Search Results (214)

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

Educational institutions are facing a crisis characterized by the need to address diverse learning styles and vocational aspirations, exacerbated by ongoing financial pressures. To navigate these challenges effectively, there is an urgent need to innovate educational practices and learning environments, ensuring they are adaptable and responsive to the evolving needs of students and the workforce. The adoption of the Industry 5.0 framework offers a promising solution, providing a holistic approach that emphasizes the integration of human creativity and advanced technologies to transform educational institutions into resilient, human-centric, and sustainable learning environments. In this context, this article presents a transdisciplinary methodology that integrates Asset Management (AM) with Social Innovation (SI) through Design Thinking (DT) to co-design Educational Facilities 5.0 with stakeholders. The application of the proposed approach in an AgroLab case study—a food and agricultural laboratory—demonstrates how the methodology enables the definition of an Educational Facility 5.0 and generates AM Design Knowledge to support informed decision-making in the subsequent design, implementation, and operation phases. Following DT principles—where knowledge emerges through iterative experimentation and insights from practical applications—this article also discusses the role of SI and DT in AM, the role of Large Language Models in convergent processes, and a vision for Educational Facilities 5.0. Full article

Biomimetic robotics and sensor technologies are reshaping the landscape of healthcare and rehabilitation. Despite significant progress across various domains, many areas within healthcare still demand further bio-inspired innovations. To advance this field effectively, it is essential to synthesize existing research, identify persistent knowledge gaps, and establish clear frameworks to guide future developments. This systematic review addresses these needs by analyzing 89 peer-reviewed sources retrieved from the Scopus database, focusing on the application of biomimetic robotics and sensing technologies in healthcare and rehabilitation contexts. The findings indicate a predominant focus on enhancing human mobility and support, with rehabilitative and assistive technologies comprising 61.8% of the reviewed literature. Additionally, 12.36% of the studies incorporate intelligent control systems and Artificial Intelligence (AI), reflecting a growing trend toward adaptive and autonomous solutions. Further technological advancements are demonstrated by research in bioengineering applications (13.48%) and innovations in soft robotics with smart actuation mechanisms (11.24%). The development of medical robots (7.87%) and wearable robotics, including exosuits (10.11%), underscores specific progress in clinical and patient-centered care. Moreover, the emergence of transdisciplinary approaches, present in 6.74% of the studies, highlights the increasing convergence of diverse fields in tackling complex healthcare challenges. By consolidating current research efforts, this review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the state of the art, serving as a foundation for future investigations aimed at improving healthcare outcomes and enhancing quality of life. Full article

Agroecological transitions in collective urban gardens in Toulouse region were studied through the prism of global health (2011–2022). The specific meaning of “global health” in the context of urban gardens concerns the health of gardeners (well-being and physical health), plants, soil, and animals, as well as the interactions between humans and non-humans, which are crucial for gardeners. A sociotechnical research project was developed on four different collective gardening sites, consisting of the following: 1. surveys issued to 100 garden stakeholders to highlight issues and practices, participation in meetings with the social centers in charge of events, and focus groups; 2. participative agronomic and environmental measurements and field observations, including soil quality analyses; and 3. analysis of the available documentary corpus. In order to produce the results, these three research methods (surveys, agronomy, document analysis) were combined through a transdisciplinary approach, in that both the field experimentation outcomes and retrieved scientific publications and technical documents informed the discussions with gardeners. Consideration of the four different sites enabled the exploration of various contextual factors—such as soil or air quality—affecting the production of vegetables. A rise in the concerns of gardeners about the impacts of their activities on global health was observed, including aspects such as creating and enjoying landscapes, taking care of the soil and biodiversity, developing social connections through the transmission of practices, and regular outside physical activity and healthier eating. The increased consideration for global health issues by all stakeholders promotes the implementation of agroecological practices in gardens to improve biodiversity and adherence to circular economy principles. Four concepts emerged from the interviews: health, production of vegetables, living soil, and social interactions. Notably, nuances between the studied sites were observed, according to their history, environment, and organization. These collective gardens can thus be considered as accessible laboratories for social and agroecological experimentation, being areas that can strongly contribute to urban ecosystem services. Full article

Transdisciplinary thinking lies at one end of a continuum within system thinking, with discipline-based approaches at the other end. Interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity are intermediate domains within this continuum. Transdisciplinary thinking is unique in always starting with problem-structuring related to contexts, in which people, typically with multiple and competing objectives, interact with a biophysical world. As such, transdisciplinary thinking is particularly relevant to pastoral systems where livelihoods and environmental issues intersect, and where multiple stakeholders are the norm. Integration, both within transdisciplinary thinking and consequent action, is particularly challenging. This is because there is no quantitative methodology that can capture the complex essence of transdisciplinary issues that encompass both human and biophysical disciplines. Nevertheless, a transdisciplinary approach provides a framework for civilised debate and communication within a broad framework of policy generation. We illustrate these issues with two highly contrasting studies, these being pastoralism at the country level in New Zealand and at the county level in Qinghai on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in Western China. Both case studies are characterised by complex property rights within a dynamic resource-constrained environment, in which environmental issues have planetary implications that extend well beyond the bounds of the pastoral system itself. Full article

This study proposes a conceptual model that explains the influence of leadership on the relationship between human intelligence (HI) and artificial intelligence (AI). A qualitative, non-systematic literature review was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science of the literature published in the last 5 years, using Boolean combinations of the terms “leadership,” “artificial intelligence,” and “human intelligence.” The thematic analysis allowed the identification of conceptual patterns and research gaps; the model elaborated from the review shows that leadership has an ethical and strategic mediation in the HI-AI relationship in a hybrid space of cooperation, in which automated decisions are put in real context through human judgment and reasoning; ethical governance mechanisms emerge for systems supported by artificial intelligence; and finally, a balancing mechanism to algorithmic efficiency is established through cognitive adaptability. The proposed framework offers organizations some guidelines for human supervision processes for AI-supported systems that integrate ethical evaluations into automated processes. It proposes elements—leadership tools that enhance the relationship between human intelligence and artificial intelligence. This article contributes to the management of organizations by proposing a model that recognizes leadership as a dynamic facilitator between HI and AI, integrating transdisciplinary knowledge of management, technological ethics, and cognitive science, and proposing an ethical interrelationship in the decision-making architectures between HI and AI. The proposed model establishes leadership mediation of human–AI interaction through four axes showing how leadership acts as the axis that brings together human and technological systems to work together. Hierarchical interaction creates a hybrid interaction that is highly flexible, efficient, and has ethical oversight. Finally, the proposed model is an open system that interacts with the environment and is understood as a flexible tool to support strategic decision-making in complex environments. Full article

Introduction: Chemotherapy is a primary treatment option in human and veterinary oncology. Like humans, canine patients often develop drug resistance. Comparative oncology is gaining increasing interest, and spontaneous tumors of companion dogs have emerged as a powerful resource for better understanding human cancer. The genetic, molecular, and histological features of tumors in dogs are more closely related to those in humans than the ones in laboratory animals, including complex mechanisms of drug resistance. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the electronic database Clarivate Web of Science (WOS): Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE) from 1990 to 2025 (updated 22 January 2025). The final set includes 59 relevant full-text English articles. Results: The literature findings suggest that canine spontaneous tumors are valuable model systems with important translational implications for identifying novel mechanisms of chemotherapy resistance shared with humans and may help advance the current standard of care in precision medicine. Conclusions: We have provided an updated overview of the role of canine tumor models to study oncotherapy resistance, focusing on limitations and opportunities for advancement. Despite complementary benefits of such models in translational oncology research, their relevance remains underestimated. Strengthening the collaboration between human and veterinary medicine professionals and comparative medicine researchers, and obtaining the support of interdisciplinary institutions, could contribute to addressing the problem of multidrug resistance for both human and canine patients. Future research may promote using canine spontaneous tumors as translational therapeutic models for human chemoresistance, through a multidisciplinary approach based on the emerging “One Health, One Medicine” paradigm. Full article

Understanding Earth as a complex, dynamic, and interconnected system is crucial to addressing the contemporary environmental challenges intensified in the Anthropocene. This article reviews foundational Earth System Science (ESS) developments, emphasizing its transdisciplinary nature and highlighting how it has evolved to address critical issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, and sustainability. Concurrently, Earth System Education (ESE) has emerged as an educational approach to foster holistic a understanding, environmental insights, and geoethical values among citizens. Integrating geoethics into ESE equips citizens with scientific knowledge and the ethical reasoning necessary for responsible decision making and proactive engagement in sustainability efforts. This article identifies system thinking and environmental insight as the key competencies that enable individuals to appreciate the interconnectedness of Earth’s subsystems and humanity’s role within this complex framework. This study advocates for embedding a holistic and geoethical view of the Earth system into formal and non-formal education, promoting inclusive, participatory, and action-oriented learning experiences. This educational shift is essential for empowering citizens to effectively address the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainability, thereby fostering resilient, informed, and ethically responsible global citizenship in the Anthropocene. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are rapidly transforming clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) in intensive care units (ICUs), where vast amounts of real-time data present both an opportunity and a challenge for timely clinical decision-making. Here, we trace the evolution of machine intelligence in critical care. This technology has been applied across key ICU domains such as early warning systems, sepsis management, mechanical ventilation, and diagnostic support. We highlight a transition from rule-based systems to more sophisticated machine learning approaches, including emerging frontier models. While these tools demonstrate strong potential to improve predictive performance and workflow efficiency, their implementation remains constrained by concerns around transparency, workflow integration, bias, and regulatory challenges. Ensuring the safe, effective, and ethical use of AI in intensive care will depend on validated, human-centered systems supported by transdisciplinary collaboration, technological literacy, prospective evaluation, and continuous monitoring. Full article

Tennessee’s ecological diversity, spanning forests, farmland, and urban areas, provides an ideal foundation for applying the One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health. This review examines Tennessee’s current One Health landscape, highlighting active initiatives, ongoing challenges, and future directions. Key efforts involve workforce development, disease surveillance, outbreak response, environmental conservation, and public education, led by a coalition of state agencies, universities, and the Tennessee One Health Committee. These programs promote cross-sector collaboration to address issues such as zoonotic diseases, climate change, land use shifts, and environmental contaminants. Notably, climate-driven changes, including rising temperatures and altered species distributions, pose increasing threats to health and ecological stability. Tennessee has responded with targeted monitoring programs and climate partnerships. Education is also a priority, with the growing integration of One Health into K–12 and higher education to build a transdisciplinary workforce. However, the state faces barriers, including limited funding for the One Health workforce, undefined workforce roles, and informal inter-agency data sharing. Despite these obstacles, Tennessee’s successful responses to outbreaks like avian influenza and rabies demonstrate the power of coordinated action. To strengthen its One Health strategy, the state must expand funding, formalize roles, improve data systems, and enhance biodiversity and climate resilience efforts positioning itself as a national leader in interdisciplinary collaborative solutions. Full article

Despite the ban of technical chlordane, contamination from this persistent organic pollutant has threatened wildlife and human health nearly forty years since its last application. The purpose of this study is to highlight the need for more systemic, broad-scale research efforts to monitor technical chlordane in wildlife sentinel species in urban settings to understand the nature and extent of pesticide pollution and mitigate risk associated with exposure to these compounds. This study presents an unusual finding of neurotoxicosis and elevated chlordane metabolite concentrations in Michigan striped skunks in the absence of other viral or toxic etiologies. In this study, eight of seventeen skunks displaying illness and neurologic signs had brain tissue concentrations of combined oxychlordane, heptachlor epoxide, and trans-nonachlor exceeding the 1000 ng/g wet weight diagnostic threshold for toxicosis. Liver tissue concentrations were ten-fold greater than those of the brain when measured on a lipid weight basis, which can help predict lethal brain residues in skunks. The ongoing presence of chlordane in the environment is expected to cause further unintended consequences for wildlife across the Detroit Metropolitan Area for decades to come. Together, veterinary toxicologists, wildlife biologists, environmental toxicologists, ecologists, and policy makers must utilize a One Health transdisciplinary approach and continue to evaluate the long-term effects of chlordane exposure. As with other pollutants in the River Rouge and River Raisin Areas of Concern, the presence of chlordane in the urban environment presents a significant risk for animal, human, and ecological health. Full article

Background and Objectives: Vertebral metastases often lead to pathological fractures and spinal cord compression, thus impacting patient quality of life. This study aimed to quantify the poroelastic mechanical properties of vertebral metastatic tissue explanted during spine surgery and correlate it with clinical data. Methods: Nine patients (61.7 ± 13.1 years) were prospectively recruited from April 2021 to February 2022, where 78% had a vertebral fracture. Demographic and metastases data, including primary origin, spinal level, lesion volume, and SINS score, were collected, and tissue specimens were explanted during surgery. Using a newly developed portable experimental setup, confined compression creep tests were conducted to measure the aggregate modulus and permeability of each sample. Dealing with limited samples, the results were expressed as the median (min; max). Results: Specimens from the unfractured vertebrae had higher aggregate modulus (200.35 (149.80; 250.90) kPa vs. 14.47 (8.27; 35.89) kPa) and higher permeability (0.02 (0.01; 0.03) mm⁴/N·s vs. 0.41 (0.10; 4.68) mm⁴/N·s) compared with the specimens from the fractured vertebrae. Histology revealed prominent levels of neoplastic cell infiltration and disruption of typical bone matrix architecture. Specimens with low neoplastic cellularity had comparable or slightly higher poroelastic properties compared to high cellularity. No clear trend was observed between the mechanical properties and SINS score, nor between the mechanical properties, percentage lesion volume, and fractures. Conclusions: Despite the limited sample size, the poroelastic characterization revealed relevant insights to investigate in future research. A transdisciplinary assessment of vertebral metastases, incorporating poroelastic testing, deserves further attention and could enhance the treatment options. Full article

While the importance of understanding digital transformation from a Human Resources (HR) perspective is widely acknowledged, a comprehensive analysis of the scholarly landscape remains limited. This study examines the scientific production on digital transformation and HR within the Web of Science database, analyzing bibliometric indicators of production, visibility, impact, and collaboration. The results reveal that digital transformation is a recent, relevant, and transdisciplinary construct that significantly influences talent management strategies and necessitates new skill sets within HR functions. This impact requires organizations to proactively develop digital skills, facilitating a regulated and controlled transition during the implementation of digital strategies. Specifically, organizations must focus on fostering employee adaptability and promoting work–life balance in this rapidly changing environment. Building on these findings, future research could benefit from employing mixed-methods approaches, combining quantitative bibliometric analysis with qualitative case studies to explore the contextual factors influencing the complex relationship between digital transformation and HR, such as organizational culture and leadership styles. Full article

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has introduced unprecedented opportunities and challenges, necessitating a robust ethical and regulatory framework to guide its development. This study reviews key ethical concerns such as algorithmic bias, transparency, accountability, and the tension between automation and human oversight. It discusses the concept of algor-ethics—a framework for embedding ethical considerations throughout the AI lifecycle—as an antidote to algocracy, where power is concentrated in those who control data and algorithms. The study also examines AI’s transformative potential in diverse sectors, including healthcare, Insurtech, environmental sustainability, and space exploration, underscoring the need for ethical alignment. Ultimately, it advocates for a global, transdisciplinary approach to AI governance that integrates legal, ethical, and technical perspectives, ensuring AI serves humanity while upholding democratic values and social justice. In the second part of the paper, the author offers a synoptic view of AI governance across six major jurisdictions—the United States, China, the European Union, Japan, Canada, and Brazil—highlighting their distinct regulatory approaches. While the EU’s AI Act as well as Japan’s and Canada’s frameworks prioritize fundamental rights and risk-based regulation, the US’s strategy leans towards fostering innovation with executive directives and sector-specific oversight. In contrast, China’s framework integrates AI governance with state-driven ideological imperatives, enforcing compliance with socialist core values, whereas Brazil’s framework is still lacking the institutional depth of the more mature ones mentioned above, despite its commitment to fairness and democratic oversight. Eventually, strategic and governance considerations that should help chief data/AI officers and AI managers are provided in order to successfully leverage the transformative potential of AI for value creation purposes, also in view of the emerging international standards in terms of AI. Full article

Early post-Vatican Catholic moral theologians made significant global proposals for renewed theological ethics in their own time and culture. However, after the culmination of the work of these great scholars in the 1980s and 1990s, Catholic moral theology became anchored in contingent polemic and polarized debates. It ceased to offer integral proposals of fundamental Christian ethics for the new challenges in the personal, intersubjective, and social scenarios. Subsequent studies often focused on bioethics, sexuality, family, and social justice but rarely attempted to renew a public fundamental morality for the 21st century. The essential features of this article are the proposal of new categories and debates for fundamental moral theology, grounded on the conviction that promoting this discipline as a humanization proposal builds on the profound potential human beings are called to fulfill. Humanity understood in all its complexity requires a theological ethics capable of incorporating this human condition and its categories, such as vulnerability, corporality, and recognition from a transdisciplinary point of view. These challenges underscore the urgent need for a renewed ethical framework articulated in a significant language for our time. Drawing on extensive literature and analytical research methods, it examines the interplay between these multifaceted issues. Full article