Search Results (1,222)

Background/Objectives: There is a growing need for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) assessment tools that are diagnostically aligned, clinically usable, and accessible across diverse service contexts. The Diagnostic Autism Spectrum Interview—Version 2 (DASI-2) is a freely available, semi-structured clinical interview mapped directly to DSM-5 and ICD-11 criteria. This pilot study aimed to adapt DASI-2 into Hungarian and explore the (1) acceptability of DASI-2 administration, (2) agreement with prior clinical ASD diagnoses, and (3) relationship between DASI-2 observational ratings and ADOS-2 classifications. Methods: Following a multistep translation procedure, DASI-2 was administered to seven children previously assessed for ASD in a multidisciplinary Hungarian clinical setting. The assessment included a parent interview, direct assessment with the child or young person, and completion of the DASI observational record (OR1–OR4). DASI diagnostic outcomes were compared with prior clinical decisions, and OR scores were analyzed in relation to ADOS-2 classifications. Results: All participants completed the DASI-2 interview in full. Agreement with prior clinical diagnosis was found in six of seven cases (κ = 0.70, indicating substantial agreement). When exploring the one non-aligned case, the divergence in diagnostic outcome was due to broader contextual information considered by the initial clinical team which influenced clinical opinion. The five participants diagnosed with ASD showed substantially higher DASI observational scores (mean = 15.26) than the two who were not diagnosed (mean = 1.57), mirroring ADOS-2 severity classifications. Conclusions: These findings support the acceptability and preliminary validity of DASI-2. Its inclusive structured observational record may provide a practical complement to resource-intensive tools such as the ADOS-2; however, further validation in larger and more diverse samples is needed. Full article

In the digital communication ecosystem, micro-influencers have influenced public response during crises, especially in complex geopolitical contexts. This paper introduces the micro-influencer impact model (MIIM), a framework for analyzing the impact of micro-influencers on crisis communication. The MIIM integrates four components (micro-influencer characteristics, message framing and delivery, audience factors, and crisis context) offering a comprehensive approach to understanding micro-influencer dynamics during crises. Cross-conflict analysis spanning Ukraine–Russia, Sudan–Ethiopia, Armenia–Azerbaijan, Myanmar, Syria, and India–Pakistan tensions demonstrates the MIIM’s broad applicability across diverse geopolitical crises, showing how factors like perceived authenticity, niche expertise, narrative personalization, and audience digital literacy consistently shape public opinion and crisis response. The MIIM synthesizes crisis communication theories, social influence models, and digital media research, providing a sophisticated framework for studying the dissemination of information and public engagement during crises. The paper proposes theoretically grounded propositions on the impact of micro-influencers, encompassing perceived authenticity, narrative framing, and influence over time, thereby laying the groundwork for future empirical research. Implications for communication scholars, crisis managers, policymakers, and social media platforms are discussed, emphasizing the MIIM’s relevance to theory and practice in crisis communication. Full article

This online survey aimed to gather consumer opinions on dairy products and production and to identify the potential market for A2 milk (milk containing exclusively β-casein A2, which reduces gastrointestinal discomfort after consumption). The questionnaire included seven sections covering the consumption of dairy products, sociodemographic aspects, awareness and purchase intention of A2 milk, questions about milk as a source of nutrients and health benefits, the environmental impact of milk production, and alternatives to cow milk. Responses from 672 Spanish consumers categorized into clusters (according to their milk consumption and their discomfort after drinking it), gender, age, educational level, and milk taste preference were analyzed using a linear multiple regression model. Dairy consumers not experiencing discomfort after drinking milk (62.6%) and those who preferred the taste of milk over plant-based alternatives (64.0%) demonstrated better knowledge of milk nutrients and its health benefits. Participants’ age, gender, and education level also influenced their perceptions, with older participants, women, and those with university education generally showing better results. In conclusion, clusters impact consumers’ milk perceptions as a nutritional source and its health benefits. The positive perception of milk’s nutritional benefits among dairy consumers experiencing discomfort after drinking milk (17.3%) positions them as a strong target market for A2 milk. Full article

Background: It is estimated that in Italy, there were 364,000 new diagnoses of neoplasms each year and that the overall incidence of blood cancers was 10% of these. Leukemia and lymphomas represented the ninth and eighth places, respectively, among the causes of death from neoplasia. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation represented an effective treatment option for many of these malignancies, and not only that: benign and congenital diseases could also be treated. Objective: To assess knowledge among the Apulian population regarding stem cell donation and factors that could influence this choice, focusing especially on the knowledge of the residents of Puglia, Italy on how stem cells were harvested and their functions, their reasons for joining the National Registry, and the reasons that hold them back from making such a choice. Study Design: An observational and cross-sectional study was conducted, through snowball sampling methodology, until data saturation. An online survey was conducted, which included several Italian associations. The questionnaire administered contained five main sections, such as sociodemographic data, knowledge of the existence of National Registries and their adherence, the nationwide presence of various associations that promote donation, knowledge with respect to the structure, use and functions of stem cells, sources of procurement, such as bone marrow, peripheral blood and umbilical cord, and related procedures, beliefs, attitudes, values, and opinions of the Italian population regarding the topic, and degree of information and education regarding bone marrow donation. Results: A total of 567 Apulian citizens were enrolled. Of these, 75.3% were female and 96.8% were aged between 18 and 65 years. Most of participants were single (46.9%) and married (47.3%) and had a diploma (44.4%), and less had a degree (35.8%). Significant differences were recorded between gender, singles, and married participants, and participants with a diploma or a degree and the items proposed. Conclusions: A true culture of donation in our region was not clearly spread. Although something has been accomplished in recent years in terms of deceased donor donation, still a great deal needs to be achieved for living donation, which encountered a great deal of resistance. It has been deemed necessary to seek winning solutions to this issue in terms of communication and information campaigns, raising awareness and empowering citizens to express consciously their concerns about organs and tissues and to stand in solidarity with those who suffered. Full article

Health professionals and institutions, as users and influencers, use social networks to disseminate information and knowledge about health issues, in the case of organ donation and transplantation (ODT) to spread the social benefits of the process and increase the positive attitude towards ODT. The aim of this work was to analyse the perception and use of social networks by university students of health sciences to determine whether, in their opinion, social platforms are suitable for the promotion of ODT after participating in an educational programme specialising in ODT and communication. The students indicated that social networks are a good medium for disseminating messages about ODT, with WhatsApp standing out as the most appropriate after the programme. Eighty-six per cent say that social media can positively influence the attitude towards ODT and 65% have started to follow ODT institutional accounts on social media. Addressing communication in specialisation programmes in the field of health and ODT raises awareness of the responsible use of social media among university health students and strengthens their capacity as prescribers of the social benefits of ODT. Full article

Objectives: Scarce data are available regarding preventive medicine in forcibly displaced populations especially regarding non-communicable diseases like neoplasia, while even more limited data are available on Ukrainian refugees in Romania. To address this research gap, the present analysis was performed to investigate Ukrainian refugee women’s beliefs, attitudes, and opinions towards the Romanian and Ukrainian healthcare system in a comparison model while focusing on the HPV immunization rates and factors influencing the uptake for themselves and their children. Methods: Participants were recruited using the snowball sampling method through their General Practitioner (GP) and a health mediator. Results: In total, 105 women completed the online or physical survey. The mean age was 50 years. In total, 40% of women had not been to a gynecological check-up in 3 or more years, and more than 56% had never been screened. Only four were vaccinated against HPV, and none remembered which type of vaccine was dispensed or how many doses were utilized. The primary hindrances to accessing health services or immunization programs were language barriers, financial burdens, and a lack of information. Respondents’ general distrust of health systems and healthcare workforces were recurrent themes. Relationship status, living arrangements, and previous engagement in screening practices influenced immunization rates. Perceiving the healthcare officials as proactive concerning optional vaccination programs such as HPV immunization and actively receiving recommendations drove respondents to pursue vaccination. Conclusions: This analysis offers a foundational insight into the specific needs of refugee women. It can guide the development of effective public health interventions to improve health outcomes and vaccination rates among Ukrainian refugees in Romania. Tailored preventive campaigns with adequate native language information and prompts from medical experts in designated centers should be deployed to ensure inclusive tactics for vulnerable populations. Full article

In order to address the pressing challenge posed by the proliferation of fake news in the digital age, we emphasize its profound and harmful impact on societal structures, including the misguidance of public opinion, the erosion of social trust, and the exacerbation of social polarization. Current fake news detection methods are largely limited to superficial text analysis or basic text–image integration, which face significant limitations in accurately identifying deceptive information. To bridge this gap, we propose the UC-CMAF framework, which comprehensively integrates news text, images, and user comments through an adaptive co-attention fusion mechanism. The UC-CMAF workflow consists of four key subprocesses: multimodal feature extraction, cross-modal adaptive collaborative attention fusion of news text and images, cross-modal attention fusion of user comments with news text and images, and finally, input of fusion features into a fake news detector. Specifically, we introduce multi-head cross-modal attention heatmaps and comment importance visualizations to provide interpretability support for the model’s predictions, revealing key semantic areas and user perspectives that influence judgments. Through the cross-modal adaptive collaborative attention mechanism, UC-CMAF achieves deep semantic alignment between news text and images and uses social signals from user comments to build an enhanced credibility evaluation path, offering a new paradigm for interpretable fake information detection. Experimental results demonstrate that UC-CMAF consistently outperforms 15 baseline models across two benchmark datasets, achieving F1 Scores of 0.894 and 0.909. These results validate the effectiveness of its adaptive cross-modal attention mechanism and the incorporation of user comments in enhancing both detection accuracy and interpretability. Full article

Higher-education institutions are increasingly embracing digital transformation to meet the evolving expectations of students, academics, and administrators. The smart campus paradigm offers a strategic framework for this shift, yet most existing assessment models originate from high-income contexts and remain largely untested in the Global South, where infrastructural and technological conditions differ substantially. This study addresses this gap by evaluating the contextual relevance of a comprehensive smart campus assessment framework at the Papua New Guinea University of Technology (PNGUoT). A questionnaire survey of 278 participants—students and staff—was conducted using a 5-point Likert scale to assess the perceived importance of performance indicators across four key dimensions: Smart Economy, Smart Society, Smart Environment, and Smart Governance. A hybrid methodology combining the Best–Worst Method (BWM) and Public Opinion (PO) data was used to prioritise framework components. The research hypothesises that contextual factors predominantly influence the framework’s relevance in developing countries and asks: To what extent is the smart campus assessment framework relevant and adaptable in the Global South? The study aims to measure the framework’s relevance and identify contextual influences shaping its application. The findings confirm its overall applicability while revealing significant variations in stakeholder priorities, emphasising the need for context-sensitive and adaptable assessment tools. This research contributes to the refinement of smart campus frameworks and supports more inclusive and responsive digital transformation strategies in developing country higher education institutions. Full article

Although group network characteristics significantly influence a group’s ability to exchange and absorb knowledge by listening to group members’ opinions, previous research on voice behavior has not yet fully addressed the social and relational factors in work groups that affect group-level voice. Specifically, in line with the “dark side of social capital” argument, this study examined the effects of group network density on group voice. In addition, drawing on the notion of status conflict, we further examined the moderating role of status conflict on the relationship between group network density and group voice. Using data from 55 work groups, we found an inverted U-shaped relationship between group network density and group voice. Moreover, we found that status conflict moderated the inverted-U effect of group density on group voice, such that when status conflict was high, (1) the overall level of group voice was reduced and (2) group voice decreased faster on the downward side of the inverted-U curve. Herein, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these results with relation to effective group management. 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

Putin’s Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and launched a massive invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This study is predicated on framing theory, which posits that the media contribute to the creation of individuals’ perceived reality. We analyzed how the European press presented Russian President Vladimir Putin during both episodes. Content analysis was used to examine a sample of 1009 opinion articles and editorials published in two leading newspapers in each of the five largest European economies. Subsequently, we quantified the frequency of the predominant frames as well as the tone (positive, neutral, or negative) the articles struck towards Putin. The results show that many more articles were published in 2022 than in 2014, and that the degree of negative views of Putin is also more pronounced in 2022. In both instances, historical motives were most often employed to frame Putin’s actions, such as Putin’s urge to reassert Russian influence in the former Soviet space and his reaction to the alleged lack of recognition of Russia as a superpower. Full article

Background/Objectives: The effective management of dental practices is increasingly recognized as a key factor in ensuring high-quality care, efficient operations, and interdisciplinary collaboration. While many dentists assume managerial responsibilities, formal training in healthcare or dental practice management may influence the quality of these practices. This study aims to evaluate the differences in organization, efficiency, and quality of care between dental clinics managed by dentists who have completed management training and those who have not. It also explores dentists’ knowledge and attitudes regarding dental practice management. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational, case–control study was conducted between 14 April and 14 May 2023, using an online questionnaire distributed to licensed dental practitioners in Romania. A total of 136 dentists participated, divided into a study group (n = 60), who had completed management courses and a control group (n = 76) who had not. Descriptive statistics and comparative analyses (t-tests, Chi-square tests) were performed using SPSS version 24, with significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Dentists with managerial training demonstrated greater implementation of strategic planning, financial performance monitoring, quality management, and use of digital tools. They also reported higher collaboration with interdisciplinary professionals—orthodontist 76.7% in the study group vs. 63.2% in the control group, medical assistant 78.3% in the study group vs. 47.4% in the control group, front desk 43.3% in the study group vs. 18.4% in the control group; better delegation of tasks—61.7% in the study group vs. 27.6% in the control group; and greater concern for team development—95% in the study group vs. 71% in the control group; and patient rights—81.7% in the study group vs. 75% in the control group. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were noted in management practices, opinions about the optimal manager for a dental practice, and the use of software tools. Conclusions: Managerial training equips dentists with critical skills for enhancing operational efficiency and care quality. Integrating management education into dental curricula and continuing professional development can substantially improve the sustainability and performance of dental practices. Full article

The evolution of public opinion on social media affects societal security and stability. To effectively control the societal impact of public opinion evolution, it is essential to study its underlying mechanisms. Public opinion evolution on social media primarily involves two processes: information dissemination and opinion interaction. However, existing studies overlook the bidirectional coupling relationship between these two processes, with limitations such as weak coupling and insufficient consideration of individual heterogeneity. To address this, we propose the SIS-FJ model with a bidirectional coupling mechanism, which combines the strengths of the SIS (Susceptible–Infected–Susceptible) model in information dissemination and the FJ (Friedkin–Johnsen) model in opinion interaction. Specifically, the SIS model is used to describe information dissemination, while the FJ model is used to describe opinion interaction. In the computation of infection and recovery rates of the SIS model, we introduce the opinion differences between individuals and their observable neighbors from the FJ model. In the computation of opinion values in the FJ model, we introduce the node states from the SIS model, thus achieving bidirectional coupling between the two models. Moreover, the model considers individual heterogeneity from multiple aspects, including infection rate, recovery rate, and individual susceptibility. Through simulation experiments, we investigate the effects of initial opinion distribution, individual susceptibility, and network structure on public opinion evolution. Interestingly, neither initial opinion distribution, individual susceptibility, nor network structure exerts a significant influence on the proportion of disseminating and non-disseminating individuals at termination. Furthermore, we optimize the model by adjusting the functions for infection and recovery rates. Full article

The social and civic participation of older adults has proven to be an asset that positively influences the dynamics of social inclusion that affect them, and expert opinion from international organisations calls for its inclusion in the development of public policies in response to the increasing longevity worldwide. However, the characteristics of this participation have not been sufficiently analysed. The main objective of this study was to test the explanatory capacity of an operational proposal relating to the participation of older people based on a multidimensional participation structure. Four dimensions were established: two relating to social participation (associations and volunteering and public sociability) and two linked to citizen participation (political and electoral participation, as well as active citizenship and civic engagement). Based on the proposal, a technical expert panel (TEP) was asked to identify the main participation challenges faced by older people across the four dimensions identified. Consensus was sought using prioritisation matrices. The results showed, among other issues, the key role of the dimensions of citizen participation in identifying participation challenges that have an impact on social inclusion. The political and electoral participation dimension had a specific weight regarding the challenges linked to current problems and characteristics. On the other hand, the active citizenship and civic engagement dimension was oriented towards the challenges linked to desirable conditions and recommended initiatives in the future to improve the impact of older people’s participation. The expert panel’s statements coincide with the recommendations of international organisations on the need to involve older persons in policymaking from a perspective of comprehensive and person-centred care. This provides a concrete response to people’s demands and fosters bottom-up planning policies that contribute to social cohesion. Full article

Consumers have a key influence on reducing the energy and material flow (EMF) in economic processes and thus on minimizing the negative impact on the environment and climate (NIEC). A decisive factor for sustainable development will be the consumers’ willingness to adopt pro-environmental behaviors or taking action oriented towards reducing the environmental and climate impact of consumption. The authors try to answer the question of how to influence consumers to reduce their consumption. This study explores whether consumer behavior is best influenced through awareness campaigns, regulatory policies, economical incentives, or implicit design strategies. The aim of the research presented in this article is to provide the answer to the questions posed. This research consisted of preparing a questionnaire and conducting it on a group of 122 respondents aged 20–40 in Poznan (Poland). The results of the research indicate the validity of supporting the limitation of consumption with external stimuli. In the opinion of the respondents, the availability of products with high durability and reliability received the most indications as a factor limiting consumption. Full article