Educational Content Research Articles

Assessing and bridging the gap in vaccinology education: insights from Romanian medical universities

BackgroundVaccinology education forms a cornerstone of effective public health strategies, particularly in the face of global challenges such as vaccine hesitancy. This study investigates the current state of vaccinology education within Romanian medical universities, compares it against European standards, and identifies potential gaps in the curriculum.MethodsWe created a survey that aimed to determine the prevalence of vaccinology concepts within current curricula and to perform a gap analysis against the desired competency levels recommended by the European Society of Vaccinology.The survey was distributed to faculty heads and independently to students across 14 medical universities in Romania. The survey focused on nine key areas of vaccinology.ResultsOf the fourteen Romanian medical faculties in which we distributed the questionnaire, seven gave at least one reply and three meeting the inclusion criteria based on response rates. The study revealed that while certain areas of vaccinology, such as the historical context of immunization and key aspects of immunology, were well covered, practical aspects of vaccine administration were less emphasized. The survey also revealed a disparity between faculty and student perceptions of the importance of a specialized vaccinology curriculum.ConclusionsThe findings underscore a significant convergence between the current curriculum and desired educational standards yet highlight the need for curricular revisions to address less-covered areas. We advocate for the integration of specialized vaccinology courses at advanced stages of medical education. Aligning educational content with the needs perceived by students and faculty can help optimize the curriculum to better prepare medical professionals for public health challenges.

The adoption of a superhero bacteria: Escherichia coli and its adventures in microbiology education.

Here, we present a case study of undergraduate biomedical students engaging in the Adopt a Bacterium active methodology. The study was designed and authored by students, associating heroes and antiheroes with Escherichia coli to highlight its dual role in human health. By integrating elements of geek culture, we developed multimedia educational content, including social media posts, interactive chalkboard presentation, gamified seminar, and a comic book. This creative approach enabled a deeper understanding of microbiological concepts, improving communication skills, and stimulating engagement beyond the classroom. Our experience highlights the potential of integrating storytelling and visual media into science education to enhance motivation, autonomy, practical/theoretical skills, alongside teamwork and science-based communication. Furthermore, we recognized that scientific dissemination involves making science accessible, empowering us to learn and share knowledge with future generations, thereby fostering a ripple effect in scientific literacy. By transforming abstract microbiological concepts into accessible and relatable narratives, the Adopt a Bacterium demonstrates the power of active methodologies in education and public engagement.

The Labeling Power of Critical Race Theory: Evidence from a National Survey Experiment

Discussions about educational content on race and racism have captured widespread public and political attention, with much of this debate falling under the umbrella of critical race theory (CRT). Despite this attention, we currently do not know whether it is the content in these lessons or the CRT label that is influencing opinion on this issue. Are critics of CRT reacting to the content that CRT encapsulates? Or does the phrase “CRT” trigger partisan beliefs that are unrelated or only weakly tied to the central claims CRT advances? We use original data from two experiments in national surveys (N = 1,983) to answer these questions. In the first experiment, respondents were randomly assigned to one of three vignette conditions that described a local high school board’s decision to ban a lesson by either (1) describing the content of the lesson, (2) labeling the lesson as CRT, or (3) both describing and labeling the lesson. In the second experiment, a subset of respondents was assigned to conditions where the school board approved the lesson rather than banning it. Results indicate that labeling a lesson as CRT leads to opposition—either agreeing with its ban or disagreeing with its approval—regardless of whether a description of the lesson is included. Subgroup analyses are suggestive of the idea that although baseline levels of support varied, this label impacts individuals across a wide array of sociodemographic and political groups.

The Goals of Legal Education: A U.S. Practitioner’s Perspective

The techniques and content of legal education have not changed much over the years, but the law itself has changed a great deal. There is a clear need for law faculties to rethink their approach to teaching, including students who intend to embark on careers as legal practitioners, and others whose legal studies will take them in other directions. The core of legal training should, in the author’s view, be advocacy: the ability to present a case on behalf of another to a neutral reader or listener in a way intended to inform or to persuade. Obviously, legal education requires mastery of material, but far more emphasis needs to be placed upon how that material came into being, how it relates to other cultural phenomena, and how it can be used going forward. It is, moreover, essential for law teachers to be aware of the demands of globalization: they must expand their horizons to include developments occurring outside their own countries and legal regimes. This article suggests several devices that might serve to broaden law faculty curricula, and to promote the elusive goal of “learning to think like a lawyer” in the contemporary world: a set of skills that should be valuable to all students as they embark on their careers

Unprecedented contribution of Brazilian Health System users in adapting the Brazilian National Therapeutic Formulary

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the development of therapeutic formularies as an important reference source for healthcare professionals. These formularies are essential for supporting clinical practice by providing scientific and technical information on available medications, including their indications, dosages, adverse effects, and usage guidelines. However, the content is generally complex and technical, making it less accessible and understandable for patients and healthcare system users, who have different levels of health literacy and are not always familiar with medical terminology. For this reason, the National Therapeutic Formulary (FTN), an instrument of Brazil's Ministry of Health, will now have a version aimed at users of the Unified Health System (SUS). This study describes an innovative process in which lay patients actively participated in adapting the FTN content to make it more accessible and understandable. User intervention, conducted with around 600 patients, resulted in a revised and adapted version that included 444 new drug monographs. Patient contributions led to 2,050 modifications in the original content, categorized into four main types of changes: (i) adjustments in language, abbreviations, and acronyms (18%), (ii) addition and updating of specific information (37%), (iii) translation of technical knowledge into simpler terms (24%), and (iv) incorporation of additional strategies to facilitate learning (21%). This study highlights a collaborative approach between professionals and patients to improve access to health information, an area still scarcely explored in the literature. The research emphasizes the importance of adapting educational content about medications from the users' perspective, ensuring that these materials are more relevant and effective.

Attitudes to and Attendance at Cardiac Rehabilitation After Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection.

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is standard care for patients after a heart event, including acute myocardial infarction. However, the uptake and relevance of traditional CR after acute myocardial infarction due to spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) has not been extensively investigated. The present study investigated attitudes toward CR, identified the rate and correlates of CR attendance, and examined the reasons for CR non-attendance after SCAD. Online focus groups (n=30) explored attitudes toward and experiences of CR of survivors of SCAD, with data analyzed thematically according to recommended guidelines. An online survey (n=310) then investigated rates of CR attendance and reasons for non-attendance. Correlates of CR attendance were identified using bivariate and multivariable analyses. Thematic analysis revealed 5 themes in the perceptions of CR of survivors of SCAD: (1) lack of relevance of CR educational content; (2) lack of identification with typical CR attendees; (3) lack of CR health professional knowledge and skills; (4) preference for SCAD-specific CR; and (5) benefits of CR. The survey demonstrated a CR attendance rate of 63% (73% among those referred). The correlates of CR attendance were mid-level education and self-reported lifetime anxiety. Among attendees, the correlates of attending fewer sessions were having a more recent SCAD, not having lifetime anxiety, and not knowing other survivors of SCAD. Reported reasons for non-attendance mirrored qualitative themes identified. While the survey demonstrated high CR attendance, perceptions that CR was unnecessary and irrelevant after SCAD were evident, often based on health professional advice. The findings add to the growing literature highlighting a need for appropriate support for survivors of SCAD.

Digital Health Intervention for Patient Monitoring in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases: Cocreation and Feasibility Study of the IMIDoc Platform.

Immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis, pose challenges due to recurrent flares and gaps in patient monitoring. Traditional health care models often fail to capture disease progression effectively. This study aimed to describes the structured cocreation of the IMIDoc platform, an interdisciplinary initiative aimed at improving patient monitoring, education, and health care provider decision-making. IMIDoc was cocreated through an interdisciplinary team involving clinical experts, biomedical engineers, and technical developers, using user-centered design principles. The development process included the identification of unmet clinical needs, user-centered app design, implementation of medication management features, patient data recording capabilities, and educational content. A 3-month feasibility and functionality testing was performed to evaluate the usability and technical performance of the apption. During the feasibility testing, 111 entries were logged for the patient mobile app, comprising 76 errors identified and corrected, 16 improvements addressing functionality, usability, and performance, and 10 evolutionary suggestions. The professional interface received 45 entries, identifying 40 errors and 5 evolutionary suggestions. Ten iterative updates significantly enhanced the user interface intuitiveness and medication reminder functionality, aligning the solution closely with clinical workflows and user needs. The IMIDoc platform, developed by a multidisciplinary cocreation methodology, shows potential to improve the management of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases ithrough enhanced communication and monitoring. A multicenter clinical study with 360 patients across 5 Spanish hospitals will further evaluate its impact.

Key contents of health education and their impact on improving medication adherence among hypertensive patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Hypertension is a global health issue with significant effects on morbidity and mortality, and medication adherence is crucial for effective management. Despite its importance, adherence remains low among hypertensive patients. Health education has been shown to improve medication adherence, though its effectiveness varies across studies. The aim of this study was to systematically synthesize evidence on the impact of health education in enhancing medication adherence among hypertensive patients. This study followed preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and employed the population, intervention, control, and outcome (PICO) approach to develop keywords for a search across five databases: Emerald, ProQuest, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus. All randomized control trials published between 2019 and 2024 in English, evaluating health education's impact on medication adherence in hypertensive patients aged ≥18 years were included. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42024532890), and study quality was assessed using the CEBMa scale. Twelve high-quality articles (CEBMa score of ≥7) involving 1,827 participants were included, identifying four key themes in health education for hypertension: an overview of hypertension and complications, medication and side-effect management, healthy lifestyle modification, and medication adherence strategies. Health education significantly improved medication adherence by 33% (risk ratio (RR): 1.33; 95%CI: 1.08–1.64; p=0.008), with a medium-large effect on improving medication adherence (d=0.70; 95%CI: 0.34–1.05; p<0.0001) and a small-medium effect on reducing non-adherence (d=-0.45; 95%CI: -0.66–(-0.24); p<0.0001). Health education delivered 1 to 3 months and with individualized approaches showed better adherence outcomes compared to more than three months and group-based methods. Face-to-face education was more effective than the digital method. In conclusion, health education improves medication adherence in hypertensive patients when delivered comprehensively over 1–3 months through individualized face-to-face sessions. These findings support its integration as a key strategy in hypertension management to enhance adherence.

The relationship between peer relationship and social anxiety-the intermediary role of rumination

Social anxiety is a major content of psychological health education in senior high school. Handling social anxiety problems of high school students is of great importance for them to complete their studies and grow up healthily. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate the factors that cause social anxiety for psychological intervention of high school students. This study explores the relationship between peer relationships, rumination level, and social anxiety in two high schools by collecting questionnaires from 200 experimental subjects. Through statistical analysis, the following conclusions were drawn: First, high school students’ peer relationships, parent-child relationships, and teacher-student relationships are significantly positively correlated with negative rumination. Second, these relationships predict social anxiety, with peer relationships being the strongest predictor, followed by parent-child relationships, and teacher-student relationships being the weakest. Additionally, positive and negative rumination in high school students are significantly associated with gender and grade level. Furthermore, various peer relationships (same-sex, opposite-sex) and teacher-student relationships are significantly related to negative rumination and social anxiety. Finally, we found that negative rumination plays a mediating role in the relationships between peer relationships, teacher-student relationships, same-sex peer relationships, and opposite-sex peer relationships and social anxiety. So, the conclusion is that peer relationships are related to social anxiety and negative rumination in high school students, and negative rumination is a mediating variable between peer relationships and social anxiety.

Volunteering as a convergent tool in the supra-professional competencies development in vocational education: expert opinion

Importance. Today volunteering is not just a tendency, but rather a trend in the development of modern society. It’s becoming a life standard for active young people. The society itself begins to act as a social change source. In our country a solid foundation of volunteering is being laid at all levels of education, spreading its influence on other society spheres. Association Dobro.RF together with its partners has been implementing the “Volunteering over a lifetime” concept for many years. A large team is working on it, including the state represented by Rospatriotcenter, Federal Agency for Youth Affairs of Russia “Rosmolodezh”, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Ministry of Economic Development, Agency for Strategic Initiatives, other agencies and major public organizations of the country, and Russian citizens themselves. The implementation of legislative acts and strategic documents aimed at the educational activities development in educational organizations of higher education (hereinafter – EOHE), as well as the growing demand for the program “Service Learning” makes the search for effective tools and practices highly relevant. They are focused on the education and development of students’ soft-skills, which are adaptive and relevant to the educational programs content. In this study we analyze the experts’ experience and opinion in the higher education field. Volunteering is considered as a tool for seamless educational activities integration into educational and extracurricular activities of students undergoing different academic programs in order to develop both hard and soft skills. The volunteering effectiveness in this area is confirmed by the high level of support for this type of activity, stated in the National Project “Education”, the National Project “Youth and Children” and a number of specialized strategic documents and resolutions. The aim of the study is to identify the key trends in the students’ soft-skills development in the integrating volunteering practices process into curricular and extracurricular activities, considering volunteer work as a convergent tool in the professional education system, based on expert interviews.Materials and Methods. Using the expert interview method, volunteerism has been studied as a tool of practice-oriented education, which has a high educational value and is aimed at developing professional and supra-professional competencies.Results and Discussion. The results of an expert interview with the professional community representatives in the education field in Russian Federation are presented, which reflect the respondents’ positive attitude towards volunteerism as a promising tool for developing students’ supraprofessional and professional competencies, acting as an the youth effective element and educational policy of higher education educational institutions.Conclusion. The importance of universities in the formation and promotion of the volunteerism culture and values is confirmed, and the possibilities of including volunteerism in the educational process as an effective convergent tool in the students’ supra-professional and professional competencies development are substantiated.

The Effect of a Brief Video-Based Intervention to Improve AIDS Prevention in Older Men: Randomized Controlled Trial.

The AIDS epidemic among older people is becoming more serious. Evidence-based, acceptable, and effective preventive interventions are urgently needed. Video-based interventions have become an innovative way to change behaviors, and we have developed a brief video-based intervention named Sunset Without AIDS. In this study, we tested the effectiveness of a brief video-based intervention targeting older men's understanding of AIDS prevention. A randomized controlled trial was conducted from June 20 to July 3, 2023. In total, 100 older men were randomly divided into the intervention group (n=50) and the control group (n=50) using the envelope extraction method. The intervention group was shown the Sunset Without AIDS video; the control group viewed a standard AIDS education video. A questionnaire was used to measure the effect of Sunset Without AIDS after 2 interventions. AIDS-related high-risk behaviors were followed up 1 and 3 months after the intervention. The difference was statistically significant at P≤.05. After 2 interventions, the total awareness rates (%) of AIDS-related knowledge in the intervention and control groups were 84% (42/50) and 66% (33/50), respectively (P=.04). The mean stigma attitude scores of the 2 groups were 2.53 (SD 0.45) and 2.58 (SD 0.49), respectively (P=.55), but there was a statistically significant difference in the first dimension (fear of infection) between the 2 groups (P<.001). The mean positive scores of attitudes of AIDS-related high-risk behaviors of the 2 groups were 83.33 (SD 21.56) and 75.67 (SD 26.77), respectively (P=.58). In addition, 82% reported that they were satisfied with the educational content within the Sunset Without AIDS video. At 1- and 3-month follow-ups conducted after the intervention, participants in the 2 groups did not report AIDS-related high-risk behaviors. After watching the 2 videos, more people accepted and were satisfied with Sunset Without AIDS. Sunset Without AIDS could improve the ability of older men in China to follow best practices for AIDS prevention and provide a certain basis for the innovation of AIDS education in the older adult population.

Experiences of Trainees From Underrepresented Groups Within Addiction Medicine Training Programs: A Qualitative Study.

Training environments that embrace diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in their mission, recruitment, and curriculum may foster development and retention of a diverse workforce and promote novel approaches to address inequities in addiction care. We sought to elicit perspectives regarding how addiction medicine training programs influenced the training experience and career trajectories for participants from underrepresented groups (URGs). We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 URG physician participants of addiction medicine programs at a single institution from 2016 to 2022 regarding their identities and experiences in the training program(s). We completed a rapid thematic analysis of qualitative interviews. The sample of participants was 55% women, 25% black or African American, 25% Asian, 25% white, 17% Hispanic or Latina/o/x, and 4% American Indian or Alaska Native. We identified over-arching themes: (1) areas for program improvement including increasing diversity in program leadership, educators, participants, and educational content; (2) URG identity positively influences physician choice to pursue addiction medicine careers working with communities that are underserved and/or experience health disparities; (3) addiction medicine programs impact participants' short- and long-term goals as addiction health professionals including achieving research goals, attaining leadership roles, and finding opportunities for networking and mentorship. We identified themes emphasizing addiction medicine program successes in creating welcoming educational environments, while also prioritizing areas for improvement around topic inclusion, faculty development and representation, and mentorship. Our results offer critical insights into the priorities and views of the next generation of the physician addiction medicine/research workforce and how to effectively improve DEIA efforts within training programs.

Effect of a web-based intervention on the mental health of informal caregivers of the elderly: a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundIran’s demographic trends indicate significant aging, with intensive caregiving linked to mental health issues among caregivers, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Mehrpishegan’s web-based intervention on depression, anxiety, and stress levels among informal primary caregivers of older adults in Iran.MethodsThis study was a parallel-group, superiority, single-blinded randomized controlled trial conducted in Tehran. Eligible participants were informal caregivers with primary caregiving responsibility, access to the internet and a smart device, at least one month of caregiving experience, and the ability to use a web-based intervention. The primary outcomes were measured at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months using DASS-21. Participants with mild and moderate levels at baseline were randomized into intervention (n = 83) and control (n = 80) groups. The intervention group accessed the website, which provided structured educational content and chatrooms(psychologist-led for three months, then peer-led). Engagement was measured via session attendance, forum participation, and educational material usage. Data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA based on the intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol approaches.ResultsOf the participants, 128 completed the final assessment at six months, resulting in an attrition rate of 20%. The intervention group showed a small decrease in depression (10.23 ± 0.80 vs. 10.48 ± 0.75, diff = 0.253; 95% CI = -0.24, 1.94), anxiety (6.70 ± 0.64 vs. 7.86 ± 0.60, diff = 1.17; 95% CI = -2.93, 0.59), and stress (13.94 ± 0.78 vs. 15.16 ± 0.74, diff = 1.22; 95% CI = -3.37, 0.92), but none of these differences were statistically significant (p > 0.05). Effect size calculations indicated small reductions in anxiety (d = -0.30) and depression (d = -0.28) at three months, though these remained below the threshold for clinical significance (|d| < 0.5).ConclusionsAlthough the web-based intervention showed some improvements in caregivers’ mental health outcomes, the changes were not significantly different from those in the control group. Several challenges, including internet disruptions, voluntary participation, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, may have influenced these outcomes. To enhance the effectiveness of web-based support programs, future interventions must overcome technological barriers, strengthen caregivers’ digital competencies, tailor content to individual needs, and address key mental health risk factors. A more personalized and accessible approach could improve engagement and long-term benefits for caregivers.Trial registrationThe protocol of this research was registered in the Iran Randomized Clinical Trial Center with registration number IRCT2 02010 12,048 999N1 on 25 December 2020.

How young migrants perceive school health education in Sweden.

The aim of this paper is to provide insights into how young people who have been forced to migrate perceive school health education. Eighteen individuals aged 15-19 years (10 females, 8 males, average age 16.9 years) took part in either focus group interviews (n = 7) or individual interviews (n = 1). Participants were first presented with short scenarios concerning health education and were invited to use these scenarios as starting points to discuss their own experiences of health education. Participants were then presented with a collection of photographs that portrayed people displaying broad dimensions of health. Participants were asked to discuss the significance of the health dimensions in their lives, and describe how these dimensions were covered in school health education. Our findings suggest three broad perceptions of health education content: a moderately enthusiastic perception, a disengaged perception, and a marginalized perception. These findings: raise questions about whether the provision of health education matches the needs of young migrants, point to cultural differences in the way health topics are understood, and suggest that school health education might influence how migrants interact with health service providers.

ChatGPT in Education: Challenges in Local Knowledge Representation of Romanian History and Geography

The integration of AI tools like ChatGPT in education has sparked debates on their benefits and limitations, particularly in subjects requiring region-specific knowledge. This study examines ChatGPT’s ability to generate accurate and contextually rich responses to assignments in Romanian history and geography, focusing on topics with limited digital representation. Using a document-based analysis, this study compared ChatGPT’s responses to local archival sources, monographs, and topographical maps, assessing coverage, accuracy, and local nuances. Findings indicate significant factual inaccuracies, including misidentified Dacian tribes, incorrect historical sources, and geographic errors such as misplaced landmarks, elevation discrepancies, and incorrect infrastructure details. ChatGPT’s reliance on widely digitized sources led to omissions of localized details, highlighting a fundamental limitation when applied to non-digitized historical and geographic topics. These results suggest that while ChatGPT can be a useful supplementary tool, its outputs require careful verification by educators to prevent misinformation. Future research should explore strategies to improve AI-generated educational content, including better integration of regional archives and AI literacy training for students and teachers. The study underscores the need for hybrid AI-human approaches in education, ensuring that AI-generated text complements rather than replaces verified academic sources.

A Study on the Challenges and Development Opportunities Posed by Multiculture in the Education Management of International Students

Against the macro backdrop of the evolving economic globalization and the proliferation of cultural diversity, Chinese and Western cultures intertwine, with a myriad of cultures and ideas circulating among the migrating populace. This exerts a profound influence on the cultural consciousness and ideological perspectives of international students in the new era, as well as shaping the lifestyles of adolescents in this era. This paper endeavors to analyze the issues about the management of overseas Chinese students and offer insights and countermeasures for the education management of Chinese international students. Research reveals that, in a multicultural background, international students confront challenges such as inadequate cultural identity, utilitarian approaches to cross-cultural adaptation, and fragmented pro-integration mechanisms. In light of this, this paper proposes three optimization pathways: Firstly, to systematize multicultural education content and tailor educational objectives according to students' age and cognitive stages. Secondly, to infiltrate diverse education from a worldwide cultural perspective, enhancing cultural inclusiveness through environmental creation and participatory teaching methods. Thirdly, to refine the integration mechanism by incorporating multicultural evaluation into the management system to bolster emotional experiences and practical assessments.

Feasibility and Effectiveness of an Integrative Cardiac Rehabilitation Employing Smartphone Technology (I-CREST): A pilot randomized controlled trial.

To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of an Integrated - Cardiac Rehabilitation programme Employing Smartphone Technology (I-CREST) for patients post-acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared to a centre-based cardiac rehabilitation (CBCR) programme. A two-arm parallel pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted with 50 post-AMI patients recruited from a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Participants were randomly allocated to either the I-CREST or the CBCR group. Data were collected at four time points: baseline, post-intervention (6 weeks), at 3 and 6 months. An intention-to-treat approach was adopted for data analysis. Out of 2,825 patients screened over 20 months, 171 (6.05%) were eligible, and 50 patients were enrolled. Pre-specified success criteria for feasibility were achieved regarding engagement, with a high rate of participation in weekly telephone calls (95.8%), and intervention safety was confirmed. However, the pre-specified success criteria for feasibility related to recruitment and engagement with weekly educational content were not met. In terms of effectiveness, I-CREST demonstrated significantly higher completion rates (84 vs. 40%; p = 0.001) and better 6-Minute Walk Test results at the 6-week time point (530.8 vs. 480.2 m; p = 0.017) compared to CBCR. This pilot study demonstrated the feasibility of the I-CREST program, although recruitment methods require refinement. I-CREST showed promise as an effective alternative to CBCR, with fewer resources required. A full-scale study is recommended to confirm these findings statistically. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05270993. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05270993.

CYBERSECURITY IN THE FIELD OF OPEN ACCESS: PRINCIPLES FOR PROTECTING EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC RESOURCES

The modern era is characterized by the rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICT), which are increasingly integrating into all spheres of social life, including science, education, governance, economy, defense, and security. The issue of cybersecurity has become particularly significant, as the digital environment involves a continuous exchange of sensitive information, making every user or organization a potential target for malicious activities. Given the external and internal challenges Ukraine has faced in recent years, ensuring cyber protection, particularly of educational and scientific content, has become especially relevant. Open-access repositories are an essential component of the modern scientific space, providing free knowledge exchange. However, they are also vulnerable to cyberattacks, which can lead to the loss or compromise of valuable information. In this context, studying global experience in organizing cybersecurity systems, particularly involving both state structures and the private sector, is highly relevant. Modern cyber threats are becoming increasingly complex, ranging from simple hacking to the use of high-tech malicious software, social engineering methods, DDoS attacks, data theft, and information substitution. Counteracting such threats requires a systematic approach, including the implementation of effective protection methods and technologies, continuous monitoring of information security status, attack identification mechanisms, and legal responses to incidents. Special attention should be paid to the security of educational and scientific content distributed through open digital platforms. This content is not only the result of intellectual activity but also the foundation for further research and educational processes. Therefore, its protection from cyber threats is crucial for ensuring the continuity of scientific communication and knowledge development. For this reason, systematizing information on the state and development of protection measures for open-access educational and scientific content, as well as developing and implementing effective cybersecurity measures, is an extremely important scientific and practical task.

YouTube as a source of education on piriformis injection: a content, quality, and reliability analysis

BackgroundPiriformis injection is commonly used to diagnose and relieve piriformis syndrome.YouTube has become a frequently accessed platform for healthcare professionals seeking procedural information.However, the lack of studies on the quality and reliability of medical content on YouTube raises major concerns, suggesting that the platform cannot be trusted as a source of medical information, particularly in terms of reliability and content quality.This study aims to assess the educational value and quality of YouTube videos on piriformis injections and is the first to specifically evaluate these aspects.MethodsA keyword search for “piriformis injection” was conducted on YouTube in December 2024, ensuring search history was cleared before the review.The top 100 videos were screened, and data including subscriber count, views, likes, dislikes, comments, video duration, upload date, like ratio, view ratio, video power index, injection guidance method, and video source were collected. Two pain medicine specialists independently evaluated the videos using the modified DISCERN, JAMA benchmark criteria, and Global Quality Scale (GQS) to assess reliability and quality.ResultsOf the 100 screened videos, 24 met the inclusion criteria for analysis. Notably, none of the videos attained maximum scores across all three evaluation criteria. According to the modified DISCERN score, 58% of the videos had low reliability, while 50% had low quality according to the GQS score. Video scores were consistent across different sources. Positive correlations were observed between the number of views, likes, dislikes, and comments. Additionally, strong correlations were identified between GQS, DISCERN, and JAMA scores.ConclusionThe educational value of YouTube videos cannot be evaluated based on a single factor, such as the source of the video or its popularity metrics. Relying on YouTube as the sole source can likely lead to misinformation, so cross-verifying the information in these videos is vital. While YouTube can be a supplementary resource, it should not replace primary educational materials. Therefore, healthcare professionals and organizations should be encouraged to produce high-quality, peer-reviewed educational content to ensure the quality of information available on such platforms.

Research on Intelligent Generation and Adaptation System of Civic Education Content Based on Machine Learning

Research on Intelligent Generation and Adaptation System of Civic Education Content Based on Machine Learning