Social Sciences

Abstract: Background. Archive studies have primarily conceptualized archives as documentary repositories and memory institutions, whereas territorial studies have examined territorialities as processes through which social groups produce, signify, and contest space. Despite their shared concern with the social production of meaning, the relationship between archives and territorialities remains insufficiently theorized. Problematization. This article proposes understanding the archive as a relational configuration composed of three dimensions: a Mode of Differential Documentation (collections), a Territorial System of Site (spatial infrastructures and locations), and a Condensed Informational Potential (contents). Together, these dimensions constitute the archive as an institution embedded in territorial processes of meaning production. Development. The relationship between territorialities and archives from an anthropological perspective, advancing the hypothesis that this relationship shapes the political-cultural construction of territories. Archives do more than preserve documents. By organizing and rendering traces of the past intelligible, they articulate memories, places, and identities, generating shared horizons of territorial interpretation. In this sense, the archive operates as a Regime of Expansibility of its Implicit Territoriality. Implications and Conclusion. Territories not only produce archives; archives also produce territories by organizing, circulating, and legitimizing meanings. This framework opens new avenues for empirical research on archival practices and territorial construction.

Abstract: Participatory systems have been widely adopted in citizen science, environmental monitoring, urban governance, and public collaborative decision-making. Traditional usability theory focuses on individual task performance and user satisfaction, which cannot adequately explain or support voluntary collective participation, participant recruitment, and long-term engagement. To address this gap, this study introduces the new concept participatability and develops a dedicated assessment framework for participatory systems. Based on a systematic review of usability criteria and the unique socio-technical features of participatory systems, this study defines five core evaluation dimensions: salience, adaptability, congruence, privacy safeguarding, and interactive engagement. Two complementary case studies, including a mature citizen science platform and a newly developed campus participatory planning system, are conducted to validate the framework. Empirical results show that participatability is significantly associated with user acceptance, participation willingness, data contribution quality, and long-term system sustainability. Users in collective participation scenarios prioritize participatability over conventional usability. This study provides a theoretically sound and practically applicable framework for understanding, evaluating, and designing participatory systems. The proposed concept and criteria address critical limitations of existing theories and offer practical guidance for system developers and practitioners to improve participation effectiveness.

Abstract: This article examines the strategic intersection between agricultural heritage conservation and sustainable rural development by analyzing the Serra da Canastra cheese-producing microregion in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Following the historic inclusion of Artisanal Minas Cheese on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in late 2024, a significant structural disconnect persists between the product’s elevated global cultural reputation and the localized economic returns realized by traditional family farms. Utilizing a comparative mixed-methods approach, this study evaluates institutional frameworks, policy documents, and territorial data against the benchmark model of Italy’s Parmigiano Reggiano region. The findings indicate that international heritage designations do not automatically yield regional economic resilience; rather, symbolic value must be actively converted through coordinated multilevel governance. To capture sustainable growth, Brazilian stakeholders must transition from formal Geographical Indication (GI) compliance to an integrated system of experiential agri-tourism routes, strict collective quality enforcement via producer consortia, and landscape-driven narrative marketing. This paper contributes a transferable, transnational framework for policymakers and rural sociologists seeking to leverage cultural heritage assets as drivers of sustainable territorial development and economic diversification.

Abstract: Coastal communities dependent on marine resources face chronic and acute threats from harmful algal blooms (HABs) that demand effective institutional responses. Resilience offers a useful framework for assessing how communities monitor, respond to, and adapt to these hazards, as well as how the institutions they have developed shape those capacities. Historically, affected communities have developed institutions to mitigate these hazards, making institutional resilience a valuable analytic lens. This paper adopts a comparative perspective to examine institutional measures for preventing and mitigating HABs in coastal waters. Using a most-similar-systems design, it analyzes institutional resilience-building measures in four democracies with distinct institutional configurations: the United States, Australia, Norway, and Japan. By distinguishing between ex ante (proactive) and ex post (reactive) measures and comparing responses to tempo-rally similar HAB events, the analysis identifies institutions as key explanatory variables shaping risk assessment, monitoring uptake, and policy effectiveness. Evaluating HAB governance through a resilience lens provides planners and decision-makers with a practical basis for developing a more balanced portfolio of responses in a dynamic hazard environment. This analysis suggests that sustained investment in a balanced approach – one that incorporates proactive measures – offers the most effective strategy for strengthening long-term adaptive capacity in confronting the hazard posed by HABs.

Abstract: High-intensity 5 km running offers an ideal framework to analyze the organism's multidimensional responses. Since previous research primarily analyzed isolated aspects of fatigue, this study aimed to examine the integrated acute neuromuscular, metabolic, and perceptual responses to a 5 km run. Twenty-one recreational male runners participated. Pre- and post-race assessments included body composition, blood lactate, m. rectus femoris ultrasound thickness, quadriceps maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC), heart rate, perceived exertion (Borg CR10), and 5 km finish time. Statistical analysis was performed in the Jamovi software,utilizing descriptive statistics, the Shapiro–Wilk test of normality, the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with effect size r calculation, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient, at a significance level of p < 0.05. Post-race measurements revealed a significant decrease in quadriceps MVIC (pre: 305.26 ± 98.83 N vs. post: 258.85 ± 88.47 N; p = 0.002) and an increase in blood lactate (pre: 0.81 ± 0.35 vs. post: 6.90 ± 1.44 mmol/L; p < 0.001), alongside high average heart rates (165 ± 16 bpm). However, ultrasound-assessed muscle architecture remained unchanged. The 5 km run induced pronounced neuromuscular and metabolic fatigue. Unchanged muscle architecture suggests that acute strength decline is primarily mediated by metabolic and neural mechanisms, rather than immediate structural-morphological factors.

Abstract: Remote and hybrid work have altered where many high-skill workers live, commute, and participate in professional networks, raising new questions for technology-based economic development (TBED) in the United States. This conceptual review asks whether remote work is dispersing innovation activity, creating durable opportunities for smaller metropolitan areas, or reorganizing established geographies of advantage. The article uses a focused conceptual review that synthesizes foundational scholarship on agglomeration, clusters, and innovation geography with post-2020 research on remote work, urban restructuring, regional migration, local innovation systems, and policy responses. Sources were selected for their relevance to spatial concentration, metropolitan hierarchy, remote-worker embeddedness, and TBED strategy. The review shows that remote work has not dissolved agglomeration. Large metropolitan regions continue to concentrate remote-capable, innovation-intensive, and digitally intensive employment, while some smaller and mid-sized metros have gained visibility and mobile talent. However, the evidence points more strongly to selective gains at the margin than to broad spatial equalization. The findings also show that residential inflows alone do not create durable innovation capacity. The article argues that remote work is reorganizing rather than replacing TBED. Its central contribution is a framework of partial geographic decoupling, in which remote work loosens the routine overlap among residence, workplace, and firm location while increasing the importance of local institutions. The main policy challenge is building connective capacity that converts mobile labor into entrepreneurship, collaboration, civic participation, and long-term regional innovation. This framing clarifies how regions can compete without assuming that attracting remote workers automatically produces transformation. Recent federal and multi-survey evidence strengthens the article’s claim that remote work has stabilized above pre-pandemic levels while remaining uneven by education, occupation, and metropolitan context.

Abstract: The aim of the study was to examine the effect of respiratory muscle strength parameters obtained from endurance athletes on aerobic capacity levels. A total of 70 endurance athletes, 23 females and 47 males, voluntarily participated with the study. Respiratory muscle strength of the athletes were measured with a digital spirometer. Max VO₂ was assessed using the cardiopulmonary exercise testing system (Cosmed K5). As a result of the research; MIP and MEP values were determined to be related to PETCO₂ value at maximum load in female endurance athletes. In male endurance athletes, MEP values were determined to be related to PETCO₂ values at maximum load, PETO₂ values at maximum load, MaxVO₂ values, VO₂ values at RCP, and VO₂ values at VT. Additionally, in male endurance athletes, the MIP value was determined to be related to the VCO₂ value at RCP and the VTidal value at maximum load. Other Max VO₂ sub parameters examined were not associated with respiratory muscle strength. Research results reveal that there are relationships between maximal oxygen consumption which is the most important indicator of aerobic performance and its sub-parameters and respiratory muscles.

Abstract: Background: Climate change is increasingly recognized as a major global health threat, with disproportionate impacts on vulnerable populations, including women living with breast cancer who are receiving palliative care. These women often experience compounded physical, psychological, and socioeconomic burdens that may be intensified by climate-related stressors such as heatwaves, flooding, and disruptions to healthcare delivery. However, there is limited evidence from low- and middle-income countries, including Ghana, on how climate change affects the palliative care continuum and quality of life (QoL) among this population. Materials and Methods: A qualitative descriptive phenomenological design was employed to explore the experiences of women with breast cancer receiving palliative care at Ho Teaching Hospital, Ghana. Fourteen participants were purposively sampled between January and March 2026. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted face-to-face. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman’s conventional content analysis approach. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability strategies. Ethical clearance was received before data collection began (HTH-REC/EX/2026/003) Results: Four main themes and thirteen sub-themes emerged: (1) Climate-related environmental disruptions (extreme heat, flooding, and unreliable electricity supply); (2) Health-related consequences along the palliative care continuum (symptom exacerbation, treatment interruptions, and reduced care accessibility); (3) Psychosocial and economic strain (emotional distress, financial hardship, food and water insecurity); and (4) Adaptive and coping responses (spiritual coping, family support, and reliance on healthcare providers and community networks). Conclusion: The study demonstrates that climate change significantly disrupts the palliative care continuum and diminishes the quality of life of women with breast cancer through interconnected environmental, clinical, and psychosocial pathways. Strengthening climate-resilient palliative care systems, improving healthcare infrastructure, and integrating psychosocial and environmental adaptation strategies into oncology and palliative care practice are urgently needed.

Abstract: Smart cities are being advocated to solve the excessive urbanization. They are supposed to be more efficient, more connected and more sustainable. However, long-term sustainability cannot be achieved in a real situation unless we seal the loopholes that still prevail in our current efforts. The main issues are: integrating renewable-energy solutions to reduce carbon; applying the principles of the circular economy to consume fewer resources and produce less waste; and ensuring that every resident of urban areas is able to access available urban resources and services that are usually not evenly distributed. In this article, the sustainability challenges are gathered together and demonstrate how they can be addressed by use of technology, provided that the technology is supported by good governance and accepted standards. A city that strategically connects its smart-city strategies to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, as well as to the appropriate national, industry, and IEEE standards, has left its technology-centered viewpoint, where people, the environment, and long-term resilience are prioritized. Ultimately, to head in the right direction and create the sustainable urban futures, we need to combine the latest technology with equitable policies and plans that would respond to climate change. This is when smart cities will bring a sustainable advantage to the lives of people and the planet.

Abstract: Introduction: The educational promotion of inclusive recreational spaces remains a key challenge for public policies, particularly in contexts where gaps persist between regulation and implementation. Objective: This study analyzed the impact of public policies on the promotion of inclu-sive recreational spaces in the canton of Milagro, focusing on accessibility, pedagogical use, and social inclusion. Methodology: A mixed-methods approach was applied, with a non-experimental, cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational design and an explanatory component. The sample included teachers, administrators, technical staff, and community members. Data were collected through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Results: Findings showed a favorable regulatory framework but only partial local im-plementation. Significant relationships were identified between policy implementation and accessibility, educational use, and inclusion. Gaps were also observed in teacher training and adaptation to functional diversity. Discussion: Results align with previous studies emphasizing the need to integrate pub-lic policies, education, and territorial planning. Conclusions: Strengthening policy implementation and coordination is essential to consolidate inclusive recreational spaces with sustainable educational impact.

Abstract: This article analyzes the impact of agricultural support measures on food import dependency for a 52-country sample from 1985 to 2017 using databases from the World Bank, the Center for Systemic Peace and the Groningen Center for Growth and Development. We apply a continuous treatment effect and control for endogeneity to describe the extent of food import dependency in response to domestic support for agriculture. Our results show strong evidence of heterogeneous impacts on aggregate food import dependency at different levels of political aid intensity. Estimates of dose-response functions confirm that countries providing moderate support to agriculture tend to do better in reducing their use of agri-food imports.

Abstract: Against the backdrop of rural revitalization, traditional villages in Guizhou's ethnic minority regions face the dual challenges of preservation and development. Existing research predominantly focuses on macro-scale morphological descriptions, lacking an operable spatial classification method that can directly guide planning and management. To address this gap, this paper takes Fengxi Village in Dejiang County as a case study, integrates Conzenian urban morphology theory with the concept of "management units", and proposes a spatial unit classification method for traditional villages based on the overlay analysis of "morphological regions + property parcels". First, the Conzenian plan analysis method is employed to systematically deconstruct Fengxi Village's land use, road system, plot combinations, and building types, thereby delineating its morphological regions. Subsequently, three evaluation factors—building value, quality, and appearance—are innovatively introduced. Through quantitative evaluation, all 702 buildings in the village are classified into five categories: preservation units, restoration and improvement units, comprehensive renovation units, demolition and renewal units, and new development units, with the quantities and proportions of each unit type statistically analyzed. Building on this foundation, differentiated control guidelines and development strategies are proposed for each unit category. The research indicates that this method achieves a transformation from "morphological description" to "implementable control", breaking down the vague goal of "holistic preservation" into concrete "unit-based guidance" actions, and provides a replicable technical pathway for the refined planning and management of traditional villages. The innovation of this paper lies in constructing a complete technical framework of "morphological analysis - factor evaluation - unit control", addressing the deficiency of existing research at the micro-operational level.

Abstract: Smart manufacturing depends on operational data that remain continuous, interpretable, and reusable in practice. In constrained small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) factories, however, the main bottleneck often lies not in later-stage analytics or AI applications, but in securing an operationally viable data foundation under real deployment conditions. A lifecycle-based analysis of smart manufacturing data pipelines, together with recurrent SME deployment constraints identified in prior studies, led this study to derive six recurring operational risks. On that basis, the study proposes an Operational Data Foundation Framework structured around core requirements of continuity, governance, diagnosability, operability, reprocessability, and evolvability. These requirements are further articulated through design principles and assessable operational invariants. The framework was instantiated in a real SME factory, where heterogeneous field sources were integrated into a coherent operational data foundation for smart manufacturing through constrained communication paths, durable edge-side capture, cloud-side stream processing, controlled data normalization, and monitoring and alerting functions. Requirement-based evidence from the field implementation showed that the system preserved stable semantics across the pipeline, made failures traceable to specific lifecycle segments, preserved historical records for later reprocessing, and remained manageable under constrained deployment conditions. A representative field case further demonstrated the framework's practical value: severe communication instability was diagnosed through lifecycle-segment discrepancy analysis and improved from approximately 33% to 95% packet reception after targeted intervention. The study contributes a field-grounded and assessable design logic for making smart manufacturing practically achievable in constrained SME factories.

Abstract: Land degradation, characterized by declining soil fertility and erosion, is a major constraint to maize productivity in Malawi, where more than half of the arable land is degraded. Although knowledge of soil fertility is critical for efficient input allocation, most smallholder farmers rely on subjective assessments of soil quality, potentially leading to imprecise decisions. This study examines how farmers’ perceptions of soil fertility and erosion influence input allocation and maize productivity among smallholder farmers in Malawi. Using plot level data from the Malawi Integrated Household Survey, we apply a Conditional Mixed Process estimator and Stochastic Frontier Analysis to assess input use behaviour and technical efficiency. Results indicate that farmers allocate more labour and inorganic fertilizer to plots perceived as fertile, and adoption of improved maize varieties is lower on plots perceived as poor. In contrast, organic manure is more frequently applied on degraded plots. Mean technical efficiency is estimated at 0.62, indicating substantial inefficiency relative to the production frontier. Technical efficiency declines monotonically with worsening soil conditions, falling from 0.76 on good plots to 0.52 on poor plots and 0.47 on highly eroded plots. These findings highlight sustainability risks and underline the need for improved soil diagnostics and targeted extension services.

Abstract: The fishing processing industry in Chimbote, Peru, reflects structural vulnerabilities common in extractive sectors of the Global South, including labour informality, weak occupational safety, and limited Internal Corporate Social Responsibility (ICSR). These conditions hinder progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 8 (SDG 8). While prior studies link ICSR to positive employee outcomes, the mechanisms through which its effects translate across organisational levels remain theoretically underdeveloped, par-ticularly in high-informality contexts. A quantitative, explanatory, cross-sectional design was employed using data from 384 workers in fishing processing firms. Data were col-lected through a 26-item Likert-scale instrument. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) was applied to test a sequential mediation model, where ICSR in-fluences organisational-level labour management through individual and group-level processes. Reliability and validity were confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha, Composite Reliability, AVE, Fornell–Larcker, and HTMT. Structural relationships were assessed via bootstrapping (5,000 subsamples), and predictive relevance was evaluated using Q² and PLS Predict. The measurement model showed adequate reliability and validity. The direct effect of ICSR on organisational-level labour management was non-significant (β = 0.029, p = 0.567). However, all mediated paths were significant: ICSR → Individual (β = 0.608), Individual → Group (β = 0.526), and Group → Organisational (β = 0.396), all p < 0.001. Sequential mediation was confirmed (β_indirect = 0.127; 95% CI [0.090, 0.164]). Model fit (SRMR = 0.045) and predictive relevance (Q² = 0.150–0.361) were satisfactory. ICSR does not directly influence organisational outcomes; instead, its impact operates through a bottom-up multilevel mechanism, reinforcing individual, group, and organ-isational dynamics. These findings contribute to sustainable labour governance and multilevel organisational theory.

Abstract: Elderly people have the right to essential welfare and support services that encompass access to healthcare services. This article explores the day-to-day psycho-social en-counters of elderly women in accessing health services in rural Zimbabwe. The re-search utilised the qualitative research approach in which four key informants were purposively selected for interviews and the snowballing sampling technique used to reach out to eight elderly women who participated in the study. The study was guided by the Human Rights-Based Perspective which informs our thoughts on vulnerabilities of elderly women’s in rural Zimbabwe. The study established that the difficulties of el-derly women are tied to the deteriorating health status due to ageing connected to de-clining family support. As a consequence, the elderly women find themselves in some form of social isolation which generates a state of peril for the rural elderly women. The study established that such isolation results in acute vulnerability, intensified marginalisation and diminished access to essential healthcare services. The study recommends that the duty-bearers, that is, the state and stakeholders, should take up their responsibilities and design tailor-made health services that cater for the daily needs of elderly people in rural communities.

Abstract: This study defines grain production resilience as the stability of grain output under climate-related disturbances, measured by the negative value of the three-year rolling coefficient of variation of grain output. It incorporates agricultural insurance and farmland infrastructure into a unified analytical framework and treats climate shocks as state variables to examine their effects on grain production resilience and their interaction. Using panel data for 31 provinces in China from 2008 to 2024, this study constructs temperature and precipitation shock indices based on ERA5 data and estimates a panel smooth transition regression model. The results show that climate shocks significantly weaken grain production resilience, and their effects are nonlinear and state dependent. Farmland infrastructure has a relatively stable positive effect, whereas agricultural insurance plays a weaker role. Under temperature shocks, the two policy tools tend to exhibit a substitutive relationship. Under precipitation shocks, however, their relationship varies across shock regimes and becomes more complementary only under higher-shock conditions. These findings suggest that grain production support policies should be adjusted according to the type and intensity of climate shocks.

Abstract: Climate change is a global pressing concern that has affected all sectors, including the operations for Small and Medium Entreprises (SMEs) in developing countries, including Malawi. This has negatively affected the economies of scale, and exacerbated the SMEs’ growth. Nonetheless, renewable efficient energy (REE) systems, including solar and biogas, could help in building resilience to sustain their performance. In line with this, the study examined the factors that enhance the adoption of the renewable efficient energies, and constructed their resilience indices. Our study was grounded in the Diffusion of Innovation Theory and the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. These theories guided the selection of variables to estimate a Multinomial Endogenous Switching Regression (MESR) econometric model, alongside estimating the absorptive, adaptive and transformative individual indices for 699 SMEs, using the 2019 Malawi Household Integrated Survey. The results from the MESR suggests that factors, such as access to credit, being male, access to education, access to capital sources, large profit share, bridging social capital and location among others, have a positive effect in influencing the adoption of renewable efficient systems. We simulated the adoption results, and found that SMEs who adopts REE increase their resilience by 87,3% and through the subsidy policy effect vulnerable SMEs who later adopts REE would shift their resilience by 0.169. Furthermore, the study found that transformative capacity plays the most important role in building long-term resilience for the SMEs. The study calls for polices, including establishing urban centers where SMEs can access information regarding REE and improving access to formal safety nets and capital sources beyond loan provisions.

Abstract: Technology adoption theories developed in institutionally mature contexts assume stable hierarchies among determinants, with perceived usefulness typically dominating. This paper qualifies this assumption by proposing that adoption hierarchies are institutionally contingent. Drawing on institutional voids theory and digital finance research, the paper develops a framework identifying three adoption regimes that function as ideal types which may overlap within contexts: (a) institutional trust dominant, where strong market supporting institutions enable usefulness-centered adoption; (b) vendor trust compensatory, where institutional voids elevate vendor-specific trust to primary importance; and (c) infrastructure-constrained, where basic access functions as a direct behavioral determinant. The framework extends technology acceptance theory by specifying when hierarchies change, theorizing trust as a compensatory mechanism, infrastructure as a hard constraint based on physical feasibility rather than perceptions, and a digital leveling effect explaining selective cultural influence. We derive propositions and outline a research agenda for cross-country and longitudinal validation, with implications for technology acceptance theory and digital financial inclusion practice.

Abstract: The rapid proliferation of healthcare data from electronic health records (EHRs), medical imaging systems, laboratory devices, and IoT-enabled patient monitoring devices has created unprecedented challenges for healthcare data management. Traditional Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) tools have long been employed to collect, integrate, and load data into centralized repositories such as data warehouses and data lakes. However, conventional ETL processes are often limited by rigid rule-based transformations, inefficiencies in handling unstructured or semi-structured data, and lack of automation in data quality assurance. This study investigates the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques into ETL pipelines to enhance healthcare data management. AI methods—including machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP) are incorporated to automate anomaly detection, optimize transformation rules, and extract insights from unstructured clinical text. A conceptual framework is proposed for an AI-augmented ETL system that ingests heterogeneous healthcare data, applies intelligent transformations, and loads high-quality, enriched datasets into a secure data warehouse. The system architecture enables real-time and batch processing, anomaly detection, and adaptive learning to improve ETL efficiency over time. Evaluation metrics include data quality improvement, processing speed, anomaly detection accuracy, and scalability. The findings demonstrate that AI-enhanced ETL significantly reduces data errors, accelerates processing, and provides enriched datasets suitable for downstream analytics, predictive modeling, and decision-making in healthcare operations. By integrating AI into ETL workflows, healthcare organizations can achieve more reliable, timely, and actionable data management, supporting clinical decision-making, operational efficiency, and regulatory compliance. This study contributes to the literature on intelligent data engineering in healthcare, presenting a scalable framework for future research and practical implementation in complex healthcare IT ecosystems.