Abstract:

The current debate on digital education is at a crossroads between the need for technological innovation and the growing concern about the impact of passive screen use. In this context, identifying sustainable pedagogical models that integrate Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in a meaningful and inclusive way is an urgent need. This article presents a case study of the Amara Berri System (ABS), considered an innovative model able to develop its own approach to digital education. The investigation is based on a mixed and sequential methodological design. A questionnaire was administered to a sample of 292 Amara Berri teachers, to collect data on their practices and perceptions. Subsequently, a discussion group was organized with 8 teachers, belonging to the same system, to further explore the meaning of their practices. Quantitative results show that the implementation and positive evaluation of inclusive ICT practices correlate significantly with teachers’ seniority within the system (rho = .322, p < .001), which suggests that the model is formative in itself. Qualitative analysis shows that ICTs are not an end in themselves within the ABS, but an empowering tool for the students. The “Audiovisual Media Room”, managed by students, functions as a space for social and creative production that gives technology a pedagogical purpose. The study concludes that the sustainability of digital innovation requires coherence with the pedagogical project. The Amara Berri model offers an example of sustainable pedagogy, giving ICT a meaningful role as a collaborative, creative, and inclusion-promoting tool. Findings offer valuable implications for the design of teacher training contexts that foster the integration of technology within a framework of truly inclusive education.

Abstract:

Accented speech contains talker-indexical cues that listeners can use to infer social group membership, yet it remains unclear how the auditory system categorizes accent variability and how this process depends on language experience. The current study used EEG and the MMN oddball paradigm to test pre-attentive neural sensitivity to accent changes of English words stopped produced by Canadian English or Mandarin Chinese accented English talkers. Three participant groups were tested: Native English listeners, L1-Mandarin listeners, and Heritage Mandarin listeners. In the Native English and L1-Mandarin groups, we observed MMNs to the Canadian accented English deviant, indicating that the brain can group speech by accent despite substantive inter-talker variation and is consistent with an experience-dependence sensitivity to accent. Exposure to Mandarin Chinese accented English modulated MMN magnitude. Time-frequency analyses suggested that α and low-β power during accent encoding varied with language background, with Native English listeners showing stronger activity when presented with Mandarin Chinese accented English. Finally, the neurophysiological response in the Heritage Mandarin group reflected a broader phonological space encompassing both Canadian English and Mandarin-accented English, and its magnitude was predicted by Chinese proficiency. These findings provide brain-based evidence that automatic accent categorization is not uniform across listeners but interacts with native phonology and second-language experience.

Abstract:

Despite the significant potential of representative natural, agricultural, cultural and historical resources, Northern Kazakhstan, as well as the whole country, demonstrates the absolute underdevelopment and unpopularity of agritourism and rural tourism. Characterized by highly developed agriculture, the region is at the same time characterized by a monopolized rural labor market, lack of a service sector, low incomes, and progressive depopulation of the population. During the implementation of the research project, desk research methods (content analysis, historical and genetic analysis, statistical and factual data analysis and observation methods) and semi-structured individual interviews were used. According to the study, the key factors determining the paradoxical underdevelopment of rural tourism and agritourism in a key agricultural region include the state policy of supporting agriculture, the conservatism of farmers and the indifference of the rural community, which are influenced by the Soviet past. In addition, the lack of attractiveness of rural tourist and recreational resources in the eyes of travelers plays a significant role. To activate the tangible and intangible assets of rural areas in order to develop the tourism and hospitality industry, both administrative and utilitarian measures are proposed that can diversify the rural economy.

Abstract: Women's empowerment remains central to sustainable development, yet substantial disparities persist across Africa, with Nigeria ranking 99th of 114 countries on the Women's Empowerment Index—far below both global and Sub-Saharan African averages. This study applies machine learning to forecast empowerment trajectories and identify evidence-based pathways for Nigeria's SDG 5 progress. Using the 2022 Women's Empowerment Index dataset covering 114 countries, we integrate K-means clustering for peer group identification with linear regression modeling to quantify determinants of empowerment. Results demonstrate that gender parity indicators explain 70.5% of global variance in empowerment scores (r = 0.839, p < 0.001), establishing gender equality as a high-leverage development strategy. Comparative analysis with African peers—Rwanda, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa—reveals that constitutional gender quotas, sustained educational investments, and comprehensive reforms significantly accelerate outcomes. Forecasting scenarios indicate Nigeria could improve its empowerment score by 8.7% by 2030, 25.9% by 2035, or 64.6% by 2040 under different policy approaches aligned with peer country achievements. These findings demonstrate that Nigeria's empowerment deficit is policy-responsive rather than structurally predetermined, offering policymakers actionable, time-bound benchmarks for accelerating SDG 5 achievement.

Abstract: The latest generation of AR glasses is currently being introduced with models such as the Meta Display, XREAL Air, Viture, Rokid, RayNeo, and Google Android. Past versions of AR glasses have not been as widely adopted as predicted due to several factors [1,2]. How will the latest AR glasses be received in the marketplace, and what design elements are important in determining adoption in specific domains? This review presents use cases for the next generation of AR glasses and applies a new heuristic evaluation system [3] to analyze usability across the likely use domains. Results support the use of AR glasses across training, sport, accessibility and consumer domains, identifying specific usability features that are highly important or critical within each domain for future adoption.

Abstract:

This paper presents a repeated cross-sectional longitudinal (trend) analysis of students’ self-perceived sustainability competence development across three waves surrounding participation in the Art Nouveau Path, a heritage-based mobile augmented reality game designed to foster sustainability competences, located in Aveiro, Portugal. In total, 1,094 questionnaires were collected using a GreenComp-grounded instrument adapted from the GreenComp-based Questionnaire (GCQuest) to this context (25 items; 6-point Likert). Data were gathered at three stages: baseline (S1-PRE; N = 221), immediately post-intervention (S2-POST; N = 439; n = 438 retained for scale scoring after applying a predefined completeness criterion), and follow-up (S3-FU; N = 434). Because responses were anonymous, waves were treated as independent samples rather than within-student trajectories. The Embodying Sustainability Values domain score and item-level response distributions were compared across waves using ordinal-appropriate non-parametric group comparisons, effect-size estimation, and descriptive threshold indicators. Results indicate an improvement from baseline to post-intervention, followed by partial attenuation at follow-up while remaining above baseline. Mean scores increased from 3.70 (S1-PRE) to 4.64 (S2-POST) and then stabilized at 4.13 (S3-FU). These findings, while exploratory, suggest that this heritage-based augmented reality game may have enhanced perceived sustainability competences. A structured program of follow-up activities is proposed to help sustain gains.

Abstract: As a member state of ASEAN and the UN, Cambodia has adopted and implemented both regional and global urban agendas, resulting in various national urban initiatives, such as clean, green, sustainable, and smart cities. These different national initiatives confused urban researchers and stakeholders in Cambodia, including implementing agencies at the provincial and district levels. Hence, this paper explored this issue by addressing the questions: how has Cambodia defined sustainable urban development, and how have regional and global urban agendas influenced local implementations of sustainable urban planning, development, and management? For its analysis, this paper obtained data on clean, green, sustainable, and smart cities from the ministries of tourism, environment, urban planning, and interior, respectively. The findings revealed that Cambodia has defined sustainable urban development differently from time to time, as influenced by regional and global agendas. The following are the influential agendas from time to time: ASEAN ESC resulted in a clean city contest in 2012; GGGI Urban Green Growth resulted in a green city program in 2014; UN SDG11 resulted in a sustainable city framework in 2016; and ASEAN SCN resulted in a smart city network in 2018. Even though these different initiatives provided some benefits and opportunities for different sectors, this paper suggests consolidating them into one framework to reduce confusion at local implementations and linking their similar goals with budget plans or joint funding to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Abstract: This paper proposes a structural theory of monetary hegemony, drawing on network analysis, institutional political economy, and international relations to account for the enduring dominance of the US dollar despite escalating Sino–American rivalry. I contend that the dollar’s supremacy rests less on raw economic output or military strength than on three interlocking mechanisms: first, an asymmetric centrality within global payment and information architectures; second, a hierarchical position in a tiered monetary system defined by unequal capacities for liquidity creation and safe asset provision; and third, deep-seated institutional lock-in effects that impose prohibitive exit costs on would-be challengers.Crucially, the argument posits that the weaponization of finance is not merely a discretionary policy tool but an emergent feature of network topology. Consequently, China’s efforts to internationalize the renminbi face structural hurdles embedded in correspondent banking, messaging systems, and capital markets—barriers that mere economic expansion or bilateral swap lines cannot easily dismantle.By treating monetary hierarchies as both coordination mechanisms and instruments of geopolitical power, this analysis highlights the self-reinforcing dynamics that insulate incumbent currencies. This structural framework improves upon conventional hegemonic stability theory by showing how the financial architecture itself, rather than just the hegemon’s choices, generates coercive leverage and asymmetric vulnerability. The findings suggest that because power is micro-founded in these network structures, de-dollarization is unlikely to occur through a sudden rupture, but will instead be a slow, fragmented process where economic rise does not automatically translate into monetary influence.

Abstract: This study examined Black caregivers’ experiences of being bothered by racial discrimination on racial socialization stress when having discussions about race and racism. The study also investigated how coping self-efficacy beliefs (i.e., problem-focused coping, suppressing unpleasant emotions and thoughts, and seeking support from family and friends) moderated the association between racial discrimination and racial socialization stress. The sample included a socioeconomically diverse sample of 680 Black caregivers (Mage = 37, 55% mothers). Black caregivers who were highly bothered by racial discrimination and who reported low problem-focused coping strategies had lower levels of racial socialization stress, in comparison to those highly bothered by racial discrimination and who reported high problem-focused coping strategies. Being highly bothered by racial discrimination and reporting high levels of stopping unpleasant emotions and thoughts as a coping strategy was associated with the lower levels of racial socialization stress in comparison to those with lower levels of stopping unpleasant emotions and thoughts. Black caregivers with higher levels of family and friend support under conditions of reporting being bothered by racism had lower levels of racial socialization stress. The findings highlight the need to support Black caregivers in building effective coping strategies and social support networks.

Abstract: During a separation or a divorce, the child can be caught in the parental conflict and a conflict of loyalties may develop. In this context, and more specifically in a custody dispute, some parents may brandish the term "parental alienation syndrome" (i.e., the conscious or unconscious influence of one parent leading a child to denigrate and exclude the other parent and the latter's social network), a concept developed by Gardner (1985). However, this concept has been the subject of significant controversy and criticism. Lack of scientific basis, insufficient empirical data, or lack of diagnostic validity have led international organizations to reject its existence. Nevertheless, the term is used in civil courts of some European countries, as well as in the USA, Brazil, and Australia. In Switzerland, a petition aimed at recognizing “parental alienation syndrome” as a form of family maltreatment is provoking political debate and raising concerns among socio-judicial professionals, the justice system, and clinicians. This work reviews the history of this concept, its (lack of) evidence, criticisms and limitations, and its use in clinical and legal practice. This work concludes that, supported by clinical observations and scientific literature, the notion of loyalty conflict or divided loyalty should be preferred.

Abstract: The mind–body problem remains a foundational unresolved issue at the intersection of philosophy of mind and cognitive science. While contemporary research on hemispheric asymmetry has produced extensive accounts of neural specialization and functional localization, it offers limited explanatory resources for understanding how lateralized neural dynamics are lived, enacted, and stabilized as embodied patterns of behavior. In prevailing frameworks, bodily asymmetry is often treated either as an epiphenomenal by-product of cognition or as a static anatomical correspondence, leaving unresolved the conceptual gap between neural processes, phenomenological orientation, and observable bodily action.This manuscript presents Subjectica, a theoretical neurophenomenological model that reconceptualizes hemispheric asymmetry as a dynamic mode of embodied sense-making rather than as a fixed neural or anatomical property. The model approaches lateralization as a continuous sensorimotor organization through which cognitive stance—understood as a situated orientation of experience and action—is enacted and maintained. From this perspective, bodily kinematics, posture, and segmental motor organization are not secondary expressions of cognition but constitutive dimensions of how cognitive orientation is realized in the world.The framework introduces four interrelated conceptual constructs: Personal-Oriented Left Side (PO-LS), Society-Oriented Right Side (SO-RS), the Asymmetric Neurobehavioral Signal (ANS), and Body Segments (BS). These constructs function as phenomenologically constrained interpretative operators that mediate between hemispheric functional asymmetry, lived orientation, and structured bodily dynamics. Rather than proposing deterministic mappings, the model articulates probabilistic and relational patterns through which lateralized cognitive orientations become embodied and behaviorally organized.Subjectica is proposed as a generative philosophical framework that clarifies the status of bodily asymmetry in theories of embodied cognition and neurophenomenology. Its primary contribution lies in specifying conceptual constraints and interpretative structures that enable future empirical operationalization, without reducing phenomenological orientation to either neural localization or purely behavioral description.

Abstract: Adapting to evolving resource landscapes, nonprofit organizations increasingly embrace hybrid models to ensure sustainability and impact. This paper investigates the leadership and strategic innovations driving traditional nonprofits to evolve into market-engaged social ventures. Through indepth qualitative analysis of organizational transformations, we identify pivotal entrepreneurial practices that foster commercial viability, professionalize operations, and legitimize a blended socio-economic mission. Our findings offer a practical framework for nonprofit leaders navigating organizational redesign and fostering sustainable social entrepreneurship.

Abstract: The current practices of the university technology transfer profession seem to reflect the belief that the chances for success are greatly improved when faculty inventors employ their social capital to facilitate the process. However, this notion has not been extensively investigated directly. There is a gap in the university technology transfer literature regarding our understanding of faculty inventor social capital in the context of the occurrence of technology transfer outcomes. The aim of this study was to understand whether the use of faculty inventor social capital is a causal condition for the occurrence of university technology transfer. This question was examined using a multiple case study approach and the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) method. The data were generated by collecting information on 21 cases that occurred during or around calendar year 2019 in which a private sector organization considered whether to obtain and assimilate a technology that was created at a university in the United States of America. The results of the study suggest that the use of faculty inventor social capital is not a necessary, sufficient, or INUS condition for the occurrence of university technology transfer.

Abstract: Facilitating the use of academic research outputs, namely new scientific discoveries and technologies made or created by university researchers, to benefit society has become a core function of universities around the world. Today, scholars and practitioners refer to this activity as “technology transfer” or “technology commercialization”. The role of universities in the commercialization of academic research outputs resides at the nexus of discourse about the widening gap between academic knowledge production and its societal impact. Although there are vast literatures about the university as a social institution and university activities that facilitate commercialization of academic research outputs, there is sparse discourse that directly examines the evolution of universities’ roles in the commercialization of academic research outputs in the context of the expansion of the mission of institutions of higher education. This paper aims to fill this gap. While the paper examines the topic primarily from a Western perspective, specifically from the viewpoint of the United States of America (USA), it provides points of comparison by briefly summarizing the history, evolution, and current status of university technology transfer in select countries around the world. It concludes by considering what the future may hold for the role of U.S. universities in the commercialization of academic research outputs.

Abstract: The discourse about technology transfer policy in the United States of America assumes the underlying political legitimacy of the federal government’s intervention. Little scholarship has directly challenged this presumption or extensively examined the philosophical basis for it. This paper re-envisions the concept of political legitimacy in the context of technology transfer policy. The analysis illuminates several problems and challenges regarding the traditional economics-based approach to political legitimacy. It subsequently applies the theory of social constructionism and the concept of morality tales to propose an alternative approach to the concept of political legitimacy. The paper argues that there is potentially a broader basis for asserting claims of political legitimacy for U.S. government interventions in technology transfer, there is likely a more expansive range of technology transfer problems with which the government can justifiably concern itself, as well as a more extensive range of possible solutions that policymakers can rightly consider for addressing those problems.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly embedded in education through adaptive platforms, intelligent tutoring systems, and generative tools. While these technologies promise efficiency and personalization, they also raise concerns about pedagogical deskilling, reduced teacher autonomy, and ethical risks. This paper conceptualizes the potential impacts of AI on teaching expertise and instructional design through the lens of Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). The aim is to conceptualize how AI may reshape the management of intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive loads. The study proposes that AI may effectively scaffold intrinsic load and reduce extraneous distractions but displace teacher judgment in ways that undermine germane learning and reflective practice. Additionally, opacity, algorithmic bias, and inequities in access may create new forms of cognitive and ethical burden. The conceptualization presented in this paper contributes to scholarship by foregrounding teacher cognition, an underexplored dimension of AI research, conceptualizing the teacher as a cognitive orchestrator who balances human and algorithmic inputs, and integrating ethical and equity considerations into a cognitive framework. Recommendations are provided for teacher education, policy, and AI design, emphasizing the need for pedagogy-driven integration that preserves teacher expertise and supports deep learning.

Abstract: Understanding when and where to shift land from agriculture to forestry is essential for developing sustainable land-use strategies that balance climate, biodiversity, and rural development goals. Traditional profitability comparisons rely on long-term discounting, which is sensitive to assumptions and misaligned with the decision-making horizons of landowners and policymakers. This study introduces a deposit-based framework that treats annual timber biomass growth as accumulating economic value, enabling direct comparison with yearly agricultural profits on a per-hectare basis. By integrating parcel-level spatial data, land quality indicators, national statistics, and expert input, the framework generates high-resolution maps of annual profitability for both land uses. Applied in Latvia, the analysis reveals significant regional variation in agricultural returns, with many low-quality areas showing marginal or negative profits, while forestry offers stable, modest gains across diverse biophysical conditions. The results highlight where afforestation becomes a financially rational alternative and suggest transition pathways that enhance overall land-use profitability while supporting climate and biodiversity objectives. The framework is transferable to other contexts by substituting context-specific data on land quality, prices and growth, and can complement policy instruments such as performance-based CAP payments and afforestation support. The approach supports future-oriented differentiated land-use planning using annually updated spatial economic signals.

Abstract: This study analyzed the SDG 4 performance of a Last Mile School (LMS) in Mina, Iloi-lo, focusing on current conditions, learning outcomes, and socio-ecological influences. Specifically, it aimed to describe the school’s infrastructure and resources, assess learner literacy and numeracy performance, and understand how socio-ecological factors impact SDG 4 achievement. A case study design was employed, using semi-structured interviews, classroom and community observations, document analysis, and systems mapping to capture interactions among school, teacher, learner, and community subsystems. Findings reveal critical gaps: literacy assessment showed high frustration and low instructional levels in Grades 4 and 6, while numeracy performance similarly indicated minimal grade-level proficiency. Teachers, though qualified, face heavy non-teaching workloads, and multigrade classes intensify instructional challenges. Systems analysis highlights reinforcing loops among infrastructure deficits, teacher overload, multigrade pressures, and socio-economic constraints, limiting SDG 4 outcomes. The study concludes that an LMS falls short of SDG 4 targets. Recommendations include infrastructure improvement, targeted literacy and numeracy remediation, teacher workload redistribution, and strengthened community support.

Abstract: Humans tend to mark their presence and thus their lands by naming charismatic places such as mountains, canyons, rivers, and lakes. Toponyms is the term for marking places with names. In doing so, cultural groups claim the lands and the recognition of their presence through names in their language and behaviors reflecting their culture. When other cultures occupy these lands, they similarly mark them with their own place names, thus replacing earlier names and evidence of occupation. A conflict of toponyms occurs when one cultural group uses their power to maintain a superior attachment to the land. This chapter uses six toponym ethnographic studies to understand the origins of debates between Native American and settler colonial peoples in North American. Research findings from these studies define both the importance of toponyms to cultural groups and possible resolution of heritage conflicts. All studies have been reviewed and approved for public use for place interpretations, visitor education, and culturally appropriate man-agement by funding agencies and participating Native American tribes and pueblos.

Abstract: Article 136 of the newly revised Law of the People's Republic of China on Penalties for Public Order Violations establishes a ‘system for sealing public order violation records,’ with the provision that ‘records of public order violations such as drug use may be sealed’ provoking significant public debate. Against this backdrop, Professor Yin Bo of China University of Political Science and Law has repeatedly engaged with media interviews to offer a systematic theoretical defence of the sealing system. He emphasises its alignment with principles such as proportionality, protection of personal dignity, and the integration of punishment with education, positioning it as a preliminary exploration of a ‘criminal record expungement system’. This article, after comprehensively reviewing Yin Bo's principal arguments and the new legal provisions, introduces a Marxist legal analysis framework, Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and the overall national security outlook, alongside formal logic and argumentation theory, to conduct a systematic critical analysis of his reasoning. The article contends: Firstly, from the perspective of class analysis and social structure, abstracting the sealing system as ‘universal rights protection’ risks obscuring its asymmetrical benefits within existing power structures. This may objectively reinforce ‘secondary protection’ for privileged classes while exacerbating relative insecurity among ordinary workers. Second, from the perspective of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law and key discourses on drug control, the fundamental stance of ‘putting people at the centre’ and ‘zero tolerance for drugs’ demands a higher degree of preventive prudence in balancing rights protection and public security. Yet Yinbo's argumentation significantly underestimates the external risks associated with high-risk behaviours such as drug use. Third, logically, the argument confuses categories (‘minor offences—general offences—high-risk offences’), commits the fallacy of ‘generalising from the particular’ by extrapolating systemic overreach from individual injustices, and deliberately blurs the conceptual distinction between ‘record sealing’ and ‘expungement of criminal records’. This paper ultimately advocates: while upholding the positive role of the sealing system in ‘correcting labelling discrimination,’ it is imperative to strictly differentiate between types of conduct and occupational risks. A systemic combination of ‘tiered sealing + meticulous review + rigid accountability’ should be established to genuinely achieve an institutional equilibrium that both aligns with the direction of building a China governed by law and does not undermine the overall defence of the people's war on drugs and national security in the new era.