Search Results (2,085)

This study analyses the literature on virtual reality and employee training and development in organisations, contributing to the advancement of knowledge in this area, as well as proposing a conceptual model of analysis and an agenda for future research. This is a systematic review, based on the PRISMA checklist, stratifying the different thematic groups, using the VOSviewer software, version 1.6.19, and content analysis to establish a systematised and integrated structure, registered on the INPLASY platform and based on a sample of 201 studies published and indexed in the Web of Science and SCOPUS databases between 1998 and 2025. The results show four main groups: (1) Opportunities and sectoral applications in the use of virtual reality; (2) challenges in the use of virtual reality; (3) skills developed with virtual reality; (4) integration of virtual reality into organisational strategies. A conceptual model of analysis is presented to better integrate the themes. The study provides a new and solid systematization of the literature and supports the argument that virtual reality enables the acquisition of new technical and behavioural skills and offers personalised and safe training, contributing to the achievement of organisational strategy. Full article

The aim of this project was to co-create an animal welfare monitoring system that incorporated both positive and negative welfare measures that would contribute to best practice husbandry standards of farm animals in a real animal research setting. Researchers worked with nine staff to co-design six bespoke welfare assessment protocols to be conducted in addition to legally required welfare monitoring for adult cattle, calves, sheep, pigs, and goats in specific experimental environments. Four protocols were subsequently applied with variable frequency by three staff to cattle, goats, and two pig populations. Assessments were all observational, and included behavioural scan sampling, Qualitative Behaviour Assessment scores, visual analogue mood scores, and physical condition data. Two staff provided feedback on their views of the process. A key finding was that with facilitation, staff could generate protocols that included elements designed to encourage or evaluate interventions to promote positive emotions. However, data collection was sporadic, and although the staff who provided feedback reported that they valued the process highly, they noted that the primary challenge was finding the time to conduct the assessments. We therefore conclude that sustained support is likely to be required to maximise the benefits for the animals and staff of developing and conducting voluntary welfare monitoring of farm animals. Full article

The transition to a circular economy requires effective food waste (FW) collection and recycling systems. This study aims to evaluate general public attitudes, behaviours, and systemic challenges related to FW sorting in Latvia, in light of the recent mandate for separate biowaste collection. The study covers two important sections—assessment of the amount of FW generated in primary production sectors, and a pilot case study of biodegradable waste sorting in selected households in Latvia. A mixed-methods approach was used, combining a nationwide survey of 458 entities involved in primary food production and 115 households, followed by 99 households with backyards voluntarily participating in a pilot case study to evaluate their BW management practices. The research findings reveal that there is a need to establish a precise/specific framework for the evaluation of FW for each sector; the development of appropriate coefficients would facilitate the process of estimating waste generated by primary production in the future. Research findings revealed that inhabitants are interested in home composting; however, the implementation of home composting requires active support from project implementers, including increasing environmental awareness and providing financial incentives. These results offer practical insights for municipalities and national stakeholders aiming to increase biowaste collection rates and support country-level broader sustainability goals. The research results have practical application with the possibility to replicate the best practices and recommendations to other countries or regions within the EU and beyond. Full article

Improved understanding of the behaviour of microplastics in freshwater systems is important as rivers are major conduits for the transport of particles from land to sea. This study investigated microplastics in two tributaries of the River Clyde, Scotland, UK, that flow through rural, suburban and urban areas. Surface water and sediment were obtained from 25 locations in the Black Cart Water and White Cart Water. Microplastics were isolated and characterized by digital microscopy and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. Particles were found in four water samples, all from the White Cart. Sediment analysis revealed microplastic abundance ranging from 300 to 600 items/kg in the Black Cart and 33.3 to 567 items/kg in the White Cart. Fragments were the most common particle type and white/transparent the most common particle colour. The most common polymers in the Black Cart were PP > PET > PS > PVC > PTFE and in the White Cart PE > PP > PTFE > PET > PA. Identification of some microplastics was challenging because their FTIR spectra did not correspond well to reference spectra of pure polymers. Although the polymer hazard index at some locations was high due to the presence of particles composed of PVC and PA, the ecological risk from microplastics in the Cart river system was generally low. Full article

The recycling of polymer composites remains a significant challenge due to both technical and economic obstacles. This study investigates the recycling potential of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) composites filled with carbon powder (CP), employing injection moulding and fused filament fabrication (FFF) technologies. Laboratory-based experiments were conducted using ABS reinforced with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 wt.% CP to explore the tensile properties of mechanically recycled ABS+CP composites. The results indicate that CP addition positively influences tensile behaviour and that the ABS+CP composite maintains both tensile strength and stiffness after repeated processing. A concentration of 1.5 wt.% CP proved to be the optimal filler amount. The results for re-injection-moulded ABS + 1.5 wt.% CP demonstrate enhancements in tensile strength of approximately 3% and elastic modulus of approximately 15%, relative to virgin ABS. Similarly, such specimens reprocessed via FFF showed an average increase of 12% in tensile strength and of 27% in elastic modulus relative to virgin ABS across all three printing orientations (X, Y, and Z). These findings suggest improved interfacial adhesion and filler dispersion upon recycling. The study confirms the practical feasibility of ABS composite recycling and highlights their potential for structural and decorative use due to their appealing granite-like appearance. Full article

The bioeconomy has been discussed as a key strategy for addressing sustainability challenges, particularly regarding the transition from fossil-based to bio-based systems, in numerous national and supranational strategies and policy documents related to the bioeconomy. However, public understanding of and engagement with the bioeconomy remains limited. This is partly due to the bias of many bioeconomy strategies and policy documents towards technological solutions that tend to overlook the social, normative, and transformative dimensions of systemic change as well as the necessary knowledge. This opinion paper explores the potential of narratives as a means of communicating bioeconomy research in public policy, with the aim of addressing the communication gap between science, policy, and society. When applied in responsible and nuanced ways that acknowledge their embeddedness and context, bioeconomy (policy) narratives can support sensemaking for science communication, improve public understanding, facilitate stakeholder engagement and behavioural change. We argue that such narrative approaches can help to create narrative ‘boundary objects’ that can support more inclusive and participatory processes, enabling the co-creation of transformative knowledge for bioeconomy transitions with stakeholders as active participants. In summary, we highlight several opportunities, as well as limitations and implications, that could inform future work on bioeconomy narratives. Full article

Growing consumer interest in personal health and environmental sustainability has driven a significant number of companies to enter the organic food market. While this offers valuable opportunities, companies face substantial challenges in making marketing decisions which are aligned with the specific characteristics of this sector. This paper studies the impact of three external drivers—environmental customer pressure, environmental competitive intensity, and environmental regulatory pressure—on companies’ decision to adopt a dominant green positioning strategy within the Romanian organic food market. To this end, an online survey was conducted among 77 companies, including producers, processors, distributors, and retailers, all of which own an organic food brand. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to assess the measurement model and test the hypothesised structural relationships. Our findings confirm that customer pressure plays a significant role in shaping green brand positioning decisions. Accordingly, companies must be responsive to consumer expectations, even in the absence of strict regulations in Romania’s organic food sector guiding organisational behaviour. Furthermore, competitive dynamics were also found to be vital, as evidenced by the positive and direct relationship between environmental competitive intensity and the strategic green positioning decision examined. Full article

Recent progress in assisted reproductive medicine has introduced novel therapeutic possibilities for couples experiencing various reproductive challenges or subfertility. A critical concern in this field is the diminished ovarian response to hormonal treatments preceding ovum pickup, necessitating personalised and optimised protocols to enhance ovarian response across different age groups. Furthermore, a common male factor in IVF couples, oligozoospermia, characterised by a low sperm count, significantly impacts the success rates of assisted reproductive technologies, posing an increasing challenge for in vitro fertilisation clinics. Lifestyle choices, dietary habits, and overall health behaviours have also demonstrably affected fertility outcomes in the 21st century. This original article aims to highlight the synergistic importance of both partners’ health, specifically addressing poor ovarian response and oligozoospermia, in achieving successful conception. Our study analysed intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes in couples affected by both aforementioned conditions and proposed an optimal management strategy. This study shows that oligozoospermia significantly reduced ICSI fertilisation and cleavage rates. Poor ovarian responders experienced more cancelled cycles due to fewer embryos. While blastocyst rates relative to zygotes were comparable, overall success was lower in groups with male factor infertility and poor ovarian response, necessitating personalised treatment approaches. Full article

Network flow collection has become a cornerstone of cyber defence, yet the literature still lacks a consolidated view of which technologies are effective across different environments and conditions. We conducted a systematic review of 362 publications indexed in six digital libraries between January 2019 and July 2025, of which 51 met PRISMA 2020 eligibility criteria. All extraction materials are archived on OSF. NetFlow derivatives appear in 62.7% of the studies, IPFIX in 45.1%, INT/P4 or OpenFlow mirroring in 17.6%, and sFlow in 9.8%, with totals exceeding 100% because several papers evaluate multiple protocols. In total, 17 of the 51 studies (33.3%) tested production links of at least 40 Gbps, while others remained in laboratory settings. Fewer than half reported packet-loss thresholds or privacy controls, and none adopted a shared benchmark suite. These findings highlight trade-offs between throughput, fidelity, computational cost, and privacy, as well as gaps in encrypted-traffic support and GDPR-compliant anonymisation. Most importantly, our synthesis demonstrates that flow-collection methods directly shape what can be detected: some exporters are effective for volumetric attacks such as DDoS, while others enable visibility into brute-force authentication, botnets, or IoT malware. In other words, the choice of telemetry technology determines which threats and anomalous behaviours remain visible or hidden to defenders. By mapping technologies, metrics, and gaps, this review provides a single reference point for researchers, engineers, and regulators facing the challenges of flow-aware cybersecurity. Full article

Honey has a long cultural tradition in Italy, valued for its sensory properties and health benefits. However, in recent years, the beekeeping sector has faced various challenges due to climate change, biodiversity loss, and economic pressures. Therefore, growing consumer awareness of sustainability, traceability, and ethical aspects is influencing food choices and putting niche-market products, such as honey, in the spotlight. This research analysed data from an online survey of Italian consumers to examine their attitudes toward honey. The analysis focused on the primary drivers of consumer behaviour, the state of sustainability efforts, and the importance of certifications and traceability in influencing preferences. The results showed that, beyond taste and health considerations, Italian consumers expressed a strong sensitivity and awareness of the beekeeping sector’s needs and their high engagement in ethical issues, food quality, safety and certification standards, and environmental protection. These findings provide useful insights for producers and policymakers to promote sustainable beekeeping and enhance consumer trust by implementing targeted communication strategies and certification schemes. Full article

Individuals with severe intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour often face limited access to effective therapeutic interventions, as conventional approaches like cognitive behavioural therapy may not be suitable. Creative arts therapies (CATs), psychomotor therapy, and play therapy have emerged as promising non-verbal alternatives, yet their use in this population remains underexplored. This scoping review aimed to map and synthesize the existing evidence on the application and outcomes of these interventions for individuals with severe intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour. A comprehensive search was conducted across eight databases in May 2023 (with an update of the search in June 2025). Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria, namely eight quantitative and five qualitative designs. Interventions included music therapy (n = 7), art therapy (n = 4), a combination of both (n = 1), and play therapy (n = 1); no studies on psychomotor therapy were identified. Reported outcomes were grouped into five domains: cognitive, psychological and emotional, social and interactional, communicative, and creative domain. Improvements were observed in areas such as attention, emotional regulation, social responsiveness, and communicative expression, particularly in structured and attuned therapeutic environments. However, most studies had methodological limitations, including small sample sizes and limited standardisation. These findings suggest potential benefits of CATs and play therapy, while highlighting the need for further research into underrepresented modalities and the use of rigorous single-case experimental designs. Full article

Background: Juvenile fibromyalgia (JFM) is a chronic pain disorder characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain, functional impairment, fatigue, and mood disturbances. Treatment remains challenging, considering the multifactorial nature of the condition and the limited high-quality evidence supporting pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions. Objectives: This review aimed to critically appraise level I evidence from randomised controlled trials assessing the efficacy and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for adolescents with JFM. Methods: Seven published peer-reviewed clinical trials were examined, including studies investigating duloxetine, milnacipran, pregabalin, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), and the integrated Fibromyalgia Integrative Training Teens (FIT) program, which combines CBT with neuromuscular training. Outcomes of interest included pain intensity, functional disability, depression symptoms, physical activity, and adverse events. Results: Pharmacological agents such as duloxetine, milnacipran, and pregabalin demonstrated modest improvements in pain, but failed to produce consistent benefits in function or mood, and were associated with a high incidence of adverse effects. CBT significantly improved functional disability and depression symptoms, yet it had a limited impact on pain reduction or objectively measured activity levels. The FIT Teens program showed superior outcomes in pain intensity and biomechanical function compared to CBT alone, suggesting a synergistic effect of combining psychological and physical reconditioning strategies. Conclusions: Current evidence supports the use of multimodal treatment approaches in JFM. Non-pharmacological interventions, particularly when integrated with structured exercise, offer meaningful benefits with minimal safety concerns. Larger, methodologically rigorous trials are needed to establish optimal treatment pathways and long-term outcomes for this complex and underserved paediatric population. Full article

Preterm birth remains a significant global health challenge and is strongly associated with heightened risks of long-term neurodevelopmental impairments, including cognitive delays, behavioural disorders, and emotional dysregulation. In recent years, accumulating evidence has underscored the critical role of the gut microbiota in early brain development through the gut–brain axis. In preterm infants, microbial colonisation is frequently delayed or disrupted due to caesarean delivery, perinatal antibiotic exposure, formula feeding, and prolonged stays in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), all of which contribute to gut dysbiosis during critical periods of neurodevelopment. This review synthesises current knowledge on the sources, temporal patterns, and determinants of gut microbiota colonisation in preterm infants. This review focuses on the gut bacteriome and uses faecal-sample bacteriome sequencing as its primary method of characterisation. We detail five mechanistic pathways that link microbial disturbances to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes: immune activation and white matter injury, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-mediated neuroprotection, tryptophan–serotonin metabolic signalling, hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis modulation, and the integrity of intestinal and blood–brain barriers (BBB). We also critically examine emerging microbiota-targeted interventions—including probiotics, prebiotics, human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), antibiotic stewardship strategies, skin-to-skin contact (SSC), and faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT)—focusing on their mechanisms of action, translational potential, and associated ethical concerns. Finally, we identify key research gaps, including the scarcity of longitudinal studies, limited functional modelling, and the absence of standardised protocols across clinical settings. A comprehensive understanding of microbial–neurodevelopmental interactions may provide a foundation for the development of targeted, timing-sensitive, and ethically sound interventions aimed at improving neurodevelopmental outcomes in this vulnerable population. Full article

The use of automated sensors has grown rapidly in recent years, with sensor data now routinely used for monitoring in a wide range of situations, including human health and behaviour, the environment, wildlife, and agriculture. Livestock farming is a key area of application, and our primary focus here, but the issues discussed are widely applicable. There is the potential to massively increase the use of empirical data for decision-making in real time, and a range of quantitative methods, including machine learning and statistical methods, have been proposed for this purpose within the literature. In many areas, however, development and validation of quantitative approaches are still needed in order for these methods to effectively inform decision-making. Within the context of livestock farming, for example, it must be practically feasible to repeatedly apply the method dynamically in real time on farms in order to optimise decision-making, and we discuss the challenges in using quantitative approaches for this purpose. It is also crucial to evaluate and compare the applied performance of methods in a fair and robust way—such comparisons are currently lacking within the literature on livestock farming, and we outline approaches to addressing this key gap. Full article

Cortisol follows a 24 h circadian rhythm that plays a pivotal role in maintaining the optimal function of various physiological systems in alignment with behavioural cycles. Its synthesis and secretion are regulated by the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. The 24 h fluctuations of cortisol may result from physiological changes influencing its regulation, or conversely, hormone-mediating physiological changes within the body. This review mainly aims to synthesize current evidence on methods for detecting cortisol. In addition, it focuses on evaluating cortisol’s potential as a biomarker for circadian disruption and related health impacts. A literature search was conducted across databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus, using search terms such as “circadian rhythm OR circadian clock OR circadian disruption OR circadian dysregulation” and “cortisol OR hydrocort* OR corticoid OR corticosteroid”. A total of 47 articles were included on methods of cortisol detection, and 41 articles were reviewed for their health implications. Cortisol measured via saliva, blood serum, urine, interstitial fluid (ISF), and sweat has been reported as suitable for 24 h monitoring, reflecting circadian regulation. In contrast, hair cortisol is suitable for identifying chronic changes and prolonged elevations in cortisol levels. This review highlights the stability, suitability, and challenges of each detection method, including reported cortisol levels across studies. Additionally, it provides a comprehensive overview of health implications associated with changes in cortisol, offering insights into its potential as a marker for circadian disruption and related health outcomes. Full article