Search Results (10,880)

Physical activity (PA) integration in special education has gained recognition as a neuroeducational intervention supporting emotional and social development in students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), yet teacher perceptions remain underexplored. This cross-sectional study examined how Israeli special education teachers perceive physical activity’s benefits and how teaching experience and educational setting influence these perceptions. A structured questionnaire was administered to 45 female special education teachers from northern Israel. The instrument assessed perceptions of physical activity’s emotional benefits, social outcomes, and implementation practices using Likert-type scales. Teachers strongly endorsed PA as a means to foster emotional resilience and coping, with most preferring group-based activities. Mixed activities were the most preferred approach, followed by movement games. Experienced teachers reported significantly stronger perceptions of emotional benefits compared to less experienced colleagues. Secondary teachers demonstrated higher extracurricular promotion and perceived greater social benefits than elementary teachers. Despite positive attitudes, implementation barriers, including infrastructure limitations and training gaps, were evident. These findings highlight physical activity’s potential as a neuroeducational tool for fostering regulation and inclusion while revealing the need for differentiated professional development, infrastructure investment, and policy integration. Full article

This study reports an investigation of the synergistic extraction of dysprosium (Dy(III)) from aqueous media using a low-concentration, binary carrier mixture of Cyanex 272 and D2EHPA within an emulsion liquid membrane (ELM). Within the tested formulations, the one containing 0.42% (w/w) Cyanex 272 and 0.28% (w/w) D2EHPA yielded the best results. The impact of process factors that maximize recovery efficiency and minimize emulsion breakdown was also examined. A Span 80 loading of 0.75% (w/w) achieved 97.5% extraction with minimal breakage (less than 2.1%). An external phase pH of 5.8 achieves an optimal balance of high-throughput Dy(III) recovery and membrane stability; 0.2 N HNO₃ as the stripping phase strikes the optimal balance, providing strong initial uptake with minimal emulsion degradation. As the initial Dy(III) loading increases, extraction efficiency decreases. Increasing the temperature from 15 to 45 °C accelerates mass transfer, achieving near-complete extraction in under 15 min. However, above 45 °C, emulsion breakage spikes, causing a collapse in efficiency. Similarly, increasing NaCl levels suppresses Dy(III) uptake and promotes coalescence. This reduces recovery from seawater to just over 70%. Nevertheless, the balanced mineral content of Zamzam water preserves emulsion integrity and enables 100% extraction. The activation energy was found to be 26.16 kJ/mol, suggesting that mass transfer, rather than the chemical reaction at the interface, controls the process. The results of this study highlight the synergistic efficiency advantage of the ELM system at lower carrier concentrations, even in complex water sources. Full article

Genitourinary (GU) cancers, including prostate, bladder, and renal cancers, represent a significant burden on global health. Conventional treatments, while effective in certain contexts, face limitations due to tumor heterogeneity, therapeutic resistance, and relapse. Recent advances in cancer immunotherapy, particularly in the development of personalized mRNA and DNA-based vaccines, have opened new avenues for precise and durable antitumor responses. These vaccines are being developed to leverage neoantigen identification and next-generation sequencing technologies, with the goal of tailoring immunotherapeutic interventions to individual tumor profiles. mRNA vaccines offer rapid, non-integrative, and scalable, with encouraging results reported in infectious diseases and early-phase cancer trials. DNA vaccines, known for their stability and ease of modification, show promise in generating robust cytotoxic T-cell responses. This review discusses the current landscape, preclinical findings, and ongoing clinical trials of mRNA and DNA-based vaccines in GU cancers, highlighting delivery technologies, combination strategies with immune checkpoint inhibitors, and future challenges, including tumor immune evasion and regulatory hurdles. Integrating immunogenomics and artificial intelligence into vaccine design is poised to further enhance precision in cancer vaccine development. As GU malignancies remain a leading cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality, mRNA and DNA vaccine strategies represent a promising and rapidly evolving area of investigation in oncology. Full article

Magnaporthe oryzae-induced rice blast remains a critical threat to sustainable rice farming, causing extensive losses in many rice-producing regions worldwide. Due to increasing concerns about pesticide overuse and its impact on the environment and human health, alternative control methods are being actively explored. Nanotechnology has recently gained attention as a potential tool for sustainable disease management. This review summarises current progress in the use of nanomaterials—including metal and biopolymer nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, targeted delivery systems, and biosensors—for the detection and control of rice blast. Studies have reported that nanomaterials can reduce disease severity by up to 70% and improve rice yield by 10–20% under field or greenhouse conditions. The mode of action, effectiveness under field conditions, and possible integration into integrated pest management (IPM) programs are discussed. The selection of literature followed the PRISMA-P framework to ensure a systematic and transparent review process. Challenges such as biosafety, environmental risks, and regulatory issues are also addressed, with emphasis on green synthesis methods and the need for field validation before practical application. Full article

(1) Background: As a high-biomass cereal crop, maize provides substantial raw materials for food, animal feed, and processing industries. Plant root systems, vital for nutritional support, are directly vulnerable to diverse stressors that result in developmental abnormalities. Anthocyanins function as essential antioxidants, serving not only as natural pigments, but also playing crucial roles in plant stress resistance. As an essential plant hormone, jasmonic acid (JA) mediates plant stress adaptation and developmental processes, and is frequently employed to stimulate anthocyanin production. (2) Methods: Due to scarce reports on JA functions in maize, we specifically examined JA-triggered developmental regulation and anthocyanin biosynthesis using transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis. (3) Results: Phenotypic analyses revealed that exogenous JA application promoted culm development and intensified pigmentation, while enlarging the areas of stems and primary roots. Combined with phenotypic variations, our integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses of root tissues also indicated that significantly altered metabolites specifically clustered within the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway. Moreover, GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the associated differentially expressed genes confirmed their participation in this synthetic pathway with high confidence. These findings strongly suggest that methyl jasmonate (MeJA) exposure primarily modulates flavonoid biosynthesis, particularly through regulation of F3H and DFR gene expression, thereby enhancing flavonoid/anthocyanin accumulation in roots. Additionally, our correlation analysis of transcription factors revealed that Zm00001d018097 (MYB), Zm00001d029963 (MYB), and Zm00001d000236 (bHLH) likely participate in regulating the expression of structural genes, thereby promoting the upregulation of functional gene expression. (4) Conclusions: These results provide a robust framework for deciphering the MeJA-mediated regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in maize radicles, specifically demonstrating that Zm00001d018097 (MYB), Zm00001d029963 (MYB), and Zm00001d000236 (bHLH) coordinately enhance the expression of F3H and DFR. Full article

Background: Lifestyle behaviours, such as dietary patterns, sleep quality, perceived stress, and physical activity, are closely interconnected and play a critical role in maintaining health and well-being. Among school teachers, a profession marked by high psychosocial demands, the interplay between these factors warrants further exploration. Objective: This pilot study aimed to explore the associations between adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD), sleep quality, perceived stress, and physical activity levels among Portuguese primary and secondary school teachers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between April and December 2023. Participants completed validated self-reported instruments, including the MD Adherence Screener (MEDAS), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and the short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-SF). Correlational analyses and multivariable linear regression models were applied to explore the relationships among the variables. Results: Among the 50 teachers, 32% demonstrated high adherence to the MD, 60% reported good sleep quality, 62% experienced moderate stress, and 44% engaged in high physical activity. Women were more likely to adhere strongly to the MD (p = 0.012). Higher MD adherence was positively associated with physical activity (ρ = 0.343; p = 0.015). A positive correlation was observed between perceived stress and poorer sleep quality (ρ = 0.346, p = 0.014), and a negative correlation between perceived stress and physical activity levels (ρ = −0.297, p = 0.036). Despite reporting good sleep quality, these participants had higher perceived stress scores (p = 0.015). In adjusted models, sleep quality was the only significant predictor of perceived stress (B = 0.708; p = 0.003), and vice versa (B = 0.267; p = 0.003), suggesting a bidirectional relationship. Conclusions: The findings highlight the interrelation between dietary pattern, sleep stress, and physical activity in a professional group vulnerable to lifestyle-related health challenges. Although the sample size limits generalisability, this study provides preliminary evidence supporting the need for integrated health promotion strategies targeting stress reduction and lifestyle optimisation among educators. Full article

Sustainable financial inclusion is an essential factor for economic development, social justice, and environmental sustainability. The primary objective of this bibliometric analysis is to investigate trends in sustainable financial inclusion publications using 1467 Scopus and WoS-indexed documents published between 2007 and 2025. The review visualized major trends, intellectual structures, and thematic clusters using VOSviewer and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. This analysis identified eight thematic clusters, including digital finance, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) integration, green finance, and financial literacy, which demonstrate the multidimensional nature of the field. Since 2017, research on sustainable financial inclusion has grown, led by China, India, and the USA, revealing geographic imbalances and underrepresentation of the Sub-Saharan Africa and Central Asia regions. Major barriers identified were financial illiteracy and uncoordinated regulations among institutions. This review suggests critical insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners should align inclusive finance with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and advocate for a shift from mere financial access to systemic, sustainability-driven models. It calls for collaboration between decision-makers and financial institutions to foster inclusive, fair, sustainable, and environmentally responsible financial ecosystems. Full article

As Higher Education (HE) institutions expand their digital resources, students may be struggling to engage effectively with these tools. Academic help-seeking (AHS) is a useful framework for exploring help-seeking behaviour and could be applied to HE contexts, yet its application has been reported as inconsistent. Given the possible utility of this concept to support the growth in technology, a review of how academic help-seeking theory is applied in digital contexts can help to consolidate current understanding and guide future research. This scoping review examines the intersection of AHS and digital technology use in HE through analysis of peer-reviewed literature (2019–2024). Several gaps emerge: bias towards human-centred support, limited investigation of help-avoidance behaviours, insufficient attention to early help-seeking stages, and few studies examining spontaneous help-seeking in authentic digital learning environments. These findings indicate the need for expanded theoretical frameworks that better reflect modern learning behaviours and environments, alongside more diverse research approaches to understand how students integrate both human and non-human help sources in contemporary HE contexts. Full article

Information on the relationship between facial thermal responses and emotional state is valuable for sensing emotion. Yet, previous research has typically relied on linear methods of analysis based on regions of interest (ROIs), which may overlook nonlinear pixel-wise information across the face. To address this limitation, we investigated the use of machine learning (ML) for pixel-level analysis of facial thermal images to estimate dynamic emotional arousal ratings. We collected facial thermal data from 20 participants who viewed five emotion-eliciting films and assessed their dynamic emotional self-reports. Our ML models, including random forest regression, support vector regression, ResNet-18, and ResNet-34, consistently demonstrated superior estimation performance compared to traditional simple or multiple linear regression models for the ROIs. To interpret the nonlinear relationships between facial temperature changes and arousal, saliency maps and integrated gradients were used for the ResNet-34 model. The results show nonlinear associations of arousal ratings in nose = tip, forehead, and cheek temperature changes. These findings imply that ML-based analysis of facial thermal images can estimate emotional arousal more effectively, pointing to potential applications of non-invasive emotion sensing for mental health, education, and human–computer interaction. Full article

Background: Assistance dogs can support children with autism by improving emotional regulation and social functioning, but access is limited. The Family Dog Service was developed to help families of autistic children gain similar benefits through companion dogs. It offers tailored support for selecting, training, and integrating a dog into the home. This study explored parent perspectives on the service and perceived impacts of companion dogs. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among UK residents who attended Family Dog Service workshops. The survey included demographic data, mental health and wellbeing measures, and questions about human–animal interactions. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively; qualitative responses underwent thematic analysis. Results: Of 118 participants, 101 (85.6%) owned a dog, while 17 (14.4%) were considering acquisition. Most owners reported improvements in their child’s mood (75.2%; n = 76) and reduced anxiety-related behaviours (70.3%, n = 71) following dog acquisition. Nearly half (49.5%, n = 50) rated the child–dog relationship as ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ positive within the first month, increasing to 86.1% (n = 87) by the time of data collection. Families also reported enhanced dynamics and reduced caregiver stress. Despite some challenges, the service was valued for its autism-specific guidance and ongoing support. Conclusions: The Family Dog Service may offer a practical, accessible alternative to assistance dogs, supporting autistic children’s wellbeing and strengthening family relationships through positive interactions between children and their dogs. Full article

Emotional education is essential in teacher training processes, but historically it has been neglected in the training system. The purpose of this study was to design and psychometrically validate the EEITT Scale, an instrument that assesses the perception of knowledge acquired about emotional education in student teachers and practicing teachers. A quantitative, descriptive and comparative approach was used with 548 participants, applying confirmatory factor analysis and invariance analysis to evaluate the model. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fit well and had high reliability scores, which backs up the validity and internal consistency of the EEITT for measuring perceptions about emotional education training. Statistically significant differences were identified between groups, with students reporting greater social-emotional learning in the four factors evaluated. Likewise, a negative and significant effect of age on the perception of emotional education training was observed. These findings highlight the importance of emotional education in teacher training and point to the need for educational policies that integrate holistic and continuous approaches throughout the teaching career. Despite its limitations, this instrument provides relevant tools for future research and for guiding the design and improvement of teacher training practices. Full article

This study assesses energy management practices in the automotive sector of Poland’s Silesian Voivodeship, a highly industrialized region. Using structured interviews with 40 manufacturing firms, it examines the adoption of energy monitoring, submetering, Energy Performance Indicators (EnPIs), audits, and energy efficiency investments. The research addresses the problem of persistent energy waste and the difficulties many firms face in integrating ISO 50001-aligned energy management into daily operations, where declared policies often outpace actual practices. Results show that 92.5% of firms monitor total energy consumption, but only 40% implement submetering, and 45% use EnPIs. Half have conducted energy audits, and 85% report taking energy-saving actions such as lighting upgrades, equipment modernization, and thermal improvements. However, no companies reported measurable energy or cost savings, and few track investment outcomes quantitatively. While energy awareness is widespread, many practices appear to be implemented in a tactical manner, potentially lacking strategic integration or consistent performance tracking. Larger firms are more likely to use audits and EnPIs, while smaller firms face barriers such as limited resources or technical expertise. The findings highlight a need for formalized EMS adoption, standardized energy governance, and greater use of performance-based tools such as EnPIs. By exploring EMS-aligned behavior without referencing management systems directly, the study provides a unique lens on the operational maturity of industrial firms. Full article

Background: Helcococcus kunzii, a facultative anaerobe and Gram-positive coccus, has been documented as a cunning pathogen, mainly in immunocompromised individuals, as evidenced by recent clinical and microbiological reports. It has been associated with a variety of polymicrobial infections, comprising diabetic foot ulcers, prosthetic joint infections, osteomyelitis, endocarditis, and bloodstream infections. Despite its emerging clinical relevance, no licensed vaccine or targeted immunotherapy currently exists for H. kunzii, and its rising resistance to conventional antibiotics presents a growing public health concern. Objectives: In this study, we employed an integrated subtractive proteomics and immunoinformatics pipeline to design a multi-epitope subunit vaccine (MEV) candidate against H. kunzii. Initially, pan-proteome analysis identified non-redundant, essential, non-homologous, and virulent proteins suitable for therapeutic targeting. Methods/Results: From these, two highly conserved and surface-accessible proteins, cell division protein FtsZ and peptidoglycan glycosyltransferase FtsW, were selected as promising vaccine targets. Comprehensive epitope prediction identified nine cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL), five helper T-lymphocyte (HTL), and two linear B-cell (LBL) epitopes, which were rationally assembled into a 397-amino-acid-long chimeric construct. The construct was designed using appropriate linkers and adjuvanted with the cholera toxin B (CTB) subunit (NCBI accession: AND74811.1) to enhance immunogenicity. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations revealed persistent and high-affinity ties amongst the MEV and essential immune receptors, indicating a durable ability to elicit an immune reaction. In silico immune dynamic simulations predicted vigorous B- and T-cell-mediated immune responses. Codon optimization and computer-aided cloning into the E. coli K12 host employing the pET-28a(+) vector suggested high translational efficiency and suitability for bacterial expression. Conclusions: Overall, this computationally designed MEV demonstrates favorable immunological and physicochemical properties, and presents a durable candidate for subsequent in vitro and in vivo validation against H. kunzii-associated infections. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) is now the computational core of smart building automation, acting across the entire cyber–physical stack. This review surveys peer-reviewed work on the integration of AI with indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and energy performance, distinguishing itself by presenting a holistic synthesis of the complete technological evolution from IoT sensors to generative AI. We uniquely frame this progression within a human-centric architecture that integrates digital twins of both the building (DT-B) and its occupants (DT-H), providing a forward-looking perspective on occupant comfort and energy management. We find that deep reinforcement learning (DRL) agents, often developed within physics-calibrated digital twins, reduce annual HVAC demand by 10–35% while maintaining an operative temperature within ±0.5 °C and CO₂ below 800 ppm. These comfort and IAQ targets are consistent with ASHRAE Standard 55 (thermal environmental conditions) and ASHRAE Standard 62.1 (ventilation for acceptable indoor air quality); keeping the operative temperature within ±0.5 °C of the setpoint and indoor CO₂ near or below ~800 ppm reflects commonly adopted control tolerances and per-person outdoor air supply objectives. Regarding energy impacts, simulation studies commonly report higher double-digit reductions, whereas real building deployments typically achieve single- to low-double-digit savings; we therefore report simulation and field results separately. Supervised learners, including gradient boosting and various neural networks, achieve 87–97% accuracy for short-term load, comfort, and fault forecasting. Furthermore, unsupervised models successfully mine large-scale telemetry for anomalies and occupancy patterns, enabling adaptive ventilation that can cut sick building complaints by 40%. Despite these gains, deployment is hindered by fragmented datasets, interoperability issues between legacy BAS and modern IoT devices, and the computer energy and privacy–security costs of large models. The key research priorities include (1) open, high-fidelity IEQ benchmarks; (2) energy-aware, on-device learning architectures; (3) privacy-preserving federated frameworks; (4) hybrid, physics-informed models to win operator trust. Addressing these challenges is pivotal for scaling AI from isolated pilots to trustworthy, human-centric building ecosystems. Full article

Artificial intelligence (AI) applications are everywhere, including within churches and other faith communities. Churches are complex systems, and the incorporation of new people and things over the lifetime of these communities changes them. New technology, in general, and AI tools in specific are no exception. In Christian ministry, innovation is no stranger: witness how quickly churches adopted online worship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that AI is already present in the complex system of churches, care must be taken to assess the opportunities and threats associated with its intentional adoption before doing so. This report advocates for ministry to make use of an approach borrowed from scientific exploration for the evaluation of opportunities and threats and for managing the process of introducing and managing new elements into a complex system: systems engineering (SE) principles and processes. SE methodology enables scientific exploration in environments that are difficult to explore due to danger, cost or technological immaturity by rigorously managing the development, introduction and life cycle of technology that will be used in the complex system of exploration. Such an approach would be promising for increasing the safety of a technology that comes with some inherent danger, easing its integration into church operation, mission, formation and worship and in turn allowing ministry leaders agency in determining the future of their relationship with artificial intelligence. Full article