Search Results (1,243)

This study analyses the development of digital and artistic competence among pre-service language teachers within the framework of a teaching innovation project (2018–2024) at the University of Oviedo. It not only explores student teachers’ perceptions of the proposal’s pedagogical usefulness but also seeks to determine whether statistically significant differences exist between participating master and undergraduate students. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach: the qualitative component is based on the European DigCompEdu framework, while the quantitative component employed an ad hoc questionnaire analysed using SPSS (v.22), including descriptive analysis, Levene’s test to assess equality of variances and Student’s t-test to identify potential significant differences according to the master–undergraduate variable. The results indicate, on the one hand, that this initiative successfully strengthens five of the six areas defined in the European framework, and on the other, that there is an overall high level of satisfaction, reflected in the high scores obtained in the competences examined in this study: artistic, digital and pedagogical. These findings underscore the value of integrating innovative, video-based strategies into teacher education programmes to support the development of key competences required for 21st-century teaching. Full article

Background: Fibromyalgia (FM) and eating disorders (ED) represent distinct clinical entities traditionally managed within separate medical specialties, yet emerging evidence suggests significant comorbidity and potential shared pathophysiological mechanisms. Both conditions disproportionately affect women, involve complex multifactorial etiologies and substantially impair quality of life. Despite documented clinical overlaps, the mechanistic connections linking these conditions remain poorly characterized, and integrated treatment approaches are lacking. Objective: This narrative review examines the role of oxidative stress and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway dysfunction as a unifying molecular mechanism connecting fibromyalgia and eating disorders, with emphasis on implications for integrated rehabilitation strategies. Methods: We synthesized current evidence on oxidative stress pathophysiology in fibromyalgia and eating disorders, focusing on Nrf2-Keap1 pathway function, clinical comorbidity patterns and rehabilitation interventions targeting antioxidant defense mechanisms. In PubMed, representative search strings included “(fibromyalgia [MeSH] OR fibromyalgia [Title/Abstract]) AND (“eating disorders” [MeSH] OR “anorexia nervosa” [MeSH] OR “bulimia nervosa” [MeSH])” and “fibromyalgia AND (“oxidative stress” OR Nrf2 OR “redox”)”. Articles in English published through December 2025 were considered, with additional records identified by manually screening reference lists. Results: Fibromyalgia patients exhibit elevated oxidative stress markers, impaired antioxidant enzyme function and compromised Nrf2 activity correlating with disease severity, with studies reporting approximately 30–50% reductions in coenzyme Q10 levels compared with healthy controls. Similarly, eating disorders demonstrate mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress dysregulation, though patterns differ across eating disorder phenotypes. Nrf2 serves as the master regulator of cellular antioxidant defense, coordinating expression of over 500 genes involved in detoxification, cytoprotection, inflammation modulation and metabolic regulation. Evidence suggests Nrf2 activity is regulated by energy balance, potentially linking nutritional status with cellular stress responses. Rehabilitation interventions, including graduated exercise and nutritional optimization with Nrf2-activating foods (cruciferous vegetables, polyphenols, omega-3 fatty acids), offer mechanism-based therapeutic approaches through hormetic Nrf2 activation and direct Keap1 modification. Conclusions: Multidisciplinary rehabilitation programs integrating physical therapy, exercise prescription and nutritional strategies targeting Nrf2 activation offer evidence-based, mechanism-driven approaches to address shared oxidative stress pathophysiology. Nrf2 pathway dysfunction represents a promising and biologically plausible molecular target that may help to unify our understanding of fibromyalgia and eating disorders pending confirmation from prospective clinical studies in comorbid populations. Future research should prioritize prospective clinical trials testing Nrf2-targeted interventions in comorbid populations and collaborative patient-centered care models. Full article

Past research has shown engagement during lessons to be pivotal for secondary education students to develop learning skills and to master curriculum objectives. Knowing which teaching behaviours matter most in creating sustainable student engagement is of the utmost importance for schools and school managers to be able to decide on the nature of the support beginning teachers need during their induction period to become competent teachers. Which dimensions of beginning teachers’ teaching behaviours are most in need of monitoring and support to guarantee active student engagement are still unclear. To provide some light on this issue, this study used data from a large database containing data of Dutch students’ perceptions of their teachers’ teaching behaviours during lessons, measured with the My Teacher Questionnaire, and data about self-reports of their own emotional and behavioural engagement during lessons. Our findings, based on multilevel analyses, indicate that differences between teachers’ classroom management skills and activating learning practices are the most salient components of teaching behaviour that impact the level of student engagement, regardless of student gender and family background. These findings suggest that, in general, students in Dutch secondary education seem to benefit in terms of academic engagement from efficient classroom management and more intensive and activating instruction practices of their beginning teachers. Full article

Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) has emerged as a powerful methodology for documenting, analysing, and managing historic buildings. However, its pedagogical potential in teaching adaptive reuse and heritage-sensitive design remains underexplored, particularly in postgraduate architectural education. This study evaluates a pedagogical HBIM framework implemented in a master’s-level course, where students applied HBIM methodologies to propose adaptive reuse interventions for a historic building in Jeddah Historic District, Saudi Arabia. Student design projects were analysed to assess how HBIM informed documentation accuracy, heritage value interpretation, and design decision-making. In addition, a retrospective questionnaire was administered to former students to evaluate the long-term educational effectiveness of the HBIM-based methodology, focusing on learning quality, design comprehension, and professional preparedness. The results indicate that HBIM significantly enhanced students’ understanding of historic fabric, improved their ability to propose context-sensitive reuse strategies, and supported more informed and evidence-based design decisions. Survey findings further demonstrate the high perceived value of HBIM in architectural education, particularly in linking theoretical knowledge with real-world heritage challenges. This research contributes a validated educational framework for integrating HBIM into adaptive reuse curricula and provides evidence-based insights applicable to heritage education and professional practice. Full article

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic substantially affected both the provision and demand for health services. There are few studies that analyzed factors associated with unmet healthcare needs during the COVID-19 pandemic relative to regular pre-pandemic period, mainly in high-income countries. This study examines the change in the likelihood of reporting unmet healthcare needs as well as individual demographic, socioeconomic, health-related, and geographical characteristics associated with unmet healthcare needs during the COVID-19 pandemic and during the pre-pandemic period in Serbia. Methods: We utilized data from the Survey on Income and Living Conditions in the Republic of Serbia for 2019 and 2021. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted on the pooled sample comprising 21,422 respondents aged 16 years and older from both survey years. Results: Overall, respondents had 1.6 times higher odds of reporting unmet healthcare needs during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic period. In the pooled multivariable analysis, older adults (OR = 2.32), individuals reporting poor or very poor self-rated health (OR = 2.16), and those with chronic diseases (OR = 1.46) were more likely to report unmet healthcare needs. In contrast, individuals with higher levels of education (ORs = 0.72 for high school, 0.65 for college, and 0.51 for master’s degree), retired individuals (OR = 0.70), inactive persons (OR = 0.76), and students/pupils (OR = 0.22) had significantly lower odds of unmet needs, compared to their counterparts. Relative to the poorest income quintile, individuals in all higher income quintiles were less likely to report unmet healthcare needs, with the lowest odds observed in the 5th quintile (OR = 0.49). Residents of thinly populated areas had higher odds compared to those in densely populated areas (OR = 1.19). Conclusions: Identified associations with unmet healthcare needs should be used to develop targeted strategies for strengthening healthcare access, particularly in the context of future crises. Full article

The long-term creep performance of geosynthetics is crucial for the safe design of reinforced-soil structures. Previous studies have not sufficiently clarified the long-term creep behavior of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) geogrids or the influence of different failure criteria. Therefore, further research is needed to validate creep reduction factors’ (RF_CR) estimation and the applicability of the stepped isothermal method (SIM). In this study, the creep behavior of HDPE geogrids was examined using both conventional creep tests and SIM, conducted in accordance with ISO 13431 and ASTM D6992. Master curves were generated under load levels representing 40–60% of the ultimate tensile strength. The SIM results matched with the conventional tests in the early stage but exhibited higher creep strains beyond 1000 h, primarily due to the thermal sensitivity of HDPE. RF_CR values were determined using two design criteria, namely, 20% creep strain and creep rupture. For a 100-year design life, the RF_CR values based on a 20% creep strain were determined to be 3.04 and 2.43 based on the combined data and block-shift analysis, respectively, whereas the rupture criterion yielded a lower value of 2.30. These findings demonstrate that the 20% strain limit provides a more conservative and reliable criterion for estimating the long-term design strength. This study confirms the applicability of SIM for accelerated creep evaluation and provides practical guidance for the selection of RF_CR values in reinforced-soil design. Full article

Adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs) are key mediators of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance. However, the contribution of lysosomal dysfunction to ATM inflammatory activation remains poorly defined. Here, we characterized lysosomal structural and functional alterations in ATMs during obesity and examined whether pharmacological restoration of lysosomal function using 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HPβCD) ameliorates metabolic inflammation. In diet-induced obese C57BL/6J male mice, adipose tissue exhibited increased lysosomal abundance, accompanied by reduced cathepsin L+V expression, modestly increased lysosomal acid lipase levels, and decreased expression of transcription factor EB (TFEB), a master regulator of lysosomal biogenesis. Despite expanded lysosomal content, ATMs displayed impaired lysosomal acidification, indicating functional lysosomal dysfunction. Intraperitoneal administration of HPβCD for two weeks significantly improved glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity without affecting body weight. Flow cytometric analysis revealed reduced pro-inflammatory M1 ATMs and CD8⁺ T lymphocytes in visceral adipose tissue, whereas immune cell populations in subcutaneous adipose tissue, blood, and spleen remained unchanged. In vitro, HPβCD suppressed pro-inflammatory gene expression in both classically and metabolically activated macrophages and attenuated inflammatory responses induced by lysosomal stressors, including bafilomycin A1 and chloroquine, while restoring TFEB expression. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that obesity is associated with lysosomal dysfunction in ATMs and that restoration of lysosomal function alleviates adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic dysfunction, highlighting lysosomal regulation in ATMs as a potential therapeutic target for obesity-associated metabolic diseases. Full article

A new category of polyphenolic compounds, like flavonoids, phenolic acids, phenylpropanoids, terpenoids, and others, referred to as food nutrients, may counteract the harmful effects of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) by enhancing cellular stress resilience response and overall human health. These compounds found in functional food help mitigate the cellular damage, inflammation, and oxidative stress caused by MNP exposure, which can contribute to pathological conditions, including diabetes. Importantly, specific food nutrients are able to activate, at the minimum dose, the nuclear factor erythroid-derived 2-like 2 (Nrf2) to prevent or block MNP-induced damage. The Nfe2l2 gene encodes the Nrf2 transcription factor, acting as a master regulator of redox homeostasis by inducing antioxidant response element (ARE)-driven resilience genes, which in turn, promote the expression of detoxification enzymes like heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and shield cells from environmental damage and toxicity. Deregulation of the Nfe2l2 gene due to the accumulation of MNP pollutants may exacerbate the inflammatory conditions associated with diabetes and its chronic complications by rendering cells more sensitive to oxidative stress, apoptosis, and pyroptosis. Furthermore, epigenetic modifications influence gene regulation; chromatin remodeling directly impacts DNA accessibility, allowing or limiting transcription factor access to regulate gene expression. This mechanism may also play a pivotal role in the progression of oxidative stress-related diseases, as it modulates the Nrf2 pathway and the expression levels of its target genes. In contrast to the current literature, which has only addressed the pathological mechanisms induced by MNPs, this research explores, for the first time, how food nutrients interacting with the Nfe2l2 gene can combat or reverse the toxic effects of MNPs in cells, tissues, and organs. The goal is to improve health by attenuating MNP toxicity, which is influenced by individual genetic variations and cellular stress resilience. Full article

Cities play a central role in shaping opportunities for physical activity, health, and social well-being. However, municipalities often lack operational methodologies capable of translating active living and healthy urban environment strategies into coordinated, implementable, and evaluable local action. This study addresses this gap by proposing a methodology for creating Active City Master Plans, an integrative planning and governance framework designed to support municipalities in the systematic creation, implementation, and monitoring of local active living strategies. This structured approach integrates urban planning, public health, sport policy, and social development via a multi-phase planning process combining political anchoring, evidence-based diagnosis, participatory prioritization, project programming, and indicator-based monitoring. Emphasis is placed on intersectoral governance, institutional coordination, and the use of spatially locatable indicators to support decision-making and resource allocation. The methodology was developed through the synthesis of international active living and healthy urban planning frameworks. It is currently in the second stage of development, following refinement through pilot application in the medium-sized Spanish municipality of Torrelodones, which served as a methodological testing environment. While early results demonstrate feasibility and policy integration potential, further research is required to evaluate long-term population-level outcomes and transferability across diverse urban contexts. By providing a transferable methodology rather than a predefined plan model, municipalities—particularly small and medium-sized cities—can develop context-adapted Active City Master Plans aligned with sustainability, equity, and public health objectives. Full article

As a promising decentralized paradigm, the verifiable and redactable blockchain offers a feasible solution for achieving authorized and controlled redaction of on-chain data. However, existing schemes suffer from rapidly expanding ledgers caused by authentication data structures and fail to strike a balance between permission supervision and redaction efficiency. In this paper, we propose a novel verifiable and redactable blockchain scheme that introduces a dual-level authentication architecture to achieve lightweight storage and permission supervision. To this end, we first design a dual-level authentication data structure that appends all blocks to a constant-size global tag, while supporting verifiable redaction and query over on-chain data. Likewise, we introduce a dual-level chameleon hash structure, which not only employs committee members holding sub-keys to redact on-chain data but also enables the certificate authority to use the master key to correct malicious redactions executed by corrupted committee members. Furthermore, we propose an efficient auditing protocol to enhance the integrity and consistency of the blockchain ledger during the process of synchronous circulation. Finally, both security analysis and performance evaluation prove that the proposed scheme is practical. Full article

This study investigated the cyathostomin species composition, anthelmintic efficacy, and potential resistance-associated mutations in Chinese grazing horses. Fecal samples were collected from 90 adult horses. Fecal egg counts (FECs) were determined using a modified McMaster method. Third stage larvae (L3) cultured from the eggs were identified to species level by PCR amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2). The main species included Cylicocyclus nassatus and Cylicostephanus spp. However, differences in the relative abundance of less common species, including Cyathostomum pateratum and Cylicocyclus ashworthi, suggests regional variation. Anthelmintic efficacy was assessed by a fecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) following albendazole administration. Mutations at six codons of the β-tubulin iso-type-1 (tbb-iso-1) gene were screened by gene sequencing. The results showed that, despite harboring an abundant and diverse cyathostomin community, this herd remained susceptible to albendazole. Overall, this study provides baseline data on cyathostomin species composition and anthelmintic susceptibility in horses from China, contributing to global surveillance of equine cyathostomin resistance. Full article

The interdisciplinary nature of artificial intelligence courses forces non-computer science majors to contend with the simultaneous challenges of terminology comprehension and language cognition. To increase the efficiency of terminology teaching, this project develops and deploys an OpenAI-based AI chatbot teaching system that incorporates the concept of content and language integrated learning (CLIL). The system creates a dual-track “terminology layer-cognition layer” framework that includes term recognition, multi-level explanation (contextual examples and conceptual associations), task-driven dialogues, and conversation memory bank (CMB) modules. It then guides students through natural language interactions to master the core AI terms in context. The system’s effectiveness was confirmed in a controlled experiment with 98 participants (including computer and non-computer majors) separated into two groups: experimental (chatbot teaching) and control (conventional PPT teaching). In terms of terminology mastery, the experimental group’s posttest score (86.0 ± 5.33) was considerably higher than that of the control group (66.98 ± 5.6). Non-computer science major students showed a more significant improvement effect (83.29 ± 4.5 vs. 63.62 ± 4.68 for the control group). Non-computing students evaluated the clarity of systematic terminology explanation (4.33 ± 0.76) and the effectiveness of contextual assistance (4.21 ± 0.88) as the most important aspects of their learning experience. These experimental results show that the fusion AI chatbot teaching system developed in this study can improve teaching efficiency while effectively reducing cognitive load, and that the task-guided and immediate feedback mechanism can significantly increase students’ learning engagement. Full article

The business model canvas (BMC) is broadly used in entrepreneurship education as a trusted, practical tool for mapping out a company’s business model. Although the BMC helps students to obtain a quick overview of business operations, in practice, entrepreneurs need to adapt and change their business operations constantly in order to grow and remain viable. These changes in a business model are represented by business model innovation (BMI), but frameworks that capture changes in operations are not well developed. Hence, there is a need to present the dynamics of business model innovation through a dynamic business model framework. In this paper, we followed the experiential learning approach and focused on teaching BMI through applying and analyzing BMI in real start-up cases. We applied a two-phase research design by first asking students to apply and analyze the BMI of real start-ups using both the current business model canvas and the proposed dynamic business model framework. Following their analyses, master’s students were administered a survey to assess the benefits of the proposed dynamic business model framework. The results show that the current business model canvas has limitations in capturing the dynamics of BMI, which can be addressed by our proposed dynamic business model framework. The proposed framework can improve students’ level of understanding of BMI and, in particular, its dynamic nature. Full article

This study explores the multifaceted anticancer mechanisms of flavanone analogues and spiropyrazoline condensed with flavanone ring against colorectal cancer (CRC) cell lines. Five-membered heteroaromatic scaffolds, in particular, have gained prominence in medicinal chemistry as they offer enhanced metabolic stability, solubility and bioavailability, crucial factors in developing effective drugs. Building upon previous findings, we investigated three lead derivatives (1, 3, and 5) with potent antiproliferative activity (IC₅₀ < 35 μM). The compounds induced pronounced oxidative stress, evidenced by increased lipid peroxidation and reduced membrane fluidity, primarily within the hydrophobic layers of cell membranes. Preincubation with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) significantly attenuated these effects, confirming the pivotal role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in their cytotoxicity. Mechanistic studies revealed that the derivatives triggered intrinsic apoptosis, characterized by the cleavage of PARP and the activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. Furthermore, the compounds modulated key signaling pathways involved in cell survival and proliferation. Specifically, they inhibited the pro-oncogenic ERK1/2 MAPK pathway while inducing cell line-dependent alterations in p38 and JNK activity. Concurrently, all derivatives reduced the level of the transcription factor Nrf2, a master regulator of antioxidant defense and a mediator of chemoresistance in CRC. Collectively, these findings indicate that flavanone/chromanone derivatives exert their anticancer activity through a synergistic mechanism involving ROS generation, disruption of redox homeostasis, inhibition of Nrf2 signaling, and modulation of MAPK-dependent apoptotic pathways. These results highlight the therapeutic potential of flavanone-based compounds and their spiropyrazoline analogues as multifunctional anticancer agents targeting oxidative stress and survival signaling in colorectal cancer. Full article

Training the public health workforce is a critical component of health system strengthening. In Mexico, postgraduate education operates under a national accreditation framework intended to ensure academic quality and social relevance, yet comprehensive information about the scope and distribution of training programs is limited. This study characterizes public health and related academic programs available in 2024, examining the institutional sector, delivery modality, geographic distribution, and accreditation status. A systematic institutional mapping was conducted through structured searches of the official websites of public and private higher education institutions. Eligible programs included bachelor’s degrees, specializations, master’s degrees, and PhDs that were active between March and November 2024. Searches used predefined keyword combinations, repeated at multiple timepoints, and were restricted to official institutional domains. Data were extracted on academic level, institutional sector, delivery format, duration, geographic region, and inclusion in the National Postgraduate System. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to analyze accreditation patterns; geospatial analysis assessed regional distribution. A total of 175 programs were identified across 30 of Mexico’s 32 states. Professional master’s degrees represented the largest category, followed by research-oriented master’s and PhD programs. Public institutions offered nearly two-thirds of all programs. Among postgraduate programs, fewer than half were accredited, with accreditation concentrated in master’s degrees in science (84.6%) and PhDs (55.6%). Only 23.0% of professional master’s degree were accredited. Most programs were delivered fully in person; online offerings were limited and more common in private institutions. Research-oriented programs were geographically concentrated in a small number of states, whereas professional programs exhibited broader but uneven national distribution. Public health education in Mexico shows growth in professionally oriented training but also reveals persistent gaps in accreditation, geographic equity, and flexible delivery modalities. The disproportionate expansion of professional programs without corresponding integration into accreditation frameworks raises concerns for workforce planning and educational equity. Strengthening national information systems, improving institutional reporting standards, and aligning accreditation criteria with workforce needs are essential to ensure that public health training supports progress towards universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals. Full article