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Port cities constituted dynamic axes of national territories and stood out for their opening to the outside world for the transaction of goods, the reception of the new and the exchange of ideas. They were also free spaces for new technological experiences and the foundation of modern economic, scientific, social and political projects. They stood out as privileged territories for the establishment of networks of knowledge and through these networks maintained the contact with distant lands. Intellectual production in them is remarkable and the periodical press, providing general or specialized information, as an information industry at the service of new political, scientific and economic projects, finds space for its development within the port cities. This Special Section brings together researchers working on these subjects, allowing a multidisciplinary approach involving scholars from such scientific areas as communication, information, history, literature and international relations. The objective is to analyse the relationship between the periodic press and port cities and how these urban spaces fostered public opinion and debate projects, as well as new specialized information.

Positive body image (PBI) has received attention in the recent research literature. Despite this, its role in daily functioning in different cultural contexts, particularly its potential relationship with academic outcomes, is still lacking. This study aimed to offer an international perspective on the association between PBI and body mass index (BMI), perceived academic achievement, and educational aspirations, as well as the mediating role of self-esteem. A cross-national study was conducted in eight European countries with a total of 2653 female university students. Participants completed an online survey measuring PBI (conceptualized as body appreciation), self-esteem, perceived academic achievement and aspirations, and body mass index (BMI). Results revealed differences in PBI between countries (low magnitude). PBI correlated negatively with BMI in all national groups (low-to-moderate magnitude). Mediation analysis showed that self-esteem mediated the association between PBI and academic variables. Findings from this study suggest that building students’ self-esteem and PBI can be a suitable way to boost academic success.