his quantitative study investigates teachers' perceptions of self-efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the correlation between these perceptions and the preservice training they received. The research addresses the cognitive connection between teachers' current self-efficacy, particularly their satisfaction with and appreciation of preservice lecturers. Utilizing a retrospective lens, the study reveals a significant correlation between teachers' evaluation of their preservice training, especially their appreciation of lecturers, and their present self-efficacy. The findings highlight that teachers, amidst the challenges of the pandemic, evaluated their self-efficacy at a remarkably high level. This underscores their resilience during a period of unprecedented uncertainty, demanding substantial personal and professional adaptability. The nuanced interplay observed suggests that teachers' sense of self-efficacy serves as a predictive variable of their mental and professional resilience when confronting uncertainty and navigating rapid and profound changes, as exemplified by the exigencies of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This paper identifies preschool teachers' sources of stress, the times they experience high stress, and their ways of coping with stress levels. The study was conducted using a phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research models. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 36 preschool teachers working with children aged 0-6 in state and private schools. As a result of the content analysis, stressors were identified primarily at both interpersonal (positive, and effective interactions), and organizational levels (school management, and leadership style). It was also found that intense stress was experienced when children were difficult to control, such as during sleeping, eating, and cleaning. Finally, these results confirmed that the teachers used active/active behavioral, and passive/avoidant coping strategies. However, it was understood that preschool teachers perceived stress negatively, and did not see stress as a personal development situation. These results are discussed in terms of their ramifications for preschool education.

This study explores the interplay between web-based professional development, teachers' self-efficacy, resilience, and work values in the context of the Davao Region. The investigation reveals significant findings in three key areas: web-based professional development, teachers' resilience, and teachers' work values. The survey indicates that web-based professional development significantly impacts teachers' self-efficacy, with interaction self-efficacy registering the highest mean score. Moreover, teachers' resilience is manifested across emotional, motivational, and social dimensions, with emotional resilience scoring the highest mean. Teachers' work values, encompassing physical facilities, social environment, job security, new challenges, professional growth, personal growth, and interpersonal relationships, all demonstrate high descriptive equivalents. The study establishes a significant positive correlation between web-based professional development and teachers' self-efficacy, as well as a significant relationship between teachers' resilience and their work values. Furthermore, both web-based professional development and teachers' resilience exert a significant influence on teachers' work values.The conclusions drawn from the study highlight the prominence of web-based professional development, teachers' resilience, and work values in the educational landscape of the Davao Region. The findings underscore the interconnectedness of these factors and their crucial role in shaping the teaching profession. In light of these results, recommendations are made to inform policy decisions and enhance professional development programs for teachers in the region. The study encourages a holistic understanding of the relationships between web-based professional development, self-efficacy, resilience, and work values, aiming to contribute to the continuous improvement of education quality in the Davao Region. Additionally, future research is suggested to delve deeper into specific aspects of teachers' general self-efficacy, social resilience, and interpersonal relationships for a more comprehensive understanding.

The present study examines the views of prospective science teachers in Colombia on creativity, employing a mixed-method approach that combines qualitative and quantitative techniques. This approach adapted and used an instrument previously developed by Diakidoy and Kanari [1] to explore student teachers' beliefs about creativity. The sample consisted of 152 science education students from two leading Colombian universities in representative cities. The findings align with previous international studies involving both practicing and trainee professionals, although subtle differences, likely due to cultural variations in the university settings, were observed. It emerged that future science teachers predominantly view creativity as an innate ability present in everyone and capable of development. Additionally, the study underscores the role of the classroom environment in fostering creativity, noting that effective creative expression also requires certain level of prior knowledge.

Background: The university must take on the challenges that arise at all levels. Within this mechanism, university professors play an important role as facilitators of knowledge. Aim: To analyse the motivations that influence the professional performance of Spanish university professors. Methods: 102 university professors from 9 Spanish public universities participated in the study. [Male: 54 (52.9%); Female: 48 (47.1%)]. A questionnaire of 22 closed-ended Likert-type questions was designed, scoring from 0-10 (do not agree at all, strongly agree). Results: The questionnaire, finally composed of 17 items, showed good internal consistency. (Cronbach's alpha=0.858). The validity analysis showed a value of 0.822 (>0.5) ) in the sample adequacy measure KMO (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin) and Bartlett's sphericity test (p<0.0001). The exploratory factor analysis showed a clustering in 4 factors (2 for internal goods and 2 for external goods), explaining 64.33% of the total variance. Comparisons between each factor scores by gender (male and female) showed differences statistically significant by gender for factor F1 (higher for females) and F2 (higher for males). Finally, Q1 and Q13 showed a statistically significant correlation (p≤0.05) with years of teaching experience. Conclusions: The motivations of Spanish university professors seem to be associated with the age and gender of the teacher.

The present research is embedded in the professional development and research line and in the needs of secondary education and first-year university teachers. We focussed on evidencing the importance of teachers’ professional training to include some specific adaptation and skills in intercultural dialogue and understanding -often called Intercultural Competence- because of its direct impact on the sustainable development of human beings, groups, and ecosystems. We investigated the role played by each of the main competencies linked to the following intercultural dimensions: Professional Identity, Ethics and Axiology, Methodology, and Inclusive Education. We used an integrated methodology and a cross-study of data, performed after the obtention of a three-cornered evaluation of results collected in focus groups, interviews, and questionnaires. We were able to show the impact of intercultural dialogue and understanding in the education for a sustainable development pattern. This is fundamental to set up a new ecology of forms, knowledge, attitudes, and educational meanings, further used to update teachers and students’ training in sustainable ecology and cultural diversity. Progress made in these complementary competencies -Professional Identity, Ethics and Axiology, Methodology- were appraised by teachers participating in the present study; the latter showing an increased interest and demand for the intercultural competence, after increasing their proficiency in the other complementary competencies.

Global teacher shortage is a serious concern with grave implications for the future of education. This calls for novel ways of addressing teacher roles. The economic benefits of tireless labour inspires the need for teachers who are unlimited by natural human demands, highlighting consideration for the affordances of robotics and Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED) as currently obtainable in other areas of human life. This however demands designing robotic personalities that can take on independent teacher roles despite strong opinions that robots will not be able to fully replace humans in the classroom of the future. In this paper, we argue for a future classroom with independent robot teachers, highlighting the minimum capabilities required of such personalities in terms of personality, instructional delivery, social interaction and affect. We describe our project on the design of a robot teacher based on these. Possible directions for future system development and studies are highlighted.

The objective of this research-action, teaching and extension project was to support the beginning teacher, who graduated from the Pedagogy courses at UFF-INFES and UFRRJ/IE, raising the difficulties and solutions of this teacher's pedagogical practice, as well as implementing and analyzing strategies of professional induction of the newly graduated professor by the proposed pilot course with a focus on promoting dialogue between university and school. This project was aimed at graduates of Pedagogy courses who started as teachers in the early years of elementary school and early childhood education (with less than 5 years as a teacher). These teachers participated in two pilot courses (one in 2021 and the other in 2022) to help recent graduates in their professional induction through innovative actions that help them to take a leading role in their practices. For this, we seek to investigate: the impact of this program on their professional induction through narrative interviews, accompany them in this process and analyze the difficulties and solutions they found in their pedagogical practice as a result of the help that the project offered them; the role of mentors (teachers running the school) and the University at the beginning of their professional activities. Finally, we concluded that this course worked as a support for beginning teachers, allowing for greater reflection and better professional performance, as well as a way to reduce the shock of reality, demotivation and teacher abandonment.

Background: Bangladeshi students from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) often struggle with solving many mathematical problems in different pedagogic contexts. They mostly lack the considerable prior learning or strong basics required to cope with the teaching and learning materials used at the undergraduate levels, which leads many students to take readmissions every year. Objective: This research aims at investigating the factors affecting the success and deficit of university undergraduate mathematics students in Bangladesh. The mixed-method research incorporates quantitative and qualitative data analysis on the students' and teachers’ perspectives regarding the issues. The authors focus more on categorizing the reasons influencing effective mathematics pedagogies than on identifying new or unknown causes. Methodology: This study is outlined in three phases. The phases include i. Exploratory qualitative survey ii. Quantitative triangulation survey, iii. Explanatory semi-structured interviews. Findings: First, the qualitative survey exposes the important factors that highlight the student’s success and failure in mathematics. Next, the quantitative data confirm that there are some similarities and dissimilarities between students’ and teachers’ perceptions. Also, the coefficient correlation analysis shows male students lack consistency and passion for study resulting in poor performances. Conversely, female students emphasize the inability to connect mathematical theories to real-life usages, curriculum loads, and unavailable resources as the reasons for underperformance. Finally, the interview data demonstrate the students attribute their failure to inadequate practices, memorizing habits, poor teaching, low motivation, and external distractions. Also, students acknowledge the necessity of steady practice, clear understanding, regular study, and working strategies for successful mathematics education. Teachers emphasize students’ clear concepts, aptitude, motivation, and curiosity for successful learning. Conclusion: This conclusion proposes a fresh start with the local mathematics pedagogic practices by analyzing teacher-student feedback on the success and failure factors impacted by varied individual and contextual elements. The study offers inclusive feedback on the part of both stakeholders. However, an open discussion or interaction between students and teachers might be needed to enhance mutual trust and understanding between them.

Universities are essential institutions for health promotion (HP). Bioethics, as a transversal discipline, seeks to analyse and systematise these values in an ethical way, strengthening the synergy between health and health promotion. Ecological models are a possibility to develop health actions in a holistic, sustainable and salutogenic way, stimulating positive aspects related to ethics, well-being, quality of life and happiness. Research with exploratory-descriptive methodology and quantitative-qualitative approach. Sample: University professors from the Rio Grande do Sul, random sample, probabilistic for convenience, CI = 95%, n = 1400 people. The research approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Hospital das Clínicas of Porto Alegre (HCPA), Brazil, Ethics Committee of the University Fernando Pessoa (UFP), Porto, Portugal. Universities function as research and learning venues to strengthen HP's activities. Bioethics and HP aim to build qualified actions in health, to defend and promoting well-being, quality of life, equity, inclusion, sustainability and social justice, with the proper conceptual clarity that distinguishes it.

Background: We aimed to 1) Understand the level of knowledge about sex trafficking of minors among school personnel and the determinants of such knowledge; 2) Test the effectiveness of short educational videos in increasing awareness about sex trafficking of minors among school personnel. Methods: We employed an online survey to gather responses from 741 teachers and school counselors living in the US. The McNemar test was used to test for differences in awareness before and after exposure to the videos. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of awareness based on the respondents’ characteristics. Results: Predictors of knowledge about sex trafficking were years of experience, level of education and being a female. Exposure to the educational videos improved the respondents’ level of awareness about this crime and prompted respondents to seek additional educational material. There is a need to develop training initiatives for school personnel on sex trafficking and response protocols to support victims of this crime. Conclusion: School personnel have a high level of awareness of risk factors for sexual abuse but less awareness of what constitutes sex trafficking in children. Exposure to short educational videos can increase such awareness.

Abstract Psychiatric care in Spain has experienced relevant changes both in the legislative and conceptual frameworks. This new approach advocates for the combination of carrying out mental health promotion, prevention of alterations and early diagnosis and treatment, enhancing actions against stigma and emphasising the attention on the most vulnerable groups, like childhood and youth. For that, it has seen fit to perform a nursing intervention on Education and Promotion of mental health for teachers and counsellors of a secondary school located in Valencia, with the general objective of assessing their impact on stigma. Non-randomised clinical trial in which a nursing intervention on Education and Promotion of mental health was performed. Pre-intervention tools: multiple choice test validated by a group of experts; pre and post-intervention: AQ-27 (stigma attribution); in order to check its acceptance, satisfaction surveys were used. The inferential analysis included the Wilcoxon Test (pre and post AQ-27) and the Pearson Correlation Test for the quantitative variables of interest. Sample (n=22): women aged 47.96 ± 10.12 years with 18.64 ± 10.34 years of work experience. The predominant stigmatising attitude before and after intervention was “Coercion”. The ones with lower score were “Segregation” and “Anger”. The p-values obtained in the Wilcoxon Test were statistically significant (p-value <0.05) except for “pre and post Responsibility” and “pre and post Pity”. The following constructs of interest were faced: “Age” vs “Fear” (r= -0.48, moderate), “Professional experience” and “Fear” (r= -0.46, moderate) and “Help” and “Psychosis test” (r= 0.51, severe). The overall satisfaction score was 9/10. Despite the scores obtained in “Coercion” and “Psychosis”, the intervention was useful for reducing stigma in the sample.

Childhood obesity is one of the most prevalent public health challenges in the United States and although rates are declining overall, rates among children living in underserved neighborhoods are increasing. This five-year intervention project seeks to empower teachers (n=92) to invest in their own health and then to integrate nutrition concepts into core subjects’ lessons in elementary schools. The professional development sessions reflect the concepts in the Whole Child, Whole School, Whole Community model. Results indicate that teachers who attended professional development sessions were more likely to implement nutrition lessons in the classroom (r = 0.54, p&lt;0.01) and students demonstrated a significant increase in nutrition knowledge (p &lt; .001, df = 2, F = 9.66). Investing in school-based programs that ensure teacher well-being and professional development can yield positive benefits for both teachers and students.

Nowadays, emerging technologies have changed the places of work through computers and ICT tools, which have revolutionized teaching and learning environments in different ways. In spite of the fact that computers as ICT tools have become part and progressively instrument for teachers and instructors used in teaching and learning, but most educators can't incorporate them into their teaching and learning process, which results in students being ill-equipped or lacking some necessary skills in the world of work, which leads to low performance and poor handling of tools whose lead to low production. To tackle this issue, it is essential to develop the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) system by determining the quality of technical and vocational education (TVE) teachers. In this paper, the literature concerning the competence required by TVET teachers towards computer-related instructional tech-nology for classroom teaching and learning was examined through the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model. Sixty (60) questionnaires were ad-ministered to TVE teachers within six technical colleges of education in north-eastern Nigeria. The data was quantitatively analyzed using traditional linear models, namely multilinear regression (MLR) and artificial intelligence (AI) models, namely artificial neural networks (ANN) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS), which were developed using MATLAB 9.3 (R2019a), while the classical linear MLR model was developed using SPSS software. The results from our classical study indicated that TVE teachers are competent in computer and some instructional technology usage and show a high correlation between competence and teaching experience and a lower correlation between competence and gender. The goodness of fit shows a good fit of the model. Future studies should examine the application of other linear and non-linear AI techniques.

Majority of published articles have talked about the challenges faced by students in learning online however, little has been talked about what the teachers have gone through especially during these times of the pandemic. This paper discusses the factors university teachers face when teaching online. These factors include accessibility to the internet, level of interaction between teachers and students, costs incurred, availability of training and academic policies kept in place to enhance effectiveness of teaching online. These are further divided into personal, social and economic factors where the teachers’ age, gender, remuneration, availability of resources, location and the economic status of the country is discussed in relation to the effectiveness of online learning. Upon carrying out a literature review on articles written on the effectiveness of online learning with the main focus being teachers, it was noted that the main factors affecting the effectiveness of online learning was the availability of internet connection and training provided to teachers. In Kenya, majority of the rural areas lack access to the internet and devices to learn online which makes it difficult for a teacher to teach effectively given the pandemic constraints. This study sheds light on the need for institutions and governments to take input from their teachers and train them on how to make online learning more effective. It also shows the status of universities in Kenya which had to shift to learning online due to the pandemic. Majority of them took time to adapt to this new change due to the discussed factors. Therefore it is recommended that the Government should train teachers and address the issue of lack of internet and electricity in Kenya.

Teachers’ time resources are becoming increasingly scarce and time poverty will have a direct impact on the long-term sustainability of their professional development. However, the current state of teachers’ time poverty and its potential harmful consequences are unclear. Therefore, this research conducts two cross-sectional studies to investigate the current situation and group differences in time poverty among Chinese teachers (Sample 1), as well as the influence of teachers’ time poverty on job burnout (Sample 2). The results indicate that: (1) there is a high level of time poverty among teachers; (2) there is no significant difference in gender, teaching years, or teaching section, and there is a significant difference in teaching responsibilities; (3) time poverty could positively and significantly predict job burnout, and job burnout could positively and significantly predict mental health; (4) mental health factors (including depression, anxiety and stress) play the mediating role in the relationship between teachers’ time poverty and job burnout. To create a sustainable development environment for teachers, it is suggested that teachers improve time management skills and establish a self-regulation mechanism; schools should clarify the boundaries of teachers’ work and respect their right to rest; and society should provide positive and adequate spiritual support.

In Greece, as in most European countries, the heterogeneity of students leads to conflicts resulting in a general inability of the educational process to function. This review study is focused on modern issues affecting youth and school education procedures such as internet addiction, student behaviour expressed as bullying, and adolescent sexuality development. All sides agree that the most essential purposes of education are to emphasize the cultivation of interpersonal relationships, the development of sociability, and self-esteem, and the prevention. Teachers wanting to respond to the spirit of the times to rationalize the pedagogical process introduced the pedagogical contract as a school practice as a valuable tool in taking control of the class and gaining students' attendance. The teacher's positive attitude will create added value to their knowledge and experiences while helping them to integrate into society.

Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is crucial in higher education, providing students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary for a sustainable future. ESD seeks a holistic understanding of sustainability and promotes critical thinking and innovative approaches. Specifically, ESD is very important to address in engineering careers, as engineers will need to establish sustainable solutions in the future. For this reason, the integration of sustainability into university curricula has been studied for some time. In this way, this research analyses the perceptions (attitudes towards teachers; knowledge about sustainable development; environmental, economic and social attitudes; sustainable behaviours) that engineering students in the Dominican Republic have towards sustainable development. 626 questionnaires completed by engineering students were obtained. Subsequently, the data was analysed in SPSS and PLS-SEM. The results showed that attitudes towards teachers have an impact on engineering students' knowledge of sustainable development. In turn, the results also showed that knowledge about sustainable development influences both attitudes (economic, social and environmental) and sustainable behaviours of engineering students. Contrary to other research, this study suggested that economic attitudes are not identified as an antecedent of sustainable behaviours among engineering students. From these results, implications and future lines of research are generated.

Recent studies highlight the need to introduce objectives in Initial Teaching Education focused on the development of oral language competence (OLC). The main aim of the study is to examine activities to promote the development of OLC that are carried out in university classrooms and their evaluation, to analyze the relationship between students’ awareness of OLC work and class activities and to identify proposals to improve students’ OLC. Participants were 175 university teachers who teach on the bachelor’s degree in Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and the master’s degree in Secondary Education (MSE) at seven Catalan universities. The data collection instrument was an online questionnaire with 69 questions. The results indicate that 92.5% of participants work on OLC in their subjects, that 76.5% propose activities that are specifically linked to OLC and that 65.1% of participants evaluate OLC in their subject. A total of 39.4% of participants reported the need to increase discussions to generate processes of collaborative and interdisciplinary reflection between university teachers from different areas of knowledge, among others. We conclude that professional development processes need to be designed for ITE teachers to reflect on how they help students to develop OLC from a pragmatic perspective.

Sustainable teacher development is the key to the success in the program of Master of Translation and Interpretation (MTI) but there was limited research on their current situation and needs in China. In this study 514 teachers from 32 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions across China were investigated by means of quantitative questionnaires and online interviews concerning their current situation of career development and this research presented a comprehensive description of their age, academic qualifications and professional title. Also this study expounded the current situation and difficulties in academic research, teaching, translation practice and staff training. The findings were as follows. 1：In spite of reasonable age structure, approximately 50% of them had less than three years’ teaching experience in MTI. 2: There was a rise in the number of MTI teachers with doctoral degree but they found it hard to offer students professional guidance. 3: A large proportion of MTI teachers were in a slow stream of promotion in the title of professional post. 4: The proportion of the academic achievements related to translation in all the research projects and papers was small. 5: A majority of them worked as part-time translators. 6: About half of the teachers were not very satisfied with the effectiveness in their staff training program. Therefore it is suggested that more opportunities be provided for the MTI teachers to conduct translation practice in the professional sector and more researches be needed to thoroughly understand their requirement in terms of career development with a view to bridging the gap between content in the teacher training and their actual needs.

In this work the seismic resilience of the Emergency Department of a real Hospital complex, located in Tuscany (Italy), has been quantified, with special reference to its nonstructural components and organizational features. Special attention has been paid to the ceilings, whose importance stood out in past earthquakes. A comprehensive meta-model has been set, able to relate all the considered parameters to the assumed response quantity, i.e. the waiting time of the red-code patients arriving to the Emergency Department in the hours immediately after the seismic event. The seismic resilience of the Emergency Department has been measured with reference to earthquakes compatible to the seismic hazard of the area.

In this paper, we focus on the influence of Riemann space-time curvature on the laws of electromagnetism, such as Gauss’s law, Maxwell-Amp´ere’s law, and Faraday’s law. Furthermore, we also introduce the work done on the unification of the gravitation and electromagnetic fields.

We present a modified version of the Szilard Engine, demonstrating that an explicit measurement procedure is entirely unnecessary for its operation. By considering our modified engine, we are able to provide a new interpretation of Landauer’s original argument for the cost of erasure. From this view, we demonstrate that a reset operation is strictly impossible in a dynamical system with only conservative forces. Then, we prove that to approach a reset yields an unavoidable instability at the reset point. Finally, we present an original proof of Landauer’s principle that is completely independent from the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

Antecedents. EFs (EFs) are the basis for establishing a goal and working towards that goal by coordinating thoughts and actions. EFs are fundamental to several aspects of daily life, specifically for academic performance. Aim. To analyze and compare the development of EFs in the transition period between the first and second cycles of Early Childhood Education. Methodology. Non-experimental methodology, ex post facto design, descriptive, cross-sectional evolution study. Participants. Preschoolers of different educational levels (first and second cycle of Infant Education). In this study the participants have been evaluated by different informants: 54.42% by parents and 45.58% by teachers. In relation to gender, 52.65% were male and 47.35% were female. In relation to age, 37.54% had a range of 2-3 years and 62.46% had a range of 4-5 years. Measurement. Instrument development of EFs were evaluated using BRIEF-P by key informants. Results. Preschoolers in the first cycle show significantly higher scores than preschoolers in the second cycle in BRIEP-P. Conclusions. The development of EF is key in these first key moments, having a special impact on later development and academic performance. It is necessary to work on EFs from the first cycle of Early Childhood Education, considering the evolutionary development of EFs.

Most of the educational interventions proposed so far in the field of mental well-being in education ‎usually address just students. In this study, we focused on teachers as the Covid-19 pandemic reiterated ‎the importance of their mental well-being during demanding times. We investigated whether ‎neurofeedback (NF) training can increase optimism, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and the ability to ‎cope with stressful events, reflecting on the research literature that emphasizes these four factors, ‎which affect the ability to be confident in dealing with uncertainty and distress. ‎ Forty teachers aged 35-55 participated in the study. The test group took part in 12 NF training sessions, ‎and the control group was not treated. Our findings indicate that compared to the control group, ‎measures of optimism, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and coping with stressful events improved ‎significantly in the test group.‎ To the best of our knowledge, this is the first attempt to test a mental welfare intervention program for ‎teachers through NF. This study responded to a call to develop teacher intervention programs using ‎physiological measurement and technological innovations to improve their mental health and allow ‎them to cope better with stressful teaching conditions.

This study aimed to reveal the creative thinking of primary school female teachers in Al-Ahsa Governorate, in addition to identifying differences in light of the variables of experience and specialization. The researchers followed the descriptive method. The study was applied to a sample of (340) female teachers. The Creative Thinking Scale, which was adapted by researcher Hawzam Salman (2021), was used. The study concluded that the female teachers of primary stage in Al-Ahsa Governorate have creative thinking at a high degree; in addition, there were no differences in light of the variables of experience and specialization.

In the wake of globalization and the revolutionary impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI), literature and language education play a pivotal role in preparing the next generation to navigate an ever-changing world. This reflective concept paper explores the profound insights shared by educators, focusing on literature and language education amidst globalization and AI. Drawing on interviews and observations, teachers' reflections reveal the enduring value of literature in shaping young minds, fostering critical thinking, and promoting empathy. Additionally, they emphasize the importance of embracing multilingualism and cultural diversity to equip students for an interconnected world. In the face of challenges, educators showcase their resilience and adaptability, harnessing technology, particularly AI-driven tools, to foster future-ready learners. Identifying gaps and implications in literature and language education, this paper sets the stage for collective efforts among stakeholders to shape the future of education. Ultimately, teachers hold the key to nurturing a generation capable of embracing the complexities of the AI-driven global landscape with confidence and compassion, empowering students as transformative agents in a rapidly changing world.

The COVID-19 has dramatically affected mental health and work environment of many labor sectors, including the educational sector. Our primary aim was to investigate preschool teachers’ psychological distress and work engagement during the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, while examining the possible protective role of participating in mindfulness-based intervention (C2C-IT) and emotion regulation. Emotional distress, work engagement and COVID-19 concerns’ prevalence were evaluated among 165 preschool teachers in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in Israel, using self-report questionnaires. Findings show that preschool teachers have experienced increased emotional distress. Teachers who had participated in the C2C-IT intervention six month before the pandemic outbreak (N=41) reported lower emotional distress, higher use of adaptive emotion regulation strategies and higher work engagement, compared to their counterparts that had not participated in the mindfulness training (N = 124). Emotion regulation strategies mediated the link between participating in the CTC-IT intervention and emotional distress and work engagement. Teaching is a highly demanding occupation, especially during a pandemic, therefore it is important to invest resources in empowering this population. According to the findings of the current study, implementation of mindfulness-based intervention during the school year, may benefit teachers’ well-being, even during stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS are prevalent. A Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS report (2019) indicated that more than 50% of the people surveyed in one of the studies spanning 26 countries expressed unfavorable attitudes towards HIV-positive people. The objective of this study was to assess the attitudes of senior Education Studies students at a university in Spain towards people with HIV/AIDS so as to propose specific educational interventions. The study employed a quantitative methodological approach; a questionnaire with a 14-item attitude score served as the analytical instrument. The study sample comprised 613 students from the School of Education at the University of Huelva, Spain. The results showed that more than 50% of the School’s senior students had discriminatory attitudes towards HIV-positive people, some of whom were fellow classmates. This study proposes several formative approaches to reducing the stigma suffered by HIV-positive people, while also improving senior students’ skills and capabilities in the field of health promotion.

Background: Excessive sun exposure, together with insufficient protection, is the main risk factor for the onset of Melanoma and Non Melanoma skin cancer, namely the most common cancer in fair-skinned populations across the world, and of several other skin and eye adverse health effects. Epidemiological data show the existence of scant awareness of this risk, and of high rates of sunburn among young people. The main aim of the present study is to examine sun exposure habits and protection behaviour in university students. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study to investigate sun exposure and protection practices in a group of education sciences students at a university in southern Spain. This survey provided data for a descriptive and comparative analysis, by groups and gender, of photoprotection and skin self-examination practices. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire have been analysed. Results: The questionnaire was completed by 315 students. Most of them (74.6%) have suffered at least one sunburn in the last year. The use of sunscreen or protective clothing is not frequent, and 89.5% of students do not self-examine their skin. The metric properties of the questionnaire showed high values of reliability and validity. Conclusions: The awareness of solar exposure risk in Spanish university students of Education Sciences is low, self-protection is scant, the potential exposure to dangerous levels of UV radiation is high and most students have suffered one or more sunburns in the last year. Intervention strategies should be introduced in these students to highlight the risks involved and the need of more adequate sun protection practices. Information campaigns should be conducted to address the problem so that, when these students become teachers, they have an adequate knowledge of the risk and of the benefits of a higher attention to this problem, and can translate these competences in health education.

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate compliance and accuracy in comparison with traditional PD diaries for tracking motor symptoms using a new smartphone application (My Parkinson’s) and paper diary strategies. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with progressive motor symptoms. Treatment becomes more challenging as PD progresses, motor complications in the form of wearing-off phenomenon and levodopa-induced dyskinesia develop. Traditional paper diaries and clinical scales used to evaluate patients may be inadequate in assessing whether the patient is “on” or “off,” resulting in less-than-ideal treatment changes. Methods: A randomized crossover design was utilized to examine 22 advanced PD patients who underwent symptomatic assessment with both diaries during two separate 24-hour periods seven days apart. The compliance and accuracy of data were assessed by comparing diary entries with the clinical examination notes and WhatsApp queries. Latterly, patients' diary preferences were also evaluated.; Results: The digital diary had significantly better compliance and accuracy than the paper diaries, with substantial/almost perfect levels of agreement (κ = 0·615 to 0·818) between logged symptoms and clinical examination notes. 65% of patients preferred the digital diary for follow-ups, and there was no significant difference in ease of use compared to paper diaries. Conclusions: Digital diaries are helpful in the clinical management of PD patients as they minimize recall bias and reduce data errors in appropriately selected patients. Our study suggests a broader adoption of digital health technologies in PD management. Still, additional research is necessary to improve the tools and assess long-term patient outcomes.

Neurological disorders are the leading cause of cognitive and physical disability worldwide, affecting 15% of the global population. Due to the demographics of aging, the prevalence of neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases, will double over the next two decades. Unfortunately, while available therapies provide symptomatic relief for cognitive and motor impairment, there is an urgent unmet need to develop disease-modifying therapies that slow the rate of pathological progression. In that context, biomarkers could identify at-risk and prodromal patients, monitor disease progression, track response to therapy, and parse causality of molecular events to identify novel targets for further clinical investigation. Thus, identifying biomarkers that discriminate between diseases and reflect specific stages of pathology would catalyze the discovery and development of therapeutic targets. This review will describe the prevalence, known mechanisms, ongoing or recently concluded therapeutic clinical trials, and biomarkers of three of the most prevalent neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Parkinson’s disease (PD).

This study aimed at investigating the quality statuses of graduates’ sustainable core competences development and the causes behind the identified competence statuses by applying the core competencies’ model. The study employed case study design with thematic analysis involving seven interviewees. This study used tracer study findings and national exit exam results as exhibits. The study revealed “very good” and “excellent” quality statuses for the graduates’ core competence development of College of medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS). Similarly, this study identified “Good +” statuses for the quality of graduates’ core competence development in College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences ( CAES) and College of Science (CS). Furthermore, the study identified "good" - and +” statuses for the quality of graduates’ competence development at the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) and Faculty of Humanities (FH). Improved instruction with a balance of theory and practice, task-oriented deans’ leadership behavior with fairness and shared vision- mission identity, handling internal conflicts, and external ethnic-based war influences were the major reasons for the identified higher competence quality statuses in CMHS, CAES, and CS, whereas the opposite direction decline of these factors were the causes for the low statuses of FSS and FH. Sustainable graduates’ core competence development leads to sustainable employability, labor force, and individual to nation-wide holistic sustainable development

IIt is important that Master’s Degree students in psychology, regardless of their future specialisa-tion, know about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The aim is evaluate and an-alyse the ADHD-related knowledge held by students of Early Childhood Education and Primary Education. The findings that were obtained in this study (on the chronicity of the disorder, changes in manifestations throughout the life cycle, and the importance of early and multidisci-plinary intervention) have clear implications in relation to the specific training in ADHD for fu-ture teachers. It is essential to broaden the specific training in relation to ADHD in studies for the Master’s Degrees in Early Childhood Education and Primary Education and through contin-uous training.

These counterexamples have shown the relationships between the power of a Pythagorean equation and Pythagorean’s triples. There are three positive integers that satisfy Fermat’s equation when the power n is equal to 2 in the case of the Pythagorean theorem and it’s applicable relationships in right triangles. On the other hand, as the power varies from positive to negative integers or any integers other than 2, such as in the case of Fermat’s last theorem, the hypotenuse z of a right triangle tends to be equal to one of the sides x or y of the triangle and the other side tends to be equal to zero. And the application of this idea describes the behavior of a mass object in motion. Since the total energy of the object is the sum of its energy in motion and its rest energy, at a particular power n, the total energy of the object tends to be equal to either the rest energy or the photon energy.

Around 1637, Pierre de Fermat famously wrote in the margin of a book that he had a proof for the equation $a^n + b^n = c^n$ having no positive integer solutions for exponents $n$ greater than 2. This statement, now known as Fermat's Last Theorem, remained unproven for centuries, despite the efforts of countless mathematicians. Andrew Wiles' work in 1994 finally provided a rigorous proof of Fermat's Last Theorem. However, Wiles' proof relied on advanced mathematical techniques that were far beyond the scope of Fermat's time, raising questions about whether Fermat could have truly possessed a proof using the methods available to him. Wiles's achievement was widely celebrated, and he was awarded the Abel Prize in 2016 in recognition of his groundbreaking work. The citation for the award described his proof as a "stunning advance" in mathematics. The present work offers a potential solution to Fermat's Last Theorem that may be more aligned with the original approach that Fermat claimed to have used.

HIGHLIGHTS Mach's principle is linked with inertia and the mass around. Nowadays, physicists believe its effect is infinitesimal, so Mach's principle is simply ignored. This paper looks at the consequence of applying Mach's principle. It could replace dark matter. ABSTRACT After seeing the history of Mach's principle, we will work out a new model of galaxies inspired by Mach’s principle, which is more satisfactory than current dark matter models. This new model is just maths and needs an explanation. One possible explanation is obviously that Mach's principle is at work in a galaxy.

Urban tourism has witnessed significant growth in recent years, driven by various factors that foster the transformation of urban areas into tourist hotspots. These factors include a rising interest in culture and heritage, ongoing urban redevelopment and conversion processes, and the introduction of new experiences and activities. Two particularly influential factors contributing to this growth are low-cost travel, which facilitates more accessible access to urban destinations, and the emergence of new types of accommodation, such as short-term rental (also known as local accommodation or Airbnb-type accommodation). This sudden and continuous growth of this type of tourist accommodation brings new challenges to cities and local communities. On the positive side, it contributes to job opportunities, the dynamism of the local economy, and urban revitalization. On the other hand, it also represents more difficulty in retaining the local population in city centers, as more and more buildings are converted into hostels and tourist apartments. In this context, it becomes essential to conduct studies evaluating the impacts of these dynamics in urban areas and how they influence residents' and visitors' perspectives. Therefore, this study aims to identify the main transformations resulting from short-term rental (STR) development, focusing on the impacts felt by tourists and residents in Porto. A questionnaire was distributed to tourists and residents in Porto's city center in June 2023. The results reveal differences in opinions between tourists and residents, particularly concerning historical heritage preservation, local population relocation, and reduced housing availability for residents. Nevertheless, there is a similarity in their opinions regarding the stimulus that local accommodation brings to the economy and the rehabilitation of buildings and urban areas. This study reinforces the need to pay more attention to the future development of tourist accommodation in city centers, especially regarding local policies and territorial planning, to balance better tourism development and local communities' quality of life.

Although the empirical Kepler’s laws can be proven by applying Newton’s laws to the dynamics of two particles attracted due to the gravitational interaction, there is no explicit formula for the motion as a function of time. In this paper, a quasi-analytical solution for this problem is proposed. It approximates the real behavior of celestial bodies with an acceptable degree of accuracy. All calculations involved require a low computational cost. This problem is closely related to Kepler’s equation, since, the solution for the equations of motion as a function of time gives us the solution to Kepler’s equation as well. The results are presented for each planet of the solar system (including Pluto), and the solution is compared against the real orbits.

The conformity assessment of products or a measured value with the given standards is carried out based on the global risk of producers and consumers calculation. A product may conform to specifications but be falsely rejected as non-conforming. This is about the producer's risk. If a product doesn't meet the requirements but is falsely accepted as conforming, that poses a risk to the consumer. The conventional approach to risk assessment, which yields only a single numerical value for the global risk of producers and consumers, is naturally extended, and utilized for assessing risk in measurement models with linear regression. The outcomes of the two-dimensional extension, along a moderate scale, are the parabolas with an opening upwards. Risk surfaces were obtained through three-dimensional extension over the area limited by the moderate scale and guard band axes. Four models with different ranges of tolerance intervals were used to test this innovative method of risk assessment in linear regression. The corresponding standard measurement uncertainties are determined by applying a simplified measurement model with the use of comprehensive data on the measurement performance and by determining measurement uncertainty derived from consideration of the functional relationship obtained by linear regression analysis. Models that utilize information from linear regression analysis to determine measurement uncertainty are biased towards risks at the edges of the moderate scale. Testing the model's performances with metrics related to the confusion matrix, such as the F1 score, further substantiated this assertion. The diagnostic odds ratio has been proven to be extremely effective in identifying the curve along the guard band axis, along which the global risks of producers and consumers are at their lowest.

Background: One of the most common occupational health hazard and serious health concern, now a days, recognized is Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The high prevalence among students and teachers is a major cause of decline in their health related quality of life and work performance. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among teachers and students during online education. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among university faculty members and students who were involved in online education during COVID-19. Data collection was carried out electronically through a validated Arabic version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) which is self reported. A total of 175 respondents responded to the questionnaire (response 60%). Results: The prevalence of any part of the body was 90.3%. The commonest site of MSDs for past 12 months was the low back (65.7%), the neck (58.3%), and shoulders (57.7%). Females (80%) suffered more than males (20%). The students reported slightly higher MSDs as compared to teachers (93.1% vs 90.3). Binominal regression analysis showed association of females with low back pain “OR: 2.24 (95% CI): 1.04-4.83; p = 0.03” and neck pain “OR: 2.7 (95% CI): 1.24–5.84; p = 0.012)” while bad posture was associated with pain in upper back “OR: 3.46 (95% CI): 1.73-6.93; p = 0.001”. Conclusion: The faculty members and students are prone to high MSDs during online classes and significant measures should be taken to reduce the prevalence by addressing associated risk factors.

COVID-19 pandemic has drastically reduced physical activity (PA) behaviors of many people. Physical education (PE) is considered one of the privileged instruments to promote youths’ PA. We aimed to investigate the effects of lockdown on PE teachers’ behaviors promoting their students’ out-of-school PA and differences between three European countries. 1146 PE teachers (59.5% females) from France, Italy, and Turkey answered an online questionnaire about guiding students to engage in out-of-school PA, helping them to set PA goals, encouraging in self-monitoring PA, the pedagogical formats of these behaviors and feedback asked to students. RM-MANCOVAs were performed with a 2 Time (before and during the lockdown) × 3Country (France, Italy, Turkey) × 2 Gender factorial design, using teaching years and perceived health as covariates. A significant multivariate main effect Time×Country×Gender (p&lt;.001) was reported for the behaviors promoting students’ PA, with French and Italian teachers increasing some behaviors, while Turkish teachers showing opposite trends. Significant multivariate main effects Time×Country were found for formats supporting the behaviors (p &lt; .001) and for asked feedback formats (p&lt;.001). The massive contextual change imposed by lockdown caused different reactions in teachers from the three countries. Findings are informative for PA promotion and PE teachers’ education.

The geometry of structural members can influence the fatigue crack growth rate. In the paper, the T-stress depending on the element's geometry is used to quantify the effect of geometry on the fatigue crack growth rate. A series of fatigue tests on three-point bending specimens with different initial crack lengths were conducted. As a result, the dependence of the crack growth rate on the T-stress value was obtained.

We report an unusual case of Terson's syndrome that resulted in the di-agnosis of a right posterior communicating artery aneurysm. Interest-ingly Terson's syndrome presented with Roth spot resembling features accompanied by third nerve palsy in a patient without any disturbance of consciousness. To our knowledge, the association of Terson's syndrome with third nerve palsy has not been described before in the absence of radiologically diagnosed subarachnoid haemorrhage. We present the case of a 48-year old woman who presented in the De-partment of Emergencies of the University Hospital of Patras with right-sided complete pupil-involving third nerve palsy combined with bilateral Terson's syndrome. More precisely, fundoscopy revealed multi-ple scattered intra- and pre-retinal haemorrhages in both eyes while some retinal haemorrhages had a white-centered pattern resembling Roth spots. Neurological examination revealed no nuchal rigidity or any other neurological signs. The Glasgow coma scale was 15/15. A cerebral computed tomography angiography revealed a 5mm aneurysm of the right posterior communicating artery and the patient underwent a mi-crovascular clipping operation after craniotomy. The significant contribution of the ophthalmological consultation to the appropriate and timely diagnosis and management of a life-threatening condition is highlighted.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are a set of progressive, chronic, and incurable diseases characterized by the gradual loss of neurons, culminating in the decline of cognitive and/or motor functions. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD) are the most common NDs and represent an enormous burden both in terms of human suffering and economic cost. The available therapies for AD and PD only provide symptomatic and palliative relief for a limited period and are unable to modify the diseases’ progression. Over the last decades, research efforts have been focused on developing new pharmacological treatments for these NDs. However, to date, no breakthrough treatment has been discovered. Hence, the development of disease-modifying drugs able to halt or reverse the progression of NDs remains an unmet clinical need. This review summarizes the major hallmarks of AD and PD and the drugs available for pharmacological treatment. It also sheds light on potential directions that can be pursued to develop of new, disease-modifying drugs to treat AD and PD, thereby decreasing the social and economic burdens linked to these NDs.

Visual thinking leverages spatial mechanisms in animals for navigation and reasoning. Therefore, given the challenge of abstract mathematics and logic, spatial reasoning-based teaching strategies can be highly effective. Our previous research verified that innovative box and ball coloring activities help teach elementary school students complex notions like quantifiers, logical connectors, and dynamic systems. However, given the richness of the activities, correction is slow, error-prone, and demands high attention and cognitive load from the teacher. Moreover, feedback to the teacher should be immediate. Thus, we propose to provide the teacher with real-time help with LLMs. We explored various prompting techniques with and without context Zero shot, Few shot, Chain of Thought, Visualization of Thought, Self Consistency, logicLM and Emotional to test GPT-4o’s visual, logical, and correction capabilities. We obtained that Visualization of Thought and Self Consistency techniques enabled GPT-4o to correctly evaluate 90% of logical-spatial problems that we tested. Additionally, we propose a novel prompt combining some of these techniques that achieved 100% accuracy on a testing sample, excelling in spatial problems and enhancing logical reasoning.

This study analyses key aspects of the professional life of primary school teachers in a southern European context. In the social changes of last two decades profoundly impacted the well-being of teachers putting a strain on their ability to adapt to sometimes unfair working conditions. For this purpose twenty teachers (M = 38.85; DS = 9.17) were interviewed from different areas of Italy, data were analyzed using the Grounded Theory Method. Through data analysis were summa-rize and emphasize eight core themes. The results show the effects of a gradual impoverishment of the recognition of the role of teacher, highlighting the difficulty for teachers of renegotiating more flexible workload assessments and of reinforcing psycho-emotional skills for the development of a teaching methodology attentive to the psycho-emotional needs of pupils. Schools emerge as a rigid working context, in which a competent organizational function is often absent. Practical psychological implications are discussed.

Primary and middle school teachers are a critical part of China’s foundational education; teacher turnover heavily affects the stable development of foundational education. In this study, interviews with 20 teachers found that relatively low income, high work pressure, unfair distribution, and difficulty in achieving promotion to higher professional titles are the main reasons for teacher turnover intention. This study investigates 485 primary and middle school teachers from Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. We found that primary and middle school teachers reported intense feelings of unfairness about their distribution of income. Their salary satisfaction was low, and the ratio of turnover intention was high. The main reasons for teachers’ high turnover intentions were low income, high pressure from work, unfair distribution, and the difficulty of achieving professional title promotion. To lower teachers’ turnover intentions, China should raise teachers’ income appropriately and increase the number of teachers with high professional titles. Schools should improve procedural, distributive, and interactive justice. Teachers should adjust their income references and perceptions of fairness. This situation can be effectively resolved only if all parties work hard to make positive changes.

Background and objective: Symptoms of most neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), usually do not occur until substantial neuronal loss occurs. This makes the process of early diagnosis very challenging. Hence, this research used variant call format (VCF) analysis to detect variants and novel genes that could be used as prognostic indicators in the early diagnosis of prodromal PD. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI), and we analyzed prodromal patients with gVCF data collected in the 2021 cohort. A total of 304 participants were included, including 100 healthy controls, 146 prodromal genetic individuals, 21 prodromal hyposmia individuals, and 37 prodromal RBDs. A pipeline was developed to process the samples from gVCF to reach variant annotation and pathway and disease association analysis. Results: Novel variant percentages were detected in the analyzed prodromal subgroups. The prodromal subgroup analysis revealed novel variations of 1.0%, 1.2%, 0.6%, 0.3%, 0.5%, and 0.4% for the genetic male, genetic female, hyposmia male, hyposmia female, RBD male, and RBD female, respectively. Interestingly, 12 potentially novel loci (MTF2, PIK3CA, ADD1, SYBU, IRS2, USP8, PIGL, FASN, MYLK2, USP25, EP300 and PPP6R2) that were recently detected in PD patients were detected in the prodromal stage of PD. Conclusion: Genetic biomarkers are crucial for the early detection of Parkinson’s disease and its prodromal stage. The novel PD genes detected in prodromal patients could aid in the use of gene biomarkers for early diagnosis of the prodromal stage without relying only on phenotypic traits.

The article proposes asymptotic methods for calculating Sommerfeld integrals, which enable us to calculate the integral using the expansion of a function into an infinite power series at the saddle point, where the role of a rapidly oscillating function under the integral can be fulfilled either by an exponential or by its product by the Hankel function. The proposed types of Sommerfeld integrals are generalized on the basis of integral representations of the Hertz radiator fields in the form of the inverse Hankel transform with the subsequent replacement of the Bessel function by the Hankel function. It is shown that the numerical values of the saddle point are complex. During integration, auxiliary or so-called standard integrals, which contain the main features of the integrand function, were used. As a demonstration of the accuracy of the technique, a previously known asymptotic formula for the Hankel functions was obtained in the form of an infinite series. The proposed method for calculating Sommerfeld integrals can be useful in solving the half-space Sommerfeld problem. An example is the expression in the form of an infinite series for the magnetic field of reflected waves, obtained directly through the Sommerfeld integral (SI).

Objectives: Teachers’ intention understanding ability reflects their professional insight, which is the basis for effective classroom teaching activities. However, the cognitive process and brain mechanism of how teachers understand students' action intention in class are still unclear; Methods: This study used event-related potential (ERP) technology to explore the cognitive neural differences in intention understanding ability among teachers with different levels of knowledge and experience. The experiment used the comic strips paradigm to examine the ability of expert and novice teachers to understand students’ normative and non-normative classroom actions under different text prompts (“how” and “why”); Results: The results revealed that in the late time window, expert teachers induced larger P300 and LPC amplitudes when they understood students' classroom action intentions, while the N250 amplitudes induced by novice teachers in the early time window were significantly larger. In addition, for both types of teachers, when understanding the intentions behind students’ normative actions, the N250 amplitude was the most significant, while the P300 and LPC amplitudes were more significant for non-normative actions.; Conclusions: This study found that teachers at varying professional development stages had different time processing processes in intention understanding ability, which supported teachers' brain electrophysiological activities related to social ability.

This study aimed to explore the experiences of teachers in the recovery of educational skills. Specifically, ten teachers of Andap National High School are selected for the in-depth interview. This study employed a qualitative-phenomenological research design of which in-depth interview (IDI) was used in gathering the data. The study utilized phenomenological approach to study a particular phenomenon concerning the post-pandemic experiences of teachers in the implementation of the face-to-face classes. After gathering sufficient amount of data through the conduct of in-depth interviews, thematic analysis was used to analyse further the results and to check the disparities and similarities of all responses gathered. This was the time wherein responses were categorized and organized into themes. The findings of the study revealed that the challenges encountered of educational skills recovery were sources of learning materials, learning gaps, learners characteristics, difficulty with comprehension and lack of interest. It was also revealed that the most challenging teaching experiences in the recovery of educational skills were catching attention, learning gaps, communicating to students, need for remedial instruction, retroactive interference and difficulty in understanding English Language. They frequently have to quickly convert lesson material they had intended to teach in a classroom setting to any learning modality implemented. Further, adjust and learn new trend, provide opportunities to develop new skills, helps to manage stress, improved educational outcomes, become well-rounded teacher, networking and learning and continue doing responsibilities helped in these insights had in confronting challenges brought by the pandemic.

Additive manufacturing (AM) techniques are widely investigated for the cost-effective use of titanium (Ti) alloys in various aerospace applications. One of the AM techniques developed for such applications is plasma transferred arc solid free-form fabrication (PTA-SFFF). Materials manufactured through AM techniques often exhibit anisotropies in mechanical properties due to the layer-by-layer material build. In this regard, the present study investigates the isothermal directional fatigue of Ti-TiB metal matrix composite (MMC) manufactured by PTA-SFFF. This investigation includes rotating beam fatigue test, electron microscopy, and fatigue calculations. The fatigue experiments were performed at 350 ºC using specimen with the test axis oriented diagonally (45º) and parallel (90º) to the AM builds directions. The fatigue values from the current experiments along with literature data find that Ti MMC manufactured via PTA-SFFF exhibit fatigue anisotropy reporting highest strength in 90º and lowest in perpendicular (0º) AM build directions. Further, the electron microscopy investigations on 0º, 45º, and 90º AM build specimens reveal frequent TiB clusters in all three AM build directions and suggest that the spread of these TiB clusters play a role in fatigue anisotropy. Moreover, the fatigue calculations were performed using both the Paris’ and recently reported modified Paris’ equations. Comparison of R^2 values for these calculations show that modified Paris’ equation predicts the fatigue life of AM Ti-TiB MMC more accurately than the Paris’ equation.

In this paper, I introduce a new concept of representing numbers in base ; in other words, I have found new series for any number similar to series that could be written according to the collatz sequence which is called zi(n) in this article. These series need to end with 1. Then, we use two sets of rules to make a diagram which then proves the existence of such series for any number.In this diagram, by branching numbers into different branches in accordance to the modularity of 4 and continuing branching to the point that their numbers have enough common terms in their collatz series, we could reduce zi(n) to zi(k) so that k<n in any branch by Rule Number One. This diagram shows that zi(n) exists for every number, in other words, this proves the theorem (A) or zi-existence theorem. The proof of zi-existence theorem leads to a proof of the collatz conjecture because the collatz series could be written as a linear combination of such series that all of them end with 1, so the collatz series for any number ends with 1.

Background/Objectives: The primary life-threatening complication in Spinal-bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) is ventilatory failure, which results from the weakening of the bulbar and respiratory muscles. However, systematic studies assessing respiratory function over the long-term have not been performed. The present study analyzes the longitudinal patterns of respiratory function tests over a follow-up of 11 years, aiming to identify any potential, sustained decline during this time. Furthermore, we explored possible correlations between respiratory function tests and clinical and biochemical serum indices. Methods: We collected data from 9 genetically confirmed SBMA patients and conducted spirometric measurements twice a year for eleven years. The spirometric data included maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP), maximum expiratory pressure (MEP), and forced vital capacity (FVC)]. Additionally, we measured serum biochemical indices and SBMA functional rating scale (SBMAFRS) for clinical analysis. Results: All three respiratory function tests showed a descending trend. A major decrease was observed for MEP (52%) and MIP (42%), while this was minor for FVC (25%). SBMAFRS score correlated with the three pulmonary function tests. MIP and MEP correlated with creatine phosphokinase and creatinine levels, and FVC correlated with serum level of transaminases. Conclusions: This longitudinal study shows a progressive decline of spirometric data throughout life in patients with SBMA. Spirometric measures relative to maximal strength of the respiratory muscles (MIP and MEP) may have a better predictive value for pulmonary and muscular decline than FVC.

We have shown that Newton’s third law does not strictly hold in a system with remote elements, due the finite speed of signal propagation and thus force imbalance occurs at the system’s center of mass. As the said system is affected by a total force for a finite duration, mechanical energy and momentums are gained by the system. In early works we assumed that the bodies were macroscopically charge neutral. Later we removed this restriction, thus analyzing the consequences on a possible electric charged relativistic motor. On the first published paper on this subject we studied this phenomena in general but gave only an example of a system reaching a stationary state, in this paper we shall analyze a charged retarded electromagnetic motor in a more general time dependent setting giving specific examples in which the system never reaches a stationary state yet produces steady linear momentum non the less.

Hamman’s syndrome is a rare condition that mostly affects young males, often with a predisposition of asthma. It includes the presence of free air in the mediastinum and subcutaneous emfysema with no other underlying cause such as trauma or infection. It occurs spontanously and often in association with prolonged valsalva manouvre. This might explain why there are some cases of Hamman syndrome among young females giving birth. Here we present a case report of a 24-year- old primigravida with Hamman’s syndrome. She presented with symptoms a few hours after an uncomplicated vaginal delivery at 40+1 pregnancy week. The symptoms resolved spontanously after a few days of observation. We also give a systemic review of reported cases since 2000 to provide overview on pathomechanism, symptoms, diagnostics, treatment and management of this condition. Hamman’s syndrome is a rare, usually benign, but potentially serious complication that can occur during the second stage of labour. Diagnostics include inquiring about typical symptoms, clinical examination and chest x-ray or CT scan. Treatment is usually conservative with oxygen, bronchodilators and pain relief. The reccurence rate is low and there is no contraindication to vaginal delivery in future pregnancies. However, it is suggested that physicians and midwives be cautious and consider low threshold for instrumental delivery or caesarean section to avoid excessive valsalva manoeuvre.

Malocclusions have a continuously increasing prevalence from a generation to another as a result of climate changes, soil, atmosphere and water pollution. All of these aspects have unfavorable consequences on the nutritional scheme. Thus, nutrition together with other etiopathogenic factors contribute to complex alterations in the somatic development of the entire organism and, implicitly, of the cephalic extremity. The study group included 4147 children from randomly selected schools from Vâlcea County, Romania. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of malocclusions in schoolchildren from Vâlcea County, Romania, according to the three main classes of malocclusions (according to Angle’s classification), age groups (from 6 to 10 years old and from 11 to 14 years old), gender (male and female) and place of origin (rural and urban). For Angle class I malocclusions we recorded the highest prevalence (48,78% from the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions), followed by Angle class II malocclusions (45,85% from the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions) and for Angle class III malocclusions we found the lowest prevalence (5,37% from the total number of schoolchildren with malocclusions).According to gender, we found the highest prevalence in female gender (29,90% from the total number of female subjects), while in male gender we recorded a prevalence of 27,70% from the total number of male subjects. Regarding the place of origin, there is a higher prevalence of malocclusions in the urban areas (29,16%). The study subgroup included 140 children randomly selected from the total number of subjects from the study group. They were included in a more advanced study. The aim is to find potential associations between the presence of malocclusions and various oral variables. Categorical variables were expressed as numerical values and percentages, and their association was evaluated with either the Chi-square test of association or homogeneity, or the Fisher Exact test. The acquired data were incorporated into a binomial logistic regression model to assess the likelihood of developing malocclusions in relation to the following variables: defective phonation, bruxism, frequency of teeth brushing, onychophagia, oral respiration, infantile deglutition, placing objects between the maxillaries, thumb sucking and salivary aspects. It is also aimed to compare the results obtained with similar ones from the specialized literature.

Driver’s distractions are more prone to occur with automated driving vehicles, which might turn into cancelling some of their advantages. Traffic reports, naturalistic observations and in-lab tests are carried out to determine the influence of driver’s distractions in car crashes and to develop technology to detect and prevent them from happening. One of the best strategies to cope with this problem is education. In this work we propose a simulation environment to design laboratory experiments to study driver’s distractions as well as simple games to train drivers to take over the control of the vehicle when required. The result framework enables drivers to experience driving highly automated cars in their neighborhoods or in places of their choice with different levels of events to check their ability in taking over the control when required.

Many neurodegenerative diseases are directly related to the formation of toxic protein aggregates, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, which are associated with the aggregation of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) and beta-amyloid (Aβ ), respectively. In this context, protein fibrils are the hallmark of these neurodegenerative diseases. In this sense, planning or designing compounds that are capable of preventing or reducing the formation of protein aggregation in the brain can be of fundamental importance for the curative treatment of these diseases. This work presents an in silico and experimental study to investigate the inhibitory potential of the ligands Octovespin (bioinspired by the wasp venom Polybia Occidentalis) and Fraternine-10 (bioinspired by the wasp venom Parachartergus fraternus wasp) against the aggregation of fibrils of the peptides Aβ(17-42) and α-syn, respectively. Using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations with 100 ns, the disaggregation capacity of these ligands was studied. The results obtained indicate that Octovespin and Fraternine-10 interact with the Aβ and α-syn protein fibrils throughout the simulation time. The RMSD values and the interactions with amino acids responsible for fibril aggregation demonstrate that both Octovespin and Fraternine-10 have a significant disaggregation potential, which corroborates the observations in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, experimental results of Fraternine-10 demonstrate an anti-aggregation effect, indicating that it can promote the disaggregation of fibrils and prevent them from aggregating again to form oligomers. These discoveries qualify these molecules as potential candidates to become medicines against Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Background:Caregiving for individuals with neurological disease involves providing physical, emotional, and social support, which can be a challenging and stressful experience. This study aims to compare the caregivers' burden, including the impact on mental and physical health, social support, and quality of life, in different neurodegenerative disorders. Methods:Fifty-five primary caregivers (F=41;mean age=53.07±12.29) of patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD=26), Multiple System Atrophy (MSA=16), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS=13), took part in the study. Standardized screening scales for the quality of life (EQ-5D/EQ-VAS and PQoL), levels of the caregiving burden (CBI and FSQ), and the assessment of the anxiety-depressive axis (HADS) were administered. Results: The mean CBI score was higher for caregivers of MSA patients (28.81±21.90) and ALS (25.15±16.23) than for caregivers of PD patients (16.08±10.34; p=0.036). Critical burden (cut-off>36) was present in the caregivers of MSA (31.3%), ALS (23.1%), and PD (19.2%) patients. Caregivers of patients with ALS had a worse perception of quality of life (EQ-5D total score) than caregivers of patients with MSA and PD (p

In this paper, we propose an extension of the Planck distribution function derived from the Boltzmann principle. That is, we consider extending Planck's law with new distribution functions. In addition, using ideas applied to the expansion of the Planck distribution function, Von Koch's inequality is derived without using the Riemann hypothesis, showing that the abc conjecture is negated. We also describe some challenges for the future. Namely, we will discuss that Entropy is related to dynamical systems described by logistic function models, such as the bacterial and the population growth.

This study explores the intricate relationship between the angle of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) conflicts and the severity of conflicts at signalized intersections during traffic signal failures, leveraging the advanced capabilities of LiDAR sensor technology. The research delves into the impact of conflict angles on collision outcomes and introduces LiDAR as a novel and precise tool for capturing spatial dynamics during unregulated traffic movements. Findings reveal that as the angle of V2V conflicts increases, indicating a wider approach between vehicles, the severity of conflicts tends to decrease. This reduction in severity is attributed to the detailed spatial data provided by LiDAR, enabling the identification of glancing impacts rather than direct head-on collisions. The mitigation of forces involved in collisions at increased angles contributes to a decreased likelihood of severe consequences, such as extensive vehicle damage and serious injuries to occupants.Conversely, as the angle of V2V conflicts decreases, signifying a narrower approach between vehicles, the potential for severe collisions tends to increase. LiDAR technology facilitates precise measurements of spatial coordinates and temporal dynamics, revealing that collisions occurring at smaller angles involve more direct and concentrated impact forces. This heightened risk of extensive damage to vehicles and increased injury severity is crucially captured by LiDAR, providing valuable insights into the relationship between conflict angles and collision outcomes during traffic signal failures. This study underscores the efficacy of LiDAR sensor technology in understanding the nuanced dynamics of V2V conflicts and highlights its role in developing targeted safety interventions. The integration of LiDAR data into traffic safety analyses offers a sophisticated approach to mitigating the impact of conflicts and enhancing overall safety at signalized intersections during signal failures. The research also highlighted that as the angle of V2P conflicts widens, PET experiences a proportional increase. A larger conflict angle signifies a more complex interaction between vehicles and pedestrians, leading to prolonged PET values. Conversely, a decrease in the angle of V2P conflicts is associated with a reduction in PET during traffic signal failures.The study commences with an examination of traffic characteristics at the E Cold Spring Ln – Hillen Rd intersection in Baltimore City, MD, utilizing a deployed LiDAR sensor. When the signal at this intersection experienced a temporary malfunction on a regular working day in September 2023, the LiDAR captured data related to vehicle and pedestrian volumes, as well as V2V and V2P conflicts. The primary objective of the research is to evaluate the repercussions of traffic signal failures on both traffic flow and safety, specifically V2V and V2P conflicts, occurring during periods of improper signal functionality. Additionally, this investigation delves into various factors that impact traffic signal performance, encompassing traffic demand, geometric layout, pedestrian interactions, and the incorporation of emerging technologies.

Empowering teachers with Critical Thinking and understanding of sustainability is vital for guiding students’ informed decisions and actions in today’s world. Higher education needs innovative, student-centered methods like case-based teaching in order to promote Critical Thinking and the principles of Education for Sustainable Development. The aim of the study was to explore and evaluate pre-service teachers' Critical Thinking when engaged with case studies in a practicum preparation course centered on Education for Sustainable Development. Nine undergraduate students in Teacher Education participated in the study and answered four case studies. The case studies’ responses were analyzed through a bottom-up content analysis revealing eight higher-order categories. While approaching the case studies, student-teachers followed thinking processes similar to the processes proposed by the iterative models of Critical Thinking as perceived by Garrison (1991) and/or Brookfield (1987). Nevertheless, in some cases, pre-service teachers’ disengagement was evident. The rubric assessment highlighted that the responses fell under three profiles, namely the “Deficient Critical Thinker”, the “Emerging Critical Thinker” and the “Competent Critical Thinker”. The findings emphasize the need for targeted and individualized teaching interventions in teacher higher education programs aiming at Education for Sustainable Development complying with the learning needs of student-teachers’ Critical Thinking profiles.

This study examined the status of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) practices and the understanding of Sustainable Development (SD) among Saudi kindergarten teachers in a specific governorate. Two hundred twenty-seven kindergarten teachers participated, and data was collected through a questionnaire. The results indicated that most kindergarten teachers (89.9%) were unaware of SD. The overall status of ESD practices among the participating teachers was weak, with an average score of 2.60 out of 4. Among the different dimensions, values (2.74), competencies (2.69), and practice (2.65) obtained relatively higher scores, while the content dimension (2.49) received the lowest score. Significant differences were found in the mean scores of ESD practices based on teachers’ qualifications and the type of school. However, no differences were observed based on experience. The lack of awareness regarding SD emerged as the primary barrier to implementing ESD in kindergarten institutions. Expanding teacher training was identified as the most crucial step in promoting ESD in kindergartens. The findings highlight the importance of raising awareness among Saudi kindergarten teachers about SD, providing professional development opportunities to enhance ESD implementation in classrooms, and creating teaching materials aligned with ESD principles.

This study aimed to explore what factors affect teachers’ acceptance and instructional use of ICT in Chinese higher vocational colleges. Grounded in the modified UTAUT model, the current study investigated the direct and indirect effects of teachers’ performance expectancy, effort expectancy, external conditions, and behavioral intentions on using ICT in teaching. A total of 6087 teachers from 219 vocational colleges in 28 provinces in China participated in a large-scale survey. Structural equation modeling revealed that the teachers’ psychological perceptions (including performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and intention to use ICT technology) and the external support conditions (including professional development support, infrastructures, the climate of organizational reform and innovation, and teacher performance assessment mechanisms) significantly directly affect the use of ICT in Chinese higher vocational college teachers’ teaching practice. Moreover, this study confirmed the mediating role of teachers’ intention to use ICT in teaching in the relationship between teachers’ psychological perceptions and ICT instructional usage behavior. However, there were differences in the significance of these variables in the chain effect of teachers’ intention to use ICT. These findings expand our understanding of the factors influencing ICT use in teaching among VET teachers in China and thus provide practical implications for higher vocational college managers to promote teachers’ ICT teaching behaviors.

We are interested in studying alterations in the regulatory circuitry that controls mRNA stability and function, and more specifically in the interactions among miRNAs and mRNAs. We have previously reported transcriptome-wide changes in mRNA expression in an animal model of atherosclerosis (ATS) progression, and reversion upon treatment with an αCD40 specific siRNA. In this work, we have used our data on mRNAs downregulated during these processes to study length dynamics as an adaptive mechanism to thwart miRNA activity. We show that ATS progression was characterized by the lengthening of the 5’UTR and 3’UTR regions of these mRNAs. Furthermore, 3’UTR lengthening (but not that of the 5’UTR) was shown to be partially reversed by the treatment with the αCD40 specific siRNA. Study of the exonic composition of the transcriptome of these mRNAs suggested a role for alternative/cryptic/latent splicing in the generation of length variants. This was confirmed by the detection, during ATS progression, of a transcript variant switching process in which specific isoforms were replaced by others that differed in their pattern of alternative splicing, mainly at their 5’ or 3’UTRs. This work highlights alternative splicing as a mechanism contributing to the generation of 5’/3’UTR length and sequence variability during ATS progression and calls attention on factors regulating alternative splicing as possible targets of therapeutical intervention.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Parkinson's Disease (PD) are two neurodegenerative diseases posing a significant disease burden due to their increasing prevalence and socio-economic cost. Traditional therapeutic approaches for these diseases exist but provide limited symptomatic relief without addressing the underlying pathologies. This review examines the potential of immunotherapy, specifically monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), as disease-modifying treatments for AD and PD. We analyze the pathological mechanisms of AD and PD, focusing on the roles of amyloid-beta (Aβ), tau (τ), and alpha-synuclein (α-syn) proteins. We discuss the latest advancements in mAbs therapies targeting these proteins, evaluating their efficacy in clinical trials and preclinical studies. We also explore the challenges faced in translating these therapies from bench to bedside, including issues related to safety, specificity, and clinical trial design. Additionally, we highlight future directions for research, emphasizing the need for combination therapies, improved biomarkers, and personalized treatment strategies. This review aims to provide insights into the current state and future potential of antibody-based immunotherapy in modifying the course of AD and PD, ultimately improving patient outcomes and quality of life.

In this work we looked for a stable and accurate procedure to perform feature selection in datasets with a much higher number of predictors than individuals, as in Genome-Wide Association Studies. Due to the instability in feature selection when many potential predictors are measured, a variable selection procedure is proposed that combines several replications of shrinkage regression models. A weighted formulation is used to define the final predictors. The procedure is applied to investigate Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) predictors associated to Alzheimer’s disease in the Alzheimer’s disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) dataset. Two data scenarios are investigated: one considering only the set of SNPs and another with the covariates age, sex, educational level and APOE4 genotype. The SNP rs2075650 and the APOE4 genotype are given as risk factors for AD, which is in line with the literature, and other four new SNPs are pointed, opening new hypotheses for in vivo analyses. These experiments demonstrate the potential of the new method for stable feature selection.

The intricate orchestration of molecular events that constitutes life, as we know it, is oftentimes ascribed to an intelligent design motive. It is portrayed as if a paranormal watch maker has engineered the assemblage of parts and events that eventually manifests as the clockwork precision with which ontogeny and evolution operate within the boundary conditions imposed by what we know as life. The debate between those who advocate evolution versus intelligent design as the shaping force for modern life forms persists. However, that is not the motive for this essay. Though there has been several studies and scholarly articles that aspire to decipher and present the complexity of the molecular events that constitutes life in an insular fashion, there is a paucity of resources for undergraduates that summarizes the complexity cogently, as parts of a whole, for appreciating the enormity of the multidimensional nature of biological information and the inherent contradictions that are embedded therein. The fluidity inherent in the way information flows through signalling networks, the way biomolecular architectures maintain homeostasis in the ying-yang of life and the way multicellular complexity evolves through precise cell-cycle control is inherent in the evolution, maintenance and reproduction of biological systems. The matrix of events that encode information at the sequential and structural level across different macromolecules is a fascinating jungle of information. Combining these with how small-molecule metabolites interact with macromolecules in a spatially and temporally coordinated manner to evolve signal over random noise generates a staggering picture of informational organization and relays that, most often, defies human comprehension. This perspective is an attempt to array the various sources of information and put them together in context to appreciate the nuances of how information is stored and relayed within the biological systems. Further, it speculates on how these multitiered organization of biological information could be adapted to guide synthetic biology approaches and the future of information storage and organization.

This paper focuses on the long-standing issue of galactic rotation, i.e. the discrepancy between observed rotation rates and predictions based on Newtonian gravity. While Newton's law holds within the solar system, it fails to explain the higher-than-expected rotation speeds of galaxies, particularly at greater distances from their centers. This study finds that Newton's gravitational formula applies only when gravitational lensing has a negligible impact. We examine the gravitational force on objects farther from the galactic center, where the lensing effect of a supermassive black hole becomes significant. This lensing causes the actual gravitational force to exceed Newtonian predictions, with the discrepancy increasing with distance. This effect offers an alternative explanation for the galactic rotation curve without the need for dark matter. Our findings suggest that Newton's formula requires revision to account for gravitational lensing, a key factor in understanding galactic dynamics and its broader cosmic implications.

This review aimed to identify the risks of cosmetics during the sensitive period of pregnancy. Pregnancy causes many hormonal changes and skin issues, such as red stretch marks, cellulite, and more. These aesthetic concerns can impact both the appearance and health of the pregnant woman. Cosmetics and aesthetic treatments can help improve these problems and positively affect the mental well-being of these women. However, the lack of clinical trials regarding the safety of such treatments during pregnancy has led to the recommendation of only the mildest aesthetic applications. Additionally, professional aestheticians and dermatologists who provide cosmetics and other aesthetic treatments (e.g., laser, ultrasound, radiofrequency) during pregnancy face challenging and sometimes adverse working conditions. They should be treated with respect for their situation, with careful consideration of all the peculiarities associated with pregnancy. Further research and additional recorded data are crucial for better understanding the use of cosmetics and aesthetic treatments during pregnancy.

A 64-year-old woman with primary Sjogren’s syndrome which was not treated, was admitted to our hospital for nasal bleeding, oral bleeding, and purpura on her entire body. On this admission, laboratory findings were as follows: WBC counts, 8,910 /μL; hemoglobin, 9.9 g/dL; and platelet counts, 0.1×10⁴/μL. Although the anti-PLT antibody was positive, other autoimmune antibodies such as anti-DNA were negative. Moreover, cytomegalovirus IgM, Parbovirus B19 IgM, and Helicobacter pyroli IgG antibodies were not detected. No abnormal findings suggestive of infection were identified in the systemic examination. A bone marrow aspiration smear revealed normal bone marrow. Based on these findings, the patient was diagnosed with primary Sjogren’s syndrome-related immune thrombocytopenia. The patient initially received intravenous immunoglobulin, methyl prednisolone pulse therapy, and subsequent high dose prednisolone without significant improvement. Therefore, eltrombopag, a thrombopoietin-receptor agonist, was added. Subsequently, erythromycin was also added, considering its immunomodulatory effects. After initiating the erythromycin treatment, the platelet counts increased. Therefore, add-on eltrombopag and erythromycin treatment was effective; however, the platelet counts gradually decreased with reducing the prednisolone dosage. Instead of increasing the prednisolone dosage again, tacrolimus, a calcineurin inhibitor, was successfully added. Consequently, the prednisolone dosage could be reduced. This case shows that treatment with erythromycin and tacrolimus may be efficacious when conventional immunosuppressants show limited effectiveness in primary Sjogren’s syndrome-related immune thrombocytopenia.

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a progressive, multifactorial, immune-mediated disease characterized by chronic inflammation of any part of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Pediatric patients present with a more extensive form of the disease, especially in the upper GI tract with various histopathological inflammatory patterns. Our study aims to analyze the endoscopic and histopathological findings in children with diagnosed CD and compare results on the initial and follow-up tests. Our study included 100 children and adolescents with CD, with performed endoscopic and histopathological (HP) procedures. The results of multiple biopsies performed in these 8 years were matched and compared. We found a statistically significant decrease in stool changes, weight loss, and abdominal pain as presenting symptoms, and in the fecal calprotectin levels. On esophagogastroduodenoscopy and ileo-colonoscopy 36.59% and 64.86% patients had specific findings, respectively. Non-caseating granulomas were found on 9% of oesophageal, 18% of gas-tric, and 12% of duodenal biopsies. In the lower GI tract, we have observed a disease progression in the rectum and descending colon between the first and second biopsies. Our study showed that more than a third of patients had specific endoscopic (36.59%) and histopathologic (32%) findings in the upper GI tract, and an additional 23% had HP findings highly suggestive of CD. We demonstrated the importance of regular endoscopic and histopathological assessments of pediatric CD patients.

Introduction and Purpose: Nurses are expected to be competent in practice based on the domain of standards and interpersonal soft skills (ISS). Nurses are faced with inadequate physical assessment 28%, formulating diagnoses 56%, plans 34%, implementation 31%, evaluation 37,5%, and communication skills 41%. Aims to develop an ISS learning model based on transformative learning theory and digitalization (TLTD) to improve nurses’ competencies. Method: Used Explanatory cross-sectional involved 190 practitioner nurses. Variables of individual characters (X1), facilities (X2), Social environment support/SES (X3), TLTD (X4), ISS (X5), and nursing competencies (Y) were measured. Data was collected using a checklist questionnaire, conducted on 6 June to 10 August 2022 at Dili, Baucau, and Maliana hospitals. Used descriptive and inferential analysis with SEM-PLS. Result: Five of the 11 hypotheses of statistical p-value < 0,05 and T-Test > 1,96, including X2>X4, X3>X5, X4>X5, and X5>y, to form ISS learning model. The characteristic of respondents were 81,8% young adults, 67,9% women, 57,8% undergraduates, judging the previous training 35% was unsuccessful, and 45,8% did not meet expectations. Learning facilities that are still lacking include policies 23,7%, curriculum 23,4%, guideline 22,7%, modules 27,9%, infrastructure 20,3%, social environment support 24,2% low, organizational support, 30,0% low peer support and 26,3% low family support. The average TLTD is 25,3% to 34,2%, ISS 22,1% to 30,5%, and nurse competence 25,3% to 30,5%.Suggestion: Result of the study become base to improve nurse’s competencies. Conclusion: Learning model was formed by facilities, SES, TLTD, ISS, and nurses’ competencies.

Background: Takayasu’s arteritis is a rare type of vasculitis, with severe complications like stroke, ischemic heart disease, pulmonary hypertension, secondary hypertension, aneurysms. Diagnosis is conducted by clinical and angiographic criteria. Treatment is medical and surgical, but unfortunately, the outcome is reserved. Case presentation: A 34- year- old Caucasian women had an ischemic stroke (2009). She was diagnosed with Takayasu’s arteritis and she received treatment with methotrexate, prednisolone, antiplatelet agents, with a mild improvement of clinical state. After 5 years (2014) she associated ascending aorta aneurysm, pulmonary hypertension, mild aortic regurgitation. The surgical treatment solved both ascending aorta aneurysm and left carotid artery stenosis (ultrasound in 2009 and computed tomography angiogram in 2014). Morphopathology revealed typical appearance for Takayasu’s arteritis. Tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNF-inhibitors) were associated to methotrexate. At 48 years (2023) she developed coronary heart disease (angina, electrocardiogram); echocardiography revealed severe pulmonary hypertension; angiography described normal coronary arteries, abdominal aorta pseudoaneurysm and arterial-venous fistula, with origin in right coronary artery and drainage on medium pulmonary artery. The patient refused surgical/ interventional treatment; she received again TNF- inhibitors, methotrexate, antiplatelet agents, statins. Conclusions: This case report presents us a severe form of Takayasu’s arteritis. We consider that morphopathology had a great importance in revealing to clinicians the typical appearance and the stadialization of inflammatory arterial process: acute or chronic. The verdict of morphopathologist was chronic phase, with acute relapses, so we decided that immunosuppressive treatment was still necessary.

Keywords: Parkinson’s disease; sleep disorders; GBA; Parkin

In China, preschool teachers have a significant influence on the development of young children aged 3-6. It is imperative to understand their mental health and the factors associated with it to inform policies, optimize their mental well-being, and support their job performance. This study aimed to investigate the factors contributing to anxiety symptoms among preschool teachers. A sample of 393 Chinese preschool teachers (279 females, 114 males) aged 21-56 completed online questionnaires collecting their socio-demographic and work-related information and assessing anxiety symptoms, interpersonal difficulties, personality traits, perceived stress, resilience, and inner strength. Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analyses identified significant predictors of anxiety symptoms. The prevalence of anxiety symptoms among the studied cohort was found to be 12.2%. Statistically significant factors positively correlated with anxiety symptoms included objective work-related stress (B=0.149, p<.001), interpersonal difficulties (B=0.921, p<.001), perceived stress (B=0.108, p=.001), and neuroticism (B=0.071, p=.002). The findings highlight the urgent need for measures to reduce work-related stress and anxiety. However, when negative mental health predictors were included, the effect of positive psychological factors became nullified. Positive mental health might have a moderating role in such a negative mental health outcome as anxiety. Therefore, further research is required to understand the impact of positive mental health factors more clearly.

Integrated disaster risk reduction in schools represents a key component of safety strategies within the educational sector of every country. In this study, a series of 850 face-to-face interviews (650 with students and 200 with teachers) were conducted throughout 2023 in 10 out of the total 18 municipalities in the Western Morava Basin of the Republic of Serbia. The paper proposes two central hypotheses regarding school-based disaster risk reduction. Firstly, it suggests that gender, age, parent's employment, academic achievement, living situation, paternal and maternal education levels, and engagement with social media collectively influence students' perspectives on this matter. Secondly, it posits that gender, age, marital status, parenthood, and educational background significantly impact teachers' viewpoints on school-based disaster risk reduction. Multivariate linear regression was used to explore predictors of students' and teachers' insights on school-based disaster risk reduction. Various statistical tests including Chi-square, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson's correlation were employed to investigate the influence of demographic and socioeconomic factors on these insights. The results of multivariate regression analyses indicate that age, gender and marital emerge as the primary predictors across various facets of students' and teachers' insights on school-based disaster risk reduction (awareness of disasters, disaster education activities, attitudes on disaster risk reduction education, enhancement of disaster information accessibility, etc). The results of this study provide insight into the key factors influencing students' and teachers' perceptions of disaster risk reduction in schools. As such, they can serve as a basis for improving educational programs, developing policies and strategies, normative educational frameworks, teacher training, and further research in disaster education.

The confinement experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a rethink of the teaching-learning process to which teachers have responded without planning and instead using their resources. This study aims to analyze the relationships between work-family interactions, technostress, and perceived organizational support in teachers during the confinement period in Spain that began in March 2020. An online survey was administered to 640 pre-school, primary, and secondary school teachers. Positive reciprocal work-family interactions and their relationship with organizational support were found, with differences according to gender, with women showing a more negative perception of the impact on the family. There were no marked levels of technostress in the overall sample, although higher levels of perceived ineffectiveness and skepticism were found in teachers aged 46 years or older. Teachers in private and subsidized schools showed a higher level of perceived support than those in public schools. There is a need to continue this work to verify the values of these dimensions in other contexts and to apply institutional measures and public policies to improve these indicators in this group.

Variable-Angle Tow (VAT) laminates can improve straight fiber composites mechanical properties thanks to the application of curvilinear fibers. This characteristic allows to achieve ambitious objectives for design and performance purposes. Nevertheless, the wider design space and the higher number of parameters result in a more complex structural problem. Among the various approaches that have been used for VATs study, Carrera’s Unified Formulation (CUF) allows to obtain multiple theories within the same framework, guaranteeing a good compromise between the results accuracy and the computational cost. In this article, the linear buckling behavior of VAT laminates is analyzed through the extension of CUF 2D plate models within the Reissner’s Mixed Variational Theorem (RMVT). Results show that RMVT can better approximate the prebuckling non-uniform stress field of the plate when compared to standard approaches, thus improving the prediction of the linear buckling loads of VAT composites.

Regulation (EU) 2016/429 establishes new extensive guidelines for managing transmissible animal diseases, including zoonoses. The Commission Implementing Regulation 2018/1882 classifies diseases into five categories based on their prevalence and the required response, ranging from eradication to surveillance. Key aspects of the regulations concern emphasis on animal traceability, biosecurity, wildlife pathogen control, sustainable farming, and the reduction of the impact of diseases on both public and animal health, as well as on the environment. These align with the European Green Deal, the Farm to Fork Strategy and the One Health approach. In Italian inner areas—similarly to other European regions that are fragile, remote from major service centers, and often neglected—agropastoral and agri-food activities are beneficial for tourism, commercialization of typical foods, and recreational activities. In these areas including the Molise Region, the activation of optional programmes within the framework of the aforementioned regulations could help control infectious animal diseases that are not subject to mandatory eradication but cause income loss and trade restrictions, such as infectious bovine rhinotracheitis and paratuberculosis, a suspected zoonosis potentially linked to Crohn's disease in humans. These programmes could boost the economic income of local extensive breeding, counteract depopulation, and protect human and animal health.

The United Nations Global Sustainability Agenda 2030 introduces a transformative framework through its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are designed to achieve equitable, prosperous, and sustainable development globally. Unlike the incremental Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the SDGs aim for systemic changes across economic, social, and environmental dimensions, ensuring that no one is left behind. This research paper provides a comprehensive examination of Pakistan's progress towards achieving the SDGs under the UN Global Sustainability Agenda 2030. Specifically, it includes an analysis of the prioritization of SDGs in Pakistan, highlights federal and institutional initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable development, and explores the role of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) in advancing these goals. Additionally, the paper critically analyzes the SDGs in Pakistan’s annual status report, identifies the key challenges faced by the nation in implementing these goals, and offers recommendations for enhancing the effectiveness of SDG implementation. Overall, the focus is primarily on the detailed analysis of the annual status report, the challenges encountered, and strategic recommendations for achieving excellence in SDGs in Pakistan.

The editorial explores the realm of emerging translational research in neurology and psychiatry, providing insights into various subjects, including neurodegenerative disorders and innovative therapeutic methods. The main objective is to study neurological and psychiatric disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, with a particular emphasis on techniques for neural regeneration and repair. The editorial highlights the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to studying and treating complex neurological and psychiatric conditions. This involves thoroughly reviewing research papers on the causes, development, biomarkers, and treatment options for these conditions. The editorial emphasizes the necessity of using multidisciplinary and integrative methods to gain a deeper understanding and improve the treatment of these conditions. The development of an animal model for recurrent primary dysmenorrhea showcases the innovative techniques employed in the investigation of gynecological disorders, illustrating the capacity of translational research to connect fundamental scientific knowledge with practical medical applications. The cooperative endeavors of researchers and clinicians emphasized in this editorial lay the foundation for revolutionary advancements that hold the potential to enhance outcomes for individuals afflicted with neurological and psychiatric disorders globally.

Recent research has implicated the gut microbiota in the development of lymphoma. Dysbiosis of the gut microbial community can disrupt the production of gut microbial metabolites, thereby impacting host physiology and potentially contributing to lymphoma. Dysbiosis-driven release of gut microbial metabolites such as lipopolysaccharides can promote chronic inflammation, potentially elevating the risk of lymphoma. In contrast, gut microbial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, have shown promise in preclinical studies by promoting regulatory T-cell function, suppressing inflammation, and preventing lymphoma. Another metabolite, urolithin A, exhibited immunomodulatory and antiproliferative properties against lymphoma cell lines in vitro. While research on the role of gut microbial metabolites in lymphoma is limited, this article emphasizes the need to comprehend their significance, including therapeutic applications, molecular mechanisms of action, and interactions with standard chemotherapies. The article also suggests promising directions for future research in this emerging lymphoma and gut microbiome investigation field.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prevalent autoimmune condition, yet its alignment with a specific host immunological pathway remains unclear. The THαβ host immunological pathway, recognized for its defense against viruses and prions, has recently emerged as a response to DNA, RNA, and protein pathogens. SLE patients often produce anti-double strand DNA antibodies and anti-nuclear antibodies, suggesting a potential association with the THαβ host immune reaction. Throughout the course of SLE, elevated levels of type 1 interferons, type 3 interferons, interleukin-10, IgG1, and IgA1 are commonly observed. These cytokines and antibody isotypes are indicative of the THαβ host immunological pathway. Similarly, Myasthenia gravis, Grave’s disease, Graft versus host disease, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, immune thrombocytopenia, dermatomyositis, and Sjogren’s syndrome are also linked to THαβ-related type 2 hypersensitivities. Considering the potential association of these diseases with dysregulated THαβ immune responses, therapeutic strategies such as anti-interleukin-10 or anti-interferons α/β could be explored to manage these disorders effectively.

The research identified challenges faced by teachers, suggested effective pedagogical strategies, and proposed practical recommendations to mitigate the negative impacts of ChatGPT in higher education. These strategies promote the ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence, ensuring academic integrity. The article deeply analyzes pedagogical strategies to prevent plagiarism and promote academic integrity, offering a practical guide for educators on how to ethically integrate AI into their pedagogical practices. By filling a gap in the literature, the study contributes to the discussion on the ethical use of AI in education, offering evidence-based recommendations and fostering critical reflection on the impact of emerging technologies in the academic environment. The research highlights effective pedagogical strategies to mitigate the negative effects of ChatGPT, promoting an educational approach that prevents plagiarism and encourages the ethical use of AI. Through documentary analysis of scientific articles and data coding according to Bardin's methodology, patterns and trends were identified for the development of innovative pedagogical practices. The qualitative approach included a literature review and content analysis of articles published in the last five years. The results indicated that, although ChatGPT can personalize teaching and support content development, it also increases the risk of plagiarism and reduces students’ critical engagement. To combat these challenges, it is suggested to create personalized assessments, promote critical thinking, and use plagiarism detection tools. Continuous teacher training and the development of clear policies on the ethical use of AI are essential to ensure academic integrity and quality of learning.

This paper uses a qualitative case study to investigate the experiences of Korean special education teachers who instruct children with disabilities from multicultural families. Through a purposive sampling method, study participants were chosen from a pool of individuals that the Korean multicultural support center recommended. These individuals are special teachers who are currently teaching children with disabilities from multicultural families. The qualitative case study approach used in this study seeks to elicit the participants’ experiences of teaching their students with special needs. The teachers’ experiences were analyzed and categorized into two main categories: 1) a mother's lack of Korean linguistic ability and 2) governmental and societal support for multicultural special education. Additionally, results also produced four sub-categories and seventeen minor categories. Such analyses lead to a greater understanding of the intricacies of educating children with special needs. Lastly, the implications of this study provide direction for future policy--including social welfare and educational support—that will meet the needs of multicultural families raising children with disabilities.

In this paper, we consider the synchronization of chaotic oscillators interconnected via a second order dynamic coupling. The design of the proposed coupling is inspired in the ancient synchronization experiment of synchronized pendulum clocks, as described by the Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens more than three centuries ago. It is demonstrated that the coupled chaotic systems may exhibit not only complete synchronization, but also mixed synchronization—some states synchronize in anti-phase whereas other states synchronize in-phase. In fact, a transition from complete synchronization to mixed synchronization or viceversa can be induced by just changing a single parameter in the coupling. Additionally, the stability of the synchronous solution is investigated by using the Master Stability Function approach and the largest transverse Lyapunov exponent. The Lorenz system is considered as particular application example. Finally, the performance of the proposed synchronization scheme is illustrated with computer simulations and validated by means of experiments using electronic circuits.

This paper presents a biologically inspired flocking-based aggregation behaviour of a swarm of mobile robots. Aggregation behaviour is essential to many swarm systems, such as swarm robotics systems, in order to accomplish complex tasks that are impossible for a single agent. We developed a robot controller using Reynolds’ flocking rules to coordinate the movements of multiple e-puck robots during the aggregation process. To improve aggregation behaviour among these robots and address the scalability issues in current flocking-based aggregation approaches, we used a K-means algorithm to identify clusters of agents. Using the developed controller, we simulated the aggregation behaviour among the swarm of robots. Five experiments were conducted using Webots simulation software. The performance of the developed system was evaluated under a variety of environments and conditions, such as various obstacles, agent failure, different numbers of robots and arena sizes. The results of the experiments demonstrated that the proposed algorithm is robust and scalable. Moreover, we compared our proposed algorithm with another implementation of the flocking-based self-organizing aggregation behaviour based on Reynolds’ rules in a swarm of e-puck robots. Our algorithms outperformed this method in terms of cohesion performance and aggregation completion time.

Background/Objectives: It is known that balance disorders involve occupational hazards. However, the inverse relationship (between certain occupations and an increased incidence of vertigo or dizziness) has been scarcely studied. The objective of this work was to analyze the occupation of a group of patients with vertigo, compared to economically active general population, and to evaluate the prevalence of occupational noise and/or vibration-exposure in both groups. Methods: A cross-sectional, observational, case-control study was carried out including 461 patients (220: Meniere’s disease; 73: vestibular migraine; 28: vestibular neuritis; 140: BPPV) (310 women and 151 men). These patients were compared to a control group from the general population, obtained from 6th EWCS-Spain (2015). Possible differences regarding sex, age, occupation, exposure to noise, and exposure to mechanical vibrations were analyzed. Results: Differences in distribution of occupations between patients with vertigo and general population were observed (Chi-square, p=6.142 e-30). Patients with vertigo were significantly more exposed to noise (p=8.19 e-12; OR=2,127, CI95% (1.720;2.630)) and vibrations (p=1.11 e-12; OR=2.288, CI95% (1.835;2.853)) than the control group. These differences were observed both between men and women. Conclusions: A relationship between occupational exposure to noise and/or vibrations and the presence of vertigo was observed. Protective and preventive measures could help prevent the occurrence of some diseases involving vertigo.

Neurosteroids are pleiotropic molecules involved in various neurodegenerative diseases with neuroinflammation. We assessed neurosteroids serum levels in a cohort of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) patients with heterozygous glucocerebrosidase (GBA) mutations (GBA-PD) compared with matched cohorts of consecutive non-mutated PD (NM-PD) patients, and healthy subjects with (GBA-C) and without (NM-HC) GBA mutations. A consecutive cohort of GBA-PD was paired for age, sex, disease duration, Hoehn &amp; Yahr stage, and comorbidities with a cohort of consecutive NM-PD. Two cohorts of GBA-C and HC were also considered. Clinical assessment included the MDS-UPDRS and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Serum samples were processed and analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Twenty-two GBA-PD (males: 11, age: 63.68), 22 NM-PD (males: 11, age: 63.05), 14 GBA-C (males: 8; age: 49.36), and 15 HC (males: 4; age: 60.60) were studied. Compared to NM-PD, GBA-PD showed more hallucinations and psychosis (p&lt;0.05, Fisher’s exact test) and higher MDS-UPDRS part-II (p&lt;0.05). Most of the serum neurosteroids were reduced in both GBA-PD and NM-PD compared to the respective control cohorts, except for 5α-DHP. Allopregnanolone was the only neurosteroid significantly lower (p&lt;0.01, Dunn’s test) in NM-PD compared to GBA-PD patients. Only in GBA-PD, allopregnanolone, and pregnanolone levels correlated (Spearman) with a more severe MDS-UPDRS part-III. Allopregnanolone levels also negatively correlated with MoCA scores, and pregnanolone levels correlated with more pronounced bradykinesia. This pilot study provides the first observation of changes in neurosteroid peripheral levels in GBA-PD. The involvement of the observed changes in the development of neuropsychological and motor symptoms of GBA-PD deserves further attention.

Falls are a frequent and serious problem for older adults and especially those living with Parkinson’s. The relationship between falls and physical activity is complex and people often restrict activity following a fall. Exercise is an important aspect of re-ducing further risk of a fall and a key component of the management of Parkinson’s. The aim of this study was to understand the types of activity that are engaged in, the environments in which they take place and the experience of people with and without Parkinson’s who have fallen. 17 people with Parkinson’s and 13 older adults, who had experienced at least one fall in the previous year, were recruited to this mixed methods study. Activity levels were captured over one week using accelerometers and body worn cameras, allowing the type and location of activity to be recorded and analysed. This information informed an interview. Findings showed that although both groups often achieved up to 10,000 steps per day, this was in very short bouts of activity. Sedentary activity such as watching television dominated the findings. Participants were aware of the benefits of being active but described many barriers to achieving the level of activity they would like to.

The field of epigenetics, which explores how heritable traits or stable alterations of cell functions occur without changes to the DNA sequence and how environmental factors affect gene expression, is rapidly advancing. Epigenetics plays a critical role in memory formation, learning, and cognitive functioning, effectively bridging genetics with environmental influence. Maternal behavior in rats, for instance, can modify the stress response of their offspring through epigenetic mechanisms such as histone acetylation and DNA methylation. Understanding neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease (PD) depends on comprehending the mechanisms of epigenetic regulation. Epigenetic modifications, which alter proteins and DNA structure without changing the DNA sequence, can activate or suppress gene expression, assisting organisms in adapting to environmental changes. These modifications may influence genes involved in inflammation, synaptic plasticity, and neuroprotection, potentially contributing to cognitive deficits in PD patients. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), histone modifications, and DNA methylation are the epigenetic mechanisms that significantly influence cell differentiation and maintain normal cellular activity. Understanding the intricate molecular processes of epigenetics could lead to more targeted and effective therapies. Despite numerous findings on how epigenetics affects cognitive alterations in PD patients, only some studies coordinate and integrate these results. Here, we summarize recent findings on how epigenetic changes impact gene expression linked to cognitive impairments in PD.

There has been significant increase of studies investigating plasma biomarkers of Alzheimer’s and their relationship to cognitive functioning. The impact of ethnicity on this relationship has not been extensively studied. The current research investigated the relationship between the plasma biomarkers of total tau, Aβ40, Aβ42 and NfL and neuropsychological test performance in a bi-ethnic sample of cognitively unimpaired, older community dwelling adults. The 1326 cognitively unimpaired participants drawn from The Health & Aging Brain Study – Health Disparities (HABS-HD) study included 765 Mexican American participants and 860 non-Hispanic White participants with complete plasma biomarkers and neuropsychological testing. Plasma samples were assayed using Simoa technology. Significant differences in concentrations were found for all of the plasma biomarkers. NHWs had significantly higher levels of each of the biomarkers with a lower Aβ42/ Aβ40. With none of the biomarkers related to performance on any of the neuropsychological tests. For MAs, Aβ40 was the only biomarker that was significantly related to neuropsychological test performance. Aβ40 levels were negatively related to performance on Trails A, Trails B and Digit Symbol Substitution. Results suggest that the relationship of these biomarkers to cognitive functioning is impacted by ethnicity and may be domain specific.

Introduction: While preparing for dive exams, divers are trained to perform rescue exercises. Currently, divers think they will manage and control their body at any time.Methods: At the bottom of the water, the student takes the instructor who simulates a sickness, up to the surface, by controlling the going up. Then, if the exercise is wrong, both divers go down and exercise again. If the exercise is successful, both divers go down to perform another exercise until they are tired or until they have no more air. Results: I discovered that there was a mistake in the preparation of divers for rescue training due to Descartes’ error, “I think, thus I am”, which is part of our collective memory. Going up and going down after a sickness simulation is a repetitive action of the body and going down is therefore part of the automatisms of rescue, which is very dangerous. Conclusions: The body is not necessarily controlled by the present thinking, and if divers forget sickness while going up in a real rescue situation, they will go down automatically because their bodies were trained like this. In addition, it is very easy to forget sickness. Divers should not go down after rescue, they should be on the dive boat or on the land. Descartes’ error has to be reversed: “I am, thus I think” is right. The divers’ rescue exercises must be simplified and divers should never go down after the simulation of a sickness.

Background: Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are well defined phenotypes of chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). A mechanism of inflammation in these diseases is partially controlled by intestinal dendritic cell (DC). In this study we observed a mature CD83+DC in colonic bioptic samples, and its correlation with disease phenotype and activity. Methods: There were 219 subjects included in the study: 100 with UC, 44 with CD and 75 healthy subjects. Colonic biopsy specimens were incubated with primary antibody Anti-CD83. Intraepithelial CD83+DC were counted per 100 enterocytes. Presence of CD83+DC was analysed according type of IBD, histopathologic inflammation activity and treatment outcome. Results: The presence of mature CD83+DCs (0, ≥1) significantly differed among disease types of IBD (p=0.001), histologic inflammation activity (p=0.049) and applied therapy (p=0.001). The odds for CD83+DC presence was 5.2 times higher in CD group than in control/UC group. The odds for CD83+DC presence was 2.6 times higher in subjects without inflammation or chronic inflammation than in acute inflammation. It was also 3.7 times higher in subjects without therapy. The cut-off value 0.5 CD83+DC (Rock analysis area=0.699; SE 0,046;p<0.001;95%CI:0.609-0.788) had been assessed as a differentiation marker between UC and CD. Conclusion: Presence of CD83+DC could be used as a possible parameter in distinction between UC and CD, as well as predictor of inflammation activity and treatment outcome.

Cassava mosaic disease (CMD) and cassava brown streak disease (CBSD) are endemic threats to cassava production. To fill the existing gaps in the understanding of the epidemiology of these diseases in Côte d’Ivoire, nationwide field surveys were conducted in 2016, 2017 and 2020. The leaf samples collected were analysed by PCR. CBSD was not detected in all fields visited. However, an increase of CMD incidence was observed from 45.95% in 2016 to 51.37% in 2020 while CMD severity remained moderate over the years with a mean value of 2.29. Low whiteflies number was observed in field and decreasing over the years. Molecular analysis allowed detection of East African cassava mosaic Cameroon virus (EACMCMV) in single as well as in mixed infection with African cassava mosaic virus (ACMV). Single EACMCMV infection, which was detected only in three agroecological zones of the eastern Côte d’Ivoire in 2016, spread throughout the country in 2017 and became more widespread in 2020 with a preponderance in the central and southern zones, whereas the ACMV+EACMCMV coinfection has spread to the entire zones studied. Knowing the dynamics of the evolution of these viruses across the country, better disease management strategies could be adopted to control the disease.

Coupling the Maxwell tensor to the Riemann-Christoffel curvature tensor is shown to lead to a geometricized theory of electrodynamics. While this geometricized theory leads directly to the classical Maxwell equations, it also extends their physical interpretation by giving charge density, mass density and the four-velocity that describes their motions geometric definitions. Assuming the existence of a conserved energy-momentum tensor, all solutions to the geometricized theory of electrodynamics developed here are shown to be consistent with the emergence of gravity obeying the General Relativity field equation augmented by a term that mimics the properties of dark matter and/or dark energy. Finally, due to the symmetries of the theory, the properties and phenomenology of antimatter emerge in solutions.

In the context of the Education-2030 Framework for Action, an important goal for initial STEM teacher education is to provide professional development on equality and gender awareness. This study explored whether STEM prospective secondary teachers are prepared to implement a sustainable gender-sensitive practice upon graduation. To this end, we cross-culturally validated the TEGEP (Teacher Self-Efficacy for Gender Equality practice) scale and compared STEM student teachers’ perceptions of self-efficacy by country and sex. Participants were 205 STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) secondary school student teachers (136 Greek and 69 Spanish) drawn from seven public universities (six Greek, one Spanish). Statistical analysis confirmed the structure and factor invariance of the TEGEP across country and between sexes showing evidence that gender equality self-efficacy level is only moderate and that perceived competence in gender knowledge was significantly higher in Greek than in Spanish STEM student teachers, while the latter felt more competent than the Greek in developing values and attitudes in regards to gender. The study provides a cross-validated instrument to measure gender equality self-efficacy in STEM teacher education and evaluate sustainable changes after planned interventions.