Abstract: In this study of prisoners’ quality of life, we asked; Which aspects of the imprisonment conditions – including the physical environment – best predict overall satisfaction with the prison (OSP)? Is the staff–prisoner relationships the single most important dimension, as frequently emphasized in the literature but scarcely tested quantitatively? Methods Data stemmed from a survey conducted in three closed prisons in Norway in 2022 (response rate: 63 %, n=163). The dependent variable was assessed with the question: “Generally speaking, on a scale from 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with this prison?” This outcome was regressed on seven subscales from the Prison Climate Questionnaire and four single-item measures of the physical environment that have been shown to influence health and well-being. Results As expected, the quality of staff–prisoner relationships had a unique statistical impact on OSP. Ratings of the outdoor areas and the view from the cell were about equally strong predictors. In contrast, no statistically independent effects were observed for perceived quality of relationships with fellow prisoners, reintegration measures, receiving visits, perceptions of personal safety, degree of independence, access to natural light and a global rating of the prison building (noise, temperature, layout, etc). Conclusions This study further underscores the importance of positive staff–prisoner relationships. It also provides new insights into significance of the physical environment for prisoners’ overall perceptions of prison quality, with potential implications for the design and location of new correctional facilities and for improving the quality of existing ones.

Abstract: Youth unemployment in Bangladesh constitutes a persistent structural challenge that undermines inclusive growth and the effective utilization of the country’s demographic dividend. Although educational attainment has increased over the past decade, labour market absorption has not kept pace, resulting in rising unemployment, underemployment, and high NEET rates among young people. Existing literature attributes these outcomes to skills mismatch, limited diversification of the economy, weak coordination across employment-related institutions, and significant gender-based barriers. This paper conducts a situation analysis grounded in recent empirical studies, labour force data, and policy reports to assess the underlying determinants of the youth job crisis. It further examines the implications of governance constraints, labour market informality, and post-pandemic disruptions. Based on the evidence reviewed, the paper outlines strategic policy directions, emphasizing strengthened TVET systems, improved labour market information frameworks, targeted gender-responsive interventions, and enhanced multi-agency coordination. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive and sustained reform to ensure productive youth engagement in Bangladesh’s labour market.

Abstract: The agricultural cooperation between China and Africa serves as a pivotal example of international partnership, contributing to sustainable regional development and aligning with SDGs. This review article provides a comprehensive analysis of the state of China- Africa agricultural cooperation, highlighting its achievements, challenges, and prospects. Despite the progress made through technical support, financial aid, and infrastructure development, current efforts often lack a holistic approach to fully utilizing African agricultural resources for sustainable regional advancement. This study synthesizes existing literature, policy documents, and case studies to explore sustainable agricultural development pathways facilitated by regional cooperation with external partners. It delves into the dynamics and characteristics of China- Africa agricultural collaboration, identifies persistent challenges in resource integration, and proposes potential pathways for enhancing development. By highlighting the role of partnerships, this review provides valuable insights for policymakers and contributes to achieving sustainable agricultural development through practical international cooperation.

Abstract:

Understanding the continuity from physical and biological systems to the mind and society remains a fundamental scientific challenge, often hindered by disciplinary fragmentation. This paper proposes the Multi-level Constraint Recursive Realization (MCRR) framework to offer a unified, first-principles-based account of this continuity. Its core thesis is that any persistent dissipative structure must satisfy three irreducible meta-constraints: (1) acquiring resources, (2) optimizing internal processes, and (3) maintaining its boundary. The framework's central mechanism is "recursive realization": higher-order complexities (e.g., adaptive behavior, mind, institutions) are not emergent novelties but strategic solutions evolved to resolve escalating conflicts among these constraints in variable environments. This process is driven by system-environment conflict, follows a logic of dynamic multi-dimensional prioritization, and is governed by cost-benefit trade-offs. MCRR systematically derives a functional hierarchy from passive structures to institutionalized society, explaining increasing flexibility as a recursive response to more complex constraint conflicts. It integrates and extends insights from autopoiesis, life history theory, and active inference, positioning them within the broader narrative of constraint satisfaction. As a heuristic meta-framework, the MCRR provides novel and testable perspectives for cognitive neuroscience, computational psychiatry, AI, and social sciences, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on adaptation, complexity, and the origins of intelligence and culture.

Abstract:

Background: There is a proliferation of terms that are used to define and describe qualitative methods of review synthesis. These terms can make understanding which approach to use difficult and the ability to generate operational clarity challenging. This is particularly important for life-span mental health research and further research is required that exams and maps the terms and approaches to synthesis. Objective: This scoping review aims to map the landscape of qualitative synthesis methods, evaluate the ability to operationalise named methods, explore their philosophical foundations and methodological associations and consider the application within a specifically identified area of life-span mental health research. Methods: Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines a scoping review was undertaken. A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases and grey literature sources. Articles were included that examined a methodological approach to qualitative synthesis. Data extraction and charting focused on synthesis type, frameworks, philosophical alignment, and operational guidance. Results: Fifty-four articles were identified and within these 14 qualitative methodologies were identified and 5 types of aggregative methods and 10 types of interpretive methods of synthesis. Meta-ethnography, meta-synthesis, framework synthesis were the most frequently cited methodologies. A subset of these methodologies and methods were found to be the more operationalizable and these are discussed. Conclusion: The review highlights significant terminological and methodological fragmentation in qualitative synthesis. It underscores the need for clearer guidance, standardised terminology, and stronger links between synthesis methodologies, methods and philosophical traditions. A decision tree is proposed to support researchers in selecting appropriate synthesis methodologies.

Abstract:

This study aimed to develop a comprehensive typology of Sudanese sorghum-farming households within their food security status to inform targeted agricultural policy and rural development strategies. Using survey data from 392 households across 11 Sudanese states, the research captures the structural, socio-economic, and geographical diversity of farming systems and scrutinizes the relationship between socioeconomic characteristics of farmer households and related probability of constituting a specific farmer type. To assert this, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), hierarchical clustering, and Multinomial logistic regression analysis were applied. Through PCA and hierarchical clustering, three types of farmers were identified: The first type (Vulnerable Farmers), characterized by low education levels, small landholdings, high food insecurity, and reliance on subsistence farming; The second type (Well-off Remote farmers), operating larger landholdings meant for commercial purposes, yet facing challenges related to geographic isolation and limited market access; The third type (Educated Farmers with access to urban areas), consisting of households with higher education, diversified income sources, and proximity to markets, though still experiencing persistent food insecurity. Multinomial logistic regression analysis confirmed that household size, age, education, land size, market distance, and income structure are significant predictors of respective types of farmers. Thus, the study stands as a tool to enlighten intended/future policies, in providing input support and credit for vulnerable farmers, infrastructure and market access for remote commercial farmers, and land tenure security with innovative-geared incentives for farmers interacting with urban areas to foster inclusive, adaptive agricultural policies, and sustainable development across Sudan’s diverse farming communities.

Abstract: This paper examines the short-run transmission of monetary policy shocks to bank credit granted to the non-financial corporate sector in Morocco, a bank-based emerging economy. While conventional monetary theory emphasizes the interest rate channel, growing empirical evidence suggests that monetary transmission is increasingly conditioned by banks’ balance-sheet constraints and credit risk considerations. The central question addressed is whether policy-rate shocks translate into short-run credit expansion or are instead absorbed through alternative banking adjustment mechanisms. The empirical analysis relies on monthly macro-financial data over the period 2014–2024 and employs a reduced-form Vector Autoregressive (VAR) framework. Impulse response functions, forecast error variance decompositions, and Granger causality tests are used to assess the dy-namic interactions between the policy rate, non-financial corporate credit, banks’ sovereign asset holdings, and credit risk conditions.The results show that monetary policy shocks generate weak, short-lived, and economically negligible responses in non-financial corporate credit, with no evidence of sustained credit expansion following policy-rate changes. By contrast, monetary impulses are associated with systematic balance-sheet reallocation toward sovereign assets and with more pronounced, though transitory, movements in credit risk indicators. Variance decompositions further reveal that short-run credit dynamics are overwhelmingly driven by internal banking and risk-related factors, while monetary policy shocks explain only a marginal share of credit fluctuations. Overall, the findings indicate that short-run monetary transmission in Morocco operates predominantly through risk-sensitive balance-sheet adjustments rather than through direct quantity-based credit responses, thereby reframing the interpretation of weak credit reactions to monetary policy in bank-based emerging economies.

Abstract: Understanding how technologies evolve within rapidly changing environments is a central challenge in innovation studies. This paper introduces the concept of technological macroevolution, driven by evolutionary dynamics within embedded subsystems, to explain mechanisms underlying systemic technological change. Building on existing theories, this study develops a conceptual and applied framework supported by a longitudinal case analysis of iPhone technology (2007–2025) as a host system interacting with Bluetooth technologies and other embedded subsystems. Findings reveal that successive Bluetooth versions (2.0 to 6.0) preceded and enabled macroevolutionary advances in iPhone models (1.0 to 17), with the temporal lag between subsystem evolution and host integration decreasing from three years to one—indicating accelerated technological co-evolution. Empirical evidence shows that subsystem enhancements, such as camera resolution (+16.73%) and display performance (+16.87%), significantly drive the macroevolution of smartphone capabilities. Hedonic pricing analysis further identifies battery life and display resolution as primary technological drivers of innovation and market value. These results support the hypothesis that microevolution in subsystems is a fundamental mechanism shaping macro-level technological trajectories, offering new insights for forecasting technological evolution and guiding innovation strategies. Overall, this study extends theories of technological change by highlighting subsystem evolution as a critical force in systemic innovation.

Abstract: In response to the rapid evolution of the global marketplace, the proliferation of local hipster coffee shops in Malaysia, including in Kelantan, has intensified competition in attracting and retaining customers, particularly among youth who are highly inclined to explore newly established and trend-driven cafés. Accordingly, this study examines the relationships between location preference, food quality, price, and café atmosphere and youth customer satisfaction at local hipster coffee shops in Kelantan. Data were collected from 384 youth respondents aged 15 to 40 years who had visited local hipster cafés in Kelantan through a self-administered questionnaire distributed via Google Forms. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 27.0, employing descriptive statistics, reliability analysis using Cronbach’s alpha, Spearman correlation, and multiple linear regression techniques. Although all measurement items demonstrated satisfactory reliability and validity, the normality test indicated that the data were not normally distributed, justifying the use of non-parametric analysis. The correlation results revealed strong and significant relationships between all studied factors and youth customer satisfaction. However, the multiple regression analysis identified café atmosphere as the most dominant factor influencing youth customer satisfaction, followed by location preference, while food quality and price were found to be statistically insignificant when other variables were considered. These findings offer valuable insights for café operators, business planners, and stakeholders in the coffee industry, enhancing customer experience and competitiveness.

Abstract: The interrelation between economic growth and financial development have fuelled the debate in the area of economics. The financial development in countries is driven by concert action of the governments in terms of policy making creating favourable financial infrastructures and taking strategic initiatives to building a conducive financial sector. The paper attempts to empirically revisit the association between financial development and long run growth in context of Saudi Arabia. The research uses select variables measured by World bank to predict economic growth and financial development. The research study analyses the link between financial development and economic growth in Saudi Arabia from 1980 to 2020 spanning a 40-year period. It uses a five variable ADRL model using a supply led approach. The Grainger test of causality and the VECM model proposes a unidirectional relationship flowing from proxy of financial development to Economic growth. The paper reports findings that support that financial development leads to economic growth in Saudi Arabia.

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

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

Abstract: Multiple myeloma (MM), once described as a rare “Kahler’s disease,” has become a central focus of hematology and oncology in the twenty-first century. Its history reveals how biomedical progress is inseparable from broader social, political, and economic forces. From ancient conceptualizations of cancer and the early development of hematology after the invention of the microscope, to the industrial and colonial exploitation that fueled pharmacology, MM therapy has been shaped by contexts far beyond the laboratory. Wars and geopolitical competition accelerated advances in oncology and immunology, producing both devastating tragedies, such as thalidomide, and durable breakthroughs, such as melphalan. The biotechnology revolution of the late twentieth century introduced proteasome inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, culminating in the approval of CAR-T cell therapies, which offer survival gains once unimaginable. Yet these advances also expose profound inequities: CAR-T remains limited to a handful of countries and priced beyond the reach of most patients. The COVID-19 pandemic further highlighted both the speed of biomedical innovation and the fragility of equitable delivery, underscoring the tension between discovery and access. By tracing the trajectory of MM from antiquity to the modern era, this article demonstrates that medical innovation must be understood not only as scientific progress but also as a reflection of humanity’s struggles with power, inequality, and responsibility.

Abstract: Housing insecurity is one of the most urgent social problems in the United States, with eviction serving as an important contributor to poverty, health inequities, and insecure housing. Federal and state policymakers established eviction moratoria and emergency rental assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic that dramatically decreased filings. This paper analyzes eviction filings in Florida from 2019 through 2025 to see if these actions had a lasting impact. Using the theory of institutional temporality, we employed descriptive, inferential, and time-series analyses, including segmented regression and joinpoint analyses, using data collected from the Eviction Lab. Results demonstrated that filings dropped to an average of 6,551 per month during the moratorium, compared to 10,766 prior to the pandemic; however, filings rose to 11,754 per month after protections were lifted in July 2021. Peaks in January and October also influenced the risk of eviction. The moratoria provided short-term relief, but Florida’s “eviction cliff” illustrates the limits of crisis-focused eviction policies and highlights the need for structural changes that integrate eviction prevention into long-term housing policy.

Abstract: In this report Italian researcher and engineer Alberto Donini and Swiss researcher and journalist Tomas Hrico present several photographs of unusual artifact discoveries they made at Cerro del Toro (Hill of the Bull) near the Mexican town of Ojuelos de Jalisco. Additionally, they describe the finding circumstances and show solid evidence regarding the ancient age at least of one of the three small objects excavated – a figurine of burned clay with big almond shaped eyes and an elongated head. In the last chapter “Final words” the two authors conclude the article by asking some significant questions and invite other researchers to collaborate with them on the next phase of their project.

Abstract: (1) Background: with the increasing complexity of public safety duties, police officers are frequently exposed to high-pressure, high-risk environments. They face multiple stressors, including workload demands, societal expectations, supervisory pressure, and emergencies. Such factors can impair their mental health and emotional inhibitory capacity. (2) Methods: this study explores the stress-related inhibitory control processes of police officers through a qualitative approach, including a literature review and semi-structured in-depth interviews. The research focuses on officers’ coping strategies, experiences with psychological counseling systems, and institutional mechanisms such as officer screening and emotional support structures. (3) Results: the findings reveal that police officers generally lack adequate emotional expression channels, leading to emotional dysregulation, outbursts, and burnout. Social support, supervisor attitudes, and flexible duty arrangements were identified as key stress-mitigating resources. However, the utilization of current psychological counseling services remains low, primarily due to concerns regarding stigmatization and confidentiality. (4) Conclusions: This study recommends the development of a responsive mental health support framework for police agencies, emphasizing improvements in officer selection processes, mental health training, counseling accessibility, and organizational flexibility.

Abstract: The concept of bioregions stands out among the various approaches to sustainable territorial development, which provides for the initiative of local communities in solving their sustainability issues. At the same time, the concept of bioregions is diverse in practice, focusing on organic farming, tourism, local culture and also nature protection. Therefore, a balanced approach to the development of bioregions, which considers the specific characteristics of a particular area and the needs of its local community, is important. The present research employed the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach to analyse economic, ecological and social value added as the main criteria and their subordinate sub-criteria. As a result, three scenarios were designed: the Broad Integration Scenario, the Conservative Scenario and the Culture and Tourism Scenario. The dominant strategy has been found to be the Culture and Tourism scenario, focusing on tourism and local cultural values, which can contribute to increasing the consumption of local products and services, while preserving the values and ensuring a balanced approach to sustainable development. At the same time, the Broad Integration Scenario revealed that a broad approach, even an aggressive approach, to sustainable development was highly controversial, as it had the greatest dispersion in priority vector values. Bioregionalism, however, is a little-supported approach that does not gain support from either sustainability or rapid growth advocates. The results revealed the importance of a long-term approach to sustainable development and, at the same time, implicitly pointed to the role of public attitudes, both in terms of supply (through local community initiatives in bioregionalization) and demand, which could increase the consumption of bioregional products and services.

Abstract: Artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral component of modern society, transforming the way individuals communicate, conduct business, and interact. Drawing on recent case law and statutory developments, the discussion assesses how existing legal frameworks grounded in human accountability fail to account for autonomous decision-making systems. It assesses the challenges posed by data misuse, copyright infringement in generative technologies, and algorithmic bias, which perpetuate social and economic bias. Ethical analysis extends to questions of moral status and emotional manipulation, arguing that the anthropomorphism of AI risks diminishing human values while evaluating the extent to which AI should be involved in decision-making. Through the lens of autonomy and human agency, the study demonstrates how reliance on technologies can risk eroding critical thinking, compromising professional judgement, and jeopardising social isolation. Socioeconomic considerations further reveal AI’s disruptive role in labour markets, widening skill gaps, and reshaping employment hierarchies while replacing existing jobs. Within education, AI serves as a transformational tool by offering personalised learning and administrative efficiency. However, the absence of emotional intelligence underscores the irreplaceable role of human connection in fostering creativity and safety, alongside concerns about privacy. Bias, discrimination and algorithmic manipulation further complicate the relationship between innovative technologies and societal well-being, emphasising the need for adaptive governance that balances innovation with ethical integrity to safeguard individuals' safety and integrity in a rapidly evolving environment. This study analyses proposed and existing frameworks, while suggesting alternative frameworks to help mitigate such issues.

Abstract: Human civilization has advanced through a sequence of profound transitions—from foraging bands to agricultural societies, industrial economies, information networks, and the emerging era of machine intelligence. Yet existing explanatory frameworks remain fragmented across disciplinary boundaries. This study proposes a transdisciplinary model that identifies cognitive breakthroughs as the primary driver of civilization evolution. These breakthroughs trigger two co-evolving mechanisms: paradigm substitution, which restructures technological and institutional orders, and efficiency intensification, which deepens the potential of the new paradigm. Together, they form an upward spiral—the Cognition-Substitution-Intensification (CSI) model—that governs long-run antihistorical dynamics. By integrating insights from complex systems theory, energy history, information theory, and innovation studies, the CSI model provides a unified explanation of past civilization transitions and offers a forward-looking framework for understanding the rise of intelligent civilization. The model further suggests that artificial intelligence, bio-computation, and quantum systems may constitute the next major cognitive breakthrough, reshaping the trajectory of human societies.

Abstract: Event definition governs the learnability and predictability of machine-learning tasks. We replace loosely defined, quasi-random categories—such as “career events” and “health events”—with operational, data-driven “statistical anomaly events,” and introduce a genuinely multidimensional composite target, the “trade-off crisis,” characterized by the near co-occurrence of a career breakthrough with a health downturn. We evaluate an entanglement-based multi-task model (MTEN) against standard transformer baselines on simulated benchmarks within a fully reproducible Windows environment. While baselines fit single-dimension strong signals, MTEN markedly improves cross-dimensional composite recognition (test-set AUCs: y12 = 0.6440 vs. 0.3583; y3 = 0.7345 vs. 0.3385). We formalize a “define before modeling” principle, detail the computational pipeline and key parameters for constructing composite events, and analyze the learnability of trade-off mechanisms in complex systems via structural analogies to entanglement, discussing implications for model-selection strategies.