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Causal AI for Business Decision Making:A Multi-Domain Investigation, Practical Applications and Implementation Challenges
Get PDFThis working paper presents an investigation into the emerging field of Causal Artificial Intelligence (Causal AI) and its transformative potential for business decision-making processes. While traditional machine learning methodologies excel at identifying correlational patterns within complex datasets, they fundamentally lack the capacity to address critical "why" questions essential for strategic business decisions. Our research employs a multi-domain case study methodology across financial services, retail, healthcare, and manufacturing sectors to examine how contemporary organisations are implementing causal inference frameworks to enhance decision-making robustness. The findings reveal that successful causal AI implementation necessitates not merely technical sophistication but also substantial organisational readiness factors, including causal literacy among executive decision-makers, integrated decision processes, and appropriate governance frameworks. Furthermore, we identify significant implementation challenges regarding data quality requirements, model validation approaches, and ethical considerations specific to causal reasoning systems. The paper concludes with a proposed developmental trajectory model for organisational adoption of causal AI and practical recommendations for businesses seeking to transcend correlation- based analytics paradigms
Penetrance of neurodevelopmental copy number variants is associated with variations in cortical morphology
No full textCopy number variants (CNVs) increase risk for neurodevelopmental conditions. The neurobiological mechanisms linking these high-risk genetic variants to clinical phenotypes are largely unknown. An important question is whether brain abnormalities in individuals carrying CNVs are associated with their degree of penetrance. We investigated if increased CNV-penetrance for schizophrenia and other developmental disorders was associated with variations in cortical and subcortical morphology. We pooled T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging and genetic data from 22 cohorts from the ENIGMA-CNV consortium. In the main analyses, we included 9,268 individuals (aged 7 to 90 years, 54% females), from which we identified 398 carriers of 36 neurodevelopmental CNVs at 20 distinct loci. A secondary analysis was performed including additional neuroimaging data from the ENIGMA-22q consortium, including 274 carriers of the 22q11.2 deletion and 291 non-carriers. CNV-penetrance was estimated through penetrance scores that were previously generated from large cohorts of patients and controls. These scores represent the probability risk to develop either schizophrenia or other developmental disorders (including developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder and congenital malformations). For both schizophrenia and developmental disorders, increased penetrance scores were associated with lower surface area in the cerebral cortex and lower intracranial volume. For both conditions, associations between CNV-penetrance scores and cortical surface area were strongest in regions of the occipital lobes, specifically in the cuneus and lingual gyrus. Our findings link global and regional cortical morphometric features with CNV-penetrance, providing new insights into neurobiological mechanisms of genetic risk for schizophrenia and other developmental disorders. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2025. Published by Elsevier Inc.
From metabolism to coexistence: Understanding animal movement and community dynamics through energy
No full textTo counteract ongoing biodiversity loss due to global change, we need a deeper understanding of when and how species coexist. Recent work has begun to uncover mechanistic links between species coexistence and the movement of individual animals, revealing how individual behaviour can shape community dynamics. This movement behaviour is both motivated by and constrains an animal’s energy state, which in turn drives organism fitness and species interactions, for example by minimizing energy costs or maximizing energy intake. Advancing our understanding of individual energetic mechanisms can therefore reveal key drivers of coexistence. Here, we propose a conceptual framework linking animal energetics, movement behaviour and coexistence to explore how energy fluxes drive movement, mediate species interactions and shape community dynamics, extending former theories that address subsets of these relationships. Energetics is an important process influencing whether, how, where and when animals move, and underpins both equalizing (e.g., similar energy balances among species) and stabilizing (e.g., energy costs that limit large populations) mechanisms of coexistence. By synthesizing insights from community ecology, movement ecology and ecophysiology, we highlight how the integration of these fields reveals a fundamental set of interconnected mechanisms shaping species coexistence. We advocate for this mechanistic framework to improve our understanding of diversity dynamics and predictions of the impacts of environmental change on coexistence and biodiversity. We call for the development of interdisciplinary methods to test predictions evolving in this area and provide examples of how this framework can be applied to advance understanding across varied ecological systems
Islamic Ethics and AI: An Evaluation of Existing Approaches to AI using Trusteeship Ethics:Islamic Ethics and AI: An Evaluation of Existing Approaches to AI using Trusteeship Ethics
No full textArtificial Intelligence (AI) technologies are revolutionising key sectors such as healthcare, finance, and governance, while raising ethical challenges, including algorithmic bias, privacy violations, and environmental sustainability. Dominant Western ethical paradigms, such as Luciano Floridi’s Information Ethics, emphasise procedural integrity and transparency but often lack spiritual and metaphysical grounding prevalent in global traditions. Most approaches to Islamic ethics for AI have employed Maqasid al-Shariah (objectives of Islamic law) and Qawaid Fiqhiyya (legal maxims), that apply legal principles to ethical questions but face limitations in addressing the complexities of emerging technologies especially that they, initially, were developed to address problems in Islamic law and not in Ethics. This paper introduces the prospects of Taha Abdurrahman’s I’timāni (trusteeship) framework as a unified ethical model for AI technologies. Rooted in the concept of divine trust (amana), the framework integrates three foundational covenants—Ontological, Epistemological, and Existential—offering a comprehensive vision of human responsibility toward God, knowledge, and creation. This approach provides ways to prioritise moral accountability with actionable governance strategies, as we demonstrate its practical applicability. We show that from the Islamic perspective, a philosophy of ethics approach is not only more appropriate, but more promising and comprehensive than ones based on jurisprudential rulings, as combating the ethical concerns of data-driven AI in a neoliberal environment requires an overhaul in worldview with cross-cultural respect and care for all
Drivers of Occupational Change in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry: Insights from the Integrated Career Change Model and Self-Regulatory Theory
No full textThe tourism and hospitality industry is renowned for its demanding work environments involving shift work and working on holidays and making personal and social sacrifices. Additionally, the monetary rewards in this sector often lag behind other industries, resulting in a perpetual shortage of skilled labor. The outbreak of public health crisis has further exacerbated these challenges, leading to disruptions and uncertainties in the tourism and hospitality industry worldwide. This study explores the drivers of occupational change among hospitality workers in response to the public health crisis. To achieve this, Rhodes and Doering’s integrated career change model, in conjunction with Higgins’s self-regulatory theory, is utilized. The research focuses on examining the factors that are caused by COVID-19 on the career change of hospitality workers. A qualitative data analysis approach was adopted to gain comprehensive insights into the profound impact of occupational change on hospitality workers. The study seeks to contribute to the field and guide hospitality industry stakeholders by managing occupational change challenges better and improving employee retention. The findings are expected to provide broad implications for the tourism and hospitality sector, ensuring their sustainability and resilience in the face of future uncertainties
Disclosing God in Action:Contemporary British Evangelical Practices
No full textThis Special Issue Reprint explores British evangelicalism through the lens of its contemporary practices. It brings together fourteen original articles and an Editorial by evangelical scholars reflecting theologically on British evangelical practices. They do so critically and reflexively but also constructively, through asking how God's action is disclosed in these practices. Together, the nineteen authors and editors address a wide range of practices, which are organised into three broad sections—worship, ministry and mission, and method. Practices include testimony, divorce, Bible engagement, rule of life, confession, youth ministry, entrepreneurship, and summer camps. The Editorial identifies common themes across the articles, such as ways in which the authors are self-critical of their own tradition; how definitions of evangelicalism are nuanced and broadened in these reflections on practice; and the surprising ways in which God is discerned as being at work. In addition, it notes how authors spoke of God in action, as well as the vehicles identified for this action. This Reprint will be an invaluable resource for all those with an interest in evangelicalism who would like to expand their understanding of the tradition through these reflective accounts of what evangelicals actually do
Reimagining falls prevention with insights from systems mapping on the use of millimetre-wave radar for remote health monitoring
No full textFalls constitute a significant public health concern, demanding innovative solutions that transcend traditional methodologies. Current falls practice focuses on reactive post-fall assessment and management rather than proactive prevention and mitigation. We propose that millimetre-wave radar technology for real-time, continuous falls risk screening at home may address the limitations of current falls practice. To investigate the feasibility of this solution, we interviewed five experts in physiotherapy, falls prevention among older adults, and comprehensive geriatric assessment to identify the current state of play and potential for changes to falls practice. We applied a novel technique, systems mapping, to visually illustrate and analyse the interactions between components of current and proposed systems for addressing falls and constructed two conceptual maps: First, the current system was mapped by asking experts about the causal relationships between 15 system components. Second, to examine the feasibility of the proposed system, the components related to falls risk screening were replaced by radar-based home monitoring and experts were asked to re-evaluate the causal relationships between system components. Next, four scenarios (no fear of falling, no mobility limitation, maximising screening in the current system, maximising radar-based screening) were applied using the maps. Experts identified mobility deterioration and previous falls as key indicators of future falls, noting that increased screening in current practice could reduce risks but increase healthcare professionals' workloads. Experts were positive about radar-based wireless home monitoring, believing it could reduce fall risks whilst reducing all fall-related costs. These findings suggest that, according to experts, millimetre-wave radar can be an effective solution in advancing falls prevention
The Experiences of Students with Physical Disabilities in Inclusive Education: A Qualitative Systematic Review
No full textPhysical disabilities can impact a person’s education. The first-hand narratives of students with physical disabilities may be useful for policy makers, teachers and other stakeholders to inform improvements in inclusive education provision. The objective of this systematic review is to understand different aspects of the experiences of students with physical disabilities who participate in inclusive education. This review was conducted according to the JBI methodology for qualitative systematic reviews. Data were extracted from qualitative studies concerning the experiences of students with physical disabilities, aged 6-20, educated in primary or secondary schools, worldwide. From 5326 initial records, 19 relevant studies were included and critically assessed by two independent reviewers. Eighty-seven themes were classified into 9 categories and further pooled into three synthesized statements. Despite being educated in mainstream settings, students with physical disabilities convey challenges in their day-to-day living and with accessibility and participation in school. These challenges may affect their self-perception, their educational progression and their goals and choices for the future. However, barriers in mainstream settings may be overcome through accommodations of curriculum design, providing appropriate supports and including students with PD’s voice(s) in decision-making. Practices and policies that encourage a sense of belonging and enable meaningful participation for students with PD may enhance their experiences of inclusiveness
Mental Health Literacy in Adults: Turkish Mothers’ Knowledge of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Get PDF© 2025, Hogrefe. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Kindheit und Entwicklung uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self- archiving policy. The final published version (version of record) is available online at the link. Some minor differences between this version and the final published version may remain. We suggest you refer to the final published version should you wish to cite from it
Beliefs About Naturists Scale: A Standardised Measure of Personal Stigma Towards Naturists
No full textThe aim of this study was to fill in the gap in the existing literature when it comes to investigating stigma towards naturism and the individuals who engage in it by creating a psychometric instrument that considers both the experiences of naturists and the beliefs of non-naturists. This quantitative study was cross-sectional in its nature. For the first part of the study, a total of 151 participants participated. After data cleaning, the final sample size was 126. The participants were aged between 18 and 69. The participants were asked to report their gender, sexual orientation, and previous engagement in naturist activities. For the second part of the study, 347 participants completed the survey. The participants in this section were aged between 20 and 76 years old. An explorative principal axis factor analysis was conducted on the 34 items of the developed beliefs about naturists scale (BANS). The analysis indicated that the items loaded onto three factors, with a total of 46.686% of the variance explained, which broadly related to the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviour components of stigma. The first validation indicated that the BANS should be reduced to 29 items. The attitudes factor consisted of 13 items; the beliefs factor consisted of 10 items; and the behaviours factor consisted of six items. A further quantitative study was then carried out to re-evaluate the construct validity of the improved scale and to explore its concurrent validity. The revalidation of the BANS aimed to evaluate the concurrent validity, construct validity, and reliability of the scale. The correlation analysis indicated that the BANS has a high concurrent validity, as it was highly correlated with similar theoretical concepts and empirical predictors of stigma. Although more research is necessary to further evaluate the predictive validity, as well as the validity and reliability across different populations, this preliminary validation suggests a good concurrent and convergent validity, making this the most valid scale in existence to date when it comes to exploring the relationship between stigma and naturism