Search Results (131)

Purpose: Despite the increasing use of digital platforms during health emergencies, little is known about the cognitive and structural mechanisms through which social media quality information influences preventive healthcare behaviour, particularly in low-resource settings. Drawing on the integration of the Protection Motivation Theory and Andersen’s Behavioural Model, this study examines how social media quality information shapes preventive healthcare behaviour in Sierra Leone by investigating the mediating role of risk perception and the moderating role of psychological resilience. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey approach was adopted, and data were collected from social media users in Sierra Leone, Africa, and analysed using IBM SPSS 25 and SmartPLS 4.1 to evaluate the measurement and structural models. Results: The findings disclose that SMQI significantly influences preventive behaviour both directly and indirectly via RP. Furthermore, RES positively and significantly moderates the relationship between risk perception and preventive healthcare behaviour, acting as a catalyst for action, while access to preventive resources (AcPR) serves as a critical enabling factor. Implications: This study advances health behaviour theory by integrating cognitive, psychological, and structural determinants into a cohesive model and establishes resilience as a vital boundary condition for effective crisis response. The findings offer actionable insights for policymakers and health communicators to design high-quality social media interventions that not only inform citizens but also foster the psychological resilience necessary for sustained health compliance. Full article

This study explores the role of arts-based educational interventions in fostering social mending and urban regeneration in disadvantaged urban contexts. The intervention consisted of participatory mosaic workshops designed to foster cooperation, inclusion, and civic engagement, culminating in the co-creation of public artworks installed in a degraded urban underpass and included 193 children aged 5–15 living in Tor Bella Monaca, a highly marginalized suburb of Rome (Italy). The analysis of the intervention used a mixed-methods approach, based on systematic observation, questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis. The findings indicate that the artistic process acted as a catalyst for both individual and collective transformation: at the individual level, participation enhanced relational skills, emotional expression, and sense of agency; at the community level, the intervention contributed to the reactivation of public space, increased social cohesion, and improved care for the urban environment. We interpret these outcomes through the capability approach, identifying art as a “conversion factor” linking individual capabilities to collective regeneration. The intervention aligns with SDGs 4, 10, 11, and 17 of the 2030 Agenda and supports the relevance of scalable, community-based models for inclusive and sustainable urban policies in deprived areas. Full article

This exploratory, classroom-based mixed-methods study examined a five-phase, AI-supported multimodal literacy sequence implemented with 25 Grade 4 students over four weeks. The intervention combined interactive digital reading, collaborative narrative writing, AI-supported comic imagery, multimedia editing, and peer reflection. Quantitative analyses compared students’ baseline and post-intervention comprehension scores and summarized responses to a 12-item post-intervention questionnaire. Qualitative data from open-ended responses, classroom observations, and student artifacts were analyzed thematically. Students’ mean comprehension scores increased from 63.81 (SD = 9.70) at baseline to 75.37 (SD = 7.63) after the intervention, representing a significant within-group change, t(24) = 5.49, p < 0.001, dz = 1.10. Questionnaire responses were generally positive, particularly for original story writing, digital comic creation, and the addition of movement and sound. Three qualitative themes were identified: AI-supported representations as scaffolds for narrative comprehension, as catalysts for authorial identity and creative agency, and as mediators of collaborative meaning-making. Because the study used a single-group design and the comparability of the parallel assessment forms was supported through expert content review rather than large-scale psychometric equating, the findings should be interpreted as exploratory evidence of association rather than as causal effects of AI. The study nevertheless illustrates how developmentally appropriate, teacher-mediated AI activities may support multimodal literacy participation in primary education. Full article

Digital financial inclusion (DFI) serves as a key catalyst for corporate green transition, primarily by easing financing barriers to low-carbon investment and supporting emission abatement efforts. Leveraging a panel dataset of Chinese A-share firms from 2013 to 2023, this paper investigates how DFI influences CO₂ emissions and identifies the underlying channels. We find a significant negative correlation between access to DFI and CO₂ emissions, with the effect exhibiting pronounced regional heterogeneity, being significant primarily among firms located in eastern China, as well as large-scale enterprises and those in the public services and manufacturing sectors. Mediation tests indicate that this reduction operates through three interrelated pathways: accelerated green technological upgrading, strengthened environmental responsibility, and relaxed credit constraints for sustainability-oriented projects. Further analysis confirms that DFI fosters green transformation by encouraging cleaner production methods and promoting innovation in eco-friendly technologies. Accordingly, we recommend targeted policy interventions, differentiated by firm size and industry, to scale up DFI for corporate decarbonization, complemented by institutional reforms to ensure effective implementation. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study evaluated the effects of a five-day intensive intervention aboard the Italian Navy sailing vessel Nave Italia for both cognitively healthy older adults and individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, focusing on autonomy, depressive symptoms, quality of life, and mobility. Given the limited sample size, the study is framed as a proof-of-concept investigation of a multidimensional intervention that can be experienced jointly by older adults and, in the case of dementia, within a supportive relational context. Methods: The program integrated the “Nave Italia Method” developed by the Tender to Nave Italia Foundation with cognitive stimulation, physical exercise, social engagement, and emotional support within a highly immersive outdoor experiential context. A total of 30 participants were involved: 10 healthy older adults and 20 individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (10 embarked and 10 remained at home). Because of the small, non-randomized cohorts, the analyses focused primarily on within-group pre–post changes rather than formal between-group efficacy comparisons. Results: Autonomy and depressive symptoms showed no significant changes, while quality of life improved in embarked individuals with Alzheimer’s disease for the timeframe participants were directly in the intervention and showed a positive trend in cognitively healthy older adults. Balance and gait improved in the healthy older adult group for the same intervention timeframe, likely reflecting the combined effects of structured exercise and physically engaging shipboard activities. The program strongly stimulated motivation, perceived self-efficacy, and active participation, highlighting the importance of experiential learning in facilitating the transfer of skills to daily life. Findings suggest that brief, intensive, and immersive interventions can act as a motivational catalyst by enhancing emotional, social, and cognitive engagement and supporting adherence to more structured programs to be continued on land. Conclusions: Due to the lack of literature on integrated and multidimensional outdoor experiences designed for both cognitively healthy older adults and those living with dementia, the study addresses this gap by exploring the potential of unconventional and immersive interventions to promote the well-being and quality of life of older adults. These findings support the feasibility and short-term promise of the intervention as a proof of concept rather than as definitive evidence of efficacy. Full article

Material screening, including oxide catalyst discovery, remains constrained by costly synthesis-and-test cycles, making sample-efficient experiment selection a central challenge. Active learning can accelerate this process, but standard acquisition rules mainly optimize predictive utility and offer limited support for clarifying the causal structure behind material-screening targets. CIAL is a causal-structure-aware acquisition framework. It combines an intervention-inspired graph-structure term with expected improvement, using an adaptive schedule that begins with structure clarification and shifts toward prediction-oriented exploitation. On synthetic benchmarks with known ground-truth causal graphs, CIAL reduces final-iteration structural Hamming distance by 76.2% relative to the standard EI baseline; significance is assessed using two-sided Welch’s t-tests on final-iteration metrics across five random seeds, with $p=0.0036$ for SHD and $p<0.001$ for F1. For real-data screening, CIAL is evaluated on a Materials Project transition metal oxide benchmark built from filtered oxide entries with formation-energy labels and generic bulk/compositional descriptors. Formation energy is an upstream stability-relevant property, not a direct catalytic activity label. On the main MP benchmark, CIAL is competitive with EI; its clearest advantage over EI appears under NOTEARS-based cross-split validation, but random sampling achieves the highest inferred-reference graph agreement in several real-data settings. An exploratory OC20 catalyst dataset check follows the same ordering but remains statistically inconclusive. Ablation results show that neither the causal nor the predictive component alone recovers the full benefit of the combined policy. CIAL improves graph recovery on controlled synthetic benchmarks; the real-data evidence is mixed and protocol-dependent, establishing CIAL as a proof-of-concept structure-aware acquisition method rather than a validated catalyst-discovery framework. Full article

The sustainable regeneration of industrial heritage in cold regions is constrained by severe winter climates, pronounced seasonal shifts in behavior, and declining spatial vitality. However, existing studies have not sufficiently explained how cold-climate conditions reshape catalyst effects and regeneration performance in industrial heritage districts. This study proposes a digital shadow-enhanced and digital twin-enabled analytical framework for the sustainable regeneration of cold-region industrial heritage. Using the Youfang Street industrial heritage district in Harbin, China, as an exploratory case, the framework integrates multi-source data to construct a dynamic assessment system linking climatic constraints, spatial structure, and human activity patterns. The climate correction coefficient is further operationalized through normalized climatic variables, including air temperature, wind speed, snow-cover condition, and thermal-comfort indicators. The results indicate that winter conditions substantially weaken traditional catalyst mechanisms by reducing outdoor interaction, disrupting movement continuity, and increasing dependence on indoor transitional spaces. Simulation results further demonstrate that climate-responsive interventions, including enhanced indoor connectivity, mixed-use functional integration, and seasonal activity optimization, can improve regeneration performance and spatial resilience. The framework is presented as an exploratory single-case analytical model that requires further multi-city and multi-year validation. By combining digital shadow-supported simulation with sustainable urban regeneration theory, this study provides a transferable analytical framework and practical decision-support tool for industrial heritage revitalization in cold-region cities. Full article

Understanding when coordinated cooperation emerges in multi-agent systems, and when it fails, is a central question in the study of complex socio-economic dynamics. This paper develops a tripartite evolutionary game among three boundedly rational populations—local governments, agribusinesses, and smallholder farmers—and applies it to the diffusion of green agricultural technology, using conservation tillage in Northeast China’s black soil region as a concrete setting. The model incorporates a performance-based subsidy that is disbursed only upon realized adoption, thereby foreclosing subsidy capture. We derive the replicator dynamics, analyze the asymptotic stability of all eight pure-strategy equilibria, and, for the regime in which the system fails to converge, construct a first integral analytically and verify its conservation numerically to machine precision. Four findings emerge. First, the intuitively ideal fully coordinated state is dynamically unstable; the stable desirable outcome is one in which the government withdraws while the market sustains adoption. Second, under low initial willingness the system does not converge to any evolutionarily stable strategy but enters a sustained, conservative (center-type) oscillation—a policy-reversal trap that transient interventions cannot extinguish, placing the dynamics within the class of Hamiltonian-like evolutionary systems. Third, a sharp critical threshold in initial willingness partitions the state space into distinct basins of attraction, rendering policy effectiveness state-dependent. Fourth, within the modeled trap, credible penalties and enhanced agribusiness service capacity can engineer escape, whereas untargeted farmer subsidies are markedly less effective and may even deepen the oscillation. These results recommend treating public intervention as a transitional, regime-aware catalyst with a built-in exit. Beyond the agricultural setting, the analysis illustrates how conservative oscillations and multiple basins shape the controllability of multi-agent cooperation systems. Full article

Persisting ethnic disparities in pre-eclampsia (PE), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and maternal mortality call for a paradigm shift in how ethnicity is understood as a risk factor for PE. Starting from a migrant perspective, we argue that the transgenerational experience of maternal stress within shared, yet dynamic ecosocial contexts can be linked to core pathophysiological features of PE. A growing body of evidence suggests how a vicious cycle of chronic maternal stress, cardiovascular dysfunction, placental ER stress, and endothelial dysfunction may serve as a catalyst for the transmission of altered cardiovascular and neuro-endocrine stress reactivity patterns across generations, with a seemingly important role for foetal programming and epigenetics. As these alterations in stress reactivity patterns have in turn been associated with an increased risk of PE and CVD later in life, the resulting transgenerational chain reaction may ultimately allow for ethnic disparities in PE to be traced back to historic, stressful moments in the shared ecosocial contexts of ethnic minority women. Reconceptualising ethnicity as a proxy for the stratified and embodied experience of transgenerational maternal stress within its unique ecosocial contexts, rather than a stand-alone, non-modifiable risk factor, will therefore open new directions for future research, clinical care, and policy interventions aimed at advancing maternal health equity. Full article

Despite the proliferation of digital integration initiatives, many Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) remain trapped in a persistent “Conversion Gap,” where digital adoption fails to manifest as tangible financial performance. Grounded in Resource Conversion Theory, this study anatomizes the structural bottlenecks of this process through a multi-stage Causal AI architecture. Utilizing time-lagged data from 649 SMEs to control for endogeneity, I integrate Gaussian Mixture Modeling (GMM), Tiered Grand-DAG algorithms, and Necessary Condition Analysis (NCA) to decode the non-linear trajectories of value realization. The findings identify a “Low Integration” cohort (34.2%) that fails to translate digital usage into realized outcomes due to a severe deficit in Absorptive Capacity (ACAP). Crucially, NCA diagnostics reveal that ‘perceived usefulness’ serves merely as a necessary baseline condition, whereas ‘user satisfaction’ functions as the primary catalyst for value conversion. Furthermore, multi-group analysis (MGA) confirms that for the most vulnerable SMEs, the causal pathway to revenue is structurally severed (β = 0.000), rendering traditional, linear training interventions ineffective. I propose a fundamental shift toward data-driven, targeted interventions to address these specific structural barriers and facilitate sustainable digital value creation in the SME ecosystem. Full article

This qualitative study examines how menstruation structures the lives and futures of married adolescent girls in the Centre for Girls’ Education’s Married Adolescent Safe Spaces (MAS) program in rural northern Nigeria. It addresses a key gap by focusing on married adolescents and treating menstruation as a social process linked to early marriage, schooling, mobility, and sexual and reproductive health, rather than only a hygiene issue. Guided by an intersectional social ecological and menstrual health-and-rights framework, the study draws on three years of ethnographic fieldwork. Methods include participant observation in MAS clubs, in-depth interviews, informal group discussions, and Hausa field notes from multiple rural communities, analyzed through iterative thematic coding and collaborative memoing. Findings show that menstruation operates as a “catalyst of constraint.” Menarche signals sexual maturity, intensifying moral surveillance, prompting threats or realities of school withdrawal, and accelerating pressure toward marriage. Girls describe menstruation as a “joy killer” and becoming “a shadow of myself,” as stains, pain, and shaming by teachers and peers lead to absenteeism and, at times, permanent dropout. Silence and stigma mean that asking questions can be read as promiscuity, pushing girls away from parents, religious leaders, and male teachers and toward sisters, peers, and mentors for incomplete guidance. Structural deprivation further individualizes the burden of menstrual management. Poverty, lack of affordable pads and underwear, and inadequate WASH facilities compel girls to “make do” with cloths and other unsafe materials, restrict movement during bleeding, and engage in small income-generating activities or kin negotiations to obtain basic supplies. MAS safe spaces partially disrupt these patterns by offering rare venues to discuss menstruation openly, learn cycle tracking and hygiene, and build peer solidarity and self-advocacy. However, the analysis underscores that program benefits remain constrained when poverty, weak school infrastructure, and restrictive gender norms remain intact. The study highlights how equitable sexual and reproductive health interventions must integrate menstrual health centrally, combining safe-space programming with subsidized products, improved WASH infrastructure, protective school policies, and norm change efforts. Full article

This study evaluates the potential of motorhome tourism to catalyze socioeconomic development in rural municipalities of southeastern Spain (provinces of Jaén, Granada, and Almería). Addressing the critical challenge of rural depopulation in “Empty Spain” (España Vaciada), the research employs a mixed-methods approach covering the period 2022–2024. The methodology is centered on a two-tier empirical design: (i) a provincial-level analysis of eight municipalities, and (ii) an in-depth case study of Vélez-Blanco. A fundamental component of the research was the direct ethnographic validation and field audit conducted by the Fernández-Dutto family during an extensive journey from March to September 2025. By staying two to three nights at each location, the researchers performed in situ assessments of infrastructure quality and bioclimatic efficiency, providing a primary “ground-truth” dataset. These observations calibrate the longitudinal data obtained from the National Statistics Institute (INE) and digital platforms, which were utilized strictly as secondary screening tools for site selection. The results indicate statistically significant correlations between infrastructure quality, proximity to heritage attractions, and increases in local tourism-related expenditure. The study highlights how experiential fieldwork captures nuances in traveler behavior and site functionality that official records often overlook. The paper concludes by identifying strategic investment opportunities, specifically recommending the development of a motorhome service area in the municipality of María (María-Los Vélez area). This intervention is proposed as a vital catalyst to complete the regional tourism circuit and foster economic resilience in the heart of Almería’s rural landscape. Full article

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasingly recognized as a complex pathology rooted in systemic and organelle-level dysfunction, specifically involving chronic low-grade inflammation (CLGI), mitochondrial impairment, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Central to this pathophysiology is mitochondrial dysfunction, characterized by reduced respiration, impaired metabolic flexibility, and dysregulated fission/fusion machinery, which fuels a self-perpetuating cycle of reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. Concurrently, chronic ER stress triggered by hyperglycemia and lipotoxicity activates the unfolded protein response (UPR), further amplifying redox imbalance through the Endoplasmic Reticulum Oxidoreductin 1/Protein Disulfide Isomerase (ERO1/PDI) axis and bridging metabolic toxicity to inflammation via c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain–enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB) signaling. The Advanced Glycation Endproducts (AGEs) and the Receptor for Advanced Glycation Endproducts (RAGE) axis act as a molecular catalyst that sequester antioxidants and drive pro-inflammatory feedback loops. These converging mechanisms culminate in profound placental maladaptation, including structural abnormalities like chorangiosis and functional defects in nutrient transport mediated by hyperactive mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. This review article provides insight into recent evidence to elucidate the meta-inflammatory environment of GDM, where modest but sustained elevations in biomarkers like Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) disrupt redox homeostasis and impair insulin signaling pathways through the activation of stress-sensitive kinases. By integrating these molecular perspectives, the article underscores the necessity of targeting the systemic inflammatory and oxidative continuum spanning pre-conception to the antenatal period through lifestyle interventions and emerging therapeutic strategies to mitigate GDM risk and improve maternal–fetal outcomes. Full article

Background: Pediatric obesity (PO) is a chronic disease requiring multidisciplinary management. Recent clinical guidelines emphasize the need for accessible, patient-centered solutions, positioning mHealth interventions as vital “clinical extenders” in modern practice. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluate the efficacy and evolution of mHealth interventions for PO management between 2020 and 2026. Methods: A systematic search of electronic databases identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating mHealth for PO. Quality was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2 tool, and a meta-analysis was performed on a subset of studies reporting zBMI data. Results: Twenty-three RCTs met the inclusion criteria, of which six were included in the quantitative synthesis. The meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in BMI z-score (MD = −0.20; 95% CI: −0.36 to −0.04; p = 0.02), with moderate heterogeneity (I² = 60%; Q = 13.5, p = 0.019). Beyond anthropometric outcomes, mHealth interventions consistently improved behavioral parameters, including dietary quality and sedentary time. However, engagement declined over time in standalone digital interventions (“mHealth fade-out”), whereas hybrid models integrating human support demonstrated improved retention and sustained effects. Anthropometric and behavioral outcomes showed partially divergent trajectories, with behavioral improvements often preceding measurable changes in BMI, and data on body composition were rarely reported, limiting a more precise understanding of changes in adiposity beyond BMI. Conclusions: mHealth is an effective catalyst for obesity management when integrated into a multidisciplinary framework. Future protocols must prioritize developmental tailoring—targeting parental empowerment in early childhood and encouraging adolescent autonomy—to ensure sustained engagement and a clinical focus that looks beyond BMI. Full article

This paper examines DisAbitanti, a participatory cultural initiative developed in Corigliano d’Otranto (Grecìa Salentina, Southern Italy) to explore how performative and community-based practices may contribute to sustainable and proximity tourism in small heritage towns. The study adopts an exploratory qualitative case study design, combining participatory action research and artistic research, drawing on participant observation, reflective field diaries, semi-structured interviews with local actors and participants, and analysis of project materials and relevant local planning documents. The analysis identifies a set of emerging patterns suggesting that the reactivation of abandoned or underused spaces through site-specific performances and collective storytelling is associated with forms of resident participation, reconfiguration of resident–visitor roles, and off-season cultural activation. These dynamics contribute to strengthening local identity and social cohesion, while highlighting the role of cultural practice in place-based governance processes. The analysis indicates that performative interventions can act as catalysts for the emergence of informal governance dynamics within the case study, connecting local associations, artists, residents, and cultural organizers. This claim is supported by empirically observed indications, including the number and diversity of actors involved and the emergence of new collaborative interactions. While the findings are not intended to be generalizable, they provide analytical insight into how performative practices may enable forms of place-based coordination around heritage use and spatial activation, linking heritage experience to habitability and spatial equity. The paper concludes that DisAbitanti offers a context-sensitive approach for translating sustainability principles—consistent with the UN 2030 Agenda—into situated tourism governance practices, with potential relevance for other small inner peripheral towns facing seasonality and spatial marginalization. Full article