Search Results (540)

Global progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains critically off track, with current trends indicating that only 17% of targets will be met by the deadline. As sustainability transitions increasingly depend on regional and institutional capacity, understanding heterogeneous transition pathways and resilience across territorial contexts is essential. This study investigates whether observed divergence in SDG performance reflects temporary setbacks or persistent structural regimes characterised by distinct institutional and technological configurations. Using panel data from over 160 countries (2019–2024), we employ annual latent class analysis to identify hidden structures in SDG performance across 15 goals, introducing intertemporal volatility as a dimension of development dynamics. We complement this with ordered logistic regression to examine structural determinants of regime membership, including governance quality, digital infrastructure, health investment, and macroeconomic indicators. Our analysis identifies three temporally stable development regimes—lagging, transitional, and leading—with fewer than 15% of countries transitioning between classes over the observation period. ANOVA results reveal that internet access and government effectiveness exhibit the most substantial between-regime differences. Ordered logit models indicate that governance quality and digital connectivity are the strongest correlates of regime membership (government effectiveness: β = 0.943, p < 0.001; internet penetration: β = 0.049, p < 0.001), whereas short-term GDP growth exerts negligible influence (p > 0.10). These findings challenge assumptions of linear convergence in sustainable development and provide a data-driven framework for evaluating transition dynamics across diverse territorial contexts. The results suggest that achieving the SDGs requires that deep structural constraints be addressed—particularly digital divides and institutional quality—through regionally targeted policy design rather than relying solely on incremental adjustments or economic growth. The identified regimes provide a basis for place-based targeting by distinguishing contexts where governance and digital capacity constraints are binding. Full article

Globalisation, accompanied by the rapid advancement of digital technologies, has become the bedrock of contemporary economies. However, the global digital divide has hindered many economies from enjoying the benefits of enhanced digitalisation. This study addresses the question: to what extent is there evidence of digital convergence or divergence among global economies, and what specific patterns of club clustering exist within the African continent? Employing a quantitative research design with secondary panel data from 123 countries (38 African), the study applies the Phillips and Sul convergence and club clustering algorithm to analyse digitalisation trends. The findings reveal that African countries exhibit significantly stronger within-club convergence dynamics than broader developing country groups, with Africa’s adjustment speed (σ = 2.5624) exceeding the Global South average (σ = 0.8394) by more than threefold. This indicates that African nations are following a similar ICT development trajectory and catching up with other global regions at an accelerated rate. However, the study identifies substantial digital inequality within Africa itself, as countries fail to converge to a single steady state, instead forming distinct convergence clubs. These results underscore that digitalisation follows a systematic and continuous process determined by both technological advancement and countries’ absorptive capacity to adopt these technologies. Full article

Workspace digitalisation presents a transformative shift from traditional, physically bounded offices to virtual, technology-enabled environments. Digital technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things enable remote collaboration, data accessibility, and operational efficiency, thereby accelerating this transformation. Digital workspaces transcend geographical limitations, enabling a more flexible, inclusive, and adaptive work culture. They offer better work–life balance, with flexible options, reduced commuting time, and increased personal autonomy and control over commitments, compared to traditional workspaces. Despite these benefits, digitalisation creates cybersecurity, data privacy, and digital divide issues, where unequal access to digital tools and skills can exacerbate social and economic inequalities. The lack of physical interaction affects team cohesion and company culture. Hence, this paper explores these phenomena to uncover their implications and consider possible strategies to optimise workspace digitalisation, providing a comprehensive systematic review of extant literature within the study context, offering pragmatic insights and recommendations for workspaces. This study has found workspace digitalisation to be a complex, multifaceted phenomenon that provides flexibility, efficiency, and innovation, but also poses challenges that must be carefully managed. It postulates that as technology and work progress, a hybrid model that blends digital and traditional workspaces would be suited to each organisation’s needs and goals. Full article

Background/Objectives: The advent of the pandemic catalysed the global adoption of digital health services. In Spain, this transition has markedly influenced eHealth accessibility, particularly through mobile-based technologies. This study compares reported real-access experiences of users of digital health at two key moments—2018 (pre-pandemic) and 2025 (post-pandemic)—to identify how access determinants have evolved. Methods: The evolution of users who have accessed digital health resources and their characterization, including the specification of who uses websites and mobile applications, was analyzed using binary logistic regression models for each year. These models incorporated sociodemographic characteristics and patterns of device usage as predictors. Results: Access to digital health services increased significantly between 2018 and 2025. The proportion of the population using such services increased from 50.2% to 85.4%. The use of mobile applications grew from 24.4% to 80.2%. In 2018, access was linked to a wider range of factors, including age, education, municipality size, self-rated health, and computer or tablet use. In contrast, the 2025 model revealed a more concentrated set of determinants. Age emerged as the primary barrier, especially >65 years, reducing the likelihood of eHealth access. Meanwhile, frequent use of digital devices (e.g., computers, smartwatches) was positively correlated with accessing eHealth. Conclusions: The study reveals an increase in access to digital health services in Spain, accompanied by shifts in the factors influencing this access. Notwithstanding technological advances, the digital divide could persist as a major impediment to access for the groups mentioned earlier. This analysis suggests the need for targeted digital inclusion measures, especially as mobile platforms are becoming the main entry point to healthcare services. Full article

Amid the accelerating waves of global digitalization and the deepening interplay of cultural diversity, urban creative spaces have become pivotal arenas for the digital creative industry—yet a systematic, cross-culturally robust tool for assessing their sustainability remains conspicuously absent. Here, we address this gap by constructing a multi-dimensional evaluation framework derived from a systematic literature review, comprising five primary dimensions—AIGC technology integration, cultural heritage preservation, the economic benefits of the digital cultural industry, ecological synergy and social inclusiveness, and governance and policy support—along with 20 secondary indicators. To enhance methodological rigor, we integrate the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IFAHP) to determine indicator weights while mitigating the subjective biases inherent in traditional approaches and employ the TOPSIS method to quantitatively assess and rank the creative spaces of five representative cities: London, Shanghai, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Berlin. Our findings reveal that London leads in comprehensive sustainability, followed closely by Shanghai, with sensitivity analysis confirming the high robustness of the rankings. The originality of this work lies in reconceptualizing AIGC not as a conventional digital instrument but as a core transformative driver embedded within the evaluation architecture, while the application of IFAHP substantially enhances the scientific validity and methodological reliability of the assessment. This research provides an operational diagnostic tool and actionable optimization pathways for advancing the sustainability of urban creative spaces worldwide, offering practical implications for fostering cultural innovation, bridging the digital divide, promoting social inclusiveness, and informing evidence-based urban governance policies. Full article

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) represent a growing global health burden, affecting nearly one in ten adults worldwide. CKD is associated with high morbidity, premature mortality, reduced quality of life and enormous healthcare costs, and is primarily driven by dialysis and kidney transplantation. The silent and progressive nature of CKD means that most patients are diagnosed late, when irreversible damage has already occurred and costly kidney replacement therapies (KRT) become necessary. Dialysis services are resource-intensive, requiring significant infrastructure, specialized staff, and consumables, which makes them especially challenging to sustain in low- and middle-income countries. Traditional models of nephrology, care center-based dialysis and fragmented follow-up are increasingly inadequate in meeting the demands of a rising CKD population. These challenges highlight the urgent need for innovative approaches that enhance efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and expand access. Objective: This review aims to analyze the current landscape of information and communication technology (ICT) applications in nephrology and to evaluate how digital innovations are reconfiguring kidney therapy. Specifically, it seeks to identify the major ICT tools that are currently in use, assess their clinical and operational impact, and discuss their role in creating more sustainable, patient-centered kidney care models. This study reviews and analyzes ICT tools that are reconfiguring nephrology, including remote monitoring, AI, wearables, patient engagement apps and data dashboards. Methods: Narrative and scoping review of recent innovations in nephrology, including remote patient monitoring (RPM), telehealth, artificial intelligence (AI) analytics, wearable sensors, and clinical decision support platforms. Results: ICT tools such as Sharesource, Versia, telenephrology platforms, medical assistant for Chronic Care Service (MACCS), AI-based predictive analytics, wearable devices and patient engagement apps have improved patient outcomes, adherence, and early detection of complications. Key metrics include technique survival, hospitalization rate, patient-reported outcomes, workflow efficiency, and prediction accuracy. The relevant literature describing the potential of digital health technologies, including ICT platforms, artificial intelligence tools, and remote monitoring systems, to transform nephrology care was retrieved and screened for inclusion in this narrative review. Conclusions: ICT has shifted nephrology from reactive to proactive care, enhancing accessibility, patient empowerment and clinical efficiency. Future directions include precision nephrology, fully wearable kidneys, AI integration and large language models for education and triage. Challenges include digital divide, regulatory heterogeneity, cost and the need for long-term evidence. Full article

This study employs bibliometric analysis, utilizing the visualization tools CiteSpace 6.3.R1 and VOSviewer 1.6.18, to systematically examine 8727 documents from the Web of Science Core Collection (2000–2024) related to “resilient cities” and “urban resilience.” It explores the evolution of resilient city research, current international trends, practical developments in China, and future directions. The study addresses key questions concerning the theoretical foundations of resilient cities, research advances in the security field, China’s implementation pathways, and emerging trends. Findings indicate that resilient city discourse has evolved from a narrow focus on engineering-based disaster prevention toward a multidimensional, socio-ecological–economic adaptive system. This progression can be divided into three phases: the theoretical foundation period (2000–2008), the technological integration period (2009–2018), and the complex crisis response period (2019–present). Internationally, practices are increasingly centered on climate change adaptation, supported by multi-level governance frameworks such as the MCR2030 initiative. China demonstrates a “dual-track” approach that combines policy-driven initiatives with localized innovations, advancing through international pilot projects, domestic policy experimentation, and grassroots exploration. The study also highlights differences between Chinese and Western research in perspectives, methodologies, and theoretical frameworks. Future resilient city development is expected to emphasize systematization, digitalization, and equity, leveraging technologies such as digital twins and artificial intelligence while fostering community participation and multi-scale collaborative governance. By systematically outlining the theoretical evolution and practical logic of resilient cities, this study offers insights for urban resilience building in developing countries and provides a methodological reference for enhancing resilience capabilities across different administrative levels. Full article

The Metaverse has become a central concept in the evolution of digital transformation, but its current development is marked by conceptual ambiguity, technological fragmentation and the limited presence of structured frameworks for the systematic assessment of its maturity. The Metaverse is currently approached from partial perspectives that often focus on virtual worlds rather than conceptualizing it as a multidimensional digital ecosystem. This study proposes a multidimensional model of Metaverse maturity divided into three stages (Emergent, Developed and Integrated) and five analytical dimensions (experience, interoperability, standardization, technology and resources). The model is based on a systematic literature review of the academic and non-academic sources. It aligns these dimensions systematically with the layered architecture of the Metaverse and formalizes their interdependence through a structured impact-mapping procedure. This maturity model offers an analytical tool for comparing contexts and sectors, identifying bottlenecks, and guiding strategic planning. It establishes a conceptual framework for future empirical validation and sector-specific applications. Full article

Integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into mathematics education holds significant potential to enhance learning outcomes; however, its effectiveness in resource-constrained higher education contexts remains uneven due to persistent digital divide barriers. This quantitative study investigates how socioeconomic status shapes first-level (technology access) and second level (digital skills and institutional support) digital divide barriers, and how these factors relate to students’ perceptions of AI-driven mathematics learning. Grounded in van Dijk’s digital divide theory, a cross-sectional survey was administered to 121 undergraduate mathematics students at a historically disadvantaged higher education institution. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and Chi-square analyses were employed to examine associations among socioeconomic status, access, skills, institutional support, and AI perceptions. The findings indicate that material access barriers, such as limited devices and internet connectivity, remain prevalent among disadvantaged students but show weak or inconsistent associations with perceptions of AI. In contrast, institutional support demonstrates a statistically significant positive relationship with students’ perceptions of AI training (r = 0.212, p < 0.05), highlighting its central role in shaping readiness for AI-enhanced learning. Overall, the results suggest that second-level digital divide factors, particularly structured institutional support, are more influential than access alone in determining students’ engagement with AI in mathematics education. The study implies the need for universities to move beyond infrastructure provision toward comprehensive and sustained institutional strategies that foster confidence, guided engagement, and equitable AI adoption. Full article

Background/Objectives: Among vat polymerization technologies, liquid-crystal display (LCD) 3D printing has gained popularity in dentistry because of its affordability and acceptable resolution. However, the factors influencing the dimensional accuracy of LCD-printed surgical splints, particularly build platform position, remain insufficiently investigated. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of build platform position on the trueness and precision of orthognathic surgical splints fabricated using LCD 3D printing technology. Methods: Thirty-six surgical splints were printed from a master digital file using an LCD 3D printer. All surgical splints were printed with a 90-degree layer orientation to the building platform. The layer thickness was set at 100 μm. The surgical splints were divided into three groups according to their printing position on the building platform: middle (M), left (Lt), and right (Rt). Each 3D-printed surgical splint was sprayed with an opaque scanning spray and then rescanned to create digital files for testing. A surface-based superimposition and deviation analysis was performed using specialized 3D software to evaluate accuracy of surgical splints. Root mean square error (RMSE) values were statistically analyzed. Results: There were no statistically significant differences in trueness among the middle, left, and right printing positions on the build platform (p > 0.05). In contrast, printing position significantly affected precision, with surgical splints printed at the center of the build platform demonstrating significantly lower RMSE values compared with those printed at the left and right positions (p < 0.001). In addition, no significant difference in precision was detected between the left and right positions. Conclusions: The printing position on the build platform significantly influences the precision of orthognathic surgical splints fabricated using LCD 3D printing technology. Splints printed at the central region of the build platform exhibited the highest precision, whereas trueness was not significantly affected by printing position. These findings suggest that preferential placement of surgical splints at the center of the build platform may improve fabrication consistency and predictability in digital orthognathic surgery workflows. Full article

This paper presents a pilot study on cross-device variability in online signature dynamics captured on consumer Samsung devices using S-Pen technology. Signature data were acquired on two devices, a Galaxy Ultra smartphone and a Galaxy Tab S6 Lite tablet, through a unified web-based interface designed to ensure consistent capture across platforms. The acquisition process recorded timestamped x–y trajectories, stroke events, and pressure information when available, preserving temporal structure for dynamic analysis. Genuine signatures were systematically divided into reference and test sets, and comparisons were performed under intra-device conditions (enrollment and verification on the same device) and cross-device conditions (enrollment and verification on different devices). Similarity was evaluated using Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) on multivariate time series, with analysis focused on how differences in form factor and writing area influence signature behavior. This problem is directly relevant to mobile biometric authentication workflows, where users frequently enroll on one device and later verify on another; under this mismatch scenario, reduced separability between genuine and impostor scores can affect decision reliability. Consistent with this interpretation, the results show lower dissimilarity in intra-device comparisons and higher distances with ROC degradation under cross-device mismatch. These findings provide exploratory evidence that device heterogeneity is a practical factor in mobile signature verification and support the need for cross-device-aware design in authentication systems used for digital transactions and document authorization in real-world mobile environments. Full article

This study aims to analyze the effect of individuals’ digital capital on life satisfaction in the digital global marketing environment and to structurally verify the mediating effects of digital self-efficacy and the level of E-commerce utilization in this process. For this purpose, data from the 2023 Digital Divide Survey conducted by Statistics Korea was utilized, and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analyses were conducted. The results indicate that the sub-factors of digital capital—digital competence, digital support resources, and social capital—all have significant positive effects on digital self-efficacy. Furthermore, digital self-efficacy exerts a significant positive influence on both the level of E-commerce utilization and life satisfaction. In addition, the level of E-commerce utilization was found to have a modest but statistically significant direct effect on life satisfaction. Mediation analysis based on SEM revealed that digital self-efficacy functions as a key mediating mechanism linking digital capital to life satisfaction. While indirect effects through digital self-efficacy were consistently supported, the sequential mediation pathway involving both digital self-efficacy and E-commerce utilization level appeared relatively weak, suggesting that psychological confidence plays a more central role than behavioral usage alone. Overall, these findings suggest that digital capital extends beyond mere access to technology or frequency of use and forms a structural pathway influencing quality of life primarily through psychological empowerment and, to a lesser extent, digital behavioral engagement. This study contributes to digital divide research by presenting an integrated analytical framework connecting digital capital, digital self-efficacy, E-commerce utilization level, and life satisfaction, and provides empirical evidence supporting the importance of policies and educational interventions that enhance individuals’ digital self-efficacy alongside practical e-commerce-based digital education. Full article

There is increasing pressure on South African Universities of Technology (UoTs) to incorporate cutting-edge Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to enhance teaching and learning. Adopting Learning Management Systems (LMSs), which offer adaptable, easily accessible, and data-driven education, is essential to this change. Nevertheless, many UoT lecturers still struggle to successfully adopt and use LMS platforms, even with investments in digital infrastructure and policy development. This study presents the equity-sensitive Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework as a conceptual addition to inclusive digital pedagogy and investigates lecturers’ experiences with LMS integration at South African UoTs. This study aimed to explore how lecturers at South African UoT experience the adoption and integration of LMSs and to examine how institutional support, digital literacy, and infrastructural factors shape inclusive digital pedagogy. The results of an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) of six interviews with academic staff were structured into three thematic subsections (i.e., (1) lecturers’ experiences of LMS adoption, (2) institutional, infrastructural and personal factors and (3) institutional support, training and inclusivity) that directly align with the three study’s research questions. Rethinking TPACK from an equity-sensitive perspective advances theory by establishing access and equity as central mediating conditions of technology integration, especially in Global South higher education contexts with limited resources. In practical terms, the findings show that to promote inclusive and sustainable LMS adoption, specific capacity building, policy alignment, and institutional investment are required. The paper is relevant to policymakers, academic developers, and institutional leaders because of these implications, which align with the National Digital and Future Skills Strategy, the National Research Foundation (NRF) priorities, and the Department of Higher Education and Training’s (DHET) White Paper on Post-School Education. Full article

Against the backdrop of China’s “Dual Carbon” strategy, transitioning to high-quality energy development (HQED) is imperative for balancing decarbonization with economic resilience. This study explores the transformative role of the digital economy as a primary driver of this transition. Using provincial panel data from 2013 to 2023, we employ a two-way fixed effects model to quantify the impact of digital economy on high-quality energy development. Our empirical results demonstrate that the digital economy significantly bolsters high-quality energy development, a finding that holds across rigorous robustness and endogeneity checks. Mechanism analysis reveals three critical transmission pathways: fostering technological innovation, accelerating industrial structure upgrading, and promoting industrial sophistication. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis indicates a pronounced positive effect in the Eastern and Central regions, whereas the impact in the Western region remains limited, highlighting a “digital divide” in energy transition. These findings suggest that policymakers should prioritize digital infrastructure in lagging regions and leverage digital tools to bridge the gap between industrial upgrading and energy efficiency. Full article

Driven by cleaner energy demands, environmental regulations, and technological advances, coal science is rapidly evolving, creating the need to understand its transition and transformation within the global energy research landscape. Building upon earlier national- and topic-specific bibliometric studies, this study presents a comprehensive long-term global bibliometric analysis of coal research (1975–2024), based on 272,370 Web of Science records, applying the Cross-Disciplinary Publication Index (CDPI), the Technology–Economic Linkage Model (TELM), VOSviewer, and Excel to assess research growth, structural shifts, and interdisciplinary integration. Results show that coal research is dominated by articles (74%) with publication output peaking at ~19,500 in 2024, reflecting fluctuations in global coal prices due to energy transition market dynamics. CDPI results highlight Energy & Fuels (0.83), Chemical Engineering (0.80), Environmental Sciences (0.77), Materials Science (0.74), and Geosciences (0.66), showing coal’s central role across technology, environment, and geological research domains and revealing a clear shift toward sustainability-oriented and advanced material applications. China leads output (122,130 publications), with strong contributions from the China University of Mining and Technology and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, while the USA, Australia, and Europe maintain strong international collaboration networks. The evolution of coal research can be divided into three major phases: conventional mining, coal preparation, combustion, and coalbed methane commercialization (1975–2004; ~64,000 publications); integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies (2005–2014; ~58,707 publications); and a recent phase dominated by by-product valorization, carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS), and digital technologies (AI, IoT, ML) (2015–2024; ~146,174 publications). Contemporary coal research spans three interconnected domains: energy supply (≈36% of global electricity generation and ~15 Gt CO₂ emissions), resource and geoscience applications (including large-scale fly ash utilization and critical element recovery), and environmental and health impacts related to greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. The findings demonstrate that coal science is transitioning from a conventional fossil fuel-centered discipline toward an integrated, interdisciplinary energy research field, emphasizing emission reduction, resource efficiency, digitalization, and circular economy applications, thereby extending prior bibliometric studies through unprecedented temporal coverage, global scope, and the combined application of CDPI and TELM frameworks, providing critical insights for future energy strategies and policy development. Full article