, informing an integrated Input-Process-Integration-Output framework. Input encompasses cultural contexts and authenticity evaluation criteria; Process integrates social media dynamics with tourism management strategies; Integration synthesizes authentic contexts through platform-adapted digital storytelling; Output addresses platform-mediated tourist experiences. The framework establishes systematic relationships between heritage preservation and digital platform mechanisms, providing methodological innovation while addressing algorithmic optimization conflicts with heritage preservation, offering practical guidance for tourism organizations navigating Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and emerging platforms while preserving authentic cultural representation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Oman Vision 2040, the national blueprint for socio-economic transformation, aims to elevate the Sultanate to developed nation status, with the “Health” priority committed to building a “Leading Healthcare System with International Standards” via a Health in All Policies (HiAP) approach. This paper critically reviews Oman’s strategic health directions and implementation frameworks under Vision 2040, assessing their alignment with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and serving as a case model for health system transformation. Methods: This study employs a critical narrative synthesis based on a comprehensive literature search that included academic, official government reports, and international organization sources. The analysis is guided by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Health Systems Framework, providing a structured interpretation of progress across its six building blocks. Results: Key interventions implemented include integrated governance (e.g., Committee for Managing and Regulating Healthcare), diversified health financing (e.g., public private partnership (PPPs), Health Endowment Foundation), and strategic digital transformation (e.g., Al-Shifa system, AI diagnostics). Performance metrics show progress, with a rise in the Legatum Prosperity Index ranking and an increase in the Community Satisfaction Rate. However, critical challenges persist, including resistance to change during governance restructuring, cybersecurity risks from digital adoption, and system fragmentation that complicates a unified Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) response. Conclusions: Oman’s integrated approach, emphasizing decentralization, quality improvement, and investment in preventive health and human capital, positions it for sustained progress. The transformation offers generalizable insights. Successfully realizing Vision 2040 demands rigorous, evidence-informed policymaking to effectively address equity implications and optimize resource allocation. Full article

The coastline is a constantly evolving boundary between land and sea, shaped by natural forces and human activities. Given its significant ecological and economic value, this zone faces increasing pressures, highlighting the need for continuous monitoring and improved understanding to support sustainable management. This study analyses the spatial and temporal changes along the Al Qunfudhah coastline from 1984 to 2020. Using a combination of multi-temporal Landsat satellite images and geographic information system tools—specifically the digital shoreline analysis system—the research tracks changes over time. Shoreline positions were accurately extracted using automated methods, particularly the Canny edge detection algorithm. Over the 36-year period, analysis using the linear regression rate (LRR) and end point rate (EPR) methods revealed a general pattern of slight shoreline advancement. The highest rates of accretion were recorded at 12.43 m/year (LRR) and 13.36 m/year (EPR), with average rates of 3.63 m/year and 4.17 m/year, especially in the northern region where a corniche road was developed along the coast. Conversely, the most significant erosion occurred near the boat port, with maximum rates reaching −24.4 m/year (LRR) and −20.9 m/year (EPR) and average rates of −1.23 m/year and −1.08 m/year. These results offer valuable insights into the factors driving coastal changes and provide a scientific foundation for making informed, sustainable decisions about the future of the Al Qunfudhah coastline. Full article

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has been proposed as a transformative tool in suicide prevention, yet most evidence remains observational. To provide a rigorous benchmark, we systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating AI-based interventions targeting suicidal thoughts, behaviours, or help-seeking. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched to 31 May 2025. Eligible studies were RCTs in humans that incorporated AI or machine learning for risk prediction, automated intervention, or treatment allocation. Methodological quality was assessed with the PEDro scale and certainty of evidence with GRADE. Results: From 1101 screened records, six RCTs (n = 793) met all criteria. Three studies tested machine learning risk prediction, two evaluated fully automated interventions (a transformer-based recommender and a digital nudge), and one examined AI-assisted treatment allocation. Risk-prediction models stratified short-term suicidal outcomes with accuracies of up to 0.67 and AUC values around 0.70. Digital interventions reduced counsellor response latency or increased crisis-service uptake by 23%. Algorithm-guided allocation reduced the occurrence of suicidal events when randomisation aligned with model recommendations. Methodological quality was moderate to high (median PEDro = 8/10), but GRADE certainty was low due to small samples and imprecision. Conclusions: AI can enhance discrete processes in suicide prevention, including risk stratification, help-seeking, and personalized treatment. However, the current evidence is limited, and larger multisite RCTs with longer follow-up, CONSORT-AI compliance, and equity-focused design are urgently required. Full article

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) are opportunistic foragers with global distributions that utilize diverse feeding tactics based on environmental factors, habitat features, prey behavior, group dynamics, and genetics. We describe a unique foraging tactic regularly observed in the confluence of dredged shipping channels with high anthropogenic disturbance, and explore potential abiotic (temporal, tidal, habitat) drivers of the behavior. A shore-based digital theodolite was used from 2021 to 2022 to observe common bottlenose dolphins (T. truncatus) foraging within a current in a technique we term Orient-Against-Current (OAC). During OAC, dolphins position themselves facing into the flow of a current, swimming at a speed to maintain a stationary position within the current, and feed while prey move with the current towards them. Orient-Against-Current occurred in all seasons and throughout daylight hours, particularly during the winter and spring. Dolphins engaged in OAC during ebb tides and intermediate current speeds (1–2 knots), but not during slack tides. As OAC occurred closer to shoreline structures (i.e., seawalls, concrete blocks) than to mangroves and natural seagrass beds, it appears that hard human-engineered structures aid in prey capture during OAC. Knowledge of dolphin foraging techniques can aid in understanding behavioral plasticity shaped by anthropogenically altered environments in industrialized coastal areas. Full article

Contemporary architecture is undergoing a transformation from the modernist techno-functional paradigm towards practices that integrate technology with humanistic, cultural, and environmental values. Biophilia—understood as the innate human need for contact with nature—is becoming an important design category that supports health, well-being, and ecological awareness, yet it can also convey additional narratives. In this context, immersion plays a significant role: it is a process of deep engagement of the user with space, involving the senses, emotions, and imagination, while simultaneously fostering relationships between humans and their surroundings. The concept of immersiveness, originating in art theory and digital media studies, is now applied in architecture as a tool for creating spatial narratives and cultural experiences. Biophilic architecture employs immersive strategies to transform buildings into environments that support sensory, behavioural, and social practices. This article analyses selected examples of such projects (including the Rooftop Garden—Warsaw University Library, Musée du quai Branly, and apartment buildings Bosco Verticale) and proposes a Multi-criteria Method for Assessing Architectural Immersiveness (MMAAI). The findings indicate that the integration of nature, technology, and spatial narrative enables architecture to act as a mediator between humans and the environment, generating new qualities of spatial experience in the Anthropocene epoch. Full article

Experimental characterisation of ex vivo specimens is limited by specimen availability and high costs, whereas 3D printing provides a cost-effective alternative for producing multiple replicas. This study aimed to develop a methodology for evaluating the individual and combined effects of material composition and geometry on the biomechanical performance of 3D-printed vertebrae. CT scans of healthy human vertebrae and with lytic metastases were segmented to fabricate synthetic models through Digital Anatomy Printing. Three types of 3D-printed models were produced: Healthy vertebrae, Metastatic vertebrae, and Healed vertebrae (metastatic geometry filled with healthy material). All models were tested under axial compression to measure the strength, stiffness, and strain. Repeatability across replicas was assessed as well as comparison of mechanical properties among the different vertebral types. Results showed excellent repeatability, with coefficients of variation below 5% for strength and stiffness-related parameters. The Metastatic models exhibited significant reductions in strength compared to Healthy ones, while stiffness remained similar, consistent with ex vivo data trends. Healed models highlighted the role of material composition in driving mechanical behaviour, independently of geometry. This work provides the first quantitative assessment of 3D-printed vertebrae with metastatic lesions, supporting their future potential as standardised alternatives to cadaveric testing. Full article

Sinking markets have become a consumption blue ocean, as the digital economy enters its second phase. Based on data from 231 prefecture-level cities from 2011 to 2023, various econometric methods, including the fixed effects model, threshold effect model, and mediation effect model, are used to explore the impact and mechanism of digital technology penetration on sustainable household consumption in the sinking market. The findings suggest that the penetration of digital technology has a substantial impact on sustainability of household consumption in this market. This conclusion remains robust after addressing endogeneity and conducting a series of robustness checks. The threshold value for human capital is 0.0068, and only when human capital accumulation reaches this level can the synergy between human capital and sustainable household consumption be enhanced. The mechanism analysis indicates that the effect of digital technology on consumption is partially mediated by household income and financial development. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that the effect of digital technology penetration on sustainable household consumption is universally beneficial, with a more significant impact in central and western regions. This study provides reference ideas for enhancing the sustainability of household consumption in the sinking market in the context of digital transformation. Full article

Against the backdrop of frequent internal and external shocks, as a core driver of the consumption segment in the digital economy, the impact mechanism and actual effectiveness of information consumption on urban economic resilience urgently require systematic exploration. Based on panel data of 280 prefecture-level cities in China from 2010 to 2022, this study treats the information consumption pilot policy as a quasi-natural experiment and employs a multi-period Difference-in-Differences (DID) method to empirically examine the policy’s impact on urban economic resilience and its internal mechanisms. The results show that the information consumption pilot policy significantly enhances urban economic resilience, with a policy effect coefficient of 0.084, and this conclusion remains robust after multiple robustness tests. Mechanistic analysis indicates that the policy indirectly strengthens urban economic resilience by promoting consumption growth, stimulating technological innovation, and improving human capital. Meanwhile, the level of digital infrastructure plays a positive moderating role in the policy effect. Heterogeneity analysis finds that the policy has a more pronounced effect of enhancing economic resilience on cities with larger population sizes, higher economic density, and non-resource-dependent characteristics. Further extended research confirms that the information consumption pilot policy exhibits a significant spatial spillover effect on urban economic resilience, and this spillover effect presents a phased characteristic of “resource homogeneous competition → positive synergistic driving → cross-regional resource siphoning → spatial attenuation of the effect” with changes in geographical distance. Full article

Settlements and settlement systems are key arenas of human–environment interaction, and reconstructing their spatial patterns is essential for understanding historical socio-environmental dynamics. Using the Complete Map of the Great Qing Empire (1905), this study employs digital extraction and spatial-statistical analysis to examine the nationwide settlement system of late Qing China. The results reveal that: (1) The system features dispersed high-level settlements and highly clustered low-level ones; provincial and prefectural cities follow administrative divisions, while counties, towns, and villages display strong spatial self-organization. (2) Mid-to high-level systems exhibit hierarchical fractures, whereas low-level settlements conform to Zipf’s law, highlighting the regularity and universality of grassroots networks. (3) Road accessibility, slope, and elevation significantly influence settlement hierarchy, whereas river proximity plays a limited role—indicating greater dependence on transportation and terrain adaptability. Overall, the study elucidates the spatial structure and formative mechanisms of the Qing settlement system and provides empirical insights into the evolution of surface patterns and regional resilience since the modern era. Full article

Pragmatics concerns how people use language and other expressive means, such as nonverbal and paralinguistic cues, to convey intended meaning in the context. Difficulties in pragmatics are common across distinct clinical conditions, motivating validated assessments such as the Assessment Battery for Communication (ABaCo); whether Large Language Models (LLMs) can serve as reliable coders remains uncertain. In this exploratory study, we used Generative Pre-trained Transformer (GPT)-4o as a rater on 2025 item × dimension units drawn from the responses given by 10 healthy older adults (M = 69.8) to selected ABaCo items. Expert human coders served as the reference standard to compare GPT-4o scores. Agreement metrics included exact agreement, Cohen’s κ, and a discrepancy audit by pragmatic act. Agreement was 89.1% with κ = 0.491. Errors were non-random across acts (χ²(12) = 69.4, p < 0.001). After Benjamini–Hochberg False Discovery Rate correction across 26 cells, only two categories remained significant: false positives concentrated in Command and false negatives in Deceit. Missing prosodic and gestural cues likely exacerbate command-specific failures. In conclusion, in text-only settings, GPT-4o can serve as a supervised second coder for healthy-aging assessments of pragmatic competence, under human oversight. Safe clinical deployment requires population-specific validation and multimodal inputs that recover nonverbal cues. Full article

Background: Neurological disorders are the leading cause of disability, affecting over three billion people worldwide. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is among the most feared and uniformly fatal neurodegenerative diseases, with no therapy capable of restoring lost function. Methods: We report the first application of therapeutic fever to ALS using Computerized Brain-Guided Intelligent Thermofebrile Therapy (CBIT²). This fully noninvasive treatment, delivered through an FDA-approved computerized platform, digitally reengineers the 1927 Nobel Prize-recognized malarial fever therapy into a modern treatment guided by the Brain–Eyelid Thermoregulatory Tunnel. CBIT² induces therapeutic fever through synchronized hypothalamic feedback, activating heat shock proteins, which are known to restore proteostasis and neuronal function. Case presentation: A 56-year-old woman was diagnosed with progressive ALS at the Mayo Clinic, with electromyography (EMG) demonstrating fibrillation and fasciculation indicative of denervation corroborated by neurological and MRI findings; the patient was informed that she had an expected survival of three to five years. A neurologist from Northwestern University confirmed the diagnosis and thus maintained the patient on FDA-approved ALS drugs (riluzole and edaravone). Her condition rapidly worsened despite pharmacological treatment, and she underwent CBIT², resulting in (i) electrophysiological reversal with complete disappearance of denervation; (ii) biomarker correction, including reductions in neurofilament and homocysteine, IL-10 normalization (previously linked to mortality), and robust HSP70 induction; (iii) restoration of gait, swallowing, respiration, speech, and cognition; (iv) reconstitution of tongue structure; and (v) return to complex motor tasks, including golf, pickleball, and swimming. Discussion: This case provides the first documented evidence that ALS can be reversed through digitally reengineered fever therapy aligned with thermoregulation, which induces heat shock response and upregulates heat shock proteins, resulting in the patient no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for ALS and discontinuation of ALS-specific medications. Beyond ALS, shared protein-misfolding pathology suggests that CBIT² may extend to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and related disorders. By modernizing this Nobel Prize-recognized therapeutic principle with computerized precision, CBIT² establishes a framework for large-scale clinical trials. A century after fever therapy restored lost brain function and so decisively reversed dementia paralytica such that it earned the 1927 Nobel Prize in Medicine, CBIT² now safely harnesses the therapeutic power of fever through noninvasive, intelligent, brain-guided thermal modulation. Amid a global brain health crisis, fever-based therapies may offer a path to preserve thought, memory, movement, and independence for the more than one-third of humanity currently affected by neurological disorders. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) is profoundly transforming medicine and healthcare, evolving from analytical tools aimed at automating specific tasks to integrated components of complex socio-technical systems. This work presents a conceptual and theoretical review proposing the Model–Context–Relation (M–C–R) framework to interpret how the effectiveness of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine and healthcare emerges from the dynamic alignment among algorithmic, contextual, and relational dimensions. No new patient-level data were generated or analyzed. Through a qualitative conceptual framework analysis, the study integrates theoretical, regulatory, and applicative perspectives, drawing on the Revision of the Semiological Paradigm developed by the Palermo School, as well as on major international guidelines (WHO, European AI Act, FDA). The results indicate that AI-supported processes have been reported in the literature to improve clinical accuracy and workflow efficiency when appropriately integrated, yet its value depends on contextual adaptation and human supervision rather than on algorithmic performance alone. When properly integrated, AI functions as a digital semiotic extension of clinical reasoning and may enhance the physician’s interpretative capacity without replacing it. The M–C–R framework enables understanding of how performance, ethical reliability, and organizational sustainability emerge from the alignment between the technical model, the context of use, and relational trust. In this perspective, AI is conceptualized not as a decision-maker but as an adaptive cognitive partner, fostering a reflective, transparent, and person-centered medicine. The proposed approach supports the design of sustainable and ethically responsible AI systems within a Medicine of Complexity, in which human and artificial intelligence co-evolve to strengthen knowledge, accountability, and equity in healthcare systems. Full article

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating complication of trauma, causing long-term disability and significant socioeconomic burden. Beyond the primary mechanical insult, secondary injury cascades involving apoptosis, oxidative stress, and inflammation amplify tissue damage. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate these processes at the post-transcriptional level, yet data on circulating miRNAs in human SCI remain scarce. This study aimed to characterize acute plasma miRNA expression patterns in isolated traumatic SCI that may indicate SCI-specific signatures. Plasma was collected from five SCI patients at admission and 48 h post-injury and five healthy controls (HCs), and next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on plasma RNAs. Differentially expressed miRNAs were identified, and selected candidate miRNAs were validated by droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in an expanded cohort of SCI patients, polytrauma patients without neurotrauma (PT), and HC (each n = 8). Pathway enrichment and validated target analysis were performed to assess biological relevance of candidate miRNAs. At emergency room admission, 46 miRNAs were differentially expressed in SCI plasma (18 upregulated, 28 downregulated). By 48 h, a global downregulation was observed, with 47 miRNAs significantly decreased compared with HC. ddPCR validation revealed markedly stronger suppression of miR-182-5p, miR-190a-5p, miR-144-5p, and miR-30c-5p expression levels in SCI compared with PT. Pathway analysis indicated enrichment of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation pathways, and target prediction suggested that the identified miRNAs may be linked to neuroprotective and regenerative functions. Our findings demonstrate early and profound alterations in circulating miRNAs after acute SCI. The downregulation of the identified miRNAs may reflect maladaptive changes that promote neuroinflammation and hinder axonal regeneration, although the exact functional consequences remain to be clarified. These data suggest that circulating miRNAs could hold promise as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and, potentially, as therapeutic targets to influence secondary injury processes. However, given the exploratory nature and limited sample size of this study, the findings should be validated in larger, sufficiently powered cohorts to robustly delineate differences between patient groups. Full article