The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of multidimensional (fuzzy) inequalities and marginal changes on the Gini coefficients of various factors. This allows a range of social policies to be specifically targeted to reduce broader inequalities, but these policies are focused primarily on health, education, housing, sanitation, energy and drinking water. It is necessary to target policy areas that are unequally distributed, such as those with access to unevenly distributed drinking water policies. The data are from the Household and Consumption Survey of 6695 households in 2003 and 9259 households in 2011. This paper uses Lerman and Yitzhaki’s method. The results revealed that the main contributors to inequalities over the two periods were health and education. These sources have a potentially significant effect on total inequality. Health increases overall inequalities, but sources such as housing, sanitation and energy reduce them. This article provides resources to disadvantaged and vulnerable target groups. Multiple inequalities are analyzed for different subgroups of households, such as place of residence and the gender of the head of household. Analyzing fuzzy poverty inequalities makes it possible to develop targeted measures to combat poverty and inequality. This study is the first to investigate the sources of Gini’s fuzzy inequality in Chad via data analysis techniques, and in general, it is one of the few studies in Saharan Africa to be interested in this subject. Some development policies in sub-Saharan Africa should therefore focus on different sources (negative effect), sources (positive effect) and the equalization effect.

This study examines how circular economy (CE) practices contribute to energy resilience by mitigating the impacts of energy shocks and supporting sustainable development. Through a systematic literature review (SLR) of recent studies, we analyze the ways in which CE strategies—such as resource recovery, renewable energy integration, and closed-loop supply chains—enhance energy security and reduce vulnerability to energy disruptions. Our research draws on academic databases, focusing on publications from 2018 to 2024, to identify key themes and practices that illustrate the transformative potential of the circular economy. Findings reveal that CE practices at macro, mezzo, and micro levels support resilience by fostering efficient resource use, reducing dependency on non-renewable energy sources, and promoting sustainable economic growth. Additionally, we highlight the roles of foreign direct investment (FDI), research and development (R&D), and supportive policies in accelerating the adoption of circular systems. The study concludes with recommendations for future research to address identified gaps, suggesting a roadmap for advancing circular economy practices as a means to enhance energy resilience and sustainability aims to reveal how wide array of factors affect transition towards more sustainable or circular economy.

This study explores the determinants of political participation among Thai youth, focusing on the roles of political interest, knowledge, and efficacy. Employing stratified random sampling, data were collected from 191 university students in Bangkok. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via Smart PLS was utilized to test hypotheses regarding the direct and mediating effects of political interest and knowledge on participation, highlighting the mediating role of political efficacy. The findings indicate that political efficacy significantly enhances participation, while political interest boosts knowledge significantly but does not directly influence efficacy. Furthermore, political knowledge positively affects efficacy but not participation directly. Notably, the indirect effects of political interest on participation through efficacy alone are insignificant, but the pathways from interest to participation through both knowledge and efficacy, and from knowledge to participation through efficacy, are significant. These results elucidate the complex interactions between political interest, knowledge, and efficacy in shaping the political engagement of Thai youth.

Social Prescribing (SP) is an approach which aims of improving health and well-being and connecting patients to community services. Examples of these services include physical activity and cultural activities. Despite its benefits, SP has still not been fully implemented in Portugal. This case study is part of a larger study on Social Prescribing Local System (SPLS) implementation, which comprised a quantitative approach, a pilot study and a qualitative approach, and aims at exploring patients’ and healthcare workers’ perspectives on SP. The study was carried out to understand the motivations of different stakeholders for participating in the pilot project, the anticipated benefits for patients, healthcare professionals, and the health unit, as well as their perceptions and experiences within the scope of the SP project. Data collection was carried out in December 2020 through semi-structured individual interviews and a focus group. A total of seven participants were included, of which one patient, one museum representative and five healthcare professionals. Different common dimensions related to SP emerge, including health and well-being, social interaction and community engagement, accessibility and inclusivity, motivation and adherence, collaboration and coordination, and education and awareness. The patient considered the adequacy of the activity to the patient’s state of health and capabilities, adoption of a phased approach, with a focus on progress, in order to promote long-term adherence as facilitators. For the museum, disseminating its activities to healthcare professionals and patients through different channels such as posters at the health center, social media pages, and training sessions can significantly enhance visibility and engagement, while direct phone contact and digital publications can further promote adherence, ensuring a comprehensive and coordinated approach to patient participation and institutional benefit. Healthcare professionals identified several benefits, including reduction of social isolation and sedentarism, as well as a means of strengthening the therapeutic relationship with patients. The design and implementation of SP programs should be participative and involve all stakeholders participating in the process. Barriers to adherence included time for activity and the associated costs or prerequisites, availability of activities and lack of perceived interest in health.

In learning, one of the fundamental motivating factors is self-efficacy. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the level of students’ self-efficacy in learning programming. This article presents a quantitative study on undergraduate students’ perceived programming self-efficacy. 110 undergraduate computing students took part in this survey to assess programming self-efficacy. Before being given to the respondents, the survey instrument, which included a 28-item self-efficacy assessment and 30 multiple-choice programming questions, was pilot-tested. The survey instrument had a reliability of 0.755. The study results show that the students’ self-efficacy was low when they solved complex programming tasks independently. However, they felt confident when there was an assistant to guide them through the tasks. From this study, it could be concluded that self-efficacy is an essential achievement component in programming courses and can avoid education dropouts.