Search Results (2,103)

Current attempts to improve civic education through higher education should be supplemented by a focus on political parties, which have traditionally served as the “great schools” of civic education. America’s nineteenth-century parties drew voters out of their private concerns, engaged them in social life, and taught them to tolerate and bargain with each other. Legal changes over the past century have deprived them of the tools needed to fulfill this role. Policymakers should reconsider campaign finance laws that cripple parties, especially state and local organizations. Moreover, parties themselves should dedicate more time and resources to building a permanent presence in local communities and engaging citizens on the ground. Full article

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early-onset neurodevelopmental condition that now impacts 1 in 36 children in the United States and is characterized by deficits in social communication, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. Children with ASD also frequently experience co-morbidities including anxiety and ADHD, and up to 80% experience gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, and/or abdominal pain. Systemic immune activation and dysregulation, including increased pro-inflammatory cytokines, are frequently observed in ASD. Evidence has shown that the innate immune system may be impacted in ASD, as altered monocyte gene expression profiles and cytokine responses to pattern recognition ligands have been observed compared to typically developing (TD) children. In humans, circulating monocytes are often categorized into three subpopulations—classical, transitional (or “intermediate”), and nonclassical monocytes, which can vary in functions, including archetypal inflammatory and/or reparative functions, as well as their effector locations. The potential for monocytes to contribute to immune dysregulation in ASD and its comorbidities has so far not been extensively studied. This study aims to determine whether these monocyte subsets differ in frequency in children with ASD and if the presence of GI symptoms alters subset distribution, as has been seen for T cell subsets. Whole blood from ASD children with (ASD⁺GI⁺) and without gastrointestinal symptoms (ASD⁺GI⁻) and their TD counterparts was collected from children enrolled in the Childhood Autism Risk from Genetics and Environment (CHARGE) study. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and stained for commonly used subset identifiers CD14 and CD16 as well as activation state markers CCR2, HLA-DR, PD-1, and PD-L1 for flow cytometry analysis. We identified changes in monocyte subpopulations and their expression of surface markers in children with ASD compared to TD children. These differences in ASD appear to be dependent on the presence or absence of GI symptoms. We found that the ASD⁺GI⁺ group have a different monocyte composition, evident in their classical, transitional, and nonclassical populations, compared to the ASD⁺GI⁻ and TD groups. Both the ASD⁺GI⁺ and ASD⁺GI⁻ groups exhibited greater frequencies of classical monocytes compared to the TD group. However, the ASD⁺GI⁺ group demonstrated lower frequencies of transitional and nonclassical monocytes than their ASD⁺GI⁻ and TD counterparts. CCR2⁺ classical monocyte frequencies were highest in the ASD⁺GI⁻ group. HLA-DR⁺ classical, transitional, and nonclassical monocytes were statistically comparable between groups, however, HLA-DR⁻ nonclassical monocyte frequencies were lower in both ASD groups compared to TD. The frequency of classical monocytes displaying exhaustion markers PD-1 and PD-L1 were increased in the ASD⁺GI⁺ group compared to ASD⁺GI⁻ and TD, suggesting potentially impaired ability for clearance of foreign pathogens or debris, typically associated with worsened inflammation. Taken together, the findings of differential proportions of the monocyte subpopulations and altered surface markers may explain some of the characteristics of immune dysregulation, such as in the gastrointestinal tract, observed in ASD. Full article

Background/Objectives: Many prison-sentenced individuals exhibit symptoms of mental dysfunctions, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The presence of co-occurring mental disorders further complicates their rehabilitation and social reintegration efforts. Given these challenges, understanding the role of specific disorders, such as ADHD, is critical for developing targeted interventions tailored to the needs of incarcerated individuals and improving their outcomes. This research aimed to clarify the relationships among hyperactivity, criminal behavior, and psychological functioning to inform preventative and therapeutic strategies. Methods: This study investigated the complex interplay among attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, criminal behavior, and various psychological factors in a sample of 391 male inmates from low-security Polish prisons and a control group of non-offending men. Principal component analysis (PCA) and Spearman’s rank correlation were used to analyze the relationships among ADHD severity, type of crime (no crime, property crime, crime involving aggression), family functioning, childhood trauma, early maladaptive schemas, and mental health disorders. Results: The results revealed that while traumatic experiences were present across all groups, stronger family cohesion and support were associated with the absence of ADHD symptoms and criminal behavior. As ADHD severity and criminal behavior escalated, particularly in cases involving aggression, family support diminished, and maladaptive schemas, including “disconnection and rejection” and “excessive vigilance and inhibition”, became more prominent, alongside increased correlations with mental health issues (anxiety and depression). Conclusions: The findings underscore the crucial role of family environment and early intervention in mitigating the risks associated with ADHD and criminal behavior, highlighting the need for comprehensive interventions targeting maladaptive schemas and providing support for both internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Limitations include the retrospective nature of data collection and the exclusive focus on male inmates in low-security facilities. Full article

Urban regeneration (UR) is a multidimensional approach aimed at improving urban environments through sustainable and inclusive practices. This study examined the social impacts of a self-build architectural intervention conducted within a university campus in Cagliari, Italy. As part of broader UR strategies, the intervention introduced temporary physical transformations to three distinct sites, prioritizing community involvement and multidisciplinary collaboration. Behavioral observations were used as the primary method to capture pre- and post-intervention dynamics, focusing on variables such as sociality, dynamism, and restorative behaviors. The results indicated significant increases in social activities, restorative behaviors, and inclusivity, particularly at Site C, where improvements to design elements, such as added shading and movable seating, enhanced engagement and comfort. The intervention also led to a notable rise in the presence of observer-rated females, highlighting the potential of gender-sensitive design to promote equitable use of public spaces. However, a slight, non-significant decline in reading and studying activities was observed, raising questions about how to balance social and individual needs within shared environments. Despite limitations, including the specificity of the context and the short duration of data collection, this study underscored the transformative potential of targeted UR interventions to enhance social connection, individual well-being, and inclusivity in urban spaces. Full article

Background/Objectives: Children showing emotional–behavioral problems experience lower psychosocial well–being concurrently and in later stages. Developmental research suggests that emotion regulation abilities and the quality of peer relationships play a central role in predicting several behavioral and emotional difficulties. The present study investigates the way emotion regulation skills and peer acceptance and rejection contribute to behavior problems in a sample of Italian schoolers, also verifying the role of gender. Methods: The participants were 220 children (97 boys) aged between 7 and 9 years attending four primary schools in northern Italy. The level of social acceptance and rejection of each child was measured using the sociometric technique of Peer Nomination. In addition, the Emotion Regulation Checklist filled in by the teachers, and the Child Behavior Checklist, completed by the parents, were used to assess children’s emotion regulation abilities and the presence of behavior difficulties, respectively. Results: The main results confirm that behavioral problems are both negatively associated with emotional regulation skills and positively with the social rejection level. However, the impact of peer rejection on the manifestation of problem behavior is fully mediated by children’s ability to regulate their emotions. Interestingly, this pattern of interrelationships only applies to male participants. Conclusions: The study helps to clarify the mechanism through which the degree of peer rejection influences emotional–behavioral difficulties and emphasizes the importance of considering gender-specific processes within interpersonal risk models of problem behavior. Full article

The combination of artificial intelligence with extended reality technologies can significantly impact the educational domain. This study aims to present an overview regarding the combination of artificial intelligence with augmented reality and virtual reality technologies and their integration in education through an analysis of the existing literature. Hence, this study examines 201 documents from Scopus and the Web of Science (WoS). This study focuses on examining the basic characteristics of the document collection, highlighting the most prevalent themes, areas, and topics, exploring the thematic evolution of the topic, revealing current challenges and limitations and on identifying emerging topics and future research directions. Based on the outcomes, a significant annual growth rate (60.58%) was observed indicating the increasing interest in the topic. Additionally, the potential of combining artificial intelligence with virtual reality and augmented reality technologies to provide personalized, affective, interactive, and immersive learning experiences across educational levels in both formal and informal settings supporting both teachers and students arose. Therefore, through this combination, intelligent tutoring systems (ITSs), which offer behavioral, cognitive, and social personalization, have a virtual presence, and can effectively be used as tutors or peer learners, can be created. Such ITSs can be characterized as affective and social entities that can increase students’ learning performance, learning motivation, and engagement and promote both self-directed learning and collaborative learning. This study also highlights the need to examine how the physical presence that characterizes some new technologies compares to the virtual presence that extended reality technologies offer in terms of overall learning outcomes and students’ development. Full article

Background/Objectives: Children who suffer from congenital heart defects (CHDs) have a decreased ability to perform physical exercise and consequently have a decrease in their functional capacity. The main causes of this decrease in functional capacity have been related on the one hand to residual hemodynamic defects and, at the same time, to a situation of physical deconditioning due to inactivity, as well as problems in lung function, especially the presence of restrictive patterns that influence the amount of O₂ insufflated (decreased maximum VO₂), consequently generating a deficient maximum O₂ consumption and maximum work rate. This represents an important prognostic value, since it constitutes an independent predictor of death and hospitalization. This study aims to determine the benefits obtained regarding respiratory function, exercise capacity, and quality of life after implementing a hospital-based cardio-respiratory rehabilitation program compared to a home-based Cardio-respiratory Physical Activity Program in patients with intervened CHDs. Methods: This is a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of two different rehabilitation programs on respiratory function, exercise capacity, and quality of life in patients with CHDs conducted at the Child Cardiology and Congenital Heart Disease Unit of the University Hospital Complex of A Coruña (CHUAC). There will be two groups: Cardio-respiratory rehabilitation group program conducted in a face-to-face format at the hospital (n = 26) and a study group that follows a home-based Cardio-respiratory Physical Activity Program (TELEA) (n = 26). The measurement variables will be respiratory function, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), maximum expiratory flow (PEF), the Tiffeneau index (FEV1 /FVC), forced expiratory flow (FEF25%, FEF50%, FEF75%, FEF25–75%), exercise capacity (peak VO₂), and the quality of life of these children and their families. Conclusions: The implementation of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs in children with CHDs is essential to improve their quality of life, exercise tolerance, and socialization. These programs optimize life expectancy and promote integration, being crucial for their physical and emotional well-being Full article

Social biases in generative models have gained increasing attention. This paper proposes an automatic evaluation protocol for text-to-image generation, examining how gender bias originates and perpetuates in the generation process of Stable Diffusion. Using triplet prompts that vary by gender indicators, we trace presentations at several stages of the generation process and explore dependencies between prompts and images. Our findings reveal the bias persists throughout all internal stages of the generating process and manifests in the entire images. For instance, differences in object presence, such as different instruments and outfit preferences, are observed across genders and extend to overall image layouts. Moreover, our experiments demonstrate that neutral prompts tend to produce images more closely aligned with those from masculine prompts than with their female counterparts. We also investigate prompt-image dependencies to further understand how bias is embedded in the generated content. Finally, we offer recommendations for developers and users to mitigate this effect in text-to-image generation. Full article

Background and Objectives: Understanding the knowledge and dietary patterns of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients is essential to identify gaps and design tailored health education strategies to improve self-management and clinical outcomes. We assessed the diabetes-related dietary patterns, knowledge, and associated factors of T2DM patients. Methods: The study utilized a cross-sectional design, surveying 363 T2DM patients using a validated and pretested questionnaire. Knowledge levels were categorized as low (<50%), medium (50–75%), and high (>75%), and dietary patterns were classified as unhealthy (<34%), moderately healthy (34–67%), and healthy (>67%). We analyzed the data using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, version 23.0). The authors tested the relationship between diabetes-related dietary patterns and knowledge with Spearman’s analysis. The multivariate regression approach established the factors associated with these two components. Results: The findings revealed that 36.4% of participants had low knowledge, 34.4% had medium knowledge, and only 29.2% demonstrated high knowledge. Regarding dietary patterns, 34.4% were categorized as unhealthy, 33.3% as moderately healthy, and 32.3% as healthy. The authors found that these two domains were positively correlated (rho = 0.649, p = 0.001). Diabetes-related knowledge was significantly associated with gender (p = 0.018), duration of diabetes (p = 0.001), and patients with a family history of T2DM (p = 0.007). The dietary pattern was significantly associated with age (p = 0.001), duration of diabetes (p = 0.032), and presence of other chronic diseases (p = 0.028). Conclusions: The findings underscore the need for targeted health education strategies that address gaps in dietary knowledge and promote healthier eating behaviors among T2DM patients in Central Saudi Arabia. Full article

This study explored typologies among residents of South Korean public rental housing, focusing on their experiences of discrimination and social capital. Latent class analysis (LCA) was applied to data from 4683 individuals in the 2021 Seoul Public Rental Housing Panel Survey. Four distinct groups were identified: ‘Group Seeking Friendly Neighbor Relationships’, ‘Group Accepting Losses’, ‘Group with High Social Capital’, and ‘Group Indifferent to Neighbors’. The findings revealed that while discrimination was widespread, certain groups exhibited strong social capital. Notably, the ‘Group Accepting Losses’ showed the highest willingness to help neighbors despite facing significant discrimination, while the ‘Group with High Social Capital’ displayed high levels of neighbor trust and mutual support. These results challenge traditional views by showing that social capital can thrive even in the presence of discrimination. This study suggests that policies aimed at addressing discrimination in public rental housing should focus not only on physical integration but also on fostering social connections to enhance community cohesion and reduce mental health issues among residents. Full article

Characterized by inexpensive and readily available products, fast fashion has increased the consumption and disposal of clothing, for which criticism has been significant due to its negative environmental and social impact. Therefore, transitioning to sustainable business models (SBMs) that balance profit with corporate social responsibility (CSR) is critical. This study explores sustainable value propositions in Polish Zero Waste fashion businesses, addressing the gap in research on SBMs. It also employs the theory of organizational paradoxes to examine tensions between profit maximization and CSR. Data were collected from 249 Polish Zero Waste companies listed on mapazerowaste.pl and analyzed through content analysis and statistical methods. Additionally, 21 YouTube videos from 2020 to 2022 were examined to study sustainable fashion promotion. Multiple coding and categorization schemes were used to identify themes, followed by frequency analysis and correspondence analysis. Second-hand clothing emerged as the most common value proposition (120 companies), reflecting consumer trends in resale. The repair sector with cobbler and leather repair services (55 companies) also showed a strong presence, highlighting demand for tailoring and upcycling services Rental services (2 companies) remain niche due to limited consumer acceptance. Promotion efforts on YouTube focus on building awareness of fast fashion’s impacts and teaching sustainable behaviors. Sustainable value propositions, exemplified by Polish Zero Waste businesses, synthesize profit and CSR strategies, addressing organizational paradoxes. These findings inform strategies to balance financial and socio-environmental goals, with implications for policy and practice in advancing sustainable fashion. Full article

Cyberbullying, which manifests in various forms, is a growing challenge on social media, mainly when it involves threats of violence through images, especially those featuring weapons. This study introduces a computational framework to identify such content using convolutional neural networks of weapon-related images. By integrating artificial intelligence techniques with image analysis, our model detects visual patterns associated with violent threats, creating safer digital environments. The development of this work involved analyzing images depicting scenes with weapons carried by children or adolescents. Images were sourced from social media and spatial repositories. The statistics were processed through a 225-layer convolutional neural network, achieving an 86% accuracy rate in detecting weapons in images featuring children, adolescents, and young adults. The classifier method reached an accuracy of 17.86% with training over only 25 epochs and a recall of 14.2%. Weapon detection is a complex task due to the variability in object exposures and differences in weapon shapes, sizes, orientations, colors, and image capture methods. Segmentation issues and the presence of background objects or people further compound this complexity. Our study demonstrates that convolutional neural networks can effectively detect weapons in images, making them a valuable tool in addressing cyberbullying involving weapon imagery. Detecting such content contributes to creating safer digital environments for young people. Full article

This paper explores the effect of board diversity on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance in Korean-listed firms using regression analysis. Our findings reveal that an increased board size significantly correlates with higher ESG scores when combined with other board diversity dimensions. The presence of female directors on boards was found to have a significant effect on environmental and social components of ESG performance. Age diversity exhibits a negative association with ESG scores, emphasizing potential disruptions from intergenerational differences. Foreign directors show no significant impact on ESG performance, suggesting that country-specific contextual factors may limit foreign directors’ influence on boards. The proportion of highly educated directors positively affects the overall ESG performance, aligning with resource dependence and agency theories. Overseas-educated directors play a crucial “bridging” role in adapting sustainable innovations overseas, positively influencing ESG performance. In conclusion, this study provides empirical evidence of the complex relationships between board diversity dimensions and ESG performance in the Korean context. These findings guide stakeholders in shaping inclusive and effective board structures for optimal corporate sustainability. Full article

Background: The work main purposes were to identify the sources of problems and demands causing parental burnout and to specify the resources/support factors during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was based on the Balance Theory of Risk and Support/Resource Factors (BR² Model) by Mikolajczak and Roskam. Methods: The study explored the predictive value of socio-economic variables, religiosity, the meaning of life, positivity, perceived social support, family functionality, and balance between risks and resources in parental burnout using the structural equation modelling method on a sample of 337 parents. Results: The presence of children’s learning difficulties and behavioural problems are the most important risk factors and aggravate parental burnout, and the presence of a meaning of life, support coming from the family, family affection, and relationship lengths are the main protective resources, allowing parental burnout to decrease during the pandemic crisis. Conclusions: The findings are instructive for both theory and practice. The study successfully operationalised the BR² model—the model obtained from the path analysis fits well, confirms the structure of parental burnout theory, and demonstrates the appropriateness of the application of BR² theory in crisis conditions. The most effective way to help parents in a crisis situation is (in addition to psychological support) the effective provision of specialist help for children, resulting in a reduced risk of an unfavourable balance between demands and family resources. The family- or parent-oriented interventions that address professional help in problems with children can be the most effective at reducing the negative consequences of a pandemic on children and their parents. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the importance of investing in healthcare infrastructures. Full article

This study tracks changes in commercial buildings in Yeonnam-dong that have undergone commercial transformation, examining these shifts within the context of urban organization and their relationships with economic and socio-cultural flows. It also analyzes the architectural elements that reflect the placeness characteristics of an area. On-site surveys were conducted to assess the continuity and discontinuity in the characteristics of 62 renovated and 40 newly constructed buildings. Additionally, shifts in social perceptions regarding physical changes were explored through an analysis of commercial districts and interviews with visitors, store owners, and architects. Yeonnam-dong has a distinct physical environment, as well as economic, social, and cultural characteristics that distinguish it from mainstream areas, such as large apartment complexes and typical commercial zones. The area, with its winding alleyways from the pre-modern period and low-rise housing—marginalized from large-scale development—evoked nostalgia and created a distinctive sense of authenticity or placeness, which was further enhanced by the presence of exotic restaurants, cafés, ateliers, and creative activities of early gentrifiers. However, rapid commercialization has led to the displacement of these early gentrifiers, an influx of new investments and construction, and shifts in commercial flows. Consequently, the area’s authenticity has become diluted, and visitors’ perceptions of it have changed. Despite this, architectural elements observed in renovated buildings are preserved and incorporated into newly constructed ones. Features such as semi-basements, exterior straight stairs, and brick façades continue to reflect the locality. Detached and multi-household homes from the 1960s to the 1990s have evolved into a new hybrid commercial–residential form designed for commercial purposes. This is a response to small plot sizes in Korean residential areas and reflects the current economic and cultural demands of commercial gentrification. The urban and architectural characteristics of this area are not only a unique physical environment but also hold socio-cultural significance as ordinary heritage. Therefore, this study proposes institutional measures to preserve urban and architectural continuity while controlling the ongoing commercialization. Full article