Search Results (2,420)

Opera Out of Opera 2 (OOO2) is a Creative Europe cooperation project that experiments with digital, participatory strategies to reconnect opera with younger audiences and to reshape professional capacity for conservatory students. Rather than treating opera as a fixed repertoire to be transmitted, the project frames it as a site of co-creation, where youth and emerging professionals share agency in how the art form is presented, mediated and discussed. This article has two related aims. First, it examines how OOO2’s digital-first Audience Engagement Strategy (AES) may contribute to audience development among 18–25-year-olds, focusing on reach, participation patterns and perceived accessibility. Second, it investigates how participation in the project appears to affect conservatory students’ entrepreneurial self-efficacy and their understanding of their potential social role as musicians. Methodologically, the study combines a participatory action research (PAR) framework with an embedded single-case design. Quantitative data include pre- and post-intervention questionnaires with 132 higher music education students. An audience survey completed by 1256 spectators, complemented by social media and web analytics, is also embedded. Qualitative material derives from semi-structured interviews (n = 30), focus groups with project stakeholders and direct observation of workshops, rehearsals and performances. Results indicate a marked digital reach among younger audience and suggest that shorter formats, informal settings and second-screen mediation can lower perceived barriers to opera attendance for first-time or occasional spectators. Among students, mean scores for entrepreneurial self-efficacy increased from 3.2 (SD = 0.8) to 4.1 (SD = 0.7), corresponding to a large effect size (Cohen’s d = 1.20, p < 0.01), a pattern broadly consistent with research on self-efficacy and capacity creation in music and arts-based entrepreneurship education. The discussion connects these findings with a bibliometric mapping of audience development in opera, conducted on 147 Scopus-indexed documents, and argues that OOO2 occupies a still under-theorized intersection between youth-centred cultural participation and entrepreneurial capacity-building in higher music education. While the single-case design and the use of self-constructed survey items limit generalizability, the project may offer a useful reference point for institutions seeking to rethink opera’s approach as a digitally mediated, socially engaged and educationally meaningful practice. Full article

Background: The development of an efficacious preventive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine remains a central goal of global HIV elimination efforts, yet biological performance alone will not determine a future vaccine’s public health impact. Method: This review draws on behavioral science, communication research, vaccine implementation, and HIV prevention literature to identify cognitive, social, and structural challenges that are likely to shape public acceptance and uptake of a future HIV vaccine, as well as to outline evidence-based opportunities for addressing them. Results: Based on the available literature, mental models of both HIV and vaccination will be a critical determinant of how communities consider a future vaccine, particularly given that emerging mRNA and adjuvanted platforms may generate side effects that could be easily misinterpreted and that highly effective long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) options already exist and will shape how individuals evaluate a vaccine’s relative value. HIV-related stigma further complicates this landscape by making vaccination a socially interpreted behavior, unlike some other vaccination efforts. Together, these factors suggest that hesitancy and misalignment between public understanding and scientific evidence are predictable and should be anticipated rather than addressed reactively. At the same time, decades of HIV prevention implementation research have established an evidence base for vaccine communication, and existing community engagement infrastructure offers a foundation upon which future rollout efforts can build. We highlight three evidence-based strategies as particularly promising levers for encouraging acceptance and adoption. Conclusions: We conclude with recommendations for HIV vaccine researchers and healthcare professionals to invest in formative research, build community partnerships in advance of vaccine availability, and pilot integrated delivery models within existing HIV prevention services. Full article

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance has become critical for businesses seeking transparency, sustainability, and stakeholder confidence. However, the extant evidence is equivocal regarding its influence on company performance. Corporate governance may play an important role in determining the efficacy of ESG efforts. Hence, this research investigates the relationship between corporate governance and firm performance, focusing on the moderating role of ESG performance, using unbalanced panel data from 370 Malaysian firms for the period from 2012 to 2023. For analysis of the data, fixed effects estimation, Driscoll–Kraay robust standard errors, and a subsample analysis were used. The results reveal that board expertise and independence enhance firm performance, whereas board gender diversity negatively affects market valuation (Tobin’s Q). Similarly, audit committee expertise shows a negative effect. Further, the results reveal that ESG strengthens the role of board expertise but weakens the influence of audit committee independence. This study offers practical and theoretical insights for policymakers, scholars, and stakeholders seeking to balance sustainability with financial performance, bridging a notable gap in the literature by thoroughly examining the relationship between board gender diversity and ESG performance, and how it affects company performance. This reveals new insights into the strategic significance of diverse leadership in promoting both financial and non-financial results by bridging the gap between corporate governance and sustainability. Full article

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains a crucial public health challenge worldwide. The currently available medications for AUD remain limited in the number and efficacy, meaning that the development of new treatments is of critical importance. Agonists of glucagon–like peptide–1 receptor (GLP–1RAs) have recently received attention as a potential anti–addiction treatment, particularly in AUD. This review presents data from preclinical studies in rodents and non–human primates, registered clinical trials, observational studies, and social media posts, investigating the effects of GLP–1RAs on alcohol–related behaviors and consumption. Several GLP1–RAs and tirzepatide (a dual agonist of GLP–1R and glucose–dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor; GIP–R) reduced alcohol consumption and alcohol–seeking behaviors, alcohol–induced locomotor stimulation and memory of alcohol reward, and suppressed relapse drinking in rodents. In addition, they prevent acute alcohol from activating the mesolimbic dopamine system. There are limited human data on the role of the GLP–1 system in AUD. In registered clinical trials, exenatide, semaglutide, and dulaglutide reduced alcohol consumption. Pharmacoepidemiologic studies documented a decreased risk of alcohol–related events in AUD patients using various GLP–1RAs and tirzepatide. Together, existing preclinical and clinical data suggest that GLP–1 is involved in the AUD process and imply the role of GLP1–RAs as a tentative treatment for AUD. Full article

Vaccine hesitancy—which can be defined as a delay in acceptance or the refusal to get vaccinated—has substantially increased over the past decade. This study introduces a computational and qualitative approach designed to efficiently classify stance and uncover narratives in social media discourse without relying on extensive manual annotation. Using 298,356 COVID-19 vaccine-related X posts geolocated to South Carolina (June 2021–May 2022), zero-shot and few-shot learning with instruction-tuned large language models (Mistral-7B, Meta-Llama-3.1, and DeepSeek-7B) was applied for stance detection while Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) was used for topic modeling. The topic modeling identified five dominant themes in vaccine hesitant conversations: skepticism of vaccine efficacy, comparative framing, scientific justification, disapproval of regulations, and distrust. Temporal analysis revealed that skepticism peaked during late 2021, coinciding with booster campaigns and mandate debates. These findings suggest that vaccine hesitancy is influenced through complex rhetorical strategies rather than misinformation alone. These underlying narratives often frame skepticism as rational and evidence-based, using scientific language and statistical reasoning to challenge the effectiveness of vaccines. Full article

Lesson planning is a core professional practice for pre-service teachers, yet opportunities for timely, individualized feedback are frequently constrained by educator workload. While generative AI has the potential to enhance planning processes and expand opportunities for individualized feedback, the provision of comprehensive lesson plans may lead to excessive reliance. This conceptual design paper details the development and theoretical underpinnings of an artificial intelligence-assisted feedback tool that provides self-efficacy-strengthening feedback on lesson plans for pre-service teachers. To promote constructive feedback, the AI-assisted feedback tool integrates principles from educational feedback research and structures feedback to foster teachers’ lesson-planning self-efficacy through mastery-oriented affirmations, vicarious examples, social persuasions, and emotional reassurance. Curriculum alignment is incorporated to support content validity and contextual appropriateness. While the initial implementation of the feedback tool focuses on Western Australian teacher education, an explicit transfer perspective is considered for the German vocational education context. The paper describes the iterative development process that follows a design-based research approach including platform evaluation, internal refinement, and expert review by teacher educators in Western Australia. The resulting system prompt architecture comprises 11 dimensions including general baselines, the interaction between the Lesson Planning Coach and PSTs and the theoretical foundations mentioned above. The tools’ environment, including examples for provided feedback on lesson plans, is presented and discussed. Finally, an outlook is given on the planned empirical research to evaluate the effectiveness of the tool. Full article

People have become accustomed to studying or working with the guidance of artificial intelligence (AI) in recent years. Studies have begun investigating the risk factors of AI dependence, though most have used hypothesis-testing methods. The present study aimed to investigate predictors of AI dependence using machine-learning and network analysis, which are data-driven approaches. The included risk factors were Big Five personality traits, self-efficacy, depression, social anxiety, adverse childhood experiences, and AI use motivation, selected based on theories and empirical studies. Participants consisted of 1258 university students (942 females and 316 males) with a mean age of 22.11 years (SD = 2.69). Four machine-learning algorithms were tested, including Elastic Net, Random Forest, XGBoost, and LightGBM. Machine-learning results indicate that escape and social motivation for AI use, along with social anxiety, were the main predictors of AI dependence. Network analysis results show that escape and social motivation were the most central nodes, with the highest Expected Influence (EI) indices. This study indicates that when addressing mental health problems related to AI dependence, it is more effective to focus on emotional isolation and social interaction challenges rather than simply cutting down on AI use. Full article

Background: This research explores the intersection between cultural heritage and mental health, analyzing how heritage mediation acts as a strategic asset in the personal recovery of individuals experiencing mental distress. Methods: A systematic review was conducted across PubMed, PsycINFO (via ProQuest Psychology Collection), Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for the 2015–2026 period, following PRISMA protocols. The methodological quality of 18 selected studies was evaluated using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT). Results: The findings reveal that the efficacy of these practices stems from a symbiotic interaction between tangible and intangible heritage, functioning as an “identity scaffold” that facilitates the transition from a “patient identity” toward a “citizen identity” with biographical authority. Analysis under the CHIME (Conexión—Hope—Identity—Meaning—Empowerment) framework reveals convergent evidence across the Identity dimension, positioning cultural environments as “third spaces” that mitigate self-stigma. Discussion and Conclusions: Recovery is identified as a circular phenomenon requiring the convergence of clinical and cultural scaffolding. This study advocates for a humanized service architecture where therapeutic practices and affective curating coexist, ensuring the right to identity and social justice within community mental health contexts. Full article

This study systematically reviews 129 peer-reviewed empirical studies examining tourism and hospitality (T&H) students’ perceptions of their employment prospects and future career paths. A systematic review was conducted using the RePEc database, which provides comprehensive coverage of economics, tourism, and hospitality research, ensuring broad and interdisciplinary representation of relevant studies. By synthesizing evidence across three decades, the review identifies persistent and emerging themes shaping students’ career outlooks. Negative perceptions, particularly regarding pay, working hours, job security, and career progression, remain the most frequently reported concerns and are strongly associated with employment anxiety. At the same time, the analysis highlights a significant rise in entrepreneurial intentions after 2015, reflecting students’ growing preference for autonomy and innovation. Internships and real-world experiences consistently emerge as pivotal in shaping perceptions, either reinforcing commitment to the sector or exposing mismatches between expectations and workplace realities. The review further underscores the influence of cultural, social, and personal factors, including family background, gender norms, and self-efficacy, in shaping career decisions. This study contributes by offering a comprehensive thematic synthesis, identifying patterns and transitions over time, and outlining research gaps. The findings provide actionable insights for educators, industry practitioners, and policymakers seeking to strengthen career pathways and ensure the long-term sustainability of the T&H workforce. Full article

Social media text offers new opportunities for tracking psychological constructs over time, but such measurement requires methods that are interpretable and stable in longitudinal settings. Grounded in Conceptual Space Theory and semantic projection, this study develops the Word Embedding Projection Approach (WEPA), which represents psychological constructs as semantic axes defined by theory-driven anchor words in a domain-specific word embedding space. WEPA scores are interpreted as indicators of expressed psychological salience in user-generated text. Using panel data from Keep, a Chinese fitness-oriented social media platform (177,829 users; 2,668,298 weekly observations), we evaluate WEPA across four studies. Study I examines the measurement foundation through anchor-word validation, human-coded benchmarks, and cross-temporal semantic-axis stability checks. Studies II and III show theoretically interpretable predictive associations between WEPA-derived scores and subsequent exercise duration for goal-setting constructs and the four source dimensions of self-efficacy. Study IV provides exploratory relative-week trajectories of aggregate construct dynamics. Overall, WEPA shows strong agreement with human-coded benchmarks for goal specificity and physiological states and achieves broader text coverage than a dictionary-based baseline. These findings suggest that WEPA offers a promising approach to theory-driven psychological measurement from domain-specific social media text. Full article

Neurodevelopment is a dynamic and multifactorial process, critical in the early stages of life, involving the formation of neural networks, the establishment of synapses, and the maturation of cognitive, social and emotional circuits. In this context, the gut microbiome emerges as an essential regulator of neurodevelopment, exerting influences through multiple biochemical and immunological mechanisms that define the “gut-brain axis”. The microbiota modulates neurodevelopment by regulating neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, GABA), the production of microbial metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids, the modulation of inflammatory cytokines, and vagal signaling to the central nervous system. Recent evidence highlights the role of microbiota in modulating microglia, synaptogenesis, dendritic maturation, and neuronal plasticity, emphasizing how these processes are influenced by microbial activity rather than providing a comprehensive treatise on plasticity itself. Gut microbiota disturbances, or dysbiosis, have been associated with various neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, contributing to cognitive, behavioral, and emotional dysfunctions. This article summarizes, in a narrative manner, the main dysbiosis patterns identified in these disorders and the biological mechanisms by which the microbiome influences neuronal development and function, including immune–neuronal interactions, metabolomic modulation, and neuroendocrine signaling. Finally, emerging directions of intervention aimed at adjusting the microbial profile, such as dietary adjustment, the use of probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotics, and fecal microbiota transplantation, are presented with the aim of positively influencing neurodevelopment and preventing or ameliorating associated dysfunctions. This review emphasizes the need for longitudinal, rigorous, and controlled clinical trials to validate the efficacy of microbiota modulation strategies and to substantiate their integration into individualized pediatric management protocols. Full article

Background: Self-efficacy is an important psychological factor for healthy aging, but how long-term sport participation builds self-efficacy in older adults is not fully understood. This study explored how playing tennis for many years shapes self-efficacy in older South Korean adults and identified the key mechanisms. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 11 older male adults (aged 65–75 years) who had played tennis for 15–25 years and remained active at least twice per week. Participants were recruited from tennis clubs in South Korea through purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Results: Four themes emerged. (1) Mastery Through Progressive Achievement: gradual skill development and competitive success were perceived to support confidence that extended beyond the tennis court; (2) Social Embeddedness and Collective Efficacy: peer encouragement and observing similar others succeed were described as supporting participants’ belief in their own capabilities; (3) Physical Vitality as Confidence Foundation: sustained physical fitness and functional independence derived from tennis participation were perceived to support broader self-confidence in daily life; and (4) Mental Resilience and Cognitive Engagement: the strategic demands of tennis and its stress-relieving effects may contribute to psychological resilience and a continued sense of purpose in later life. Conclusions: Long-term tennis participation was perceived to support self-efficacy through multiple interconnected pathways consistent with Bandura’s social cognitive theory. These findings suggest that structured, community-based tennis programs may contribute to supporting psychological well-being and promoting healthy aging in rapidly aging societies. Full article

Psychological capital (PsyCap), encompassing hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism, has established itself as a key psychological resource for individuals. However, research in this field remains fragmented, which limits a comprehensive understanding of its role in the psychological mechanisms underlying entrepreneurial behavior, particularly in terms of motivation, coping with stress, and resilience in the face of uncertainty. This study aims to examine and organize the intellectual landscape of PsyCap. A scoping review of 215 articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science over nearly two decades was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR, using a co-thematic analysis based on text mining techniques. The results reveal a three-phase evolution of the field (emergence, growth, and maturity), built around individual functioning, entrepreneurial cognitions and attitudes, and psychosocial resources. The analysis also highlights unequal access to and use of PsyCap across contexts, as well as differences related to the specific characteristics of the populations studied, shedding light on underexplored groups such as women, refugees, rural and social entrepreneurs, migrants, and entrepreneurs with disabilities. These findings contribute to advancing knowledge in entrepreneurial psychology and offer a detailed analysis of future research avenues, including emerging research questions, methodological approaches, and theoretical interdisciplinary perspectives. Full article

In the digital economy era, Urban vitality has transitioned into an intertwined Virtual-Physical system. This study examines Changsha’s five urban districts through a dual-dimensional framework bridging physical (social, economic, cultural, and ecological) and virtual (video, social, and digital life) dimensions. Integrating Coupling Coordination Degree (CCD) and XGBoost-SHAP models, we elucidate the spatial patterns and nonlinear drivers of Virtual-Physical synergy. The results indicate that: (1) Urban Vitality exhibits a significant center-periphery gradient. Although the Coupling Degree between the two dimensions is high, the overall CCD remains relatively low, reflecting pervasive spatial mismatches. Notably, 55 units display a reverse pattern where Virtual Vitality surpasses Physical Vitality, suggesting that digital flows can reconfigure urban space by transcending traditional locational constraints. (2) Interactions within the built environment exert pronounced threshold effects. Structural elements require specific critical masses to activate synergy, beyond which marginal returns diminish, as exemplified by the U-shaped effect of the Green View Index and the inverted U-shaped effect of Spatial Enclosure on CCD. (3) Interaction analysis identifies building density as a multiplier, unlocking the synergistic potential of land-use mix and transport networks once critical thresholds are surpassed. Furthermore, the efficacy of population and transit relies on dense road networks and intersection, while functional diversity buffers against negative micro-environmental impacts. This study advocates for a shift from facility-increment to threshold-triggered precision strategies in urban regeneration, providing empirical support for human-centric planning in the digital twin era. Full article

Interpersonal and institutional distrust have become central concerns in debates on institutional legitimacy, particularly in contexts where education functions as a foundational arena of civic socialization. This systematic review examines how the Social Distrust Framework (IDS) articulates interpersonal distrust, institutional distrust, and structural conditions within educational systems. A total of 20 empirical studies published between 2000 and 2025 were analyzed across primary, secondary, and higher education. Searches were conducted following PRISMA 2020 guidelines across Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, PsycINFO, Dialnet, and SciELO. Findings indicate that interpersonal distrust is associated with lower levels of perceived support, sense of belonging, and self-efficacy, while institutional distrust is linked to weaker perceptions of procedural justice, normative coherence, and school legitimacy. Structural conditions—particularly inequality and school segregation—are consistently associated with intensified distrust dynamics across contexts. The synthesis further identifies key mediating mechanisms, including academic motivation, perceived support, institutional credibility, sense of belonging, and perceived fairness (procedural justice), which translate multilevel distrust dynamics into differentiated outcomes such as academic achievement, school dropout, behavioral outcomes, student engagement, and civic participation. The Social Distrust Framework (IDS) is conceptualized as an analytical framework that explains how micro-level relational experiences are transformed into macro-level evaluations of institutional reliability. By integrating relational, institutional, and structural dimensions, the framework contributes to interdisciplinary debates on institutional legitimacy, governance, inequality, and social cohesion. Full article