Search Results (15,342)

In the context of digitalization and growing demands for environmental responsibility, creative industries are seeking ways to reduce their material footprint. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of digital technologies, such as virtual prototyping and digital fashion, in shaping new sustainability standards. To achieve this, a systemic multidisciplinary approach was applied, combining comparative analysis, quantitative assessment of key indicators (MIRR, CFCI, VSR), and the calculation of the Integral Sustainability Index (ISI).The results show that virtual prototyping reduces material costs by 45–65% and the number of physical prototypes by 3–5 times; however, its energy efficiency depends on project complexity and is achieved only after the ‘energy break-even point.’ Digital fashion practices demonstrate the potential to reduce the carbon footprint, but only when utilizing energy-efficient digital infrastructure. The integrated assessment revealed an increase in the overall level of sustainability (with $ISI$ rising from 0.52 to 0.71) during the transition to digital processes. The main conclusion is that digital technologies establish new sustainability standards, yet their positive impact is realized only through the conscious design of technological systems, business models, and institutional environments focused on balancing environmental, economic, and social goals. Full article

Green and Sustainable Remediation (GSR) has become a guiding framework for selecting remediation solutions for contaminated sites. However, in practice, there is a lack of quantitative decision support tools that can reflect the multi-dimensional environmental, social, and economic objectives of GSR. To address this, a GSR alternative decision-making model was developed, integrating the Criteria Importance Through Intercriteria Correlation (CRITIC) method and the Entropy Weight method for weighting, combined with the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) for ranking. A preference coefficient was introduced to simulate four typical decision-making scenarios: balanced-preference, health-sensitive, economy-priority, and low-carbon constraint scenarios. Empirical analysis was conducted using three remediation alternatives for a complex contaminated site in Jiangsu Province, China. The results indicate that the optimal alternative selection is highly dependent on decision preferences: under the balanced scenario and low-carbon constraint scenario, Alternative 1 (Cement Kiln Co-processing, CKC) is optimal; under the health-sensitive scenario and economy-priority scenario, Alternative 3 (Ex situ Solidification/Stabilization + Ex situ Thermal Desorption, ESS + ESTD) is optimal. Furthermore, uncertainty analysis demonstrates the robustness of the proposed model. Full article

Student retention has become a major challenge for higher education institutions due to the influence that academic, socioeconomic, family, and motivational factors exert on students’ academic continuity. In this context, understanding the determinants that explain university persistence is essential for designing effective retention strategies. Based on the analysis of factors related to motivation, commitment, attitude, academic integration, and social and economic conditions, retention patterns were examined in a population of 532 university students, of whom 57.7% showed high retention, 38.2% medium retention, and 4.1% low retention. To identify the factors with the greatest influence on academic continuity, educational data mining techniques and supervised classification models were applied and evaluated using stratified 10-fold cross-validation. Tree-based ensemble models showed the most consistent predictive performance, with Random Forest achieving the best results (accuracy = 0.729 ± 0.058; F1-macro = 0.636 ± 0.136). Model interpretability was examined through SHAP analysis, which revealed that transportation conditions (0.249), task completion (0.170), absence of work obligations (0.168), and course completion (0.164) were the most influential predictors in the classification of retention levels. In addition, sensitivity analysis indicated that academic commitment accounts for 41.6% of the predictive impact, followed by motivation (23.5%). These findings demonstrate that student retention is shaped by the interaction of academic, motivational, and contextual factors and provide practical implications for the development of **early warning systems, personalized tutoring programs, psychosocial support initiatives, and financial assistance policies aimed at strengthening university retention. Full article

This study, which aimed to instill values effective in developing social adaptation skills in students with special needs through traditional Turkish Cypriot children’s games, employed an action research model within a qualitative research design. The participants in the study were 5 students with mild intellectual disabilities aged 9 to 12. In the first step of the two-stage implementation plan, data were collected by having the students play traditional Turkish Cypriot children’s games, selected by the researchers and containing the relevant values, three times a week. In the second step, on the day following the game phase, the students’ acquisition of the target value was assessed through worksheets containing activities prepared by the researchers, which covered the basic points related to the target value. The aim was to instill 8 core values through applications that continued for a total of 5 weeks. After the completion of the application phase, a one-week break was given. During this period, the aim was to determine the short-term retention level of the targeted values. After a one-week follow-up, the researchers evaluated whether the students had learned the relevant values permanently in the short term through visuals and texts. The findings of this study, in which traditional Turkish Cypriot children’s games were practiced three times a week for five weeks, show that the games positively contributed to the learning of the targeted values and that the children adopted these values. However, the findings reflect only short-term retention; longer-term follow-up studies are needed to assess the long-term internalization of the values. Full article

This study explores how demystifying Earth Observation (EO) through co-creation pathways and local language can enhance flood resilience and environmental governance in African informal cities. Using case studies from Maiduguri and Hadejia, Nigeria, the research employed a transdisciplinary mixed-methods design combining rapid evidence assessment, surveys, participatory workshops (n = 50 stakeholders) integrating simplified Sentinel-1/2 demonstrations, indigenous knowledge mapping, and pre-/post-engagement surveys on EO familiarity. Non-expert participants were trained to interpret satellite data using local language, linking distant teleconnections with local flood experiences. The findings revealed significant gains in EO literacy and improvements in interpretive confidence, gender-inclusive participation, and policy engagement. Localizing the curriculum enabled participants to translate technical EO concepts into locally meaningful narratives, fostering cognitive empowerment and practical application in flood preparedness and advocacy. The study demonstrates that data democratization is not only a matter of open access but also of open understanding. It advances a conceptual model linking Demystification, Literacy, Empowerment, Co-Production and Resilience, positioning EO as a social technology that bridges scientific and indigenous knowledge systems. The findings contribute to debates on decolonizing environmental science and propose a potential participatory framework for integrating EO into community-based adaptation, legal accountability, and policy reform across Africa’s rapidly urbanizing landscapes. Full article

The Ghanaian economy faces significant challenges in providing robust policy support and cohesive ecosystem structures that enable small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the country to effectively convert entrepreneurial marketing activities into sustainable social outcomes. The research examines the effect of entrepreneurial marketing on sustainable social performance of SMEs using entrepreneurial ecosystem policy as the mediating variable. The Resource Dependency Theory, Resource-Based View and the Stakeholder Theory were utilized, and the study was designed a cross-sectional survey. The data collected were based on 386 SME owners and managers of different sectors in Ghana. Structural equation modeling with SmartPLS 3 was used to test the proposed relationships. The results indicate that entrepreneurial marketing has a significant positive impact on sustainable social performance. In addition to that, ecosystem policy has a strong and positive impact on sustainable social performance. The mediating effect of ecosystem policy in the relationship between entrepreneurial marketing and sustainable social was found to be positive. The research has limitations in that it was cross-sectional and specific to Ghana, which might limit its generalizability. Longitudinal and cross-country designs may be used in future studies to include the dynamic effects of policy interventions. Hypothetically, the research moves towards the mediating role of the ecosystem policy in the relationship between marketing and sustainability. In practice, the study findings highlight the necessity to use combined policy frameworks that empower SMEs to enhance their marketing strengths and social investments to meet Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8, 9, and 12. The research finds that enabling policies of entrepreneurial ecosystems are needed to convert the marketing efforts by SMEs into a sustainable social value. Full article

Learning to write begins before formal schooling through everyday interactions where children construct ideas about print. Informed by socioconstructivist theory, this quasi-experimental study evaluated the impact of naturalistic, teacher-mediated cooperative invented spelling activities in Portuguese preschools. The participants were 88 five-year-olds from six classes in three schools. Classrooms were randomly assigned within schools to an intervention group (n = 43) or a comparison group (n = 45). For two months, the intervention group engaged in weekly spelling discussions integrated into regular activities, while the comparison group followed the standard curriculum. Pre- and post-intervention spelling assessments and classroom observations were conducted. The results showed a strong positive intervention effect. The intervention group demonstrated significantly greater improvement in representing sounds in their spelling than the comparison group. Observations revealed that when teachers scaffolded discussions with open questions, and children, with varying knowledge levels, helped each other by explaining their thinking. This transformed spelling into a shared problem-solving task. The study confirmed invented spelling as a valuable classroom activity that advances alphabetic understanding. It was demonstrated that early literacy can be effectively nurtured through structured dialogue and collaboration within the regular preschool day. These findings provided a practical, theory-aligned model for supporting literacy development through social interaction. Full article

Here, we explore the determinants and territorial heterogeneity of regional innovation development across Russian regions, employing the Russian Regional Innovation Index (RRII) and indicators of Gross Regional Product (GRP). The empirical database comprises 1363 small innovation enterprises (SMEs) spun-off from budgetary and research organizations and universities, specifically 34 flagship universities, 28 innovation clusters, 156 technology parks, and 15 science and technology innovation centers, along with indicators of the infrastructure–institutional environment, innovation–investment activity, scientific–educational potential, and human–social characteristics. Regression analysis enabled the identification of major factor groups that strongly effect regional innovation development, with infrastructure–institutional and innovation–investment indicators being the most significant. Cluster analysis of RRII and GRP delineated three groups of regions, (1) leaders with high innovation activity and substantial economic potential, (2) intermediate regions with moderate innovation activity and varying economic capacity, and (3) regions with high economic capacity but low innovation activity, exhibiting structural disparities between the economy and innovation. By combining regression and cluster analyses, we provide a comprehensive assessment of regional innovation ecosystems, reveal spatial imbalances, and identify priority areas for regional innovation policy. The study contributes to the theory of regional innovation systems and offers practical recommendations for strategic planning and optimizing the allocation of resources among key elements of innovation infrastructure. Full article

E-commerce platforms are increasingly adopting cross-platform targeted advertising strategies, and the design of such strategies warrants attention. Focusing on cooperation between e-commerce and social media platforms, this study considers targeting precision, advertising intensity, privacy concerns and social utility on the effectiveness of targeted advertising. Using a game-theoretic model, we examine the decision between single- and cross-platform for e-commerce platforms in fully and partially overlapping user groups. The main findings indicate that (1) the social utility of social media platforms is a key factor in implementing cross-platform targeted advertising; (2) cross-platform targeted advertising is not always the optimal choice for e-commerce platforms; and (3) low-precision cross-platform strategy achieves three-party optimum in fully and partially overlapping user groups. The implications of the main findings include: (1) e-commerce platforms should prudently use social media platforms instead of relying excessively on their traffic; (2) e-commerce platforms should not regard cross-platform cooperation as the default option but as a differentiated, situation-specific decision; and (3) e-commerce platforms should promote co-creation of value and proprietary data accumulation when cooperating with social media platforms. The findings can help e-commerce platforms to choose proper targeted advertising strategy in practice. This study also provides a theoretical supplement for cross-platform targeted advertising research. Full article

Consumer food waste is a major global challenge to sustainable development, generating massive carbon and water footprints, exacerbating food insecurity, and undermining the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. While extensive research has documented individual and contextual drivers of consumer food waste, critical gaps remain in understanding how core marketing tools shape wasteful behavior, particularly the unintended post-purchase consequences of ubiquitous price promotions. Addressing this gap, we unpack the psychological mechanism underlying the classic social dilemma of promotions: short-term individual economic savings from discounts conflict with long-term collective ecological welfare. Across four rigorous studies, including a real-world field experiment in a university canteen, we establish a causal effect of price promotions on increased consumer food waste behavior. We further demonstrate that this effect is mediated by enhanced perceived resources: price promotions generate subjective feelings of windfall gains and resource abundance, which in turn increase consumers’ willingness to discard edible food. We identify two practical actionable boundary conditions that attenuate this pro-waste effect: the impact of price promotions on food waste is eliminated when consumers focus on money spent (rather than money saved) from the transaction, and when they perceive their spending as exceeding their psychological budget. Our findings advance the literature on price promotions and sustainable consumption by documenting a previously unrecognized hidden cost of promotional marketing, unpacking the micro-psychological foundations of the social dilemma in food waste decisions, and providing evidence-based, actionable implications for policymakers, food retailers, and food service operators to curb promotion-induced food waste. Full article

Mountain Social–Ecological Systems (MtSES) are global assets, providing essential ecosystem services to nearly half of humanity, yet they are disproportionately vulnerable to global change, experiencing “polytraps” of depopulation, poverty, and environmental degradation. Despite the inherent human dimension in sustainability, the social pillar remains conceptually chaotic, forming a highly fragmented “publication labyrinth”, and is often neglected in favor of more easily quantifiable environmental and economic metrics. These oversights leave mountain communities in a precarious state, underscoring an urgent need for robust, context-specific assessment tools. This paper addresses this critical gap by employing a two-step methodology: first, a literature review identifies prevailing social sustainability issues in mountain contexts; second, a comparative analysis evaluates prominent frameworks and indicator-based tools against these themes, using Ostrom’s multi-tier Social–Ecological Systems (SES) framework as the theoretical lens. Our findings reveal a persistent environmental bias in MtSES research and highlight the necessity for frameworks that integrate local knowledge, address power imbalances, and support bottom-up governance. A tool is proposed with indicators specifically for mountainous contexts. This study contributes to theory by offering a structured approach to unpack the elusive “social” in SES and to practice by providing a model and tool for developing actionable, context-sensitive social sustainability assessments, thereby fostering resilience and equitable development in vulnerable mountain regions. Ultimately, by operationalizing these social dimensions, this research provides a direct roadmap for achieving key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals in marginalized high-altitude contexts, particularly focusing on No Poverty (SDG 1), Good Health and Well-being (SDG 3), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable Communities (SDG 11), and Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (SDG 16). Full article

The correct valuation of collateral supporting real estate loans has always been a key issue for the stability of the credit system. Substandard lending practices and the absence of uniform valuation approaches have historically contributed to the accumulation of non-performing loans. In recent years, several regulatory measures operating at both the European and national level have introduced principles, rules and procedures aimed at standardizing the valuation of properties pledged as collateral for credit exposures. These interventions seek to promote greater transparency, consistency, and prudence in property appraisals, thereby enhancing the soundness and resilience of the financial system. In January 2025, the updated Regulation (EU) 575/2013 came into force, incorporating the Basel III reform (also referred to as Basel 3+ or Basel IV). Among the innovations introduced, the concept of property value (PV) is particularly relevant, a prudential value that excludes expectations of price growth and considers the sustainability of the value over time in relation to the duration of the loan. PV is defined as a derived value with respect to market value (MV), determined by considering the main current and forward-looking risk factors that may arise during the life of the loan, including environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks, the intrinsic characteristics of the property and expectations regarding the economic cycle. This paper proposes a quantitative model for the determination of PV, applied to a practical case involving a residential property located in a medium-sized city in Italy’s Veneto region. The model adopts a deterministic and a probabilistic approach, the latter implemented through Monte Carlo simulation, which is indeed a generalization of the deterministic one. The model links the assessment of PV to the possible evolution of the property’s key parameters and the real estate cycle over the duration of the loan. It was tested under the assumption of a twenty-year mortgage originated in 2025 for the purchase of a residential property in Italy, considering two alternative locations: a suburban area and a city-centre area. The analysis conducted showed a substantially higher MV haircut for the suburban property compared with the central location. This difference reflects the fact that PV is less sensitive to real estate cycle fluctuations in more premium, central locations. Furthermore, the use of Monte Carlo simulation in the probabilistic approach enabled the calibration of the haircut according to a predefined confidence level, confirming the pattern observed in the deterministic framework. The combined evidence strengthens the empirical robustness of the model and highlights the importance of locational and cyclical dynamics in collateral valuation. Full article

Historic streets, as living heritage environments, preserve everyday cultural practices while facing increasing digital mediation in tourism and daily life. This study examines how a digital sense of place is constructed online in the Ming–Qing Old Street of Songyang, China. User-generated text and image data were collected primarily from Weibo, supplemented by user reviews from major travel platforms, including Dianping, Fliggy, Mafengwo, and Ctrip, and analysed through a multimodal framework. BERTopic was applied to identify thematic narratives in textual content, and ResNet-50 was used to classify visual scene elements in shared images, enabling an integrated interpretation of textual and visual representations. The results reveal four dominant dimensions of digital place perception: local food culture, living handicrafts, historic spatial fabric, and everyday atmosphere. Textual narratives emphasise emotional attachment and experiential interpretation, while visual representations highlight photogenic, performative, and shareable street scenes. The integration of these modalities forms a layered digital sense of place grounded in cultural continuity and daily life. The study demonstrates the value of multimodal social media analysis in understanding how living heritage streets are digitally represented and perceived, offering implications for sustainable heritage conservation, community-centred revitalisation, and data-informed cultural tourism management. Full article

Media-based cultural diversity education is approached here as an analytical synthesis that brings together established research traditions in media and communication studies, including mediatization, representation, and framing. It refers to the process through which media are understood to function as informal educational environments that shape how audiences learn about and interpret cultural differences. In contemporary mediatized societies, media institutions, including television and digital platforms, are understood to shape public understandings of diversity through the selection, framing, and visual representation of minority groups. Television is widely regarded as a particularly influential medium because of its wide reach and its institutional role in producing authoritative narratives about social reality. Through news reporting, documentaries, and other factual programming, television has been shown to circulate meanings about cultural diversity and provide audiences with interpretive frameworks through which minority groups are publicly understood. These communicative practices have been shown to influence how audiences perceive cultural difference, interpret social issues, and negotiate questions of belonging within society. By organizing narratives, frames, and visual repertoires through which cultural groups are portrayed, television has been shown to contribute to the formation of shared social knowledge about diversity and about relationships between majority and minority communities. In this sense, television can be understood not only as a channel of information but also as a cultural institution that shapes symbolic boundaries between social groups and influences perceptions of inclusion and exclusion. As an illustrative context, this entry also refers to representations of Roma communities in Central European media environments, where antigypsyism may be understood as a mediated cultural process embedded in everyday media communication. Full article

As private landownership becomes increasingly fragmented and socially diverse, understanding how new types of landowners interact with wildlife and engage in management practices is essential for achieving landscape-scale conservation outcomes. This issue has taken on renewed urgency in the post-pandemic era, as amenity migration expanded beyond the traditionally studied ultra-wealthy purchasers of large ranches to include a broader socioeconomic spectrum acquiring small-acreage properties. This shift has introduced a more heterogeneous population of land stewards, many operating with limited financial, technical, and institutional resources in highly fragmented landscapes. This paper examines the intersection of sociodemographic change and private land conservation, focusing on the implications of amenity migration for wildlife management in rural private ecosystems. Through an integrative review of the amenity migration literature informed by a PRISMA-based search and screening protocol, we show that although wildlife is frequently referenced in this literature, wildlife management is rarely examined as an intentional and coordinated social–ecological practice. We argue that the implications of contemporary amenity migration for wildlife management extend beyond individual landowners to include institutional systems, shifting community dynamics, and cross-boundary governance challenges that shape wildlife outcomes across private landscapes. Recognizing the post-pandemic transformation of rural landownership is therefore essential for aligning conservation resources and institutional support systems with emerging patterns of private land stewardship. Full article