Search Results (836)

Background: This review explores the influence of eco-anxiety on sustainable consumption, with a specific focus on the urban context. While the literature on green consumerism continues to expand, the role of emotional and psychological factors, especially eco-anxiety, in shaping sustainable consumption decisions remains underexplored. Most existing studies emphasize cognitive, social, or contextual drivers, often overlooking affective dimensions that may significantly influence consumer behavior. Addressing this gap, the review examines how emotional responses to climate change, such as eco-anxiety, inform and potentially motivate eco-friendly consumption patterns. Understanding these affective pathways offers valuable insights on how individuals and urban communities can effectively adapt to climate change and establish a sustainable consumption culture. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Sciences databases, following a predefined keyword strategy, resulting in 56 initial records. We further implemented a supplementary search of gray literature on Google Scholar to search for additional reports. The full-text screening process identified 12 eligible studies based on the following inclusion criteria: quantitative or mixed-methods studies focusing on adult and young adult individuals, including both measures of eco-anxiety and green consumption and assessing their direct or indirect relationship. Results: Findings suggest that eco-anxiety functions as a cognitive–affective motivator for sustainable consumer choices; however, the strength and direction of this influence appear contingent on moderating emotional and psychological variables and cross-cultural and demographic moderators. Discussion: This review highlights the need for urban-focused intervention tailored communication, marketing, and business strategies that address the emotional dimensions of climate change. Policymakers and businesses are encouraged to consider affective drivers as eco-anxiety to promote sustainable consumption stewardship within urban communities. By addressing these psychological responses, urban societies can become more resilient and proactive in confronting climate change challenges. Full article

A vast majority of survivors of intimate partner violence (IPV) experience economic abuse, including but not limited to, employment sabotage. The purpose of this study is to further understand IPV by testing a technology-inclusive abuser-initiated workplace disruption measurement in an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) so that future researchers can better examine and address economic abuse. Using a sample of survivors (N = 312) employed in the nursing profession in the United States, who may be uniquely impacted by technology, we used complete data to examine experiences of abuser-initiated workplace disruptions, including those that utilized cellphones (e.g., excessive texting, harassment of coworkers, preventing educational advancement). The results revealed a two-factor structure: one containing a variety of direct and indirect workplace disruptions relevant to the nursing profession (73% of variance) and a second containing only cell-phone related harassment (9% of variance). Implications for healthcare employers seeking to protect employees from IPV, as well as policymakers, are included. Full article

Background/Objectives: The role of environmental modifications and design in mitigating behavioural symptoms is increasingly being recognised as a way to address the psychosocial needs of individuals with dementia. This study aims to investigate various nature-based interventions for reducing agitation in people with dementia in long-term residential care environments. Methods: Database searches were conducted on MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science. A literature search was conducted with the following inclusion criteria: (i) peer-reviewed journal publication written in English; (ii) random controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental design with results for pre- and post-testing reported; (iii) interventions using natural elements, where the effectiveness of the reduction in agitation was measured using a validated instrument; and (iv) participants aged 65 and older with dementia residing in long-term care facilities. Results: This meta-analysis included 29 studies with 733 participants. The results showed that such interventions had a significant negative mean effect on lowering agitation in this population. Additionally, intervention settings (indoor vs. outdoor) and the presence of social interaction were significant predictors of the effect size for agitation reduction. At the same time, no significant differences in effect size were observed between the types of experiences with nature (indirect vs. direct) or the duration of the interventions. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that, when thoughtfully applied, nature-based interventions can significantly alleviate agitation in patients with dementia residing in long-term residential care facilities. This review lays the groundwork for future research aimed at developing design guidelines and planning strategies to integrate natural elements into dementia-friendly environments effectively. Full article

Intuitive eating is an adaptive eating style that could help explain part of the relation between affect and eating behaviors. However, research in this area remains limited. The objectives of this study are twofold. First, we examine the relation between affect, disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (DEABs), and orthorexia nervosa (ON). Second, we investigate the mediating role of intuitive eating regarding these relations. A sample of 197 French-speaking Canadian women, aged from 18 to 69, participated in the study. The results showed that negative affect was related to DEABs and ON, but not positive affect. Statistically significant associations were also found between affect (negative and positive) and the four dimensions of intuitive eating. Additionally, negative relations were found between intuitive eating dimensions and most types of eating behaviors (encompassing DEABs and ON), except for dieting. Finally, our results revealed that the relations between affect (positive and negative) and most types of eating behaviors were indirect (i.e., suggesting mediation) via intuitive eating. Based on these results, it seems that interventions addressing affect regulation and eating behaviors could benefit from including a focus on intuitive eating. Full article

This study addresses a gap in hospitality research by investigating how employees’ perceptions of green intellectual capital (GIC) influence their satisfaction with both career and life. Although sustainability has become increasingly relevant in organizational strategies, limited research has examined how such job resources affect employees’ attitudes. Guided by the Job Demands–Resources (JD-R) framework, the study proposes a model in which organizational embeddedness (OE) mediates the relationship between green intellectual capital (GIC) and satisfaction outcomes, while thriving at work (TAW) moderates this pathway. The analysis is based on data collected from 371 employees working in four- and five-star hotels in Turkey. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypotheses. The findings show that positive perceptions of green intellectual capital (GIC) are associated with stronger embeddedness, which, in turn, enhances career and life satisfaction. Moreover, this indirect effect is more pronounced among employees who report higher levels of thriving. The results emphasize how sustainability-oriented practices can serve as meaningful resources that improve employee outcomes in the hospitality industry. Full article

Sustainable manufacturing is gaining attention in the scientific literature. However, it remains unclear how to effectively incorporate it within Production Planning and Control (PPC) tasks. All the choices taken in terms of PPC impact sustainability, and sustainability managers and planners or managers involved in tasks, such as scheduling or inventory management, are not conscious of what this means or implies, above all, in terms of the sustainable performance indicators on which their actions can act. While several studies have addressed both PPC and sustainability, there is still limited guidance or structured frameworks specifically aimed at systematically linking PPC tasks with sustainability indicators in a practical and operational industrial context, despite the development of numerous sustainability standards in recent years. For this reason, this research aimed to develop a first detailed framework, specifically based on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard, that associates the most relevant indicators with the PPC phases, highlighting the type of impact (direct or indirect) of each phase on them. This could help with strategic decisions and promote more informed choices. The overall framework revealed the prevalence of environmental aspects involved in PPC phases (as expected) and a challenge related to the measurability of indicators (above all, the social ones). Furthermore, the Material Requirements Planning (MRP), identified as the most significant phase in terms of its impact on sustainability, was deeply analyzed, providing details related to the decision-making processes of this phase that affect sustainable performance. Full article

With the rapid expansion of higher education in China, university teachers are facing increasing workloads and mounting performance pressures, posing significant threats to their occupational health. Consequently, how to enhance job performance while safeguarding faculty well-being has become a critical issue for higher education administrators. This study aims to explore the role of health-promoting leadership (HPL) in addressing the dual challenge of enhancing university teachers’ job performance while maintaining their occupational health. Drawing on the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, this study conceptualizes job burnout as both a core indicator of occupational health and a mediating variable, as well as proposing a dual-path model to examine the direct and indirect effects of HPL on teachers’ job performance. A survey of 556 university teachers in Jiangxi Province, China, was conducted; the data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 22.0 and AMOS version 26.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA). The findings suggest that HPL is positively associated with job performance, both directly and indirectly through reduced burnout, supporting a dual-pathway mechanism consistent with COR theory. These results contribute to a better understanding of the potential role of HPL in balancing teacher well-being and performance in the context of Chinese higher education. This study also extends the cross-cultural application of COR theory and provides theoretical and practical insights into how HPL may help alleviate teacher burnout and support the development of health-promoting universities. Full article

Background and aim: The death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of delivery, regardless of the cause of death, or even up to one year after the end of the pregnancy, due to causes related to or aggravated by pregnancy remains a critical public health problem globally and in Colombia. While the country shows a general decreasing trend (preliminary Maternal Mortality Ratio 38.6/100,000 live births in 2023), significant regional disparities persist. Understanding precise underlying causes, especially in high-complexity referral centers, is vital. This study describes the sociodemographic and anatomopathological characteristics associated with autopsy-verified maternal mortality cases at a Level-4 hospital in southwestern Colombia (2000–2023). Methodology: A descriptive observational retrospective study analyzed 42 maternal mortality cases verified by clinical autopsy (2000–2023) at the Pathology Department of Universidad del Valle, a Level-4 referral center in Cali, Colombia. Cases met the WHO definition. Data on sociodemographic, clinical, and pathological characteristics were retrospectively extracted from clinical records and autopsy reports. Results: The analysis of 42 autopsies (2000–2023) showed that 85.7% were early maternal deaths. Indirect causes predominated (57.1%, n = 24) over direct (42.9%, n = 18). Septic shock was the main indirect cause (65.2% of indirect), often from endemic infections. Hypovolemic shock due to PPH was the main direct cause (50% of direct). A high proportion were from subsidized/uninsured schemes (65.7%) and had a migratory history (20%). Discussion and conclusions: This study highlights the value of autopsy in revealing maternal mortality etiologies, showing a predominance of indirect/infectious causes and endemic diseases often missed clinically, despite PPH remaining the main direct cause. Findings reaffirm the strong link between maternal death and social/economic inequity, access barriers, and regional/migratory vulnerabilities. Effectively reducing maternal mortality necessitates rigorous clinical management, regionalized public health strategies addressing inequities, and integrating pathological data for targeted surveillance. Full article

Amidst the global strategic transition towards low-carbon energy systems, electric vehicles (EVs) are pivotal for achieving deep decarbonization within the transportation sector. Consequently, enhancing the scientific rigor and precision of their life-cycle carbon footprint assessments is of paramount importance. Addressing the limitations of existing research, notably ambiguous assessment boundaries and the omission of dynamic coupling characteristics, this study develops a dynamic regional-level life-cycle carbon footprint assessment model for EVs that incorporates time-variant carbon emission factors. The methodology first delineates system boundaries based on established life-cycle assessment (LCA) principles, establishing a comprehensive analytical framework encompassing power battery production, vehicle manufacturing, operational use, and end-of-life recycling. Subsequently, inventory analysis is employed to model carbon emissions during the production and recycling phases. Crucially, for the operational phase, we introduce a novel source–load synergistic optimization approach integrating dynamic carbon intensity tracking. This is achieved by formulating a low-carbon dispatch model that accounts for power grid security constraints and the spatiotemporal distribution of EVs, thereby enabling the calculation of dynamic nodal carbon intensities and consequential EV emissions. Finally, data from these distinct stages are integrated to construct a holistic life-cycle carbon accounting system. Our results, based on a typical regional grid scenario, reveal that indirect carbon emissions during the operational phase contribute 75.1% of the total life-cycle emissions, substantially outweighing contributions from production (23.4%) and recycling (1.5%). This underscores the significant carbon mitigation leverage of the use phase and validates the efficacy of our dynamic carbon intensity model in improving the accuracy of regional-level EV carbon accounting. Full article

In higher education, the emotional intelligence (EI) of university professors, defined as the ability to perceive, understand, manage and utilize emotions effectively, is increasingly recognized as a pivotal factor in enhancing students’ academic achievement and psychological well-being. However, the scarcity of studies directly linking professors’ EI to students’ well-being highlights a critical research gap. This systematic review investigates how professors’ emotional competencies influence student outcomes—such as academic performance, engagement, motivation, and mental health—and identifies the factors that mediate or moderate these effects. Findings indicate that professors’ EI, particularly empathy, emotional regulation, and interpersonal skills, significantly enhances student engagement, motivation, and academic satisfaction, with indirect effects on psychological well-being. Cultural context, teaching modality (e.g., online vs. in-person), and professors’ age and experience moderate these effects and influence effect sizes. Qualitative synthesis further highlighted contextual gaps in the literature. The limited focus on well-being and outcomes and reliance on self-report measures underscore the need for longitudinal, culturally diverse studies and performance-based EI assessments. The value of this research lies in its potential to inform evidence-based educational practices and institutional policies. By elucidating the role of professors’ EI, the review lays the groundwork for developing faculty training programs aimed at strengthening emotional competencies and fostering inclusive, supportive learning environments that promote student growth and resilience. This is especially relevant given the growing prevalence of stress, anxiety, and disengagement among university students, exacerbated by post-pandemic challenges and academic pressures. Understanding the impact of EI can inform culturally responsive interventions, improve student retention, and enhance institutional effectiveness, thereby addressing a pressing need in contemporary higher education. In today’s rapidly evolving technological, social, and cultural landscape, universities have both the opportunity and the responsibility to act as catalysts for the creation of an educational culture that promotes social well-being. This requires adopting educational and organizational models that prioritize human care and the quality of interpersonal relationships. To be effective, these priorities must be integrated into all university operations, from governance to student support and talent development. Full article

With the rapid evolution of social computing, online sentiments have become valuable information for analyzing the latent structure of social networks. Sentiment leaders in social networks are those who bring in new information, ideas, and innovations, disseminate them to the masses, and thus influence the opinions and sentiment of others. Identifying sentiment leaders can help businesses predict marketing campaigns, adjust marketing strategies, maintain their partnerships, and improve their products’ reputations. However, capturing the complex sentiment dynamics from multi-hop interactions and trust/distrust relationships, as well as identifying leaders within sentiment-aligned communities while maximizing sentiment spread efficiently through both direct and indirect paths, is a significant challenge to be addressed. This paper pioneers a challenging and important problem of sentiment leader identification in social networks. To this end, we propose an original solution framework called “SentiRank” and develop the associated algorithms to identify sentiment leaders. SentiRank contains three key technical steps: (1) constructing a sentiment graph from a social network; (2) detecting sentiment communities; (3) ranking the nodes on the selected sentiment communities to identify sentiment leaders. Extensive experimental results based on the real-world datasets demonstrate that the proposed framework and algorithms outperform the existing algorithms in terms of both one-step sentiment coverage and all-path sentiment coverage. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm performs around 6.5 times better than the random approach in terms of sentiment coverage maximization. Full article

Practical Byzantine Fault Tolerance (PBFT) has been widely used in consortium blockchain systems; however, it suffers from performance degradation and susceptibility to Byzantine faults in complex environments. To overcome these limitations, this paper proposes RE-BPFT, an enhanced consensus algorithm that integrates a nuanced node credibility model considering direct interactions, indirect reputations, and historical behavior. Additionally, we adopt an optimized ID3 decision-tree method for node classification, dynamically identifying high-performing, trustworthy, ordinary, and malicious nodes based on real-time data. To address issues related to centralization risk in leader selection, we introduce a weighted random primary node election mechanism. We implemented a prototype of the RE-BPFT algorithm in Python and conducted extensive evaluations across diverse network scales and transaction scenarios. Experimental results indicate that RE-BPFT markedly reduces consensus latency and communication costs while achieving higher throughput and better scalability than classical PBFT, RBFT, and PPoR algorithms. Thus, RE-BPFT demonstrates significant advantages for large-scale and high-demand consortium blockchain use cases, particularly in areas like digital traceability and forensic data management. The insights gained from this study offer valuable improvements for ensuring node reliability, consensus performance, and overall system resilience. Full article

In academia, innovation intentions among students are a highly sought-after outcome due to their overarching positive impacts on performance and well-being, especially in the higher education context. This research addresses entrepreneurial education and its influence on innovation intentions across several universities in Beirut, Lebanon. The research also examines the indirect effects of opportunity recognition and psychological capital as mediators and fear of failure as a moderator. Through the lens of the theory of planned behavior, the stimulus-organism-response model, and the entrepreneurial event model, a survey was designed. A total of 263 samples were collected from the students of three universities in Beirut where the academic setting was English, and international students were present. Using Partial Least Squares—Structural Equation Modeling, the data was analyzed, and the hypotheses were supported. Results suggest that the learning environment in universities is a major determinant of innovative outcomes for students. However, implementation of entrepreneurial education alone cannot be as effective as it needs to be; it must be complemented by initiatives that enhance perceptions and internal capabilities of students to achieve innovation in their behaviors. This highlights the vitality of psychological capital and fear of failure in this context. Full article

Eco-anxiety is a complex and multifaceted construct linked with engagement in pro-environmental behaviors. However, further investigation is needed to observe the putative psychological determinants potentially supporting this kind of relationship. In line with this, the study aimed to investigate differences between individuals with and without eco-anxiety in terms of their engagement in sustainable habits by also examining the psychological determinants above in terms of readiness to change (RTC). Additionally, the study also aimed to examine potential direct and indirect associations between these variables, distinguishing among the different dimensions of eco-anxiety as well as investigating the putative mediator role of RTC. Data were collected from 501 participants through an online survey. To address the research objectives, both Student’s t-tests and network analysis (NA) were conducted. Moreover, based on NA outputs, a mediation analysis was carried out. The results pointed out that certain dimensions of eco-anxiety (e.g., rumination) are directly linked to the enactment of pro-environmental behaviors. Conversely, other dimensions (e.g., behavioral symptoms) appear to be indirectly associated with sustainable behaviors through readiness to change (RTC). Moreover, the network analysis pointed out that some eco-anxiety dimensions may act differently in support of sustainable action engagement through a gender-sensitive perspective. Finally, the mediation analysis confirmed the role of some of the RTC dimensions in mediating the link between eco-anxiety factors and pro-environmental behaviors. In conclusion, this study highlighted the multidimensional nature of eco-anxiety, suggesting that, for certain dimensions, it may be necessary to target specific psychological determinants to effectively foster pro-environmental behavioral engagement. Full article

Sewage sludge, a by-product of biological wastewater treatment, poses significant environmental and health risks if not properly managed. Anaerobic digestion (AD), widely used as a stabilization technology for sewage sludge, faces challenges such as rate-limiting hydrolysis steps and difficult dewatering of residual digestate. To address these issues, thermal hydrolysis (TH) has been explored as a pretreatment or post-treatment method. This study systematically analyzes the typical sludge treatment pathways incorporating TH either as a pretreatment step to AD or as a post-treatment step, combined with incineration or land application for the final disposal. The mass balance algorithm was applied to evaluate the chemical consumption, and energy input/output calculations were conducted to assess the potential effects of TH on energy recovery. Carbon emissions were estimated using the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology, considering direct, indirect, and compensated carbon emissions. The results indicate that applying TH as a post-treatment significantly reduces the carbon emissions by 65.94% compared to conventional AD, primarily due to the enhanced dewaterability and reduced chemical flocculant usage. In contrast, TH as a pretreatment step only moderates the emission reduction. The combination of post-TH with land application results in the lowest carbon emissions among the evaluated pathways, highlighting the environmental benefits of this approach. All the findings here are expected to provide insights into optimizing the technical combination mode of sludge processing pathways in terms of minimizing carbon emission. Full article