Search Results (10,688)

This study presents the scientific and methodological foundation of Spain’s first national framework for the ethical management of community cat populations: the Action Plan for the Management of Community Cat Colonies (PACF), launched in 2025 under the mandate of Law 7/2023. This pioneering legislation introduces a standardized, nationwide obligation for trap–neuter–return (TNR)-based management of free-roaming cats, defined as animals living freely, territorially attached, and with limited socialization toward humans. The PACF aims to support municipalities in implementing this mandate through evidence-based strategies that integrate animal welfare, biodiversity protection, and public health objectives. Using standardized data submitted by 1128 municipalities (13.9% of Spain’s total), we estimated a baseline population of 1.81 million community cats distributed across 125,000 colonies. These data were stratified by municipal population size and applied to national census figures to generate a model-ready demographic structure. We then implemented a stochastic simulation using Vortex software to project long-term population dynamics over a 25-year horizon. The model integrated eight demographic–environmental scenarios defined by a combination of urban–rural classification and ecological reproductive potential based on photoperiod and winter temperature. Parameters included reproductive output, mortality, sterilization coverage, abandonment and adoption rates, stochastic catastrophic events, and territorial carrying capacity. Under current sterilization rates (~20%), our projections indicate that Spain’s community cat population could surpass 5 million individuals by 2050, saturating ecological and social thresholds within a decade. In contrast, a differentiated sterilization strategy aligned with territorial reproductive intensity (50% in most areas, 60–70% in high-pressure zones) achieves population stabilization by 2030 at approximately 1.5 million cats, followed by a gradual long-term decline. This scenario prioritizes feasibility while substantially reducing reproductive output, particularly in rural and high-intensity contexts. The PACF combines stratified demographic modeling with spatial sensitivity, offering a flexible framework adaptable to local conditions. It incorporates One Health principles and introduces tools for adaptive management, including digital monitoring platforms and standardized welfare protocols. While ecological impacts were not directly assessed, the proposed demographic stabilization is designed to mitigate population-driven risks to biodiversity and public health without relying on lethal control. By integrating legal mandates, stratified modeling, and realistic intervention goals, this study outlines a replicable and scalable framework for coordinated action across administrative levels. It exemplifies how national policy can be operationalized through data-driven, territorially sensitive planning tools. The findings support the strategic deployment of TNR-based programs across diverse municipal contexts, providing a model for other countries seeking to align animal welfare policy with ecological planning under a multi-level governance perspective. Full article

This research addresses urban inequality by focusing on the rehabilitation of communal rooftops in Ciutat Vella, Barcelona, the city’s historic district, where residential vulnerability is concentrated in a particularly dense heritage urban environment with a shortage of outdoor spaces. Using participatory methodologies, this research develops low-cost, removable, and recyclable prototypes aimed at improving social interaction, technical performance, and environmental conditions. The focus is on vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly. The approach integrates a bottom–up process and scalable solutions presented as a Toolkit of micro-projects. These micro-projects are designed to improve issues related to health, safety, durability, accessibility, energy savings, and acoustics. In addition, several possible material solutions for micro-projects are examined in terms of sustainability and cost. These plug-in interventions are designed for adaptability and replication throughout similar urban contexts and can significantly improve the quality of life for people, especially the elderly, in dense historic environments. Full article

Anthraquinone acid dyes are widely used in dyeing polyamide due to their good exhaustion and brightness. While ionic interactions primarily govern dye–fiber bonding, the molecular weight (Mw) of these dyes can significantly influence migration, apparent color strength, and fastness behavior. This study offers comparative insight into how the Mw of structurally similar anthraquinone acid dyes impacts their diffusion, fixation, and functional outcomes (e.g., UV protection) on polyamide 6 fabric, using Acid Blue 260 (Mw~564) and Acid Blue 127:1 (Mw~845) as representative low- and high-Mw dyes. The effects of dye concentration, pH, and temperature on color strength (K/S) were evaluated, migration index and zeta potential were measured, and UV protection factor (UPF) and FTIR analyses were used to assess fabric functionality. Results showed that the lower-Mw dye exhibited higher migration tendency, particularly at increased dye concentrations, while the higher-Mw dye demonstrated greater color strength and superior wash fastness. Additionally, improved UPF ratings were associated with higher-Mw dye due to enhanced light absorption. These findings offer practical insights for optimizing acid dye selection in polyamide coloration to balance color performance and functional attributes. Full article

Today, ‘social sustainability’ is a key feature of many organisations’ environmental, social, and governance strategies, as well as underpinning sustainable development goals. The term refers to the implementation of targets such as reduced societal inequalities, the promotion of social well-being, and the practice of positive community relations. Building a meaningful, accountable, and quantifiable evidence-base from which to translate these high-level concepts into tangible and achievable goals is, however, challenging. The complexities of measuring social capital—often described as a building block of social sustainability—have been documented. The challenge lies in measuring the person, group, or collective in interaction with the context under investigation, whether that be a climate goal, an institution, or a national policy. Social identity theory is a social psychological approach that articulates the processes through which an individual internalises the values, norms, and behaviours of their contexts. Levels of social identification—a concept capturing the state of internalisation—have been shown to be predictive of outcomes as diverse as communication and cognition, trust and citizenship, leadership and compliance, and health and well-being. Applying this perspective to the articulation and measurement of social sustainability provides an opportunity to build an empirical approach with which to reliably translate this high-level concept into achievable outcomes. Full article

In comparative analyses, specific features of the Spanish welfare and housing systems have often been emphasized. The case of Barcelona illustrates the extent to which these features are the result of a long-standing historical trajectory and the decisive impact of the challenges and policy responses adopted during Franco’s lengthy, dark, and gloomy regime. This period marked a significant shift, not only due to the persistent shortage of social rental housing, but also because of the early consolidation of a homeownership culture and its dominance in working-class suburban areas—a legacy that is completely different from that of the welfare states of Western Europe. Through a review of the literature and the analysis of primary sources, ongoing research on Barcelona seeks to clarify the factors and processes that led to this transformation, as well as its evolution during the democratic period, within an international context of economic liberalization and the dismantling of the welfare state. Full article

The purpose of this research is to examine employee perceptions regarding the implementation of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) practices in financial institutions, with a comparative focus on urban and rural banks in the Republic of Serbia. The study investigates how employees assess environmental, social, and governance aspects of ESG, as well as their own role in applying these principles in everyday work. The results reveal statistically significant differences between the two groups; employees in urban banks report greater engagement, more access to training, and stronger involvement in ESG decision-making. These findings suggest the existence of more developed institutional support, infrastructure, and organisational culture in urban banks. In contrast, employees in rural banks highlight the need for enhanced training, clearer ESG guidance, and improved oversight mechanisms. The study underlines the importance of investing in employee development and internal communication, particularly in rural contexts, to improve ESG outcomes. By focusing on employee-level perceptions, this research contributes to the understanding of how organisational and geographic factors influence the implementation of ESG-related practices in financial institutions. Full article

Advances in neuroscience have improved the understanding of cognitive, emotional, and social processes involved in learning. Simultaneously, technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and gamification are transforming educational practices. However, their integration into formal education remains limited and often misapplied. This study aims to evaluate the impact of technology-supported neuroeducational models on student learning and well-being. A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, the Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and LILACS, including open-access studies published between 2020 and 2025. Selection and methodological assessment followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Out of 386 identified articles, 22 met the inclusion criteria. Most studies showed that neuroeducational interventions incorporating interactive and adaptive technologies enhanced academic performance, intrinsic motivation, emotional self-regulation, and psychological well-being in various educational contexts. Technology-supported neuroeducational models are effective in fostering both cognitive and emotional development. The findings support integrating neuroscience and educational technology into teaching practices and teacher training, promoting personalized, inclusive, and evidence-based education. Full article

This article examines training itineraries for early childhood education professionals in Portugal, focusing on promoting social and human development through music and the arts for infants. The training models discussed are categorized as short-term and long-term, encompassing both theory and practice through a transdisciplinary approach. Based on initiatives promoted by the Companhia de Música Teatral (CMT) and the Education and Human Development Group of the Centre for the Study of Sociology and Musical Aesthetics (CESEM) at NOVA University Lisbon, the article highlights projects such as: (i) Opus Tutti and GermInArte, developed between 2011 and 2018; (ii) the Postgraduate Course Music in Childhood: Intervention and Research, offered at the University since 2020/21, which integrates art, health, and education, promoting collaborative work between professionals; and (iii) Mil Pássaros (Thousand Birds), developed since 2020, which exemplifies the integration of environmental education and artistic practices. The theoretical basis of these training programs combines neuroscientific and educational evidence, emphasizing the importance of the first years of life for integral development. Studies, such as those by Heckman, reinforce the impact of early investment in children’s development. Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory and Malloch and Trevarthen’s concept of ‘communicative musicality’ structure the design of these courses, recognizing music as a catalyst for cognitive, emotional, and social skills. The transformative role of music and the arts in educational and social contexts is emphasized, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, by proposing approaches that articulate creation, intervention, and research to promote human development from childhood onwards. Full article

Background: The dual nature of cannabis, as both a promising therapeutic tool and a widely used recreational substance with potential risks, raises important societal controversies, including its unclear impacts regarding mental health. This narrative review provides a comprehensive overview of cannabis, addressing (i) its historical context; (ii) its chemical composition and pharmacokinetics; (iii) its pharmacological effects; (iv) its negative impacts on physiological and mental health; (v) its potential use as a drug for the treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders; (vi) its relationship with the gut microbiome and how this interaction might influence mental functioning; (vii) the pathophysiology, prevalence, comorbidities, and treatment strategies of cannabis use disorder; and (viii) social perspectives on its legalization. Results: Cannabis presents a complex chemical profile and pharmacokinetics that show promise in treating numerous neurological, psychiatric, and psychological conditions. However, its use carries risks, which depend on factors such as compound concentration, dosage, consumption method, frequency of use, and individual vulnerability. Cannabis use disorder seems to be less severe than other substance use disorders, but it still constitutes a significant concern, as its manifestation is not uniform across all users. Conclusions: Cannabis demands a thorough understanding that goes beyond simplistic explanations and prejudices, standing as a plant of substantial clinical significance and highlighting the importance of personalized approaches to its use and increased awareness of how individuals respond to its effects. Full article

Understanding the social drivers of pro-environmental behavior in urban forests and green spaces is critical for addressing sustainability challenges. Subjective norms serve as a key pathway through which social expectations influence individuals’ behavioral intentions. Despite mixed findings in the literature regarding the impact of subjective norms on individuals’ intentions, there is a research gap about the determinants of this construct. This study was conducted to explore how social expectations shape perceived subjective norms among visitors of urban forests. A theoretical model was developed with subjective norms at its center, incorporating their predictors including social identity, media influence, interpersonal influence, and institutional trust, personal norms as a mediator, and behavioral intention as the outcome variable. Using structural equation modeling, data was collected and analyzed from a sample of visitors of urban forests in Tehran, Iran. The results revealed that subjective norms play a central mediating role in linking external social factors to behavioral intention. Social identity emerged as the strongest predictor of subjective norms, followed by media and interpersonal influence, while institutional trust had no significant effect. Subjective norms significantly influenced both personal norms and intentions, and personal norms also directly predicted intention. The model explained 50.9% of the variance in subjective norms and 39.0% in behavioral intention, highlighting its relatively high explanatory power. These findings underscore the importance of social context and internalized norms in shaping sustainable behavior. Policy and managerial implications suggest that strategies should prioritize community-based identity reinforcement, media engagement, and peer influence over top-down institutional messaging. This study contributes to environmental psychology and the behavior change literature by offering an integrated, empirically validated model. It also provides practical guidance for designing interventions that target both social and moral dimensions of environmental action. Full article

Having in view the current global disruptive social and economic landscape, sustainability becomes more important than ever. As producers become more concerned about adopting more sustainable practices, customer awareness towards sustainable behavior must be the focus of all stakeholders. Within this context, the SHIFT framework (proposed in 2019) highlights the manner in which consumers’ traits and attitudes influence their propensity towards sustainable consumption. It consists of five factors considered to be relevant to consumer behavior: Social influence, Habit formation, Individual self, Feelings and cognition, and Tangibility. Different from previous studies, this research focuses on applying the SHIFT framework to the automotive industry, taking into consideration the contribution of digital technologies to fostering sustainable consumer behavior throughout the entire product lifecycle. Using a qualitative research approach, the most relevant digital technologies in the automotive industry were identified and mapped in relation to the three phases of consumption (choice, usage, and disposal). The research aimed to develop and test an original conceptual framework, starting from the SHIFT. The results of the study highlight the fact that the digital technologies, in their diversity, are integrated in different ways into each of the three phases, facilitating the adoption of sustainable consumption. To achieve sustainability, the two key stakeholders, consumers and producers, should share a common ground on capitalizing the opportunities offered by digital technologies. Full article

The use of informal language on social media and the sheer volume of information make it difficult for a computer system to analyse it automatically. The aim of this work is to design a new group decision-making method that applies two new consensus methods based on sentiment analysis. This method is designed for application in the analysis of texts on social media. To test the method, we will use posts from the so called social network X. The proposed model differs from previous work in this field by defining a new degree of subjectivity and a new degree of reliability associated with user opinions. This work also presents two new consensus measures, one focused on measuring the number of words classified as positive and negative and the other on analysing the percentage of occurrence of those words. Our method allows us to automatically extract preferences from the transcription of the texts used in the debate, avoiding the need for users to explicitly indicate their preferences. The application to a real case of public investment demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach in collaborative contexts that used natural language. Full article

Background/Objectives: Collaboration in mental health care is essential for implementing a model oriented towards the psychosocial rehabilitation of people based on multifaceted interventions involving different actors and sectors of society to respond to demands. Despite the benefits presented by the scientific evidence, there are still many barriers to collaborative care, and professionals continue to struggle in reorienting their conduct. The current situation demands organization and the framing of well-founded action plans to overcome challenges, which in turn requires a detailed understanding of collaborative practices in mental health care and their conceptual boundaries. A concept analysis was undertaken to propose a working definition of collaborative practices in mental health care (CPMHC). Methods: This paper used the Walker and Avant concept analysis method. This includes identifying the defining concept attributes, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents. A literature search was carried out from November 2024 to February 2025 in three databases (Medline, CINAHL, and LILACS), considering studies published between 2010 and 2024. Results: The final sample of literature investigated consisted of 30 studies. The key attributes were effective communication, building bonds, co-responsibility for care, hierarchical flexibility, articulation between services, providers and community, monitoring and evaluating of care processes, and attention to the plurality of sociocultural contexts. Conclusions: This comprehensive analysis contributes to guiding future research and policy development of collaborative practices in mental health, considering the individual, relational, institutional, and social levels. Further research is possible to deepen the understanding of the production of collaborative practices in mental health in the face of the complexity of social relations and structural inequities. Full article

The sharing economy (SE) has rapidly expanded to become a key component of the global economy. However, as SE platforms evolve, a growing disconnect may exist between the value propositions companies emphasize and the values consumers actually perceive. Do the value frames communicated by SE companies align with those perceived as important by consumers, and how does this alignment differ across cultural contexts such as South Korea and the U.S.? Drawing on two complementary studies, we examine value alignment between SE companies and consumers in South Korea and the U.S. Study 1 employs content analysis of marketing messages from 246 SE platforms across five sectors, identifying the core value propositions emphasized. Study 2 applied structural topic modeling (STM) to consumer reviews from major SE platforms in both countries, focusing on three sectors: accommodation, service exchanges, and second-hand transactions. The findings reveal that SE companies in both countries primarily emphasize functional and economic values, with U.S. companies placing greater additional emphasis on emotional and social values than their South Korean counterparts. Similarly, consumers in both countries value functional, emotional, and economic aspects, showing general alignment with company marketing communications. However, South Korean consumers tended to emphasize functional and economic values more, while U.S. consumers were relatively more oriented toward emotional and social values. Notably, sustainability, widely regarded as a core principle of the SE, was not strongly emphasized by either companies or consumers. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of value dynamics in the SE and offer practical implications for developing culturally informed and value-driven marketing strategies. Full article

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and cause-related marketing has reshaped corporate social responsibility practices while triggering a conflict between technological instrumental rationality and moral value transmission. Building on the Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM) and AI aversion literature, this research employs two experiments to reveal that AI disclosure exerts a unique inhibitory effect on consumers’ purchase intentions in cause-related marketing contexts compared to non-cause-related marketing scenarios. Further analysis uncovers a chain mediation pathway through consumer skepticism and advertisement attitudes, explaining the psychological mechanism underlying AI disclosure’s impact on purchase intentions. The study also identifies the moderating role of AI aversion within this chain model. The findings provide a new theoretical perspective for integrating AI disclosure, consumer psychological responses, and marketing effectiveness while exposing the “value-instrumentality” conflict inherent in AI applications for cause-related marketing. This research advances the evolution of the PKM in the digital era and offers practical insights for cause-related marketing enterprises to balance AI technology application with optimized disclosure strategies. Full article