Search Results (294)

Insulin resistance (IR) is traditionally viewed within the context of type 2 diabetes. However, it increasingly appears to represent a broader systemic metabolic risk state with potential relevance for carcinogenesis. Chronic hyperinsulinemia can activate insulin-like growth factor-1-dependent pathways, including phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mechanistic target of rapamycin and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, promoting cellular proliferation while limiting apoptosis. At the same time, IR is closely linked to oxidative stress, chronic low-grade inflammation, and epigenetic alterations, together shaping a tumor-promoting microenvironment. Epidemiological studies report consistent associations between IR and increased cancer risk, particularly for endometrial, liver, and colorectal cancers. Yet causality remains uncertain and likely varies by tumor type. Notably, metabolic dysfunction may also occur in individuals with normal body mass index (BMI), underscoring the limitations of BMI-based risk assessment. Unlike previous reviews that primarily focused on individual mechanisms or epidemiological associations, this review examines IR as a systemic metabolic risk state by integrating molecular, epidemiological, biomarker-based, and prevention-oriented perspectives. Particular emphasis is placed on strategies for earlier risk identification using integrated biomarker approaches, including fasting glucose, homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance, triglyceride-to-high-density lipoprotein ratio, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and insulin-like growth factor-1. Emerging tools such as continuous glucose monitoring and hepatokine profiling may further refine risk detection. Sustained lifestyle modification—diet, physical activity, sleep, and stress regulation—remains central to prevention. Pharmacological therapies, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and dual incretin agents, offer additional metabolic benefits, although their long-term impact on cancer risk is still unclear. Therefore, IR is best understood not as an isolated risk factor, but as a systemic metabolic risk state that may influence cancer development, with implications for prevention and early risk stratification. Full article

Agri-food byproducts are increasingly recognized as sustainable feedstocks for high-value bioactive compounds; but their practical valorization requires integrated evidence on recovery conditions; chemical composition; bioactivity; and application readiness. This review critically examines green recovery strategies and chemical profiling platforms for bioactive compounds recovered from peels; pomace; seed residues; hulls; vegetation waters; and pruning waste. Emphasis is placed on how extraction variables shape chemical profiles; extract quality; and reported biological activities. Ultrasound- and microwave-assisted extraction; enzyme- and fermentation-assisted recovery; supercritical fluid extraction; pressurized liquid extraction; pulsed electric field-assisted pretreatment; and green solvent-based extraction are discussed in terms of target-compound selectivity; solvent and energy demand; process safety; scalability; and sustainability-related evidence. Chromatographic; mass-spectrometric; spectroscopic; and metabolomics-based profiling approaches are evaluated for identification; annotation; quantification; fingerprinting; quality-marker selection; and standardization; with confidence levels distinguished according to authentic-standard matching; tandem mass spectrometry evidence; spectral libraries; or fingerprint-level evidence. Circular valorization pathways in food; nutraceutical; cosmetic; pharmaceutical, and biopesticide-related applications are further considered with attention to feedstock heterogeneity; process standardization; stability; safety; regulatory feasibility; scalability; and techno-economic feasibility. Overall; this review provides a linkage-oriented framework for developing standardized; application-readiness-oriented bioactive candidates from agri-food byproducts. Full article

Background and Objectives: Vitamin D deficiency is a pervasive public health issue in high-latitude regions, yet large-scale population data for the Baltic states remain sparse. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of vitamin D status and identify its primary determinants within a primary care setting in Lithuania. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentrations from 14,330 unique patients (aged 1–101 years) collected during 2025 at a major clinic in Vilnius. Vitamin D status was categorized according to the Central and Eastern European Expert Consensus thresholds. Results: The overall median 25(OH)D concentration was 68.3 nmol/L, placing it in the “insufficiency” range (50–75 nmol/L). Seasonality emerged as the most significant predictor of deficiency; multivariable logistic regression showed a maximal risk reduction in September (OR 0.33; 95% CI: 0.27–0.41) and August (OR 0.34) compared to January, while June and November provided no significant protection. Age-specific analysis revealed a non-linear “U-shaped” distribution: children aged 0–6 years had the highest levels (median ~87–91 nmol/L), likely due to rickets prophylaxis, whereas adolescents (12–18 years) exhibited the highest vulnerability, with approximately 80% suffering from deficiency or insufficiency. Males faced a 13.9% higher likelihood of deficiency than females (OR 1.14; p = 0.0036), potentially due to lower rates of elective supplementation. Conclusions: These findings suggest that current supplementation strategies successfully protect infants but fail to sustain adequacy through adolescence and adulthood, particularly during the “vitamin D winter.” Targeted public health interventions for adolescents and year-round monitoring are recommended to mitigate the high prevalence of suboptimal vitamin D status in Lithuania. Full article

Persistent teacher shortages in rural schools continue to challenge the provision of equitable, high-quality education. While research has documented the difficulties of recruiting and retaining teachers in these contexts, less attention has been given to how the conditions of teaching are shaped through leadership in contexts of workforce instability. This study examines how principals in rural schools in Victoria, Australia, respond to ongoing shortages through place-responsive leadership strategies. Drawing on qualitative interview data from principals across diverse rural school settings, the study identifies three interrelated practices: cultivating place-based recruitment pathways, fostering retention through care, professional development and wellbeing, and sustaining the workforce through community embedded practices. These practices shape the conditions under which teachers work by strengthening relationships, supporting wellbeing, and fostering belonging. The study conceptualises workforce sustainability as a professional condition actively constructed through leadership in context. Full article

The successful application of extrusion-based 3D-printed geopolymer mortars largely depends on precursor chemistry, activator composition, mixture proportions, and fresh-state behavior, which is highly sensitive to time-dependent structural build-up. This review examines the relationships among mix design, geopolymerization chemistry, rheological properties, and printability requirements for 3D-printed geopolymer mortars. Particular emphasis is placed on the effects of precursor type, alkaline activator characteristics, liquid-to-solid ratio, additives, and fibers on flowability, yield stress, viscosity, extrudability, buildability, shape retention, and interlayer bonding. The review further discusses how geopolymerization kinetics influence the evolution of fresh-state properties, the printable time window, and the transition from extrusion to structural stability. In addition, early-age performance is evaluated in terms of setting behavior, green strength development, and layer-interface integrity. Current challenges, including the lack of standardized test methods, limited comparability among published studies, and the complex coupling between material design and process parameters, are also highlighted. Finally, the review identifies key research gaps and proposes future directions for developing robust, printable, and sustainable geopolymer mortar systems for additive manufacturing in construction. Full article

We focus on the use of the Modern Lesbian dialect in the linguistic landscape (LL), highlighting its diverse forms and functions. Since LL research primarily investigates written language in public space, emphasizing the dynamic relationship between language, place, and historicity, the growing visibility of the dialect in both physical and digital contexts (cf. the online–offline nexus) is particularly noteworthy. The presence of non-standard varieties in public discourse has been widely studied, revealing that aspects of language choice and use are related to the sustainability of minority languages, the shaping of linguistic attitudes and stereotypes, and the commodification of language as a cultural and economic resource. Within this framework, the data analyzed here illustrate positive attitudes toward Modern Lesbian, expressions of pride and comfort among its speakers, efforts to destigmatize dialectal speech, and indications of broader acceptance of Modern Lesbian. Meanwhile, the increasing commodification of the dialect is evident in its use for the promotion of products and services, capitalizing on its distinctiveness, despite its historical stigmatization vis-à-vis the standard. This development does not dissolve entrenched beliefs on the incompatibility of dialects with written discourse; rather, it capitalizes on the surprise (and humor) generated by their written presence in promotional contexts without resorting to humorous stereotyping. Full article

With the continuous deepening of green building concepts and the sustained advancement of research on health-oriented design, increasing attention has been paid to the impact of architectural space on users’ psychological perception and behavioral outcomes. In China, the rapid development of urban cultural facilities and the growing emphasis on high-quality public cultural spaces have made concert halls an important context for examining how architectural environments shape user experience. In recent years, relevant studies have gradually expanded from energy conservation, function, and technical performance evaluation to discussion of the subjective experience of the architectural environment and its psychological effects. As a typical type of cultural building, the concert hall is an important place for music communication and artistic experience, and its spatial environment may also influence users’ state of immersion and emotional resonance. However, existing studies mostly focus on the acoustic quality, visual characteristics, and functional organization of concert halls, and still lack a systematic empirical explanation of how restorative design influences user satisfaction through psychological mechanisms. Using survey data from 972 users of six representative concert halls in six Chinese cities, this study constructs a theoretical model with perceived restorative design as the independent variable, flow experience and musical resonance as mediating variables, and user satisfaction as the dependent variable, aiming to broaden the understanding of the internal mechanism through which restorative design affects user satisfaction. The results show that: (1) perceived restorative design is positively associated with user satisfaction; (2) flow experience and musical resonance respectively play mediating roles between perceived restorative design and user satisfaction; and (3) flow experience and musical resonance respectively play a chain mediating role between perceived restorative design and user satisfaction. This study enriches the applied research on restorative design in the field of cultural architecture, reveals the psychological path through which restorative design in concert halls affects user satisfaction, and expands the theoretical boundaries of research on architectural environment experience. The conclusions provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the design of concert hall buildings and improving user experience, and also offer practical insights for the human-centered and high-quality development of cultural buildings in the context of green building. Full article

Climate-related disasters are placing growing pressure on disaster response systems and public governance, with increasing urgency for sustainable and resilient institutional responses in line with global commitments such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals on climate action, community resilience, and health and wellbeing (SDG 3, 11, and 13). This study examines public satisfaction with Australia’s disaster response system, drawing on evidence from a sample based primarily in South Australia, and investigates how national framework and resource allocation shape perceived system performance, with particular attention to mental health-related concerns. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining survey data from 161 respondents with qualitative interviews to explore both statistical patterns and contextual explanations. The findings indicate that respondents reported mixed and generally below-neutral evaluations of the disaster response system overall, while expressing significant concerns regarding the transparency, fairness, and flexibility of resource allocation. These patterns point to important governance gaps in how disaster response systems are experienced by the public, particularly in relation to visible resource distribution and psychosocial support. Resource allocation showed a stronger association with system satisfaction than the broader national framework. The results also suggest that mental health-related concerns remain insufficiently integrated into disaster response arrangements, particularly in the context of COVID-19. These findings highlight the importance of transparent governance, equitable resource allocation, and greater attention to psychosocial wellbeing in strengthening public confidence in disaster response systems and advancing sustainable governance frameworks. These findings should be interpreted with caution and regarded as indicative rather than nationally representative, given that the empirical sample was drawn primarily from South Australia. Full article

Sustainable agritourism has been raised as a vital ally for rural development, green preservation, and experiential tourism enrichment. However, guests’ behavioral intentions in the agritourism context are regularly shaped not only by sustainability concerns but also by nostalgic ties to rural life and traditional farming practices. This study explored how pro-environmental behavior (PEB) and intrinsic motivation can influence visitors’ revisit and recommendation intentions in agritourism settings, while testing the moderating effects of personal nostalgia. Based on Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and the PEB literature, this study assumes that visitors who are internally driven by learning, enjoyment, and personal achievement, as well as those who exhibit environmentally accountable orientations, are more likely to develop favorable revisit intentions toward agritourism places. Data was collected from 420 visitors to agritourism sites using a self-administered questionnaire and tested using PLS-SEM. The results revealed that both intrinsic motivation and PEB have significant positive impacts on revisit and recommendation intentions. Furthermore, personal nostalgia can intensify these relationships. The study can contribute to the sustainable tourism and agritourism literature by emphasizing the joint roles of internal motivation, PEB, and emotional bond in reshaping visitors’ revisit intention and positive word of mouth. Full article

Paddy field sustainability is essential for food security in paddy-dependent countries but is shaped by complex and spatially heterogeneous interactions among environmental, social, and economic factors. Conventional land-use models often assume spatial stationarity, limiting their ability to capture localized dynamics. This study proposes a spatially explicit analytical framework by integrating Geographically Weighted Logistic Regression (GWLR) with multi-layer probabilistic surface analysis to model and classify paddy field sustainability. The framework is applied in Indramayu and Majalengka Regencies, Indonesia, using 400 stratified samples (53% paddy, 47% non-paddy) and 10,000 prediction points. Results show that GWLR outperforms global models, explaining 25.5% of deviance compared to 7.4% for logistic regression. More importantly, it reveals spatially non-stationary relationships: environmental variables exhibit relatively continuous effects, while social and economic variables show strong local heterogeneity. By transforming local coefficients into integrated probability surfaces, this study introduces a novel typology distinguishing stable paddy fields, vulnerable areas, and spatially differentiated sustainability conditions. This approach moves beyond aggregate accuracy metrics and highlights the importance of spatial context in land-use analysis. The proposed framework offers a transferable method to support place-based agricultural protection strategies in complex geographical systems. Full article

Public perceptions of climate change are often explained through socioeconomic, ideological, or political factors but such accounts can overlook how perception is shaped through lived, embodied relationships with place. This study examines how residents of Cape Ann, Massachusetts, make sense of climate change, focusing on the mediating role of landscape. Drawing on three months of landscape fieldwork—including walking, semi-structured interviews, and cognitive mapping—the analysis identifies five interpretive positions on climate change: the Attuned, the Unsettled, the Insular, the Enduring, and the Defiant. These positions reflect distinct ways of reconciling scientific knowledge, personal experience, and landscape-based interpretation in understanding environmental change. The findings show that climate perception is shaped not only by access to information, but also by cognitive boundary-making, cultural narrative, and engagement with the material and symbolic qualities of place. The study shows how climate change perceptions are formed through embodied encounters with place and through the ways landscapes are constructed, contested, and experienced. It argues that sustainability efforts must engage these plural perceptual positions if they are to resonate within place-based communities. Full article

This study examines the spatial and temporal transformation of educational attainment and gender-based disparities in Türkiye between 2008 and 2024. Using province-level data obtained from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), educational attainment is classified into four categories (no schooling, low, medium, and high) and analyzed through spatial analysis techniques and an initial level–change relationship approach. Gender differences are evaluated by considering both their direction and magnitude across educational categories. The findings reveal a substantial educational transformation characterized by significant declines in no-schooling and low educational attainment levels, alongside marked increases in medium and high educational attainment. However, these improvements are not spatially balanced, as persistent regional disparities and spatial clustering patterns continue, particularly in eastern and southeastern regions of the country. The results further indicate that gender-based disparities vary across educational levels. Women remain more concentrated in lower educational categories, whereas men continue to dominate medium and high educational attainment levels in many regions. Although convergence tendencies are observed in lower educational levels, divergence dynamics at higher educational levels suggest that spatial advantages continue to shape educational outcomes unevenly across regions. These findings indicate that educational expansion does not necessarily produce equal outcomes but rather reshapes spatial and social differences over time. From a sustainability perspective, the findings highlight that educational transformation should be evaluated not only through improvements in educational indicators, but also in relation to human capital accumulation, regional development capacity, and inclusive development processes. In this respect, the study emphasizes the importance of place-based and gender-responsive educational policies aimed at reducing regional disparities, strengthening equal opportunities, and supporting more inclusive regional development. Full article

This study investigates the factors influencing residential mobility patterns following the Aegean Sea Earthquake in Izmir. The primary aim is to understand how individuals make relocation decisions in the aftermath of a seismic disaster and how these decisions relate to broader processes of urban resilience and post-disaster sustainability. The research employs a mixed-methods approach: semi-structured interviews were conducted with 26 residents from the Manavkuyu and Mansuroğlu neighbourhoods in the Bayraklı district, while geographic data from 1617 individuals affected by the earthquake were analyzed to map spatial patterns of movement. The findings reveal that decisions regarding relocation were shaped by a combination of perceived structural safety, emotional attachment to place, and access to public services. By integrating qualitative and quantitative data, the study offers a nuanced understanding of post-disaster mobility, providing insights that can inform more resilient urban planning and disaster response strategies in earthquake-prone areas like İzmir. Full article

Sacral objects are found across all major religions worldwide. The contemporary urban landscape, shaped by cultural, social, and utilitarian interdependencies, is enriched by places of worship, which strengthen social bonds and ensure the continuity of cultural heritage. In Poland, wayside shrines and crosses serve as sites of local religious practices, co-creating the genius loci as carriers of local history. Since the nineteenth century, they have been subjected to urbanisation pressure and may become incongruous with the transformed urban landscape, uprooted by evolving transport systems, spatial functions, and social needs. Relocation, as a preservation method, perpetuates historic shrines and crosses, while shaping new sacral landscape interiors and should therefore constitute a sustainable heritage preservation strategy. The article analyses this conservation strategy as applied in southern Kraków. Based on surveys, archival maps, orthophoto, press articles, the literature, and fieldwork, we pinpoint 25 relocated features out of 126 found across five city districts. Our literature and case study analysis identifies factors influencing the preservation of religious, landscape, social, and cultural functions. Despite altering original locations, a dramatic intervention into the urban fabric and local community space, relocation remains an effective tool for protecting historic substance and managing the landscape. Full article

This paper explores the importance of local food in tourism development in the Republic of Srpska by analyzing the perceptions of hospitality employees in relation to the characteristics of the food service establishments in which they work. The aim of this study is to determine how local food influences tourism development and whether such effects are conditioned by specific factors. Although previous studies have extensively examined local food through the lens of consumer behavior, there remains a significant research gap regarding the internal perspective of hospitality employees as co-creators of the gastronomic experience. This study addresses that gap by applying Social Exchange Theory (SET) to explain how employees’ perceptions of economic, social, and environmental benefits shape their willingness to support the integration of local food. By placing employees at the center of the analysis, the paper provides insight into the mechanisms through which authentic ingredients are transformed into symbolic capital and strengthen destination identity. In this context, the analytical Local Food model was adapted and applied to a sample of 480 respondents, evenly distributed across the mesoregions of the Republic of Srpska. Using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), three key dimensions of influence were identified—economic, environmental, and social. In addition, independent-samples t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed that employees’ perceptions vary significantly depending on the production capacity of the establishments, whereas the type and location of the establishments were not identified as significant determinants of these differences. The findings further indicate that the intensity of these factors varies according to location, production capacity, and ownership type, while other characteristics of the hospitality establishments in which the respondents were employed were not found to be significant. A strong interrelationship among the identified factors was confirmed, with the social factor emerging as the most dominant. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of local food in strengthening the tourism attractiveness and sustainability of the hospitality sector in the Republic of Srpska. Full article