Search Results (989)

Hibiscus sabdariffa (H. sabdariffa) is a high-value economic and functional crop, limited by agroclimatic conditions and low technological adoption. This systematic review examines the current state of artificial intelligence applications in agricultural management, analyzing 2111 records, selecting 82, and synthesizing 22 studies that meet the inclusion criteria. This review adopts a holistic framework aligned with three priority areas in agriculture—resource and climate management, crop productivity and quality, and sustainability—to explore how AI addresses key challenges in the cultivation and post-harvest processing of Hibiscus sabdariffa. The results show a predominance of classical machine learning techniques, with limited implementation of deep learning models. The most common applications include image classification, yield prediction, and analysis of bioactive compounds. However, limitations remain in the availability of open data, reproducible code, and standardized metrics. The narrative synthesis identified clear opportunities to integrate emerging technologies, such as deep neural networks and the Internet of Things (IoT), particularly in water management and stress monitoring. The review concludes that strengthening interdisciplinary research and promoting data openness is key to achieving a more resilient, sustainable, and technologically advanced crop. Full article

This study explores how the leadership of Chilean state universities integrates sustainability into their strategic decision-making processes. Employing a qualitative research approach using semi-structured interviews conducted across nine institutions, it analyzes the perspectives of rectors (equivalent to university presidents in Chilean higher education), vice-rectors, and members of university governing bodies. The findings reveal that although sustainability is present in institutional discourse, its actual implementation remains limited, fragmented, and subordinated to financial imperatives. Contextual constraints, adaptive rationalities, and limited stakeholder engagement shape strategic decisions. Furthermore, institutions often employ sustainability as a rhetorical or compliance-driven narrative rather than as a transformative governance principle. This study frames these findings through stakeholder theory, organizational sustainability, strategic rationality, and information governance. It concludes that embedding sustainability meaningfully in university governance requires institutional transformation—moving beyond symbolic commitments towards inclusive, evidence-driven, and participatory decision-making practices. Full article

China’s rapid urbanization has presented challenges for sustainably revitalizing the historic and cultural heritage within its urban villages. Often, these efforts overlook the crucial roles of community ties and cultural values. This study focuses on 15 representative urban villages in Guangzhou (2019–2024). It tests the core idea that the physical layout of these spaces reflects underlying community structures and cultural values shaped by specific policies. Integrating this understanding into landscape planning can significantly improve revitalization outcomes. We used a mixed-methods approach: (1) Extended fieldwork to understand community networks and cultural practices; (2) Spatial analysis to measure how building density relates to land uses; (3) Sentiment analysis to reveal how people perceive cultural symbols; (4) A coordination model to link population influx with landscape suitability. Key findings reveal different patterns: Villages with strong clan networks maintained high cultural integrity and public acceptance through bodies like ancestral hall councils. Economically driven villages showed a split—open for business but culturally closed, with very low tenant participation. Successful revitalization requires balancing three elements: protecting physical landmarks in their original locations; modernizing cultural events; and reconstructing community narratives. Practically, we propose a planning framework with four approaches tailored to different village types. For instance, decaying villages should prioritize repairing key landmarks that hold community memory. Theoretically, we build a model linking social and spatial change, extending the cultural value concepts of Amos Rapoport to the context of fast-growing cities. This provides a new methodological perspective for managing urban–rural heritage in East Asia. Full article

Big Data and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are transforming the entrepreneurial landscape by reshaping how start-ups and established firms ideate, operate, and compete. This entry explores the intersection of these technologies with entrepreneurship, highlighting how they enhance decision-making, customer insights, and operational efficiency. While the benefits are substantial, integrating these technologies presents challenges related to data ethics, privacy, algorithmic bias, sustainability, accessibility, and implementation complexity. Through analysis of current literature, critical perspectives, and illustrative case studies, this entry emphasises the need for strategic alignment, ethical considerations, and adaptive organisational cultures. The entry contributes to existing research by synthesising trends, critiquing over-optimistic narratives, and suggesting a conceptual framework for future empirical inquiry. Full article

This study investigates how staycations enhance the experiences of staycationers and foster stakeholder collaboration to promote sustainable tourism. A qualitative case study approach, guided by constructivist narrative inquiry, involved in-depth interviews with 21 key stakeholders and a comprehensive analysis of staycation packages from 10 four- and five-star hotels during a crisis. The study draws on stakeholder, collaboration, and social exchange theories, integrated with triple-bottom-line (TBL) principles, to highlight the resilience power of staycations and its contributions to sustainable tourism development. The findings revealed that staycations significantly enhance the sustainability of the industry. Remarkably, stakeholders demonstrated exceptional collaboration, forming an inclusive public–private partnership to address the crisis and advance sustainable tourism development. It emphasises the need for stronger stakeholder collaboration, advocating for a unified approach to destination management over counterproductive competition. Furthermore, a roadmap is proposed for future investigations, focusing on the role of staycations in promoting positive experiences and enhancing stakeholder collaboration for the sustainable development of the tourism industry during crises. The study emphasised the need for further investigation into specific stakeholders to address competitive imbalances during crises, offering insights that serve as a call to action for practitioners and scholars, thereby laying the groundwork for advancing the industry and enhancing destination reputations. Full article

The shift toward experience-oriented travel has positioned food as a central driver for attracting visitors to sustainable destinations, directly supporting United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)11 (resilient cities) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption). While prior research has predominantly emphasised marketing outcomes, the role of bodily experiences in shaping gastronomic tourism has received less attention. This study explores how sensory elements (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) and non-sensory elements (including cultural meaning and service quality) jointly influence food-related travel experiences. Twenty-five self-identified food travellers were interviewed in a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) City of Gastronomy, and their narratives were analysed using a three-stage grounded theory approach in NVivo 12. The resulting model identifies four interrelated dimensions: (1) embodied experience, grounded in culinary memories and shared cultural narratives; (2) sensory stimulation arising from food and its surroundings; (3) situated embodiment, shaped by location, timing, and social interaction; and (4) environmental perception, encompassing food presentation, facility quality, cleanliness, and pricing fairness. These dimensions interact to enhance overall experience quality. By integrating an embodied perspective with a sustainability focus, this study advances tourism experience research and offers practical guidance for designing multisensory dining environments, fostering environmentally responsible visitor behaviour, and ensuring a balanced relationship between price and perceived value. Full article

The growing consumer awareness of functional foods has increased interest in fermented plant-based products with enhanced nutritional and health-promoting properties. This comprehensive narrative literature review examines the potential of diverse raw materials for tempeh production beyond traditional soybeans, analysing their nutritional composition, bioactive compounds, and functional properties. A structured literature search was conducted on peer-reviewed publications up to July 2025, focusing on tempeh fermentation technology, chemical composition, and bioactive compounds from various substrates using recognised analytical methods according to Association of Official Analytical Collaboration (AOAC) standards. The analysis of over 25 different substrates revealed significant opportunities for enhancing tempeh’s nutritional profile through alternative raw materials including legumes, cereals, algae, seeds, and agricultural by-products. Several substrates demonstrated superior nutritional characteristics compared with traditional soybean tempeh, notably tarwi (Lupinus mutabilis) with exceptional protein content ((32–53% dry matter (DM)) and mung bean (Vigna radiata) exhibiting remarkably high polyphenol concentrations (137.53 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g DM). Fermentation with Rhizopus oligosporus consistently achieved substantial reductions in anti-nutritional factors (64–67% decrease in trypsin inhibitors, up to 65% reduction in phytates) while maintaining consistent antioxidant activities (39–70% 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) inhibition) across most variants. The diversity of bioactive compounds across different substrates demonstrates potential for developing targeted functional foods with specific health-promoting properties, supporting sustainable food system development through protein source diversification. Full article

Background: Despite the clinical efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in preventing HIV, uptake remains suboptimal among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United Kingdom (UK). Sustaining progress in the PrEP cascade requires more than biomedical availability; it demands effective, psychologically informed interventions that address persistent barriers. Psychological factors, such as medical mistrust, low PrEP self-efficacy, and identity-related processes, continue to undermine engagement. This study tested whether narrative persuasion and message framing could influence these barriers. Method: A sample of 253 MSM was recruited to participate in an online experiment and completed baseline measures of identity resilience before being randomly allocated to either the gain-framed (N = 122) or loss-framed (N = 124) narrative condition and then completing post-manipulation measures of medical mistrust and PrEP self-efficacy. After excluding 7 cases due to ineligibility, data from 246 participants were analysed using mediation analysis. Results: Participants in the gain-framed condition reported lower medical mistrust than those in the loss-framed condition. Medical mistrust was, in turn, associated with lower PrEP self-efficacy. Identity resilience was associated with lower medical mistrust and higher PrEP self-efficacy. Discussion: These findings provide novel causal evidence that gain-framed health narratives can reduce mistrust and indirectly enhance PrEP self-efficacy. Identity resilience also emerges as a key psychological factor influencing trust and behavioural confidence. Conclusions: Interventions to improve and sustain PrEP uptake should combine gain-framed, narrative-based messaging with strategies to bolster identity resilience. Such approaches may address psychosocial barriers more effectively and promote equitable PrEP uptake among MSM. Full article

mRNA-LNP-based COVID-19 vaccines, namely Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty and Moderna’s Spikevax, were successfully deployed to help control the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, and their updated formulations continue to be recommended, albeit only for high-risk populations. One widely discussed aspect of these vaccines is their uniquely broad spectrum and increased incidence of adverse events (AEs), collectively referred to as post-vaccination syndrome (PVS). Although the reported PVS rate is low, the high number of administered doses among healthy individuals has resulted in a substantial number of reported vaccine-related injuries. A prominent manifestation of PVS is multisystem inflammation, hypothesized to result from the systemic transfection of organ cells with genetic instructions for a toxin, the spike protein, delivered with lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). In this narrative review, we focus on endothelial cells in the microcirculatory networks of various organs as primary sites of transfection with mRNA-LNP and consequent PVS. We outline the anatomical variations in the microcirculation contributing to the individual variability of symptoms and examine the molecular and cellular responses to vaccine nanoparticle exposure at the endothelial cell level with a focus on the pathways of a sustained cascade of toxic and autoimmune processes. A deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying mRNA-LNP-induced AEs and PVS at the organ and cellular levels is critical for improving the safety of future vaccines and other therapeutic applications of this groundbreaking technology. Full article

Arabian Gulf oyster reefs, dominated by the pearl oyster Pinctada radiata, function simultaneously as ecological keystones and cultural touchstones. Rapid coastal urbanization and escalating pollution now threaten reef integrity. This systematic review of 1400 publications distilled 42 rigorously screened studies (3%) that document reef distribution, ecological roles, contaminant burdens, and socio-historical context. The results show that reef structures stabilize sediments, enhance water clarity through exceptional filtration rates, and furnish nursery habitats for commercially important fisheries, while heavy metal bioaccumulation in oyster tissues indicates widespread coastal contamination. The Gulf’s economy and identity were historically anchored in pearling; contemporary restoration initiatives already deploying dozens of sustainable reef modules across hundreds of traditional dive sites seek to revive this heritage and bolster ecological resilience. Persistent knowledge gaps include comprehensive spatial mapping, the effects of climate change and pollutant interactions, and long-term restoration success in hypersaline conditions. An integrated management framework that couples stringent monitoring, pollution mitigation, adaptive restoration, and heritage-centered community engagement is essential to safeguard Gulf oyster ecosystems and the cultural narratives entwined with them. Full article

As the Metaverse continues to evolve as a transformative digital ecosystem, its environmental implications remain insufficiently examined within academic discourse. Despite growing interest in its technological and societal impacts, there is a lack of comprehensive evaluations that synthesize existing knowledge on its sustainability potential. This interdisciplinary narrative review addresses this gap by critically exploring how Metaverse technologies intersect with environmental sustainability across key sectors, including education, healthcare, tourism, e-commerce, manufacturing, and urban development. Employing a narrative review methodology informed by a systematic selection of scholarly and industry sources, the study consolidates current practices, emerging opportunities, and notable trade-offs. While the Metaverse presents promising avenues for reducing material consumption, optimizing urban planning through digital twins, and lowering emissions via virtual alternatives to physical travel, it also raises pressing environmental concerns, particularly related to high energy consumption, short hardware lifespans, and the rebound effects of intensified digital engagement. The findings suggest that environmental sustainability within the Metaverse is not inherent to its virtual nature but hinges on deliberate design, regulatory foresight, and the broader energy systems it depends on. This review offers timely insights for policymakers, technology developers, and sustainability advocates seeking to align immersive digital innovation with ecological responsibility and long-term planetary health. Full article

This study aims to critically assesses the application and limitations of Universal Design (UD) and Inclusive Design (ID) in Bangkok’s public parks and proposes a context-sensitive framework to enhance urban inclusivity. While UD has contributed significantly to improving physical accessibility—through standardized features such as ramps, tactile paving, and clear circulation paths—it often fails to address emotional comfort, cultural representation, and participatory engagement. In contrast, ID emphasizes co-creation, contextual adaptability, and symbolic inclusion, offering a more holistic and equity-driven approach. Using a five-dimensional comparative framework—philosophy, function, spatial logic, user engagement, and evaluation—this research analyzes three major public parks: Benjakitti Forest Park, Chatuchak (Railway) Park, and Chulalongkorn Centenary Park. Each site was evaluated through narrative critique, dimension scoring, and radar diagram visualizations. The findings reveal that while all three parks exhibit strong UD characteristics, they lack alignment with ID principles, particularly in the areas of community engagement and emotional resonance. These typologies highlight a broader trend in Thai public space planning, wherein accessibility is interpreted narrowly as compliance rather than inclusion. The study concludes by proposing policy and design recommendations for embedding ID into future park development, positioning ID not only as a design approach but as a paradigm for spatial justice, belonging, and cultural sustainability. Full article

Obesity is a well-established risk factor for both the incidence and poorer clinical outcomes of Breast Cancer (BC), particularly among hormone receptor-positive postmenopausal women. However, conventional weight loss interventions have yielded limited success in altering cancer prognosis. Recently, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, have emerged as effective pharmacologic agents for sustained weight loss and are under investigation in oncology. This narrative review synthesizes evidence linking obesity to poor BC prognosis and evaluates the therapeutic potential of GLP-1 RAs in this context. Mechanistically, obesity exacerbates tumor progression through hormonal imbalance, chronic inflammation, and adipokine and insulin signaling, targets that may be modifiable through weight reduction. GLP-1 RAs offer multiple benefits, such as appetite suppression, delayed gastric emptying, and enhanced insulin sensitivity. Clinical studies in BC patients have shown weight loss ranging from 2.3% to 5%, likely attenuated by concurrent endocrine therapy. Preliminary data suggest that GLP-1 RA use does not increase the risk of cancer recurrence and may reduce cardiovascular morbidity. However, prospective studies are needed to confirm long-term oncologic safety and efficacy. Disparities in access and cost remain barriers to widespread adoption. Nevertheless, GLP-1 RAs represent a promising adjunct to manage obesity among BC patients, potentially improving metabolic health and long-term cancer outcomes. Full article

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace has reshaped job roles, yet its effect on employee satisfaction in AI-specific positions remains underexplored. We curated n = 1500 Glassdoor reviews of AI professionals (70% dated 2018–2025). We applied lexicon-based sentiment analysis (TextBlob) alongside R-driven statistical modelling to (1) quantify star ratings, (2) compare narrative sentiment with numerical scores, and (3) track annual sentiment trends from 2018 to 2025. AI specialists report high overall satisfaction (mean = 4.24) and predominantly positive sentiment (80.7%), although perceptions of leadership quality are consistently lower (mean = 3.94). Our novel AI-focused dataset and dual-analysis pipeline offer a scalable foundation for real-time HR dashboards. These tools can help organisations anticipate workforce needs, target leadership development, and implement ethical, data-driven AI practices to sustain employee well-being. Full article

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the fragility of educational systems in ensuring inclusive schooling, especially for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Disruptions to daily routines, the shift to remote learning, and the suspension of specialized services intensified pre-existing inequalities and affected the educational continuity and well-being of this group. Methods: This narrative review analyzes the educational discrimination experienced by students with ASD during the pandemic. A structured search was conducted across databases including Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, ERIC, Dialnet, and Google Scholar. Sixteen empirical studies published between 2020 and 2024 were selected based on criteria such as open access, focus on compulsory education, and direct analysis of pandemic-related exclusion. Results: The findings reveal four key challenges: unequal access to digital resources, the interruption of support services, increased family burden, and limited institutional responses. These factors contributed to emotional distress, regression in skills, and reduced participation in educational and social settings. Conclusions: The review concludes that the pandemic acted as a magnifying glass for structural barriers already present in inclusive education. Moving forward, educational systems must develop flexible, sustainable, and equity-oriented frameworks to ensure that students with ASD are not left behind during future crises. Full article