Search Results (1,463)

According to the literature, the advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) has increased individual exposure to scams, turning fraud victimization into a significant concern. While prior research has primarily focused on socio-demographic predictors of fraud victimization, this study adopts a behavioral perspective that is grounded in the Signal Detection Theory (SDT) to investigate the likelihood determinants of individuals becoming fraud victims. Using survey data of 671 Indonesian respondents analyzed with the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), we explored the roles of vigilance and financial literacy in moderating the relationship between fraud exposure and victimization. Our findings substantiate the notion that higher exposure to fraudulent activity significantly increases the likelihood of victimization. The results also show that vigilance negatively moderates the relationship between fraud exposure and fraud victimization, suggesting that individuals with higher vigilance are better at identifying scams, thereby decreasing their likelihood of becoming fraud victims. Furthermore, financial literacy is positively related to vigilance, indicating that financially literate individuals are more aware of potential scams. However, the predictive power of financial literacy on vigilance is relatively low. Hence, while literacy helps a person sharpen their indicators for detecting fraud, psychological, behavioral, and contextual factors may also affect their vigilance and decision-making. Full article

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are becoming increasingly important for sustainable rural development through the smart village concept. This study aims to model ICT’s potential for public services management in European rural areas. It identifies ICT applications across rural service domains, analyzes how these technologies address specific rural challenges, and evaluates their benefits, implementation barriers, and future prospects for sustainable rural development. A qualitative content analysis method was applied using purposive sampling to analyze 79 peer-reviewed articles from EBSCO and Elsevier databases (2000–2024). A deductive approach employed predefined categories to systematically classify ICT applications across rural public service domains, with data coded according to technology scope, problems addressed, and implementation challenges. The analysis identified 15 ICT application domains (agriculture, healthcare, education, governance, energy, transport, etc.) and 42 key technology categories (Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cloud computing, digital platforms, mobile applications, etc.). These technologies address four fundamental rural challenges: limited service accessibility, inefficient resource management, demographic pressures, and social exclusion. This study provides the first comprehensive systematic categorization of ICT applications in smart villages, establishing a theoretical framework connecting technology deployment with sustainable development dimensions. Findings demonstrate that successful ICT implementation requires integrated urban–rural cooperation, community-centered approaches, and balanced attention to economic, social, and environmental sustainability. The research identifies persistent challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, limited digital competencies, and high implementation costs, providing actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners developing ICT-enabled rural development strategies. Full article

This study explores digital inequality as a socio-spatial phenomenon within the context of smart inclusion, focusing on the Regional Unit of Xanthi, Greece—a region marked by ethno-cultural diversity and pronounced urban–rural contrasts. Using a mixed-methods design, this research integrates secondary quantitative data with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews, aiming to uncover how spatial, demographic, and cultural variables shape digital engagement. Geographic Information System (GIS) tools are employed to map disparities in internet access and ICT infrastructure, revealing significant gaps linked to geography, education, and economic status. The findings demonstrate that digital inequality is particularly acute in rural, minority, and economically marginalized communities, where limited infrastructure intersects with low digital literacy and socio-economic disadvantage. Interview data further illuminate how residents navigate exclusion, emphasizing generational divides, perceptions of technology, and place-based constraints. By bridging spatial analysis with lived experience, this study advances the conceptualization of digitally inclusive smart regions. It offers policy-relevant insights into how territorial inequality undermines the goals of smart development and proposes context-sensitive interventions to promote equitable digital participation. The case of Xanthi underscores the importance of integrating spatial justice into smart city and regional planning agendas. Full article

Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are increasingly necessary in the educational context. Digital resources could support socio-educational practices to intervene with vulnerable groups, such as people with disabilities, and improve their accessibility and inclusion. This study aims to analyse educators’ perceptions of ICT resources for socio-educational intervention with people with disabilities, as well as to determine their training needs and the possibilities and risks derived from their use. A qualitative methodology has been used to analyse the content of 12 semi-structured interviews with social educators. All of them work with students with disabilities in the extracurricular field. Based on the results, the educators habitually use popular digital devices, such as computers. They regularly search for content on the internet to obtain and disseminate ideas, perceiving an adequate domain. However, there is a need for training on specific digital resources to intervene with students with disabilities. The study highlights the need to investigate the causes that may limit some ICT uses by educators and foster the design of specific training programmes to harness the potential of ICT in socio-educational intervention. Full article

Global resource depletion has intensified scrutiny on Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG12), where consumption-based material footprint serves as a critical sustainability metric. Despite its transformative potential, the paradoxical role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in resource conservation remains underexplored. This study adopts an extended STIRPAT model as the analytical framework. It employs the Method of Moments Quantile Regression to evaluate the non-linear effects of digitalization-related indicators and other influencing factors on material footprint. The analysis is conducted across different quantiles for G20 countries from 2000 to 2020. The results show that (1) ICT exhibits a substantial positive effect on consumption-based material footprint under all quantiles. This leads to an increase in the material footprint, hindering the G20’s progress toward achieving SDG12. (2) The impact of ICT varies notably, with a more pronounced adverse effect on SDG12 in countries with higher resource consumption. (3) ICT goods export trade, technological innovation, and globalization significantly mitigate ICT’s adverse impact on resource consumption. This study provides targeted recommendations for G20 countries on how to leverage ICT to achieve SDG12 more effectively. Full article

In Korea, the Public Health Center Mobile Healthcare Project was implemented in 2016. This project utilizes Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and big data to establish a health-related service foundation and a healthcare service operation system. Equipment and methods: This study recruited 1261 adolescents (660 males (13.40 ± 1.14 years, 156.12 ± 10.59 cm) and 601 females (13.51 ± 1.23 years, 154.45 ± 7.48 cm)) from 22 public health centers nationwide. Smart bands were provided, and the ‘Future Health’ application (APP) was installed on personal smartphones to assess body composition, physical fitness, and physical activity. Results: A paired sample t-test revealed height, 20 m shuttle run, grip strength, and long jump scores significantly differed after 24 weeks in males. Females exhibited significant height, 20 m shuttle run, grip strength, sit-ups, and long jump differences. Moderate physical activity (MPA, p < 0.001), vigorous physical activity (VPA, p < 0.001), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA, p < 0.001) were significantly different after 24 weeks in adolescents. These results establish that an ICT-based health promotion service can provide adolescent students with individual information from a centralized organization to monitor health behaviors and receive feedback regardless of location in South Korea. Full article

Teacher education plays a key role in promoting inclusion and educational equity, especially in contexts characterised by increasing socio-cultural diversity and technological advancement. In this framework, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and digital technologies are presented as complementary and innovative strategies to create accessible, flexible, and motivating learning environments for all students. The study analysed the impact of UDL-focused learning activities and integrated Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). A comparative tool was applied before and after the intervention to measure the level of knowledge, perception, and digital competence of prospective teachers. Statistical analyses were carried out to evaluate the changes obtained. Findings reveal significant improvements in knowledge about UDL, as well as positive perceptions of ICT as a resource for inclusion. Participants demonstrated a greater understanding of UDL principles and strengthened their digital competences to design educational proposals adapted to diversity. The research confirms the value of integrating UDL and ICT in teacher training, fostering inclusive educational practices. It highlights the need to strengthen training programmes that respond to the current challenges of the education system. Full article

This study investigates the dynamic relationship between maritime trade and cultural convergence between China and Saudi Arabia, with a particular focus on the roles of creative goods and information and communication technology (ICT) exports as proxies for sociocultural integration. Utilizing quarterly data from 2012 to 2021, the analysis employs the Toda–Yamamoto Granger causality approach within a Vector Autoregression (VAR) framework. This methodology offers a robust means of testing causality without requiring data stationarity or cointegration, thereby reducing estimation bias and enhancing applicability to real-world economic data. The empirical model examines causal interactions among maritime trade, creative goods exports, ICT exports, and population, the latter serving as a control variable to account for demographic scale effects on trade dynamics. The results indicate statistically significant bidirectional causality between maritime trade and both creative goods and ICT exports, suggesting a reciprocal reinforcement between trade and cultural–technological exchange. In contrast, the relationship between maritime trade and population is found to be unidirectional. These findings underscore the strategic importance of cultural and technological flows in shaping maritime trade patterns. Furthermore, the study contextualizes its results within broader policy initiatives, notably China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, both of which aim to promote mutual economic diversification and regional integration. The study contributes to the literature on international trade and cultural economics by demonstrating how cultural convergence can serve as a catalyst for strengthening bilateral trade relations. Policy implications include the promotion of cultural and technological collaboration, investment in maritime infrastructure, and the incorporation of cultural dimensions into trade policy formulation. Full article

The Dangerous Goods Transportation (DGT) presents significant challenges, requiring a strong and systematic risk assessment framework to ensure the safety and efficiency of the supply chain. This study addresses a critical gap by integrating a deterministic and holistic approach to risk assessment and management. Utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), meteorological data, and material-specific information, the research develops a data-driven approach to identify analyze, evaluate, and mitigate risks associated with DGT. The main objectives include monitoring dangerous goods flows to identify critical risk areas, optimizing emergency response using a shared model, and providing targeted training for stakeholders involved in DGT. The study leverages Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to systematically collect, interpret, and evaluate data, producing detailed risk scenario maps. These maps are instrumental in identifying vulnerable areas, predicting potential accidents, and assessing the effectiveness of risk management strategies. This work introduces an innovative GIS-based risk assessment model that combines static and dynamic data to address various aspects of DGT, including hazard identification, accident prevention, and real-time decision support. The results contribute to enhancing safety protocols and provide actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners aiming to improve the resilience of technological systems for road transport networks handling dangerous goods. Full article

The increasing number of natural and man-made disasters registered at the global level is causing a significant amount of damage. This represents one of the main sustainability challenges at the global level. The collapse of the Twin Towers, Hurricane Katrina, and the nuclear accident at the Fukushima power plant are some of the most representative disaster events that occurred at the beginning of the third millennium. These relevant disasters need an enhanced level of preparedness to reduce the gaps between the plan and its implementation. Among these actions, training and exercises play a relevant role because they increase the capability of planners, managers, and the people involved. By focusing on the exposure risk component, the general objective of the research is to obtain quantitative evaluations of the exercise’s contribution to risk reduction through evacuation. The paper aims to analyze serious games using a set of methods and models that simulate an urban risk reduction plan. In particular, the paper proposes a transparent framework that merges transport risk analysis (TRA) and transport system models (TSMs), developing serious game activities with the support of emerging information and communication technologies (e-ICT). Transparency is possible through the explicitation of reproducible analytical formulations and linked parameters. The core framework of serious games is constituted by a set of models that reproduce the effects of players’ choices, including planned actions of decisionmakers and travel users’ choices. The framework constitutes the prototype of a digital platform in a “non-stressful” context aimed at providing more insights about the effects of planned actions. The proposed framework is characterized by transparency, a feature that allows other analysts and planners to reproduce each risk scenario, by applying TRA and relative effects simulations in territorial contexts by means of TSMs and parameters updated by e-ICT. A basic experimentation is performed by using a game, presenting the main results of a prototype test based on a reproducible exercise. The prototype experiment demonstrates the efficacy of increasing preparedness levels and reducing exposure by designing and implementing a serious game. The paper’s methodology and results are useful for policymakers, emergency managers, and the community for increasing the preparedness level. Full article

This study explores the integration of digital media tools—specifically TikTok, online press news analysis, and digital portfolios—into pre-service chemistry teacher education to enhance student engagement, foster conceptual understanding, and highlight the relevance of chemistry in society. The educational intervention involved 138 pre-service teachers who analysed digital news articles to reflect on the societal and environmental implications of chemistry, promoting media literacy and awareness of socioscientific issues. Additionally, they created short-form TikTok videos, using social media to communicate scientific concepts creatively and interactively. All participants compiled their work into digital portfolios, which served as both a reflective and integrative tool. A post-course Likert-scale questionnaire (N = 77) revealed high overall satisfaction with the methodology, with 94.8% valuing the news analysis activity and 59.7% finding TikTok particularly engaging. Despite some limitations regarding access to technical infrastructure, the findings indicate that incorporating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in this manner supports motivation, meaningful learning, and the development of key teaching competencies. This case study contributes practical insights into ICT use in science education. Full article

Background: The mechanisms through which information and communication technology (ICT) use influences chronic disease self-management remain unclear. Method: This cross-sectional investigation examined the mediating effects of health literacy, social support, and self-efficacy on the association between ICT use and self-management behaviors among older adults (≥60 years) with comorbidities in China (n = 520). The participants were recruited from a tertiary hospital in Shanghai (July 2023–June 2024), and data on sociodemographics, self-management, health literacy, social support, self-efficacy, and ICT use were collected via structured questionnaires. Results: Pearson’s correlation analysis revealed a significant association between ICT use, health literacy, social support, self-efficacy, and chronic disease self-management (p < 0.001). Multiple mediation modeling revealed a direct positive effect of ICT use on self-management (b = 1.3314, 95% CI = 0.6629, 2.0002). Furthermore, significant indirect effects were observed, mediated independently by both health literacy and social support. Additional serial mediation pathways included health literacy → social support, health literacy → self-efficacy, social support → self-efficacy, and a comprehensive pathway from health literacy through social support to self-efficacy. Conclusions: These findings collectively indicate that ICT use directly enhances chronic disease self-management among older adults with comorbidities. Moreover, ICT use indirectly improves self-management by enhancing health literacy, augmenting social support, and bolstering self-efficacy. Full article

Background: Traditionally, auditory rehabilitation in people with hearing loss has sought training in auditory skills to achieve an understanding of sound messages for communication. Assistive or supportive technology is limited to hearing aids that transmit sound through the air or bone to be used by the individual, and only in recent times have technologies for rehabilitation, of high cost and difficult access, begun to be used, employed by audiology professionals. Objective: The objective of this study was to compile the evidence reported in the literature on the use of technology in auditory rehabilitation for the improvement of hearing skills in people with hearing loss, beyond hearing aids and cochlear implants. Method: A systematic review of the literature was conducted between 2018 and 2024 in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, using as search terms Technology AND “Auditory Rehabilitation” validated in DeCS and MeSH thesauri; the PICO method was used to propose the research question, and the PRISMA strategy was used for the inclusion or exclusion of the articles to be reviewed. Results: In the first search, 141 documents were obtained. Subsequently, inclusion criteria, such as development with vibrotactile stimulation, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), among others, and exclusion criteria, such as those related to cochlear implants and air conduction hearing aids, were applied, and finally, articles related to natural language processing, and other systematic reviews were excluded so that the database was reduced to 14 documents. To this set, due to their relevance, two papers were added, for a total of sixteen analyzed. Conclusions: There are solutions ranging from the use of smartphones for telehealth to solutions with multiple technologies, such as the development of virtual environments with vibrotactile feedback. Hearing-impaired people and even professionals in this area of healthcare have a high level of acceptance of the use of technology in rehabilitation. Finally, this article highlights the crucial role of technology in auditory rehabilitation, with solutions that improve hearing skills and the positive acceptance of these tools by patients and audiology professionals. Full article

The demographic shift toward an aging population calls for innovative strategies to ensure independence, health, and quality of life in later years. In this context, Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) solutions, supported by Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), offer promising advances for non-invasive and continuous support. Commonly, ICTs are evaluated only from the perspectives related to key performance indicators (KPIs); nevertheless, the design and implementation of such technologies must account for important psychological, social, and ethical dimensions. Radar-based sensing systems are emerging as an option due to their unobtrusive nature and capacity to operate without direct user interaction. This work explores how radar technologies, particularly those operating in the millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum, can provide core key value indicators (KVIs) essential to aging societies, such as human dignity, trustworthiness, fairness, and sustainability. Through a review of key application domains, the paper illustrates the practical contributions of mmWave radar in Ambient Assisting Living (AAL) contexts, underlining how its technical attributes align with the complex needs of elderly care environments and produce value for society. This work uniquely integrates key value indicator (KVI) frameworks with mmWave radar capabilities to address unmet ethical needs in the AAL domain. It advances existing literature by proposing a value-driven design approach that directly informs technical specifications, enabling the alignment of engineering choices with socially relevant values and supporting the development of technologies for a more inclusive and ethical society. Full article

This paper explores the concept of evolutionary urban resilience by framing cities as complex, open, and adaptive Social-Ecological-Technological Systems (SETS), shaped by multi-scalar dynamics, systemic uncertainty, and interdependent crises. It challenges the reductionist view of resilience as a fixed capacity or linear sequence of risk management phases, and instead proposes a process-based paradigm rooted in learning, creativity, and the ability to navigate disequilibrium. The framework defines urban resilience as a continuous and iterative transformation process, supported by: (i) a combination of tangible and intangible qualities activated according to problem typology; (ii) cross-domain processes involving infrastructures, flows, governance, networks, and community dynamics; and (iii) the engagement of diverse agents in shared decision-making and coordinated action. These dimensions unfold across three incremental and interdependent scenarios—baseline, critical, and chronic crisis—forming a ladder of resilience that guides communities through escalating challenges. Special emphasis is placed on the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) as relational and adaptive tools enabling distributed intelligence and inclusive governance. The framework also outlines concrete operational and policy implications for cities aiming to build anticipatory and transformative resilience capacities. Applied to the case of Taranto, the approach offers insights into how structurally fragile communities facing conflicting adaptive trajectories can unlock transformative potential. Ultimately, the paper calls for a shift from government to governance, from control to co-creation, and from reactive adaptation to chaos generativity, recasting urban resilience as an evolving project of collective agency, systemic reconfiguration, and co-production of emergent urban futures. Full article