Search Results (97)

One of the central purposes of education at different educational levels is to contribute to the formation of critical thinking in students. There are many theoretical perspectives from which critical thinking is conceptualized, such as those centers on the development of students’ capacities and those based on competences, skills, dispositions and criteria, among others. We consider that in the school context the critical thinking perspective that should come first is the domain-specific one; consequently, we present a conceptual model for the formation of critical thinking in the context of science teaching and learning in the classroom constituted by the integration of four dimensions: languages and argumentation, metacognition, emotions, and problem solving and decision making. Our focus of reflection is epistemic cognition with the processes of epistemic sophistication, metacognitive sophistication, and metaemotional sophistication, determinants of critical thinking in relation to each of the dimensions and the relationships between them. We conclude with the proposal of a conceptual model for the development of critical thinking based on students’ epistemic cognition. Full article

This study is titled “Success Factors in Transport Interventions: A Mixed-Method Systematic Review (1990–2022)”. The purpose of the systematic review is to (1) identify effective interventions for transitioning individuals from private car reliance to sustainable transport, (2) summarise psychosocial theories shaping transportation choices and identify enablers and barriers influencing sustainable mode adoption, and (3) determine the success factors for interventions promoting sustainable transport choices. The last search was conducted on 18 November 2022. Five databases (Scopus, Web of Science, MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, and ProQuest) were searched using customised Boolean search strings. The identified papers were included or excluded based on the following criteria: (a) reported a modal shift from car users or cars to less CO₂-emitting modes of transport, (b) covered the adoption of low-carbon transport alternatives, (c) comprised interventions to promote sustainable transport, (d) assessed or measured the effectiveness of interventions, or (e) proposed behavioural models related to mode choice and/or psychosocial barriers or drivers for car/no-car use. The identified papers eligible for inclusion were critically appraised using Sirriyeh’s Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using Cohen’s Kappa to evaluate the risk of bias throughout the review process, and low-quality studies identified by the quality assessment were excluded to prevent sample bias. Qualitative data were extracted in a contextually relevant manner, preserving context and meaning to avoid the author’s bias of misinterpretation. Data were extracted using a form derived from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data transformation and synthesis followed the recommendations of the Joanna Briggs Institution for mixed-method systematic reviews using a convergent integrated approach. Of the 7999 studies, 4 qualitative, 2 mixed-method, and 30 quantitative studies successfully passed all three screening cycles and were included in the review. Many of these studies focused on modelling individuals’ mode choice decisions from a psychological perspective. In contrast, case studies explored various transport interventions to enhance sustainability in densely populated areas. Nevertheless, the current systematic reviews do not show how individuals’ inner dispositions, such as acceptance, intention, or attitude, have evolved from before to after the implementation of schemes. Of the 11 integrated findings, 9 concerned enablers and barriers to an individual’s sustainable mode choice behaviour. In addition, two integrated findings emerged based on the effectiveness of the interventions. Although numerous interventions target public acceptance of sustainable transport, this systematic review reveals a critical knowledge gap regarding their longitudinal impact on individuals and effectiveness in influencing behavioural change. However, the study may be affected by language bias as it only included peer-reviewed articles published in English. Due to methodological heterogeneity across the studies, a meta-analysis was not feasible. Further high-quality research is needed to strengthen the evidence. This systematic review is self-funded and has been registered on the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocols (INPLASY; Registration Number INPLASY202420011). Full article

Financial literacy plays a crucial role in shaping individual investment decisions by influencing susceptibility to behavioural biases such as heuristics, framing effects, cognitive illusions, and herding mentality. While most existing studies have examined financial literacy as a mediating factor, our study is among the first in the literature to analyse the role of behavioural biases as mediating factors in the relationship between financial literacy and investment decisions. Specifically, we investigate key biases, including overconfidence, herding, disposition effect, self-attribution, anchoring, availability, representativeness, and familiarity. Using purposive sampling, we collected 482 responses through a structured Likert scale questionnaire. The dataset underwent rigorous validation and reliability tests to ensure robustness. We employed Python-based statistical analysis and used Pearson’s correlation and mediation analysis to explore the relationships between financial literacy, behavioural biases, and investment decisions. With the help of these methods, we were able to uncover relationships and causal pathways which further our understanding of the role of behavioural biases in determining the impact of financial literacy on investment behaviour. The findings illustrate a notable positive correlation between investment decisions and financial literacy, implying that people with higher financial literacy levels possess greater and more rational financial decision-making capabilities. Other analyses have revealed that biases have a moderating effect on this relationship, showing another path through which financial literacy impacts behaviour at the level of the investor. By placing behavioural biases as mediating constructs, this research broadens the scope of investor psychology and the body of knowledge in behavioural finance, highlighting the need to change the approach to how financial literacy programs aimed at investors are structured and implemented. Full article

Background: Falls are the leading cause of emergency department (ED) presentations among residential aged care facility (RACF) residents. This study identified the factors influencing the decision to discharge RACF residents from the ED following fall-related presentations. Methods: A single-centred, cross-sectional observational study was conducted in rural Shepparton, Victoria, Australia. The study included residents aged ≥65 in RACFs with fall-related ED presentations between 1 January and 19 November 2024. The main outcome was to determine factors that may prevent unwarranted ED transfers among RACF residents following falls. Statistical methods, including multivariate logistic regression, were used to examine factors associated with ED dispositions. Results: A total of 181 presentations (69.4%) were discharged, and 80 (30.6%) were admitted. The presence of an Advance Care Directive (ACD) (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.89; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.37–6.05) and lower triage levels (aOR = 2.69; 95% CI: 1.06–6.80) increased the odds of discharge. Major injuries (aOR = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.09–0.42) and obvious injuries (aOR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.10–0.56) reduce discharge chances. Whether computed tomography brain scans were performed or anticoagulation therapy was used did not significantly influence ED discharge chances. Conclusion: In addition to traditional factors associated with ED discharge in post-fall patients from RACFs, an ACD was associated with increased discharge from the ED. Strengthening fall-specific advance care planning, improving ACD accessibility, and enhancing the clinical capacity of RACFs may reduce unnecessary ED transfers and better align care with residents’ goals, particularly in rural settings. Full article

Background and Objectives: Medical residency programs play a crucial role in emergency departments (EDs). However, clinical processes may differ between EDs staffed with medical residents and those staffed only by attending physicians. This study aims to compare clinical process times and clinical outcomes between these two types of EDs. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted, analyzing patients aged ≥ 18 years who visited an ED with a medical residency program and an ED staffed only by attending physicians. Time variables, including the time to first physician encounter, first order, CT order, consultation request, consulted specialist arrival, disposition decision, ED length of stay (LOS), and ED dispositions were compared between the two ED settings. Results: A total of 24,942 patients in an ED with a medical residency program and 19,867 patients in an ED staffed only by attending physicians were included in the final analysis. The ED with a medical residency program exhibited significantly longer times in all time variables including time to first physician encounter (7.0 [4.0–12.0] vs. 3.0 [1.0–5.0] min), first order (15.0 [9.0–23.0] vs. 9.0 [5.0–13.0] min), consultation request (95.0 [42.0–146.0] vs. 72.0 [27.0–124.0] min), consulted specialist arrival (156.0 [90.0–238.0] vs. 117.0 [63.0–176.0] min), and disposition decision (134.0 [70.0–208.0] vs. 92.0 [32.0–139.0] min). However, the proportion of discharges, admissions, and deaths were similar between the two EDs. Conclusions: The ED with a medical residency program may contribute to delays in clinical processing times; however, it appears to have no significant impact on clinical outcomes. Full article

Previous discussions on customer injustice and emotional labor have primarily focused on employee–customer dyads, often neglecting the role of service co-workers in shaping emotional labor dynamics. To address this gap, the current study integrates intrapersonal and interpersonal factors to explore their joint effects on employees’ emotional labor strategies when encountering customer injustice. A full-factorial experimental design with 2 (self-construal: independent vs. interdependent) × 3 (service co-workers: alone vs. positive attitudes vs. negative attitudes toward customer injustice) is employed, using data from 179 frontline service employees at high-star hotels in Shanghai, with self-construal and service co-workers operationalized as manipulated conditions. Results reveal that self-construal significantly influences surface acting: interdependent individuals are more inclined to engage in surface acting than independent individuals. By contrast, self-construal has no direct effect on deep acting. While service co-workers do not moderate the relationship between self-construal and surface acting, they play a critical role in the relationship between self-construal and deep acting: for interdependent employees, service co-workers’ attitudes (rather than their mere presence) decisively impact deep acting, with positive attitudes promoting deeper emotional engagement and negative attitudes reducing it. This study advances a dual-path framework highlighting how intrapersonal dispositions (self-construal) and interpersonal impression cues (service co-workers’ attitudes) interact to shape emotional labor. By expanding the traditional employee–customer dyad to a triadic model, the study bridges impression management theory and workplace injustice research, offering theoretical insights into how intrapersonal traits and interpersonal dynamics jointly shape contextualized emotional labor. This thereby provides a theoretical foundation for nuanced management strategies in service organizations. Full article

Communicating the science behind food production to consumers is increasingly complex due to the proliferation of food innovations, information overload, and the presence of misinformation. Trust plays a pivotal role in consumer perceptions of food safety and acceptance of new food technologies. This study explores consumers’ trust in food by segmenting audiences based on cognitive trust in science, affective trust in new foods, and dispositional trust in sources of food information. Using a survey of 1011 United States consumer respondents, cluster analysis identified five distinct trust segments: Lack Trust, Trusting, On the Fence, Trust New Food Not Science or Sources, and Trust Science not New Food. Results revealed significant demographic differences among the five segments, with age, education, political ideology, and dietary preferences influencing trust levels. Findings contribute to audience segmentation theory by demonstrating the coexistence of multiple trust dimensions and their impact on food-related decision-making. Practically, this study provides a framework for science communicators and policymakers to tailor messaging strategies that align with consumer trust profiles, ultimately fostering informed decision-making in the food system. Full article

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling for biologics, such as monoclonal antibodies and therapeutic proteins, involves capturing complex processes, including target-mediated drug disposition (TMDD), FcRn-mediated recycling, and tissue-specific distribution. The Simcyp Designer Biologics PBPK Platform Model offers an intuitive and efficient platform for constructing mechanistic PBPK models with pre-defined templates and automated model assembly, reducing manual input and improving reproducibility. This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to using the platform, highlighting features such as cross-species scaling, population variability simulations, and flexibility for model customization. Practical case studies demonstrate the platform’s capability to streamline workflows, enabling rapid, mechanistic model development to address key questions in biologics drug development. By automating critical processes, this tool enhances decision-making in translational research, optimizing the modelling and simulation of large molecules across discovery and clinical stages. Full article

Background: Recent evidence has shown that insulin resistance (IR), a hallmark of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, predicts bladder cancer (BC) presence. However, the best surrogate marker of IR in predicting BC is still unclear. This study examined the relationships among ten surrogate markers of IR and the presence of BC. Methods: Data from 209 patients admitted to two urology departments from September 2021 to October 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Individuals (median age 70 years) were divided into two groups (123 and 86 patients, respectively) based on the presence/absence after cystoscopy/TURB of non-metastatic BC. Univariate logistic regression was used to determine the relationships between groups, and the following IR parameters: Triglyceride–Glucose (TyG) index, TyG-BMI, HOMA-IR HOMAB, MetS-IR, Single Point Insulin Sensitivity Estimator, Disposition Index, non-HDL/HDL, TG/HDL-C ratio and Lipoprotein Combine Index. Stepwise logistic regressions were carried out to evaluate the significant predictions and LASSO regression to confirm any significant variable(s). The predictive value of the index test for coexistent BC was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the ROC curve (AUC). Results: The univariate analysis revealed that the TyG index and MetS-IR were associated with the BC presence. Specifically, the associations of the TyG index and MetS-IR were more significant in participants =/> 65 years old. In multivariate analysis, the stepwise logistic regression, evaluating the most representative variables at univariate analysis, revealed a prediction of BC by only TyG index (OR 2.51, p = 0.012), confirmed by LASSO regression, with an OR of 3.13, p = 0.004). Assessing the diagnostic reliability of TyG, it showed an interesting predictive value for the existence of BC (AUC = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.51–0.68, cut-off 8.50). Additionally, a restricted cubic spline model to fit the dose–response relationship between the values of the index text (TyG) and the BC evidenced the presence of a non-linear association, with a high predictive value of the first knot, corresponding to its 10th percentile. The decision curve analysis confirmed that the model (TyG) has utility in supporting clinical decisions. Conclusions: Compared to other surrogate markers of IR, the TyG index is effective in identifying individuals at risk for BC. A TyG threshold of 8.5 was highly sensitive for detecting BC subjects and may be suitable as an auxiliary diagnostic criterion for BC in adults, mainly if less than 65 years old. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study applies a Physiologically Based Biopharmaceutics Modeling (PBBM) framework to predict the bioavailability (BA) and bioequivalence (BE) of apixaban, a borderline BCS Class III/IV drug. It investigates how formulation factors, such as particle size, granulation method, and dissolution conditions, affect apixaban’s in vivo behavior under fasting conditions. Methods: A PBBM approach was developed by integrating physicochemical, formulation, and drug-related parameters to simulate dissolution and absorption using a middle-out strategy for combining in silico, in vitro, and in vivo data. The Noyes–Whitney equation was used to predict dissolution influenced by particle size, granulation type, and in vitro dissolution conditions. This information was added to a compartmental absorption model of the gastrointestinal track connected to a classical compartmental model characterizing apixaban’s disposition. Results: The study validated the apixaban PBBM predictions by comparing simulated and observed pharmacokinetic profiles across several doses and immediate release formulations (solution and tablets) administered through the oral route. Results demonstrated acceptable prediction accuracy for BA and BE under various conditions. The model’s simulations identified a dissolution safe space, enabling regulatory and development insights into acceptable formulation characteristics. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of PBBM in streamlining drug development, reducing clinical studies, and supporting regulatory decisions. Specifically, for apixaban, the study demonstrated that particle sizes below 120 µm ensure BE with reference formulations, while formulations with faster dissolution rates, such as smaller particle sizes, align closely with BCS biowaiver criteria. This research emphasizes PBBM as a valuable tool for optimizing drug quality and lifecycle management. Full article

The global growth of solar power has led to a significant increase in solar photovoltaics (PV) waste, which is expected to rise significantly in the coming years. The recommended end-of-life (EOL) management techniques for wasted PV panels include landfill disposal, recycling, or panel reuse. However, a comprehensive decision-making strategy is necessary to assess the appropriate EOL plans from various perspectives, including economic, environmental, sociological, technological, regulatory, and business. This study aims to establish a comprehensive approach for examining disposition alternatives and suggest guidelines for PV EOL management. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is used to prioritize disposition alternatives for solar PV waste, considering five key criteria: environmental impact, economic viability, social implications, policy and legislative compliance, and technical feasibility. The AHP Aggregating Individual Priorities (AIP) aggregation approach is used to analyze data using a pairwise comparisons matrix. The research indicates that recycling is the most preferred option based on the primary criteria, achieving the highest overall score compared to other alternatives. However, discrepancies were observed in the decisions among individual stakeholder groups and subfactor evaluations. To address these variations, this study provides policy recommendations to guide the sector in adopting optimal decision-making strategies for PV EOL management. Full article

This article draws upon doctoral case study data from two Protestant Christian churches to examine how contemporary worship music-making practices can reinforce and solidify the musical tastes, dispositions, and tendencies of particular demographics. Drawing upon sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of the habitus, this article examines the religious musical habitus of musicians in relation to contemporary music repertoire. For some churches, contemporary worship music-making practices may “disrupt” the habitus of a particular subset of a demographic due to their musical preferences and positioning, while contemporary repertoire may affirm the habitus of other, often “young” worshippers due to their musical preferences. Further, the research analyzes each church’s positioning within the overarching musical and theological fields in place. Case study data affirm the notion that Contemporary Worship Music is generationally based in the way it engages with the habitus, which provides implications for worship leaders and those making musical decisions within Christian church contexts. Full article

The leadership of the university teacher has the most important role in the development of the educational institution and society. Universities are facing rapid societal changes and the need for innovative pedagogical approaches, including the potential for faculty members to emerge as leaders both within and beyond their classrooms, becomes increasingly salient. Teacher leadership in this context represents a collaborative ethos, where educators engage in shared decision making, curriculum development, and pedagogical innovation, thereby enhancing both academic and institutional outcomes. University teachers play a crucial role in achieving the 4th Sustainable Development Goal by leveraging their leadership skills to provide inclusive, equitable, and high-quality education. Teacher leadership and student satisfaction are considered to be interconnected but, in turn, teacher leadership is influenced by teacher disposition. The intricate interplay between professor leadership and student satisfaction within higher education institutions (HEIs) reveals significant implications for both faculty and student experiences. This study investigated two aspects: firstly, the effect of teacher dispositions, especially motivation, communication, conscientiousness, teacher efficacy and willingness to learn, teacher leadership, and secondly, how teacher leadership affects student learning satisfaction. A survey was developed using questionnaire structural equation analysis using SmartPLS 4.0. Three hundred eighty-nine students studying in public universities in Mongolia participated in the survey. The research results show that teacher dispositions such as motivation, communication, and conscientiousness positively affect teacher leadership. In addition, it was proven that teacher leadership positively affects student learning satisfaction. Full article

Australian education faces persistent challenges in preparing and retaining teachers within rural contexts. This qualitative study examines the attributes of thriving rural teachers through focus group discussions with 103 rural educational leaders. Utilising a theoretical framework combining attribution theory and ecological systems perspectives, the study synthesised leaders’ perceptions of key dispositions and behaviours contributing to rural teachers’ success. Four interconnected dimensions emerged: being community, classroom, professionally and personally equipped. This study revealed that while individual teacher attributes are crucial, school support and community context significantly influence teacher success. The application of attribute theory further revealed that findings attributed teacher’s success to internal, stable, and controllable factors, suggesting that key traits could be developed through targeted professional development and experience. This study provides nuanced insights into ’rural readiness’, informing education policy decisions and practices, initial teacher education institutions, schools, and communities. The study emphasises the need for a holistic approach to teacher preparation and support that considers both individual and systemic factors. Full article

An increasing number of projects require the precise knowledge and control of thermal conditions within the study system and their temporal evolution. This is particularly critical for equipment such as laboratory ovens and microbiological incubators, which are essential in various fields of chemistry and microbiology areas. These devices allow and facilitate the execution of experimental work in controlled environments, leading to reproducible experiments. This work presents a methodology for assembling and calibrating a highly accessible and low-cost data logger equipped with multiple temperature sensors. The final calibrated dispositive is straightforward to construct and allows the simultaneous and independent temperature measurement from multiple positions within the same system, which is then applied to the study, characterization, control, and monitoring of the internal thermal behavior of a laboratory oven dedicated to microbiological agents’ cultivation. This approach ensures, through a robust methodology, a precise characterization by quantitative methods that allows objective decision making in the management and control of the temperature inside the system. Additionally, the device is suitable for extension and application in diverse research environments by modifying the sensor calibration to achieve a desired temperature range or number of measurement units, representing a potential work tool for laboratory systems. Full article