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This paper aims to assess the impact of the reciprocal teaching strategy on the academic performance of student-teachers enrolled in the Higher Professional Diploma (HDE) program at Ajman University, United Arab Emirates. The study adopts a quasi-experimental design, employing pre- and post-tests and a control-experimental group configuration. The sample comprises 80 student-teachers selected from Ajman University during the second semester of the academic year 2022-2023. An academic achievement test in a multiple-choice format serves as the research instrument. The study's outcomes reveal noteworthy differences, indicating significant mean variations in the post-test scores between the experimental and control groups, favoring the control group in the context of the Reciprocal Teaching strategy. These results hold implications for international students, prompting considerations about the transferability and generalizability of teaching strategies across diverse cultural and educational settings. The findings suggest the broad effectiveness of the reciprocal teaching method, emphasizing the necessity of aligning teaching strategies with international students' specific needs and preferences. The research underscores the importance of tailoring teaching approaches to meet the unique requirements of a diverse cohort of global learners. It suggests that reciprocal teaching demonstrates efficacy across varied groups of international students, emphasizing the importance for instructors to select instructional methods that cater to the distinct needs of their diverse international student body.

The present work explores the potential role of smartphone addiction in mediating the correlation between self-efficacy and Psychological Escapism among university students. The paper's stratified convenience sample comprised 195 students from the World Islamic Sciences and Education University. Validated scales measuring self-efficacy, psychological escapism, and smartphone addiction were utilized for data collection. The findings indicate that smartphone addiction, self-efficacy, and psychological escapism were all found at moderate levels. Moreover, the presence of smartphone addiction as a mediating variable resulted in a significant increase in the proportion of explained variance in the level of psychological escapism attributed to self-efficacy (31%), compared to the absence of this mediating variable (22%). Additionally, while gender and academic year have significant effects on psychological escapism, the demographic elements investigated did not demonstrate any significance with self-efficacy or smartphone addiction among college students. Accordingly, this research points out the importance of developing curative and preventive counseling programs aimed at reducing smartphone addiction and mitigating the level of psychological escapism by enhancing self-efficacy among college students.

Abstract Background There is little evidence on techniques for management of peri-prosthetic infection (PJI) in the context of severe proximal femoral bone loss. Custom-made articulating spacers (CUMARS) utilising cemented femoral stems as spacers was described providing better bone support and longer survival compared to conventional articulating spacers. We retrospectively report our experience managing PJI by adaptation of this technique using long cemented femoral stems where bone loss precludes use of standard stems. Methods Patients undergoing 1st stage revision for infected primary and revision THA using a cemented long stem (> 205 mm) and standard all-polyethylene acetabulum between 2011 and 2018 were identified. After excluding other causes of revision (fractures or aseptic loosening), Twenty-one patients remained out of total 721 revisions. Medical records were assessed for demographics, initial microbiological and operative treatment, complications, eradication of infection and subsequent operations. 2nd stage revision was undertaken in the presence of pain or subsidence. Results Twenty-one patients underwent 1st stage revision with a cemented long femoral stem. Mean follow up was 3.9 years (range 1.7–7.2). Infection was eradicated in 15 (71.4%) patients. Two patients (9.5%) required repeat 1st stage and subsequently cleared their infection. Three patients (14.3%) had chronic infection and are on long term suppressive antibiotics. One patient (4.8%) was lost to follow up before 2 years. Complications occurred in seven patients (33%) during or after 1st stage revision. Where infection was cleared, 2nd stage revision was undertaken in 12 patients (76.5%) at average of 9 months post 1st stage. Five (23.8%) CUMARS constructs remained in-situ at an average of 3.8 years post-op (range 2.6–5.1). Conclusions Our technique can be used in the most taxing of reconstructive scenarios allowing mobility, local antibiotic delivery, maintenance of leg length and preserves bone and soft tissue, factors not afforded by alternative spacer options.

The present study was carried-out at Antoniadis Botanical Garden Research Branch, Horticultural Research Institute, A.R.C. Alexandria, Egypt during the two successive seasons of 2018 and 2019. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of irrigation water contaminated with cadmium on Salvia splendens plants grown in a sandy soil, for possibilities of using malic acid spray treatments to overcome the effects of lead pollution. Seedlings of Salvia splendens were individually planted in plastic pots (20 cm diameter) filled with 5 kg of sandy soil. Four concentrations of cadmium 0,100, 200 and 300 mg/l were applied in the irrigation water. The plants were sprayed with malic acid at concentrations of 0, 250 and 500 mg/l at monthly internals in both seasons. The results showed that for vegetative and flowering growth parameters, there was no significant interaction between cadmium concentrations and foliar spray by malic acid, while significant reduction were observed in all parameters after irrigation with contaminated water with cadmium and significant increase in vegetative and flowering growth parameters were observed after 250 mg/l malic acid application. For chlorophyll and carbohydrate content the significantly highest value was obtained from plants irrigated with tap water and sprayed with 500 mg/l malic acid while the significantly highest cadmium content in leaves, stem and roots was obtained due to the treatment of 300 mg/l without application of malic acid.

Abstract The haemostatic efficacy of different extract types of Satureja thymbra L., Thymbra spicata L. (Lamiaceae) and Verbascum fruticulosum Post. (Scrophulariaceae) was evaluated in this study via the Prothrombin time (PT) and Activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) analysis. Aqueous, methanol and ethanol extracts of the examined plant species leaves were prepared to a final concentration 50 mg/mL. In vitro PT and aPTT assays were conducted on normal platelet poor plasma blood samples by a digital coagulation analyzer. The obtained results revealed anticoagulation activity of all investigated plant species with observed variations among them. The aqueous and ethanol extracts of T. spicata as well as the aqueous extract of S. thymbra prolonged PT values significantly (p < 0.05). While, all V. fruticulosum extract types have had no significant effect on the PT values. The recorded aPTT data showed that all aqueous extracts have had a significant effect on the blood haemostasis as they increased aPTT values in all plant species under study. Out of which, both the ethanol and methanol extracts of T. spicata and methanol extract of S. thymbra showed similar effect. Of great concern, it was clearly noticed that the aqueous and ethanol extract of T. spicata and the aqueous extract of S. thymbra possess the strongest anticoagulation effect as they increased both PT and aPTT values significantly relative to the control (p < 0.05). The variable anticoagulation bioactivity among the studied plant species could be referred to the various solvents degrees of solubility of different phyto-constituents. Thus, the efficacy of the plant species extracts evaluation as anticoagulants or coagulants were related to the plant species and to the solvent of extraction.

Abstract The molecular structure of the 2-(4-oxo-3-phenylthiazolidin-2-ylidene) malononitrile (3) is calculated using DFT B3LYP/6-311G(d, p) method. The calculated geometric parameters are in good agreement with the experimental data. The NBO calculations were performed to predict the natural atomic charges at the different atomic sites and study the different intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) interactions occurring in the studied system. The BD(2)C17–C19 → BD*(2)C14–C15, LP(2)O2 → BD*(1)N5–C9 and LP(1)N5 → BD*(2)C10–C11 ICT interactions causing stabilization of the system by 23.30, 30.63 and 52.48 kcal/mol, respectively. The two intense electronic transition bands observed experimentally at 249 nm and 296 nm are predicted using the TD-DFT calculations at 237.9 nm (f = 0.1618) and 276.4 nm (f = 0.3408), respectively. These electronic transitions are due to H-3 → L (94%) and H → L (95%) excitations, respectively.

Surface-bound molecular motors can drive the collective motion of cytoskeletal filaments in the form of nematic bands and polar flocks in reconstituted gliding assays. Although these swarming transitions are an emergent property of active filament collisions, they can be controlled and guided by tuning the surface chemistry or topography of the substrate. To date, the impact of surface topography on collective motion in active nematics is only partially understood, with most experimental studies focusing on the escape of a single filament from etched channels. Since the late 1990s, significant progress has been made to utilize the nonequilibrium properties of active filaments and create a range of functional nanodevices relevant to biosensing and parallel computation; however, the complexity of these swarming transitions presents a challenge when attempting to increase filament surface concentrations. In this work, we etch shallow, linear trenches into glass substrates to induce the formation of swarming nematic bands and investigate the mechanisms by which surface topography regulates the two-dimensional (2D) collective motion of driven filamentous actin (F-actin). We demonstrate that nematic swarms only appear at intermediate trench spacings and vanish if the trenches are made too narrow, wide, or tortuous. To rationalize these results, we simulate the F-actin as self-propelled, semiflexible chains subject to a soft, spatially modulated potential that encodes the energetic cost of bending a filament along the edge of a trench. In our model, we hypothesize that an individual filament experiences a penalty when its projected end-to-end distance is smaller than the trench spacing (bending and turning). However, chains that span the channel width glide above the trenches in a force- and torque-free manner (crowd-surfing). Our simulations demonstrate that collections of filaments form nematic bands only at intermediate trench spacings, consistent with our experimental findings.

Introduction The implementation of Intensive Home Treatment (IHT) aims to decrease the pressure on acute inpatient services that could lead to prevent hospitalization and reduce the number of hospitalization days and, ultimately, reduce cost in the mental health services. Although there are studies assessing the effectiveness of IHT, there is a shortage of research studying the cost-effectiveness. Objectives The aim of this study is to present an cost-utility analysis of IHT compared to care as usual (CAU) Methods Patients between 18 and 65 years of age whose mental health professionals considered hospitalization were included. These patients were pre-randomized in either IHT or CAU and followed up for 12-months. For this study, the base case analysis was performed from the societal and healthcare perspective. For the cost-utility analyses the Euroqol 5D was used to calculate quality adjusted life years (QALYs) as a generic measure of health gains. Results Data of 198 patients were used. From a sociatal perspective, the cost-utility analysis resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs) of €58 730, and a 37% likelihood that IHT leads to higher QALYs at lower costs. The probability of IHT being cost-effective was >50% if there was no willingness to pay more for extra QALY than in the current situation under CAU. Conclusions Professionals working in crisis care are able to offer IHT with the same effect as other crisis care interventions at lower costs. IHT seem to be cost-effective compared with CAU over 52 weeks follow-up for patients who experience psychiatric crises. Disclosure No significant relationships.

This study aims to study the estimation of production cost functions as it reflects the relationship between total costs and actual production. The main economic indicators that reflect the extent to which the agricultural production units achieved economic efficiency in their use of the productive resources involved in the production process as well as the extent to which they are achieved These units of maximizing the profits of the agricultural product, as well as the study of production costs and the associated indicators are important both on the productivity unit or at the national level, which can be used in the design and analysis of price policies and help the user Farmers in their productive decision-making, which would encourage producers to continue production or stop production. As well as to determine the volume of production that maximizes profits and thus achieve economic efficiency of the use of productive elements.

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 ascertain whether lecturers had the pedagogical competency skill needed in impacting students with necessary skills they need outside school, this study developed a scale to measure Lecturers' Pedagogical Competence (LPCS) in universities using item response theory. The pedagogical competence of university lecturers was assessed using a set of items designed and evaluated the scale's construct validity. The initial scale consisted of a 70-item four options Likert-type. The multi-stage sampling procedure was employed. Proportional sampling was used to choose four universities in South Western Nigeria. At each of the institutions selected, 20% of the staff population was selected from all faculties using stratified random sampling with a cadre as a stratum. Thus, 906 lecturers from federal universities and 294 were selected from federal state universities, respectively. In all, 1,086 of the 1200 lecturers selected completed the study's instrument. The results showed that four of the six optimal factors underlying lecturers' pedagogical competence were reliable. Eventually, 20 can measure LPC. Furthermore, the LPCS showed validity by optimally measuring the theoretical construct underlying the scale. Evaluation of learning outcome; managing student behavior during lecture; using ICT to Enhance learning; and lecturers' student interaction remains the most important factors in LPCS.