Search Results (334)

Traffic-related pollutants remain a challenging global issue, with significant policy implications. Within the European Union, Romania has the highest yearly societal cost per capita due to air pollution, which kills 29,000 Romanians every year, whereas the health and economic costs are also significant. In this context, municipal authorities in the country, particularly in high-density areas, should place a strong focus on mitigating air pollution. In particular, the capital city, Bucharest, ranks among the most congested cities in the world while registering the highest pollution index in Romania, with traffic pollution responsible for two-thirds of its air pollution. Consequently, studies that assess and model pollution trends are paramount to inform local policy-making processes and assist pollution-mitigation efforts. In this paper, a generalized additive modeling (GAM) framework is employed to model hourly concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), i.e., a relevant traffic-pollution proxy, at a busy urban traffic location in central Bucharest, Romania. All models are developed on a wide, fine-granularity dataset spanning January 2017–December 2022 and include extensive meteorological covariates. Model robustness is assured by switching between the generalized additive model (GAM) framework and the generalized additive mixed model (GAMM) framework when the residual autoregressive process needs to be specifically acknowledged. Results indicate that trend GAMs explain a large amount of the hourly variation in traffic pollution. Furthermore, meteorological factors contribute to increasing the models’ explanation power, with wind direction, relative humidity, and the interaction between wind speed and the atmospheric pressure emerging as important mitigators for NO₂ concentrations in Bucharest. The results of this study can be valuable in assisting local authorities to take proactive measures for traffic pollution control in the capital city of Romania. Full article

In alignment with global educational trends, Australia has adopted a pluralistic approach to initial teacher education (ITE), encompassing traditional university-based programs, employment-integrated models and vocational training routes. This diversification of pathways has emerged as a strategic response to persistent workforce challenges, including chronic shortages, uneven distribution of qualified educators, and limited demographic diversity within the profession. Rather than supplanting conventional ITE models, these alternative pathways serve as complementary options, broadening access and enhancing system responsiveness to evolving societal and educational needs. The rise in non-traditional routes represents a deliberate response to the well-documented global teacher shortage, frequently examined in comparative educational research. Central to their design is a restructuring of traditional program elements, particularly duration and delivery methods, to facilitate more flexible and context-sensitive forms of teacher preparation. Such approaches often create opportunities for individuals who may be excluded from conventional pathways due to socioeconomic constraints, geographic isolation, or non-linear career trajectories. Significantly, the diversity introduced by alternative entry candidates has the potential to enrich school learning environments. These educators often bring a wide range of prior experiences, disciplinary knowledge, and cultural perspectives, contributing to more inclusive and representative teaching practices. The implications for student learning are substantial, particularly in disadvantaged communities where culturally and professionally diverse teachers may enhance engagement and academic outcomes. From a policy perspective, the development of flexible, multifaceted teacher education pathways constitutes a critical component of a sustainable workforce strategy. As demand for qualified teachers intensifies, especially in STEM disciplines and in rural, regional and remote areas, the role of alternative pathways is likely to become increasingly pivotal in achieving broader goals of equity, quality and innovation in teacher preparation. Full article

Background/Objective: Fentanyl plays a pivotal role in the opioid epidemic, defined by four waves of overdose deaths. To analyse fentanyl research trends, examining its links to mental health, pharmaceutical development, healthcare, diseases, and pathophysiology within the broader social and health context of the time. Methods: To understand the evolution of scientific publications on fentanyl and its relationship to the opioid crisis, a search using Web of Science Core Collection and PubMed was conducted. A total of 53,670 documents were retrieved related to opioid scientific production, among which 1423 articles (3%) focused specifically on fentanyl. The 21,546 MeSH terms identified in these documents were analysed by publication year and specific fields: Psychiatry and Psychology, Chemicals and Drugs, Healthcare, Diseases, and Phenomena and Processes. R-statistical/FactoMineR libraries were used for the correspondence analysis. Results: In the first overdose death wave, research focused on improving therapies and reducing side effects. The second wave emphasised detoxification methods with naltrexone, methadone, and behavioural therapies. The third wave addressed psychological treatments and HIV-syringe-sharing prevention. The fourth wave prioritised less addictive analogues and understanding consumer profiles to combat the epidemic. Conclusions: Fentanyl research has evolved alongside real-world challenges, reinforcing the connection between patients’ needs, healthcare professionals’ roles, illicit users, policymakers, and the research community’s contributions to addressing both therapeutic use and its broader societal impact. These findings highlight the necessity for an interdisciplinary approach to scientific research integrating prevention, treatment, education, legal reform, and social support, emphasising the need for public health policies and collaborative research to mitigate its impact. Full article

This article presents a scoping review of the academic literature published between 2021 and 2024 on the intersection of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and disinformation. Drawing from 64 peer-reviewed studies, the review examines the current research landscape and identifies six key thematic areas: political disinformation and propaganda; scientific disinformation; fact-checking; journalism and the media; media literacy and education; and deepfakes. The findings reveal that generative AI plays a dual role: it enables the rapid creation and targeted dissemination of synthetic content but also offers new opportunities for detection, verification, and public education. Beyond summarizing research trends, this review highlights the broader societal and practical implications of generative AI in the context of information disorder. It outlines how AI tools are already reshaping journalism, challenging scientific communication, and transforming strategies for media literacy and fact-checking. The analysis also identifies key policy and governance challenges, particularly the need for coordinated responses from governments, platforms, educators, and civil society actors. By offering a structured overview of the field, the article enhances our understanding of how generative AI can both exacerbate and help mitigate disinformation, and proposes directions for research, regulation, and public engagement. Full article

The human need for belonging and identity (stemming from the need for belonging) is strong. This article begins by discussing these needs, drawing on the theories of Abraham Maslow and Erik Erikson. Forceful societal trends in the early twenty-first-century world have been creating a new societal context that tends to disrupt historical, relatively simple trajectories of identity formation. These trends are then subsumed under two megatrends that operate in the contemporary world. The first is globalisation, evident in the world since c.1990 as “Globalisation 3.0”. One outcome of Globalisation 3.0 is identity flux. Around 2015, a trend of deglobalisation became evident around the world. Populism is one of the manifestations of this counter-trend, a manifestation that is also visible in identity formation patterns. Education, citizenship educationin particular, has long been looked up to as instrument of political socialisation and identity formation, and these counter-trends tend to impact it, as well. The thesis of this article is that citizenship education, as it is presented in the education systems of the contemporary world, could be deemed to be anachronistically simple and hence requires adaptations in response to the exigencies of this new, changed global context. Finally, we suggest some guidelines for a reconceptualised citizenship education attuned to the exigencies of the new unfolding global context. Full article

Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 are reshaping business models and scientific concepts, bringing challenges and opportunities. Stakeholders require a performance measurement system that enables them to address challenges and effectively capture opportunities. However, the current literature lacks consistency in utilising appropriate performance measurement systems, and the authors aim to identify current trends in measuring organisational performance within the context of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0 in manufacturing companies. A systematic literature review, based on the PRISMA model, was conducted to identify which performance measurement systems for manufacturing companies are utilised in the context of Industry 4.0 and Industry 5.0. Findings indicate that the current literature lacks consistency regarding performance measurement systems for manufacturing companies, which encompass elements of Industry 5.0, including human-centrism and sustainability. We recommend a human-centric and sustainability-oriented approach to measuring performance in Industry 5.0, prioritising metrics that value employees as co-creators of success, integrate well-being and ethical dimensions, and focus on human-technology collaboration. Such an approach should ensure that technology supports, rather than replaces, humans, aligning organisational goals with societal and environmental values. Full article

Scientific research in Amazonia plays a fundamental role in identifying pathways to sustainable development for the region, addressing the challenges posed by climate change, preserving its unique ecosystems, and aligning with societal challenges and rights advocated by its diverse populations. This paper encompasses a broad range of scientific publications, spanning from 1977 to 2024, and highlights key research areas, analyzing their results and trends to inform future developments. It also identifies areas that require deeper investigation. The results emphasize a focus on agricultural, biological, and environmental sciences. On the other hand, there is a need for more extensive research within the social sciences. As shown, research on indigenous land rights, cultural heritage, and the socio-economic impacts of environmental disruptions is essential for developing comprehensive conservation strategies. Furthermore, research on governance, policy, and socio-political dynamics in Amazonia can provide innovative approaches to addressing the challenges and opportunities for its people, biodiversity, and role in climate regulation, as demonstrated by the findings. The strategic research fields identified in this paper provide a guide for future studies and policy development aimed at protecting the forest and its inhabitants. This study emphasizes the need for approaches that integrate both natural and social sciences as essential for addressing the complex ecological and socio-economic challenges that continue to shape the contemporary research landscape. Furthermore, this paper highlights the importance of unity and cooperation among Amazonian countries and research institutions in achieving these goals. In this context, reinforcing long-term, large-scale research programs such as the LBA (Large-Scale Biosphere–Atmosphere Experiment in Amazonia) and the Scientific Panel for the Amazon (SPA) are crucial to advancing integrated, policy-relevant science for the sustainable future of the region. Full article

Ensuring the trustworthiness of artificial intelligence (AI) systems is critical as they become increasingly integrated into domains like healthcare, finance, and public administration. This paper explores frameworks and metrics for evaluating AI trustworthiness, focusing on key principles such as fairness, transparency, privacy, and security. This study is guided by two central questions: how can trust in AI systems be systematically measured across the AI lifecycle, and what are the trade-offs involved when optimizing for different trustworthiness dimensions? By examining frameworks such as the NIST AI Risk Management Framework (AI RMF), the AI Trust Framework and Maturity Model (AI-TMM), and ISO/IEC standards, this study bridges theoretical insights with practical applications. We identify major risks across the AI lifecycle stages and outline various metrics to address challenges in system reliability, bias mitigation, and model explainability. This study includes a comparative analysis of existing standards and their application across industries to illustrate their effectiveness. Real-world case studies, including applications in healthcare, financial services, and autonomous systems, demonstrate approaches to applying trust metrics. The findings reveal that achieving trustworthiness involves navigating trade-offs between competing metrics, such as fairness versus efficiency or privacy versus transparency, and emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration for robust AI governance. Emerging trends suggest the need for adaptive frameworks for AI trustworthiness that evolve alongside advancements in AI technologies. This paper contributes to the field by proposing a comprehensive review of existing frameworks with guidelines for building resilient, ethical, and transparent AI systems, ensuring their alignment with regulatory requirements and societal expectations. Full article

Peatland research has expanded rapidly in the last two decades encompassing a diverse, multi-disciplinary evidence base, as countries seek to manage this resource sustainably along with meeting climate and biodiversity targets. There is growing global interest in the role of peatlands in carbon and water cycles, leading to more interdisciplinary research that applies ecosystem services and other integrative frameworks to generate knowledge and provide guidance for action. These trends have been replicated in Ireland with increasing research in peatland science, applied work on these degraded ecosystems, and a growing interest from civil society, landowners, and communities in the stewardship of this resource. This paper presents evidence-based insights from over two decades of Irish peatland research, with practical lessons for peatland policy and management in other national contexts. Analyses of the evidence from the literature, specialist expertise, and stakeholder knowledge were carried out under ten themes: biodiversity, soil, climate change, water, archaeology and palaeoenvironment, technology and mapping, society and culture, management, growing media and policy and law. The research identified four foundational pillars (accountability, longevity, equity and holistic knowledge) as critical to achieving sustainable peatland management in Ireland, with broader application to other regions. Peatland restoration is widely recognised across research disciplines as a key tool to meet regulatory targets related to climate, biodiversity, and water quality, while also delivering societal benefits. The findings of this research provide accessible, reliable and up-to-date evidence for sustainable peatland management. This study addresses a critical global knowledge gap by developing a novel, interdisciplinary evidence synthesis framework—applied here to Ireland but replicable worldwide—that systematically integrates 20 years of multi-disciplinary peatland research, expert insights, and stakeholder perspectives across ten thematic pillars. Full article

This article investigates predicted future developments in fine dining using a mixed-methods approach rooted in German gastronomic culture. By conducting an inductive media content analysis and ten semi-structured expert interviews with leading figures in Germany’s high-end food sector, we applied a qualitative mixed-methods approach. The study was based exclusively on data collected in 2018 and 2019, deliberately excluding pandemic-related developments in order to focus on long-term structural and cultural trends in fine dining. We identified two core thematic clusters: one related to sustainable food practices (ecology/sustainability, regionality, seasonality, from-farm-to-table, and vegetarianism/veganism) and the other to experiential dimensions of dining (experience, topic-based concept, and storytelling). Our findings contribute to the academic discussion on culinary futures and provide grounded insights into how fine dining is likely to evolve in response to broader societal, environmental, and cultural shifts. This study fills a significant research gap by systematically mapping emerging restaurant concepts based on non-COVID data, making it a valuable reference for scholars and practitioners alike. Full article

This study examines critical challenges associated with religious literacy in contemporary South Korea and educational approaches to address them. By analyzing data from the Religious Literacy Survey 2023 (n = 2022), we reveal that these paradoxical attitudes stem from a declining religious literacy, manifested as limited knowledge of religious traditions and their teachings. Amid the rise in the number of the religiously unaffiliated, our analysis indicates that this trend reflects not a rejection of religion but rather an urgent need for education to enhance religious literacy. Based on this analysis, we examine religious education curricula at Dongguk and Yonsei Universities as exemplars that not only deepen students’ understanding of specific religious traditions but also help them recognize religion’s enduring relevance in addressing contemporary societal challenges. Building on these cases, while recognizing their limitations as religiously affiliated institutions, we emphasize the need for an integrated educational approach to religious literacy—one that extends beyond specific traditions and incorporates religious studies examining various dimensions of religion itself. We further suggest the broader implementation of religious literacy education across higher education institutions. Such educational approaches provide insights into fostering social cohesion and meaningful interreligious engagement in South Korea and beyond. Full article

The Religious Workforce Project is a Lilly Endowment-funded effort to map the nation’s changing Christian religious landscape. A quantitative component identifies broad US trends, while our qualitative work focuses on Christian congregations in the Washington, DC metro area and surrounding counties, to understand how congregations staff to fulfill their missions, and to learn how congregational leaders understand the nature of their ministry today. In 2019–2022, we conducted case studies in 40 congregations in a variety of Christian traditions and contexts. For our analysis, we used a framework based on three societal trends that have impacted congregations: long-term member loss in churches, a skewed distribution in church attendance in which most people attend large churches while most churches are small, and a pandemic-induced movement from brick-and-mortar spaces to online spaces. This analysis revealed the consequential impacts of these three trends on congregations and their leaders, and some of the essential skills needed for effective church operation during this “wilderness moment,” a liminal time in the life of the church. We see these impacts not only as responses to external pressures but also as signs of internal reimagining. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for developing effective strategies for church staffing and for preparing future congregational leaders that can adapt to the future needs of ministry. Full article

Under the context of global warming, extreme precipitation events have become more frequent and intense, causing substantial environmental and societal impacts. Using the daily gridded precipitation dataset (CHM_PRE) for mainland China, this study investigates the spatiotemporal evolution of extreme precipitation events from 1961 to 2022, focusing on regional disparities in frequency, event duration, and total precipitation. Events are further categorized based on peak frequency and the timing of peak intensity to reveal their distinct spatial and temporal characteristics. The results indicate the following: (1) From 1961 to 2022, the frequency of extreme precipitation events across most regions of mainland China exhibited a statistically significant increasing trend, especially in Xinjiang, where the average annual frequency rose by 56 times from 1961–1980 to 2000–2022. (2) Event durations show a general trend, with the most pronounced decline in Southwest China, where the overall duration and the duration above the 90th percentile decreased at Sen’s slopes of −6.4 × 10⁻² and −6 × 10⁻³ days·year⁻¹, respectively. (3) Event intensity has increased, especially in Southeast China, with peak and daily intensities rising at 2.9 × 10⁻² mm·year⁻¹ and 1.9 × 10⁻² mm·day⁻¹·year⁻¹. (4) Short-duration events dominate Xinjiang, averaging 102 times per year and accounting for 35.58% of all events. (5) Events of varying durations display clear spatial differences: 2-day events are most frequent in Xinjiang, the Tibetan Plateau, Northwest China, and Northern China, while 4-day events are concentrated in Southeast China. Moreover, a nonlinear positive correlation between event duration and total precipitation volume suggests a complex interplay between precipitation persistence and intensity. Full article

This study investigates the influence of experiential programs (EPs) on enhancing consumer experience offerings at luxury resorts. EPs encompass a variety of activities, amenities, and services designed to immerse consumers in the local culture, scenery, and authenticity. The research focuses explicitly on EPs related to fitness, evening entertainment, children’s activities, and personalized experiences. By analyzing data from 30 resorts, significant trends and typologies within each category of EP emerged, highlighting the diverse ways in which resorts meet consumers’ desires for immersive and status-enhancing experiences. Valuable insights were gained through semi-structured interviews with two hoteliers, providing a deeper understanding of the strategic integration of EPs. Fitness EPs highlight activities, including hiking and yoga, whereas evening entertainment encompasses experiences like mixology, music, and astronomy education. For children, EPs prioritize cultural immersion through hands-on experiences, while personalized EPs—including romance packages and private dining—allow for consumer exclusivity. The research underscores how these EPs align with contemporary trends in conspicuous consumption, where luxury resorts leverage unique, high-quality, and culturally rich experiences to reinforce affluence and societal standing. The findings emphasize that EPs are a vital strategy for luxury resorts to differentiate themselves in a competitive market, enhancing consumer satisfaction, loyalty, and positive self-image. Full article

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Japan has experienced a significant rise in mortality, with excess deaths surpassing historical projections. Statistical data indicate a sharp increase in mortality rates from 2021 onward, attributed to COVID-19, aging demographics, cardiovascular diseases, and malignancies. Preliminary 2024 data suggest continued excess mortality, fueling public debate. This review analyzes national and municipal mortality trends using official Japanese statistics and comparative data from South Korea, the U.S., and the EU. Findings reveal a sharp mortality rise post-2021 in Japan and South Korea, while Western nations experienced peak deaths in 2020, followed by declines. The review explores contributing factors, including potential vaccine-related adverse effects, declining healthcare access, pandemic-induced stress, and demographic shifts. Notably, older adults’ reluctance to seek medical care led to delayed diagnoses, treatment interruptions, and preventable deaths. Although some argue that declining COVID-19 vaccination rates in 2023 may have contributed to rising mortality in 2024, available data suggest a multifactorial causation. Japan’s rapidly aging population, coupled with increasing mortality and declining birth rates, presents profound social and economic challenges. A nuanced approach, avoiding simplistic causal claims, is crucial for understanding these trends. This review highlights the need for a sustainable societal framework to address demographic shifts and improve healthcare resilience. Future pandemic strategies must balance infection control measures with mitigating unintended health consequences to ensure a more adaptive and effective public health response. Full article