Search Results (3,998)

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate whether changes in perfusion index (PI) after the first deflation of the blood pressure cuff during remote ischemic conditioning (RIC) are associated with passive leg raising (PLR)-induced changes in stroke volume. In addition, we compared PI changes after cuff deflation during RIC between critically ill patients and healthy controls. Methods: This prospective, single-center study was conducted in a mixed ICU at a tertiary teaching hospital. Patients aged >18 years admitted to the ICU, monitored using calibrated pulse contour analysis, and scheduled for a PLR test as decided by the attending physicians were included. The PI was measured after blood pressure cuff deflations during RIC (3 cycles of brachial cuff inflation to 200 mmHg for 5 min, followed by instantaneous deflation to 0 mmHg for another 5 min) in the supine position after PLR. Preload responsiveness was defined as a ≥10% increase in the stroke volume index (SVI) during PLR. Data were compared with a healthy control group. Results: Thirty-three patients were included (median age 62; 45% in shock; 55% mechanically ventilated). When comparing critically ill patients with healthy volunteers, the maximum PI change (dPImax) and the time to reach it were higher in critically ill patients after the first and second cuff deflations (p < 0.05). However, after the third deflation, the difference was no longer significant. Following the first deflation, dPImax was significantly correlated with SVI changes during PLR (r = 0.63, p < 0.001). After the cuff was first deflated, we detected a PI cutoff with a positive SVI response (≥10%) during PLR, with a sensitivity of 64% and a specificity of 94% (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.752; 95% CI, 0.564–0.940; p = 0.008). Conclusions: The maximum change in perfusion index following brachial blood pressure cuff deflation after five minutes of inflation may serve as a promising noninvasive bedside indicator of preload responsiveness in critically ill patients. Additionally, the observed normalization of PI kinetics during RIC suggests possible acute modulation of vascular reactivity, though further research is needed to confirm an association between PI changes and endothelial function. Full article

Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problems in complex evaluation systems are often characterized by high uncertainty in expert judgments and dynamic variations in indicator importance. Traditional analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and entropy-based weighting methods typically suffer from two inherent limitations: the inability to explicitly quantify expert hesitation and the rigidity of static weight assignment under evolving data distributions. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a dynamic hybrid weighting framework that integrates an interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (IVIF-AHP) with an entropy-triggered correction mechanism. First, interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy numbers are employed to simultaneously model membership, non-membership, and hesitation degrees in pairwise comparisons, enabling a more comprehensive representation of expert uncertainty. Second, an entropy-triggered dynamic fusion strategy is developed by jointly incorporating information entropy and coefficient of variation, allowing adaptive adjustment between subjective expert weights and objective data-driven weights. This mechanism effectively enhances sensitivity to high-dispersion criteria while preserving expert knowledge in low-variability indicators. The proposed framework is formulated in a hierarchical fuzzy decision structure and implemented through a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation process. Its feasibility and robustness are validated through a concrete case study on teaching effectiveness evaluation for a university engineering course, leveraging multi-source data. Comparative analysis demonstrates that the proposed approach effectively mitigates the weight rigidity and evaluation inflation observed in conventional methods. Furthermore, it improves diagnostic resolution and decision stability across different evaluation periods. The results indicate that the proposed entropy-triggered IVIF-AHP framework provides a mathematically sound and practically applicable solution for dynamic MCDM problems under uncertainty, with strong potential for extension to other complex evaluation and decision-support systems. Full article

In response to the ongoing and intensifying impacts of human-induced climate change, individual participation in pro-environmental behaviors must also increase. Previous studies have linked higher environmental identity to greater participation in pro-environmental behaviors. However, the long-term impacts of environmental education experiences during the formal school years (prekindergarten through twelfth grade) on later pro-environmental behaviors remain uninvestigated. In this exploratory study, purposive sampling was used to recruit individuals associated with sustainability-oriented organizations. Participants completed an online survey addressing environmental identity, current pro-environmental behaviors, and prior environmental education experiences. In addition, five optional focus groups were conducted to enhance the study’s validity. Results showed that environmental education experiences were reported as highly impactful. These reported that high-impact environmental education experiences were experiential and immersive, encompassing a variety of environmental topics, employing multiple teaching methods, and occurring across multiple grade levels. This study is limited in its generalizability to the larger population due to a non-diverse sample and by its retrospective design. Even so, based on these results, it is recommended that more high-impact environmental education experiences be incorporated across grade levels within the formal school setting. Full article

Critical thinking (CT) is increasingly recognized as a transversal competence within STEM education, yet it is often addressed implicitly in preservice teacher training. This study analyzes the development of critical thinking in 130 Preservice Early Childhood Education Teachers (PECETs) who, during the 2024–2025 academic year, participated in a training programme designed from a STEM perspective and grounded in scientific inquiry. A mixed-methods approach was used to examine the teaching unit elaborated by PECETs with a rubric that assessed stages of inquiry, as well as to analyze their final reports for evidence of connections between CT and STEM. The findings revealed strong scientific thinking but only superficial links to STEM and CT suggesting progress in participants’ scientific reasoning and analytical and reflective competence. However, evidence of explicit STEM integration and CT justification remained limited. These results confirm the formative potential of inquiry-based STEM education for supporting CT development in early childhood preservice teacher education, while highlighting the need for more explicit scaffolding of inquiry phases, structured reflection opportunities, and collaborative argumentation tasks to strengthen conceptual integration and deepen critical engagement with scientific evidence. Full article

Background/Objectives: The classification of adhesive systems has historically relied on the type of etching agent and the sequence of application steps, distinguishing etch-and-rinse and self-etch categories. However, these models do not encompass the versatility introduced by universal adhesives or other emerging polymeric materials. This review aimed to integrate etching technique as a defining parameter within adhesive classification, linking material composition, bonding strategy, and clinical execution into a coherent functional framework. Methods: A structured narrative review of experimental, translational, and clinical studies published between 2010 and 2025 was conducted using PubMed and Scopus. Literature addressing adhesive categories, etching strategies, etching techniques, and smear layer characteristics was critically synthesized to identify functional relationships relevant to bonding performance and clinical decision-making. Results: The proposed taxonomy classifies materials as conventional, universal, touch-cure primers, self-adhesive/universal, and glass ionomer cements. Bonding strategies are organized as etch-and-rinse, self-etch, pre-etched, and unassisted, while etching techniques are defined as selective or nonselective families encompassing five clinically defined techniques. Incorporating etching technique clarifies the role of smear layer density, the acidity of adhesive materials, and functional monomer reactivity in demineralization and bonding. This structure enhances the understanding and teaching of adhesive concepts and supports evidence-based clinical selection of materials and techniques. Conclusions: Integrating etching technique into adhesive classification provides a functional and dynamic framework that unifies material, strategy, and technique. This taxonomy facilitates clinical decision-making and can evolve with future adhesive formulations. Further independent, long-term studies are warranted to validate the proposed combinations of materials and etching procedures. Full article

Educational drones have become increasingly important in education and research due to their affordability, user-friendly design and control, and potential use as tools in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) learning. For example, CoDrone EDUs are used to teach basic programming principles and drone control to high school or university students. As drones in real-world applications often collaborate to solve problems, controlling multiple educational drones in a team is crucial and beneficial for enhancing students’ problem-solving and design skills. However, these educational drones primarily rely on one-to-one control via a radio-frequency remote controller, and programming libraries for coordinating multi-drone missions are limited, posing challenges for students or developers in controlling them effectively. To address the lack of control in missions with multiple educational drones, we present a drone control station (DCS), featuring a centralized architecture that connects and controls various drones. We first develop scenarios and use cases that utilize multiple drones, specifying the system requirements. We then design conceptual models and architectures for the DCS. Next, we implement the DCS and evaluate whether it achieves the team missions. Experimental results show that the DCS with the centralized architecture is suitable for team missions with multiple educational drones. We expect the approach in our work to serve as a method for controlling multi-drone missions in an educational environment. Full article

The scientific activity and outputs of the neurosciences are fascinating and, for the most part, uncontroversial. However, there have been sustained claims that neuroscientific findings represent a powerful challenge to historic, orthodox Christian teaching concerning human ontology. While philosophers had long debated the “mind/brain” problem, the rise of “eliminative materialism” (in the specific form of “neurophilosophy”) in the last quarter of the 20th century evoked various responses to the proposition that a mature neuroscience would forever banish familiar “folk science” entities like beliefs and desires as well as immaterial souls or minds. These would all be shown to play no role in a thoroughly materialistic, mature, neuroscientific understanding of ourselves. One aspect of the response to such claims within Christian scholarship was a turn to non-reductive physicalism and theological monism prompting a reassessment of biblical teaching concerning human ontology, seeking a position that would be consistent both with neuroscience (or its alleged implications) and Christian teaching. The aim of this paper is to review neuroscientific, philosophical and theological developments in order to establish where theological anthropology currently stands. In part this requires an assessment of contemporary neuroscience (including the subfield of “consciousness studies”) because while the science continues to generate intriguing hypotheses and data, it has fallen some way short of the eliminative materialists’ hopes of forty years ago. Additionally, important methodological criticisms of the science have emerged concerning such issues as reproducibility and participant selection. This may have contributed to the twenty-first century resurgence of interest in the sort of dualism long a key component of theological orthodoxy, as well as highlighting the need for a reassertion of theological values, methods and perspectives. The apparent non-elimination of theology indicates a need to rebalance theological and neuroscientific perspectives in developing our understanding of the person. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is pivotal for establishing dietary habits; however, school-based nutritional education remains focused on information dissemination, with minimal effects on behavior modification. Evidence from neuroscience, education, and food literacy indicates that attention, engagement, sensory experiences, and social contexts are integral to effective learning in nutrition education. This article conceptualizes a framework for adolescent food education beyond knowledge transmission, aiming to cultivate taste competence using the Mediterranean Diet as a pedagogical ecosystem. Methods: This study employed a conceptual methodology, utilizing interdisciplinary literature from food literacy, sensory education, developmental neuroscience, educational theory, and public health nutrition. It synthesizes empirical findings and theoretical models to develop the Teaching Autonomous Sensory Taste in the Mediterranean Diet (TASTE–MED) framework. Results: This study introduces taste competence as a multifaceted educational outcome, encompassing sensory, relational, cultural, and reflective dimensions. The TASTE–MED framework outlines how experiential, multisensory, and socially embedded learning processes can be implemented in schools, facilitated by the Mediterranean Diet, which provides a sensory-rich and culturally significant context. The educational implications are discussed in terms of curriculum design, teacher training, family involvement and digital tools. Conclusions: The TASTE–MED framework redefines food literacy as an embodied and socially situated competence rather than a cognitive construct. This framework provides a theoretical foundation for informing the design, evaluation, and research of future interventions, advocating for the transition from information-based nutrition education to competence-oriented food education during adolescence. Full article

Self-regulated learning (SRL) is a critical competency for learners in increasingly technology-enhanced educational environments, yet little is known about how SRL is fostered within video-based interventions in K-12 settings. While existing reviews and meta-analyses focus on the effectiveness of SRL interventions, this study aims to address current gaps by specifically examining the implementation processes, instructional tools, and the role of video. Addressing this, the present study conducted a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed K-12 intervention studies published since 2010, guided by PRISMA standards and other methodological frameworks in the field of SRL. 30 quantitative or mixed-methods studies focusing on K-12 SRL interventions were selected from Web of Science and ERIC, with the requirement that video served as an instructional component rather than a research tool. These studies were then systematically coded by eight researchers for SRL strategies, instructional methods, video roles, and pedagogical settings. Findings show that most video interventions targeted multiple SRL strategies across different phases of the SRL cycle, offering a comprehensive approach to fostering regulation. However, while cognitive and metacognitive strategies were frequently addressed, motivational and resource-management strategies were seldom included within explicit instruction, which focused primarily on cognitive and metacognitive training. Video played multiple pedagogical roles, including delivering disciplinary content, teaching SRL strategies, or combining both. A thematic analysis identified four pedagogical settings that characterized successful interventions: Teacher-guided, Active, Social, and Knowledge-based (TASK) learning. These settings appear to mitigate common challenges of video-based learning, such as cognitive load and learner passivity. The review contributes a novel synthesis of SRL-video integration and proposes TASK learning as a framework for designing SRL interventions. Full article

Background/Objectives: University faculty in health sciences are an underexplored population despite facing significant emotional, occupational, and organizational demands due to their dual role as educators and health professionals. These demands may increase vulnerability to perceived stress, burnout, and reduced professional quality of life. Although previous research has primarily focused on stress and burnout, evidence integrating occupational balance and personal resources, such as sense of coherence, from an occupational health perspective remains limited. This study aimed to examine perceived stress, professional quality of life, occupational balance, and satisfaction with meaningful occupations among health sciences faculty in Spain, and to analyze their associations with individual, occupational, and organizational factors within an occupation-centered and salutogenic framework. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study following STROBE guidelines was conducted with 253 health sciences faculty members from Spanish universities. Data were collected through an anonymous online questionnaire including validated instruments (PSS-10, OBQ-E, ProQoL, SOC-13) and items on occupational satisfaction and perceived institutional support. Descriptive statistics, t tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation analyses were performed. Results: Participants reported moderate levels of perceived stress and occupational balance, high overall professional quality of life satisfaction, and moderate levels of compassion fatigue. Higher perceived stress scores were observed among women and younger faculty members. Occupational balance, burnout, and satisfaction measures showed significant differences according to age and years of teaching experience. Perceived institutional support differed across organizational domains, academic positions, and types of institution. Conclusions: Health sciences faculty in Spain experience notable psychosocial demands affecting stress, occupational balance, and professional quality of life. Occupational balance and sense of coherence emerged as relevant constructs associated with lower perceived stress and burnout and higher professional satisfaction. By integrating these occupation-centered and salutogenic resources, the study extends existing research beyond traditional stress–burnout models and contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of professional well-being among health sciences faculty. Full article

Traditional hydraulic transmission education is often hindered by the subject’s theoretical complexity and abstract nature. To address these challenges, this study introduces the Immersive Hydraulic Transmission Laboratory (IHTL), a virtual teaching system designed to enhance practical learning and theoretical comprehension. The IHTL comprises three key modules: hydraulic components, disassembly experiments, and hydraulic circuits. The system’s effectiveness was evaluated through a comparative study of 80 mechanical engineering students. Results showed that the experimental group exhibited a 20% higher rate of inquiry and achieved average test scores 20.475 points higher than the control group. Statistical analysis confirms that the IHTL significantly outperforms traditional teaching methods in both stimulating student interest and improving learning outcomes. Full article

Q-method analysis is used to determine participants’ subjective viewpoints on a given subject. A review of the extant literature revealed a paucity of research examining participants’ viewpoints on environmental awareness within Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) using Q-method analysis. The aim of this study is to uncover teachers’ viewpoints on environmental awareness within ESD using Q method analysis. Accordingly, the study employed Q-method analysis as a mixed research methodology. Issues related to ESD are addressed in primary and secondary school curricula in Türkiye, primarily within the scope of science and social studies courses. The participants in the study consist of science, social studies, and primary school teachers working in the Gaziantep province of Türkiye. The data collection instrument, developed through criterion sampling, was a Q-method form created by the researchers based on insights from the relevant literature and field specialists. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using PQ Method 2.35 statistical software. The findings indicate that participants’ viewpoints on environmental awareness within ESD were grouped into two factors and were predominantly positive (93%), showing consistency across gender and teaching field variables. While all 66 participants in Factor 1 demonstrated wholly positive attitude towards ESD, the 5 participants in Factor 2 exhibited partially positive attitudes. Participants expressed the most positive viewpoints regarding the protection of forests, energy resources, and recycling, whereas the least positive viewpoints were related to the ozone layer, climate change, and the economical use of resources. Based on these findings, it is recommended that teachers’ awareness of issues such as the ozone layer, global warming, and the economical use of resources be enhanced. Full article

Background/Objectives: In March 2024, a resident doctor’s strike in South Korea created staffing gaps in teaching-hospital emergency departments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pre- and post-strike changes in job stress, self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and job performance confidence among paramedics who work in hospitals and to compare patterns of change by career stage. Methods: Paramedics who work in hospitals designated as regional and local emergency medical centers completed a structured 41-item questionnaire across four domains on a 5-point Likert scale. Retrospective pre- and post-strike ratings were analyzed using paired t-tests. Subgroup analyses compared senior (≥5 years) and junior (1–2 years) paramedics. Results: Job stress increased after the strike, including additional task instruction (2.8 ± 0.9 to 3.6 ± 1.0), insufficient rest (3.1 ± 0.7 to 3.9 ± 0.9), and multitasking burden (3.3 ± 0.8 to 4.1 ± 0.9). Self-efficacy declined modestly (confronting difficult tasks: 3.9 ± 0.9 to 3.6 ± 0.9). Job satisfaction decreased (reward after work: 3.9 ± 0.7 to 3.5 ± 0.9), while turnover intention increased (2.7 ± 1.0 to 3.9 ± 0.9). Performance confidence showed minimal change (competence: 4.4 ± 0.6 to 4.3 ± 0.8). Subgroup findings were similar in seniors and juniors, with stress increasing and self-efficacy decreasing overall. Conclusions: Resident workforce shortages increased job stress among paramedics working in teaching-hospital emergency departments and heightened negative perceptions of their work. To prepare for similar workforce crises in the future, it is necessary to revise and realign the legal scope of practice to reflect paramedics’ roles and responsibilities in real-world settings while simultaneously establishing the policy and institutional infrastructure needed to support these changes. Full article

To overcome the limitations of the standard Student Psychology-Based Optimization (SPBO) algorithm, such as strategy homogeneity, insufficient elite-guided diversity, and inefficient evolution of low-quality individuals, this paper proposes a Hierarchical Teaching–Learning Enhanced Student Psychology-Based Optimization (HTL-SPBO) algorithm. The proposed method introduces a fitness-based three-layer teaching mechanism to realize differentiated learning behaviors for individuals with different evolutionary states. In addition, a multi-elite mentor pool strategy is employed to generalize elite guidance and alleviate premature convergence, while an elite-neighborhood-guided restart mechanism is designed to improve the evolutionary efficiency of poorly performing individuals. The effectiveness of HTL-SPBO is comprehensively evaluated on the CEC2017 and CEC2022 benchmark test suites under multiple dimensional settings. Experimental results demonstrate that HTL-SPBO achieves superior performance in terms of convergence accuracy, convergence speed, and robustness when compared with several State-of-the-Art optimization algorithms. The convergence behavior shows that the proposed algorithm is capable of rapid early-stage exploration followed by stable and accurate exploitation in later iterations. Furthermore, HTL-SPBO is applied to an optimal scheduling problem for a grid-connected microgrid to verify its practical applicability. The results indicate that HTL-SPBO attains the lowest average operating cost while maintaining small performance variance across multiple independent runs, highlighting its effectiveness and stability in solving complex engineering optimization problems. Overall, the proposed HTL-SPBO provides a robust and efficient optimization framework and exhibits strong potential for application in large-scale and real-world optimization scenarios. Full article

Against the backdrop of the synergistic advancement of Industry 4.0 and the dual-carbon strategy, traditional university mathematics education struggles to meet the demands for cultivating engineering talents’ integrated competencies in mathematics, specialization, and application. The STEM education paradigm urgently needs innovation. Guided by sustainable development principles, this study explores integrated approaches to university mathematics teaching for advanced manufacturing. It constructs a four-stage cyclical framework, Concept–Algorithm–Equipment–Evaluation (CAEE), and integrates Fourier Transform systems into industrial inspection workflows, using silicon carbide wafer thickness measurement as a case study. Targeting second-year students in Measurement and Control Technology and Instrumentation, a comparative design involving an experimental and a control group was employed. Comprehensive evaluation utilized AI-powered dynamic questionnaires, multimodal eye-tracking and EEG data, along with mixed-methods research. Results indicate that the assessment tools achieved high reliability and validity (0.906). The experimental group demonstrated significantly superior performance in deep learning proficiency and subject-specific educational structure (effect size 0.67) compared to the control group, along with modest positive enhancements in cognitive engagement and social interaction dimensions. This pedagogical model transcends conventional ‘knowledge collage’ integration, transforming mathematics from an external auxiliary tool into an ‘endogenous variable’ within industrial systems. It establishes a replicable and scalable STEM education practice paradigm. Full article