Search Results (1,268)

Understanding agricultural production dynamics is vital for addressing global food security in the least developed countries. In Senegal, the issues of rural development and enhancing agricultural productivity are still less understood. Using survey data (n = 600) from the Thiès region, this study aims to explore factors that influence agricultural productivity in Senegal. The multinomial probit model is estimated using maximum simulated likelihood (MSL) methods. This approach is necessary due to the presence of multiple-choice categories. The results highlight that young farmers aged 18–30 are less likely to achieve high production (>10 tons) compared to their older counterparts (p < 0.01). In contrast, older farmers (31–60) report higher income stability (p < 0.05). Education levels also impact production, with farmers having lower or upper secondary education being less likely to attain high production than illiterate farmers (p < 0.05). Receiving subsidies reduces the likelihood of high production (p < 0.01). Larger landholdings (>1 ha) correlate with lower production odds (p < 0.01), suggesting diminishing returns. Gender disparities are evident, with male farmers being 45.6% more likely to report income declines (p < 0.1). Marginal effects show that acquiring land through rental or purchase significantly boosts income (p < 0.01), while traditional ploughing increases the sown area (p < 0.01). Policymakers should enhance training in agriculture, improve subsidies, secure land tenure, and promote certified seeds to boost productivity. This study highlights the need for targeted policies on training, subsidies, land tenure, and sustainable practices to enhance Senegal’s agricultural productivity. Full article

In the current information era, even preschool children are unable to withstand the “digital flood”. However, excessive exposure to electronic screens not only negatively impacts various aspects of children’s health and adaptation, but also harms family relationships. Based on family systems theory, social–cognitive learning theory, and attachment theory, this study examines the relationships between co-parenting and preschoolers’ problematic media use, as well as the underlying mechanism—the mediating role of parental phubbing and the moderating effect of secure attachment. A sample of 610 parents of preschoolers from three kindergartens in central China completed validated scales, including the Co-Parenting Scale, Parental Phubbing Scale, Children’s Electronic Media Use Questionnaire, and Secure Attachment Dimension of the Waters Attachment Q-sort. A moderated mediation model was tested using the PROCESS macro with bootstrap procedures. The results showed that, after controlling for the subjective family socioeconomic status and parental education level, (1) co-parenting was negatively associated with preschoolers’ problematic media use; (2) parental phubbing significantly mediated the relationship between co-parenting and preschoolers’ problematic media use; (3) secure attachment significantly moderated both the direct relation between co-parenting and the preschoolers’ problematic media use and the mediating effect of parental phubbing (the relation between parental phubbing and children’s problematic media use); furthermore, both of these effects were more pronounced in children with lower levels of secure attachment. These findings extend family systems and attachment theories by elucidating mechanisms underlying early media behaviors. Practically, interventions should promote collaborative co-parenting and reduce parental phubbing to mitigate children’s problematic media use, while fostering secure attachment to buffer digital risks. Full article

Market-oriented agriculture functions as a critical mechanism by which rural farmers can alleviate poverty and enhance food security, and it is actively promoted in Côte d’Ivoire. However, household food security varies across commercialized farmers depending on context and region. This paper examines variations in food security between different market-oriented vegetable-farming households in rural northern Côte d’Ivoire. Using cross-sectional data from 200 vegetable farmers, this study employs an endogenous switching regression model to address potential selectivity bias. The results show that market-oriented farming is positively associated with higher food-consumption scores, greater dietary diversity, and increased caloric intake. Moreover, nonparticipants or semi-subsistence farmers are expected to achieve better food-security outcomes under market-oriented conditions. Key factors influencing the adoption of market-oriented farming include market proximity, access to extension services, and education level. This paper advocates for policies tailored to specific environments, such as rural smallholder farming communities, that support local markets and encourage entrepreneurship, especially among women and youth, and ensure the accessibility of improved inputs, thereby supporting market-oriented agriculture and enhancing food security. Full article

Water security is a basic requirement of a region’s residents and also an important point of discussion worldwide. The middle route of the south-to-north water diversion project (MR-SNWDP) represents the most extensive inter-basin water allocation scheme globally. It is the major water resource for the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region, and its security is of great significance. In this study, 28 indicators including society, nature, and economy were selected from the water sources of the MR-SNWDP from 2000 to 2017. According to the Drivers-Pressures-States-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework principle, the entropy weight method was used for weight calculation, and the comprehensive evaluation method was used for evaluating the water security of the water sources of the MR-SNWDP. This study showed that the total loss of nonpoint source pollution (NPSP) in the water source showed a trend of slow growth, except in 2007. Over the past 18 years, the proportion of pollution from three NPSP sources, livestock, and poultry (LP) breeding industry, planting industry, and living sources, were 44.56%, 40.33%, and 15.11%, respectively. The main driving force of water security in all the areas of the water source was the total net income per capita of farmers. The main pressure was the amount of LP breeding and the amount of fertilizer application. The largest impact indicators were NPSP gray water footprint and soil erosion area, and water conservancy investment was the most effective response measure. Overall, the state of the water source safety was relatively stable, showing an overall upward trend, and it had remained at Grade III except for in 2005, 2006, and 2011. The state of water safety in all areas except Shiyan City was relatively stable, where the state of water safety had fluctuated greatly. Based on the assessment findings, implications for policy and decision-making suggestions for sustainable management of the water sources of the MR-SNWDP resources are put forward. Agricultural cultivation in water source areas should reduce the application of chemical fertilizers and accelerate the promotion of agricultural intensification. Water source areas should minimize retail livestock and poultry farming and promote ecological agriculture. The government should increase investment in water conservancy and return farmland to forests and grasslands, and at the same time strengthen the education of farmers’ awareness of environmental protection. The evaluation system of this study combined indicators such as the impact of agricultural nonpoint source pollution on water bodies, which is innovative and provides a reference for the water safety evaluation system. Full article

Urban ecological recreational space (UERS), as essential provider of ecosystem services, play a crucial role in enhancing human well-being. Nevertheless, limited research has investigated how various types of human–nature interaction influence well-being. This study takes the Hankou waterfront as the research area, using a questionnaire survey of 318 recreationists. A five-dimension well-being scale and interaction type classification were developed. Mean analysis, one-way ANOVA, and stepwise multiple regression were conducted to assess well-being and influencing factors. Results show that mental health had the highest score, while survival security scored the lowest. NDVI positively influenced all well-being dimensions, while fitness facilities and higher education levels showed negative effects. Recreationists engaged in outdoor work-oriented activities experienced higher levels of physical, mental, and self-actualization well-being than sightseeing- or socially oriented users. These findings expand the theoretical understanding of UERS by incorporating human–nature interaction patterns and offer practical guidance for sustainable urban planning. Full article

Background: Food waste is a significant global issue with environmental, social, and economic consequences. In 2022, approximately 1.05 billion tons of food were wasted worldwide, with 220 million tons lost during the production and processing stages. Strategies to reduce food waste include full food utilization and the reuse of clean leftovers, which promote food security, efficient resource use, and the valorization of nutrients found in food. Objective: The aim of this study was to map existing scientific literature on nutritional intervention programs that incorporate full food utilization and the reuse of clean leftovers as tools for promoting sustainability and reducing food waste. The review seeks to consolidate existing knowledge, support public policy development, and encourage the adoption of sustainable food practices. Methods: A scoping review was conducted based on the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) manual and following the PRISMA-ScR checklist. The search was conducted in four scientific databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Virtual Health Library) and included articles published between 2014 and 2025. Intervention studies promoting full utilization of plant-based foods and the reuse of clean leftovers were included. Results: After analyzing 2268 studies, 14 relevant studies were selected, with interventions including culinary workshops and educational programs on using parts of food typically discarded, such as peels and seeds. These programs were successful in reducing waste and promoting more sustainable and nutritious diets. Conclusions: Nutritional intervention programs that promote full food utilization and clean leftover reuse are effective in reducing waste and fostering sustainable diets. To maximize their impact, these practices should be integrated into public policies and scaled in institutional settings such as schools, hospitals, and community kitchens. Full article

Leaders are determinants of employee behavioral and work outcomes across industries. Notably, in the higher education sector where staff are required to perform various tasks while delivering knowledge to the younger generation, thus shaping the future of society. The current research employs social exchange and social identity theories to investigate the direct effect of supportive leadership on the wellbeing of employees. The indirect effects of organizational climate as a mediator, and perceived organizational support as a moderator are examined to better understand the underlying predictors of wellbeing in academia. Surveys were collected using a purposive and convenience sampling method and analyzed using partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with Smart-PLS software, Version 3. The results show that the wellbeing of academic staff is not only influenced by the role and behavior of leaders but also the dynamics that surround it, namely, organizational climate aligned with the leadership efforts, and perceived organizational support among the staff that provides security, sense of belonging, and identity, leading to improved wellbeing. Organizational support when perceived by staff members can significantly boost the effectiveness of leadership efforts towards enhancing employees’ wellbeing. Full article

Among the factors threatening food security in Nigeria are poor access to credit facilities, the high cost of inputs, and poor processing and storage. Cereals and grains are among the staple food crops highly consumed by Nigerians. In this study, multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 1200 registered rice processors from Agricultural Development Programme zones in the Nigerian states of Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti, and a structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on primary, secondary, and tertiary postharvest operations. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. The results showed that the majority (65.1%) of the respondents were male, 54.5% were 30–60 years old, 86.9% were married, 96.3% had been formally educated, and 99.9% processed, 71.5% packaged, and 79.4% stored more than 5001 kg of rice monthly. The majority (85.9%) of the respondents had no knowledge of rice moisture content and still used local means of rice processing, while 14.1% of the respondents used modern means of rice processing. We concluded that stored local rice was still subject to more wastage, spoilage, and losses due to the poor processing, packaging, and storage methods used in the study area. We recommend the adoption of modern and suitable rice technologies for processing, packaging, and storage. Furthermore, credit facilities should be made available, and inputs should be subsidized for rice farmers and processors. Full article

This study examines how Chinese and Western news media covered artificial intelligence (AI) privacy issues in higher education from 2019 to 2024. News articles were retrieved from Nexis Uni. First, non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) was employed to identify core AI privacy topics in university teaching, administration, and research. Next, a time trend analysis investigated how media attention shifted in relation to key events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of generative AI. Finally, a sentiment analysis was conducted to compare the distribution of positive, negative, and neutral reporting. The findings indicate that AI-driven proctoring, student data security, and institutional governance are central concerns in both Chinese and English media. However, the focus and framing differ: some Western outlets highlight individual privacy rights and controversies in remote exam monitoring, while Chinese coverage more frequently addresses AI-driven educational innovation and policy support. The shift to remote education after 2020 and the rise of generative AI from 2023 onward have intensified discussions on AI privacy in higher education. The results offer a cross-cultural perspective for institutions seeking to reconcile the adoption of AI with robust privacy safeguards and provide a foundation for future data governance frameworks under diverse regulatory environments. Full article

Our society is becoming increasingly dependent on technology, with immersive virtual worlds such as Extended Reality (XR) transforming how we connect and interact. XR technologies enhance communication and operational efficiency. They have been adopted in sectors such as manufacturing, education, and healthcare. However, the immersive and interconnected nature of XR introduces security risks that span from technical and human to psychological vulnerabilities. In this study, we examined security threats in XR environments through a scenario-driven risk assessment, using a hybrid approach combining Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) metrics and a custom likelihood model to quantify risks. This methodology provides a comprehensive risk evaluation method, identifying critical vulnerabilities such as Remote Code Execution (RCE), social engineering, excessive permission exploitation, unauthorized access, and data exfiltration. The findings reveal that human vulnerabilities, including users’ susceptibility to deception and excessive trust in familiar interfaces and system prompts, significantly increase attack success rates. Additionally, developer mode, once enabled, remains continuously active, and the lack of authentication requirements for installing applications from unknown sources, coupled with poor permission management on the part of the users, creates security gaps that attackers can exploit. Furthermore, permission management in XR devices is often broad and persistent and lacks real-time notifications, allowing malicious applications to exploit microphone, camera, and location access without the users knowing. By leveraging CVSS scores and a structured likelihood-based risk assessment, we quantified the severity of these threats, with RCE, social engineering, and insecure app installation emerging as the greatest risks. This study highlights the necessity of implementing granular permission controls, formalized developer mode restrictions, and structured user education programs to mitigate XR-specific threats. Full article

It is crucial to clarify the relationship between ecological industry development and ecological civilization construction, as well as their driving forces, to promote high-quality local development. The ecological environment of the karst region is fragile, and it faces a contradiction between ecological preservation and economic advancement. Coordinating the relationship between economic development and ecological protection is crucial for achieving sustainable development in rural karst regions. This study identified karst characteristics in Guizhou province, China, by constructing an index system for ecological industry development and civilization construction. It employed the entropy weight method to calculate a comprehensive score and utilized a coupling coordination model to analyze interactions and symbiotic coordination. Finally, a linear regression analysis model was employed to analyze the impact of ecological industrial development on the construction of ecological civilization. The results indicate the following: (1) The ecological industry and ecological civilization construction levels exhibited a relatively stable growth trajectory across three research areas from 2011 to 2021, with the ecological civilization construction index outperforming the ecological industry development index. (2) The correlation analysis indicated a relationship between the two indices in the research areas, and the divergence trend among the three research areas rose in a uniform direction, indicating a strong positive correlation between the two indices. From the perspective of the coupling degree (C), the degree of coupling between ecological industry and ecological civilization construction in the three research areas exceeded 0.9, indicating a high level of coordination. This suggests that ecological civilization construction and ecological industry in these research areas are effectively coordinated and exist in a state of harmonious co-promotion. There were differences from the coupling coordination degree (D) perspective, but they increased in the three research areas. (3) The regression analysis results indicate that the per capita agricultural output value, per capita forestry output value, per capita forage industry output value, industrial solid waste utilization rate, energy consumption per unit of GDP, tourism income, rocky desertification level, and proportion of the labor force population with a high school education or higher significantly contribute to the development of ecological civilization. The per capita forestry output value greatly advances ecological civilization, significantly enhancing ecological culture and security. The coefficients are 0.0354 and 0.0393, respectively, indicating that a 1% rise in the per capita forestry output value results in increases of 0.0354% and 0.0393% in the ecological culture and security indices. Full article

The adoption of electronic payments has increased globally, driving economic growth by enabling smoother transactions. Digital payments enhance speed, security, trust, and efficiency, prompting governments to implement policies that promote financial inclusion through new payment technologies. However, trust in the financial system is crucial for adoption, given concerns about security, fraud, and data breaches. In Latin America and the Caribbean, where economies are vulnerable to external financial shocks, and trust in financial institutions is low, digital payment adoption presents both financial and social challenges. This study analyzes the impact of financial trust on the likelihood of using digital payments in 17 countries, based on the 2023 Latinobarómetro survey (19,205 individuals). Using logit models, it examines financial trust’s influence across income levels. Results show that trust in financial institutions increases the likelihood of digital payment adoption by 62%, with a stronger effect among high-income individuals. Younger age, higher education, and mobile phone ownership also correlate positively with adoption. This study highlights the need to foster financial trust to boost digital payments, enhance financial inclusion, and reduce cash usage—key for tackling inequality and informality. A major limitation is the lack of longitudinal data for further analysis. Full article

Background/Objectives: The nutritional habits of older adults are increasingly relevant to public health, particularly given the rising prevalence of obesity and its associated chronic diseases. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the Healthy Eating Index (IASE) and Body Mass Index (BMI) in older adults in Spain, focusing on food frequency, dietary preferences, and socioeconomic factors influencing nutritional security. Methods: The study is part of the Eating Matters project, assessing food (in)security in older adults across Andalusia and Catalonia between April 2022 and January 2024. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 190 participants (≥65 years), recruited in primary healthcare centers. The questionnaire included three blocks: food insecurity assessment (FIES scale), diet quality with the Healthy Eating Index for the Spanish Population (IASE), and sociodemographic factors. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and logistic regression models to identify associated factors with overweight and obesity. Results: The average BMI was 28.5 kg/m² (SD = 4.29), with 46.3% of participants classified as overweight and 32.1% as obese. A significant negative correlation (r = −0.79, p < 0.05) was found between healthy food consumption and BMI, while personal income showed a moderate positive correlation with adherence to a healthy diet (r = 0.42, p < 0.05). Logistic regression indicated that frequent consumption of processed meats and confectionery was a significant identify associated factors with overweight/obesity, with a model accuracy of 68% and sensitivity of 95%. Conclusions: Older adults with lower incomes and higher consumption of ultra-processed foods exhibited a higher risk of obesity. These findings highlight the need for public policies promoting food accessibility and targeted nutrition education for older adults, including guidance on balanced diets, adequate protein intake, and the prevention of sarcopenia, to encourage healthier dietary patterns in aging populations. Full article

This paper explores the critical need for empowering emerging farmers within vulnerable communities through vocational adult education (VAE) approaches. Conducted within the Raymond Mhlaba District Municipality, South Africa, this study illuminates the persistent challenges of illiteracy, poverty, and the impact of climate change on agricultural productivity faced by these farmers. Employing a mixed-methods research design that combines quantitative and qualitative methodologies, this study investigates the effectiveness of digital agriculture and extension services in enhancing agricultural productivity and sustainability among emerging farmers. Key findings reveal significant barriers to technology adoption and the necessity for tailored training programs that integrate local knowledge systems and digital tools. Results demonstrate an average increase of 40% in crop yields among farmers participating in digital training initiatives (p < 0.01), underscoring the power of precision agriculture. Insights presented in this paper offer actionable recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders aimed at fostering inclusive agricultural development that addresses the unique challenges faced by emerging farmers in this region. Full article

The growing epidemic of childhood obesity is a major threat to their overall development and poses a number of challenges for health systems. We propose an integrated framework to comprehensively address childhood obesity. The proposed architecture addresses essential data management and pre-processing functionalities to support scalable, secure, and privacy-preserving data processing in distributed environments. We are also incorporating a health data-driven AI approach for predictive analytics and decision support. There is additionally a User Engagement Layer, which serves as the main point of interaction for users. It connects individuals to system capabilities, facilitating data collection, progress monitoring, and insights. Finally, we present four serious games designed to address protective factors (such as physical activity and healthy eating) and mitigate risk factors (such as excessive screen time and unhealthy food choices). The identified educational objectives were translated into game elements including goal setting, social support, and positive reinforcement. In order to facilitate our approach, we have described the essential data flows and user interactions within our Biobank architecture. Full article