Search Results (13,727)

The ability of religion to both unite and divide us is a central research topic across academic disciplines. There is important research on the conditions of religious pluralism and tolerance, violence and discrimination, yet disciplinary silos and disconnects between the academy and the public remain barriers to progress. To investigate these problems, we convened 56 scholars of religious pluralism and conflict from different national contexts over a two- year period and conducted focus groups around three broad questions: What are the key issues in defining religious pluralism and religious conflict? What are the most salient contexts in which to study religious pluralism and conflict, both geographically and institutionally? What tensions and opportunities are most important for advancing public scholarship on religious pluralism and conflict? We find that (1) religious pluralism is best conceptualized as an active interreligious engagement that honors differences, (2) achieving research clarity and focus requires specific interdisciplinary dialogue and tools, (3) identifying the conditions under which pluralism and conflict thrive demands diverse methods across sub-national, national, and global contexts, and (4) scholars must engage policymakers, religious leaders, and religious communities to advance religious pluralism. This study provides critical parameters for a future public facing research agenda. Full article

This study investigates the effect of digital financial inclusion on both inclusive growth and poverty in Emerging and Developing Economies (EMDEs). While previous research has examined the relationship between digital financial inclusion and inclusive growth or poverty, there is a notable gap in the literature regarding the indirect effect of digital financial inclusion on poverty through inclusive growth. Additionally, many existing studies have focused on specific countries, leaving a need for a cross-sectional analysis across various EMDEs, particularly in under-researched regions such as Central Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, Oceania, and South-Eastern Europe. To address these gaps, this research employs panel data and the System-Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) as the main estimation technique, which provides robust and efficient estimates while addressing potential endogeneity. The study constructs a new digital financial inclusion index using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) approach to enable consistent cross-country comparisons. The findings reveal that digital financial inclusion has a positive and significant effect on inclusive growth, indicating that as digital financial inclusion increases, inclusive growth increases as well. The results also demonstrate that inclusive growth has a negative and significant effect on poverty, suggesting that equitable economic expansion is a key driver of poverty reduction. These findings provide policymakers and governments in EMDEs with valuable insights, helping them prioritize investments and strategies that leverage digital financial inclusion to foster inclusive growth and alleviate poverty. Full article

Objective: This exploratory study presents an international, multi-stakeholder snapshot of perceptions regarding real-world data and real-world evidence in health technology assessment. The aim is to identify perceived opportunities, barriers, and enabling conditions rather than to generate generalizable conclusions. Methods: A 21-item, expert-validated questionnaire was distributed via LimeSurvey to diverse health technology assessment stakeholders, including academia, industry, health technology assessment agencies, healthcare providers, policymakers, patients, and payers. The survey explored perceptions of value, methodological and regulatory challenges, and future outlooks for RWD/RWE use in HTA. Ethical approval was obtained by the University of West Attica Ethics Committee, and pilot testing was conducted prior to dissemination. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, consistent with the study’s exploratory intent and acknowledging that results are preliminary and not statistically generalizable. Results: Thirty-two completed responses demonstrated preliminary stakeholder support for integrating real-world data and real-world evidence into health technology assessment. Respondents represented academia, industry, HTA agencies, healthcare providers, policymakers, and patient/advocacy groups; however, no payer responses were obtained. Respondents emphasized the value of real-world data in complementing clinical trials by capturing real-world effectiveness, patient diversity, and long-term outcomes, especially in rare diseases and cancer. Key challenges included poor data quality, confounding biases, and regulatory barriers. Stakeholders highlighted the importance of standardization, transparency, and international collaboration. Opportunities included better decision-making, personalized healthcare, and improved post-market monitoring, with strong calls for robust infrastructure, clear methodologies, patient involvement, and supportive health policy frameworks. Conclusions: Real-world data and evidence enhance health technology assessment by supporting better decisions and personalized care. However, issues like data quality, methods, and trust must be addressed through standardization, strong infrastructure, and collaboration to ensure effective and impactful implementation in healthcare, while acknowledging these insights are based on a small exploratory sample. Full article

Extreme precipitation events are projected to change under climate change in terms of frequency, intensity and duration, which would cause serious impacts on water resources, agriculture, urban systems and socioeconomic conditions in the future. Based on 10 CMIP5 simulations statistically downscaled to 0.25° resolution through the NASA Earth Exchange Global Daily Downscaled Projections (NEX-GDDP) initiative, seven precipitation climate extreme indices, as well as the probability ratio (PR) calculated by the Generalized Extreme Value (GEV) model for daily precipitation, were analyzed under scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The results show that: (1) Annual precipitation is projected to increase significantly across China during the 21st century. The increasing rates are 1.4%/decade under RCP4.5 and 2.9%/decade under RCP8.5, respectively. The Tibetan Plateau exhibits the largest increase, particularly over the Karakoram Mountain area. Precipitation will also significantly increase in winter (13.59%/decade and 16.40%/decade) and spring (4.30%/decade and 6.33%/decade). (2) Precipitation extremes are projected to intensify markedly across China, with pronounced intensification in Southwest China and the Tibetan Plateau. (3) The more extreme the precipitation events, the greater the projected increase in the probability ratio (PR). It should be noted that the magnitude of the PR increase under RCP4.5 is significantly larger with respect to RCP8.5. These findings enhance the understanding of climate change and provide detailed regional-scale information to support adaptive policy-making. Full article

The Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) refers to both the international organizing body and the disclosure framework it developed. Throughout this article, the term TNFD is used to encompass both the organization and the framework to ensure precision while maintaining conciseness. TNFD has emerged as a key mechanism for integrating nature-related risks and opportunities into corporate decision-making, extending the scope of existing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) and climate-related disclosures. As TNFD adoption remains at an early diffusion stage, empirical evidence on its global uptake and sectoral characteristics is still limited, particularly in nature-dependent industries such as forestry and environmental services. This study provides an exploratory mapping of global TNFD adoption patterns using the complete list of TNFD adopting organizations disclosed on the official TNFD platform as of June 2025. A total of 584 organizations across 54 countries were analyzed, with a focused examination of forestry- and environment-related entities. Rather than testing causal relationships, this research adopts a descriptive and structural analytical approach to identify geographic, institutional, and sectoral patterns of adoption. The results reveal a strong concentration of TNFD adoption in developed economies and corporate entities, while forestry-specific adopters remain limited in number. Notably, TNFD adoption does not appear to correlate with forest resource endowment, suggesting that governance capacity and financial disclosure readiness are more influential than ecological conditions. Based on these findings, the study discusses strategic implications for forestry and environmental organizations and proposes a conceptual framework for advancing nature-related financial disclosure in the sector. This research contributes an early-stage empirical foundation for understanding TNFD diffusion and offers practical insights for policymakers, corporations, and researchers seeking to operationalize nature-related disclosure frameworks. Full article

Scientists estimate that humanity has exceeded seven of nine planetary boundaries, threatening the entire planet with potentially catastrophic consequences for all species. We therefore have a moral imperative for future generations and other species to return to the safe side of those boundaries. Threats to these boundaries take the form of social dilemmas, defined as situations in which individuals acting in their own interest undermine collective welfare, which can only be solved through cooperation. Western economic theory has conditioned us to believe that humans are inherently selfish. This assumption has led economists, scientists, and policymakers to increasingly pursue market-based solutions to conservation approaches, which have yielded limited success. In contrast, this article argues that humans are inherently cooperative. We employ Multi-Level Selection Theory (MLS) to depict the evolutionary advantages of cooperation and to define morality as putting the group ahead of the individual. We examine two examples of MLS in action: Territories of Life (TOL) and Ubuntu. The paper provides guidance for pathways of Ecozoic governance, planning, and restoration. Applied in a Western context in Burlington, Vermont, the philosophies hold true, showing that social norms and group identity already shape ecological behavior in Burlington residents’ lawn care practices. Ultimately, providing an alternative economic model built on these ethical foundations, we introduce the Neighbor’s Goodwill that reframes social dilemmas in a game theory context. The Neighbor’s Goodwill demonstrates how loyalty, reciprocity, and social belonging alter payoff structures. This research is founded on the fact that humans are inherently social and tend to make decisions in the interest of the whole group over their own. Full article

The implementation of the new national electric bike (e-bike) standard has imposed stringent compliance requirements on equipment and e-bikes in the instant delivery sector, which directly affects the delivery efficiency and the work adaptability of food delivery riders. This study aims to investigate food delivery riders’ continued usage intention of e-bikes under China’s new e-bike regulation. Based on valid data collected from food delivery riders in Nanjing, this study employs ordered logit regression to examine the primary factors influencing their continued usage intention of e-bikes. The findings reveal that: (1) Male riders’ willingness to continue using e-bikes is comparatively lower, whereas older riders show a stronger intention. (2) Food delivery riders with higher incomes and those who need to replace their e-bikes show a stronger inclination to continue using them. (3) Limited e-bike options have a significant negative effect on riders’ continued usage intention, while speed limits exert no significant influence. Based on these empirical findings, corresponding policy recommendations are proposed to promote riders’ continued use of e-bikes, such as developing age-friendly delivery models, establishing an income guarantee mechanism for riders, and optimizing platform delivery time allocation. The findings could provide a theoretical basis and practical insights for policymakers and food delivery platforms to improve e-bike management policies. Full article

This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the progress of circular economy (CE) implementation in the Małopolska region and offers actionable recommendations for policymakers, businesses, and research institutions. The study combines qualitative and quantitative approaches, including regional policy analysis, a survey of 1200 industrial enterprises, and Smart Lab workshops with stakeholders. The region’s strong economic and scientific base, reflected in high R&D expenditure and numerous technology-oriented companies, creates favorable conditions for circular technologies. Smart specializations in metals, chemicals, mineral products, and machinery provide opportunities for raw-material recirculation and for low-emission, advanced energy and material recovery solutions, making them well aligned with CE objectives. Findings indicate that while the region demonstrates strong potential due to its industrial base, scientific expertise, and smart specialization domains, significant challenges remain in awareness, technological adoption, and regulatory clarity. Metrics on resource efficiency, value-chain circularity, and eco-innovation are essential for informed policymaking, investment decisions, and effective dialogue with entrepreneurs. Another priority is enhancing access to financing instruments. A key recommendation is the development of an integrated monitoring system combining economic, environmental, social, and innovation indicators, supported by targeted financial instruments and skill-building initiatives. The paper presents an innovative approach to linking national and European CE strategies to subnational implementation. Full article

This study examines the impact of ChatGPT-assisted learning on the academic achievement of hospitality and tourism students in Egyptian public universities, with particular emphasis on the mediating roles of perceived usefulness and self-regulated learning. Drawing conceptually on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the study adopts a contextualized framework that emphasizes perceived usefulness while incorporating ChatGPT-assisted learning effectiveness as a learning-oriented driver within generative AI-supported educational environments. A quantitative research design was employed using an online survey administered to students who actively used ChatGPT for academic purposes. A total of 689 valid responses were collected from nine public universities and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that ChatGPT-Assisted Learning Effectiveness (CALE) has a statistically significant and positive direct effect on academic achievement (AA; β = 0.386, T = 3.946, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.192–0.561) and strongly predicts perceived usefulness (β = 0.673, T = 9.274, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.581–0.742) and self-regulated learning (β = 0.707, T = 10.734, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.621–0.779). In turn, PU (β = 0.281, T = 3.854, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.142–0.417) and SRL (β = 0.220, T = 2.418, p = 0.016, 95% CI = 0.041–0.356) significantly enhance academic achievement. Mediation analyses further confirm that PU (β = 0.189, T = 2.366, p = 0.018, 95% CI = 0.031–0.284) and SRL (β = 0.156, T = 3.699, p < 0.001, 95% CI = 0.102–0.301) partially mediate the relationship between CALE and academic achievement. These findings offer important theoretical insights by contextualizing TAM’s performance-related logic within generative AI-driven learning environments and refining its application to academic outcome settings, while highlighting self-regulated learning as a critical explanatory mechanism. From a practical perspective, the study provides valuable implications for educators and policymakers by emphasizing the need to promote students’ perceived usefulness of ChatGPT and foster learner autonomy, positioning generative AI as a powerful pedagogical support tool for enhancing academic success in hospitality and tourism education. Full article

The impact of the shift in energy systems on CO₂ emissions in BRICS nations plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change and advancing sustainable development goals. This study examines how changes in the composition of the energy mix influence CO₂ emissions in BRICS countries, and further evaluates the relationships among energy transition, economic growth, urbanization, trade openness, population growth, and CO₂ emissions. Drawing on panel data from 1990 to 2023 and applying both linear and nonlinear PMG models, the study investigates how energy transition asymmetrically influences CO₂ emissions in both the short and long run. In the short run, the linear PMG results show that energy transition helps reduce CO₂ emissions in the UAE, South Africa, India, and Brazil, while it is associated with increased emissions in China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and Russia, while also decreasing on average for all in the long-run period based on the linear PMG. The impact of energy transition on CO₂ emissions in BRICS nations is complex and heterogeneous from the nonlinear PMG. In the short run, positive energy transition shocks reduce emissions in most countries (UAE, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa), but increase emissions in others (Indonesia, India, Iran, and Russia). Negative shocks also have mixed effects. However, in the long run, positive energy transition shocks lead to a 0.019% decrease in CO₂ emissions, while negative shocks increase emissions by 0.018%, indicating a nuanced relationship between energy transition and emissions. Urbanization, population growth, and economic expansion exhibit diverse effects on CO₂ emissions across the BRICS group. The results imply that policymakers should implement a comprehensive policy mix that elevates the role of energy transition, sustainable urban development, and green investment to curb CO₂ emissions. Tailored, country-specific measures are required to account for national circumstances and the asymmetric links between energy transition and emissions. The study underlines the importance of international collaboration in tackling climate change and advancing sustainable development, and stresses that customized strategies for each BRICS member are essential in order to achieve long-term environmental sustainability. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite growing recognition of empathy as a cornerstone of high-quality care, its role within interprofessional collaboration remains underexplored. While the Interprofessional Education Collaborative explicitly references empathy only under the Values and Ethics domain, emerging evidence suggests its potential relevance across all four core competencies. This study aimed to explore the influence of empathy on each of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative core competencies and to highlight its role in the contemporary interprofessional healthcare environment. Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted to identify articles published in English between 2014 and 2025, through searches of PubMed and Scopus. The sub-competency statements of the Interprofessional Education Collaborative framework were used to guide keyword selection and map concepts that empathy may influence. Results: Seventy-two articles were included in this narrative review. According to the literature, evidence suggests that empathy may support humanitarian values and ethical decision making (Values and Ethics), but the mechanisms underlying this remain to be considered. Empathy has also been discussed in relation to therapeutic and team communication (Communication), as well as to processes such as conflict resolution, supportive leadership, team cohesion, and staff well-being (Teams and Teamwork). The evidence regarding the Roles and Responsibilities domain remains relatively limited, preventing definitive conclusions about the potential influence of empathy in this domain. A clear distinction emerges between clinical and interprofessional empathy, with evidence suggesting that both are essential for collaborative practice. Conclusions: Empathy appears to be linked with several domains of interprofessional collaboration and may represent an important relational component in collaborative healthcare practice. However, the influence of empathy may depend on structural and organizational conditions and may vary across different interprofessional healthcare contexts. These findings offer a conceptual bridge between empathy and interprofessional collaboration, providing actionable insights for educators, leaders, and policymakers involved in healthcare training. Full article

Innovation is a central driver of competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability in the agri-food sector, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, traditional science- and technology-based models may not fully grasp the innovation dynamics in this domain, and research explicitly addressing agri-food SMEs remains limited. This study adapts, integrates, and extends existing Innovation Capability (IC) and related constructs into a unified WI–PI–IA framework (Willingness to innovate–Propensity to innovate–Innovation Ability) for agri-food SMEs. The framework is empirically tested through a sectoral quantitative case-study based on structured questionnaires administered to twenty SMEs operating in the Sardinian sheep dairy industry. The findings confirm the framework’s validity, highlighting the role of contextual factors and revealing distinct innovation patterns between cooperatives and private firms. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to conceptualise IC in agri-food SMEs as the outcome of the three above constructs and offers a comprehensive and context-sensitive approach that contributes to academic research and directs policymakers towards factors that affect agri-food SME innovation outcomes, considering their unique structures and specific challenges they face. Full article

In climate adaptation plans, national sustainability strategies, and agency-level resilience frameworks, planetary limits are routinely acknowledged, yet proposed responses continue to center on expansion, replication, and scalability. This paper argues that this tension is not merely political or technical but grammatical. It reflects the dominance of the grammar of scale—a patterned way of organizing, evaluating, and legitimizing sustainability action through expansion, metrics, piloting, and exit. While indispensable in many contexts, scale increasingly struggles to secure durable ecological responsibility amid irreversibility, uneven exposure, and intergenerational harm. The paper advances a framework of plural sustainability grammars to diagnose this mismatch. In addition to scale, it identifies six alternative grammars—attachment, settlement, sufficiency, inheritance, exposure, and refusal—that already circulate, often implicitly, within sustainability discourse. Each grammar foregrounds dimensions of responsibility that scalability tends to background, including permanence, restraint, cumulative consequence, and ethical limits. The paper traces these grammars through climate adaptation planning frameworks across governance levels, showing how plural grammars are prominent in problem framing and diagnosis but are progressively narrowed as plans move toward implementation, monitoring, and accountability, where scale becomes dominant. The paper concludes by reflecting on the implications of this grammatical narrowing for practitioners, policymakers, and scholars concerned with adaptation, justice, and the governance of sustainability under planetary limits. Full article

The coordinated improvement of urban–rural integrated development (URID) and eco-environmental quality (EEQ) is a core strategic objective for pursuing sustainable development. However, existing studies have predominantly relied on qualitative discussions or single-region analyses, with insufficient empirical attention to multi-pathway mechanisms and spatial spillover effects. This study aims to examine the direct and heterogeneous effects of URID on EEQ, identify the dual mediating pathways, and quantify the spatial spillover effects across regions. Using panel data from 284 prefecture-level cities in China (2011–2023), this study employs panel regression, mediation analysis, and spatial econometric methods to investigate how URID affects EEQ. The results indicate that URID significantly promotes EEQ, with resource allocation efficiency and environmental regulation intensity serving as dual mediating pathways. This promoting effect varies across regions and policy stages. Moreover, URID exerts positive spatial spillover effects on neighboring regions. By providing national-scale evidence on mediating mechanisms and spatial externalities, this study extends prior research and offers implications for policy-making aimed at advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. The findings should be interpreted in light of the macro-level indicators employed and the observational research design. Full article

Molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) for respiratory infections has undergone remarkable advancement over the past two decades, driven by technological innovation and urgent clinical needs highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This comprehensive systematic review was conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, synthesizing evidence from 254 peer-reviewed studies published between 2006 and 2026, with detailed analysis of the 30 most relevant papers selected through a rigorous four-stage screening process. The review examines the evolution of molecular POCT technologies, including reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), and CRISPR-based detection systems. Key findings demonstrate that modern molecular POCT platforms achieve diagnostic performance comparable to laboratory-based testing, with sensitivities ranging from 88% to 100% and specificities from 98% to 100%, while delivering results in 15 to 80 min. These technologies enable rapid, accurate detection of major respiratory pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2, influenza A/B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and atypical bacteria. The integration of microfluidic systems, portable devices, and smartphone-based analysis has expanded access to testing in resource-limited settings, emergency departments, and wearable platforms. This review provides critical insights for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers regarding the current state, clinical applications, and future directions of molecular POCT for respiratory infections. Full article