Science of Law ( ISSN: 2995-8717) is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed academic journal committed to advancing knowledge at the intersection of law and the social sciences. The journal aims to foster scholarly dialogue and innovative research that explore how legal systems interact with, influence, and are influenced by the broader social, political, economic, cultural, and psychological landscapes in which they operate.
The present study aimed to measure the level of mindfulness among a sample of university students and to examine the differences in their mindfulness scores according to the gender variable (male/female). The study sample consisted of 150 male and female students, who were selected using the accidental sampling method. The descriptive approach was adopted. The study also relied on the Mindfulness Scale developed by Ahlam Abdullah (2013). After processing the study data using SPSS 21, the results revealed the following: The level of mindfulness among university students is high. There are no statistically significant differences in the level of mindfulness among university students attributable to the gender variable (male/female).
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The Authority of the Administrative Judge in Urgent Matters to Suspend the Implementation of an Administrative Decision: in Light of Law 22-13
Comparative legislations have found that there is no alternative but to grant the judiciary the authority to order the suspension of the execution of the administrative decision in order to confront the situation resulting from its implementation, which lies in the difficulty of restoring the situation to what it was before the issuance of the decision ruled null and void. This mechanism is considered an exception to the general principle which establishes that an appeal for annulment has no suspensive effect on the enforcement of the administrative decision. Additionally, the Algerian legislator has adopted the system of suspending the execution of decisions by providing for it in the Code of Civil and Administrative Procedures of 2008, as well as in other laws such as the Expropriation Law and the Public Procurement Law. Therefore, it has set a limit to the administration’s privilege in enforcing its decisions, as this privilege cannot be absolute, since it may cause harm to individuals. Thence, it was necessary to place limits on this privilege in order to safeguard individuals’ rights by temporarily suspending its effects until it is adjudicated by the judiciary.
Exercising the Right to Litigate in Times of Serious Epidemics: Utilizing Technology as a Mechanism to Face Emergency Health Conditions
The advancements in scientific and technological fields within legal technology have led to the development of judicial work rules. Communication, message exchange, and various legal documents detailing the proceedings of cases and public lawsuits between qualified litigation parties now occur electronically, surpassing spatial and temporal boundaries. In light of this increasing technological advancement, it is essential to enhance the modern justice system in the face of challenges posed by health crises that exacerbate delays in litigation and negatively impact the handling of public lawsuits and disputes of all kinds. Conversely, due to international judicial cooperation, sharing expertise, and learning from the experiences of leading countries in digital transformation, it has become possible to address these issues and enable individuals to exercise their right to access justice and seek protection for their fundamental rights and freedoms. This is achieved by integrating traditional judicial work with modern technological tools, including audio-visual communication methods, allowing for remote investigations and trials without the need to physically attend the competent judicial authority, particularly during health crises. This was effectively demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, showcasing the use of remote video communication in the judicial system.
Regulatory Silence and Financial Arbitration: Lessons from Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020(Bofia 2020) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (Cbn) Regulatory Framework for Sandbox Operations
Nigeria’s banking sector has undergone rapid digital transformation, driven by electronic payments, fintech innovation, and regulatory initiatives such as the Banks and Other Financial Institutions Act 2020 (BOFIA 2020) and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s Sandbox Operation Framework. While these instruments actively facilitate technological advancement, they remain institutionally silent on dispute resolution mechanisms for conflicts arising from technology-driven financial transactions. This article argues that such regulatory silence reflects a structural gap within Nigeria’s financial governance architecture. Innovation has been formally embedded, but adjudication has not. Adopting a doctrinal and comparative methodology, the article examines BOFIA 2020, the CBN Sandbox Framework, and the Arbitration and Mediation Act 2023, situating Nigeria’s approach within broader regulatory theory and comparative experience from leading financial jurisdictions. This article argues that arbitration, particularly in its technology-enabled form, should be conceptualised not merely as private contractual ordering but as regulatory infrastructure essential to digital financial systems. In complex environments involving electronic evidence, cross-border payment disputes, cybersecurity risks, and finTech collaborations, arbitration offers procedural flexibility, confidentiality, and enforceability under the New York Convention. The article proposes targeted reforms to integrate arbitration into Nigeria’s financial regulatory design, including express statutory recognition within BOFIA and structured disputes planning within the Sandbox Framework. It concludes that regulatory coherence requires alignment between innovation policy and adjudicatory architecture. Embedding arbitration within Nigeria’s financial governance framework would transform regulatory silence into institutional resilience and enhance investor confidence in the country’s evolving digital economy.
Adapting to Climate Change for Achieving Sustainable Development in Algeria: Strategies and Challenges
Achieving sustainable development while addressing the impacts of climate change represents one of the most pressing challenges facing countries worldwide. These challenges are closely linked to the availability of adequate financing, institutional and human capacities, as well as a robust legislative and regulatory framework, alongside raising awareness of the dimensions of sustainable development. In its pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals, Algeria has developed several strategies aimed at adapting to climate change. However, the country continues to face numerous obstacles that may undermine its ability to effectively confront the adverse effects of climate change. This situation necessitates the search for practical and effective solutions to equip Algeria with the necessary tools and measures. Such solutions could be achieved through the conclusion of global agreements that serve as roadmaps to strengthen national capacities in addressing climate change impacts, or at the very least, to support the country’s adaptation efforts in the coming years.
Rethinking Media and Communication Education in the Digital Age: A Study of Successful International Experiences
The field of media and communication studies has witnessed profound transformations in recent decades, driven by rapid digital advancements and the emergence of innovative media practices powered by artificial intelligence and interactive web platforms. This digital shift has extended beyond professional practices to fundamentally reshape the academic and institutional frameworks of media education. Consequently, there is an urgent need to review and restructure curricula, teaching methodologies, and core competencies to align with the evolving demands of the digital environment and the contemporary media labor market. This study analyzes prominent successful international experiences in re-engineering media education within the digital age. It explores the academic and institutional adaptation mechanisms adopted by these experiences and evaluates their effectiveness in bridging the gap between traditional academic training and the requirements of digital professional practice. Particular emphasis is placed on the role of media literacy, the development of digital competencies, and the implementation of comprehensive pedagogical strategies that foster critical awareness and enhance practical skills among students. The findings underscore that the systematic integration of digital competencies, combined with the creation of supportive learning environments, significantly improves students’ readiness for the digital media industry. Moreover, these international models offer valuable insights and adaptable frameworks for strengthening media education programs in the Arab context.
Artificial Intelligence: Legal Issues and Solutions
The development of information and communication technologies has led to the emergence of artificial intelligence, representing the latest advancement of human intellect in technological and cognitive fields through the development of intelligent systems capable of simulating human intelligence. This subject has attracted the interest of many disciplines and posed several legal issues and challenges. These include the question of whether to grant legal personality or not, civil and criminal liability, how to compensate for the risks resulting from it and the extent to which intellectual property rights should be granted. There is also the question of its impact on the right to privacy. This study aims to analyse and discuss these matters.
Security of the Electricity Supply Under the Electricity Act, 2023
Nigeria is endowed with sources of electricity including coal, gas and renewables. Yet, Nigeria has been unable to supply electricity to 45% of its residents and service is unreliable among those with electricity connection thereby constraining Nigeria’s socio-economic development. This paper interrogated the strategies adopted in the Electricity Act, 2023 for the achievement of security of electricity supply. Data for this paper was collected from statutes including the Electricity Act, 2023 and other sources, using the doctrinal method. The paper concluded that the Electricity Act includes measures to enhance security of electricity supply but have limitations which will undermine its effectiveness and noted that the Act’s provisions on subsidies and independence of Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission was not being implemented. It recommended removal of the requirement for licences for electricity generation, open access to transmission and distribution infrastructure and suspending participation in the West African Power Pool.
Nigerian electricity Regulatory commission Subsidies,
Gas to Power: Energy Security and Sustainability Under the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021
. Nigeria generates 77% of its electricity from natural gas and has abundant reserves of natural gas estimated at 5,675 billion cubic meters. Despite these, 45% of Nigerians do not have access to electricity and supply is unreliable. Unavailability of electricity limits living standards and economic growth. The paper examined how the PIA is structured to deliver security of natural gas supply to the electricity industry sustainably given concerns over global warming and climate change precipitated by Greenhouse Gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. Data for this study was collected from statutes including the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021(PIA) and other sources, using the doctrinal method. The paper concluded that the PIA has a robust framework for achieving the security of natural gas supply but prioritised the availability of gas over sustainability. The paper recommended limitation of subsidy on electricity to fund gas supply and an immediate proscription of gas flaring.
Integrating Customary Law and National Agrarian Law in Indonesia: Legal Pluralism in the Case of Si’ulu–Si’ila in South Nias
The role of Si’ulu–Si’ila, is a traditional authority system in South Nias, Indonesia, as a living embodiment of Volksgeist in the governance of customary land and the resolution of indigenous land disputes. The study addresses the problem of legal dualism between state law and customary law that often marginalizes indigenous justice practices. Employing a non-doctrinal, socio-legal approach, the research integrates normative and empirical analysis. Field data were collected through in-depth interviews with customary leaders, participant observation in Orahua deliberations, and documentation of fondrakö decisions. The findings reveal that Si’ulu–Si’ila functions not merely as an adjudicative institution but as a moral and social regulator, where decisions are collectively legitimized and enforced through both material and moral sanctions. This indigenous model reflects restorative and participatory justice, ensuring social harmony and long-term sustainability. However, the absence of formal legal recognition limits its broader enforceability within Indonesia’s agrarian framework. Drawing from comparative insights of the Māori Land Court (New Zealand) and Aboriginal Title (Canada), the paper concludes that integrating Si’ulu–Si’ila within formal legal structures can strengthen legal pluralism, protection of communal land rights, and culturally grounded justice.
Child Speech Genre Classification and their Potential Application in Monitoring Technologies for Safety Purposes
In an ever more demanding world, where parents and educators alike struggle to provide attention to young children, the advance of technologies to analyze child speech and monitor its development, along with that of children’s themselves, is paramount. This study aims to distinguish two well studied and documented genres in child speech, conversation and narrative. We propose here a straightforward, yet effective method which relies on the comparison of the most common bi-grams, typical two-word sequences. This classifying method is applied to four different corpora, two for Spanish and two for English, with one data set for each of our two targeted genres. Our method uses a semi-automatic extraction technique to obtain bi-grams and successfully compares their distinctive distribution using the statistical test of chi-square. The potential applications of a semi-automated classification of these genres are varied, from child development diagnosis and improvement, to monitoring of children’s safety and well-being.
Conditions for Practicing Islamic Banking and Related Banking Operations in Algerian Legislation
This article analyzes the regulatory framework governing Islamic banking in Algeria, tracing its historical evolution from early colonial-era initiatives through post-independence reforms to its formal consolidation under Order 03-11 (2011), Regulation 20-02 (2020), and the Monetary and Banking Law No. 23-09 (2023). The first section examines the conditions for practicing Islamic banking, which may occur via fully dedicated institutions or independent Islamic windows within conventional banks, requiring financial, accounting, and administrative separation. It mandates internal Sharia supervisory boards, prior compliance certification from the National Sharia Board, licensing by the Monetary and Banking Council, subsequent approval by the Bank of Algeria Governor, and adherence to capital, integrity, competence, and prudential requirements. The second section details the Sharia-compliant operations permitted under Regulation 20-02—murabaha, musharaka, mudarabah, ijarah, salam, istisna‘, deposit accounts, and investment accounts—outlining their legal-jurisprudential foundations, characteristics, variants, and implementation mechanisms in Algerian banks, while underscoring prohibition of riba and strict Sharia adherence. The article concludes that Algeria has developed a relatively comprehensive licensing, Sharia, and supervisory regime for Islamic banking. Nevertheless, practical challenges persist in professional training, jurisprudential harmonization, and regulatory coordination. Recommendations include enacting a dedicated Islamic banking law, enhancing Sharia board independence, and advancing specialized capacity-building to bolster effectiveness, financial inclusion, and sustainable development.
Frameworks of Criminal Liability of the Manager in Algerian Legislation
The criminal liability of the manager varies depending on the nature of the committed offense. The manager may bear criminal responsibility for acts committed personally, whether acting alone or in participation with others. Liability in such cases differs based on the degree of contribution, as either a principal perpetrator or an accomplice. The Algerian legislator has sought to amend certain traditional rules in this domain by abandoning the requirement of fault as an essential condition in some management-related offenses. This implies that criminal liability may be attributed to the manager even in the absence of criminal intent, provided the material elements of the offense are established.
Cyber Security in Hospitals: Legal Responsibilities
As a result of the increased use of interconnected technologies in healthcare systems, there has been a rapid transformation of healthcare organizations and an increase in reliance on these technologies, thus changing how hospitals operate. Hospitals now utilize many technologies that are interconnected through a number of electronic health record (EHR) systems, Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices, telehealth platforms, and cloud-based systems. While technology allows hospitals to provide better care and operate more efficiently, it has resulted in increased exposure to various types of cyber threats. Cyber threats directed at healthcare organizations include ransomware, phishing attacks, insider threats, and the exploitation of medical devices, and there are numerous case studies linking cyber incidents and the operational disruption they cause to the risks associated with the safety of patients. This article reviews the current state of cybersecurity in health care organizations with an emphasis on the legal obligations created by major regulatory frameworks—including HIPAA, HITECH, the GDPR, the NIS2 Directive, and cybersecurity guidance for medical devices—because of the increased reliance on these technologies. This article also discusses the intersection of various legal frameworks including data protection laws, the regulation of critical infrastructure, tort liability, and corporate governance; evaluates civil liability risk created through the use of technology, exposure to civil penalties for violations of regulations, notification of affected parties when a breach occurs, and third-party liability for cloud and vendor environments; and discusses ethical issues related to confidentiality, professional duties, and the effects of decisions made in response to ransomware attacks. The findings demonstrate that cybersecurity in hospitals has evolved from a technical IT function into a comprehensive legal and governance responsibility requiring board-level oversight, structured risk management frameworks, continuous compliance documentation, and workforce training. Strengthening institutional resilience requires integrating cybersecurity into enterprise risk management and aligning regulatory compliance with patient safety imperatives.
The Role of Economic Institutions in Developing Tomorrow's Green Markets and Achieving Environmental Sustainability
Green markets are becoming more attractive with technological developments and consumers' awareness of the environment is increasing all over the world. Organizations fall between the option of offering a net-emission product, or reducing the percentage of carbon in the product to release demand. This study highlights the role of ArcelorMittal’s targeted green portfolio, which is a leader in the iron and steel markets.The targeted sectors were identified by designing the green portfolio and creating a green pricing strategy, which enabled it to support the development of a number of green food markets, such as the hydrogen market, clean energies, recycling plastics, and the electric car market, and achieving sustainability by marketing Its products that enhance sustainability and have a reduced carbon footprint in the field of transportation with its various means and infrastructure, renewable energies, construction, home appliances, and packaging.
External Debt, Corruption and Capital Flight in Emerging Economies: A Dynamic GMM Analysis
This study investigates the relationship between external debt, corruption, and capital flight in emerging economies over the period 2004–2020. The selected timeframe ensures the availability of consistent data while encompassing both periods of macroeconomic stability and episodes of global financial stress. To address potential endogeneity, unobserved country-specific effects, and the dynamic nature of capital flight, the analysis employs the Arellano–Bond dynamic panel estimator (dynamic panel framework estimated using the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM)). This approach uses lagged levels of the endogenous variables as instruments, allowing for consistent estimation of the impact of external debt and corruption on capital flight. The methodology provides robust evidence on the dynamic interactions between governance quality, external borrowing, and capital outflows in emerging economies.
Government Policy on Industrial Development in Maluku Province in the Context of the Island Cluster
The 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia (UUD 1945) provides the basis for the implementation of decentralization in Indonesia. Although in principle it adheres to a symmetrical decentralization model, the constitution also allows for asymmetrical decentralization, as stated in Article 18A paragraph (1), Article 18B paragraph (1), and Article 25A of the 1945 Constitution. This provision has particular significance for archipelagic regions, including the Province of Maluku, whose characteristics differ fundamentally from those of mainland regions. The geographical conditions of Maluku, which consists of thousands of islands, is dominated by water, is isolated, and has infrastructure gaps, require an island-based development model. This dissertation aims to analyze government policies in the implementation of industrial development in Maluku Province within the framework of asymmetric decentralization and the island cluster approach. The research focuses on the constitutional basis, the legal framework in Law No. 23 of 2014 on Regional Government and Law No. 3 of 2014 on Industry, as well as an evaluation of the implementation of industrial policy in Maluku. The research method used is a normative legal approach combined with empirical studies to obtain a comprehensive picture of legal issues and industrial development policies in the archipelago. The results of the study show that despite normative recognition of Maluku's uniqueness, the implementation of industrial policy has not been fully adaptive to the reality of the archipelago. Limited interconnectivity, weak logistics distribution, and low development of local resource-based industries are the main challenges. Therefore, this dissertation emphasizes the importance of designing industrial policies based on asymmetrical island clusters that are responsive to geographical conditions and capable of realizing equitable development for the people of Maluku within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia.
Lucius Apuleius A Journey in Search of Identity
This article offers a comprehensive reexamination of The Golden Ass: Being the Metamorphoses of Lucius Apuleius by Apuleius as a profoundly hybrid and genre-defying narrative that integrates literary innovation with philosophical, religious, and cultural inquiry. The study foregrounds the novel’s autobiographical and “ego-narrative” dimension, emphasizing the deliberate overlap between the author and the protagonist, Lucius, whereby the boundaries between narrator and character become fluid. Through this narrative strategy, Apuleius constructs a text that simultaneously performs fiction and gestures toward experiential authenticity. Central to the analysis is the motif of metamorphosis as an ethical and ontological paradigm. The novel thus articulates a profound meditation on human fallibility, the tension between bodily desire and rational illumination, and the possibility of spiritual regeneration.
E-Administration as a Strategic Approach to Performance Enhancement and the Modernization of Public Services in the Era of Digital Transformation
Many countries around the world, particularly developing ones, suffer from structural imbalances within their institutional frameworks as a result of adopting the classical bureaucratic model in managing public service institutions. This situation necessitates the search for new mechanisms capable of ensuring institutional integration and efficiency. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the linkage between the objectives of digital transformation namely enhancing transparency and combating administrative corruption within public service bodies and state institutions and the adoption of the e-government model. Such a model contributes to improving the performance of public service institutions, clarifying the role and functions of the state, and strengthening its relationship with society. Ultimately, this enhances transparency in public administration and supports the fulfillment of the requirements for building a state based on strong and effective institutions.
Analysis of the Influence of Productivity and Efficiency of the Plantation Sector on the Island of Sumatra with DEA and MPI Approaches
This research analyzes the levels of efficiency and productivity within the plantation sector across 8 provinces in Sumatra during the period of 2016-2021. This analysis employs the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) and Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) methodologies. The utilized input variables encompass land area, quantity of fertilizer, and the agricultural workforce within the plantation sector. As for the output variables, they encompass the quantities of palm oil production, coconut production, coffee production, and rubber production. The research findings reveal fluctuations in the efficiency and productivity levels of the Sumatra plantation sector year by year. The efficiency levels exhibit an upward trend, while the productivity levels on average display a decrease, primarily attributable to a decline in technological change (TECHCH). Furthermore, an analysis conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic period indicates that the pandemic has notably impacted the efficiency levels within the plantation sector. However, in terms of productivity levels, Covid-19's influence appears to be insubstantial. Delving deeper, the findings from the potential improvement analysis reveal that the foremost sources of inefficiency stem from the output variables, particularly the coffee production quantity, followed by the palm oil production quantity. In light of these research outcomes, recommendations are extended to pertinent stakeholders. It is advised to concentrate efforts on the development of the plantation sector, encompassing policy initiatives, stimuli, and the incorporation of technology within plantation activities.
Drivers and Future Prospects of Political Reform in the Arab Gulf: A Study in the Phase of Regional and International Transformations
This study analyzes the issue of political reform in the Arab Gulf states amid accelerated regional and international transformations, particularly following the Arab Spring and the ensuing internal and external pressures on regional political systems. It proceeds from the hypothesis that political stagnation and the absence of effective popular participation constitute one of the primary causes of internal crises, placing regimes before challenges related to legitimacy, stability, and responsiveness to citizens' demands. The study discusses the evolution of the concept of political reform—from being perceived as a tool of foreign intervention or international conspiracy to an urgent internal necessity imposed by shifts in the international environment and its conflicts, including proxy wars. It highlights the specificity of Gulf governance systems, which rely on traditional loyalties, while raising questions about these regimes' capacity to adapt to current transformations. The study concludes by forecasting two main scenarios for the region's future: either the resilience of regimes through genuine gradual reforms, or entry into paths of disintegration should the trust gap between rulers and ruled persist.
Regional and international transformations.
This article explores the dialectical relationship between science and ideology within the intellectual framework of modernity and argues that scientific knowledge does not develop solely through internal methodological dynamics, but is deeply shaped by social, political, economic, and ideological conditions. By tracing the historical emergence of the history of science and examining debates between internalist and externalist perspectives, the study highlights how epistemic frameworks are influenced by broader cultural and ideological structures. Moreover, the paper analyzes the impact of modern materialist paradigms on both the natural and human sciences, emphasizing how the extension of experimental methodology to the study of human beings has often led to reductionist interpretations. It contends that modern Western rationality, while placing the human being at the center of knowledge, paradoxically contributes to his conceptual marginalization. The study concludes that science and ideology exist in a dynamic and evolving interaction, and that understanding this relationship is crucial for critically evaluating the limits, assumptions, and social functions of neoteric scientific knowledge.
The National Criminal Pole for Combating Crimes Related to Information and Communication Technologies as a Legal Mechanism to Counter Cybercrime in Accordance with Order No. 21-11
This research paper aims to examine the current state of criminal law's response to cybercrimes in Algeria, as well as the future prospects for addressing such offenses within the Algerian criminal justice system. It does so by anticipating an effective criminal policy capable of mounting a genuine confrontation against one of the most dangerous types of contemporary crimes. Cybercrimes represent one of the most severe security challenges facing the international community. These offenses are highly complex, perpetrated through advanced technologies by highly intelligent offenders, rendering investigation and proof exceptionally difficult. Traditional investigative procedures conducted by authorities responsible for criminal inquiry and detection are ill-suited to the nature of cybercrimes. Consequently, the Algerian legislator introduced Order No. 21-11, which provides for the establishment of a National Criminal Pole dedicated to combating crimes in the field of information and communication technologies. This constitutes a significant achievement and a qualitative addition to efforts aimed at countering this form of crime.
Pedagogical Mediation and Image Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: The Role of Audiovisual Media and Augmented Reality in Contemporary Learning Environments
The rapid expansion of digital technologies has profoundly transformed educational practices, placing image education at the core of contemporary learning challenges. In this evolving context, pedagogical mediation emerges as a critical process for supporting learners’ understanding, interpretation, and critical engagement with increasingly complex audiovisual environments. This article explores how artificial intelligence (AI), audiovisual media, and augmented reality (AR) collectively reshape mediation practices within image education. Drawing on a critical and integrative review of recent international literature, the study examines the ways AI-driven audiovisual systems and AR-based learning environments enhance interactivity, personalization, and learner engagement while simultaneously redefining the role of educators as mediators between technology, knowledge, and learners. The findings highlight that augmented and intelligent audiovisual tools can significantly support the development of visual literacy, critical thinking, and reflective skills when embedded within well-structured pedagogical frameworks. However, the study also identifies key pedagogical and ethical challenges, including algorithmic bias, over-automation of learning processes, and the need for advanced media and AI literacy among educators and learners. The article argues that effective integration of AI and AR in image education requires a balanced mediation approach that prioritizes human agency, critical awareness, and ethical responsibility. It concludes by proposing future research directions focused on sustainable, inclusive, and critically grounded uses of intelligent audiovisual technologies in education.
Assessing the Economic, Social and Environmental Effects of Trade Openness: An OECD Analysis
This study aims to examine the effects of trade liberalization on economic growth, income inequality, and CO₂ emissions, while also testing for the existence of both social and environmental Kuznets curves. To this end, three econometric models are employed. The first model analyzes the impact of trade openness on economic growth, the second investigates its effect on income inequality, and the third focuses on the relationship between trade openness and CO₂ emissions. The analysis is conducted using panel data for 24 OECD countries over the period 2005–2022. The methodological approach relies on panel data techniques, with estimations carried out using the fixed effects method. The empirical findings indicate that greater openness to international trade has a positive and statistically significant impact on economic growth by expanding markets, generating economies of scale, and enhancing productive efficiency in the countries studied. Furthermore, trade liberalization appears to increase income inequality, particularly between skilled and unskilled workers. From an environmental perspective, trade openness promotes the adoption of cleaner technologies, thereby contributing to a reduction in CO₂ emissions. Finally, the results confirm the existence of the Kuznets curve, revealing both U-shaped and inverted U-shaped relationships between GDP, income inequality, and CO₂ emissions within the estimated models.
Audiovisual and Cinematic Practices Enhanced by Augmented Reality: Multimodal Mediation, Educational Uses, and Identity Construction
The rapid integration of augmented reality (AR) into audiovisual and cinematic environments is transforming contemporary educational practices and redefining the ways learners engage with media texts. This study explores how audiovisual and cinematic practices enhanced by augmented reality function as spaces of multimodal mediation, fostering innovative educational uses and contributing to processes of identity construction. Drawing on a multimodal theoretical framework, the research examines the interplay between visual, auditory, narrative, and interactive dimensions enabled by AR technologies in educational contexts. The study adopts a qualitative and interpretive approach, combining media analysis and learner experience to understand how augmented audiovisual environments support meaning-making, reflexivity, and self-representation. Findings suggest that AR-enriched cinematic and audiovisual practices facilitate deeper learner engagement by promoting active participation, embodied interaction, and critical interpretation of media content. Moreover, these environments encourage learners to negotiate personal and social identities through immersive and dialogical learning experiences. The study highlights the pedagogical potential of augmented audiovisual media as tools for multimodal mediation, emphasizing their role in bridging formal education, cultural expression, and digital literacy. By articulating the relationship between augmented reality, educational practices, and identity construction, this research contributes to ongoing debates on the educational value of emerging media technologies and offers insights for educators, curriculum designers, and media practitioners seeking to integrate AR into audiovisual and cinematic learning contexts.
Artificial Intelligence as a Pedagogical Tool in Lesson Planning: Implications for Self-Confidence and Professional Development of Physical Education Student Teachers
This study examines the role of artificial intelligence (AI) as a pedagogical support tool in lesson planning and its implications for self-confidence and professional development among physical education student teachers during their internship period. As lesson planning represents a critical component of effective teaching practice, student teachers often encounter challenges related to organization, decision-making, and instructional confidence. The growing integration of AI-based tools in teacher education offers new opportunities to address these challenges by providing structured guidance, personalized feedback, and data-driven support. Adopting a mixed-methods research design, the study combines quantitative data collected through a structured questionnaire administered to physical education student teachers with qualitative insights drawn from thematic analysis of participant responses. The quantitative findings indicate statistically significant positive relationships between AI-supported lesson planning and key dimensions of teacher self-confidence, including confidence in pedagogical decision-making, perceived teaching competence, and professional development. Qualitative results further reveal that AI tools contribute to improved lesson organization, reduced cognitive load, and enhanced reflective practice, while also highlighting challenges related to digital competence and ethical use. The findings suggest that AI functions not merely as a technical aid but as a pedagogical scaffold that supports professional identity formation and instructional effectiveness. However, the study also emphasizes the necessity of ethically informed and pedagogically aligned implementation to ensure that AI enhances, rather than replaces, professional judgment. This research contributes to the growing body of literature on AI in teacher education by providing empirical evidence on its potential to strengthen lesson planning quality, self-confidence, and professional development within physical education training contexts.
Regulating Digital Social Protection in Post-Soviet States: Comparative Institutional Perspectives from Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan
Shared administrative legacies from the Soviet Union are examined in this article and how they shape the development of digital social protection systems when combined with differing institutional arrangements. This paper finds that while there has been research on the digitalisation of welfare services, there has been a shortage of comparative institutional frameworks that explain the differences across post-Soviet countries. Therefore, by applying an institutional analytical framework to the analysis of both the digital social protection systems of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, this paper aims to fill that gap. This research uses comparative document and policy analyses to evaluate the governance arrangement, legal and regulatory regime, organisational structure and digital infrastructure underpinning the delivery of welfare services in each country. The findings indicate that although both countries have similar administrative legacies, they have both taken different approaches to digital welfare development as a result of their varying levels of coordination capacities and legal formalisation; furthermore, both have pursued different styles of governance. In particular, Azerbaijan has focused on developing centralised service-based platforms whereas Kazakhstan has adopted a more comprehensive approach to developing its digital governance and welfare system. Overall, this article concludes that the way in which institutions have been organised determines the outcome of digital welfare systems.
Hydrothermal Synthesis, Characterization, and Enhanced Antibacterial Activity of ZnO Nanoparticles against Waterborne Pathogens
Clean water access remains a global challenge due to the high costs and hazardous byproducts from conventional chemical disinfectants. This study explores zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles as an innovative antibacterial agent for water disinfection, leveraging their high surface area and ability to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that disrupt bacterial cell walls. ZnO nanoparticles were synthesized via hydrothermal method and characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV-vis spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). XRD confirmed high-purity hexagonal wurtzite ZnO with nine distinct peaks, UV-vis revealed an absorbance peak at 350-380 nm, and SEM showed spherical morphology. Antibacterial efficacy was tested against Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) and Bacillus cereus (Gram-positive) using disk diffusion assays. B. cereus exhibited greater sensitivity, suggesting ZnO nanoparticles primarily disrupt positively charged cell membranes via ROS-mediated oxidative stress. These findings highlight ZnO nanoparticles' potential as a sustainable water treatment solution, though further research is needed to address scalability and long-term stability.
Nutritional Socialization and its Relationship to Health in Algerian Society - A Socio-Anthropological Study
Food in society’s life is linked to identities and also reflects individuals’ sense of belonging. For, nutrition is not merely a routine but a necessary act for survival and continuity repeated across time and space, nor simply a form of physical pleasure. Rather, it goes far beyond that, when it becomes strongly tied to the identity of a society, its cultural structure, and its socializing institutions. Moreover, we find that through the connection between what we consume in our daily lives and the identity dimension of nutrition in its broad sense. In this research, we relied on the collection of documented data and their analysis according to the comparative approach between the most important stages of change in the food system and health conditions in modern Algerian society, using the observation of daily experiences of events related to our object of study and research conducted at local and global levels in the field of nutrition and health. the health situation of a society can not be understood without reference to its food identity, which is shaped by traditions, customs, and cultural structures. This is approached through socio-anthropological research into people’s perceptions, Obesity, diabetes, and cancer are no longer individual problems, but have become social issues linked. the transformation of Algeria’s food identity which has led to a growing awareness of the need to move beyond mistaken practices inherited across generations, reinforced by the circumstances the society has gone through. Thus, an individual’s identity is determined by what they refrain from consuming for fear of illness, rather than necessarily by their dietary pattern itself. We are therefore facing a slow-paced transformation at the level of values and consumer habits, shaped by the resistance of inherited food traditions and their persistence in the face of the risks of openness to other identities.