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In the article, the author discusses how public libraries can promote a vibrant local music community by citing their efforts at the New Orleans Public Library to support artists through their Crescent City Sounds streaming service. Also cited are how libraries can provide more credibility and recognition of artists to the listening public and the comment of Justin Powers of Marina Orchestra on the role of libraries in promoting the music industry.

A more equal and sustainable digital future depends on the inclusion of digitally marginalized communities in the socioeconomic opportunities created by digital technologies. Digital inclusion is a complex process that involves all stages of digital innovation, including development, adoption, use, and maintenance. However, past research has largely approached digital inclusion as an adoption and use challenge. In this paper, we develop a view of digital inclusion as a design challenge. We focus on the activities of requirements elicitation (RE) as a critical element of the design process and draw on a design-based interpretive study involving the design of two mobile apps for agricultural communities in India and China. We analyze how the conditions of digital inequality underlying the digital marginalization of these communities affect their sensemaking as they participate in RE activities. We conceptualize these challenges as limitations on the emergence of technology affordances. Our findings reveal various shifts, or translations, in the emerging affordances, which enabled the RE activities to be more generative and consequently more inclusive. These affordance translations manifested along three main dimensions: specificity, temporality, and collectivity. We discuss the implications of these findings for the inclusion of marginalized communities in the design of new technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Digital technology is a social determinant of health that affects older peoples ability to engage in health maintenance and disease prevention activities; connect with family and friends; and, more generally, age in place. Unfortunately, disparities in technology adoption and use exist among older adults compared with other age groups and are even greater among low-income older adults. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we described the development and implementation of a digital literacy training program designed with the dual goals of training low-income older adults in the community and teaching students about aging using a community-engaged learning (CEL) approach. METHODS: The training program was embedded within a 10-week CEL course that paired undergraduates (N=27) with low-income older adults (n=18) for 8 weeks of digital literacy training. Older adults and students met weekly at the local senior center for the training. Students also met in the classroom weekly to learn about aging and how to use design thinking to train their older adult trainees. Both older adults and students completed pre- and posttraining surveys. RESULTS: Older adults demonstrated increased digital literacy skills and confidence in the use of digital technology. Loneliness did not change from pre to postassessment measurements; however, older adults showed improvements in their attitudes toward their own aging and expressed enthusiasm for the training program. Although students fear of older adults did not change, their comfort in working with older adults increased. Importantly, older adults and students expressed positive feelings about the trainee-trainer relationship that they formed during the training program. CONCLUSIONS: A CEL approach that brings together students and low-income older adults in the community has a strong potential to reduce the digital divide experienced by underserved older adults. Additional work is needed to explore the efficacy and scalability of this approach in terms of older adults digital literacy as well as other potential benefits to both older and younger adults.

Urban big-system library systems have undergone seismic change over the past 20 years, becoming community centers in addition to repositories of information. As a result, contemporary library staff are facing new needs and challenges that their predecessors did not. This article explores different ways in which library leaders can hire, train, and support staff to successfully serve their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, inspired by the macrophage's defensive behavior of releasing free radicals to kill bacteria and viruses, a marine antifouling coating with dynamic surfaces is prepared by precise regulation of dynamic covalent bonds. Alkyl radical (R·) derived from oxime-urethane structure attracts and disrupts microbe cell membrane and pili between intimate cells, resulting in excellent anti-biofouling effect. Moreover, the newly exposed coating then continues to break, which ultimately results in the peeling of the layers, thus making barnacles, mussels and other fouling organisms less likely to adhere. [Display omitted] • Macrophage-inspired marine antifouling coating with dynamic surfaces is prepared. • Alkyl radical (R·) derived from oxime-urethane structure offers excellent anti-fouling performance. • The newly exposed coating continues to break making it less likely that fouling organisms will adhere to it. • This study presents a novel methodology for fulfilling the technological gap of marine coatings with dynamic surface. Macrophages can kill bacteria and viruses by releasing free radicals, which provides a possible approach to construct antifouling coatings with dynamic surfaces that release free radicals if the breaking of dynamic covalent bonds is precisely regulated. Herein, inspired by the defensive behavior of macrophages of releasing free radicals to kill bacteria and viruses, a marine antifouling coating composed of polyurethane incorporating dimethylglyoxime (PU x -DMG) is prepared by precise regulation of dynamic oxime-urethane covalent bonds. The obtained alkyl radical (R·) derived from the cleavage of the oxime-urethane bonds manages to effectively suppress the attachment of marine biofouling. Moreover, the intrinsic dynamic surface makes it difficult for biofouling to adhere and ultimately achieves sustainable antifouling property. Notably, the PU 50 -DMG coating not only presents efficient antibacterial and antialgae properties, but also prevents macroorganisms from settling in the sea for up to 4 months. This provides a pioneer broad-spectrum strategy to explore the marine antifouling coatings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Methods Results Conclusion The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators underlying the healthcare digital divide by using qualitative methodologies, integrated with the Capabilities, Opportunities, Motivations, and Behaviors (COM‐B) as well as the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) theoretical frameworks.To conduct a thorough analysis, semi‐structured，in‐depth interviews were orchestrated among a cohort of older patients who had experiences with digital healthcare systems. Data were meticulously analyzed via Colaizzi's seven‐step methodological procedure.Nine barriers were elucidated, including physical limitation, inadequate training and support, self‐imposed denial, failure to rebuild the digital healthcare environment, equipment constraints, deficits in communication and feedback, skepticism regarding data accuracy and validity, sense of social deprivation, and network information boycott. Conversely, eleven facilitators were identified, encompassing peer modeling, availability of training and support, reconstructive efforts toward the digital healthcare environment, mandatory usage, familial influence, media impact, scientific publicity and education, enhancement of self‐efficacy, sense of social participation, perceived convenience, and access to healthful information.Based on the COM‐B and BCW models, healthcare organizations may be able to improve their digital healthcare support systems (capabilities), technical design, network speed, and equipment configuration (opportunities), as well as focus on “human‐computer integration,” the parallel existence of digital technology and humanistic care, and taking into account the issues of information security, accuracy, and human rights equality (motivation) while benefiting the patients, in order to bridge the healthcare digital divide for the older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technology adoption is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon. This qualitative study employed the grounded theory approach to evaluate the barriers to adopting information and communication technology (ICT) among older adults. The study population included all older adults referred to an adult day care center and Comprehensive Health Centers in Shiraz, Iran, from February 2022 to March 2023. Data collection was performed using semi-structured interviews, field notes, and observation. The data were analyzed using the Corbin and Strauss approach. The four main categories extracted were as follows: technology, cultural, social, and personal factors. A total of 13 subcategories were identified, including software characteristics, hardware characteristics, perceived complexity of work, dealing with cultural norms, lack of cyberspace culture, digital divide, ageism, elder abuse, poverty, hand weakness, declining sensory functions, age-related cognitive changes, and the psychological factors. The results found in the present study indicate that there are many barriers to ICT adoption among older adults. Increased awareness and knowledge among community members about the aging process could help reduce negative stereotypes among older adults during the adoption of ICT. Also, educating the community about the proper use of social networks can effectively reduce the harassment of older adults in this space. On the other hand, the results of this study can guide ICT designers in making devices that are more suitable for the needs of older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of internet usage frequency and behavior on social status discordance using CSS2021 data, and adopts a causal random forest model to test the heterogeneity of the impact of internet usage on social status discordance. The results reveal a clear inconsistency between objective and subjective social status among Chinese residents. In addition, increasing internet usage frequency can make actors more inclined to underestimate their social status. Moreover, capital enhancement through the internet significantly reduces the likelihood of status inflation. Finally, individuals with higher social status are less likely to have an upward bias in status cognition than those with lower social status when they use the internet frequently and use it for capital enhancement. These findings advance our understanding of social status identification among Chinese residents and provide different perspectives for studying social stratification in the digital age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive approach is essential in India's ongoing battle against air pollution, combining technological advancements, regulatory reinforcement, and widespread societal engagement. Bridging technological gaps involves deploying sophisticated pollution control technologies and addressing the rural–urban disparity through innovative solutions. The review found that integrating Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI&ML) in air quality forecasting demonstrates promising results with a remarkable model efficiency. In this study, initially, we compute the PM2.5 concentration over India using a surface mass concentration of 5 key aerosols such as black carbon (BC), dust (DU), organic carbon (OC), sea salt (SS) and sulphates (SU), respectively. The study identifies several regions highly vulnerable to PM2.5 pollution due to specific sources. The Indo-Gangetic Plains are notably impacted by high concentrations of BC, OC, and SU resulting from anthropogenic activities. Western India experiences higher DU concentrations due to its proximity to the Sahara Desert. Additionally, certain areas in northeast India show significant contributions of OC from biogenic activities. Moreover, an AI&ML model based on convolutional autoencoder architecture underwent rigorous training, testing, and validation to forecast PM2.5 concentrations across India. The results reveal its exceptional precision in PM2.5 prediction, as demonstrated by model evaluation metrics, including a Structural Similarity Index exceeding 0.60, Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio ranging from 28–30 dB and Mean Square Error below 10 μg/m3. However, regulatory challenges persist, necessitating robust frameworks and consistent enforcement mechanisms, as evidenced by the complexities in predicting PM2.5 concentrations. Implementing tailored regional pollution control strategies, integrating AI&ML technologies, strengthening regulatory frameworks, promoting sustainable practices, and encouraging international collaboration are essential policy measures to mitigate air pollution in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In older people with a chronic respiratory disease, we explored (i) usual Smartphone application (App) use, (ii) the time taken to download and use an App, and (iii) changes in self-efficacy for downloading an App after a single practice session. Methods: Participants were invited to attend one or two separate assessment sessions (Part A and B). Those who attended Part A had data pertaining to their App usage over the previous week extracted from their Smartphone. Those who attended Part B were asked to download and use a pedometer App and "think out loud" during the task. Before and after the task, participants rated their self-efficacy for downloading an App using a Visual Analogue Scale (0–10). Results: Twenty-seven participants (mean ± SD 74 ± 5 years) completed Part A. Commonly used Apps related to communication (e.g., texting; median [interquartile range] 15 [9–25] min/day) and interest (e.g., news; 14 [4–50] min/day). Fifteen participants completed Part B (mean ± SD 73 ± 7 years). The median time taken to download and use the App was 24 (22–37) min. The "think out loud" data converged into four domains: (i) low self-efficacy for using and learning Apps; (ii) reliance on others for help; (iii) unpleasant emotional responses; and (iv) challenges due to changes associated with longevity. Self-efficacy increased by 4 (95% confidence interval: 3–6). Conclusion: This population used Apps mainly to facilitate social connection. It took participants almost half an hour to download and use an App, but a single practice session improved self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the Internet of Things (IoT) is making its entrance in people's homes, differences in the skills to operate smart home devices need to be considered. This study examined (1) the levels of digital skills to use IoT home automation among Dutch adult citizens and (2) differences of these skills over gender, age, and education. Therefore, a performance test with actual real-life tasks was conducted among a representative sample (N = 99) of the Dutch adult population to measure digital skill levels. The participants performed tasks while using interconnected smart home devices in a virtual test environment. The results revealed that the Dutch adult population possesses insufficient data and strategic skills to use smart home devices to its full potential. Even less likely to benefit are the elderly and less educated; they showed the lowest levels of data and strategic skills. In addition, the elderly lack operational skills to use IoT home automation beneficially. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geospatial technologies have revolutionised the field of hazard research as well as geography field-courses, providing powerful tools to analyse and visualise geospatial data for decision-making purposes. This paper presents a case study of Paper2GIS, an application for field data collection tested during an international field course in Seyðisfjörður, East Iceland. The field course was designed to expose students to the practical application of interdisciplinary geospatial technologies in hazard research. Students experienced geological/physical geography field mapping as well as data collection using Paper2GIS. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of Paper2GIS in facilitating hazard research with a participatory component, as well as the simplification of data collection during geography field courses. Paper2GIS proved to be an effective tool for enhancing collaboration, data visualisation, and decision-making. The findings provide valuable insights for researchers, practitioners, and educators looking to incorporate low-tech geospatial technologies into their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AI-based service usage can be expanded if individuals perceive that they have the ability to control vulnerabilities and risks (e.g. data leakage, inaccurate information) associated with these technologies. Additionally, the issues of trust in AI and user privacy protection are key discussions in the implementation of e-government services. Accordingly, this study empirically verified the influence of individuals' online skills, trust in AI, and privacy-protective behaviour on their AI-based service usage. The dataset comprised 48,420 respondents aged 14–90 who were part of a South Korean survey on Internet usage in 2021. The main findings are as follows. First, trust in AI and privacy-protective behaviour positively impact AI-based service usage. Second, online skills do not impact AI-based service usage significantly. These findings offer implications for improving technical issues related to privacy protection and inaccurate information; they can also be used to inform efforts to bridge the digital divide in AI-based service usage. By empirically verifying the impact of an individual's vulnerability control behaviour and digital service utilisation ability in the use of AI-based services, this study suggests developing AI-based services with user trust in mind and implementing smart government policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, short‐video platforms represented by Douyin (TikTok) and Kuaishou (Kwai) have expanded to rural China. The rural, as an emerging 'sunken market' for digital platforms to generate revenue, has become an uncharted terrain for digital platforms to compete for, particularly in the context of the state's rural revitalisation strategy. Yao Shunwei, an independent photographer, uploaded a short video on Douyin in July 2022, recording a village basketball game in a Miao village (Taipan Village) in Guizhou to celebrate the Chixin Festival. The game quickly gained phenomenal popularity on digital platforms and was branded as 'VBA' (Village BA, appropriating the term NBA), contributing significantly to the revitalisation of the village. So far, work on rural places in their entanglement with digital platforms remains limited, lopsided on the rhetoric of a digital divide between the urban and the rural. Proposing the tentative concept of platform ruralism, this study probes into the emergent rural subjectivities and agencies vis‐à‐vis the negotiation, adaptation, innovation and autonomy of rural economies, livelihoods and socio‐cultural practices as they are imbricated by digital technologies and platforms. As such, it looks at how digital platforms have rescaled rural basketball activities and turned them into a nationally influential brand to enhance the wellbeing, social cohesion and cultural identity of rural communities. The branding of 'VBA' demonstrates how the rural can take on an active and resilient role in the rise of digital platforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates teachers' lived experiences of an online professional development (OPD) course in Denmark – that is, Teknosofikum – through a hermeneutic phenomenological perspective, and it relies on the interpretive analysis of 15 semi‐structured interviews. The article's contribution focuses on the theme of 'time' and highlights it as a multifaceted construct that plays a relevant role in learning. By relying on the ideas of temporal structuring and multiple temporalities, the article shows that OPD courses and HE teachers' engagement nest themselves into pre‐existing and complex nexus of commitments and duties, each of which has its own temporality and rhythm, along with longer‐term aspirations for pedagogical development. As time emerged as a relevant aspect characterizing OPD course design and HE teachers' experiences, the article provides simple recommendations for 'time‐aware' OPD courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study sought to explore the web-based information accessibility experiences of students with visual impairment (SVIs) enrolled in two senior universities in Ethiopia. To achieve this, the study used a descriptive phenomenological design. A total of 11 undergraduate fourth-year SVIs, 5 from Haramaya University and 6 from Addis Ababa University, were purposively chosen for the study. Using semi-structured interviews and Colaizzi's method of data analysis, four overarching themes were generated inductively: web capability experience, social connection, venue of academic achievement, and disabling web environment. Accordingly, the study came with variations in the capability to access web-based information among SVIs observed due to differences in foreknowledge on basic computers and exposure to web interfaces. Routine use of social media, technical, and material support, and follow-up improves the SVIs' website browsing ability, resulting in a sense of academic agency, social competence, and persistent ingenuity to academic success. However, complex web designs, incompatible assistive technologies (ATs), inaccessible document formats, poor infrastructure, and undifferentiated information flux on the website create a disabling web environment for SVIs, promoting inequality in web-based information access and hence academic achievement. Thus, findings from this inquiry necessitate universities to work to make web designs accessible and compatible with ATs, provide technical and material support to SVIs based on the severity of their impairment, improve infrastructure, and encourage them to regularly practice website use for academic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ChatGPT is another large language model (LLM) vastly available for the consumers on their devices but due to its performance and ability to converse effectively, it has gained a huge popularity amongst research as well as industrial community. Recently, many studies have been published to show the effectiveness, efficiency, integration, and sentiments of chatGPT and other LLMs. In contrast, this study focuses on the important aspects that are mostly overlooked, i.e. sustainability, privacy, digital divide, and ethics and suggests that not only chatGPT but every subsequent entry in the category of conversational bots should undergo Sustainability, PrivAcy, Digital divide, and Ethics (SPADE) evaluation. This paper discusses in detail the issues and concerns raised over chatGPT in line with aforementioned characteristics. We also discuss the recent EU AI Act briefly in accordance with the SPADE evaluation. We support our hypothesis by some preliminary data collection and visualizations along with hypothesized facts. We also suggest mitigations and recommendations for each of the concerns. Furthermore, we also suggest some policies and recommendations for EU AI policy act concerning ethics, digital divide, and sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between the wealth index (WI) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills among women aged 15–49 in Bangladesh. The research aims to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between WI and ICT skills, while also examining how education mediates this relationship. Using the data from the Bangladesh Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) Program 2019, a two-stage stratified clustered sampling method yielded a sample of 64,378 women. The analysis employed inverse probability weighting (IPW) to assess the causal effect of WI on ICT skills while investigating the mediating role of education in this cause-and-effect relationship through causal mediation analysis. The findings demonstrate a significant relationship between higher economic status and increased ICT proficiency among women aged 15–49 in Bangladesh. Mediation analysis reveals education status as a significant mediator, indicating that educational attainment plays a vital role in linking wealth and ICT skills among women. Sensitivity analysis indicates the observed effect estimates are robust to unmeasured confounding. This research underscores the importance of economic empowerment and educational interventions in narrowing the digital divide and fostering ICT skills development among women, particularly in rural and economically disadvantaged communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We asked researchers from a range of disciplines across biology, engineering, and medicine to describe a current technological need. The goal is to provide a sample of the various technological gaps that exist and inspire future research projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enhancing efficiency and productivity in countries' healthcare systems is a global challenge. The Chinese government invested huge resources to improve the efficiency and productivity of the healthcare system across the country. To assess the success of the mission above, this research utilized DEA-SBM Meta frontier analysis alongside the Malmquist Productivity Index. These methodologies were employed to gauge Efficiency, production technology heterogeneity, and productivity of healthcare systems change across 31 mainland Chinese provinces and four distinct geographical regions throughout the study period spanning from 1997 to 2022. Results revealed that the mean efficiency score of China's healthcare system is 0.7672. It indicates a growth potential of 23.28 percent in the operational efficiency of healthcare systems. The eastern region's efficiency level (0.86917) is higher among all four regions. Zhejiang, Shandong, and Guangdong are the top three healthcare-efficiency performers. The technology gap ratio indicates that eastern regions witnessed a high TGR (0.9909), showing the country's attainment of superior healthcare technologies. Beijing, Guangdong, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Zhejiang witnessed higher TGR values among all 31 mainland Chinese provinces. The total factor productivity index of the healthcare system witnessed a slight growth of 0.33%, with an average MI score of 1.0033. Efficiency change (EC) was found to be the main determinant of TFPC as technology change TC is less than EC. Moreover, the MI score of the Western region (1.033) is higher than the corresponding Eastern, northeastern, and central regions. Guizhou, Anhui, and Yunnan were found to be the top three performers in TFPC growth. Finally, the Kruskal–Wallis test confirmed the statistically significant difference among 4 Chinese regions for the healthcare system's efficiency, TFPC, and TGR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social participation of older adults is a crucial component of China's aged care services and an important strategy for actively addressing the aging population. Analyzing policy texts on older people's social participation can inform future policy formulation and the development of relevant programs. Objectives: This study aims to quantitatively analyze the transformation of China's social participation policies for older people from 1999 to 2023, employing institutional network analysis and policy text analysis. Method: A two-dimensional policy analysis framework was constructed based on the perspective of "policy tools and social participation stages." Using Rost Content Mining 6.0 and Nvivo 11.0 Plus software, 55 national-level policy texts were coded. Structural analysis of policy-issuing subjects and topic words was conducted to visualize the findings. Results: The analysis revealed that the policy-issuing subjects demonstrated strong authority but weak coordination, with a lack of communication and cooperation across subjects. The use of policy tools was imbalanced, with an over-reliance on supply-type tools and insufficient use of demand-type tools. Additionally, the lack of effective policy tools to support various social participation stages has limited policy implementation. Conclusion: With technological advancement and changing needs of the elderly population, there is a need for a more systematic and forward-looking top-level design of elderly social participation policies: accelerating the systematization and precision of technological elements in policies for elderly social participation, integrating social organizations via technological platforms to mobilize diverse stakeholder engagement, and addressing the digital divide between the elderly and new technologies is imperative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The worldwide movement toward digitisation in public service delivery presents a range of opportunities and risks. The potential benefits include improved efficiency, more consistent service delivery decisions and enhanced responsiveness to citizens' demand. The potential risks range from challenges in data use and privacy, to uneven service accessibility and the costly ICT investment required for digitisation. Researchers have begun to assess this important movement and its impacts. There remains a lack of in‐depth understanding of digitisation of public service delivery in developing countries. We aim to address that gap by examining a fully online welfare‐to‐work programme in a developing country, that is Indonesia's Pre‐employment Card Program. Using data collected from semi‐structured interviews with policymakers and service providers, we found evidence that digitalisation contributed to the programme's efficiency and effectiveness via, for example, automated registration processes and quick and revisable rollout. Its implementation however was not without challenges such as a digital divide among users and some technical problems. Indonesia's experiences with this fully digital programme suggest that a developing country, despite limited financial and administrative capacity, can embark on the digitalisation journey to improve their public service provision, even during the time of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies are increasingly integrated into the daily lives of young children. However, disparities in access and use quality, known as the 'digital divide,' persist. Parents play a crucial role in narrowing this divide during early childhood, but the underlying mechanisms remain inconclusive. This study investigates how family socioeconomic status (SES) influences Chinese preschoolers' digital literacy and how parental beliefs and parental mediation mediate this relationship. A sample of 2272 parents of young children from central China completed the Home Digital Practices Survey (HDPS). The PROCESS results revealed the following: (1) Family SES, parental beliefs, and parental mediation significantly predicted preschoolers' digital literacy; (2) Parental beliefs and parental mediation co-mediated the impact of family SES on digital literacy; (3) Positive parental beliefs and mediation strategies were associated with better digital literacy outcomes for preschoolers. The findings have implications for parental education and highlight the importance of considering family context in promoting digital literacy among young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In relation to the restructuring of public facilities in the phase of aging and subsequent population decline, the digitalization of public services will reduce the cost of maintenance and management of public facilities and contribute to sustaining or even improving standards of services. This study compares attributes of users of physical and digitized electronic libraries, using the results of an original questionnaire survey conducted in Sapporo metropolitan area, Japan, analyzed via statistical methods. The results showed that electronic libraries provide their services to some different groups of citizens compared with physical libraries. Electronic libraries have a clear tendency to provide services to the working population, which means the service reaches more taxpayers who have contributed to the funding of public facilities but have not used them. On the other hand, the influence of age is not simple for physical and electronic library use, although there is certainly a trend toward higher use among younger age groups. The digital divide among the elderly is not clearly observed for the use of electronic libraries, which means that the digitalization of library services can be used by various categories of citizens, including the elderly, even in an aging society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mobile health (mHealth) screening tools for autism are gaining in prevalence, and have benefits such as video content and direct resources linkage. However, it is unclear whether such tools will ameliorate autism inequities or will help only those already advantaged in autism care. To investigate this issue, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 18 primary care and Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education providers in six US states. Providers were given hypothetical scenarios in which a family presents to care with results from one of 9 mHealth autism screening tools. Providers discussed their clinical approach and assessed the tool's fit with their patient/client population. Each transcript was audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded; a phenomenological approach was used to develop key themes. 4 themes and 18 subthemes emerged. These included Clinical and business factors (e.g. scope of practice concerns and clinical efficiency), Validity and trustworthiness (e.g. familiarity, data privacy/security), Family interaction quality (e.g. supporting family advocacy, provision of information, affecting family anxiety, and emotional support), and Accessibility (e.g. English proficiency/language issues, cultural inclusivity, and literacy/educational level). Providers suggested modifications to enhance equity, such as portraying diverse families, reducing the reading level of text, and making tools shorter to better fit clinical context. Families may find information about autism online, and health care and education providers may use online tools to screen for autism. However, we do not know if online autism screening tools are easily used by families and providers. We interviewed primary care and educational providers, asking them to review results from online tools that screen for autism. Providers had concerns about how usable and accessible these tools are for diverse families and suggested changes to make tools easier to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study utilizes a qualitative research design to investigate the design experiences of massive open online courses (MOOCs) instructors in South American academic institutions. It reveals that MOOC instructors are primarily motivated to teach MOOCs from their desire to make contributions to society (e.g., providing free and accessible MOOCs on emerging topics and demanding subjects) and experience innovative teaching and learning, as well as respond to their institutions' call for MOOCs. These courses are designed to reach audiences who face linguistic, financial, and geographical disadvantages within South American regions. The findings of this study inform the need to develop more non-English MOOCs in a variety range of subject areas to provide access to a broader population and promote educational equity. This study further addresses the ambiguity of the relationship between OER and MOOCs. The findings indicate that though MOOC instructors in South America have not yet fully perceived the benefits of OER, many of them have successfully integrated OER into their MOOCs to make them more accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is a populous country and its growing elderly population is pushing the whole country into the maelstrom of an aging society. The media practices and media interactions of empty-nesters have gradually become a real issue that is affecting the deepening transformation of Chinese society given the dual concerns of aging and mediatization. This study conducted in-depth interviews with 23 empty-nesters, chosen using the snowball sampling method combined with participant observation, to obtain their habits and behaviors related to social media use so to analyze the impact of media interactions on their daily life and social networks from a mediatized perspective. The availability of social media was found to influence their media use habits in four dimensions—technical, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral—in the face of the digital divide, media memory writing, the construction of parasocial relationships, and embodied collaboration. These influences not only shaped and promoted the socialization of empty-nesters on social media networks but also extended to their daily life, as these influences enhanced both their mental and physical quality of life in old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet privacy has been proposed as a new dimension of the digital divide. Although Internet privacy relates to all segments of the population, older Internet users are particularly vulnerable because they generally have lower Internet skills. Coupled with their high level of privacy concerns, this can dissuade them from fully engaging in a variety of Internet uses. As older adults overcome their limited Internet skills by asking others to perform online activities on their behalf, a practice known as use-by-proxy, it is likely that this is also a strategy for dealing with Internet privacy concerns. Therefore, we examine how Internet skills, along with Internet privacy concerns and perceived privacy control, influence their Internet uses and use-by-proxy. To this end, we develop an integrative conceptual model and test it with structural equation modelling using data collected in November 2021 from a nationwide sample of 460 Internet users aged 65+ in Slovenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent concerns about the digital divide are typically framed as a deficit of Internet access, skills or participation. Despite advances remedying first- and second-level divide issues, scholars have found that not all benefit equally from the Internet use resulting in the theorising of a third-level digital divide exploring the social determinants critical to benefit from the Internet use. Presenting analysis for three families from Aotearoa New Zealand, this work highlights the importance of the family in creating children's digital disposition. Applying Bourdieu's Theory of Practice concepts, we illustrate how parent's habitus informs children's responses to the digital world, shaping diverse forms of 'digital capital' which may result in 'capital gains' for some, and less capital benefits for others. Findings suggest that the forms of digital capital that are valued by families are closely tied to class positioning and cultural background. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic transformed healthcare delivery with the rapid adoption of telehealth and digital technologies to access healthcare. Interventions are needed to ensure that older people in underserved communities do not face new technology‐driven healthcare disparities. This article describes pioneering electronic medical record (EMR) embedded tools to assess and support each diverse patient's digital health literacy. Methods: We designed and validated a rapid EMR‐embedded Digital Health Engagement Tool (DHET) to assess each patient's digital literacy in English and Spanish. We built a separate, EMR‐generated auto‐scoring function to assess patient use of telehealth and healthcare navigation as recorded within the EMR. Combined, the tools created a complete digital literacy assessment for each patient. We then deployed the tools to conduct a pilot study to elucidate disparities. Results: A total of 112 ethnic/racial diverse older patients were enrolled (mean age was 78, ranging from 57 to 96) years (SD = 8.04). The female participants were 72.3%. Among the participants, non‐Hispanic Whites were 47.3%; Hispanic 25.0%; non‐Hispanic Asian 19.6%; non‐Hispanic others (including multi‐race and non‐Hispanic Black/African Americans) 8.0%. Digital literacy disparities were revealed for older adults, particularly those over 70 years old, female gender, and those reporting relying on a helper. Conclusion: New EMR‐embedded tools enable healthcare systems to assess the ability of patients to navigate and utilize EMR capabilities, such as video telehealth appointments, messaging providers, reviewing labs/radiology reports, and requesting prescriptions. The study identified significant challenges for older patients in navigating EMRs and calls for healthcare systems to better support patient learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bedouin community, a subpopulation of the Arab minority in Israel, has been subject to systematic discrimination throughout the state's history, including in accessibility to digital services. Based on 25 semi-structured, in-depth interviews with Bedouin men and women residing in unrecognised villages – townlets that are not legally designated as municipal entities by the state and therefore lack basic infrastructure – this study asks whether and how the capabilities approach can be used to assess and examine ICT usage among the Bedouin as a marginalised community with distinct needs. The analysis illuminates the tensions and contradictions that characterise their digital experiences and shows that the capabilities approach is particularly apposite for understanding digital exclusion while compensating for the shortcoming of the digital divide framework. The findings uncover the ubiquitous presence of mobile smartphones among Bedouin users as the central enabler of their desired capabilities while pointing out the vital place religion plays in the community members' decision-making regarding the use of ICTs for the realisation of their desired capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advances in information and communication technology (ICT) have significantly impacted some critical sectors of societies (such as transport, health, business, and communication) across many developed and developing countries. Nevertheless, the Internet has proliferated unequally across the world, resulting in global digital inequalities. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to the deployment of online education to prevent the interruption of academic progress in schools and universities worldwide. The global pandemic further worsened the situation for Pakistan, which is neither economically strong nor has a well-established ICT infrastructure capable of facilitating the successful implementations of virtual courses and classes. Thus, this study aimed to analyze the level of Internet access among Pakistani universities' teachers and students, and their ICT skills as they applied to online education during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used the qualitative method of email interviews and thematic analysis to present the study's results. This study revealed that most Pakistani students, especially those from rural and remote areas, experienced challenges because they neither had proper Internet access, nor could they use laptops and virtual learning systems. Students who belonged to the upper and middle classes of urban areas and enrolled in private-sector universities, were not as directly affected by Pakistan's pervasive digital divide to carry out their education during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving China's high-quality development efficiency represents a key lever for the development of new productivity and successfully achieving the "dual carbon" goal. Starting from the nonparametric production theory, this paper addresses the issues of infeasible solutions and technical heterogeneity by employing the total-factor non-radial directional distance function and a metafrontier non-radial Malmquist model. The static total-factor high-quality development efficiency index (THEI) and its dynamic metafrontier non-radial Malmquist high-quality development efficiency index (MNMHEI) are measured for 31 provinces in China from 2008 to 2021. Given that high-quality development efficiency is led and driven by talent, we use labor of different ages and levels of education as four inputs instead of single labor for the study of THEI. The MNMHEI is divided into three indices for measuring efficiency change (EC), best-practice gap change (BPC), and technology gap change (TGC). The empirical results demonstrate that labor with higher education is the main lever of static high-quality development efficiency; there is a 5.3% decrease in China's dynamic high-quality development efficiency as a whole, and a lack of technological innovation remains a significant constraint on its improvement. The results of the heterogeneity analysis, which classified all provincial areas into low-carbon and high-carbon regions, indicate that the former exhibits a higher dynamic high-quality development efficiency than the latter, which still lacks innovation and technology leadership. It is recommended that the Chinese government consider the talent management system, investments in upgrading technologies, energy conservation, and emission reduction for high-carbon regions to improve their high-quality development efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a simulated global exchange experience that utilizes technology to bridge the gap between classrooms worldwide. Past research suggests that COIL may be useful in facilitating intercultural communication effectiveness and cultural humility for adult learners. As such, this quantitative study sought to examine the effects of a COIL experience that connected adult learners in the United States and Brazil on their intercultural effectiveness and cultural humility. Two instruments were used to collect data, including the Cultural Humility Scale and Intercultural Effectiveness Scale before and after the COIL experience. Data analyses revealed statistically significant increases in participants' intercultural effectiveness and cultural humility following the COIL experience. These findings provided insights into the effects of COIL on the intercultural effectiveness and cultural humility of adult learners. They also informed andragogical practices for cultivating attitudes, skills, and behaviors for intercultural interactions among adult learners in educational and other professional settings. However, further research on the outcomes of COIL is beneficial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY: Redox changes of pyridine nucleotides in cellular compartments are highly dynamic and their equilibria are under the influence of various reducing and oxidizing reactions. To obtain spatiotemporal data on pyridine nucleotides in living plant cells, typical biochemical approaches require cell destruction. To date, genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors are considered to be the best option to bridge the existing technology gap, as they provide a fast, accurate, and real‐time readout. However, the existing pyridine nucleotides genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors are either sensitive to pH change or slow in dissociation rate. Herein, we employed the biosensors which generate readouts that are pH stable for in planta measurement of NADH/NAD+ ratio and NADPH level. We generated transgenic Arabidopsis lines that express these biosensors in plastid stroma and cytosol of whole plants and pollen tubes under the control of CaMV 35S and LAT52 promoters, respectively. These transgenic biosensor lines allow us to monitor real‐time dynamic changes in NADH/NAD+ ratio and NADPH level in the plastids and cytosol of various plant tissues, including pollen tubes, root hairs, and mesophyll cells, using a variety of fluorescent instruments. We anticipate that these valuable transgenic lines may allow improvements in plant redox biology studies. Significant Statement: Monitoring dynamic changes in pyridine nucleotides (e.g., NADPH and NADH/NAD+ ratio) in plants at the subcellular level is a major obstacle in plant bioenergetics research. Genetically encoded fluorescent biosensors are considered to be the best option so far because they provide fast, accurate, and real‐time readouts. Here, we present a detailed study on the application of pyridine nucleotide biosensors, and we anticipate that these transgenic lines will be useful in plant redox biology studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital economy has become a powerful engine for global economic resurgence in the post-pandemic era. As an ASEAN developing country, Thailand greatly values the digital economy, which facilitates its "Thailand 4.0" Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By focusing on digitalization trends in Thailand, this article examines whether new technological trends will have beneficial or detrimental impacts on the socioeconomic flowering of the Global South in the digital age. The "Constructive-Sustainable Development Theoretical Framework" is formulated by combining constructivism and the SDGs for conducting analysis. According to empirical research, bridging the digital divide and reducing poverty need to be Thailand's top priorities. Therefore, Thai policy instruments should promote equal distribution of socioeconomic resources and close the digital divide, accelerate digital talent cultivation to fill the talent gap, build partnership networks that support transnational governance in cyberspace, promote third-party market cooperation, and share the reciprocal profits of development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government agencies have increasingly established their official accounts to disseminate information and publish rumourrefuting messages (RRMs) on social media platforms. However, little is known about what factors facilitate users to engage in RRMs posted by government accounts. To bridge this gap, our study borrows the lens of persuasion theory to frame a research model and unmask the precursors that foster social media users to engage in RRMs. By analysing RRMs published by 10 influential government official accounts spanning 9 years, a field study on Sina Weibo finds that the text length of an RRM is associated with a higher probability of liking, commenting on, and sharing the RRM, while the inclusion of links in RRMs is negatively linked to user engagement. The effect of the existence of photos and videos on user engagement in RRMs depends on different engaging behaviours. The inclusion of emojis in RRMs helps shorten users' psychological distance from the authorities, thereby facilitating user engagement behaviours. Using rhetorical questions is associated with a higher level of user engagement (including liking and sharing) in RRMs by increasing personal relevance. This study offers new insights into online rumour governance and practical suggestions for promoting government social media publicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing numbers of students require internet access to pursue their undergraduate degrees, yet broadband access remains inequitable across student populations. Furthermore, surveys that currently show differences in access by student demographics or location typically do so at high levels of aggregation, thereby obscuring important variation between subpopulations within larger groups. Through the dual lenses of quantitative intersectionality and critical race spatial analysis alongside a QuantCrit approach, we use Bayesian multilevel regression and Census microdata to model variation in broadband access among undergraduate populations at deeper interactions of identity. We find substantive heterogeneity in student broadband access by gender, race, and place, including between typically aggregated subpopulations. Our findings speak to inequities in students' geographies of opportunity and suggest a range of policy prescriptions at both the institutional and federal level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Sweat glands (SGs) play a vital role in thermal regulation. The function and structure are altered during the different pathological conditions. Objective: These alterations are studied through three techniques: biopsy, sweat analytes and electrical activity of SG. Methods: The morphological study of SG through biopsy and various techniques involved in quantifying sweat analytes is focussed on here. Electrical activities of SG in diabetes, neuropathy and nephropathy cases are also discussed, highlighting their limitations and future scope. Results and Conclusion: The result of this review identified three areas of the knowledge gap. The first is wearable sensors to correlate pathological conditions. Secondly, there is no device to look for its structure and quantify its associated function. Finally, therapeutic applications of SG are explored, especially for renal failure. With these aspects, this paper provides information collection and correlates SG with pathologies related to diabetes. Hence this could help researchers develop suitable technologies for the gaps identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic has intensified scholarly attention to remote workers' well-being. Although existing studies explore the varied impacts of remote work, there is a gap in understanding remote workers' well-being through the lenses of social disparity and the digital divide. Extending digital divide scholarship to the remote work context, this study disentangles why some remote workers experience better well-being than others. We conducted a two-wave longitudinal panel study in South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic (Wave 1: February 2021, Wave 2: October 2021). Among the 501 participants who participated in both waves, we found that individuals with lower education levels were less likely to have remote work opportunities. We focused our further analyses on a subset of 144 employees who had remote work opportunities within organizations with typical hierarchical structures. We found that socioeconomic status (SES) did not directly influence remote workers' well-being but indirectly influenced it by contributing to the diversity in using information and communication technologies (ICTs). Workers with higher SES or more diversity in using ICTs demonstrated lower vulnerability and more effectiveness in maintaining their well-being in virtual organizational communication situations. This study highlights social disparities in remote workers' well-being, which arise from the complex interplay of SES either indirectly influencing the diversity in ICT usage or interacting with virtual organizational communication satisfaction and duration. This study advances remote work scholarship by restructuring theoretical discussions on social stratification and the digital divide reproduced within the evolving work environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ageing of the population is one of the most significant social transformations that the twenty first century is showcasing and a challenge that impacts society at large. The elderly, inasmuch as everybody else, are confronted with continuous transformations that are induced by technology, although they seldom benefit from the opportunities that technology entails. The digital divide amongst various segments of the population is often age-related and due to different reasons, including biological, psychological, social and financial ones. There is an ongoing reflection pertaining to the factors that hinders the full adoption of ICTs by the elderly and a question regarding what can be done to overcome their poor involvement in technology. This article, based on the results of a recent research, which has been conducted in Italy, aims at highlighting the importance of engaging the elderly in the use of technology as a key to building bridges between generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In the wave of digital transformation, digital economy, as one of the core growth poles of the national economy, which is becoming a new driving force to promote economic development. In view of the problem of the unbalanced development of China's digital economy, and to construct an indicator system for the level of digital economic development. The study is based on the panel data of 30 provinces (Tibet is not included in the study due to missing data) from 2013 to 2021, and comprehensively utilizes the entropy method, the Tyrell index and theMoran indexmethod, the regional level of China's digital economic development is measured. And based on this, it further reveals the regional differences in China's digital economic development and the dynamic evolution characteristics of source and distribution. The purpose of this study is to provide practical experience and effective measures for promoting the coordinated development of digital economy in various regions and narrowing the regional digital divide. The study shows that the level of China's digital economy development has been increasing, and the digital economy has become themain engine of national economic development. The development of China's digital economy shows significant positive spatial dependence, spatial agglomeration and regional imbalance, and the development of the digital economy faces the problem of digital divide. The regional differences in the level of China's digital economy development are mainly due to inter-regional differences, and there is a trend of gradual reduction. There is also a certain degree of ups and downs in the process of regional digital economy development, and its spatial heterogeneity and convergence characteristics need to be further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to review various studies on the immense digital divide between rural and urban schools, specifically on classroom technologies in English language learning. We synthesize 26 from 2016-2023 discussing some external and internal issues regarding the differences between rural and urban schools' classroom technologies in English language learning, including (a) Integration of Information and Communication of Technology (ICT) in English language learning in rural and urban school areas (b) Digital divide between the use of technologies in rural and urban school area, (c) External and internal factors (d) challenges. The majority of researchers in the study above used qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method studies to find the result of the study through experiments, observations, and interviews. These recent studies have shown the relevant findings and results implemented in English language learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scoping review investigates instructional strategies implemented in recent studies to enhance the digital application usage experience for the elderly, addressing emerging issues in the context of a rapidly aging global population. With the World Health Organization predicting a significant increase in the proportion of individuals aged 60 years and above by 2030, the imperative for digital literacy among the elderly becomes crucial. The review, drawing from 14 eligible articles sourced from Web of Science and Scopus, categorizes findings into two main themes: i) intergenerational strategies of instruction and ii) contemporary issues associated with intergenerational approaches. By exploring these dimensions, the paper provides valuable insights for researchers seeking to understand and tackle current challenges in instructing the elderly on digital applications, contributing to the ongoing discourse on improving the quality of life for the aging population through digital technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research is focused on a comprehensive analysis of digitalization as a prerequisite for higher education modernization. The authors of this article consider the digital divide as a component of information inequality, which has a technological nature and presupposes unequal opportunities for access, use, and production of information and knowledge or new technologies for their effective use in practice. The authors determined the digital divide is intensifying under pandemic and quarantine restrictions when the preference is given to blended learning technologies, collaborative learning, integrated learning, flipped classroom technology, storytelling, inquiry based learning (IBL), and project based learning (PBL). The research result is a unified information and communication ecosystem developed, which unites the scientific, technological, and educational potential of the network educational digital environment. The ecosystem also provides for the transformation from a lineal to a cluster model of competence cultivation, the formation of digital skills, growth in the volume of information, and creation of digital products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]