This study explored the competencies required for informal community leaders to effectively promote health within Thai communities, employing an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. The qualitative phase, comprising in-depth interviews with thirteen community leaders, identified four critical domains of competency: basic health knowledge, communication skills, network building, and cultural awareness. These domains were subsequently validated through second-order confirmatory factor analysis, which confirmed their reliability and construct validity. The findings highlighted the pivotal role of these competencies in enabling community-led health promotion initiatives. This research provides a robust, evidence-based framework to inform the development of training programs, policy strategies, and targeted interventions aimed at enhancing health outcomes within Thai communities.
Protecting the environment and the Earth's natural resources is one of the most important tasks for modern societies, economies, and countries. Changes in the environment have made climate protection a key task of state policy implemented at the local, national, and international. They also have caused such negative social manifestations as environmental radicalism and terrorism. The purpose of this paper was to analyze the capacity of state institutions to prevent environmental terrorism and radicalism, particularly in the Russian context, by identifying and prioritizing key challenges and countermeasures. A mixed-methods approach was adopted, involving both qualitative and quantitative analyses. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, a total of 35 articles and reviews were selected to provide a foundation for understanding eco-terrorism trends. Additionally, an expert survey was conducted with 44 qualified participants to rank problems and recommended actions. The Kendall concordance coefficient was used to assess the consistency of expert opinions. The authors conclude that low environmental awareness and insufficient cooperation between state institutions and environmental organizations are the most significant challenges in preventing eco-terrorism. To adequately and competently prevent environmental terrorism and radicalism in society, the prevention system must be based on clear and thoughtful actions by state institutions.
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of tourist spending and the growth of Oman’s tourism industry on the country’s GDP from 1996 to 2018. The study uses the error correction model and other tests for assessing the link among variables, such as the cointegration test and the Granger causality test, to accomplish its aims. Findings from the error correlation model and cointegration test show that there is a link between the variables in Oman over the long and short term. There is a positive and statistically significant relationship between tourist expenditures and economic growth, as well as a negative and statistically significant relationship between tourism expansion and economic growth. We now use ARDL regression estimators to assess the robustness of the empirical results. There is no evidence of a direct relationship between increased tourism and GDP growth, according to the study’s results. According to the research, sustainable tourism development is an achievable economic growth driver, and Oman should prioritize economic policies that support this trend.
This paper uses quantitative research methods to explore the differences in the impact of virtual influencers on different consumer groups in the context of technological integration and innovation. The study uses DBSCAN (Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise) clustering technology to segment consumers and combines social media behavior analysis with purchase records to collect data to identify differences in consumer behavior under the influence of virtual influencers. Consumers’ emotional resonance and brand awareness information about virtual influencers are extracted through sentiment analysis technology. The study finds that there are significant differences in the influence of virtual influencers on different consumer groups, especially in high-potential purchase groups, where the influence of virtual influencers is strong but short-lived. This paper further explores the deep integration of virtual influencer technology with new generation information technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence, and emphasizes the importance of such technological integration in enhancing the endogenous and empowering capabilities of virtual influencers. The research results show that technological integration and innovation can not only promote the development of virtual influencers, but also provide new technical support for infrastructure construction, especially in the fields of smart cities and industrial production. This paper provides a new theoretical perspective for the market application of virtual influencers and provides practical support for the application of virtual technology in infrastructure construction.
Sustainable innovation is crucial for addressing social and environmental challenges and is a key driver of enterprise competitiveness and economic growth. This study examines how board heterogeneity influences sustainable innovation in enterprises, particularly within the context of China’s Science and Technology innovation board. Findings reveal that diverse boards enhance sustainable innovation and impact M&A activities, which in turn mediate the relationship between board diversity and corporate sustainability. The research aims to understand the optimal board composition for scientific and creative enterprises, analyze the mechanisms behind board heterogeneity’s effect on innovation, and assess M&A’s role in this process. The study’s outcomes underscore the importance of board diversity for fostering sustainable innovation and suggest that M&A can be a critical pathway to enhancing corporate sustainability.
The intensification of urbanization worldwide, particularly in China, has led to significant challenges in maintaining sustainable urban environments, primarily due to the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect. This effect exacerbates urban thermal stress, leading to increased energy consumption, poor air quality, and heightened health risks. In response, urban green spaces are recognized for their role in ameliorating urban heat and enhancing environmental resilience. This paper has studied the microclimate regulation effects of three representative classical gardens in Suzhou—the Humble Administrator’s Garden, the Lingering Garden and the Canglang Pavilion. It aims to explore the specific impacts of water bodies, vegetation and architectural features on the air temperature and relative humidity within the gardens. With the help of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology and the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) spatial interpolation method, this study has analyzed the microclimate regulation mechanisms in the designs of these traditional gardens. The results show that water bodies and lush vegetation have significant effects on reducing temperature and increasing humidity, while the architectural structures and rocks have affected the distribution and retention of heat to some extent. These findings not only enrich our understanding of the role of the design principles of classical gardens in climate adaptability but also provide important theoretical basis and practical guidance for the design of modern urban parks and the planning of sustainable urban environments. In addition, the study highlights GIS-based spatial interpolation as a valuable tool for visualizing and optimizing thermal comfort in urban landscapes, providing insights for developing resilient urban green spaces.
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