Search Results (51)

Geodiversity mapping is a key topic in the field of geoconservation. Although most methodological proposals are based on quantitative assessments, recent studies on qualitative mapping have shown strong potential for various applications, including relationships with biodiversity, territorial management, and nature conservation. This article presents a qualitative geodiversity map of the Costões e Lagunas Aspiring Geopark, located in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The map was also used to identify geodiversity-related ecosystem services in the territory. The method for generating the map was divided into two steps: first, thematic maps representing geodiversity components were integrated to identify areas where components interact to form specific environments; second, based on these interactions, geodiversity units were defined. Ecosystem services provided by each unit were identified through the analysis of human activities occurring within them. The results show that the geodiversity units provide multiple ecosystem services across different categories and are essential to the well-being of local inhabitants. These findings reinforce the relevance of the qualitative approach and demonstrate that geodiversity mapping can support broader landscape analyses. Thus, qualitative geodiversity maps are effective tools for identifying ecosystem services across extensive areas. Full article

The Amazon rainforest, a vital global carbon sink, is experiencing extensive forest loss due to environmental pressures, particularly from livestock production. While research on this topic has grown, a comprehensive synthesis is needed to map the intellectual landscape of this critical field and inform actionable policies. Unlike a systematic review, which synthesizes findings qualitatively, this analysis focuses on a quantitative overview of research trends, key authors, and collaborative networks regarding greenhouse gas emissions from livestock-driven deforestation in the Amazon from 2004 to 2024. Additionally, the study makes a thematic synthesis of reviewed literature providing overview on emissions, mitigation, and biodiversity impacts. The review, based on data from Scopus and Web of Science processed through Bibliometrix and VOSviewer software, reveals a growing and increasingly collaborative field, with research output showing significant growth post-2010, dominated by institutions in Brazil and the United States, with a conceptual focus that has shifted from basic deforestation metrics to sophisticated analyses of mitigation strategies and policy impacts. The findings highlight recurrent deforestation drivers, including export-oriented agriculture and weak land tenure, and demonstrate the effectiveness of specific mitigation options. Key mitigation strategies identified include silvopastoral systems with more than 30% tree cover, rotational grazing, and targeted pasture restoration, which can halve emissions within 5–7 years when combined with credit incentives and secure land tenure. The review underscores the evolution of research toward more policy-relevant and interdisciplinary approaches, but also highlights the need for more empirical validation and collaborative efforts to translate these findings into scalable climate solutions. Full article

Blockchain technology is being increasingly deployed to store and process transactions and information in the global financial sector. Blockchain underpins cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and facilitates decentralized finance (DeFi), representing a paradigm shift in the global financial landscape, offering alternative solutions to traditional banking, and fostering financial inclusion. In developing economies such as Morocco, where a significant portion of the population remains unbanked, these digital financial innovations present both opportunities and challenges. This study examines the potential role of cryptocurrencies and DeFi in enhancing financial inclusion in Morocco, where cryptocurrencies have been banned since 2017. However, the public continues to use cryptocurrencies, circumventing restrictions, and the Moroccan Central Bank is now preparing to introduce new regulations to legalize their use within the country. In this context, this article analyses the potential of cryptocurrencies to mitigate barriers such as high transaction costs, restricted access to financial services in rural areas, and limited financial literacy in the country. The study pursues a mixed-methods approach, which combines a quantitative survey with qualitative expert interviews and adapts the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model to the Moroccan context. The findings reveal that while cryptocurrencies offer cost-efficient financial transactions and improved accessibility, their adoption may be constrained by regulatory uncertainty, security risks, and technological limitations. The novelty of the article thus lies in its focus on the key mechanisms that influence the adoption of cryptocurrencies and their potential impact in a specific national context. In so doing, the study highlights the need for a structured regulatory framework, investment in digital infrastructure, and targeted financial literacy initiatives to optimize the potential role of cryptocurrencies in progressing financial inclusion in Morocco. This underscores the need for integrated models and guidelines for policymakers, financial institutions, and technology providers to ensure the responsible introduction of cryptocurrencies in developing world environments. Full article

Symmetries and symmetry-breaking play significant roles in data security. Digital watermarking is widely employed in information security fields such as copyright protection and traceability. With the continuous advancement of technology, the research into and application of digital watermarking face numerous challenges. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the current research status and trends in the development of digital watermarking, this paper conducts a bibliometric analysis using the CiteSpace software, focusing on 8621 publications related to digital watermarking (watermark/watermarking) from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database, spanning from 2004 to 2024. This study explores the research landscape and future trends in digital watermarking from various perspectives, including annual publication volume, keyword co-occurrence and burst detection, leading authors, research institutions, and publishing countries or regions. The results reveal a regional concentration of research efforts, with early research being primarily dominated by the United States, Taiwan, and South Korea, while recent years have seen a rapid rise in research from China and India. However, global academic collaboration remains relatively fragmented and lacks a well-integrated international research network. Keyword analysis indicates that research hotspots have expanded from traditional copyright protection to data integrity verification, multimedia watermarking, and the incorporation of intelligent technologies. Notably, the introduction of deep learning has propelled watermarking algorithms toward greater sophistication and intelligence. Using CiteSpace, this study is the first to systematically illustrate the dynamic evolution of digital watermarking research over the past 20 years, focusing on thematic trends and regional distributions. Unlike previous reviews that rely mainly on qualitative analyses, this study offers a quantitative and visualized perspective. These findings provide concrete references for the future development of more targeted research efforts. Full article

His baptismal name, Fernando de Bulhões (1195–1231), may say little to many people, but his religious name, St. Anthony, certainly says a lot, especially to the Portuguese. In fact, the cult of St. Anthony is indelibly inscribed in the religious landscape of Portugal, with particular intensity in Lisbon. This study, of an ethnographic and historical nature, is an innovative approach to this emblematic medieval figure, capable of so many miracles, veneration, revelry festivals, and processions among the people of Lisbon and the Portuguese in general, right up to the present day. The history of this Saint and his cult, as an expression of popular religiosity, will be discussed, favouring the dimensions of marriage and commerce in a comparative approach between two ethnographic contexts: Lisbon and Viana do Castelo. The notions of popular religion, syncretism, cult of the saints, and pilgrimage–procession will, therefore, be instrumental. The data collected and analysed are based on a mixed methodological triangulation of qualitative data complemented by quantitative data, using direct participant observations (ethnographic) and indirect observations (collected through semi-structured interviews and informal conversations), as well as documentary sources. Full article

The professional efficacy and health perceptions of physical education (PE) teachers, along with school characteristics, significantly impact their ability to navigate remote teaching challenges, maintain student engagement, and deliver inclusive, effective instruction. Remote teaching has become a widespread instructional method, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also presents unique challenges for PE educators, requiring specialized pedagogical strategies and technological adaptation. This study aims to evaluate the professional efficacy, health perceptions, and pedagogical approaches of PE teachers in the context of remote teaching. Employing an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, we conducted a cross-sectional web survey (N = 757) followed by in-depth interviews (N = 15). Participants were selected from a list provided by the Israeli Ministry of Education, with inclusion criteria requiring at least one year of PE teaching experience. Quantitative data analysis included chi-square tests, t-tests, Pearson correlation, and multiple regression analyses, while qualitative data were analyzed using conventional content analysis to identify emergent themes. Our analysis reveals that female with higher levels of education, research skills, and advanced knowledge in teaching technologies exhibit significantly greater teaching professional efficacy in remote settings. These findings suggest that educational institutions should develop tailored training programs that account for gender and educational differences, thereby equipping PE teachers with the necessary skills to excel in remote teaching environments. This proactive approach will better prepare PE educators to navigate future challenges in the ever-evolving landscape of education. Full article

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have transformed the therapeutic landscape for several malignancies, but their efficacy in unresectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains uncertain. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ICIs in this context, focusing on overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), disease control rate (DCR), and toxicity. A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Scopus identified 34 eligible studies, including randomized controlled trials and observational cohorts. Quantitative synthesis involved 21 studies comprising 937 patients, with additional qualitative analyses on biomarker-driven subgroups and early-phase trials. The median OS across studies was 8.65 months, while the median PFS was 2.55 months. The ORR and DCR were 16.2% and 50.3%, respectively, with grade ≥3 treatment-related adverse events occurring in 22% of patients. Promising outcomes were observed in MSI-H/dMMR populations, although these represented only 1–2% of cases. Combination strategies with chemotherapy demonstrated synergistic potential but lacked definitive evidence due to heterogeneity and the absence of phase III trials. ICIs showed a manageable toxicity profile, highlighting their feasibility in selected patients. Future research should focus on overcoming tumor microenvironment barriers and identifying biomarkers to optimize responsiveness and expand the applicability of ICIs in pancreatic cancer. Full article

This work represents a comprehensive and systematic literature review (SLR) that follows the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines for research assessing information and cyber security maturity. The period from 2012 to 2024 was considered and the final collection of 96 studies was taken into account. Our findings were summarised in two stages, a quantitative analysis and a qualitative synthesis. In the first part, various quantitative indicators were used to analyse the evolution of the information and cyber security maturity assessment domain over the last twelve years. The qualitative synthesis, which was limited to 36 research papers, categorises the studies into three key areas: the development of new maturity models, the implementation of established models and frameworks, and the advancement of methodologies to support maturity assessments. The findings reveal significant progress in sector-specific customisation, the growing importance of lightweight models for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the integration of emerging technologies. This study provides important insights into the evolving landscape of information and cyber security maturity assessment and provides actionable recommendations for academia and industry to improve security resilience and support the adoption of tailored, effective maturity models. Full article

The accelerated process of urbanisation in China is resulting in a decline in and threat to the historic landscape of historic districts. This study is based on the theory of historic urban landscapes and employs a multi-dimensional layers research framework for historic districts. It adopts a single case study and a research method that combines quantitative and qualitative methods. The stratification elements of Fangcheng in Shenyang are identified and summarised, the process of stratification is analysed, and the stratification patterns and laws are summarised through the acquisition and collection of multivariate data. The findings of this study indicate that the stratification elements of the Fangcheng Historic District have undergone five distinct phases of stratification evolution. The resulting stratification pattern can be summarised as follows: newborn, preserve, override, juxtaposition and decession. The spatial elements are layered in the following pattern: The historic landscape can be conceptualised as comprising four layers: (1) the layering of the historic landscape with large public buildings as the anchor point; (2) the layering of the historic landscape with the spatial pattern as the skeleton; (3) the layering of the historic landscape with the iconic buildings as the nodes; and (4) the layering of the historic landscape with the correlative elements as the substrate. The law of value element layering primarily reflects the principles of concentration, diversity and adaptation. In light of the urban historic landscape theory, the reconstruction and restoration strategies, integration of old and new and adaptive conservation of historic landscapes are proposed to offer novel insights and guidance for the conservation of the historic landscape in the Fangcheng Historic District. Full article

This review critically examines the integration of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) in medical training across Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), offering a novel perspective by combining quantitative analysis with qualitative insights from medical students in Egypt and Ghana. Through a systematic review process, 17 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2023 were analysed. Altogether, these studies involved a total of 887 participants. The analysis reveals a growing interest in VR and AR applications for medical training in LMICs with a peak in published articles in 2023, indicating an expanding research landscape. A unique contribution of this review is the integration of feedback from 35 medical students assessed through questionnaires, which demonstrates the perceived effectiveness of immersive technologies over traditional 2D illustrations in understanding complex medical concepts. Key findings highlight that VR and AR technologies in medical training within LMICs predominantly focus on surgical skills. The majority of studies focus on enhancing surgical training, particularly general surgery. This emphasis reflects the technology’s strong alignment with the needs of LMICs, where surgical skills training is often a priority. Despite the promising applications and expanding interest in VR and AR, significant challenges such as accessibility and device limitations remain, demonstrating the need for ongoing research and integration with traditional methods to fully leverage these technologies for effective medical education. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive analysis of existing VR and AR applications, their evaluation methodologies, and student perspectives to address educational challenges and enhance healthcare outcomes in LMICs. Full article

This study explores the motivations, choices, and constraints shaping tourism behavior among transgender individuals living in Italy. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research begins with quantitative data collection and analyses, followed by qualitative insights to uncover the multifaceted reasons that drive transgender individuals to engage in tourism. These motivations range from seeking personal authenticity to cultural exploration and community connection. This study also examines the intricate interplay of choice and constraint in shaping transgender travelers’ tourism experiences, highlighting the challenges they face and the strategies they use to cope with the obstacles they face within the tourism context. Given Italy’s persistent stereotypes and prejudices against gender and sexual minorities, this research provides a critical examination of the intersectionality of gender identity and tourism within a challenging cultural and legal landscape. The findings contribute to a deeper understanding of transgender travelers’ tourism experiences and offer valuable implications for industry stakeholders, policymakers, and scholars. By amplifying the voices of Italian transgender travelers, this study aims to foster greater inclusivity and recognition of their diverse needs and experiences within the tourism sector. Full article

Vernacular architecture embodies a lasting connection between communities, climates, and topographic landscapes, providing basic shelter needs for centuries. Adopting Montesinho Natural Park as a case study, this paper explores the essence of vernacular architecture, highlighting its adaptation and dynamic relationships with local climates, geographical features, and scarce resources. This paper firstly provides a quantitative characterisation of residential vernacular building typologies in several villages of the park based on field-collected data, using photography and videography for data reliability. The building typologies were then categorised according to their prominent architectural features, prioritising the access to the upper floor and door’s relative location and their integration within the landscape’s topography. The collected data were analysed by averaging each typology percentage across the villages and calculating dependency probabilities between each typology and the villages, aiming to identify the most frequent typologies and their dependency relationships with villages. This paper’s outcome entails the Protruding Staircase typology as the most common typology in the selected villages. Despite modern interventions, traditional features endure, emphasising practicality and resource efficiency. Among them, several bioclimatic strategies were identified and analysed qualitatively based on their potential contribution to energy efficiency and savings, highlighting their relationships with the local context and the typologies presented. The findings are important in supporting decision-making related to vernacular heritage in Northeastern Portugal. The bioclimatic construction strategies identified may be used as preliminary references to incorporate into rehabilitation projects and sustainable architecture practices, enhancing inhabitants’ thermal comfort and living conditions. Full article

Climate change and land use are major drivers of environmental and socioeconomic transformations in landscapes and in coastal areas. The objective of this study was to present an interdisciplinary and participatory research methodology for analysing the evolutionary process of a coastal case study, the Trabocchi Coast in the Abruzzo Region (Italy), from multiple perspectives, including climate change, technological history, conservation protocols, and social function. The goal was to assess the resilience of these coastal structures, i.e., their ability to cope and adapt to changes while maintaining their identity and recognition. The adopted approach combined qualitative and quantitative data from the meteorological analyses, literature review, and field investigations involving a participatory workshop, from which a significant portion of the analysed results presented here emerged. The results indicate that the Trabocchi Coast has undergone significant changes in recent decades, posing a serious threat to cultural heritage due to climate change (sea-level rise, coastal erosion, storms, flooding and salinisation), changes in use and mass tourism. However, these changes have also presented challenges and opportunities for coastal development, stimulating diverse resilient responses from local communities, ranging from resistance to innovation. The paper discusses the factors that may make the Trabocchi Coast a model of resilience considering these changes. This is supported by the role of local institutions as guarantors of the cultural heritage value of the trabocchi in that specific landscape context, as evidenced by the approval of the “Costa dei Trabocchi Special Territorial Project” by the Abruzzo Region in 2023. Full article

In the digital age, the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and higher education (HE) poses novel ethical considerations, necessitating a comprehensive exploration of this multifaceted relationship. This study aims to quantify and characterize the current research trends and critically assess the discourse on ethical AI applications within HE. Employing a mixed-methods design, we integrated quantitative data from the Web of Science, Scopus, and the Lens databases with qualitative insights from selected studies to perform scientometric and content analyses, yielding a nuanced landscape of AI utilization in HE. Our results identified vital research areas through citation bursts, keyword co-occurrence, and thematic clusters. We provided a conceptual model for ethical AI integration in HE, encapsulating dichotomous perspectives on AI’s role in education. Three thematic clusters were identified: ethical frameworks and policy development, academic integrity and content creation, and student interaction with AI. The study concludes that, while AI offers substantial benefits for educational advancement, it also brings challenges that necessitate vigilant governance to uphold academic integrity and ethical standards. The implications extend to policymakers, educators, and AI developers, highlighting the need for ethical guidelines, AI literacy, and human-centered AI tools. Full article

The dehesas are one of the most emblematic landscapes of the Extremadura region (Spain). Along with its natural values, it preserves a wide repertoire of knowledge and trades rooted in the history and tradition of rural communities. However, the knowledge and practices that have characterized life in this environment are currently under serious threat. Faced with this problem, this study was based on the premise that, for individuals to commit themselves to the care and transmission of heritage, it is first necessary for them to know, understand and value it. For this reason, the main objective was to determine the knowledge and appreciation of university students with respect to the dehesa and the ancestral practice of grazing. It also aimed to analyze which are the most valued methodologies, activities, and future strategies for understanding and preserving these cultural landscapes and their ancestral practices. To this end, 400 university students were surveyed, and various quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out. Quantitative techniques include analyses based on weighted averages, contingency tables and the chi-square test, while qualitative techniques are based on word frequency analysis and inductive content analysis. Despite coming from an environment dominated by this landscape and being one of the few regions that still preserve the ancestral practice of pastoralism, the results corroborated the students’ lack of understanding of the dehesa and the variety of uses it offers. In addition, it was evident that they have hardly frequented this landscape and have not participated in on-site educational experiences. It also revealed the importance of experiential and sensory activities in the understanding and appreciation of the rural environment and its traditions. The results can be useful for improving the design of educational tourism products based on intangible heritage. It can also be useful for adapting teaching strategies and activities to the level of knowledge and experiences of students, helping to ensure the success of the educational experience. Full article