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Found 6289 publications
From totality to hybridity and beyond: The challenges of state security systems in the context of the info-communication revolutions
Publication Name: Frontiers in Political Science
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 7
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Contemporary security is increasingly defined by a matrix of hybrid threats, driven by info-communication revolutions that blur the lines between war and peace. Mainstream literature typically explains these challenges through the concept of ‘hybridity,’ focusing on post-Cold War technological and tactical novelties. However, this approach often lacks deeper historical and state-theoretical grounding. This study proposes a new theoretical framework by drawing a parallel between the current security environment and the 20th-century transformations analyzed by Carl Schmitt. We argue that the defining characteristic of contemporary security is not ‘hybridity’ but ‘totality.’ By reinterpreting Schmitt’s concepts of the ‘total state’ and the ‘partisan,’ we situate today’s challenges within a longer historical process of societal and political totalization, accelerated by the info-communication revolution. The analysis employs a qualitative methodology combining theoretical synthesis, historical-comparative analysis, and conceptual critique. Our analysis identifies a ‘total security environment’ characterized by three key attributes: (1) the complete fusion of military, economic, social, and informational domains; (2) the collapse of spatial and temporal constraints on state and non-state action; and (3) the systemic vulnerability of the state’s own normative and legal foundations. We demonstrate that hybrid threats are a logical manifestation of this total environment, representing ‘total threats’ that demand ‘total responses.’ By foregrounding ‘totality’ over ‘hybridity,’ this study provides a novel foundation for understanding and addressing contemporary security challenges. It suggests that effective solutions require moving beyond tactical countermeasures and rethinking statehood itself, focusing on systemic resilience, adaptable governance models, and societal preparedness. The historical experiences of previous security paradigm shifts offer crucial patterns for navigating this new era of total security.
Open Access: Yes
Doing more with less: the role of institutional quality in enhancing energy efficiency in Italy’s “hard-to-abate” sectors
Publication Name: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
This paper investigates the role of institutional quality in enhancing energy efficiency within Italy’s “hard-to-abate” industrial sectors, which include cement and lime, glass and ceramics, metal, pulp and paper, and refineries. These sectors account for a significant share of global energy consumption and CO2 emissions and face unique challenges in decarbonization. Using a novel dataset from the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), covering 329 Italian plants from 2013 to 2019, the study applies the Directional Distance Function (DDF) to measure energy efficiency and explores the impact of institutional quality on energy performance through Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) and Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) regression. The analysis highlights greater energy efficiency among multi-plant firms, firms in the pulp and paper sector, and firms located in Central Italy. Regression results further show that institutional quality has a significant positive effect on energy efficiency, especially in competitive markets, among multi-plant and non-innovative firms, in Northern regions, and in the glass and ceramics and metal sectors. This paper contributes to the literature by underscoring the importance of institutional quality in driving energy efficiency in energy-intensive sectors and offers policy implications for promoting industrial decarbonization.
Open Access: Yes
Age-Specific Responses to Immersive Virtual Reality During Pediatric Venipuncture: Evidence from Routine Clinical Practice
Publication Name: Healthcare Switzerland
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 14
Issue: 2
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Background/Objectives: Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used to reduce pain during pediatric needle procedures, but its effectiveness may vary by developmental stage and gender. This study evaluated whether immersive VR reduces venipuncture pain in children and adolescents and examined parent–patient agreement and gender-specific response patterns. Methods: A prospective nonrandomized clinical study was conducted within a hospital-based pediatric venipuncture service using an alternating 1:1 allocation sequence. Participants aged 4–18 years underwent venipuncture with either VR (n = 49) or standard care (n = 29). Procedural pain was measured using the Faces Pain Scale–Revised (FPS-R) with independent parent ratings. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) compared post-procedural FPS-R scores while adjusting for baseline pain. Exploratory age and gender-specific analyses were also performed. Results: VR led to a clear reduction in pain for children, even after adjusting for baseline scores (3.55 vs. 4.73; p = 0.003). Adolescents, however, reported similarly low pain in both groups (2.81 vs. 2.79; p = 0.60), and several mentioned that the PEGI 3 content felt too young for them, which likely limited how engaged they were. Among children, girls showed the most noticeable drop in pain, which matches the subgroup’s adjusted significance (p = 0.011). Parent–patient agreement was stronger in children (r ≈ 0.7–0.8) than in adolescents (r ≈ 0.4–0.5), and VR did not change this pattern. Most participants said they would choose VR again for future procedures. Conclusions: Immersive VR helped reduce venipuncture pain in children but had little effect in adolescents, underscoring the need for age-appropriate or more interactive VR content for older patients. Overall, these findings support using VR selectively as a distraction tool that fits the developmental needs of pediatric groups.
Open Access: Yes
Joint Audit Research: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research Agenda
Publication Name: Accounting Perspectives
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
We perform a systematic literature review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol to uncover the characteristics and evolution of research on joint audits. The sample includes 53 papers published in the Scopus database from January 2007 to May 2025. Although many researchers have examined the primary benefits and drawbacks of joint auditing, the research on this subject remains relatively sparse compared to other areas of auditing, suggesting it warrants further exploration. Most joint audit research has focused on two main aspects—audit quality and fees—while only a few studies have examined audit report delays, the concentration of the audit market, and other limited topics related to joint auditing. This study also offers critical perspectives for future research avenues. This analysis serves as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners seeking to deepen their understanding of joint audits.
Open Access: Yes
A Simulation-Optimization Framework for Road Maintenance Scheduling with Adaptive Agent Behavior
Publication Name: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 1768 LNNS
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 173-189
Description:
Recently, with an increasing number of people traveling by car, there has been a growing demand for effective traffic management, reduced travel times, and improved road and street maintenance plans. Here, it is evident that drivers make a well-informed decision on which route to take by utilizing smartphone routing, traffic announcements, and advancements in navigation technology. In the present study, the authors aim to develop a road maintenance plan that incorporates a bi-level optimization and simulation framework. They focus on the upper level by optimizing the road maintenance plan; at a lower level, intelligent agents acting as savvy passengers seek to minimize driving time and wait times in traffic. To evaluate the intelligent behavior of agents in reducing travel time on blocked routes (due to road repairs) under various scenarios, the authors first calculate the agents’ behavior in finding the optimal travel demand route and then integrate the optimization of the road maintenance plan. The results of this study demonstrated the effectiveness of informing passenger agents and their intelligence in correcting routes and reducing travel time.
Open Access: Yes
Presentation of Test Experiences of the Basic Properties of Thermal Insulation Products Made from Recycled Polystyrene
Publication Name: Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 795 LNCE
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 613-624
Description:
The study aimed to analyse the basic properties of polystyrene thermal insulation products made from recycled materials, using laboratory tests to analyse the basic properties of polystyrene thermal insulation products made from recycled materials. The thermal insulation mortar mixture examined in this series of tests consists of a mixture of recycled EPS, water and cement. In addition to the heat conduction property, tests were performed to evaluate the compressive force, water absorption, and dimensional stability parameters at 10% compression, based on these parameters. The utilisation of secondary raw materials recycled from demolition and construction waste in the circular economy can be fully realised if the products’ basic properties meet the minimum requirements prescribed by the relevant product standards. Based on the results, it is possible to set further directions for product development.
Open Access: Yes
Harnessing Generative AI for Sustainable Supply Chains: Lean, Circular and Green Perspectives
Publication Name: Business Strategy and the Environment
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Generative artificial intelligence is playing a significant role in the transformation of digital ecosystems by reinventing the processes of content generation, process automation, product innovation and customer experience. At the same time that these technologies are becoming more integrated into routine operations, the focus has shifted to the ethical and environmental consequences associated with their widespread application. An investigation of the operational sustainability associated with the generative artificial intelligence systems would be crucial, as it would provide information about how these systems match ideals such as efficiency, circularity and environmental responsibility. We explore how users understand and engage with sustainability principles, specifically lean, circular and green operational frameworks within generative artificial intelligence environments. We collect user reviews of 72 recently launched generative AI platforms from 2022 to 2024 and utilise advanced machine learning methods, including Word2Vec modelling, sentiment and regression analysis, to reveal how text datasets reflect customer perceptions. We find that the lean theme is the most prominent feature of operational sustainability, with the highest sentiment score, followed by the green and circular themes. Our findings show that there is a growing respect among the general public for artificial intelligence systems that exhibit responsible and efficient design.
Open Access: Yes
DOI: 10.1002/bse.70515
A taxonomic revision of the land snail genus Acinolaemus F. G. Thompson & Upatham, 1997 (Gastropoda, Eupulmonata, Hypselostomatidae), with notes on Clostophis W. H. Benson, 1860 species from Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam
Publication Name: Zookeys
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: 1279
Page Range: 101-165
Description:
In this work, the hypselostomatid land snail genus Acinolaemus F.G. Thompson & Upatham, 1997 in Southeast Asia is revised. Characters based on which the genus was originally erected are thoroughly examined and evaluated. The genus is subdivided into six species groups based on similarities in shell surface sculpture and apertural barrier morphology. Four out of five species originally described in Acinolaemus, as well as species described from Vietnam and Cambodia are moved to Clostophis. Thirteen new species of Acinolaemus are described as follows: A. altus Gojšina, Hunyadi & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. asper Gojšina, Tongkerd & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. atypicus Gojšina, Tongkerd & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. ferox Gojšina, Tongkerd & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. humilis Gojšina, Hunyadi & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. microcubus Gojšina, Hunyadi & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. paucidentatus Gojšina, Tongkerd & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. profundus Gojšina, Auffenberg & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. rugolabialis Gojšina, Hunyadi & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. simplex Gojšina, Tongkerd & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. singularis Gojšina, Tongkerd & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. solitus Gojšina, Hunyadi & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov., A. zed Gojšina, Hunyadi & Páll-Gergely, sp. nov. Thus, the total number of Acinolaemus species increases to 19, all inhabiting Thailand and Myanmar.
Open Access: Yes
Metaverse a commercial bliss for recreational tourism? A multistage mixed-method investigation
Publication Name: Tourism Recreation Research
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
With the rapidly evolving digital landscape, the metaverse presents itself as a promising tool for achieving commercial pursuits in the tourism industry. We apply the presence theory to examine how the industry can leverage the remarkable features of the metaverse to create memorable experiences for tourists at brand destinations–a unique identification or memorable experience associated with a destination, preferably induced by highly immersive services facilitated through the metaverse. The need to discern the impact of metaverse technologies on tourists’ psychological well-being led us to adopt a design science methodology, which enabled us to yield significant findings through a mixed-methods analysis comprising four studies. Firstly, we employ the grounded method approach, utilising think-aloud protocol interviews to elicit various themes. Secondly, we conducted a bibliographic study in RStudio software to extract key insights from 119 Scopus journals. Thirdly, using a structural topic modelling approach, we explored various topics. Finally, we employed the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between variables of crucial interest. The significant finding of our study is that the metaverse can be effectively utilised as a highly assistive tool for curating niche experiences for tourists.
Open Access: Yes
