Search Results (12,845)

Background/Objectives: The phenomenon of bullying represents a major issue in school settings worldwide, despite extensive research on the topic. This study aimed to investigate the associations between bullying perpetration, victimization, and assertive behavior among primary school students. Methods: The sample consisted of 352 fourth-grade students (174 boys and 178 girls; aged 10–11 years) from 7 schools in Iași, Romania. Bullying perpetration and victimization were assessed using the Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument–Bully/Target (APRI-BT), while assertive behavior was assessed using the Children’s Assertive Behavior Scale (CABS). Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 20. Results: Positive correlations ranging from weak to strong were identified between bullying perpetration and victimization in both boys and girls. Bullying perpetration and victimization were also associated with assertive behavior and nonassertive behaviors, although most correlations were weak in magnitude. Conclusions: The findings highlight the complexity of bullying-related interpersonal dynamics during late childhood and may have implications for school-based social and emotional learning and bullying prevention interventions during this developmental stage. Full article

Elderly individuals in rural China are highly vulnerable to extreme weather events and temperature fluctuations due to inadequate infrastructure in the built environment and constrained economic conditions, thereby increasing their health risks. Outdoor spaces represent one of the primary daily activity settings for rural older adults. However, existing research rarely links spatiotemporal patterns of outdoor activities to evidence-based thermal environment optimization, leaving a critical knowledge gap for age-friendly and sustainable rural design. This study focuses on the spatiotemporal differentiation patterns of daily outdoor activities among elderly people aged 60 years and above in rural Xi’an, as well as the optimization of spatial variations in thermal environments. Using on-site interviews, thermal environment measurements, thermal comfort questionnaires, continuous thermal environment monitoring, and machine learning based on random forest, this study drew the following conclusions: (1) outdoor activities in winter were concentrated between 9:00–11:00 and 13:00–17:00, while in summer, they shifted to the morning and evening periods, namely 6:00–9:00 and 17:00–21:00. (2) Models for outdoor clothing adjustment, thermal sensation, and thermal acceptability among elderly residents were established. The calculated neutral temperature was 10.19 °C, with a 90% outdoor thermal acceptability range of 9.6–27.2 °C and an 80% outdoor thermal acceptability range of 6.2–30.6 °C. These findings differ from those documented in regions with distinct climate zones and geographical settings. This discrepancy stems from regional climatic features, lifestyle variations between urban and rural older adults, and differences in the thermal environment quality of elderly-oriented outdoor activity spaces. (3) In winter, the acceptable period of the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) at south-facing entrances (10:30–16:30) was significantly longer than that in the courtyard (13:30–14:00). In summer, the comfortable period in the courtyard (before 10:00 and after 20:00) was longer than that at north-facing entrances (before 09:00). A random forest model for thermal sensation was established, and the relative importance of each parameter influencing thermal sensation was analyzed. On this basis, priority improvement pathways and strategies for the thermal environment, as well as suggestions for the subjective adaptive behaviors of elderly residents, were proposed. The research results of this study can provide technical solutions for age-friendly thermal environment design in rural areas, thereby safeguarding the comfort, health, and social well-being of the elderly population in rural areas. Full article

How older adults psychologically appraise their health while managing multiple chronic conditions is a behavioral-science question as much as a clinical one. This study estimated the weighted prevalence of favorable mental-health self-appraisal, identified its behavioral, social, and functional correlates, and compared the relative salience of diagnosed-condition burden and functional limitation among U.S. adults aged ≥ 50 years with multimorbidity. This retrospective cross-sectional secondary analysis used the 2023 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) Full Year Consolidated Data File (HC-251). Multimorbidity was defined as at least two diagnosed chronic priority conditions. The primary outcome represents favorable mental-health self-appraisal, derived from MNHLTH53 (excellent/very good/good vs. fair/poor). Covariates were organized using Andersen’s Behavioral Model and health-psychology concepts of adaptation, resources, and lived functional burden. Weighted prevalence estimates and survey-weighted logistic regression models were fitted using PERWT23F, VARSTR, and VARPSU. Robustness checks examined a stricter outcome threshold, proxy adjustment/non-proxy restriction, and a physical-health extension model. The analytic sample included 5523 respondents, representing approximately 77.9 million U.S. adults aged ≥ 50 years with multimorbidity. The weighted prevalence of favorable perceived mental-health self-appraisal was 86.6% (95% CI 85.4–87.7). In the fully adjusted core model (complete-case n = 5330), age 65–74 years (aOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.17–1.98) and age ≥ 75 years (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.36–2.36) were associated with higher odds of favorable appraisal. Lower odds were observed for Hispanic respondents, non-Hispanic Asian respondents, lower educational attainment, lower income, non-employment, ≥4 diagnosed conditions, and any functional limitation. The strongest inverse association was limitation status (aOR 0.32, 95% CI 0.27–0.39). Sensitivity analyses were directionally consistent. Favorable mental-health self-appraisal remained common in this medically complex older population, but it was socially and functionally patterned. Functional limitation appeared more behaviorally salient than diagnosis count alone. Because the analysis was cross-sectional and based on household-interview reported measures, these results should be interpreted as associations rather than causal effects. Full article

With the deep integration of network information technology and social platforms, the quantified data sharing of consumers’ green behaviors is reshaping the participation logic of individual and group green consumption. Using a pilot experiment and two scenario-based experiments, this study investigates how self-quantification influences consumers’ green behavioral autonomy and sustained willingness under different contextual conditions from a community network perspective. The results indicate that, in promoting goal-oriented green consumption, self-quantification significantly reduces consumers’ green behavioral autonomy by enhancing group identity but does not influence their sustained participation willingness. However, consumers under egoistic goal appeals demonstrate higher behavioral autonomy and sustained participation willingness compared to those under altruistic goal appeals. In defensive goal-oriented green consumption, self-quantification effectively enhances consumers’ green behavioral autonomy by weakening group identity and positively promotes their sustained participation willingness. Nevertheless, consumers under egoistic goal appeals outperform those under altruistic goal appeals in both behavioral autonomy and sustained willingness. This study makes three key contributions: it extends the application boundaries of self-quantification theory, reveals the differential effect mechanisms of self-quantification in community environments, and provides new theoretical perspectives and practical guidance for the sustainable development of green consumption. Full article

Generation Z, a cohort defined by digital connectivity, sensitivity to social influence, and environmental awareness, has attracted considerable scholarly attention in sustainable consumption research. Yet a persistent gap between their expressed pro-sustainability attitudes and actual purchasing decisions remains well-documented. This study examines whether Gen Z characteristics help bridge that gap by directly influencing sustainable purchase behavior and by moderating the role of purchase intention in that process. A quantitative design was employed using survey responses from 302 Gen Z consumers. The findings suggest that while Gen Z characteristics significantly predicted actual sustainable purchasing and purchase intention exerted a positive direct effect, the interaction between the two was negative and statistically significant. Conditional effects analysis further revealed that the influence of generational characteristics on purchasing behavior is stronger at lower levels of purchase intention and progressively weaker as intention increases. These results suggest that traits such as digital responsiveness, social embeddedness, and environmental orientation do not merely reinforce existing intentions but appear to compensate for their absence, activating sustainability-aligned behavior even when motivational commitment is limited. The study repositions the intention–behavior gap among Gen Z as something modulated by generational characteristics that drive purchasing behavior when intention alone falls short. Full article

This study examines whether stricter enforcement of mandatory social insurance contributions affects corporate income tax behavior in China. In the Chinese institutional context, mandatory social insurance refers to payroll-based employer and employee contributions to five statutory programs: basic pension insurance, basic medical insurance, work-injury insurance, unemployment insurance, and maternity insurance. These programs are directly related to social sustainability because they finance old-age income security, medical protection, workplace injury compensation, unemployment support, maternity protection, and labor-market stability. Using China’s 2018 social insurance collection reform as a quasi-natural experiment, we analyze A-share listed companies from 2014 to 2024 through a difference-in-differences design based on differential exposure between private firms and state-owned enterprises. To assess the reliability of the identification strategy, we employ firm and year fixed effects, event-study analysis, placebo tests, alternative measures of tax avoidance, and propensity score matching difference-in-differences robustness checks. The findings show a tax-fee seesaw effect: private firms subject to extensive regulatory scrutiny respond to more rigorous enforcement of social insurance contributions by increasing corporate income tax avoidance. Analysis of the mechanisms shows that the Whited-Wu index of financial constraints partially explains this phenomenon. The effect is more pronounced in firms with higher labor costs and greater administrative expense intensity, indicating that the increased response is driven by labor cost exposure and organizational discretion. By contrast, the effect is weaker among firms audited by the Big Four accounting networks—Deloitte, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG—indicating that high-quality external audits constrain aggressive tax planning. Regionally, the effect is most pronounced in eastern China, where markets, labor costs, and tax-planning services are more developed. The findings contribute to the sustainable development literature by demonstrating that reforms designed to strengthen social insurance sustainability can unintentionally weaken tax compliance if payroll contributions, tax administration, and corporate financial pressures are not coordinated. The study highlights the importance of integrated fiscal governance for achieving socially sustainable and fiscally balanced development. Full article

Youth are increasingly struggling with mental health, yet many lack access to formal care. Evidence indicates that building coping skills can improve mental health and wellbeing. School personnel may be well-positioned to help youth build these coping skills by delivering discrete evidence-based ingredients in their everyday interactions and relationships with students. This scoping review synthesizes the literature on social-emotional evidence-based ingredients delivered by paraprofessionals and explores their potential application in school behavioral health. We searched PsycINFO and PubMed, screened 200 titles/abstracts and 46 full-texts, and yielded 19 studies from which we synthesized data using the RE-AIM framework. We identified 17 evidence-based ingredients, with the most common being mindfulness, relaxation, psychoeducation, exposure, and cognitive restructuring. These were delivered in various formats and settings by different paraprofessionals (e.g., graduate students, teachers, caregivers), with most paraprofessionals receiving some training and supervision. Thirteen studies showed significant improvements in at least one outcome (i.e., anxiety, depression, suicidality, wellbeing). Six studies examined long-term effects, with mixed findings. Despite variation in delivery and training, paraprofessionals appear to feasibly and effectively deliver evidence-based ingredients. These findings support task-shifting ingredients as a scalable approach for supporting youth mental health within school behavioral health systems. Full article

Children’s food choices are shaped early in life through cognitive, social, and environmental influences, yet relatively little is known about how school-based nutrition education supports these processes in routine settings. This study examined mechanisms potentially relevant to children’s food choices using a multi-source process evaluation of the municipal “I Know What I Eat” program implemented in Warsaw primary schools. A prospective observational implementation study was conducted in 81 public schools, covering 198 workshop cycles for students aged 8–9 years. Data were obtained from teacher-observers (n = 198), trained program implementers (n = 6), and implementation records. The evaluation focused on implementation quality, fidelity, acceptability, and mechanisms relevant to food-related decision-making. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kruskal–Wallis tests, and Spearman correlations; qualitative comments were examined using content analysis. The program was implemented with high quality and consistency, with mean ratings ranging from 4.88 to 4.96 on a five-point scale and no significant differences by implementer or class size. Qualitative findings indicated that experiential learning, practical food preparation, peer interaction, and active participation supported children’s engagement. These findings suggest that school-based nutrition education can create conditions relevant to food-related decision-making, although direct behavioral measures are needed. Full article

Ceramic production technology is a key indicator of craft specialization and social differentiation in Late Neolithic societies of the Central Plains. This study investigates Longshan-period pottery excavated from three representative sites, Niumugang, Zhoulonggang, and Shigudui in western Shangqiu, Henan Province. A suite of archaeometric techniques, including X-ray fluorescence (XRF), infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential thermal analysis (DTA), and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), was employed to systematically examine the chemical composition, mineralogical phases, thermal behavior, and microstructural characteristics of the pottery assemblages. The results reveal statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the contents of major ceramic-forming oxides (SiO₂, Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, CaO, etc.) among the three sites. Pottery from the Shigudui site exhibits the narrowest range of compositional variation, whereas that from the Zhoulonggang site shows moderate dispersion. In contrast, pottery from the Niumugang site displays the widest compositional range. Mineralogical analyses indicate that pottery from all three sites is primarily composed of quartz, mica, and mullite. Notably, the high degree of mineralogical homogeneity observed in the Shigudui assemblage reflects a well-controlled and technologically mature firing process. Microstructural observations further demonstrate that pottery from the Shigudui site is characterized by uniformly dense fabrics, functionally differentiated vessels from the Zhoulonggang site exhibit clear technological stratification, and black pottery from the Niumugang site shows highly compact microstructures. These technological patterns closely correspond to differences in vessel assemblages and indicate varying levels of craft specialization and production control. Together, the results provide archaeometric evidence for the differentiation of settlement hierarchy and the development of specialized handicraft production during the Longshan period, contributing to a deeper understanding of regional technological interaction and social processes within the Longshan cultural sphere of the Central Plains. Full article

Background/Objectives: Excessive screen time has become increasingly common among children worldwide. The current study investigated the relationship between adherence to recommended screen time guidelines and family and child characteristics and social development through play. This cross-sectional study examined the relationship between the appropriate use of screen time and family and child characteristics and aspects of social development through play in children aged 0–3 years. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 278 mothers from all five Brazilian geographic regions who answered two self-administered online questionnaires assessing sociodemographic characteristics, family characteristics, child development, and screen use in children aged 0–3 years. Analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression to identify factors associated with adherence to recommended screen time guidelines. Results: Male sex (OR = 3.306, 95% CI: 1.759–6.213), family characteristics (living with both parents, OR = 4.102, 95% CI: 1.134–14.836) and aspects of social development (playing with another child (OR = 2.410, 95% CI: 1.024–5.650); body-based exploratory play (OR = 2.941, 95% CI: 1.225–7.042); and playing with homemade toys (OR = 1.931, 95% CI: 1.032–3.623)) were associated with adherence to recommended screen time guidelines. Conclusions: Appropriate screen time use was associated with male sex, living with both parents, playing with peers, engaging in body-based exploratory play, and using homemade toys. Routine child health consultations must explore family characteristics and evaluate aspects of children’s social development to identify healthy screen use behaviors. Full article

The basic renovation of old urban communities is an important livelihood project for urban renewal, but there are many problems in the decision-making of renovation schemes, such as strong dependence on experience, lack of quantitative basis for multi-objective trade-off, and difficulty in describing residents’ risk attitude. Combining Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) and utility theory, this paper constructs a set of intelligent decision support models driven by data and knowledge. First of all, through literature analysis and expert investigation, a decision-making index system is established, which includes four dimensions and 16 quantitative indicators: policy and financial support, residential conditions and needs, residents’ consensus and social coordination, and implementation management and long-term maintenance. Secondly, the framework representation method is used to describe the reconstruction case, a hybrid retrieval strategy combining inductive retrieval and nearest-neighbor retrieval is designed, and the subjective and objective data combination weights are calculated by using AHP and the entropy method. On this basis, a loss utility function and risk aversion coefficient based on accident and public opinion data (a = 0.02) are introduced to modify the similarity calculation results to describe the risk avoidance behavior of decision-makers. Through 40 real renovation projects, a case base is built, and two types of target cases, “typical inclusive” (F5) and “key renovation” (F35), are selected for empirical verification. The results show that the model can effectively retrieve similar cases, and the similarity ranking changes in line with risk aversion expectations after utility correction. Taking F5 as an example, by reusing and revising the reconstruction scheme of a similar case, targeted suggestions are generated, which give consideration to safety, economy and operability. This model provides a new quantifiable and reusable method for scientific decision-making in basic renovation of old residential areas. Full article

The timely detection of psycho-emotional risks has become increasingly important due to the rapid growth of social media platforms. This study examines user-generated text as a potential source of early indicators of psychological vulnerability. The proposed NLP-based framework incorporates behavioral features to improve the interpretation of users’ psycho-emotional states. In addition to text classification, the study considers structured behavioral indicators to support psycho-emotional risk analysis. Particular attention is given to interpretability. SHAP-based techniques are applied to reveal the contribution of individual features and to provide a clearer explanation of model predictions. The evaluation was conducted on publicly available datasets containing textual data and aggregated behavioral/physiological indicators. No raw physiological streams, wearable sensor data, or biometric recordings were used. The two datasets were employed in complementary experimental settings and were not aligned at the individual-sample level; accordingly, the broader analytical perspective explored in this study should not be interpreted as a single end-to-end or fully aligned multimodal learning framework. The proposed BERT-based model with SHAP interpretability achieved an accuracy of 96.3%, an F1-score of 0.96, and a ROC–AUC score of 0.98, showing consistent improvement over baseline models, including Random Forests and Support Vector Machines. Full article

This study examines the relationship between individuals’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and their job-seeking intentions, with a particular focus on the mediating role of personal values and attitudes toward social responsibility. The research was conducted in Romania’s south-west region between June and September 2025, using a stratified sample of 453 respondents. Data were analyzed using SMART-PLS 3.0 through structural equation modeling. The results indicate a positive association between perceived CSR and job-seeking intention, with personal values and attitudes toward CSR significantly mediating this relationship. The findings suggest that participants in this study who perceive organizations as socially responsible also report higher levels of organizational attractiveness, particularly when there is alignment between personal and organizational values. At the same time, the results highlight that consistent CSR practices are associated with stronger perceptions of employer attractiveness. Overall, the study suggests that CSR is closely linked to employment-related attitudes and intentions, supporting the view that alignment between individual values and organizational ethical principles represents an important dimension of contemporary human resource strategies. Full article

The construction sector accounts for approximately 36% of global final energy consumption and close to 40% of total CO₂ emissions, making it a primary target of international climate policy. Despite this growing attention, the indigenous building traditions of the Ecuadorian Andes remain virtually absent from the international scientific literature on vernacular sustainability. This study presents a systematic field documentation and bioclimatic assessment of vernacular bahareque dwellings in the Kichwa-Saraguro community of Ilincho, canton of Saraguro, province of Loja, Ecuador (2700 m a.s.l.). A field survey of 30 dwellings identified five morphological typologies—I-1P, I-2P, 2B, L, and C—with typology C, a compact C-shaped block with a three-sided portal, accounting for 53.3% of the sample. A structured multi-criteria framework of 48 bioclimatic indicators distributed across eight categories, adapted to the cold-temperate mountain climate of the study area, was applied to quantify each typology’s bioclimatic performance. All typologies exceeded 75% overall compliance on the global Bioclimatic Performance Index (BPI), with typology C achieving the highest value (88.5%). Categories F (Materials and construction) and H (Cultural and social aspects) scored 100% across all typologies, reflecting system-level properties of the bahareque constructive system rather than morphological differences between typological variants; a supplementary morphological BPI restricted to Categories A–E and G is reported. An exploratory, uncalibrated energy simulation of typology C provided indicative evidence consistent with the expected thermal behavior of a high-thermal-mass bahareque envelope, with simulated minimum temperatures in the sleeping area within the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) 55-2013 comfort range (T-min 18.80 °C). Collectively, these findings contribute quantified bioclimatic documentation of vernacular bahareque architecture in Ilincho, identifying attributes—encompassing solar control, spatial compactness, high-thermal-mass envelope performance, and use of locally sourced low-embodied-energy materials—that may inform sustainable rural housing discussions in the Ecuadorian Andes and comparable high-altitude mountain contexts. Its documentation in the indexed scientific literature constitutes a step toward recognizing this constructive heritage as a practical resource for low-carbon building policy. Full article

In this study, we examine how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) awareness influences Generation Z’s adoption of Green FinTech services, especially in digitally emerging economies such as Saudi Arabia. Drawing on an extended model of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), ESG awareness is conceptualized as both a direct predictor and a contextual moderator by surveying 347 users and analyzing the data using PLS-SEM. The results show that ESG awareness significantly enhances behavioral intention to adopt Green FinTech among Gen Z users. In addition, ESG awareness strengthens the effects of the UTAUT adoption predictors. The study contributes to the sustainability field by integrating ESG cognition into technology adoption theory. In addition, the study provides insights for decision makers and regulators who aim to increase and promote the adoption of sustainable FinTech and digital services. Full article