Search Results (1,586)

This article presents a case of strategic and participatory institutional innovation in higher education, focused on developing teacher digital competence (TDC) as a key enabler of sustainable digital transformation. In response to the post-pandemic challenges faced by the National University of Cuyo (UNCuyo), a large and multi-campus public university in Argentina, the European CUTE methodology was adapted and implemented to align professional development with institutional planning. Grounded in the DigCompEdu framework, this action-oriented process moved beyond individual initiatives to create a coordinated, multi-level strategy involving educators, department leaders, and university authorities. Through a research-based design that included context analysis, participatory diagnosis, and co-designed interventions, the project built a shared understanding of digital teaching needs and institutional readiness. The implementation highlights how locally adapted frameworks, collaborative structures, and iterative decision-making can drive meaningful change across a complex university system. This case contributes to the international conversation on how higher education institutions can operationalize innovation at scale by investing in teacher competence, inclusive processes, and strategic alignment. Lessons learned from this experience are relevant for universities seeking to build institutional capacity for digital transformation in diverse educational contexts with potential downstream benefits for student learning and inclusion. Full article

Some studies have shown that the identities of asexual individuals can be devalued and invalidated through processes of dehumanization. However, research examining dehumanization and attitudes toward asexual parents remains scarce. Drawing on the dual model of dehumanization, this experimental study aimed to investigate the denial of traits associated with human nature (HN; denial of basic human emotions) and human uniqueness (HU; denial of a rational mind), as well as perceptions of parenting competence and warmth attributed to different maternal targets. It was hypothesized that asexual mothers would be judged more negatively on the HN dimension, but not on the HU dimension, compared to allosexual mothers. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that perceived behavior toward children, assessed in terms of warmth, would be associated with the denial of HN (but not HU) for asexual mothers. The study involved 298 participants (M_age = 35.97, SD = 15.04), who read one of three scenarios that were identical except for the sexual orientation of the mother: (1) heterosexual allosexual mother; (2) lesbian allosexual mother; and (3) asexual mother. Participants were then asked to evaluate the target with dehumanization measures and perceived parenting behaviors. Results showed that the asexual mother was perceived more negatively than all other targets across all variables. Moreover, parallel mediation analyses revealed that the perception of a lack of warmth in the asexual mother (compared to the other targets) was mediated by the denial of HN, but not HU. In contrast, both HN and HU were found to mediate judgments of parental competence. These findings provide initial evidence of stigma faced by asexual parents, highlighting the need for further research into the attitudes directed toward them. Full article

Pediatric palliative care (PPC) aims to enhance the quality of life of children with life-limiting conditions and their families through individualized, interdisciplinary support. Among this population, children with neurological diseases represent a substantial and growing group, often facing prolonged disease courses, cognitive impairment, and high prognostic uncertainty. Effective communication is central to PPC; however, it remains deeply influenced by cultural, religious, and spiritual frameworks that shape family perceptions of illness, suffering, and decision-making. This narrative review explores communication strategies in PPC, with a specific focus on children with neurological conditions, highlighting conceptual foundations, cross-cultural variations, and emerging best practices. Key findings highlight the importance of culturally humble approaches, family-centered communication models, and structured tools, such as co-designed advance care planning and dignity therapy, to enhance communication. Additionally, the review highlights the presence of ethical and interdisciplinary challenges, particularly in neonatal and neurology settings, where misaligned team messaging and institutional hesitancy may compromise trust and timely referral to palliative care. Future research, policy, and clinical education priorities should advocate for models that are inclusive, ethically grounded, and tailored to the unique trajectories of neurologically ill children. Integrating cultural competence, team alignment, and family voices is essential for delivering equitable and compassionate PPC across diverse care settings. Full article

Sexual health constitutes a fundamental aspect of overall well-being, with direct implications for individual development and the broader social and economic progress of communities. Promoting environments that ensure sexual experiences free from coercion, discrimination, and violence is a key public health priority. Sexuality, in this regard, should be understood as an inherent dimension of human experience, shaped by biological, cultural, cognitive, and ideological factors. Accordingly, sexual health education requires a holistic and multidimensional approach that integrates sociocultural, biographical, and professional perspectives. This study aims to examine the level of knowledge and training in sexual health among nursing students and healthcare professionals, as well as to assess the extent to which sexual health content is incorporated into nursing curricula at Spanish universities. A scoping review was conducted using the Dialectical Structural Model of Care (DSMC) as the theoretical framework. The findings indicate a significant lack of knowledge regarding sexual health among both nursing students and healthcare professionals, largely due to educational and structural limitations. Furthermore, sexual health education remains underrepresented in nursing curricula and is frequently addressed from a narrow, fragmented biomedical perspective. These results highlight the urgent need for the comprehensive integration of sexual health content into nursing education. Strengthening curricular inclusion is essential to ensure the preparation of competent professionals capable of delivering holistic, inclusive, and empowering care in this critical area of health. Full article

Background: Family caregivers are a vital yet often under-recognized part of the healthcare system. They provide essential emotional, physical, and logistical support to individuals with illness, disability, or frailty, and their contributions improve continuity of care and reduce system strain. However, many healthcare and social service providers are not equipped to meaningfully engage caregivers as partners. In Alberta, stakeholders validated the Caregiver-Centered Care Competency Framework and identified the need for a three-tiered education model—Foundational, Advanced, and Champion—to help providers recognize, include, and support family caregivers across care settings. This paper focuses on the development and early evaluation of the Advanced Caregiver-Centered Care Education modules, designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of providers with more experience working with family caregivers. The modules emphasize how partnering with caregivers benefits not only the person receiving care but also improves provider effectiveness and supports better system outcomes. Methods: The modules were co-designed with a 154-member interdisciplinary team and grounded in the competency framework. Evaluation used the first three levels of the Kirkpatrick–Barr health workforce education model. We analyzed pre- and post-surveys from the first 50 learners in each module using paired t-tests and examined qualitative feedback and SMART goals through inductive content analysis. Results: Learners reported a high level of satisfaction with the education delivery and the knowledge and skill acquisition. Statistically significant improvements were observed in 53 of 54 pre-post items. SMART goals reflected intended practice changes across all six competency domains, indicating learners saw value in engaging caregivers as partners. Conclusions: The Advanced Caregiver-Centered Care education improved providers’ confidence, knowledge, and skills to work in partnership with family caregivers. Future research will explore whether these improvements translate into real-world practice changes and better caregiver experiences in care planning, communication, and navigation. Full article

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have deficits in social–emotional competence. Most people with ASD have difficulties in emotion recognition, emotion understanding, emotion expression, and emotion regulation, which seriously affects their normal social communication and interaction. The information technology (IT) era has given more possibilities for intervention training for people with ASD, and research has proven that technological interventions have a significant effect on the socio-emotional competence of people with ASD. This study employed a meta-analytic approach using 32 independent effect sizes from 25 studies to investigate the effects of IT interventions on socio-emotional competence in individuals with ASD, using emotion recognition, understanding, expression, and regulation as dependent variables and examining key moderating factors. The results found that information technology has an excellent effect on social–emotional competence in ASD (Hedges’ g = 0.897, CI = 0.676, 1.117, z = 7.967, p < 0.001) and is significantly moderated by the intervention technique (Q = 7.392, p = 0.025) and the intervener (Q = 4.933, p = 0.026). The findings provide insights into further deepening information technology intervention research as well as practical applications. Full article

In the globalizing world, raising individuals equipped with 21st-century skills is very important for the economic development of countries. Educational practices that support 21st-century skills are also gaining importance. In this context, STEM education, an interdisciplinary educational practice that develops 21st-century skills, emerges. STEM education aims to contribute to sustainable development by training individuals equipped with 21st-century skills and competencies. In a globalizing world, countries must set sustainable development goals to gain a foothold in the global market. In today’s world, where artificial intelligence also shows itself in every area of human life, it is possible to discuss the importance of artificial intelligence-supported STEM education. This study aims to reveal the educational needs of primary school teachers regarding artificial intelligence-supported STEM education. The study was conducted according to the phenomenological design, and the data were collected using a semi-structured interview form and literature review techniques. The thematic analysis method was used in the analysis of the data. According to the research results obtained from the findings of the study, teachers need training on 21st-century skills, interdisciplinary thinking, technology integration into courses, and artificial intelligence practices in courses to develop their knowledge and skills in the context of artificial intelligence-supported STEM education. Full article

This quantitative study examines the determinants of financial reporting quality in Indonesian local governments, focusing on good governance, regional financial accounting systems, internal control systems, organizational commitment, and information technology utilization, with HR competencies as a moderator. Data were collected via surveys from 170 Local Government Work Units (SKPDs) across South Sulawesi Province, Indonesia. Employing Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), the findings indicate that good governance, regional financial accounting systems, internal control systems, organizational commitment, and information technology utilization all positively influence financial reporting quality. Crucially, human resource competencies were found to significantly moderate the relationship between the internal control system and organizational commitment with financial reporting quality. However, this moderating effect was not significant for the relationships involving good governance, regional financial accounting systems, and information technology utilization. These results highlight the essential role of human resource development and systemic enhancements in fostering greater financial accountability and transparency within the public sector. Therefore, policy recommendations should focus not only on enhancing individual competencies but also on synergistically strengthening systems and governance frameworks to achieve transparent and reliable public financial reporting. Full article

Aims/Background: Polypharmacy, or the concurrent intake of five or more medications, is a significant issue in clinical practice, particularly in multimorbid elderly individuals. Despite its importance for patient safety, medical education often lacks systematic training in recognising and managing polypharmacy within the framework of patient-centred care. We investigated the impact of a structured learning intervention introducing polypharmacy as a chronic condition, assessing whether it enhances medical students’ diagnostic competence, confidence, and interprofessional collaboration. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted with 50 final-year medical students who received a three-phase educational intervention. Phase 1 was interactive workshops on the principles of polypharmacy, its dangers, and diagnostic tools. Phase 2 involved simulated patient consultations and medication review exercises with pharmacists. Phase 3 involved reflection through debriefing sessions, reflective diaries, and standardised patient feedback. Student knowledge, confidence, and attitudes towards polypharmacy management were assessed using pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. Quantitative data were analysed through paired t-tests, and qualitative data were analysed thematically from reflective diaries. Results: Students demonstrated considerable improvement after the intervention in identifying symptoms of polypharmacy, suggesting deprescribing strategies, and working in multidisciplinary teams. Confidence in prioritising polypharmacy as a primary diagnostic problem increased from 32% to 86% (p < 0.01), and knowledge of diagnostic tools increased from 3.1 ± 0.6 to 4.7 ± 0.3 (p < 0.01). Standardised patients felt communication and patient-centredness had improved, with satisfaction scores increasing from 3.5 ± 0.8 to 4.8 ± 0.4 (p < 0.01). Reflective diaries indicated a shift towards more holistic thinking regarding medication burden. The small sample size limits the generalisability of the results. Conclusions: Teaching polypharmacy as a chronic condition in medical school enhances diagnostic competence, interprofessional teamwork, and patient safety. Education is a structured way of integrating the management of polypharmacy into routine clinical practice. This model provides valuable insights for designing medical curricula. Future research must assess the impact of such training on patient outcomes and clinical decision-making in the long term. Full article

This study aimed to compare isometric strength, range of motion (RoM), and strength ratios of shoulder internal and external rotators between female volleyball and hand ball players Twenty-five volleyball players (age = 21.8 ± 4.8 years, height = 178.5 ± 7.1 cm, mass = 69.3 ± 7.7 kg) and twenty-four handball players (age = 19.5 ± 2.9 years, height = 169.7 ± 6.4 cm, mass = 67.6 ± 8.4 kg), all competing in the Slovenian 1st national league, participated. Maximal isometric strength and passive RoM of internal and external rotation were measured bilaterally using a handheld dynamometer and goniometer, respectively. A significant group × side interaction was observed for internal rotation RoM (F = 5.41; p = 0.024; η² = 0.10), with volleyball players showing lower RoM on the dominant side (p = 0.001; d = 0.89), but this was not the case for handball players (p = 0.304). External rotation strength also showed a significant interaction (F = 9.34; p = 0.004; η² = 0.17); volleyball players were stronger in the non-dominant arm (p = 0.033), while handball players were stronger in the dominant arm (p = 0.041). The external-to-internal rotation strength ratio was significantly lower on the dominant side in volleyball players compared to handball players (p = 0.047; d = 0.59). Findings suggest sport-specific adaptations and asymmetries in shoulder function, emphasizing the need for sport-specific and individually tailored injury prevention strategies. Volleyball players, in particular, may benefit from targeted strengthening of external rotators and flexibility training to address imbalances. Full article

The incorporation of digital health into the medical curricula is becoming more important to better prepare doctors in the future. Digital health comprises a wide range of tools such as electronic health records, health information technology, telemedicine, telehealth, mobile health applications, wearable devices, artificial intelligence, and virtual reality. The present study aimed to explore the medical and biomedical students’ perspectives on the integration of digital health in medical curricula. A cross-sectional study was conducted on the medical and biomedical undergraduate students at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire. The response rate was 37%. The majority of respondents were in the MD (Doctor of Medicine) program (84.4%), while 29 students (15.6%) were from the BMS (Biomedical Sciences) program. A total of 55.38% agreed that they were familiar with the term ‘e-Health’. Additionally, 143 individuals (76.88%) reported being aware of the definition of e-Health. Specifically, 69 individuals (37.10%) utilize e-Health technologies every other week, 20 individuals (10.75%) reported using them daily, while 44 individuals (23.66%) indicated that they never used such technologies. Despite having several benefits, challenges exist in integrating digital health into the medical curriculum. There is a need to overcome the lack of infrastructure, existing educational materials, and digital health topics. In conclusion, embedding digital health into medical curricula is certainly beneficial for creating a digitally competent healthcare workforce that could help in better data storage, help in diagnosis, aid in patient consultation from a distance, and advise on medications, thereby leading to improved patient care which is a key public health priority. Full article

Introduction: Poorly designed safety job descriptions may have a negative impact on occupational safety and health (OSH) performance. Firstly, they limit the chances of hiring highly qualified safety professionals who are vital to the success of OSH management systems in organizations. Secondly, the relationship between the presence of qualified safety professionals and the safety culture (and performance) in an organization is reciprocal. Thirdly, the low quality of job descriptions limits exploring the proper competencies needed by safety professionals before they are hired. The safety professional is thus uncertain of what level of education or training and which skills they should attain. Objectives: The main goal of the study is to integrate the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) with importance–performance analysis (IPA) to evaluate job descriptions in multiple sectors. Results: The results of the study indicate that it is vital to clearly define job levels, the overall mission, key responsibilities, time-consuming tasks, required education/certifications, and necessary personal abilities in safety job descriptions. This clarity enhances recruitment, fairness, performance management, and succession planning. The organization can then attract and retain top talent, improve performance, foster a strong safety culture, create realistic job expectations, increase employee satisfaction and productivity, and ensure that competent individuals are hired, ultimately leading to a safer and more productive workplace. Conclusion: The outcomes of this study provide a robust framework that can and should be used as a guideline to professionalize job description development and enhance talent acquisition strategies. Full article

Background: In recent years, comprehensive analyses using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) have been conducted to identify genetic factors related to athletic performance. In this study, we investigated the association between genetic variants and elite wrestling status across multiple ethnic groups using a genome-wide genotyping approach. Methods: This study included 168 elite wrestlers (64 Japanese, 67 Turkish, and 36 Russian), all of whom had competed in international tournaments, including the Olympic Games. Control groups consisted of 306 Japanese, 137 Turkish, and 173 Russian individuals without elite athletic backgrounds. We performed a GWAS comparing allele frequencies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between elite wrestlers and controls in each ethnic cohort. Cross-population analysis comprised (1) identifying SNPs with nominal significance (p < 0.05) in all three groups, then (2) meta-analyzing overlapped SNPs to assess effect consistency and combined significance. Finally, we investigated whether the most significant SNPs were associated with gene expression in skeletal muscle in 23 physically active men. Results: The GWAS identified 328,388 (Japanese), 23,932 (Turkish), and 30,385 (Russian) SNPs reaching nominal significance. Meta-analysis revealed that the ATP2A3 rs6502758 and UNC5C rs265061 polymorphisms were associated (p < 0.0001) with elite wrestling status across all three populations. Both variants are located in intronic regions and influence the expression of their respective genes in skeletal muscle. Conclusions: This is the first study to investigate gene polymorphisms associated with elite wrestling status in a multi-ethnic cohort. ATP2A3 rs6502758 and UNC5C rs265061 polymorphisms may represent important genetic factors associated with achieving an elite status in wrestling, irrespective of ethnicity. Full article

Providing inclusive education and engaging all students in reading and writing activities presents an ongoing challenge for teachers, not necessarily resolved by implementing digital technology. This study addresses the need to better understand teacher competencies within the digitally infused classroom, specifically in relation to inclusive education and reading and writing practices. The study investigates the competencies and supportive strategies of middle school teachers who perceive themselves as successful in this area. The study employs the Delphi technique, using iterative surveys through which these teachers describe and rate aspects of their competencies and strategies. The results are analyzed through a modified version of the Technological, Pedagogical, and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, with particular attention to how teachers support students using their content knowledge and digital competency. Findings reveal a range of strategies and competency aspects related to both proactive accessibility and reactive individualization, using a variety of digital tools and text modalities. The teachers describe a dual orientation in their ability to curiously explore digital tools while simultaneously being able to critically appraise their usefulness. The findings contribute insights on what can support teachers when collaboratively developing knowledge of local practices and their agency in relation to available digital tools. Full article

Alternative proteins denote non-traditional, high-protein foods. These innovative sources aim to compete with conventional animal products by providing protein-rich, sustainable, nutritious, and flavorful options. Currently, five main categories of alternative proteins are being developed: plant-based proteins, cultured meat, single-cell proteins, edible insects, and seaweed. Nonetheless, several chemical and microbiological food safety hazards are associated with these alternatives Incorporating novel protein sources into food products may heighten the prevalence of existing food allergies. This could arise from extracting proteins from their natural matrices and utilizing them at significantly higher concentrations. Additionally, the introduction of new proteins may lead to the development of novel food allergies. Proteins that are currently seldom or never consumed may cause primary sensitisation or trigger cross-reactivity with known allergens. To date, alternative proteins have not been thoroughly studied for their allergenic potential, and there is no standardised method for assessing this risk. This review aims to explore non-traditional protein sources, discussing their nutritional and functional properties, as well as their potential allergenicity based on available research. We conducted a literature search in PubMed and Embase databases. We used specific keywords and MESH terms. A total of 157 studies were included in the review. The studies reviewed in our analysis reveal significant limitations, such as inconsistent methodologies, limited participant numbers, and a lack of long-term data, which hinder the ability to make clear conclusions regarding the safety of these new proteins for individuals with allergies. To address current challenge, future research should integrate food science, regulatory perspectives and advanced technologies. Full article