A The meaning of life is the purpose that defines a person’s existence based on a set of fundamental objectives that give meaning to life or not. Furthermore, not all individuals have a meaning in life, and it may be absent at some point or stage of life. Objective: To analyze Peruvian older adults’ socioeconomic factors and the meaning of life. Method: A descriptive, comparative, quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted. One thousand older adults were intentionally selected through quotas of 100 older adults in 10 localities in Arequipa, Peru. They were administered a survey validated with high levels of reliability on the meaning of life and socioeconomic factors. Results: A moderate level of meaning in life was found. Most older adults believe that increasing age decreases the purpose of living, and existential emptiness grows. Conclusions: Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were found between the meaning of life and the following socioeconomic factors: retirement, religion, educational level, cohabitation, marital status, income, and occupation. It is understood that older adults who scored higher on these factors indicate having meaning in life because they still fulfill the role of providers for the family economy, being util to their families compared to the majority who scored low, which indicates an absence of meaning of life leading to an increase existential void.

Family violence is the act that causes harm, suffering, or death to members of the family group, especially if they are in a situation of vulnerability due to characteristics associated to age or physical condition. Objective: The social characteristics of aggressors were associate in the risk level of victims of family violence in the city of Arequipa, Peru. Method: The study was descriptive, quantitative, and non-experimental. A total of 205 randomly selected judicial files of aggressors reported for domestic violence were evaluated. The data were secondary, and the chi-square test (association of categorical variables) was used for statistical analysis. Results: A moderate risk level (31.2%) was found, with a tendency to be severe and very severe (49.5%). Likewise, the most observed types of violence are physical and psychological violence (89.3%) and sexual abuse (10.7%). The female aggressor exerts mild violence, while the male aggressor exerts moderate to extreme severe violence, causing more harm to the victim. The profile of the aggressor with low or high education, with high or low incomes, and who occupies a house or only one room can be associated the level of violence that occurs. Conclusion: Men are more likely to attack women, and similarly, female aggressors tend to target men more frequently. Moreover, men exhibit a higher tendency to attack their partners, including wives, cohabitants, and ex-partners, whereas women tend to target a broader range of family members, including parents, children, grandparents, nephews, cousins, as well as in-laws such, brothers-in-law and other relatives.

Nowadays investors are measuring the performances of a business organization not only based on their operating efficiency but also fulfilling their social responsibility. At least the investors need to know whether the activities of the business have any adverse impact on the society and environment. This study explores the accountability of the business from the social and environmental context. This empirical study tends to investigate the nature of the ownership structure that influences the environmental disclosure of a business entity. Based on the sample of fifty-five DSE-listed textile companies, this study used multiple regression to assess the causal relationship between the ownership structure and corporate environmental disclosure. Moreover, this cross-sectional study also considers the agency theory and stakeholder theory to explain the relationship between the ownership structure and environmental disclosure. The findings indicate that corporate environmental disclosure is positively influenced by foreign ownership and institutional ownership whereas director ownership and public ownership have no significant association with the environmental disclosure. These insightful results challenge conventional assumptions and highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of the factors that drive environmental reporting practices in the context of an emerging economy. The main contribution of this article lies in its provision of empirical evidence from an emerging economy, Bangladesh, which helps in understanding sustainable practices in a global context. Additionally, it aids in developing effective corporate governance policies and strategies tailored to similar emerging economies by recognizing the role of ownership structures in influencing environmental accountability. These findings further assist policymakers, managers, and other sustainability advocates in understanding how different ownership structures affect corporate environmental disclosure.

This paper proposes to apply a microfluidic chip combining DSC, DTA, and PCR-like functions for studying synthesis and selection of precursors of the genetic code carriers at hydrothermal conditions including those in natural high frequency fields (such as magnetosphere emission, atmospherics, auroras and lightings).

Use of technologies and online presence is now almost inevitable in language learning. The practice of virtual exchanges (VEs) has been receiving a lot of attention among educators at all levels over the past years. This research paper sheds light on 13 VEs carried out in pre-service teacher education in the last six years and proposes its own VE design based on recommendations from the literature with the future perspective of designing a specific VE for the research. The aim of the systematic review was at first to determine the exchange and interaction set-ups and the potential gains in the terms of pre-service teachers’ skills development. Afterwards, we identified areas for improvement and proposed our design of a VE between pre-service teachers of English in Slovakia and Turkey. Some of the expected contributions of the proposed VE design are development of a linguistic and intercultural communicative competence, digital literacy, and other competences relevant for development of VEs.

As the aging trend intensifies, the Chinese government prioritizes technological innovation in smart elderly care services to enhance quality and efficiency, catering to the diverse needs of the elderly. This study examines the acceptance and usage behavior of smart elderly care services among elderly individuals in Xi’an, using a modified Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model that includes digital literacy as a moderating variable. Data were collected via a survey of 299 elderly individuals aged 60 and above in Xi’an. The study aims to identify factors influencing the acceptance and usage behavior of smart elderly care services and to understand how digital literacy moderates the relationship between these factors and usage behavior. Regression analysis assessed the direct effects of Performance Expectancy (PE), Effort Expectancy (EE), Social Influence (SI), and Facilitating Conditions (FC) on usage behavior. These dimensions were then integrated into a comprehensive index Service Acceptance to evaluate their overall impact on usage behavior, with behavioral intention examined as a potential mediating variable. Results indicate that EE and SI significantly impact the adoption of smart elderly care services, whereas PE and FC do not. Behavioral intention mediates the relationship between these variables and usage behavior. Additionally, gender, age, and digital literacy significantly moderate the impact of service acceptance on usage behavior. This study provides valuable theoretical and practical insights for designing and promoting smart elderly care services, emphasizing the importance of usability and social promotion to enhance the quality of life for the elderly.