Search Results (399)

The study delves into the prevailing focal points and developmental trends within the international sphere of crop root research under drip irrigation. It leverages the Web of Science core database and employs VOSviewer for a systematic review of the literature spanning 2001 to 2022. The analysis encompasses publication counts, publishing journals, contributing authors, research institutions, and keywords. Findings indicate that research on root systems under drip irrigation has become a notable area of interest in the field of irrigation, attracting global scholarly attention. There is a marked upward trend in publication output, with institutions in China and the United States taking on central roles. Journals like Agricultural Water Management and Acta Horticulturae are key publication venues, with Vadose Zone Journal being notable for high-impact articles. The research primarily involves agronomy, water resources, and horticulture, focusing on yield enhancement through drip irrigation, root distribution under various techniques, crop quality in response to partial root-zone drying, and irrigation scheduling model development. Scholars like Jiri Simunek and Yaohu Kang have made substantial contributions. The field’s established framework calls for continued international collaboration to drive further innovation. The identified trends and parameters can be a valuable reference for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, guiding efforts to optimize agricultural productivity and resource use. Full article

Environmental sustainability depends highly on our ability to identify the determinants of various types of pro-environmental behaviours (PEBs). However, so far, public sphere pro-environmental behaviours (PBS-PEBs) have received little attention in the scientific literature. This paper aims thus to fill this gap by exploring the role of dispositional (i.e., social anxiety and self-efficacy) and social psychological factors (i.e., environmental concern and global warming awareness) in the prediction of PBS-PEBs. An online questionnaire, including measures of these factors, was administered to residents (N = 199) of various Italian cities. The results indicated that (1) dispositional social anxiety (but not self-efficacy) directly (and negatively) predicts PBS-PEBs and that its effect is comparable to that of the social psychological factors considered (environmental concern and global warming awareness); (2) global warming awareness (positively) predicts PBS-PEBs directly, while (3) environmental concern, measured through the NEP scale, does it indirectly. Implications of the results for modelling the role of dispositional anxiety, environmental concern and global warming awareness in studies on PBS-PEBs are briefly outlined. Full article

The reforms of Russian Tsar Peter I (1682–1725) touched all spheres of life, including the Church. The purpose of this paper is to bring into focus his approach to the reform of monasticism. It reflects on Peter’s personal remarks as reported both by his Russian and his foreign interlocutors, his legislation, including law drafts, and practical measures such as the All-Joking, All-Drunken Synod. The principal conclusion is that it was this Russian ruler who was the first to call into question the very existence of monasticism and who came close to the ultimate dissolution of monasteries. He did not abolish monasticism not because it was a too radical step but because he devised measures of reform to raise its standards and improve its public utility. His treatment of the monastic tradition should be interpretated not as secularization but rather as modernization. Peter’s personal “monachophobia” is best understood as a modernizing impulse. His objective was the creation of a “modern” state whose Church and clergy represented contemporary values. Traditional, unreformed monasticism presented an obstacle in his progress towards this goal. The legacy of Peter’s policy was an increasing monachophobia in Russia apparent from the 18th century onwards. Full article

Deras are generally perceived as an alternative socio-religious space frequented mostly by lower castes and economically weaker sections of society. They promise to make a significant difference to the lives of such vulnerable sections of society by lending them much needed spiritual, moral, and social support. Within the sprawling premises of Deras, downtrodden find a welcoming ‘counter-public’ enriched with social capital, which offers them an egalitarian domain free from the afflictions of caste discriminations, social exclusion, and subtle indignities often faced by them within the mainstream religious spheres. The growth of Deras thus may be seen as an index of subaltern socio-cultural and syncretic religious realms generating a rich haul of social capital. Full article

This paper focuses on the problem of how Buddhism was reinstitutionalized in Russia in the frame of the meta process of mediatization. The empirical part of this study included two stages and was conducted during 2020–2024. In this paper, the authors focused mainly on the peculiarities of constructing strategies in the Internet and new media via traditional Gelug ethnic offline organizations, the Russian branches of the International Karma Kagyu Community, International Dzogchen Community and Russian-speaking community of Theravada converts. The methodological framework of the research included the institutional perspective developed by the Danish media scholar Stig Hjarvard for studying the mediatization of religion and the concept of “mediatized public religion” by Mia Lövheim and Marta Axner, as well as the concept of “digital religious innovators” by Heidi Campbell. The authors revealed that the processes of digitalization and mediatization have resulted in the emergence of Russian mediatized Buddhism. Various trends in modern Russian Buddhism are disproportionally represented in the public sphere of media; representation directly correlates with the strategies that Digital Buddhist creatives of different streams—Gelugpa traditional, Dzogchen, Theravada or Karma Kagyu—have chosen in relation to the Internet and new media. Full article

In its chronic and non-specific form, low back pain is experienced by a large percentage of the population; its persistence impacts the quality of life and increases costs to the health care system. In recent years, the scientific literature highlights how treatment based on assessment and functional recovery is effective through IMU technology with biofeedback or exergaming as part of the tools available to assist the evaluation and treatment of these patients, who present not only with symptoms affecting the lumbar spine but often also incorrect postural attitudes. Aim: Evaluate the impact of technology, based on inertial sensors with biofeedback or exergaming, in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain. A systematic review of clinical studies obtained from PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases from 1 January 2016 to 1 July 2024 was conducted, developing the search string based on keywords and combinations of terms with Boolean AND/OR operators; on the retrieved articles were applied inclusion and exclusion criteria. The procedure of publication selection will be represented with the PRISMA diagram, the risk of bias through the RoB scale 2, and methodological validity with the PEDro scale. Eleven articles were included, all RCTs, and most of the publications use technology with exergaming within about 1–2 months. Of the outcomes measured, improvements were reported in pain, disability, and increased function; the neuropsychological sphere related to experiencing the pathology underwent improvements. From the results obtained, the efficacy of using technology based on exergames and inertial sensors, in patients with chronic non-specific low back pain, was increased. Further clinical studies are required to achieve more uniformity in the proposed treatment to create a common guideline for health care providers. Full article

The increasingly digital nature of modern societies necessitates continually examining how individuals interact in the public sphere. This systematic literature review comprehensively analyzes emerging research on public interaction across diverse contexts. By employing an innovative method of applying artificial intelligence on a large-scale academic corpus, we systematically identified and categorized eight major research clusters: social media and public discourse; public Governance in health and education; urban environments and data systems; group interaction dynamics; complex systems modeling; human-display interfaces; political processes; and public service design. Sub-topic mapping revealed key themes such as digital civic engagement, transport sustainability, behavioral dynamics, and socio-environmental impacts. Our interdisciplinary synthesis highlights public interaction as a multifaceted phenomenon intertwined with technological change, policy decisions, environmental factors, and social constructs. These insights underscore the need for holistic, cross-disciplinary approaches to navigate the challenges and opportunities of public interaction in our rapidly evolving digital age. This review provides a unified knowledge base to guide future research while informing decision-makers on cultivating participatory, adaptive, and sustainable public spheres. Full article

This paper examines the dynamics of political listening, news processing, and podcasting in North African countries through the case study of Tunisia. The analysis centers on Tunisian President Kais Saied’s speech on 25 July 2021, in which he dissolved the Parliament and assumed full control, following widespread public protests against the country’s deteriorating conditions. By leveraging the concept of political listening, this study investigates the methods podcasters employ to foster political engagement in Tunisia. The content analysis encompasses five podcasts produced between 25 July and 31 December 2021. The findings reveal that podcasters address the constitutional legitimacy of Saied’s actions and criticize the Ennahda party for its power monopoly attempts. The use of interview-based narratives, coupled with emotional elements such as humor and sarcasm, enhances the linguistic impact, conveys optimism, and garners support for the president. This approach signifies the emergence of an alternative public sphere, purposefully crafted to attract political listening, enrich public knowledge, foster cohesion, and encourage civic participation. Full article

Ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, various voices in the Russian public sphere have been trying to make sense of Russia’s new place in the world, its geopolitical horizons, and the identity of its people. One of the dominant trends that have emerged is Orthodox imperialism, which combines religious symbols and narratives with a geopolitical vision of Russian expansion and “reunification”. This article provides an overview of the Russian Orthodox imperialist voices, analysing the political norms and identities they have enabled. Our investigation shows that by advancing a programme that combines geopolitical restoration and eschatological religious mission, Orthodox imperialism offers an ideological solution to the problem of Russia’s lost great-power status. This solution, however, does not envisage a bright future for Russia or the world. On the contrary, it remains firmly fixated on the past, foretelling of an apocalyptic disaster if Moscow does not regain its former imperial glory and exercise its divine role as a “restrainer” to any global domination. Full article

The literature on migration shows that legal status in receiving countries shapes immigrant experiences. While these studies effectively address the impact of precarious legal statuses on immigrant experiences, they often examine women’s labor in public and private spheres separately. Yet, women’s lives have long involved a continuum of paid and unpaid labor. The COVID-19 pandemic brought this continuum into sharp focus by spotlighting the influence of home and work dynamics. This study explores how immigrant women’s labor in both public and private spheres are interconnected. Drawing on 18 initial interviews with Venezuelan mothers in NYC from 2020, and 13 follow-up interviews in 2024, we examine the impacts of structural forces on these women’s labor arrangements and their strategies to navigate these impacts during and after the pandemic. Our findings reveal that while pandemic restrictions disrupted traditional labor market dynamics, they simultaneously intensified women’s engagement in domestic roles. Despite this, the mothers exercised agency by exiting the labor market and engaging in patriarchal bargaining at home. Post-pandemic, they lost access to the coping strategy, and their improved legal status did little to alleviate their labor struggles. This study highlights the significance of a “gendered labor continuum” in contexts that lack institutional support and undervalue immigrant women’s labor. Full article

Currently, much attention is paid to digital transformation in all areas, including the public sphere. The latest studies show that it is necessary for the public sector to monitor the efficiency and satisfaction with the services provided. However, there are significant gaps in research in this area, including in Slovakia. This research proposes and applies the measurement of efficiency using the DEA method in the context of e-Government, provides a comparison of the roles of states in the use of public electronic services in the EU, and applies the method of measuring satisfaction using the American Customer Satisfaction Index, focused on the central state portal in Slovakia. The main methods that were used to fulfil the objectives of the work were data envelopment analysis, “DEA”, and the American Customer Satisfaction Index, “ACSI”. Other methods used include the Mann–Whitney U test, the chi-squared test, and Sperm correlation analysis. From the results of the work, it is possible to conclude that ACSI can be applied within Slovakia. Furthermore, the results show a strong correlation between perceived quality and satisfaction, which is 0.855. Overall satisfaction with the central state portal of public electronic services reached 61.7%. We conclude that it would be appropriate and possible to use ACSI as part of DEA measurement. Full article

This article seeks to examine a new trend in Arabic women’s literature that not only aims to forge women’s communities but also creates resistance. Digital media is the mechanism that some Arab women authors employ to implement and foster a self-authority that acknowledges flexible identities in an age of revolutions and search for freedom. As a case study, I examine Ahlam Mosteghanemi’s Nessayne com and Rajaa Alsanea’s novel Girls of Riyadh, which originally appearing as compendiums, and Ibrahim Alsaqir’s novel Girls of Riyadh: The Complete Picture that comes as a literary response to the resistance of cultural and gender establishments. I suggest that the digital realm provides an arena for women to resist oppressing social establishments and that literary works and digital practices like Alsanea’s create spaces of and for resistance. Moreover, Alsanea’s and Mosteghanemi’s works are committed to promoting change in Arab societies, bridging the public and the private sphere by means of digital content. Arab women writers’ sites and blogs address subjects that challenge prevalent gendered structures in the Arab world, deconstruct cultural norms, give visibility and focus on the implications of gender on memory, love, masculinity and femininity, and sexuality. They do so by employing chats as a narrative technique that engages readers and women’s communities in the characters’ experiences and thereby inviting them to participate in making their work a site of challenge to gender and cultural establishments. As Alsanea’s representations of women subjectivities are uncommon and her characters defy the notion of the universality of woman as a shared gender, they are prohibited, criticized, and challenged. Those who defy gender performativity, such as Alsanea and Mosteghanemi, enact feminist resistance. The study engages with MENA gender and masculinity literature. It is also informed by Judith Butler’s notion of performativity, the construction of gender, and the demystification of the universalistic notion of “woman”. Full article

Slow/controlled-release fertilizers (SRFs/CRFs) occupy a critical position in agricultural advancement, enhancing productivity and sustainability by regulating nutrient release, improving fertilizer efficiency, reducing pollution, and promoting lasting agricultural progress. To attain an in-depth understanding of the current landscape, hotspots, and development trends in SRF/CRF research, this study employed the Bibliometrix toolkit in R, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace for the statistical and graphical analysis of pertinent literature in the Web of Science Core Collection (WOSCC) database from 1990 to 2023. In this study, several dimensions were evaluated to assess the research scope and impact, including the quantity of published articles, authorship, citation frequency, keywords, institutional affiliations, publication journals, and source countries. The results indicate a significant increase in scholarly publications related to SRFs/CRFs from 1990 to 2023, totaling 1676 published papers across 77 subject categories. Research activities spanned 69 countries/regions, with China and the USA leading contributions. A total of 1691 research institutions published on SRFs/CRFs, with the University of Florida, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and China’s Shandong Agricultural University being preeminent. HortScience, Science of the Total Environment, and Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis were the top three journals. Keyword co-occurrence and burst analysis disclosed that current research primarily focuses on several key areas: nitrogen (N) use efficiency, the processes of nitrification and denitrification, degradation, the use of phosphate (P) fertilizers, urea, and factors affecting crop growth and quality. The findings revealed several critical areas and trends within the sphere of SRFs/CRFs, with future research specifically directed towards developing cost-effective, efficacious, and environmentally friendly alternatives. Furthermore, future progress will concentrate on addressing the enduring environmental ramifications of SRF/CRF utilization. Full article

The outbreak of COVID-19 between 2020 and 2022 highlighted the significant role of news media as a tool of communication among different social actors. Due to the novelty of the virus, most citizens turned to official news outlets to obtain reliable information about the disease and pandemic regulations. Therefore, a content analysis of news coverage in different countries provides insight into their Quadruple Helix dynamics, which reflects new patterns of knowledge democracy under consideration of the media-based public sphere. This article aims to trace the patterns of prevalent topics related to COVID-19 news in Turkish and British mainstream news agencies between September 2020 and March 2022. By deploying content analysis, this research endeavours to elicit public discourses created around the pandemic. These media agencies engaged in critical commentary on the pandemic situation and the policies enacted during this period, updating citizens with the latest information. However, the differences in the political and social structures of each country influence their Quadruple Helix knowledge exchange, which has a high impact on transformation processes. Full article

(1) Background: News deserts are communities without a local news outlet, or communities where residents face significantly reduced access to the news of the local public sphere. The demise of a local news outlet can have negative effects on community engagement and on the discussion of solutions to community problems. In Portugal, for example, 25% of municipalities do not have their own media outlets. When there are no journalists reporting on reality, studies show that much of the local information in these territories is obtained through social media, such as Facebook pages and groups, which can be a source of disinformation and manipulation that communities become vulnerable to. (2) Methods: Through focus groups in the municipality of Manteigas, we researched perspectives and behaviours, as well as the factors that influence people’s choices in the consumption of information. (3) Results: We found that citizens used a wide range of informational sources, with a strong dependence on social media and institutional channels to access local information. (4) Conclusions: Proximity relationships are the basis of fact-checking processes, and citizens showed less concern about disinformation and more trust in the information they accessed through official institutions’ pages and through word-of-mouth in their communities. Full article