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Background: The STEM education system has garnered significant interest due to its innovative approach in creating a multidisciplinary and integrated knowledge structure that connects science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and allows students to apply scientific knowledge in a comprehensive and holistic manner. Consequently, evaluating the teaching methods of teachers in accordance with STEM standards is critical. This assessment should take into account various educational objectives, including cognitive, skill-based, and emotional aspects. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the creative teaching practices of mathematics teachers for gifted students according to STEM standards. Method: The study applied the descriptive analytical method and developed a rating scale for evaluating creative teaching practices based on STEM standards, verifying the psychometric properties in several ways. The study sample consisted of 64 teachers of mathematics for gifted students. Results: The results showed that the degree of application of creative teaching practices by the teachers of gifted students according to STEM standards was at the moderate level in three domains: planning, implementation, and assessment. Conclusions: Despite the importance of achieving integration for STEM, the actual teaching practices of teachers of the gifted according to these standards were generally average and did not reach acceptable and ambitious levels.

Black, school-aged youth may experience socioeconomic, psychological, and emotional difficulties that affect their mental health, leading to maladaptive ways of coping, such as cannabis use. Instead of getting treatment and support to help them manage their stressors in positive ways, Black youth often receive punitive school practices, including referrals to the juvenile justice system. Counselors who work with school-aged youth are likely to encounter many Black youth and can thus either be instrumental to their psychological development or inadvertently impede their well-being with over-pathologization and criminalization of their cannabis use. In this article, the author reflects on a particular experience he had working with a Black youth and how it influenced his cultural competency and development as a counselor. The author also discusses the socioeconomic landscape and psychological experience of Black youth and their rationale for cannabis use. The article concludes with implications for professional counselors.

The exponential growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) has boosted connectivity across various sectors, such as Industry 4.0 and smart cities. However, this expansion has also exposed IoT devices to critical vulnerabilities, including spoofing, DoS attacks, and unauthorized access. Traditional security solutions, based on centralized architectures, are neither scalable nor efficient enough to handle the increasing complexity and number of IoT devices, leading to high latencies, increased energy consumption, and inadequate intrusion detection. In this work, we propose a hybrid solution that combines Blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve security and operational efficiency in IoT networks. Blockchain ensures device authentication and data integrity through a lightweight consensus protocol, while AI enables real-time intrusion detection using deep learning models. The simulations demonstrate that the proposed system improves the precision of detecting phishing attacks by up to 95.2%. At the same time, the authentication latency is reduced to 15 ms in networks with 1000 connected devices, 66.6% faster than traditional solutions. In addition, the energy consumption of the hybrid system is 31.8% lower than that of conventional approaches, validating its scalability and efficiency in large-scale IoT networks.

Abstract Background Geographical factors can affect infectious disease transmission, including SARS-CoV-2, a virus that is spread through respiratory secretions. Prioritization of surveillance and response activities during a pandemic can be informed by a pathogen’s geographical transmission patterns. We assessed the relationship between geographical factors and SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in Zambia. Methods We did a cross-sectional study of SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in six districts in July 2020, which was during the upslope of the first wave in Zambia. In each district, 16 Standard Enumeration Areas (SEAs) were randomly selected and 20 households from each SEA were sampled. The SEA PCR prevalence was calculated as the number of persons testing PCR positive for SARS-CoV-2 in the SEA times the individual sampling weight for the SEA divided by the SEA population. We analysed SEA geographical data for population density, socioeconomic status (SES) (with lower scores indicating reduced vulnerability), literacy, access to water, and sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) factors. Gaussian conditional autoregressive (CAR) models and Generalised estimating equations (GEE) were used to measure adjusted prevalence Ratios (aPRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for SARS-CoV-2 prevalence with geographical factors, after adjusting for clustering by district, in R. Results Overall, the median SARS-CoV-2 prevalence in the 96 SEAs was 41.7 (Interquartile range (IQR), 0.0-96.2) infections per 1000 persons. In the multivariable CAR analysis, increasing SES vulnerability was associated with lower SARS-CoV-2 prevalence (aPR) = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.78–0.94). Conversely, urban SEAs and poor access to WASH were associated with a higher SARS-CoV-2 prevalence (aPR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.46–2.03, No soap: aPR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.05–2.05, households without piped water: aPR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.05–1.65, 30 min to fetch water: aPR = 23.39, 95% CI: 8.89–61.52). Findings were similar in the multivariable GEE analysis. Conclusions SARS-CoV-2 prevalence was higher in wealthier, urban EAs, with poor access to WASH. As this study was conducted early in the first wave could have impacted our findings. Additional analyses from subsequent waves could confirm if these findings persist. During the beginning of a COVID-19 wave in Zambia, surveillance and response activities should be focused on urban population centres and improving access to WASH.

The aim of this research was to determinate the relationship between formative research and the achievement of skills based on undergraduate theses in university higher education, considering three dimensions: student perception in the investigative endeavor, the role of the instructor and the institutional support in the process of building research skills. The methodology corresponds to a quantitative approach, and a survey technique was applied. A 21-item questionnaire card was designed, with a Likert scale that ranged from 1 to 5 for the formative research variable, and 30-item card with a Likert scale from 0 to 4 for the attainment of skills based on the thesis review. The instrument was validated by expert opinion, reaching an average of 85%. The reliability of the questionnaires was 0.92 and 0.95, respectively, according to the Cronbach's alpha method. The population consisted of 1448 theses published in the institutional repository from 2016 to 2020, and the sample was made up of 110 theses from 11 colleges, with a 95% level of confidence. The results indicate that the perception of the achievement of research skills, instructor support during the research process and institutional support are "positive"; likewise, review of the theses reached a "successful" level. It is concluded that there is a direct relationship between formative research and the achievement of competences.

This study investigated the relationship between job satisfaction, emotional intelligence, and organizational commitment to job performance among teachers in the Aparri East District. Involving 145 teachers across five secondary schools, the study used a descriptive correlational research method. Results showed high levels of emotional intelligence among teachers, despite room for improvement in stress management. Teachers reported high job satisfaction but were dissatisfied with the promotion speed. The workload and paperwork were stressful, and concerns were raised about policy fairness, despite satisfaction with salaries and benefits. Several factors influenced teachers' emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, including educational attainment, nature of appointment, plantilla position, monthly income, type of school, and school assignment. A complex relationship was found between emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and job performance. Emotional intelligence negatively correlated with job satisfaction but positively with job performance. Job satisfaction and organizational commitment negatively correlated, without significant correlation to job performance. The study proposes recommendations to improve job satisfaction and performance, including promoting gender diversity,supporting early-career teachers, fostering an inclusive curriculum, encouraging continuous professional development, reducing workload and administrative burdens, enhancing supervisor fairness, improving promotion prospects and recognition, optimizing working conditions, fostering positive co-worker relationships, and further research. Implementation of these recommendations can enhance job satisfaction, improve performance, and lead to better student outcomes.

This study explores the influence of kindergarten care on the social and cognitive development of Saudi Arabian and international students in early childhood education in Saudi Arabia. A mixed-methods approach assessed the development of 302 children, aged between 5 years and 11 months to 7 years, and their mothers in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province. The study utilized the Cognitive Abilities Tests (CogAt) and the Social Skills Scale (SSS), considering variables like gender, kindergarten type, family income, and maternal education. Results indicate a significant correlation between children's social and cognitive development, with cognitive abilities potentially predicting social skills. Mothers' responses suggest that while kindergarten plays a crucial role in children's development, it remains insufficient for optimal social and cognitive growth. This study highlights the growing focus on kindergartens in Saudi Arabia for their potential to boost cognitive development and academic success.

We investigated the understanding of the role of instructional visual aids in shaping the learning experiences of both national and international children among early childhood education teachers. To achieve this objective, a meticulously crafted questionnaire incorporating visual elements such as pictures and drawings was administered to a randomly selected sample of 220 participants. The instrument underwent rigorous validation procedures to ensure its reliability. The finding of the study highlights a prevalent misinterpretation among early childhood education teachers concerning the nuanced functions of visual aids in children's learning. Many educators mistakenly perceive visual aids merely as conduits of knowledge, overlooking their broader potential as instruments for nurturing children's knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Results show that although no statistically significant differences were observed in participants' responses based on their academic qualifications, a noteworthy disparity emerged in relation to training experience. Teachers lacking specific training on the role of visual aids demonstrated a more nuanced understanding, implying that formal training may impede rather than enhance the recognition of the potential of visual aids in children's learning. These findings underscore the necessity for targeted professional development initiatives aimed at fostering a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted contributions of instructional visual aids in educational settings.

Digital learning tools have become increasingly popular worldwide as they enhance the teaching and learning process. It has the potential to improve the educational experience and awareness of children both within the host country and internationally. Additionally, it can contribute to personal growth, promote fair competition, increase productivity, and foster a lifelong love of learning. The main aim of this study was to examine how digital education can enhance the learning of young children from both the host country and international backgrounds. The study sample consisted of 53 female childhood education teachers, including 23 national and 30 international teachers from the Emirate of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The participants were selected using the available sampling method. To achieve the study's goal, a carefully crafted, semi-structured interview was created, considering its validity and reliability. The study revealed numerous consequences linked to learning through digital tools, which enhance the quality of education for both local and international children in the host country. The results highlighted the importance of cognitive learning through digital platforms as well as the development of emotional aspects. The results of this study showed that students achieved a wide range of learning outcomes in areas such as language, mathematics, science, and social skills. In addition, the findings provide significant evidence of the impact of digital learning tools on enhancing the motivation of host country nationals and international students to learn and improving their perception of independent reading. Moreover, positive attitudes toward learning environments emerged as a side effect. In conclusion, the study presents a set of relevant recommendations.

To evaluate the expression profile of circulating miRNAs in patients with schizophrenia (hsa-miR-34a, miR-449a, miR-564, miR-432, miR-548d, miR-572, and miR-652) in relation to individual negative controls for the disease. This was an analytical, case-controlled, cross-sectional study, using samples previously collected from patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (N = 650) and a control group (N = 924). Samples were analyzed after RNA extraction and quantification. After making a general comparison between the case and control groups, regardless of gender and other variables, all seven miRNAs showed statistically significant differences (p-value < 0.05). This also occurred in the variables gender, smoking, and alcoholism. Thus, the results indicated that depending on the clinical characteristics in the face of suspected schizophrenia, the miRNAs explored here seem to work as possible biomarkers, as they demonstrated, at various times, important differences between the studied groups.

Background: Needs-based care is a central concern of healthcare policy. A European comparison of the utilisation of medical services can help to assess national data and identify the need for action. Methods: This article describes indicators on the utilisation of outpatient and inpatient services, medical examinations and the use of medicines from the third wave of the European Health Interview Survey (EHIS 3) and compares the results from Germany with the European averages. Results: Age-standardised, the utilisation of medical services in Germany was above the European average without exception, whereby demographic and social differences were similar. Almost all services were utilised more frequently by women and in older age groups. Exceptions are inpatient services and colonoscopy, where there was no difference between the sexes, and more frequent use of psychiatric and psychotherapeutic services and non-prescription medication among younger adults. Specialist medical and dental services were used more frequently in the high education group, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic services as well as inpatient services and prescription medication in the low education group. Conclusions: The European comparison requires a differentiated categorisation of the findings. While the high utilisation in Germany for some evidence-based services (e.g. colonoscopy, dentistry) indicates good access to care, the high inpatient utilisation, for example, is also the subject of critical discussion.

This study examines the impact of mobile learning applications on the academic achievement of gifted students and their attitudes toward mobile learning. A quasi-experimental research design was employed. The study population consisted of all gifted eleventh-grade students in the Al-Ahsa region during the first semester of the 2023-2024 academic year. The study sample included 81 gifted male and female students. The experimental group received instruction based on a mobile learning strategy, while the control group participated in traditional classroom settings. Two instruments were developed to evaluate different aspects. The first tool aimed to examine the impact of mobile learning applications on student achievement and was designed based on the course content, while the second tool was a questionnaire to measure participants' attitudes towards mobile learning. The results revealed statistically significant differences between the average academic achievement of gifted students in the experimental group, who learned using mobile learning, and the average achievement of gifted students in the control group, who learned in the usual way. The difference was in favor of the experimental group. Additionally, there were statistically significant differences between the average level of attitudes toward mobile learning (including dimensions such as satisfaction, impact on learning, motivation, and ease of use) among gifted students in the experimental group and the average level of attitudes toward mobile learning among students in the control group. The difference was also in favor of the experimental group. These findings suggest that the integration of mobile learning applications can have a positive impact on the academic achievement of gifted students and their attitudes towards this learning approach. The study highlights the potential of mobile learning technologies to enhance the educational experiences and outcomes of gifted learners.