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Cultivating holistic learning environments in higher education: Mindfulness, compassion, and ubuntu philosophies
Within the context of higher education, namely in microlearning and micro-credentials, the core principles of mindfulness, compassion, and Ubuntu play a pivotal role in instigating a significant and transformative shift in the educational landscape. Mindfulness practices enable the cultivation of engaged awareness in the current moment, while the cultivation of compassion enhances an individual's ability to empathize. Moreover, Ubuntu fosters a sense of connectivity among individuals. Integrating these elements within the educational curriculum, pedagogical strategies, and cultural customs fosters comprehensive growth, moral progress, and interconnectivity. It facilitates the development of individuals who exhibit social responsibility and empathy and provides a comprehensive foundation for leadership. The successful application of educational practises requires the integration of many strategies, which in turn facilitates substantial and compelling growth. 2024, IGI Global. -
Cultivating self-esteem: Exploring the intersection of culture, neurocognition, and behavior among female media professionals
This study employed a comprehensive research strategy utilizing both online and offline methodologies to gather insights from 278 female media professionals in Karnataka. The survey, conducted from May 2023 to October 2023, encompassed a substantial timeframe, allowing for a thorough data collection process and the observation of potential variations over the months. The self-esteem scale and workplace communication behaviour inventory scale were employed for the data collection. All correlations were statistically significant affirming the reliability of these associations. Linear regression analyses further elucidated the relationships between self-esteem and specific workplace behaviours. 2024 by IGI Global. All rights reserved. -
Cultivating wellness: Synergy of emerging technologies in spiritual and wellness tourism
This academic analysis explores the dynamic landscape of wellness tourism from 1998 to September 2021, emphasizing the surge in scholarly publications post-2010, primarily contributed by the United States. Key findings identify major authors, significant papers, and evolving trends while acknowledging research limitations and offering recommendations. Additionally, the 2022 study highlights 10 pivotal elements enriching holistic health resorts, coupled with strategic marketing and DMO influence. A comprehensive review utilizing the PRISMA methodology reveals two significant research clusters, focusing on tourist motivations and behavior, anticipating post-pandemic research and the need for diverse data sources. Wellness tourism embodies dynamism and diversity, driven by an ever-growing yearning for well-being, relaxation, and self-care. Travelers can choose from a broad spectrum of dimensions and destinations to personalize their wellness journeys according to their unique aspirations and goals, making it an exceptionally adaptable and customized form of travel. The industry's trajectory is set for continued expansion and transformation as more individuals acknowledge the paramount importance of nurturing their holistic well-being. However, a notable research gap is identified: the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies like wearable technology, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence in wellness tourism remains underexplored. This study addresses this void by investigating the utilization of technology to craft personalized and immersive wellness experiences, its impact on traveler preferences and behavior, and its role in destination management and marketing strategies. Recognizing technology's pivotal role in wellness tourism, this study seeks to bridge the gap between traditional wellness practices and contemporary technological advancements, fostering a holistic approach to well-being in the modern era. 2025 Anand Patil, M.S. Prathibha Raj, R. Gowri Shankar and R.B. Lakshmi. All rights reserved. -
Cultural Blind Spots in Marketing AI: Case Studies of Failure
Artificial intelligence has been quickly shifting into the pioneer of contemporary marketing. AI powered systems influence how brands communicate with culturally diverse audiences through automated content creation and hyper personalized targeting. These systems, while highly efficient, are proving to have major cultural blind points in which algorithmic decision making fails to detect or interpret cultural, social, and representational subtleties. Such lapses appear as biased outputs, homogenization of identity, and reinforcement of stereotypes, growing into public controversies and reputational crises. This chapter explores cultural blindness in marketing- focused AI systems through four case studies: Amazons recruitment tool, H&Ms culturally insensitive campaign, Doves beauty representation controversy, and Levis AI generated diversity models. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Cultural competence social-emotional learning
This chapter delves into the integration of cultural competence and social-emotional learning (SEL) within trauma-informed educational settings, proposing a multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) framework. The chapter examines the theoretical and conceptual foundations of cultural competence and SEL, emphasizing the importance of these components in supporting students' emotional and academic success, particularly in diverse and trauma-affected communities. Practical strategies and challenges for implementing culturally responsive SEL practices are discussed, along with recommendations for educators, policymakers, and future research directions. 2025, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. -
Cultural Expression of Anxiety Symptoms in Kannada Language: A Qualitative Study
Background: In anxiety disorders, culture is important in symptom presentation and help-seeking. Most tools for anxiety disorders are not validated in India and thus might not capture culture-specific aspects of anxiety. This study aims to identify and generate culturally specific terms to describe symptoms of anxiety as part of the development of the Kannada version of the Panic and Anxiety National Indian Questionnaire (PANIQ). The PANIQ is a tool under development to identify anxiety and panic in Indian settings. Methods: This study used qualitative methods like focus group discussions (FGDs) and in-depth interviews (IDIs) to identify and generate items related to anxiety and panic in Kannada from stakeholders like individuals with anxiety disorders, their caregivers, healthcare workers, and mental health professionals who treat individuals with anxiety and panic disorders. Five FGDs (n = 28), one triad (n = 3), and 34 IDIs (n = 34) were conducted. Results: The mean age of the participants was 38.9 (standard deviation: 12.28) years; 57.1% were from rural areas. We generated 615 Kannada items. These were classified into 21 domains and facets. Items in domains like Somatic symptoms, Fear, and Impairment in day-to-day life were higher than those noted in existing tools for anxiety that focus more on cognitive symptoms of anxiety. Conclusions: This study generated culturally specific items of anxiety through a qualitative process of tool development incorporating subjective experiences of persons with anxiety disorders and other stakeholders. This is among the first steps toward the development of PANIQ. 2022 The Author(s). -
Cultural Immersion and Experiential Learning in Sustainability Education
The present chapter explores the role of immersive learning in strengthening sustainability education in different contexts, spanning cultural, neurocognitive, and technological dimensions. It draws from experiential and transformative learning theories and also from frameworks such as ESD and SEFT. It examines the relationship between cognition, empathy, and intercultural competence, and how focused immersive methods can reshape them. Relevant global case studies have been included to highlight diverse forms of engagement like micro- immersion, reverse immersion, and sonic- sensory approaches. By engaging with interdisciplinary insights, it has been argued that immersive learning indeed promotes glocal thinking and environmental stewardship. Technologies like VR and AI- driven storytelling have also been examined not only for their potential but also for the need to balance innovation with inclusivity. Finally, the chapter calls for culturally grounded, critically reflective education models as essential pathways toward building sustainable and empathetic futures. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Cultural Immersion in Social Work Education: A Pathway to Global Citizenship and Cross- Cultural Community Development
With the increasing globalization of the world, social work education must change itself to build students with intercultural competence and global citizenship skills. Cultural immersion programs are a valuable resource for preparing social work professionals to navigate different socio- cultural settings using an inclusive, participatory social development approach. The present chapter will provide an overview of literature reviews, case studies, and theoretical reflections on cultural immersion in social work education. The discussion will consider theories on how such experiences might shape students' conceptualization of social inequalities, community- based interventions, and ethical issues in cross- cultural situations. The chapter will conclude by exploring potential directions for utilizing cultural immersion to design academic and professional development paradigms in pursuit of broader global citizenship and cross- cultural community development agendas. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Cultural quotient: Evolving culturally intelligent business scholar-practitioners
Analytical competency is an essential skill when it comes to the present-day business scenario of the world. However, these days we see a shift in the business needs when it comes to working in a globalized environment. Not only is the intelligence quotient (IQ) looked at but organizations these days are in pursuit of individuals who have another side to their profile - the culturally intelligent side (assessed using the cultural quotient). The need of such a skill can be attributed to the fact that organizations are now churning out their human side of addressing the employees when it comes to ensuring that they blend in the organization with ease. Acquiring a workforce which possesses high cultural intelligence can be a tough task; however, training employees to become culturally competent can be a doable task. Like any other personality trait which can be imbibed over time through constant analysis and observation, cultural competency is one such area which may be cultivated through various methodologies and practices. 2018, IGI Global. -
Cultural resonance in the brain: EEG-Based insights into emotional engagement with festive imagery
Festive imagery is fundamental in constructing cultural identity, affective resonance, and collective memory. The neural engagement patterns in Kolkata individuals, upon viewing familiar and unfamiliar festive images, have been studied by using electroencephalography (EEG) as an on-line, non-invasive indicator of neural activity. In particular, the study compares participants' neural reactions to images of the Onam festival of Keralaa culturally unfamiliar festivalto those of Durga Puja celebrations outside Kolkata, which, although culturally familiar, are not immediately geographically specific. The EEG parameters that were assessed were cognitive load, emotional arousal, neural stimulation, and frontal lobe activation linked to attention and affective processing. Results show that novel but colorful festive images like Onam had greater and longer-lasting cognitive and emotional activation than familiar Durga Puja images. Such increased activation was associated with augmented beta and gamma wave activity, reflecting high arousal and attention, as well as marked frontal lobe activation. The findings indicate that novelty, visual symbolism, and the richness of cultural representations have a central role to play in the modulation of cognitive processing and emotional resonance, even among culturally homogenous populations. The research adds to the growing body of literature in neuroaesthetics and cultural neuroscience by demonstrating how culturally unfamiliar but symbolically dense images can elicit profound cognitive and affective responses. These findings have implications for intercultural communication, visual media design, and festival tourism promotion, where strategic deployment of culturally diverse imagery can increase audience engagement and emotional resonance. Copyright (c) 2026 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. -
Cultural Violence, Violent Gendering, and Abjection: Discourses on Sites of Violence through Trans Womens Narratives from India
The conventional cultural construct of gender and sexuality embedded in the dichotomous paradigm makes it challenging for people with queer and trans identities to fit into an assigned social role. Violent gendering takes place where women are seen as secondorder beings, disciplined and controlled by men, the first-order beings. The process of feminization and femininity is linked to women, which fixates on the idea that one is born a woman rather than one becomes a woman. This violent process of acculturation to these set norms comes with a lot of vulnerability for trans people in the form of abiding by the parameters of femininity and the threat of physical violence against their intersecting and transitioning bodies. Kristevas conception of abjection can be used to understand the discriminatory behavior against outcasts whose sexual or gender practices fall outside of the normative standards and conventions. At the same time, cultural violence, which Charlotte Bunch (2015) describes, is the culturally embedded practice and assumption of domination over women in virtually all societies. She also emphasizes that there is a need to understand that all violence against women is supported by cultural attitudes, which she argues is the real cultural challenge of violence. Keeping in perspective the idea put forth by Bunch, this article critically examines the violence reinforced by culture, and the process of gendering, with a central focus on the intersectional experiences of trans bodies as abject between gender, sex, and culture. This leads to the systematic violence enacted upon them by the invisible disciplinarians. The article considers 21st-century trans womens narratives, Laxmi Narayan Tripathis Me Hijra, Me Laxmi (2015) and Red Lipstick: The Men in my Life (2016). This article contextualizes and situates trans narratives, which provide insight into how trans womens bodies are seen as abject and have gone through the violent process of gendering and culturing 2022 Journal of International Womens Studies -
Culturally responsive trauma-informed training for educators and school counselors
Educational systems must become trauma-informed, anti-racist, and multi-tiered systems of support for all students, which requires comprehensive training for educators and school counselors. This chapter begins with an introduction to the history of trauma-informed approaches. Second, the chapter discusses children who have experienced trauma and the critical need for trauma-informed training in schools. Third, an anti-racist framework for culturally responsive approaches is provided. Fourth, key components of trauma-informed training are discussed, specifically building relationships and establishing safety. Fifth, research-based recommendations for successful training of educators and school counselors are provided. Sixth, the wellness needs of school staff to minimize occupational burnout and combat indirect trauma, which includes vicarious trauma, secondary traumatic stress and compassion fatigue are discussed. Finally, the importance of increased support from administration and community partners for the implementation of trauma-informed practices is emphasized. 2025, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. -
Cumulative istributionfunction: Stock price forecasting
In this paper, an attempt has been made to predict the movement of the stock price for the next day using Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF). For the purpose of the research, three companies from the Bearings Industry, namely - ABC Bearings Ltd, SNL Bearings Ltd and Austin Engineering Company Ltd, and two companies from the chemical industry, namely-Nocil ltd and Manali Petrochemicals Ltd were chosen. Historical prices of these companies were analyzed and by using Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) the movement of the stock price for the next day is predicted. 2017 IEEE. -
CuNi-PTC metal-organic framework: unveiling pseudocapacitive energy storage and water splitting capabilities
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), owing to their distinctive structural properties and customizable functionalities, have been garnering significant attention in the pursuit of advanced energy storage and conversion technologies. In this work, a bimetallic MOF, CuNi-PTC, has been synthesized through a straightforward method. Investigations reveal its potential as a high-performance electrode material for supercapacitors and as an electrocatalyst for water splitting. The CuNi-PTC MOF features a large specific surface area, hierarchical porosity, and strong structural stability, as evidenced by spectroscopic and electron microscopy analyses. As a supercapacitor electrode material, CuNi-PTC delivers an impressive specific capacitance of 1066.24 F g?1 at a current density of 1 A g?1, along with excellent cycling stability, retaining 94% of its capacity after 5000 charge-discharge cycles. Additionally, the electrocatalytic performance of CuNi-PTC for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) was assessed, showing overpotentials of 212 mV for the HER and 380 mV for the OER at a current density of 10 mA cm?2, along with exceptional long-term durability. 2025 RSC. -
Curcumin Analogues as Organic Fluorophores for Latent Fingerprint Imaging
Synthesis and characterization of two curcumin analogues BAA and Br-AA via a condensation reaction was reported. Both the synthesized organic luminophores exhibited aggregation-induced emission (AIE) with bright yellow and green emission respectively. Increase in the water% enhanced the emission by both the compounds confirmed the AIE property. A detailed study of latent fingerprints visualization was also carried out for both the analogues. Both the compounds showed good to normal capability to develop latent fingerprints (LFPs). Compound BAA performed better as a fluorescent material to develop LFPs compared to Br-AA. The LFPs developed were analyzed to obtain 13 level of fingerprint patterns under UV 365 nm illumination. The LFPs developed using BAA exhibited excellent efficiency, sensitivity, high contrast with low background interreference. All three levels of fingerprint patterns were identified by BAA. However, Br-AA showed inability to develop high clarity images of latent fingerprints. The solid-state emission nature of the analogues was also evaluated from their emission spectra and CIE coordinates were found to be were (0,187, 0.518) and (0.265, 0.484) for BAA and Br-AA respectively. 2024 Wiley-VCH GmbH. -
Curcumin inhibits spike protein of new SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern (VOC) Omicron, an in silico study
Background: Omicron (B.1.1.529), a variant of SARS-CoV-2 is currently spreading globally as a dominant strain. Due to multiple mutations at its Spike protein, including 15 amino acid substitutions at the receptor binding domain (RBD), Omicron is a variant of concern (VOC) and capable of escaping vaccine generated immunity. So far, no specific treatment regime is suggested for this VOC. Methods: The three-dimensional structure of the Spike RBD domain of Omicron variant was constructed by incorporating 15 amino acid substitutions to the Native Spike (S) structure and structural changes were compared that of the Native S. Seven phytochemicals namely Allicin, Capsaicin, Cinnamaldehyde, Curcumin, Gingerol, Piperine, and Zingeberene were docked with Omicron S protein and Omicron S-hACE2 complex. Further, molecular dynamic simulation was performed between Crcumin and Omicron S protein to evaluate the structural stability of the complex in the physiological environment and compared with that of the control drug Chloroquine. Results: Curcumin, among seven phytochemicals, was found to have the most substantial inhibitory potential with Omicron S protein. Further, it was found that curcumin could disrupt the Omicron S-hACE2 complex. The molecular dynamic simulation demonstrated that Curcumin could form a stable structure with Omicron S in the physiological environment. Conclusion: To conclude, Curcumin can be considered as a potential therapeutic agent against the highly infectious Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2. 2022 Elsevier Ltd -
Curiosity in calamity: How personal schadenfreude shapes disaster-tourism intentions
Tourism to sites of recent disaster, a form of dark tourism has raised questions about whether visitors are driven by typical travel motivations or by morbid impulses. This study examines how conventional tourist motives and the personality trait of benign schadenfreude (pleasure at others misfortune) jointly influence peoples intentions to visit a recent disaster site. By surveying 438 tourists to Kerala, four months after the July 2024 Wayanad landslides, we measured four common travel motives (novelty seeking, fun/entertainment, knowledge/learning, and relationship bonding) alongside a benign schadenfreude scale and visit intention. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed for modeling. The model explained 58.80 percent of the variance in visit intention. Three motives viz., novelty, knowledge, and relationship had significant positive associations with intention, whereas the fun motive showed a negative effect. Schadenfreude emerged as the strongest predictor of disaster-site visit intention. Moreover, schadenfreude significantly moderated the influence of novelty seeking: respondents high in schadenfreude exhibited especially strong curiosity-driven intent to visit. These findings suggest that interest in post-disaster tourism often stems from ordinary travel drivers (curiosity, learning, social bonding), but a disposition to enjoy others misfortune can intensify the appeal when novel experiences are involved. The research highlights the need for ethical considerations to be followed by the destination managers and authorities in managing dark tourism destinations. Key limitations include the use of a cross-sectional data, region-specific sample and the focus on benign dimension (versus malicious) of schadenfreude. Future research should validate these results in other cultural and disaster contexts, establish causal relationships, and examine additional personal factors as well as dimensions of schadenfreude. 2026 Joseph et al. -
Currency Exchange Rate Prediction Using Multi-layer Perceptron
Financial forecasting is an estimate of a future financial outcome and this outcome is related to some kind of value. We can measure this outcome for a company to predict its future stock or to detect the viability of a human for the sanction of a loan. In all these cases, we want to estimate the future outcome based on historical data. Various methods have been developed lately, to make time series predictions. In this work, we have used Multi-layer perceptron algorithm to predict the Currency Exchange rate between US dollar and EURO. The training network has been compiled using TensorFlow. 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. -
Current advancements in AI-driven education
With the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), smart computing, and high- speed internet, education is undergoing a profound transformation. Learning is no longer confined to traditional classrooms; instead, AI- driven tools are making education more personalized, interactive, and accessible to students worldwide. In an era where global migration, conflicts, and resource shortages pose serious challenges to education, AI offers innovative solutions to bridge learning gaps and ensure that quality education reaches even the most underserved communities. Additionally, today's learners-often referred to as cyber nomads-are growing up surrounded by technology, making it essential to adapt educational methods to their digital-first way of learning. AI is also proving to be a game- changer for students with special needs, such as those with autism, by offering tailored support that traditional systems struggle to provide. This chapter delves into three major areas where AI is reshaping education. First, AI-powered personalized learning systems are revolutionizing how students learn by offering adaptive platforms, AI tutors, and real- time analytics that customize education to fit individual needs. Second, AI- driven content creation and assessment are enhancing the way educational materials are developed, automating lesson planning and grading while integrating interactive experiences like gamification and AR/VR- based learning. Finally, AI- driven administrative and institutional innovations are streamlining operations in schools and universities, making tasks like enrolment, scheduling, and performance tracking more efficient, while also using predictive analytics to help students stay on track. By exploring these advancements, this chapter aligns with the book's goal of highlighting cuttingedge AI applications that are shaping the future of education. It provides insights into how AI is transforming learning at all levels-from kindergarten to higher education-and discusses its potential to create a more inclusive, efficient, and engaging educational experience. This chapter will serve as a valuable resource for educators, administrators, and technology developers looking to harness AI's power to build a smarter, more adaptable learning environment for the next generation. 2025, IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved. -
Current scenario of Gastric cancer (GC): A systematic review
Gastric cancer (GC) is amongst the most difficult cancers to treat and, hence, has to be studied from the roots to be properly analysed. The disease starts as precancerous lesions which have to be observed. This includes dysplasia, atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia. This is effective for detecting the prognosis of GC so that it can be resolved in early stages. This is dependent on a variety of risk factors which include blood type, gender, age, geography, gene polymorphisms, acid secretion, pernicious anemia, oxidative damage, previous gastric surgery, etc. Probably the most important, however, is infection by H. Pylori. With respect to virulence factors and host factors, both are significant players in the development of several cases of malignancies. Other genetic factors and lifestyle choices including alcohol use, tobacco usage and obesity, will also be analysed. There are also several genetic conditions that cause high risk of development into a malignancy including Menetrier s disease, hereditary diffuse GC, Lynch syndrome, Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, Li Fraumani syndrome etc. Several diagnostic procedures such as lab tests, physical examinations and biopsy are used. The current review analysed the factors which are involved in the prognosis and causative agents in the development of GC. This is to better understand how GC can be diagnosed and confirmed. This may include molecular testing, including genes, which can be of high risk followed by modern treatment methods discussing surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy includes discussion of several drugs and how they target the malignancy in question. By understanding the disease in detail, through causes, prognosis, detection and treatment, we can go one step closer to find the cure for GC. 2022 World Research Association. All rights reserved.