Healthcare workers have atypical working schedule and are exposed to experienced stress that led to poor sleep health and frequent mental complaints, particularly since the Covid-19 crisis. We conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of poor sleep hygiene and mental complaints and their associations among healthcare workers. Usual sleep-wake timings were ex-plored during workdays and free days and used to compute sleep duration, sleep efficiency and social jetlag. Insomnia, sleepiness, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and fatigue were calculated using validated scales. A total of 1,562 participants were included (80.5% of women and mean age of 40.0). Among them, 25.9% slept less than 6 hours, 24.3% had a poor sleep efficiency, and 11.5% reported a social jetlag. A total of 33.9% of participants reported insomnia, 45.1% reported EDS, 13.1% reported fatigue, 16.5% reported depression and 35.7% reported anxiety. After ad-justment, sleep duration and sleep efficiency were associated with mental complaints. Social jetlag was associated with significant insomnia but not with anxiety or depression symptoms. Healthcare workers have a high prevalence of poor sleep hygiene and mental complaints. The promotion of sleep health through behavioral sleep strategies should be encouraged to ensure good health for these professionals.

This study examines the association of sociodemographic risk factors and the comorbidities of COVID-19. Most COVID-19-related studies were conducted in inpatient settings among patients with severe infection during the first and second waves of the pandemic. The third wave with less severe Omicron variant presented a unique opportunity to observe the adult patients treated in outpatient settings. We conducted a cross-sectional study (117 patients aged > 40 years presented with symptomatic COVID-19). We employed the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to compute comorbidity burden, Medical Outcomes Survey Short form (SF-12) to measure general health, and Self-care Self- Efficacy Scale (SCSES) to assess self-care ability. Fisher’s exact test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to compute the relationship between comorbidities and demographics. This study report focuses on the distribution of the comorbidities and its relationship to demographic variables. The top five comorbidities were hypertension (42%), diabetes (31%), pulmonary disease/asthma (19%), depression (14%), and cancer (11%). Depression was significantly higher among younger age groups (p<0.01) and women (p<0.05). Age (p<0.0001) and income (p<0.01) were the most significantly associated demographics with the comorbidity burden. Incidence of pulmonary disease showed a positive association to educational status (p=0.05). This was the first study to report a significant prevalence of depression among adults with symptomatic COVID-19.

Background: Our study aimed to examine how modulating variables such as social support, health anxiety, coping, gender, being separated from home, and lockdown can modify or amplify the effect of perceived stress as a starting variable in the point of view of the output variable, dissociation. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in online form at two points in time: the beginning and the later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: We received a total of 1711 responses. Perceived stress moderately correlated with dissociation in both International and Hungarian samples. Health anxiety showed a strong direct and indirect correlation with dissociation. Regarding social support, the support of family significantly decreased the dissociative experiences in the Hungarian sample through mediating the stress and directly as well. In the international sample, the goal-oriented coping strategy had a strong decreasing effect on all dissociation scales in the first measurement, through mediation of perceived stress. As to the Hungarian sample, positive thinking was found to decrease dissociation through decreasing perceived stress. Conclusion: The cause and effect relationship between stress and dissociation may be tinctured by health anxiety, coping and social support, influencing dissociacion directly and indirectly. Social support, mainly support of the family and problem-focused coping strategies seem to alleviate dissociation-provoking effect of stress.

The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic has created both negative and positive changes, including implementing the circular economy across the globe. This Systematic Review follows the PRISMA statement and employs the Text Mining (Voyant Tools) technique to visualize and analyze the impacts of the Covid-19 on three aspects of the circular economy: economic, social, and environmental. The research employs Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) to identify five major topics: (1) Shortage of medical equipment but high medical waste during Covid-19 due to the high demand in healthcare; (2) The long term negative impacts of lockdown on economic and social activities because of Covid-19 pandemic; (3) The reports on impacts of Covid-19 pandemic on the manufacturing globally, and their coping strategies and new opportunities; (4) The impacts of international restriction on the tourism, trade, shipping, and aviation industry, causing billion-dollar losses; (5) The reduction of pollution with health environment improvements with example cases from China and EU. The research identifies current literature gaps in the circular economy and Covid- 19 topics and encourages the application of text mining tools into researching to stimulate the research process and assist in communicating with the public.

This research critically examines the dichotomies in urban public space and discussions on city evolution over the past two centuries. The original discourse identified amplifies the importance that inclusivity needs to address issues deeper than physical accessibility. The growing diversity and changes seen in urban public open spaces are followed throughout history along a timeline of important socio-political and planning injectors in the Western world. These public spaces are the important spine connecting all the private and semi-private parts of the city. Urban public spaces have seen population changes due to globalisation, resulting in mobility and changes due to the different needs of its diverse user base. In this paper, a rigorous quasi-chronological investigation is presented. Firstly, the context of the evolution of space is established. Secondly, a closer focus on inclusion research provides a thorough analysis of the utopian city plans, the development of Haussmann's Paris and the later plans of the Centrist and the Decentrist. Thirdly, a critical and analytical understanding of the effect these precursors have had on the city's public spaces, and the hierarchies it established in a nuanced manner are made explicit. The culmination of this research process is the identification of outcomes associated with inclusivity. Findings are established across three significant themes—a) Understanding public space as social space, b) Components of inclusivity, and c) Values of inclusivity including accessibility, sense of place, conviviality and resilience. Key insights and guidance for inclusivity as a key constituent of social sustainability are the unique contribution.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created big challenges and opportunities in Higher Education (HE). In this situation, several universities worldwide have responded with digital methods and hybrid classes in a short period of time. The aim of this paper is to show how the universities have adapted teaching methods to digital platforms in the academic year 2020–21. This case study is based on the experience of 37 postgraduate communication students in the course Business and Communication from a Communication Programme. The objective of this course was to promote the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) in business and following the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) of the United Nations. To do this, the students provided different solutions related to the SDGs and developed a communication strategy to inform and engage the stakeholders in the companies analyzed in a hybrid class. The results show that using this methodology and working in digital platforms, students have learned the importance of SDGs through implementing specific solutions linked to the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategy. Based on this analysis, they also developed a communication strategy showing how companies can improve society with specific actions through the lens of the SDG perspective.

The concept of a Social License to Operate (SLO) has become increasingly important in the sustainability literature in recent years. Having its origins in the business discourse of the mining industry with respect to limiting opposition to mining projects, the notion of a social contract above and beyond legal requirements has since become applied across a number of different industries. Despite the concepts adoption confusion exists over the practices and outcomes of SLO, and particularly the nature of engagement. Given this situation it is surprising that not more attention to the role of marketing, and social marketing in particular, in operationalizing the concept. The paper discusses the potential of social marketing to contribute to SLO. Economic, political and social relations are complex in SLO and exchange is intricate in such relational environments. A community-based social marketing orientation is proposed as a means to improve exchange relations and enhance engagement. Seven models of SLO related social marketing models are discussed with community-based social marketing and adaptive co-marketing models being regarded as the most positive for the achievement of an SLO. Potential barriers to adoption of these approaches are noted.

Vaccines decrease morbidity and mortality. Nevertheless, their benefits depend on public response. During COVID-19, vaccine hesitancy and refusal were rampant, threatening public health. A thorough understand-ing of opponents' arguments is required to address the diffusion of unreliable information on social media and prevent vaccine hesitancy from developing into vaccine refusal. Accordingly, the article examines vac-cine opponents' justifications on social media. Textual content analysis of reader comments on three health-related Israeli Facebook pages was conducted. Data collection encompassed the Israeli COVID-19 vaccination period from October 2020 to May 2022. The comments were analyzed according to the health beliefs model (HBM). We found that vaccine opponents were characterized by low perceptions of the severity of the disease combined with high perceptions of the damages of the vaccine; low perceived benefits of vac-cine compliance; vaccine hesitancy and fear along with public distrust as barriers to change; and call for ac-tion to resist the vaccine and spread related anti-establishment views on the web. As vaccination hesitancy was found to develop into public distrust in the state systems and escalate into conspiracy beliefs and an-ti-vaccination activism, its early detection may prevent future vaccine resistance.

Background: Nurses are essential members of the healthcare workforce and were among the first line carers for patients in community and hospital settings during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, they were at a heightened risk of contracting the disease, resulting in a significant number of reported deaths among them. Several preventive measures were adopted to contain the spread of this potentially lethal virus. This study aims to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of nurses regarding hand hygiene, mask wearing, and social distancing measures in healthcare settings in Barbados during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: An online survey of nurses working in public hospitals and polyclinics (public primary care clinics) of Barbados from December 2020 to July 2021, was conducted. Participants completed a questionnaire capturing socio-demographic information and knowledge and practices related to hand hygiene, using face masks, and social distancing . Each correct response received one mark. Overall knowledge scores were categorized as poor (<60%), average (60-80%), or good (>80-100%). Results: Of 192 participants, the majority were female (82.8%) and had >5 years of experience (82%). Findings revealed that 45.8% had poor knowledge of hand hygiene, and the knowledge of 43.8% of respondents was average. Multivariable logistic regression showed that, after adjustment for age and gender, registered nurses had 2.1 times increased odds (95% CI 1.0, 4.2) of having good knowledge compared to other nursing categories. Regarding mask-wearing, 53.6% of nurses had average and 27.1% had good knowledge. Multivariable logistic regression showed that, after adjustment for age and gender, registered nurses had 3.3 times increased odds (95% CI 1.5, 7.4) of having good knowledge compared to nursing assistants. 68.6% of respondents followed the correct steps of handwashing every time, and 98.3% wore a mask in public places. More than half of the nurses (51.2%) kept a safe distance from others to avoid spreading SARS-CoV-2; one-third were in a crowded place(s) in the past three months, and 55.8% usually followed guidelines for social isolation as recommended by WHO. Conclusion: The study identified knowledge deficiencies related to hand hygiene and wearing masks among nurses. It is imperative to provide additional training on infection control measures.

In the context of Covid-19 virus containment, there is a lack of acceptance of preventive measures in the population. The present work investigated which factors influence the belief in of scientific propositions compared belief in conspiracy theories. The focus here was on the determinants of conspiracy beliefs in the context of Covid-19 related media content. Using an online questionnaire (N = 175), results indicate that scientific compared to conspiracy theoretical media content led to higher acceptance. Furthermore, Need for Cognition (NFC-K), a conspiracy theoretical worldview (CMQ), and openness to experience (NEO-FFI) were positively associated with conspiracy beliefs derived from Facebook postings. In addition, a conspiracy theoretical worldview was negatively associated with belief in scientific media content. Furthermore, agreeableness was unrelated to conspiracy beliefs, although it was positively associated with conspiracy theoretical worldview. The results imply promising persuasion strategies for reducing conspiracy theoretical beliefs and to increase the acceptance of preventive measures.

U.S. Spanish-speaking populations experienced gaps in timely COVID-19 information during the pandemic and disproportionate misinformation exposure. Brigada Digital de Salud was established to address these gaps with culturally-tailored, Spanish-language COVID-19 information on social media. From May 1, 2021-April 30, 2023, 495 Twitter, 275 Facebook, and 254 Instagram posts were published and amplified by 10 trained community health workers. A qualitative content analysis was performed to characterize topics and formats of 251 posts. To assess reach and engagement, page analytics and advertising metrics for 287 posts were examined. Posts predominantly addressed vaccination (49.45%), infection risks (19.12%), and COVID-related scientific concepts (12.84%). Posts were educational (48.14%), and aimed to engage audiences (23.67%), promote resources (12.76%), and debunk misinformation (9.04%). Formats included images/text (55.40%), carousels (27.50%), and videos (17.10%). By June 9, 2023, 394 Facebook, 419 Instagram, and 228 Twitter followers included mostly women aged 24-54. Brigada Digital reached 386,910 people with 552,037 impressions and 96,868 engagements, including 11,292 likes, 15,240 comments/replies, 9,718 shares/retweets, and 45,381 video play-throughs. The most engaging posts included videos, trending topics, and music or audio-narration. This community-based model to engage Spanish-speaking audiences on social media with culturally-aligned content to counter misinformation shows promise for addressing public health threats.

Health innovations are generally oriented on a techno-economic vision. In this perspective, technologies are seen as an end in themselves, and there is no arrangement between the technical and the social values of innovation. This vision prevails in sanitary crises, in which management is carried out based on the search for punctual, reactive, and technical solutions to remedy a specific problem without a systemic/holistic, sustainable, or proactive approach. This paper attempts to contribute to the literature on the epistemological orientation of innovations in the field of public health. Taking the Covid-19 and Ebola crises as examples, the primary objective is to show how innovation in health is oriented towards a techno-economic paradigm. Second, we propose a repositioning of public health innovation towards a social paradigm that will put more emphasis on the interaction between social and health dimensions in the perspective of social change.

The aim of this study was to investigate the spatio-temporal association between socio-economic deprivation and the incidence of COVID-19 and how this association changes through the seasons and due to the existence of restrictive public health measures. A retrospective observational study was conducted among COVID-19 cases that occurred in the Apulia region from 29 February 2020 to 31 December 2021, dividing the period into four phases with different levels of restrictions. A generalized estimating equations model was applied to test the independent effect of deprivation on the incidence rate of COVID-19, taking into account age, sex, and regional incidence rate as possible confounding effects and covariates such as season and levels of restrictions as possible modifying effects. The highest incidence rate was in areas with a Very High deprivation Index (DI) in winter (107.2 for 100,000 ab. ± 7.5), while in autumn, the highest Rate Ratio (RR) was estimated between Very High vs. Low DI (3.83, p<.001). During total lockdown, no RR between areas with different levels of DI was significant, while during soft lockdown, areas with Very High DI were more at risk than all other areas. The effects of social inequalities on incidence rate of COVID-19 change in as-sociation with the seasons and restrictions on public health. Disadvantaged areas showed a higher incidence rate of COVID-19 in the cold seasons and in the phases of soft lockdown.

Background: Increasing number of long-term gastrointestinal (GI) cancer survivors highlights the importance of understanding factors that contribute to their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We investigated the risk factors of HRQoL, in-cluding demographics, clinical characteristics, and social and behavioral determinants of health (SBDH). Methods: Adult GI cancer survivors (n = 3,201) in the BRFSS surveys from 2014-2021 (except for 2015) were analyzed. Unadjusted/adjusted logistic regression was used. Results: The majority were female (54%) and White (78%), with a median age of 67. Survivors who were 65 years or older, diagnosed with colorectal cancer, or who had fewer comorbidities were more likely to report significantly better HRQoL. Significant social factors of poor HRQoL were being unmarried, racial and ethnic minorities, low socioeconomic status, and poor health care access. Significant behavioral factors of poor HRQoL were lack of physical activity, heavy alcohol consumption, and current smoking, with lack of physical activity being the most significant factor. Conclusions: The SBDH have a critical role in HRQoL. Future studies are warranted to develop a tailored survivorship intervention, such as physical rehabilitation and to ex-plore machine learning/artificial intelligence predictive models to identify cancer sur-vivors at a high risk of developing poor HRQoL.

(1) Background: Nursing homes’ preparedness in managing a public health crisis has been fragile, with effects on safety culture. The objective of this study was to assess nursing homes’ COVID-19 preparedness in Southern Portugal, including personnel’s work experiences during the pandemic. (2) Methods: We used a COVID-19 preparedness checklist to be completed by management teams, followed by follow-up calls to nursing homes. Thereafter, a survey to personnel was applied. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, and thematic analysis of open-end questions. (3) Results: In total, 71% (138/195) of eligible nursing homes returned the preparedness checklist. We conducted 83 follow-up calls and received 720 replies to the personnel survey. On average, 25% of nursing homes did not have an adequate decision-making structure to respond to the pandemic. Outbreak capacity and training were fragile areas among nursing homes’ contingency plans. We identified compliance with procedures and nonpunitive response to mistakes as fragile areas of safety culture, and teamwork as a strong safety area. (4) Conclusions: To strengthen how nursing homes cope with upcoming phases of the COVID-19 pandemic or future public health emergencies, nursing homes’ preparedness and safety culture should be fostered and closely monitored.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most common monogenic cause of inherited intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder, is caused by a full mutation (&gt;200 CGG repeats) in the Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene. Individuals with FXS experience a wide range of challenges related to social interaction (SI). Animal models, such as Drosophila melanogaster model for FXS where the only ortholog of human FMR1 (dFMR1) is mutated, have played a crucial role in understanding of FXS. The aim of this study was to investigate SI in the dFMR1B55 mutants using the novel Drosophila Shallow Chamber and a Python data processing pipeline based on social network analysis (SNA). In comparison with wild-type flies (w1118), SNA analysis in dFMR1B55 mutants revealed hypoactivity, fewer connections in their networks, a lower ability to efficiently transmit information, fewer alternative pathways for information transmission, a higher variability in the number of interactions they achieved, and tended to stay near the boundaries of the testing chamber. These observed alterations indicate the presence of characteristic strain-dependent social networks in dFMR1B55 flies, commonly referred to as the group phenotype. Finally, a combination of novel research tools is a valuable method for SI research in fruit flies.

This research aims to analyze the impact of Social Responsibility on the performance of 216 European companies during the years 2017 to 2021. The objective of this research is to determine how the operational, financial and market performance of companies is influenced by social responsibility practices. The methodology adopted is quantitative in nature, using the estimation of dynamic models for panel data. To quantify corporate performance, this study will use, the return on assets, the return on equity and finally the Tobin's Q ratio. On the other hand, ESG (Environment, Social and Government) scores and GC Score scores will be used in order to quantify SR. The results show that SR presents not only a negative influence on the financial and operational performance of companies, but also a positive impact on market performance. This influence is even greater when distinguishing the best from the worst scores. The environment, social and government dimension shows a negative relationship with ROA and ROE, and a positive one with Tobin's Q. On the other hand, the anti-corruption and environment dimension of the GC Score, relates negatively with Tobin's Q, the human rights dimension relates negatively with ROE and ROA, and finally, the labor law dimension presents a positive relationship with ROE. Importantly, firm size positively influences this relationship, while age has a negative influence. This research offers important contributions to the literature, since from the ESG scores and the GC Score, a complete analysis of the impact of social responsibility on corporate performance is developed.

Health services research is a multidisciplinary discipline that aims to improve population health by studying healthcare services' organization, delivery, and financing. Over time, the field has worked to define its boundaries and establish a set of core research topics and methods addressing population wellbeing, access, quality, and cost. Although the influence of health technology is significant, our literature survey on health services research showed that SCs in general—containing their management, cost, and policy—had received little attention. Importantly, our assessment also showed that the system’s readiness to handle supply policy and supply device deficiencies like those encountered during pandemic was hardly ever mentioned. Reduced open areas and water bodies, deteriorating infrastructure, and changes in the biological morphology all affect cities’ uncontrollable and unplanned growth. Urban amenities, facilities, and healthcare services were unevenly distributed due to this unchecked urban population development. In light of this, this research suggests two reliable models for site selection issues for one of Hong Kong’s main hospitals. Levels of uncertainty, infeasibility tolerance, and reliability are taken into consideration. Then, two categories of uncertainty—symmetric and bound-ed—were examined. As a result, the challenge of scheduling in uncertainty has been considered, and potential solutions have been presented using a specified probability distribution function. The paper concludes by introducing the specific justice and health problems and outlining four typical strategies. In order to ensure that medications and other healthcare supplies are produced, distributed, and given to patients, a vast network of systems, components, and procedures must be effectively managed. This research contributes in this regard. Also, its grantee fairness in health systems and the populations health locally, nationally, and globally. It highlights health inequity, advances the measurement of health inequity, and promotes public dialogues on health inequity.

The COVID-19 pandemic affects not only physical health but also deteriorates mental health resulting in sleep problems, depression, and traumatic stress. Our research investigates the level of posttraumatic stress, perceived social support, opinions on positive and negative consequences of the pandemic, sense of security, and sense of meaning among nurses in the face of new and not fully understood global epidemiological phenomena. For this purpose, computer-assisted web interviewing methods were conducted between May 1 and May 15, 2020. Participating nurses completed the following research tools: The Impact Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), The Changes in Outlook Questionnaire (CIOQ), The Safety Experience Questionnaire (SEQ) and The Meaning in Life Questionnaire (MLQ). Three hundred and twenty-five nurses working throughout Poland joined the study of an average age of 39.18 ± 11.16 years. The average overall IES-R score in the study group was 1.78 ± 0.65. Among the dimensions of traumatic stress, the highest score was obtained in the dimension Avoidance 1.86 ± 0.73, then in the dimensions Hyperarousal 1.8 ± 0.78 and Intrusion 1.74 ± 0.83. Amongst studied nurses, the highest support rates were provided by significant others (22.58 ± 5.22), then from friends (21.91 ± 5) and family (21.45 ± 4.4). Among the surveyed nurses, higher average scores were noted in the subscale measuring positive psychological changes (18.56 ± 4.04). In contrast, a higher average level of assessment was noted on the Reflection on the safety dimension (4.21 ± 0.49). The mean MLQ score was 5.33 ± 0.87. A slightly higher result was observed in the subscale Presence (5.35 ± 1.14). The results of the research implemented during the period of severe psychological pressure associated with the COVID-19 pandemic provided information on symptoms of traumatic stress in the examined group of nurses. Their sense of security has been lowered and accompanied by an intensified reflection on issues concerning security. However, the sense of meaning (currently felt) in life remains higher than the tendency to searching for it. The surveyed nurses perceive individual support from the so-called significant others (apart from family and friends). They see positive changes resulting from painful experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic, which can be characterized by adaptation in the form of posttraumatic growth.

This research explores the behaviors of Generation Z consumers in China, particularly focusing on their interaction with companies through social media for the joint creation of value. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the research initially constructs a scale for assessing co-creation of value on social media platforms. Subsequently, it delves into the motivational aspects of users' engagement in these co-creative activities. The study unveils a range of utilitarian and hedonic motivations that drive Generation Z's value co-creation actions on social media. Insights derived from the findings offer both theoretical and practical implications for the field.

This study examines the relationship between semantic memory and social cognition in schizophrenia, addressing how these cognitive domains intersect. Semantic memory, which includes general world knowledge and word meanings, was evaluated using verbal fluency tasks and the Camels and Cactus Test. Social cognition, essential for social interaction, was assessed through emotion recognition (Faces Test) and Theory of Mind (Hinting Task). Participants included 50 individuals with schizophrenia and 30 controls. The schizophrenia group showed significantly lower performance on both semantic memory and social cognition tasks. Notably, strong correlations were found between the Camels and Cactus Test and social cognition measures, suggesting that social cognition deficits in schizophrenia may be linked to semantic memory impairments. Regression analyses highlighted that the Camels and Cactus Test significantly predicted social cognition performance, independent of symptomatology. These findings underscore the interconnectedness of semantic memory and social cognition in schizophrenia, suggesting that semantic memory deficits, particularly in non-categorical associations, play a important role in social cognitive impairments. This study provides new insights into the cognitive underpinnings of schizophrenia, emphasizing the need for further research to explore these relationships and their implications for cognitive models and therapeutic interventions.

Loneliness is becoming prevalent across Japan in spite of its a dense population and communal culture. Surveys show 40% of adults report isolation across demographics. The contradiction emerges due to deteriorating social structure with modernization, economic parity, urbanization, and fading conventional setup. The continually social withdrawals, called “hikikomori." Relief seekers have embraced AI based emotive robots, digital avatars, and immersive VR as low-stakes social surrogates despite limited capacity to cultivate human intimacy. To stabilise government attempts awareness through reforms, scheme and support services. But a concrete transformation can be brough in with work-life balance, gender equality and rewire the metrics for self-esteem. Even a perfectly personalized AI cannot replace the human affection lacking in the society. Lasting solutions demand technological aids be balanced by confronting and reinventing community purpose and bring in structural change. Overall Japan’s endemic isolation reveals the societal fraying when modernization privileges independence over interdependence. The path forward rests on restoring cultural foundations to reverse loneliness and social isolation.

This research aimed at examining how social enterprises mitigate climate change in Ghana, examining their strategies, impacts on the environment that affect climate change, and barriers. The research adopted a cross-sectional survey design, descriptive and involved 185 social enterprises. Questionnaires were administered online and data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The findings revealed that the most used strategies include the development of new funding structures and advocacy for sustainable farming. It also highlights numerous environmental concerns such as the judicious use of hazardous materials and pollution. Nevertheless, results from regression analysis showed that the relationship between the number of social entrepreneurship activities and the impact on the environment is relatively low and the role of other factors may be more significant. Some of the main barriers that were found include competition from large organizations, cultural perspectives towards climate change, policy instability and lack of adequate technical education. Accordingly, the recommendations proposed are developing specialized funding programs for climate-focused social enterprises; climate change education and awareness campaigns; and capacity building to upgrade technical competencies in clean technologies and climate resilience design.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 disease has wreaked havoc on the world community in terms of every imaginable parameter. The research output on COVID-19 has been nothing short of phenomenal, especially in the medical and biomedical sciences, where the search for a potential vaccine is being conducted in earnest. Much of the advanced research has been distributed in the leading medical journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), where the latest research is distributed on a daily basis. The purpose of this paper is to provide some perspectives on 44 interesting and highly topical research papers that have been published in JAMA, at the time of writing, within the past two weeks. The diverse topics include public health, general medicine, internal medicine, oncology, paediatrics, geriatrics, and biostatistics.

Social media addiction has attracted the attention of researchers especially during the COVID era because negative emotions generated from the pandemic may have increased social media addiction. The present study aimed to investigate the role of negative emotions and social media addiction on health problems during and after the COVID lockdown. A survey was conducted with 2926 participants aged between 25 and 45 years. The data collection period was between 2nd September and 13th October 2020. Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling was conducted for data analysis by controlling the respondents' working time, leisure time, gender, education, and age. Our study showed that social media addiction and time spent on social media impact health. Interestingly, while anxiety about COVID increased social media addiction, fear about COIVD reduced social media addiction. Also, long working hours contributed most to people’s health issues, and its impact on social media addiction and hours was much higher than negative emotions, where males faced more health challenges than females. The impacts of negative emotions generated by the COVID on social media addiction and health issues should be reconsidered. Government and employers' control of people's working time stress should prioritize solving social media addiction-related issues.

Over the past decades, overweight and obesity has become a global epidemic and the leading threat for death. To prevent the serious risk, an overweight or obese individual must apply a long-term weight-management strategy to control food intake and physical activities, which is however, not easy. Recently, with the advances of information technology, more and more people can use wearable devices and smartphones to obtain physical activity information, while they can also access various health-related information from Internet online social networks (OSNs). Nevertheless, there is a lack of an integrated approach that can combine these two methods in an efficient way. In this paper, we address this issue and propose a novel mobile-social framework for health recognition and recommendation, namely, H-Rec². The main ideas of H-Rec² include (1) to recognize the individual's health status using smartphone as a general platform, and (2) to recommend physical activity and food intake based on personal health information, life science principles, and health-related information obtained from OSNs. To demonstrate the potentials of the H-Rec² framework, we develop a prototype that consists of four important components: (1) an activity recognition module that senses physical activity using accelerometer, (2) a health status modeling module that applies a novel algorithm to generate personalized health status index, (3) a restaurant information collection module that collects relevant information from OSN, and (4) a restaurant recommendation module that provides personalized and context-aware recommendation. To evaluate the prototype, we conduct both objective and subjective experiments, which confirm the performance and effectiveness of the proposed system.

Anxiety in older adults is a prevalent yet under-recognized condition associated with significant societal and individual burdens. This study used a machine learning approach to compare the relative importance of 57 risk and protective factors for anxiety symptoms in a population-representative sample of middle-aged and older European adults (N = 65,684; ages 45–103 years; 55.7% women; 15 countries represented). Results revealed loneliness and self-rated poor health as primary risk factors (Nagelkerke R2 = .272), with additional predictive contributions from country of residence, functional limitations, financial distress, and family care burden. Notably, follow-up analysis showed that none of 16 social network variables were associated with loneliness; rather, cohabitating with a partner/spouse was most strongly associated with reduced loneliness. Further research is needed to elucidate directional associations between loneliness and anxiety (both general and sub-types). These findings underscore the imperative of addressing loneliness for mitigating anxiety and related mental health conditions among aging populations.

Global rapidly evolving events, e.g., COVID-19, are usually followed by countermeasures and policies. As a reaction, the public tends to express their emotions on social media platforms. Therefore, predicting emotional responses to events is critical to put a plan to avoid risky behaviors. This paper proposes a machine learning-based framework to detect public emotions based on social media posts in response to specific events. It presents a precise measurement of population-level emotions which can aid governance in monitoring public response and guide it to put in place strategies such as targeted monitoring of mental health, to react to a rise in negative emotions in response to lockdowns, or information campaigns, for instance in response to elevated rates of fear in response to vaccination programs. We evaluate our framework by extracting 15,455 tweets. We annotate and categorize the emotions into 11 categories based on Plutchik’s study of emotion and extract the features using a combination of Bag of Words and Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency. We filter 813 COVID-19 vaccine-related tweets and use them to demonstrate our framework’s effectiveness. Numerical evaluation of emotions prediction using Random Forest and Logistic Regression shows that our framework predicts emotions with an accuracy up to 95%.

Stress is a critical factor in the development of mental disorders such as addiction, underscoring the importance of stress resilience strategies. While the ketogenic diet (KD) has shown efficacy in reducing alcohol consumption in male mice without cognitive impairment, its impact on the stress response and addiction development, especially in females, remains unclear. This study examined the KD's effect on increasing ethanol intake due to vicarious social defeat (VSD) in female mice. Sixty-four female OF1 mice were divided into two dietary groups: standard diet (n=32) and KD (n=32). These were further split based on exposure to four VSD or exploration sessions, creating four groups: EXP-STD (n=16), VSD-STD (n=16), EXP-KD (n=16), and VSD-KD (n=16). KD-fed mice maintained ketosis from adolescence until the fourth VSD/EXP session, after which they switched to a standard diet. The Social Interaction Test was performed 24 hours after the last VSD session. Three weeks post-VSD, the Drinking in the Dark test and Oral Ethanol Self-Administration assessed ethanol consumption. The results showed that KD blocked the increase in ethanol consumption induced by VSD in females. Moreover, among other changes, KD increased the expression of the ADORA1 and CNR1 genes, which are associated with mechanisms modulating neurotransmission. Our results pointed to KD as a useful tool to increase resilience to social stress in female mice.

. Background/Objectives: Crohn's disease is a chronic and debilitating intestinal disorder that alternates between remission and active flare-ups, often leading to hospitalization. Social support is known to enhance adaptation to the disease and modulate stress perception in patients, while stress may exacerbate symptoms. The aim of this study was to examine the roles of perceived stress and social support in Crohn's disease and their impact on the frequency of flare-ups. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted, assessing stress and social support in a cohort of 91 patients with Crohn's disease during flare-up and remission phases. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) and a Social Support Questionnaire were utilized for evaluation. We examined the relationship between stress and social support in Crohn's disease. The interaction between the variables studied was also studied, considering the stage of the disease. Finally, we realized analysis of the influence of these two variables on the development of flares in Crohn's disease. Results: The study revealed that patients experience higher stress levels during flare-ups and that these levels are amplified by a lack of social support. A significant relationship was identified between the levels of social support and the occurrence of flare-ups, indicating that better social support is associated with fewer flare-ups.. Conclusions: Patients with Crohn's disease in the flare-up phase are subject to considerable stress. Deficit in social support is linked to an increase in stress levels. The interplay of social support and stress plays a critical role in the development of flare-ups.

Background: The workplace burnout syndrome is often associated with particular aspects of certain job positions, especially those which entail working with people with special needs. The burnout syndrome in healthcare jobs is a serious problem which has grown into an epidemic among healthcare workers and associates. Objectives: The aim of this research is to assess the presence of stress and burnout syndrome at work with healthcare workers, expert workers, professional associates and associates in social service institutions in Belgrade. Material and Methods: This research has been conducted in the form of a cross-sectional study of a representative sample in social institutions in Belgrade. It has been conducted from March to the end of June of 2023. The sample of the study had 491 participants. The questionnaires used were a structured instrument with social-demographic and social-economic characteristics, workplace characteristics, life style characteristics, and the following questionnaires: DASS-21, Copenhagen, Brief Resilience Scale, and Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Results: The end results indicate the following to be significant risk factors for the occurrence of workplace burnout syndrome: overtime (OR=2.62; CI=1.50-4.56), BRS average score (OR=0.28; CI=0.17-0.44), DASS21 D heightened depression (OR=2.09; CI=1.1-4.04), DASS21 A heightened anxiety (OR=2.38; CI=1.34-4.21), DASS21 S heightened stress (OR=2.08; CI=1.11-3.89). The only protective risk factor which stood out was the self-assessment of health levels (OR=0.60; CI=0.42-0.85). Conclusion: Overtime is a significant predictor of workplace burnout. Apart from it, other significant predictors of workplace burnout were heightened depression, anxiety, and stress levels.

Many cities are increasingly adopting blue-green infrastructure (BGI) to bolster resilience against environmental challenges. Beyond its well-acknowledged environmental benefits, the role of BGI in enhancing social resilience is becoming an equally important area of focus. However, the integration of BGI to foster social resilience presents complexities, stemming from the evolving and occasionally ambiguous definition of social resilience. Considering the broad application of BGI across various disciplines makes the evaluation of social resilience within a BGI framework complex. Consequently, a structured approach to develop a clear framework tailored to understanding and measuring social resilience in a BGI setting is needed. This study consolidates various existing frameworks of social resilience, especially utilizing the detailed 5S framework proposed by Saja et al. [1]. It integrates findings from an extensive review of literature on social resilience to develop a novel conceptual framework, the BGI Social Resilience Framework. This new framework specifically aims to capture the distinct social aspects and advantages associated with BGI. The BGI Social Resilience Framework is organized into a three-tier model focusing on four critical aspects of social resilience—social values, social capital, social structure, and social equity—and explores how these aspects are interconnected. Characteristics and indicators are customized to accomodate the BGI context in a way that integrates the physical and human dimensions within a comprehensive approach to measurement that uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Specifically, this research formulates a theoretical framework for BGI with the aim of investigating BGI strategies and viewpoints that bolster social resilience. The BGI Social Resilience Framework takes into account the varied demographics and the physical characteristics of urban areas to explore ways to create BGI spaces that are more inclusive and contribute to the enhancement of social resilience.

Artificial intelligence (AI) apps, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Siri, have taken society and higher education institutions by storm. Yet, there is a paucity of empirical studies recording and analysing university social sciences students’ attitudes toward AI. Hence, the present study draws upon a sample of 190 university students (82.45% female) from a Greek social sciences department to query what are the students’ attitudes toward AI in education and future employment and what factors correlated with these attitudes. Descriptive statistics revealed that students’ attitudes toward AI were mostly positive. A principal components analysis confirmed a three-component solution of attitudes toward AI, comprising cognitive, behavioural, and emotional dimensions. Comparative analysis of the three components indicated that the emotional dimension was the highest ranked, followed by the cognitive and behavioural dimensions. Pairwise correlation analyses revealed that the strongest correlate of cognitive, behavioural, and emotional components of attitudes toward AI was the future frequency of AI use, followed by general feelings of safety with technology. In conclusion, students display more emotional and cognitive favourable dispositions toward AI. The social background of the students and the prospective future use of AI play a key role in the formulation of attitudes toward AI. University educators need to provide more teaching and learning about AI to improve students’ attitudes toward AI and future AI use.

In order to achieve the elimination of the negative impacts of transport on road safety, the European Union is taking various measures resulting from its commitment to improve road safety. One of the instruments for achieving the objectives set is social legislation for the work of drivers in road freight and passenger transport. In line with the objective of improving the quality of working conditions for road transport drivers and road safety, the European Union applies Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 on the harmonisation of certain social legislation relating to road transport, which lays down rules on driving times, breaks and rest periods for drivers operating in road freight and passenger transport. The main objective of the paper is to assess the impact of social legislation on road transport safety by means of real research and to identify the factors influencing the violation of the legislation depending on the type of transports carried out in domestic or international road freight transport.

Poverty has long been associated intricately with neurological disorders. Majority of the previous studies designed to describe the effects of poverty on neurological ailments have mostly linked the association of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy and nutritional deficiency disorders with poverty. Authors herein try to delve deeper into this issue. The association of begging with neuropsychiatric disorders is robust. The burden of probable autosomal dominant neurological ailments is very common among beggars; followed by neurological disorders with social stigma like abnormal movements, facial dysmorphism and gait unsteadiness. Dearth of support from family members in autosomal dominant neurological disorders (as family members are likely to be suffering from similar neurodegenerative disorder ) and poor perception about neurological diseases, misconceptions, myths and low educational attainment at large in the society can be implicated as the often overlooked but important factors underneath this association of begging and neurological disorders.

One of the main problems for managing global crises is to clarify and reduces drivers of systemic weaknesses to face complex emergencies. This study here analyzes the relation between public debt, healthcare expenditures and fatality rates in the presence of pandemic crises, such as COVID-19. Statistical evidence, based on a sample of European countries, here shows that high public debt over time reduces health expenditures and increases the vulnerability of countries to face emergencies, such as COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Regression analysis with a log-log model suggests that when European countries experience a 1% increase in healthcare expenditure per capita, in general they have a 1.2% reduction in the COVID-19 fatality rate. Main implications of this study to reduce the systemic risk and vulnerability to environmental threats are that countries must reduce public debt with good governance and institutions without reducing the allocation of economic resources to the healthcare sector in order to improve the preparedness to unforeseen emergencies and crises, such as pandemics, natural disasters, conflicts, and other environmental threats.

To identify the effect of frailty on loneliness of older adults receiving home care, considering their socioeconomic and homebound status. This cross-sectional study enrolled 218 individuals aged ≥65 years receiving home-based health services “Help at Home” in the Region of Evrytania, Greece, after an open invitation by Municipality authorities from March to June 2022. Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) was used for the evaluation of frailty, UCLA Loneliness Scale version 3 for loneliness and social isolation was accessed through five questions (living alone, frequency of interaction with children, relatives, friends, and participation in social organizations). The mean age of the participants was 81.48 ± 9.06, 61.9% were female, 54.1% experienced high levels of loneliness (UCLA-3 mean 45.76 ±11.10 [range 20-68]), and 46.3% of the participants identified as socially isolated. Also, 58.3% of the individuals were classified as frail (TFI mean 5.95 ± 3.07, [TFI range 0-13], with 57.3% experiencing physical frailty, 43.6% psychological frailty, and 27.1% social frailty. An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) placing UCLA-3 as the dependent variable revealed that loneliness and across all domains of TFI were significantly higher in participants with frailty (total frailty [yes] 49.27 vs. [no] 40,87 p &lt;0.001) particularly, (physical frailty [Yes]=48.99 vs. [No]=41.42, p &lt;0.001, psychological: 48.60 vs. 43.57 p &lt;0.001 and social: 53.38 vs. 42.94 p &lt;0.001) compared to non-frail individuals, even after adjusting for potential confounding effects (covariates: gender, age, marital status, family status, living status, educational level, annual income, chronic diseases, homebound status, and social isolation). Our data analysis confirmed that frailty is a significant risk factor for higher levels of loneliness among older adults who received home-based healthcare.

This study examines the effectiveness of a comprehensive psychomotor development program combined with adapted football training for adolescents diagnosed with intellectual disabilities in Romania. Twelve participants, with a mean age of 17.42 years underwent a carefully designed intervention program spanning 36 weeks. The program aimed to enhance fundamental movement skills, integrate these skills into specialized football training, and culminate in a Unified 7-a-side Football Match. Results indicate significant improvements in psychomotor skills, including static and dynamic balance, pulse processing speed, and identified stimuli. Moreover, the intervention positively impacted social interaction among participants. Statistical analysis, employing Pearson Correlation Analysis and Paired Samples t-Test (One-Sample), compared assessments. Results revealed significant differences between pre- and post-intervention measurements, providing robust evidence of the program's efficacy. The positive correlations between physical parameters and social interaction highlight the interconnectedness between physical fitness and social engagement. Our findings suggest that improvements in physical abilities may contribute to increased social interaction among children with intellectual disabilities, underscoring the holistic nature of our intervention, which addresses multiple dimensions of development simultaneously. The findings underscore the holistic benefits of integrating psychomotor development and adapted football programs for adolescents with intellectual disabilities, emphasizing the importance of promoting inclusive physical activities for their overall well-being.

Cocoa is a natural resource that plays a very important role globally, being one of the most produced and traded commodities. Being a labor-intensive product and considering that its cultivation involves about 50 million people globally, it seems significant to explore its social sustainability. In light of this, this research aimed to map social risks within the cocoa supply chain from a life cycle perspective. Therefore, according to a Reference Scale Approach, or Type I, the Social Life Cycle Assessment was used, considering the two most influential Countries in its production, i.e. Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. The results showed that there could be a very high risk that more than half of the cocoa globally is produced through child labour and with wages too low to guarantee workers a decent living, returning incomes of $30-38/month. Forced labour is much less frequent than child labour, while cocoa from Ghana may induce a high risk of improper work, considering the 30.2 hours per week worked by farmers. This is mainly due to the low association power of 10-16%, which reveals a high risk that workers may not organize themselves into trade unions. Finally, at 23-25%, there is also a very high risk of discrimination due to the high presence of migrant labour. The S-LCA results, therefore, showed that the cocoa industry is still characterized by socially unsustainable sourcing.

Children—Dependents in Social Construction Theory—are assessed within democracies regarding their ability to self-direct their behavior concerning their associated society. In this regard, childhood represents a lack of self-direction, a life period when people require the guidance and protection of adults. The assumed necessity of adults supervising children in democracies requires substantial social resources, reducing the self-direction of those charged with overseeing children. Given that self-direction defines the optimal experience of people within democratic society, finding ways to increase the self-direction of children is an individual and a social benefit. In this regard, smartphones have improved self-direction in children. How children have become empowered to self-direct their lives with smartphone use considering Social Construction Theory—as Advantaged, Contenders, or Deviants—is the focus of a scoping review conducted on “children, empowerment, smartphones” of the following databases: OVID, JSTOR, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The result is that children permitted to self-direct their activities aided by smartphone technology have comparable social behavior to adults positioned as Advantaged, Contenders, or Deviants and, as such they should be encouraged to utilize smartphone technology to improve their self-direction, as doing so will augment individual and caregiver self-direction, providing increased social benefit.

Identifying influential actors within social networks is pivotal for optimizing information flow and mitigating the spread of both rumors and diseases. Several methods have emerged to pinpoint these influential entities in networks that are represented as graphs. In these graphs, nodes corre-spond to individuals and edges indicate their connections. This study focuses on centrality measures, prized for their straightforwardness and effectiveness. We categorize structural central-ity into two: local, considering a node's immediate vicinity, and global, accounting for overarching path structures. Some techniques blend both centralities to highlight nodes influential at both mi-cro and macro levels. Our paper presents a novel centrality measure, accentuating node degree and incorporating the network's broader features, especially paths of different lengths. Through Spearman and Pearson's correlations tested on seven standard datasets, our method proves its merit against traditional centrality measures. Additionally, we employ the SIR model, portraying disease spread, to further validate our approach. The ultimate influential node is gauged by its capacity to infect the most nodes during the SIR model's progression. Our results indicate a nota-ble correlative efficacy across various real-world networks relative to other centrality metrics.

Social support in working with beggars and vagrants has always been and still is a challenge for all social protection systems. This paper aims to analyze the social work system in working with vagrants and beggars, starting with the presentation of the concept and seeking to evaluate the evolution of this particular sector of the social protection system in Romania, presenting, on one hand, the legislative changes and, also, the situation found in reality which could be (slightly) different. In the paper we describe two research models, a case study, which starts from the situation found in Romania and is based on the model of good practice (social enterprises) developed by Nicolae Minovici in the interwar period (1934) and also presents the opinion of citizens from Craiova city, investigated during a sociological survey conducted in 2021-2022 on a sample of 1494 persons, on the opportunity to set up such centers for beggars and vagrants in Romania. The article seeks to extract the good practices used by the national system for the purpose of comparing and issuing proposals to regulate and improve the current situation in Romania.

This research investigated the effects of social isolation on frailty and health outcomes and tested whether these associations varied across different levels of frailty. We performed a multivariate analysis of data from the first wave of the FRéLE study among 1,643 Canadian older adults aged 65 years and over. We assessed social isolation using social participation, social networks, and support from various social ties, namely, friends, children, extended family, and partner. Frailty predicted disability, comorbidity, depression, and cognitive decline. Less social participation was associated with IADLs, depression, and cognitive decline. The absence of friends was associated with depression and cognitive impairment. Less social support from children and partner was related to comorbidity, depression, and cognitive decline. Overall, social isolation is linked to mental health, rather than physical health. The associations of having no siblings, receiving less support from friends, and participating less in social activities with ADL limitations, depression, and cognitive decline were higher among frail than pre-frail and robust older adults. This study corroborates the pivotal role of social connectedness, particularly the quality of relationships, on the mental health of older adults. Public health policies on social relationships are paramount to ameliorate the health status of frail older adults.

The binomial nomenclature system, introduced by Carl Linnaeus in the 18th century, has been fundamental for scientific communication and data management. Despite its utility, some scientific names reflect historical biases and ethical issues, including colonial legacies, racism, sexism, and derogatory terms. Recent debates highlight the need to address these injustices, with arguments both for and against revising such names. Critics argue that extensive revisions could disrupt scientific stability, while proponents emphasize the moral imperative to correct these issues. In this opinion paper, we advocate for the establishment of a dedicated committee within international nomenclature bodies to revise taxonomic names with clear ethical concerns and recommend the use of persistent identifiers to effectively manage and track name changes, mitigating potential disruptions to taxonomy and the science that depends on it. By adopting transparent revision processes and making use of digital technology, we can address ethical issues without remarkable upheaval. Science should not perpetuate historical injustices, and it is vital for the scientific community to proactively address social injustices in nomenclature to mitigate ongoing debates and resistance.

Although economic uncertainty and social media use are recognized as having a significant impact on religiosity, their role in religiosity has yet to be extensively examined in developing countries. This study explored the effects of economic uncertainty and social media use on religiosity in the Chinese context. By analyzing the publicly available data from the Chinese General Social Survey and World Values Survey, the findings showed that economic uncertainty significantly increased people's religious beliefs, while social media use had no significant impact on religious beliefs. Furthermore, social media use did not significantly moderate the relationship between economic uncertainty and religious belief. In contrast, educational level positively moderated the relationship between economic uncertainty and religious belief. These findings differ in part from the results of previous studies, presenting new evidence for theoretical integration in the field and revealing potential group differences in the strength of the relationship between economic uncertainty and religious belief.

The origin of a product, consumer familiarity, and purchasing identity are factors that affect perception of cheese consumption. The present study aims at identifying consumers’ conceptualizations and attitudes towards local Greek cheeses of the North-Aegean Sea islands, such as Ladotyri, Graviera, Kasseri, Kaskavali, Melichloro, and Kalathaki, some of which have a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, as opposed to cheeses of non-Greek origin, such as Cheddar, Regatto, and Gouda. Sensory and emotional attributes of local, local PDO, and imported cheeses, and drivers associated with consumers’ choice and acceptance above and beyond their sensory attributes were studied, using three methods: a) Flash Profile to gain insight into the sensory positioning of products and description of samples, b) qualitative analysis of focus groups to pinpoint consumer knowledge, preference, and consumption criteria, and c) a new methodology for natural language processing and sentiment analysis of social media posts to determine consumer conceptualizations. Social media posts have proven to be a valuable source of linguistic and cultural data for cheeses. Local cheeses, including PDO products, were found to be linked to village life and family gatherings, home, tradition, and childhood memories, with saltiness and hardness being their main sensory attributes. Imported cheeses were linked to fast food, pizza, and snacking, with elasticity and gumminess as prominent sensory qualities. The main criterion of purchase was intended usage and versatility, taste and texture, price, and familiarity. The findings provide key sensory attributes, information about consumer purchasing criteria, and relevant vocabulary for the promotion of cheeses as agri-food and gastronomic identity key products.

The recent world events seem to play a significant influence in the acquisition and upgrowth of empathy and socio-emotional competencies (SEC). In this study we sought to assess how the perception of these events affects the level of socio-emotional competencies and interpersonal reactivity of Portuguese adolescents and analyze differences due to sex and relationship status on its dimensions. Participants were 230 adolescents of both sexes, living in Portugal, with ages between 16 and 18 years old, mostly female, with the secondary educational level, living in an urban area and not in a relationship. An online questionnaire was applied, with the Social and Emotional Competencies (SEC-Q) scale and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). As results, it was found that adolescents have an above-average global interpersonal reactivity, with empathic concern and perspective taking presenting the higher values. Adolescents show a medium high average level of SEC, with the highest domains being self-awareness and social awareness and prosocial behavior. Girls showed significantly more interpersonal reactivity in empathic concern, personal distress and fantasy, and boys presented more self-awareness. As for the relationship status, adolescents not in a relationship manifest more personal distress, while those in a relationship present higher values in all dimensions of SEC. Although the perception of Portuguese adolescents does not seem to have been greatly affected by recent world events, these results can contribute to thinking about youth protection policies and designing more appropriate interventions to promote well-being in this crucial period of life, especially in times of instability.

The flourishing landscape of agritourism in Albania has witnessed a steady increase in destinations over the years. Recognizing their pivotal role in driving economic development in rural areas, considerable attention is directed towards the promotion and expansion of these agricultural tourism spots. To enhance interactivity with visitors, these agritourism destinations actively leverage social networks and various digital platforms. However, the wealth of information pertaining to these destinations is currently scattered across different platforms, posing a challenge to accessibility. To address this issue, these points are strategically placed on Google Maps, along with essential details collected from users, such as websites, contact numbers, visitor ratings, and comments. Nevertheless, other valuable data remains dispersed on various social networks. In response to this fragmentation, this study proposes the development of algorithms and scripts to systematically collect and analyze this dispersed information. By doing so, the goal is to centralize and streamline the data, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the agritourism landscape in Albania. This approach not only facilitates efficient access to information for potential visitors but also provides valuable insights for stakeholders involved in the development and management of these agritourism destinations. The study aims to contribute to the sustainable growth of agritourism in Albania by harnessing the power of digital platforms to create a unified and organized database. Through this integration, the research seeks to unveil patterns, trends, and opportunities that can further guide policy-making, marketing strategies, and overall decision-making processes in the realm of agritourism development.

This qualitative research explores the influence of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on supply chain sustainability within the renewable energy sector. Through a comprehensive review of existing literature, key themes and patterns are identified, shedding light on the complex dynamics and interrelationships inherent in CSR practices and their impact on supply chain sustainability. The findings highlight the critical role of CSR in driving environmental sustainability, social equity, economic viability, governance mechanisms, and technological innovation across renewable energy supply chains. Environmental sustainability emerges as a priority, with CSR initiatives focusing on reducing carbon emissions, promoting clean energy technologies, and adopting sustainable sourcing strategies. Social equity is emphasized through stakeholder consultation, transparent decision-making, and investments in community development. Economic viability is addressed through considerations of brand reputation, financial performance, and regulatory compliance. Governance mechanisms and regulatory frameworks play a crucial role in shaping CSR practices, with collaborative partnerships and policy advocacy driving industry-wide change. Technological innovation, particularly the integration of blockchain, IoT, and AI, enhances transparency, traceability, and accountability in supply chains. The study concludes by discussing theoretical implications, practical insights, limitations, and avenues for future research, highlighting the importance of CSR in promoting sustainable development in the renewable energy sector.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, social media platforms, such as Twitter, have experienced a tremendous increase in conversations related to Long COVID. The term “Long COVID” describes the persistence of symptoms of COVID-19 for several weeks or even months following the initial infection. Recent works in this field have focused on sentiment analysis of Tweets related to COVID-19 to unveil the multifaceted spectrum of emotions, viewpoints, and perspectives held by the Twitter community. However, most of these works did not focus on Long COVID, and the few works that focused on Long COVID have limitations. Furthermore, no prior work in this field has investigated Tweets where individuals self-reported experiencing Long COVID on Twitter. The work presented in this paper aims to address these research challenges by presenting multiple novel findings from a comprehensive analysis of a dataset comprising 1,244,051 Tweets about Long COVID, posted on Twitter between May 25, 2020, and January 31, 2023. First, the analysis shows that the average number of Tweets per month where individuals self-reported Long COVID on Twitter, has been considerably high in 2022 as compared to the average number of Tweets per month in 2021. Second, findings of sentiment analysis using VADER show that the percentage of Tweets with positive, negative, and neutral sentiment were 43.12%, 42.65%, and 14.22%, respectively. Third, the analysis of sentiments associated with these Tweets also shows that the emotion of sadness was expressed in most of these Tweets. It was followed by the emotions of fear, neutral, surprise, anger, joy, and disgust, respectively.

Active ageing is defined as the process of optimizing opportunities for physical, social and mental health to enable older people to take an active part in society without discrimination and to enjoy an independent and good quality of life. The World Health Organization assumed this as a process for increasing and maintaining an individual’s participation in activities to enhance his/her quality of life. In this survey, the authors addressed the following question: “Is assistive technology (AT) for mobility contributing to enhancement of lifelong capacity and performance?”. From June 2015 until February 2016, 96 community dwelling adults, AT users for mobility (powered wheelchairs, manual wheelchairs, lower limb prostheses, walkers, crutches and canes), aged 45-97, mean 67.02 +/- 14.24 years old, 56.3% female, were interviewed using the Psychosocial Impact of Assistive Devices Scale (P-PIADS), the Activities and Participation Profile related to Mobility (APPM) and demographics, clinical and questions about AT use and training. The participants’ profiles revealed moderate limitation and restrictions in participation, measured by the APPM (2.03). Most participants showed positive impact of AT; average scores obtained from the P-PIADS subscales were: Self-esteem 0.62, Competency 1.11 and Adaptability 1.10. P-PIADS total was 0.96, with the powered wheelchair users scoring the highest (1.53) and the walker users scoring the lowest (0.73). All subscales and P-PIADS total were positively correlated with the activities and participation profile. There was no relation between age and the psychosocial impact of AT or activities and participation profile. These results encourage the authors to follow these participants up for a lifelong intervention. To accomplish that aim, currently, the protocol is implemented at the AT prescribing centers in Coimbra, Portugal in order to assess the impact of AT on participation in society, one of the domains of the Active Ageing Index, a new analytical tool to help policy makers in developing policies for active and healthy ageing.

The introduction of social commerce ushered in a new era in business-consumer interaction. As a result, more power has passed from the vendor to the buyer, primarily fueling e-commerce acceptance. As a result, understanding consumer behaviour in the context of social commerce adoption has become essential for businesses looking to persuade customers by using the power of social ties and support.Furthermore, such social ties will facilitate trust as the most promising benefit while reducing perceived risk, which has always been a critical problem with online commerce. This study proposes a paradigm for understanding the impact of social commerce on the stages of the consumer decision-making process: need recognition, information search, alternative evaluation, purchase decision, and post-purchase behaviour, with a focus on social support. In this respect, relevant literature in the subject of social commerce either (1) lacks an adequate explanatory model, (2) has a solid theoretical base, or (3) contains practically complex theories with insufficient empirical data. The research model applies the Social Commerce Constructs (SCC): recommendations and referrals, forums and communities, and ratings and reviews to study the respective influence on the consumer decision-making process phases. This paper aims to understand the influence of social commerce on an integrative model that incorporates all customer choice phases while expecting new knowledge. Furthermore, it is advised that this conceptual model be empirically verified to evaluate the practical consequences.

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a neglected tropical disease associated with poverty and poor environmental conditions. With the inclusion of vector control activities in LF surveillance actions, there is a need to develop simple methods to identify areas with higher mosquito density and consequent risk of W. bancrofti transmission. An ecological study was conducted in Igarassu, Metropolitan Region of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. The mosquitoes were captured in 2,060 houses distributed across 117 census tracts. The vector density index (VDI) was constructed, that measures the average number of lymphatic filariasis transmitting mosquitoes per number of houses collected in the risk stratum. Moreover, the social deprivation indicator (SDI) was constructed and was carried out through principal component factor analysis. The average number of female C. quinquefasciatus found in the high-risk stratum was 242, while the low-risk stratum had an average of 108. The overall VDI was 6.8 mosquitoes per household. The VDI for the high-risk stratum was 13.2 mosquitoes per household, while for the low/medium-risk stratum, it was 5.2. This study offers an SDI for the density of C. quinquefasciatus mosquitoes, which reduces the cost associated with data collection and allows for indicating priority areas for vector control actions.

Yoga promotes acceptance, compassion, physicality, active postures, mental and emotional awareness, and spiritual benefits. It involves breath techniques, postures, and body locks, maintaining balance and strength. It's based on ethical principles. Beyond simple performance, swimming is a catalyst for overall well-being. Complementarily, yoga serves as an invaluable adjunct for swimmers, enhancing flexibility, strength, and body awareness - a triad essential to aquatic excellence. The confluence of yoga and swimming, particularly through the practice of aqua yoga asanas, presents a new paradigm for both athletes and non-performers alike. Athletes who embrace the harmonious fusion of swimming and yoga unearth the potential for achieving not just athletic mastery but also a more balanced and fulfilling lifestyle. This blend provides a route not only to enhance performance in the water but also to elevate the overall quality of life. We examined the feasibility of incorporating yoga and swimming practice into Romanian subjects' lifestyles, designing a factor analysis in SmartPLS software, based on an online survey. The study assesses the participants' knowledge of yoga's theory and philosophy, as well as their perceptions of the swimming practice's benefits for social and health issues. According to our study, Romanian participants practice yoga and swimming as often as possible to reduce stress, improve concentration for work-related tasks, and improve joint elasticity, balance, and muscular tone. Thus, Yoga and swimming are substitutes for other approaches in prevention and therapy.

Instagram is a popular social media platform among youth, with over a billion active users worldwide. The platform allows users to share photos, videos, and stories and connect with friends and followers. Instagram has become a significant part of youth culture, with many young people spending a considerable amount of time on the app. According to Enterprise (2012:02), Instagram is a community shared among one member with other members from all over the world. This study examines the impact of Instagram on the physical and mental well-being of Indian youth. With the rapid proliferation of social media platforms in India, Instagram has emerged as a prominent influence on the lives and perceptions of young individuals. Studies have shown that using Instagram among youth can have positive and negative effects. On the positive side, Instagram can be a way for young people to express themselves, connect with others, and discover new interests. However, excessive use of the platform can also lead to negative outcomes, such as social comparison, anxiety, and low self-esteem. Instagram addiction among youth is a growing concern. Some young people may feel compelled to check their accounts frequently and may experience negative emotions if they are unable to do so. In extreme cases, excessive use of the platform can interfere with daily activities and relationships, leading to a negative impact on mental health. Parents and educators can play a role in helping young people manage their Instagram use. This can include setting limits on screen time, encouraging healthy online habits, and promoting offline activities and social interaction. Additionally, mental health professionals can offer support to young people who are struggling with addiction or other negative effects of Instagram use. This study explores the prevalence of Instagram dependency among Indian youth.

The article discusses early diagnosis and intervention for developmental delays in children, emphasizing the role of specialized services and personnel in supporting recovery and development. It presents findings from a pilot project initiated in Bucharest, aiming to assess the incidence of developmental delays in children aged 1-3 years in selected kindergartens, including ASD. The study involved children, parents, and specialists, utilizing systematic behavior observation (SBO) and semi-structured interviews. Results indicate that out of 613 evaluated children, 81 received specialized control recommendations, with 4 cases showing potential risk of ASD. Additionally, 8 children were diagnosed with autism. The incidence of autism in children aged 1-3 years was 1 in 51. Although exploratory, these findings suggest a model of good practice for future early diagnosis campaigns nationally. Conclusively, the study underscores the importance of early diagnosis and intervention for developmental delays, advocating for a responsive community and emphasizing the significance of national-level efforts to address these issues effectively.

Public housing stock, called Social Housing, in Italy developed between the 1950s and the 1980s. As of today, the first residential developments are almost nearing their end-of-life age, in need of urgent and intensive renovation. The European Commission, with the Renovation Wave, has set a goal of doubling the rate of building renovation over the next 10 years, reducing emissions, improving energy performance, and promoting decarburization. Renovation interventions, including structural, functional, energy, plant upgrading, etc., are to be preferred over integral demolition and reconstruction interventions, which have significant repercussions in terms of managerial and social discomfort. The case studies examined concern renovation interventions aimed at energy efficiency, functional adaptation of housing as well as facade restyling. The design variants analyzed were evaluated in terms of CO2e emissions, according to LCI (Life Cycle Inventory) and EPD (Environmental Product Declaration) approaches. This approach has a twofold purpose: to propose design guidelines, with low CO2e emissions, through hypotheses of variants to the case studies, and to propose, to the Economic Operators, economically advantageous bidding scenarios, in the procurement process.

Ant rescue behaviour belongs to the most interesting subcategories of prosocial and altruistic behaviour encountered in the animal world. Several studies suggested that ants are able to identify what exactly restrains the movements of another individual and to direct their rescue behaviour precisely to that object. To shed more light on the question how precise is the identifi-cation of the source of restraint of another ant, we investigated rescue behaviour of workers of the red wood ant Formica polyctena using a new version of an artificial snare bioassay in which a nestmate victim was bearing on its body two wire loops, one placed on the petiole and acting as a snare, and an additional one on the leg. The tested ants did not direct preferentially their rescue behaviour to the snare. Moreover, the overall strategy adopted by the most active rescuers was not limited to precisely targeted rescue attempts directed to the snare, but consisted of attempts to find a solution to the victim’s problem through frequent trial-and-error switching between various subcategories of rescue behaviour. These findings highlight the importance of precise identifica-tion of cognitive processes and overall behavioural strategies for better understanding of causal factors underlying animal helping behaviour.

Objective: The study aimed to characterize the changing landscape of circulating SARS-CoV-2 lineages in the local community of Hong Kong throughout 2022. We examined how adjustments to quarantine arrangements influenced the transmission pattern of Omicron variants in a city with relatively rigorous social distancing measures at that time. Methods: In 2022, a total of 4,684 local SARS-CoV-2 genomes were sequenced using the Oxford Nanopore GridION sequencer. SARS-CoV-2 consensus genomes were generated by MAFFT, and the maximum likelihood phylogeny of these genomes were determined using IQ-TREE. The dynamic changes in lineages were depicted in a time tree created by Nextstrain. Statistical analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between changes in the number of lineages and adjustments to quarantine arrangements. Results: By the end of 2022, a total of 83 SARS-CoV-2 lineages were identified in the community. The increase in the number of new lineages was significantly associated with the relaxation of quarantine arrangements (One-way ANOVA, F(5,47)=18.233, p&lt;0.001)). Over time, Omicron BA.5 sub-lineages replaced BA.2.2 and became the predominant Omicron variants in Hong Kong. The influx of new lineages reshaped the dynamics of Omicron variants in the community without fluctuating the death rate and hospitalization rate (One-way ANOVA, F(5,47)=2.037, p=0.091). Conclusion: The study revealed that even with an extended mandatory quarantine period for incoming travelers, it may not be feasible to completely prevent the introduction and subsequent community spread of highly contagious Omicron variants. Ongoing molecular surveillance of COVID-19 remains essential to monitor the emergence of new recombinant variants.

The use of new assistive technologies in general, and Socially Assistive Robots (SAR) in particular is becoming increasingly common for supporting people’s health and well-being. However, it still faces many issues regarding long-term adherence, acceptability and utility. Most of these issues are due to design processes that insufficiently take into account the needs, preferences and values of intended users. Other issues are related to the currently very limited amount of long-term evaluations, performed in real world settings, for SAR. This study presents the results of two regional projects that consider as a starting hypothesis that the assessment in controlled environments and/or with short exposures may not be enough in the design of a SAR deployed in a retirement home and the necessity of designing for and with users. Thus, the proposed methodology has focused in use cases definitions that follow a human-centred and participatory design approach. The main goals have been facilitating system acceptance and attachment by involving stakeholders in the robots design and evaluation, overcoming usage barriers and considering user’s needs integration. The implementation of the first use case deployed and the two-phase pilot test performed in the retirement home are presented. In particular, a detailed description of the interface re-design process based on improving a basic prototype with users’ feedback and recommendations is presented together with main results of a formal evaluation that has highlighted the impact of changes and improvements addressed in the first redesign loop of the system.

Green finance in the context of sustainable development sits within the broader discourse of environmental economics and sustainable finance. Their integration has become imperative in addressing global challenges, aiming to understand how financial mechanisms can be aligned with sustainability goals, investigating the role of green finance in promoting environmentally friendly investments and fostering sustainable development. This bibliometric analysis explores the evolution, trends, and challenges in green finance research. It examines 436 articles published between 2016 and 2024, revealing insights into influential publications, authors, journals, institutions, and countries engaged in green finance for sustainability. The study identifies China, the UK, and Pakistan as leaders in research output and citation impact. Furthermore, it highlights the interdisciplinary nature of green finance, reflected in diverse publication outlets spanning environmental, social, and economic domains. The analysis underscores the increasing global interest in green finance, as evidenced by the growing citation rates over time. Key findings include the pivotal role of green finance in energy efficiency, renewable energy development, and the promotion of sustainable economic growth. Overall, this research provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners, emphasizing the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and continued research efforts in advancing sustainable finance agendas.

The agricultural industry relies on physical fences to manage livestock. However, physical fences present some practical, financial, and ecological problems, that partly may be solved by virtual fencing. However, it is necessary for the livestock to be adapted to virtual fencing. This study aims to identify if adaptation to virtual fence can be improved through social facilitation between experienced cattle and the remaining herd. Moreover, which of the two different learning processes, a gradual or instant introduction to virtual fence is the most effective in associating warnings with impulses. Three pastures containing Angus (Bos taurus) will be used to examine these investigations; A, B and C. All investigations are conducted on the Danish Island of Fanø. Three methods of learning process were used, one gradual and two instant introductions to the virtual fence. The investigations had varying amounts of experienced cattle. Impulses and warnings were recorded during a learning period and the following observation period. To quantify if the cattle adapt to the warnings, impulses per warning are used. There was no evidence of improvement with the presence of experienced cattle for any pastures, indicating no social facilitation. Gradual introduction was found to be more beneficial than instant introduction. More standardized tests are necessary to discover the full effect of experienced cattle.

Given the opportunities offered by foreign investment in energy infrastructure mostly by Chinese firms, the Government of Cambodia is giving high priority to developing hydropower resources for reducing energy poverty and powering economic growth. Using a “Political ecology of the Asian drivers” framework, this paper assesses China’s involvement in the development of large dams’ in Cambodia and its impacts on the access of natural resources such as water and energy by dam builders, local communities and the government. This analysis is based on 61 interviews and 10 focus group discussions with affected communities, institutional actors, Chinese dam builders and financiers in relation to the first large Chinese dam built in Cambodia, the Kamchay dam. Based on the results of the analysis this paper makes recommendations on how to improve the planning, implementation and governance of large dams to ensure that the dams’ benefits are shared more equally.

This paper presents the results of quantitative research examining the impacts of demographic and socioeconomic factors on community resilience to disasters. The survey was carried out utilising a questionnaire distributed and subsequently collected online from 321 participants during January 2024. The study employed an adapted version of the '5S' social resilience framework, encompassing five sub-dimensions – social structure (10 variables), social capital (9 variables), social mechanisms (17 variables), social equity and diversity (13 variables), and social belief (13 variables). This customized framework includes 62 indicators, providing a thorough assessment of community (social) disaster resilience in the research context. To explore the relationship between predictors and community (social) disaster resilience in Serbia, their attitudes towards the mentioned five sub-dimensions, as well as their engagement in preventive measures and their perception of resilience to various disasters with a particular focus on demographic and socio-economic impacts, statistical methods including t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and multivariate linear regression were employed. The results of the multivariate regressions across various community disaster resilience subscales indicate that age emerged as the most significant predictor for the social structure subscale. At the same time, education stood out as the primary predictor for the social capital subscale. Additionally, employment status proved to be the most influential predictor for both social mechanisms and social equity-diversity subscales, with property ownership being the key predictor for the social beliefs sub-scale. Despite being considered in the analyses, gender, marital status, income level, and number of household members did not emerge as the most significant predictors across the investigated community (social) disaster resilience subscales. The determined mean value of the community (social) disaster resilience index is M = 2.62, and the findings reveal that participants assigned the highest ratings to the social beliefs subscale (M = 2.76), while the lowest values were observed in the social structure subscale (M = 2.46). Findings can be used to create strategies and interventions aimed at enhancing the resilience of communities in Serbia by addressing the intricate interplay between demographic characteristics, socio-economic factors, and their ability to withstand, adapt to, and recover from different disasters.

The corporate strategic planning of businesses in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) largely focuses on immediate financial performances with minimal credence to social sustainability. Thus, studies on the linkage between corporate governance and sustainability reporting have focused on developed economies. This study therefore investigated the role of institutional ownership in the impact of board committee characteristics on social sustainability reporting. The study involved strongly balanced panel data with 1,969 observations of 275 publicly listed non-financial firms in SSA within the timeframe of 2012 to 2021. Data was analyzed using STATA 14.1. The hypotheses were tested using the two-step system of the generalized method of moment (GMM) using the Arellano-Bond dynamic panel-data estimation method. The rate of social sustainability reporting was 39.4%. Relatively, Mauritius and South African firms had the most effective board committee characteristics and higher levels of social sustainability reporting. Institutional ownership had no significant effect on social sustainability reporting. Institutional ownership moderated the effect of sustainability committee independence and sustainability committee gender diversity on social sustainability reporting negatively. The paper presents a new perspective on corporate governance and social sustainability literature by examining the effect of institutional ownership on board committee characteristics and social sustainability reporting in SSA.

Background: In recent years, the integration of robotic systems into various aspects of daily life has become increasingly common. As these technologies continue to advance, ensuring user-friendly interfaces and seamless interactions becomes more essential. For social robots to genuinely provide lasting value to humans, a favourable user experience (UX) emerges as an essential prerequisite. Aim: This article aimed to evaluate the usability of the MINI robot, highlighting its strengths and areas for improvement based on user feedback and performance. Method: In a controlled lab setting, a mixed-method qualitative study was conducted with ten individuals aged 65 and above diagnosed with mild dementia (MD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Participants engaged in individual MINI robot interaction sessions, completing cognitive tasks as per written instructions. Video and audio recordings documented interactions, while post-session System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaires quantified usability perception. Ethical guidelines were followed, ensuring informed consent, and the data underwent qualitative and quantitative analyses, contributing insights into the MINI robot's usability for this demographic. Results: The study addresses the ongoing challenges that tasks present, especially for MD individuals, emphasizing the importance of user support. Most tasks require both verbal and physical interactions, indicating that MD individuals face challenges when switching response methods within subtasks. These complexities originate from the selection and use of response methods, including difficulties with voice recognition, tablet touch, and tactile sensors. These challenges persist across tasks, with individuals with MD struggling to comprehend task instructions and provide correct answers and individuals with MCI struggling to use response devices, often due to the limitations of the robot's speech recognition. Technical shortcomings have been identified. The results of the System Usability Scale (SUS) indicate positive perceptions, although there are lower ratings for instructor assistance and pre-use learning. The average SUS score of 68.3 places device usability in the "good" category. Conclusion: Our study examines the usability of the MINI robot, revealing strengths in quick learning, simple system and operation, and integration of features while also highlighting areas for improvement. Careful design and modifications are essential for meaningful engagement with people with dementia. The robot could better benefit people with MD and MCI if clear, detailed instructions and instructor assistance are available.

Promoting organic foods production and consumption contributes to accomplishing United Nations sustainable development goals. Social commerce provides a promising opportunity to develop the organic food industry. However, there is limited knowledge regarding customer behaviors in relation to purchasing organic foods via social commerce platforms. Therefore, this study expanded upon the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT-2) to develop a comprehensive model that explains how customers' social commerce trust and behavioral intentions to purchase organic foods using Instagram social commerce affect their purchasing behaviors. The research model was analyzed by employing partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) for the data collected from a quantitative survey of 410 customers who used Instagram to purchase organic foods in Iran. The results revealed that facilitated purchasing conditions, hedonic motivations, social influence, rating and reviews, and influencers’ endorsements increase customers' purchase intentions. Moreover, Instagram’s recommendations and referrals, influencers’ endorsements, as well as social influence boost customers' trust in the social commerce platform. Eventually, it was determined that influencers’ endorsements, social commerce trust, and purchase intention determine a customer’s organic foods purchasing behaviors. This research provides valuable insights for organic food marketers to optimize their social commerce strategies.

Literature indicates scarcity of cross-national research on the association between physical fighting and bullying victimisation among adolescents, and the moderating role of perceived social support and education spending on this association. Using multilevel binary logistic regression, this study examined the association of physical fighting with traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimisation, with public education spending and perceived social support from families and teachers as moderators. Country-level data were combined with 2017/18 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey data from 162,792 adolescents (11-, 13- and 15-year-olds) in 27 European countries. Results showed that physical fighting was positively and significantly associated with cyberbullying and traditional bullying victimisation. These results signify that physical fighting is a robust predictor of bullying victimisation. The findings demonstrate that perceived social support and education spending buffered the association of physical fighting with traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimisation. The findings imply that social support not only prevents adolescents from engaging in physical fights, but also reduces the risk of bullying victimisation. Accordingly, to deter adolescents from engaging in physical violence and reduce the risk of bullying victimisation, there is need to fully comprehend the influence of physical fighting on bullying victimisation, and the moderating role of social support.

Despite inclusive design focusing on improving environmental accessibility for mobility aid (MA) users, it often fails to ensure true inclusivity due to mismatches between interventions and user perceptions. Therefore, understanding mobility aids users' perceptions of inclusivity is essential for advancing disability studies and design, as it highlights key interventions for more effective practices. This study aims to explore perceived inclusivity in MAs usage and identifies gaps in users' needs, classifying their needs and offering recommendations to meet them. First, the DARE-Inclusive Design Framework was used to develop interview guidelines and interpret results. Next, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 experienced physiotherapists in Iran, and finally, an inductive thematic analysis was used to identify and present themes. Four themes were identified: 1. Perceived Financial Value: Assessing Worth, 2. Objective Enhancements: Optimizing Environments and MAs, 3. Subjective Enhancements: Trustworthiness, Support, and Hope, and 4. Contextual Factors: Interpretations and Representations. The four interconnected themes provide guidelines for inclusivity-oriented interventions, emphasizing financial assessment, high-tech integration, and aesthetic and symbolic considerations in mobility aid design. Physiotherapists can also mediate emotional responses and enhance inclusion during rehabilitation. Additionally, social context and disability etiology impact users' acceptance and use of MAs.

Social connectedness connection is a core dimension of health and wellness among all populations, yet the experience of moving to, and living in, a new country makes social and community-level influences particularly salient for immigrants. We interviewed 38 Latino immigrants living in a nontraditional migration area to explore the social and community foundations of health and wellness. Illustrated in a model of socioecological connectednesssocial connection, Using hybrid (inductive/deductive) qualitative analysis, we identified seven themesdomains of social connection from the perspective of the interviewed participants: 1) Lens of the individual is a filter for the social world; 2) Immigrant experience colors everything; 3) Interpersonal support enhances quality of life; 4) Community belonging fosters a sense of connectedness; 5) Community capital boosts security; 6) Community navigation promotes integration; and 7) Social acceptance strengthens inclusion. In the healthcare field, we lack conceptual clarity of the distinct connectedness domains that drive positive health outcomes in immigrant populations. Social connection domains generated by participants are consistent with the scientific literature, but this study identifies the specific social factors that immigrants describe as most salient to their own health and wellness. Our community-generated understanding of socioecological connectednesssocial connection can be used by healthcare providers to reduce risks and build on assets that will improve the health of immigrants living in nontraditional migration areas. health. Additionally, our model of socioecological connectednessthese results might serve as a foundation for a quantitative measure that can be used by providers to more accurately and comprehensively assess connectedness social connection of their patients and by researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of community-level interventions for immigrants.

The concept of economic self-reliance, widely known by Thai people as the philosophy of sufficiency economy, has been widely promoted in rural Thai societies. By practicing this philosophy, it is expected that the citizens’ quality of life and local environments could be sustainably improved. This study aims to explore the contribution of the community practices of the sufficiency economy philosophy to rural villagers’ quality of life improvement, and to investigate potential factors that determine the trust of villagers in the philosophy. With the purpose to propose strategies which could enhance trust and promote villagers’ practices of the philosophy, the study investigated influences of three relevant factors on trust towards the philosophy. Those factors included factors related to cognitive-based trust, factors related to emotional-based trust, and factors related to demographic characteristics. Questionnaire surveys and in-depth interviews with community leaders and local villagers were conducted in the Ban Jamrung community, in Thailand’s Rayong province. The results of the statistical analysis revealed that the residents who applied the sufficiency economy philosophy in their daily lives experienced a relatively better quality of life. Additionally, it was found that trust in the philosophy could be predicted more by rational factors than by emotional factors. These findings could be utilized to develop strategies to maintain and enhance the trust of the people in the philosophy of sufficiency economy.

This study discusses the belonging, position, livelihood sustainability and vulnerabilities of fishery dependent nomadic community of Bangladesh. Nomads in Bangladesh are called as bede. With the technological advancements, infrastructural developments and advancements in medical science, ancient tradition and culture of the nomad’s community are in the verge of extinction. Fishing is found to be the most sustainable livelihood approach for nomadic community than any other professions. The average daily income is up to BDT 700±100 (mean ± standard deviation) during fishing season. Nomad community is a part of Bengali culture, but they are considered as socially backward community. They have faced numerous natural and anthropogenic threats and stressors affecting their traditional occupations and livelihoods which make their life more vulnerable. Natural drivers include climatic catastrophe, storms, winds, cyclone and tides. Anthropogenic drivers included ban period, dependency on single profession (fishing), lack of effective alternative income generating options, economic, social and cultural exclusion in the society. Proper measures should be taken to design the livelihood interventions of nomad fishers. The Government and responsible NGOs should take a holistic approach to livelihood intervention including financial support during the ban period and other unavoidable crises to continue their profession smoothly.

Background: Health insurance (HI) run by government is providing health care service to large population. Due to poor accountability, participation and sustainability, cooperative health insurance is becoming more popular and effective in low and middle income and some high-income countries too. In Nepal, there are public and cooperative HI is in practice. The aim of this study is to compare the effectiveness of public (government) and cooperative HI in relation to benefit packages, population coverage, inclusiveness, health care utilization, and promptness for treatment in these two health insurance models in Nepal. Method: This is an institution based concurrent mixed study consists of qualitative and quantitative variables from public and cooperative groups. We included all public HI operated by government hospitals and cooperatives groups those purchased hospital service in contract. Two separate study tools were applied to access the effectiveness of insurance models. The key questions were asked for the representatives of government and private health insurance. The numeric information consisted of in quantitative data and subjective response was included in qualitative approach. Descriptive statistics and Mean Whitney U test was applied in numeric data and qualitative information were analyzed by inductive approach Results: The study revealed that new enrolment was not increased, health care utilization rate was increased and the benefit package was almost same in both groups. The overall inclusiveness was higher for the government HI, but enrolment from the religious minority, proportion of negotiated amount during treatment were significantly higher (p<0.05). During illness, the response time to reach hospital was significantly faster in cooperative health insurance than government health insurance. Qualitative findings showed that level of participation, accountability, transparency and recording system was better in cooperative health insurance than public. Conclusion: Cooperative HI could be more sustainable and accountable to the community for all; low, middle and high-income countries.

This paper examines the interplay between media and the “social side of soils” whereby climate change action implicates individual and collective capacity to adapt, participate in groups or organizations, networks, and respond to challenges and opportunities across a system. The context examined here is Canadian agriculture, and soil health initiatives in the province of Ontario. Our review of relevant literature points to a knowledge gap on the role of the media in enabling climate action in the Canadian agricultural sector with a focus on soil management practices. This study conducted a media content analysis of 100 English-language news articles published between 2022 and 2024 and conducted 31 surveys with media professionals. Approximately one-quarter of the screened news articles contained any relevant coverage of soil health-related climate change mitigation issues. Journalist surveys identified the resource constraints on soil health media coverage with a wide range of traditional and Internet-based journalism on climate change issues, motivated particularly by crisis communication and one-off “parachute reporting”. Going forward, the engagement of key stakeholders of soil health in Canada such as farmers for media and communication about climate change mitigation needs attention. Key policy structures at the federal and provincial levels can help to make this happen.

Matters relating to preservation of environmental resources and climate change, social inclusion and diversity, and open and sound governance have rapidly gained global attention. However, little is known about the construction industry in meeting the environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria towards sustainable development. In this study, the purpose is to identify the key ESG indicators for construction development. A systematic literature review was undertaken using data from Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, JSTOR, ProQuest, and Web of Science. The results show some of the key ESG indicators as climate resilience and green construction activities (at the project level), and active stakeholder engagement and effective project governance (at the firm level) and meeting environmental and social regulation requirements (industry/national level). The limitation of the article is in the sample size of twenty-six journal articles with future expectation of increment as ESG gain more acceptance in the construction industry. This study will be significant for the design of practice framework and policies on ESG in the construction industry. Comprehensively, this study presents relevant ESG indicators for construction management and presents essential information for future research.

This comprehensive review digs into the complex landscape of the Metaverse, focusing on user perceptions and the critical roles of usability, social influence, and interoperability. The paper integrates various scholarly insights, underscoring the Metaverse's evolving significance in the digital realm and its implications across diverse sectors. Central to the findings is the importance of usability. The influence of social factors is also prominent, shaping user behavior and decision-making within these virtual spaces. Interoperability becomes a big problem, showing how important it is to have standard protocols and technologies so that experiences on different Metaverse platforms are smooth and seamless. The review further reveals insights into user experience and accessibility, emphasizing the need for inclusive, ergonomic, and user-friendly design to enhance engagement and reduce barriers. Moreover, the paper discusses the ethical and societal implications of the Metaverse, including issues like digital harassment, aggressive marketing, and privacy concerns, which call for responsible development and robust regulatory frameworks. Additionally, the review identifies gaps in current research, particularly in user experience in healthcare applications, the impact of the Metaverse on educational outcomes, and the need for more empirical studies on the long-term effects of Metaverse interactions on user behavior and psychology. This synthesis offers a detailed overview of current user perceptions and challenges within the Metaverse and sets the stage for future research directions, aiming to foster a secure, inclusive, and interoperable Metaverse environment that aligns with ethical standards and societal needs.

This paper undertakes a comprehensive review to underscore the central role of sustainability in the evaluation and innovation of jet grouting technologies. It meticulously traces the evolution of evaluation methodologies, emphasizing the imperative of sustainable practices throughout history. Traditional evaluation paradigms are examined alongside contemporary trends, with a particular focus on sustainability metrics and visualization techniques. Through an examination of innovative jet grouting technologies, this paper illustrates how sustainability principles have driven advancements aimed at improving the efficiency and environmental impact of jet grouting methods. Central to this review is an assessment of sustainability across multiple dimensions, including method applicability, installation and operational compatibility, and the performance of the resulting jet grouted piles. By emphasizing sustainability considerations, the paper highlights the intrinsic link between environmental integrity and technological innovation in the field of jet grouting. In addition, it discusses analytical evaluation methods designed to proactively address sustainability concerns prior to construction, thereby promoting a more environmentally responsible approach. Finally, this paper presents a pioneering evaluation framework that integrates real-time monitoring and visualization tools, allowing stakeholders to track sustainability milestones throughout the construction process. By emphasizing sustainability as a guiding principle, this review advocates for a paradigm shift toward more ecologically sound and resilient jet grouting practices.

Limited understanding exists regarding the intricate dynamics between the levels of social inhi-bition exhibited by both wives and husbands concerning their perceived family support and de-pressive symptoms, particularly within couples who are parents of children diagnosed with au-tism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study used the actor-partner, interdependence mediation model to analyze data collected from 397 pairs of Chinese parents with children diagnosed with ASD. The findings of the study revealed significant indirect actor effects, indicating that the levels of social inhibition exhibited by both wives and husbands were associated with their own de-pressive symptoms through their respective perceptions of family support. In general, the study did not find significant partner effects, except for some indirect effect (IE) of wives on their hus-bands' depressive symptoms through the wives' perceived social support. This observation sug-gests that cultural norms and role expectations within the family context may influence these dy-namics. These results underscore the potential importance of interventions aimed at addressing social inhibition and enhancing perceived family support to alleviate depressive symptoms in this population. Additionally, interventions targeting fathers should emphasize the importance of their involvement in parenting and collaboration with their partners in caring for children with ASD. Such collaborative efforts may contribute to improved outcomes for both parents and chil-dren within families affected by ASD.

Human language and social cognition are two key disciplines that have traditionally been studied as separate domains. However, emerging research from detailed studies of comparative animal behavior, human social behavior, language acquisition in children, social cognitive neuroscience, and the cognitive neuroscience of language suggest that language and social cognition are two deeply interrelated capacities of the human species. For instance, recent developmental studies on the acquisition of language in infants and young children, draw attention to the important crucial benefits associated with several different aspects of social stimulation for youngsters, including the quantity and quality of linguistic input, dyadic infant/child-to-parent verbal and non-verbal social interactions, and other important social cues integral for facilitating language learning and social bonding. Studies of the adult human brain further suggest a high degree of specialization for sociolinguistic information processing, memory retrieval, and comprehension, suggesting the function of these regions may link language with social cognition and social bonding. In effect, the social brain and social complexity hypotheses may jointly help to explain how neurotypical children and adults learn language, why autistic adults and children exhibit simultaneous deficits in language and social cognition, and why nonhuman primates and other animals with significant computational abilities do not acquire the capacity for language. But perhaps most critically, the following article argues that this and related research will allow scientists to generate a holistic profile and deeper understanding of the healthy adult social brain, while developing more innovative and effective diagnoses, prognoses, and treatments for maladies and deficits also associated with the social brain.

Agriculture is an important sector of European Union in societal , economic and environmental dimensions. Sustainability of the sector require improvements in its key operations. Weeding is one of the crucial operation having impact on farms’ productivity, safety for farmers, food security and environmental state. To achieve EU policy goals of sustainable agriculture there are needed new technical and organizational solutions. One of the advanced techniques are laser based weeding technique. It is important to understand well the impacts of introduction of these tech-niques to the markets and agricultural practice in sustainability context. For that reason Social Life Cycle Assessment was performed. The method was based on participatory approach. The as-sessment was carried in three perspectives: general society, farmers, and business perspective re-lated to agriculture. Expert interviews based on questionnaires and workshops were realized to get the opinions on the impacts of a new laser technique on particular aspects of its implementation. The results show generally positive impact in all perspectives, especially in the perspective of farmers.

This research mapped significant social networks of victims of childhood sexual abuse, identifying relationships between childhood trauma and social bonds in adult life. Ten adult women, aged between 20 and 40 years, in psychiatric care for the consequences of trauma suffered in childhood participated in the research. For data collection, the map of significant social networks was used and analyzed through the structure, functions and attributes of the bonds. The network is composed of people from the Friendship, Family, Community, Work/Study and Health Teams group. The networks of friendships, family, co-workers or studies play a predominant role of emotional support, while the Health Teams also offer emotional support, but primarily provide clinical support in overcoming trauma and its consequences. The network of relationships has specific functions that maintain psychosocial integrity and help women to overcome the abuse suffered.

Social isolation and loneliness are major public health concerns and are associated with morbidity and mortality. As this is an increasing issue in older adults, guidance for healthcare providers is a priority. The Canadian Coalition for Senior’s Mental Health (CCSMH) has de-veloped the first Canadian social isolation and loneliness guidelines to help providers recog-nize, assess, and manage social isolation and loneliness among older adults. We review and summarize these guidelines to support healthcare to apply best practices and evidence based care for older adults experiencing social isolation and loneliness.

This study investigates the factors influencing consumers' intentions to purchase overseas travel packages via social media in Thailand, with a focus on consumer trust and perceived risks. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative and quantitative research techniques. In the qualitative phase, the Fuzzy Set Delphi Method was applied to gather expert consensus from 19 participants. For the quantitative phase, a survey was conducted among 600 individuals who had experience purchasing overseas travel packages on social media in Thailand. First-order and second-order confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the relationships between eight identified factors: social media influencer, e-WOM, trust, perceived risk, brand image, rating review, personal attitude, and destination image. The results indicate that trust and perceived risk are the most significant factors affecting purchase intention. Trust plays a crucial role in customers' decision-making processes, while perceived risk influences their tendency to avoid purchasing packages if the risk is perceived as high. The insights gained from this study contribute to the understanding of factors influencing purchase intentions for overseas travel packages through social media in Thailand, providing valuable information for travel agencies to develop effective marketing strategies.

Atta capiguara is a grass-cutting ant species frequently found in Cerrado biome. However, little is known about the giant nest architecture of this ant. In this study, we investigated the architecture of three A. capiguara nests from the fragment of cerrado in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. Casts were made of the nests by filling them with cement to permit better visualization of internal structures such as chambers and tunnels. After excavation, the depth and dimensions (length, width, and height) of the chambers were measured. The results showed the typical shape of Atta capiguara nests consisting of mounds of loose soil with unique features resembling a conic section. The fungus chambers were found outside the apparent main part of the nest and were spaced apart and distributed laterally at ground level. The waste chambers were located beneath the largest mound of loose soil. Both the fungus and waste chambers exhibited a sectoral distribution. Our study contributes to a better understanding of the so far unknown nest architecture of the grass-cutting ant A. capiguara.

This review of current research into at-risk programs serves to categorise and characterise existing programs and to evaluate the contribution of these programs to assisting students at-risk from marginalised backgrounds. This characterisation questions the (sometimes) implicit assumptions and the consequences of those assumptions inherent in and behind these various accounts. This involves a synthesis and reformulation, based on epistemological standpoints, both explicit and implied, of the various researchers. Using as a lens the (various and varied) understandings of social justice and the goals of education (Gale & Densmore, 2000; 2003) I identify three sometimes overlapping and sometimes contesting standpoints in relation to at-risk students, characterised as instrumentalist or rational technical, social constructivist or individualist and critical transformative or empowering. I argue that programs ‘which simply seek to achieve change in the individual young people are doomed to failure’ (Stewart, 1998, 4) and that a critical transformative understanding of at-risk may deliver improved outcomes for young people by challenging ‘the school context in which the young people are located’ (Stewart, 1998, 4).

This article aims to identify the relationship between sustainability and strategic management to determine whether sustainability can be considered a strategic management research fashion. This involves a bibliometric analysis of recent academic literature from 2021 to 2023 to identify the latest academic research, key trends, collaboration and keyword networks within this relationship. The analysis was conducted using two datasets from the Scopus database. These datasets focus on English-language journal articles on business, management and accounting. The first covers academic research on strategic management, while the second expands to sustainability and sustainable development. The results show that strategic management research focusing on sustainability has recently grown faster (24.70%) than the whole strategic management research area (14.30%). Furthermore, the geographical analysis of co-authorship identified articles from 88 countries, suggesting a broad interest in this relationship. Notably, the strategic management network mapping revealed a unique, sustainable development, corporate social responsibility and sustainability cluster. Moreover, extended mapping revealed four clusters covering crisis management, strategic and creative sustainable development, operational and regulatory sustainability, sustainable supply chains, and resource management. The results thus confirm the rapid growth and widespread coverage of research on sustainability and strategic management, highlighting sustainability as a strategic management research fashion.

The Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) presents global health challenges, with Brazil witnessing out-breaks since its introduction in 2014. In 2023, Minas Gerais (MG) experienced a CHIKV outbreak, prompting entomological investigations to identify vectors, viral lineages, and assess insecticide resistance. This study utilized social media platforms and citizen science concept to conduct a comprehensive entomological survey. Following Instagram posts, residents with CHIKV sus-pected cases were able to schedule mosquito aspirations. During the aspirations, 421 mosquitoes (165 Aedes aegypti and 256 Culex quinquefasciatus) were captured from 40 households in Salinas city (MG) and tested for Dengue, Zika and Chikungunya viruses through RT-qPCR. Twelve out 57 pools (10 of Ae. aegypti and 2 of Cx. quinquefasciatus) tested positive for CHIKV RNA. Viral RNA was also detected in the heads of 9 Ae. aegypti individuals (but not in Cx. quinquefasciatus). Genome sequencing revealed that CHIKV belonged to the East-Central-South-Africa (ECSA) genotype. Additionally, genetic analyses revealed high frequencies of kdr alleles, suggesting resistant to pyrethroids insecticides in this Ae. aegypti population. These findings emphasize the urgent need for innovative vector study and control strategies to combat arbovirus transmission, and inter-disciplinary approaches in public health interventions.

The concept of a "circular economy" needs a more cogent theoretical anchor which will allow for transference of its goals and methods of attainment across cases. Tensions between ecological goals of this concept and the social implications of its implementation need to be addressed. This paper attempts to provide a theoretical framework for harnessing the strengths of a circular economy. Building on theories of social ecology which are predicated in Murray Bookchin's notion of "dialectical naturalism", the analysis presented here addresses some of the criticism of circular economic paradigms, such as their potential for stifling innovation or a neglect of human development challenges. A model for managing human "need" and "greed" within a circular economy framework is presented that also incorporates consumer choice and innovation. Planned obsolescence as a means of livelihood generation is also problematized with a view towards balancing durability of products on the one hand and ensuring throughput for manufacturing employment and innovation incentives on the other. Finally, the need for governance systems is considered to ensure that a planetary vision for a circular economy can be realized that efficiently harnesses local initiatives rather than an atomized and insular view of circularity.

Flooding is one major environmental problem facing urban cities causing varying degree of damages to properties and disruptions to socio-economic activities. Nigeria is the most populated African country and Kano metropolis is the second largest urban center in Nigeria and the most populated in Northern Nigeria. The aim of the paper is to conduct flood risk assessment of Kano metropolis. The city is divided into two hydrological basins; Challawa and Jakara Basins. Flood frequency analysis for 2 to 100-year return periods were carried out for both the basins using Log-Pearson Type III distribution and flood inundation and hazard mappings were carried out. Social vulnerability to flood of both basins were carried out using MOVE framework. Assessment of flood risk were carried out using map algebra spatial analyst tool in ArcGIS 10.7. The result shows that an area of 50.91 and 40.56 km2 were vulnerable to a 100-year flood. The flood risk map for the two basins show that 10.50 km2 and 14.23 km2 of land in Challawa and Jakara basins respectively are affected by the risk of a 100-year flood out of which 11.48 km2 are built-up area. As the city is densely populated, with a population density of well over 20,000 persons per square kilometer in the highly built-up locations, this means that much more than 230,000 persons will be affected by the flood risk in the two basins

Global warming, exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions from non-green product manufacturing, necessitates a shift towards green production to safeguard ecosystems and finite resources. The United Nations Environment Programme emphasizes the importance of environmental considerations in corporate ESG criteria. Despite the higher costs of designing and manufacturing green products, which deter some companies and lead to greenwashing, efforts persist to promote sustainable goods. This study explores enhancing consumer repurchase intentions for green products through social media marketing, emphasizing green values, environmental concerns, brand image, and involvement. Findings reveal social media's role in boosting these factors, thus encouraging green repurchases. Insights are valuable for green businesses, social media groups, environmental agencies, and future research.

This study delves into the intricate social dynamics beneath South Kalimantan's traditional diamond mines, revealing a potential for conflict amidst the promise of economic uplift. Going beyond conventional economic and environmental perspectives, the research employs Galtung's Conflict Theory, examining the interplay of attitudes, behaviours, norms, values, and political influences. By adopting this nuanced approach, the study unveils hidden fault lines within these communities, providing a comprehensive understanding of how diverse factors converge to create discord. The consequences of unaddressed conflict include shattered livelihoods, environmental degradation, and fractured communities. The study employs rigorous quantitative methods to empower stakeholders in proactive conflict management, including questionnaires and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with data from 400 respondents. The findings underscore the significant roles of behaviours, attitudes, norms, and politics in fueling tension, with values demonstrating surprisingly less direct influence. This insight is a roadmap for conflict prevention and sustainable development, allowing stakeholders to tailor interventions based on specific conflict-driving factors. The study urges a shift from reactive to proactive measures, envisioning a future where prosperity continues to glimmer and communities thrive in harmony, free from conflict.

Objective: To examine variations in end-of-life care for breast cancer, heart failure, and dementia patients. Data and methods: Data from four Norwegian health registries were linked using a personal identification number. Longitudinal trends over 365 days and the type of care on the final day of life were analyzed using descriptive techniques and logistic regression analysis. Results: Patients with dementia were most commonly placed in nursing homes, while patients with heart failure and breast cancer were more frequently hospitalized. Breast cancer and heart failure patients had a higher likelihood of dying at home. The presence of general practitioners increased the probability of home-based end-of-life care for cancer patients, while non-physician healthcare workers increased the likelihood of home-based care for the other patient groups. Conclusion: Diagnoses, individual characteristics, and service availability are all associated with the place of death in end-of-life care.

Social networks have become an ubiquitous aspect of adolescents' life, providing new ways to connect and communicate with peers. However, little is known about the impact of social net-works on adolescents' emotional intelligence (EI), a crucial skill for social and identity development. The aim of the present study is to explore the time spent and reasons for using social net-works and their relationship with emotional intelligence in adolescents and young adults (15-19 years). After signing informed consent, participants completed a battery of questionnaires offered via secure online form. The results showed that teenagers spend more than 3 h/day on Whatsapp, more than 2 h/day on Instagram and less on Facebook (26m per day); girls prefer to use Whatsapp and Instagram, boys opt for Facebook. Most participants use social media when bored and/or to communicate with friends. Moreover, time spent on social media has a relationship with stress management with some aspects of EI (assertiveness, self-actualization, optimism, etc.). EI and social desirability have a significant relationship, especially in the sphere of adaptability. Based on the results obtained, future perspectives and training are suggested with the aim of adapting to the constant changes in the new technological reality.

The study delves into the multifaceted landscape of human-macaque conflict within temple ecosystems, with a specific focus on Bonnet Macaques. In the context of intertwined religious, cultural, and social values, understanding public attitudes towards these commensal species becomes pivotal. The research aims to decipher the socio-economic factors that shape perceptions of human-monkey conflict within temples and to explore public attitudes within sacred groves. To achieve these objectives, a comprehensive questionnaire was administered through household interviews to 100 residents living within both a 1 sq. km and a 2 sq. km radius of the study area, ensuring direct participant interaction. The survey, taking approximately 40 minutes per participant, examined six variables, including occupation, religion, and annual income. The data collected was analysed using SPSS ver. 24 software, employing the chi-square test of independence to explore associations between categorical variables. The findings revealed that occupation and religion emerged as influential factors in shaping perceptions of Bonnet Macaques as problematic. While annual income hinted at significance, age, education, and knowledge of Kysannur Forest Disease (KFD) did not significantly impact Bonnet Macaque perception. Interestingly, age emerged as a significant factor influencing the perception of the monkeys' religious significance, whereas only education and religious affiliation impacted feeding practices towards the monkeys. Surprisingly, other demographic variables such as age, gender, occupation, and income showed no significant influence on monkey feeding practices. These results underscore the intricate interplay of socioeconomic, cultural, and religious factors in shaping public attitudes and behaviours towards Bonnet Macaques. The study further sheds light on the impact of education and religious affiliation on feeding practices, emphasizing the need for nuanced conservation strategies. Recognizing these complexities is crucial for developing culturally sensitive conservation efforts. By acknowledging the influential factors identified in this research, conservation strategies can be tailored to specific communities, fostering harmonious coexistence between humans and Bonnet Macaques in temple ecosystems. This nuanced approach ensures that conservation efforts are not only effective but also respectful of the diverse socio-cultural contexts within which they are implemented.

To examine the effect of synchronous dance movements on social bonding and perceived closeness between generations, 168 young (20-45 years) and older (65-90 years) participants were randomly assigned to six dyad conditions. These included dancing synchronously or asynchronously with an in-age-group or an out-age-group unfamiliar partner for 11 minutes. Participants completed social bonding and groups’ closeness questionnaires. To assess variation across individuals’ and dyads’ measurements, a generalized estimating equations modeling analysis was conducted. In line with the first two hypotheses, synchronized dance increased social bonding, and young adults showed enhanced perception of closeness between generations. Hypothesis 3 that synchronous dance with out-age-group members would foster greater perceived closeness compared to in-age-group members was not confirmed. Surprisingly, results indicated that asynchronous movements with the in-age-group led to a higher degree of closeness between generations than asynchronous movements with the out-age-group. The study offers new directions for practitioners in welfare, nursing, and therapy fields, particularly for engaging young adults in intergenerational dance interventions.

In the context of global climate change, the frequency of sudden natural disasters is increasing. Assessing traffic road damage post-disaster is crucial for emergency decision-making and disaster management. Traditional ground observation methods for evaluating traffic road damage are limited by the timeliness and coverage of data updates. Relying solely on these methods does not adequately support rapid assessment and emergency management during extreme natural disasters. Social media, a major source of big data, can effectively address these limitations by providing more timely and comprehensive disaster information. Motivated by this, we utilized multi-source heterogeneous data to assess the damage to traffic roads under extreme conditions and established a new framework for evaluating traffic roads in cities prone to flood disasters caused by rainstorms. The approach involves several steps: First, extracting the surface area affected by precipitation using a threshold method constrained by confidence intervals derived from microwave remote sensing images; Second, collecting disaster information from the Sina Weibo platform, where social media information is screened and cleaned. A quantification table for road traffic loss assessment was defined, and a social media disaster information classification model combining text convolutional neural networks and attention mechanisms was proposed (TextCNN-Attention Disaster Classification); Finally, matching traffic road information on social media with basic geographic data, visualizing the classification of traffic road disaster risk levels, and completing the assessment of traffic road disaster levels based on multi-source heterogeneous data. Using the "7.20" rainstorm event in Henan Province as an example, this study categorizes the disaster impact on traffic roads into five levels: particularly severe, severe, moderate, mild, and affected, as interpreted from remote sensing images. The evaluation framework for flood disaster traffic roads based on multi-source heterogeneous data provides important data support and methodological support for enhancing disaster management capabilities and systems.

Previous literature has linked working for pay while attending university with negative academic and health outcomes, yet working students are often resilient when experiencing such adverse circumstances. This makes it crucial to explore potential psychological mechanisms which transform adverse experiences into sources of motivation and persistence for working students. We explore one mechanism – social identification – and its different foci – identifying as a student, employee, working student, or as a student of one’s discipline of study – as potential predictors of important academic (academic self-efficacy, approaches to learning, and academic achievement) and social (status in society) outcomes in three cross-sectional studies. In Study 1, part-time working hours (but not identification processes) were associated with academic self-efficacy. In Study 2, discipline identification and part-time working hours were associated with using deep approaches to learning. In Study 3, student identification was associated with increased status in society. Overall, discipline identification may be solely linked to academic outcomes, yet student identification should be explored further as a potential enhancer of social and graduate outcomes. We discuss additional mechanisms which can help to transform working students’ experiences through their social identities and suggest boundary conditions which can affect the link between these identities and important outcomes.

Social Economy institutions seek to provide answers to social problems, given that they naturally have a socially responsible mission. This study aims to answer the research question: how sustainable practices, namely environmental behaviour, have been adopted by Portuguese Private Social Solidarity Institutions (IPSS) with the purpose of contributing to Sustainable Development? To achieve this objective, qualitative research was carried out in 31 IPSS, which was framed within the scope of the TFA project (Theoretical framework for promotion of accountability in the social economy sector: the IPSS case). Semi-structured interviews were conducted, with a script based on the literature review, from May to July 2019, with those responsible for the management of these entities. A content analysis was conducted, using the NVivo12 Version 12.6.0 software, which enables data to be coded and categorised, reducing any researcher bias. The results indicate that most entities carry out activities of an environmental nature, related to the reuse of materials, the recycling of waste, the sale of materials for recycling, and user awareness. Several entities expressed financial limitations to the implementation of Environmental Management Systems and their accomplishment. However, the objections presented are not impossible to overcome, according to studies presented in other countries.

Interaction with social agents employing natural language have been discussed especially since Weizenbaum (1966) observed the social effects of his chatbot named 'Eliza', which imitated a cli-ent-centered conversation. With Nass and Reeves’ media equation theory and computers as social actors paradigm, a well-tested framework has been introduced to the study of human-computer interaction. In the 1990s, there was a renewed focus on natural language analysis, which has be-come a crucial area of research in machine learning. Recent advancements in data processing and storage capacities have led to the development of AI-generated utterances that closely resemble human utterances. As a result, AI-based systems can now mimic social relationships to a signifi-cant extent. In light of these technological developments, the article explores whether quasi-social relationships should be considered within the field of social psychology and examines the poten-tial advantages and challenges of this approach.

The wide circulation of conspiracy narratives and their frequent intertwining with populist rhetoric is both an element of concern and a topic of intense scientific and philosophical debate. The depth of the link between conspiracy theories and populism represents a crucial issue whose comprehension can facilitate understanding their specific nature and the factors behind their diffusion in public communication. To this end, it is necessary to cultivate an interdisciplinary approach and great critical attention, eschewing monocausal explanations. This paper addresses the question of the essentially political nature of conspiracism confronting the recent epistemological debate that, by putting the positivist paradigm aside, has sought to explore and understand the socio-cultural roots of conspiracy rhetoric, with its sceptical, antagonistic and hermetic traits. By integrating the reflections of epistemologists such as Cassam or Harris with the considerations of political scientists such as Taggart and with Schmitt's radical reflections on politics, it is perhaps possible to reintegrate the different approaches to populist conspiracism into an overall social genealogical perspective, thanks also to recent demographic elaborations. Thus, we could ascribe the spread of conspiracism to the prevalence in societies of a hyper-political discursive regime, i.e. founded on the principle of opposition, without the possibility of compromise, between different groups and interests. At the basis of such Manichaeism, it is plausible to place in the first place the growing inequalities and related social disintegration, which hinder the circulation of trust and recognition between individuals and groups, thus ending up undermining democracy at its roots, as a political system that legitimises and thus peacefully regulates conflict.