The paper provides a socio-psycho analysis of the multifaceted challenges within the framework of social gerontology confronting the elderly people at Manzini region in Eswatini. With the demographic shift towards older societies, understanding the unique problems faced by the elderly has become a critical imperative for researchers and policymakers. The main objective of this study is to systematically examine and synthesize the key social and psychological issues that significantly impact the quality of life and well-being of the aged. It delves into the psychological dimensions of aging, focusing on issues such as maintaining cognitive health, coping with life transitions, the fear of dependency, and the decline in self-esteem associated with retirement and changing social roles. The paper applies mixed research approach and convenience sampling under non-probability sampling methods is used, where a semi-structured questionnaire is administered to the respondents seeking indepth information to fulfill the research objectives, offering recommendations for developing policies and community programs aimed at mitigating the socio-psychological vulnerabilities of the elderly, ensuring participation and inclusion in mainstream society.

With the acceleration of urbanization and modernization, rural cultural heritage is facing unprecedented challenges. In order to effectively protect and inherit these precious cultural resources, this paper systematically analyzes the application strategies of digital technology in the protection of rural cultural heritage and puts forward a comprehensive solution from three dimensions: technical empowerment, policy guarantee, and community participation. In this study, the mixed research method is used to analyze the related data of heritage projects through structural equation modeling (SEM) and long-term and short-term memory network (LSTM) models. The authors found that there was a significant correlation between technical accuracy and protection effect (r = 0.78 * * *). Community participation has the strongest explanatory power to economic benefits (r=0.92***), and it may have an indirect impact through the path of “cultural identity → product innovation” (β=0.68). This study provides theoretical support and practical reference for the sustainable development of rural cultural heritage.

The Industrial Internet of Things has enhanced automation, real-time monitoring, and predictive decision-making in modern industries. The study explores the mixed research methods (qualitative and quantitative). However, the growing connectivity of industrial IoT systems has exposed them to severe cyber threats such as Ransomware, MitM, and DDoS attacks, which can disrupt critical operations and compromise safety. Conventional Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) often face limitations in achieving high accuracy, rapid detection, and low latency while minimizing false alarms. This study proposes a CNN-Fuzzy Logic hybrid model for real-time intrusion detection and prevention in industrial IoT environments. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) are employed to extract deep hierarchical features from industrial IoT traffic, while fuzzy logic is integrated to enhance decision-making under uncertainty and reduce false positives. The model was trained and evaluated using Kaggle cybersecurity datasets containing ransomware, MitM, and DDoS attacks. Performance evaluation demonstrates that the CNN-Fuzzy IDS achieves an accuracy of 92.5%, a detection rate of approximately 93%, a false positive rate (FPR) of 2.51%, a reduced latency with an average of 7.14% total latency (which corresponds to 1.207 µsec average latency) is very acceptable for most industrial IoT applications. These results highlight the effectiveness of hybrid intelligent systems in enhancing the resilience and reliability of industrial IoT cybersecurity. The proposed model provides a promising pathway for deploying scalable, adaptive, and real-time IDS solutions in critical industrial infrastructures. On system computational overhead researchers should employ a minimum practical setup with modern multi-core CPU, 8–16 GB RAM, SSD, stable OS (Windows 10 only if hardware is modern) or run a lightweight Linux on edge plus offload heavy tasks elsewhere. Future research should also focus on optimizing hybrid ML architectures for low performance metrics for deployment of resource-constrained industrial IoT devices, integrating the approach for threat detection, and expanding evaluation to real-world industrial environments.

This paper focuses on spelling errors in the interlanguage of a group of university students, whose L1 are Czech and Slovak, enrolled in the Bachelor’s Degree of Spanish Language and Literature at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, during the academic year 2022-2023, with a B1-B2 level of Spanish. In order to find out which are the spelling errors made by these students and which appear more frequently in the texts, a mixed approach research has been designed. Specifically, a corpus of 62.422 words comprising 316 texts has been analyzed following the Error Analysis methodology (Corder, 1967), with a classificatory typology (Fernández, 1997; Fernández Jódar, 2006; Sánchez Jiménez, 2006) based on linguistic and strategic criteria (Vázquez, 1999). In the analysis, a total of 566 spelling errors were found. Furthermore, the results suggest that the most frequent spelling errors in the interlanguage of Czech and Slovak learners of Spanish are those affecting graphic accentuation, especially the omission of the accent mark and the unnecessary addition. Other remarkable errors are the confusion between uppercase and lowercase letters, omission of letters and overlapping letters, as well as confusion of graphemes. The analysis also confirms the hypothesis that L1 Czech and Slovak learners of Spanish make the same types of spelling errors, regardless of their mother tongues.

Background: To meet current and future health challenges, research capacity training and regional and international collaborations are needed. Outcomes of research capacity development and collaboration should be equally valued as research outputs. We report on a research project to enhance Vietnamese and Danish research capacities in non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with a focus on type 2 diabetes (T2D). Method: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research methods and concurrent training in methods, scientific writing, and field research were undertaken while studying people living with T2D and informal support persons and care-givers (ICGs) such as family, friends and peers in rural areas of Thai Binh Province. Diabetes clubs and research assistants and village health workers were trained for data collection and implementation research, and for running diabetes clubs and other interaction with people living with T2D and their ICGs. Findings: Research training was considered successful in an internal participant evaluation. About 50% more scientific peer reviewed articles than planned are published. Through close communication and collaboration, the project was completed successfully in spite of Covid-19. Conclusion: To develop effective, locally grounded responses to emerging NCDs, resources and potentials of informal health care must be investigated and involved. Research collaboration will probably have long-lasting positive impact on research capacity, competences of the health care system, and patients’ health.

ABSTRACT Cute discourse, as a communication approach that combines informative content with interesting and soft expression, has drawn substantial attention in information communication and social media platforms studies. However, existing research has primarily concentrated on marketing effectiveness within Western frameworks, thereby leaving unanswered questions about the persuasion of cute discourse within the political sphere in non-Western contexts. Focusing on social media data, this study analyzed 5,462 government’s posts on Chinese Weibo and examined the effect of the use of cute discourse on public participation under a mixed research method that combined a coding procedure and regression model. Our results identify that the government’s posts employing cute discourse achieve higher levels of public participation, and that greater degrees of cute discourse further enhance this effect. Among these posts, cute discourse was associated with positive emotions and attraction and had a positive effect on public participation. Additionally, the influence of both the use and degree of government’s cute discourse on public participation varied across information themes. These results contribute to enriching the discourse content of social media platforms and broadening the channels for public political participation.

Many fields of science have heightened introspection in the wake of concerns around reproducibility and replicability of published findings. In recent years, the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community too has worked to implement policy changes and mainstream open science practices. Our work investigates early-career HCI researchers' perceptions of open science and engagement with best practices through 18 semi-structured interviews. In particular, we study researchers with mixed methods or qualitative research backgrounds. Our findings highlight opportunities and challenges for the adoption of open science practices within HCI. Participants describe barriers such as a lack of incentives, cultural resistance, and concerns about intellectual property. However, they also identify positive trends, such as increased awareness of open science practices, evolving norms around peer review, and perceived benefits such as enhanced visibility, transparency, diversity, accessibility, collaboration, and research credibility. We offer recommendations to address these barriers and to promote transparency and openness in HCI. We suggest that relatively small changes at major conferences like the Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) could meaningfully impact community norms. While our findings provide valuable insights about the open science practices of early-career HCI researchers, their applicability is limited to the USA only. In addition, interviews rely on self-reported data and are therefore subject to, e.g., recall bias. Future studies should include HCI researchers with different levels of experience and from various countries.

This study evaluated the impact of lesson plan implementation on pupils’ learning outcomes in Iringa Municipality public primary schools. The study adopted a mixed research approach with a descriptive research design. Data were collected from a sample size of 56 respondents were whereby simple random and purposive sampling techniques were adopted to select the respondents of the study from 5 selected public primary schools in Iringa Municipality. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically, while quantitative data was analyzed by using statistical package for social science (SPSS) 29.0 version. The findings of the study revealed that effective lesson plan implementation had positive impacts on pupils’ learning outcomes. Those included enhancement of pupils’ lesson understanding, helping teachers to manage class time effectively, enhancing pupils’ academic performance, leading to pupils’ active participation in the lesson, helping in reducing learning difficulties among pupils, enabling teachers to meet diverse learning needs and motivating pupils. From the findings of the study it concluded that the implementation of lesson plans plays a critical role in supporting effective teaching and learning within public primary schools. Through systematic planning, teachers are able to organize their lessons in a logical sequence, ensuring that each part of the lesson aligns with curriculum objectives and responds to the needs of their pupils. Lesson plans help teachers manage classroom time effectively, enabling them to cover content thoroughly while providing opportunities for pupils to engage actively in the learning process. The study recommended that education authorities and school management should organize regular in-service training and workshops focusing on effective lesson planning and implementation. This will enhance teachers’ skills in aligning lesson plans with curriculum objectives, using varied instructional methods, and managing classroom time efficiently. For further studies the study recommended that future studies could investigate the impact of lesson plan implementation on teaching and learning outcomes in specific subjects such as Mathematics, Science, or English to determine subject-specific challenges and best practices.

This study explores the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Childline staff, with objectives to examine staff perceptions and experiences with AI, investigate the benefits and challenges of AI integration and identify implications for staff well-being and job functions. The study employs a mixed research approach, combining both qualitative and quantitative methods, including key informant interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussions. The findings reveal a mixed reception to AI among staff, with benefits including improved knowledge, increased efficiency and reduced emotional distress, but also challenges such as inadequate training, ethical concerns and potential mental health impacts. The study recommends a formalised approach to AI policy development and implementation, prioritising ethical considerations, staff training and support.

This study aimed to assess the influence of mentorship programmes on teaching quality in Iringa Municipality, Tanzania. The theory which guided this study is Social Constructivist Theory, primarily developed by Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky. The study was guided by a mixed research approach with a convergent research design. Simple random and purposive sampling techniques were adopted to select the participants of the study from four (4) selected public secondary schools in Iringa Municipality. Qualitative data were analyzed thematically, while quantitative data were analyzed by using statistical package for social science (SPSS) 29.0 version. The findings of the study revealed that mentorship programmes influence the teaching quality. Teachers who participated in mentorship activities reported significant improvements in their professional practice. Mentorship was found to enhance lesson planning skills, and contributed to improved teaching effectiveness, particularly by enabling teachers to adopt learner-centered approaches that actively engage students in the learning process. Based on the results obtained in the study, it concluded that mentorship has transformative potential if it is designed and implemented with clear objectives, sufficient resources and accountability mechanisms. Thus, mentorship should be viewed not only as a tool for professional growth but also as a strategic intervention for systemic improvement in teaching quality. Therefore, it is recommended that mentorship will only achieve its full potential if it is backed by strong institutional support, adequate resources and active engagement from all stakeholders. School leaders, policymakers, government authorities and teachers must work collaboratively to strengthen mentorship programmes as a sustainable mechanism for enhancing teaching quality in public secondary schools.

In the context of the new energy vehicle industry's rapid growth, the large-scale abandoned of used power batteries has become a pressing issue that requires immediate attention. This paper developed a four-level used power battery reverse logistics network optimization model using bibliometric analysis, mixed research methods and system dynamics simulation. It focuses total cost minimization by integrating mixed-integer linear programming and variable neighborhood-genetic algorithm (VNS-GA). Taking the Northeast region of China as a case, this paper explores the spatiotemporal distribution feature of retired batteries and verifies its model effectiveness in cost control, transport optimization and resource recovery efficiency enhancement. The findings of the research shown that the model could effectively reduce total operation cost, improve capacity layer filling and regeneration processing efficiency, optimize operating routes and node distribution, reduce environmental risk in practice. This paper offered a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the scientific planning and construction of regional used power battery recycling systems, as well as decision support for promoting the green and sustainable development of new energy vehicle industry in order to achieve national dual carbon strategic goals.

The study examines the effects of video content generation activities on EFL pre-service English language teachers’ foreign language speaking anxiety, perceived speaking self-efficacy, and willingness to communicate. The study used a sequential explanatory design of mixed research methods. In the quantitative phase of the study, a quasi-experimental design with a pretest-posttest control group was used, while the qualitative phase employed a case study approach. The quantitative phase of the study was conducted with 30 experimental and 32 control group students. The study employed the Foreign Language Speaking Anxiety Scale, the Speaking Skills Self-Efficacy Belief Scale, and the Instructional Willingness to Communicate Scale as data collection instruments. The data were analyzed using the ANCOVA test. In the qualitative phase, focus group interviews were conducted with 17 students from the experimental group using a semi-structured interview form. After eight weeks of implementation, moderately significant differences were found in favor of the experimental group on speaking. According to the qualitative findings, the participants attributed the observed changes in their motivation to frequent repetition, an increased sense of achievement in their knowledge and skills during the process, the presence of an online audience, and the development of in-class interactions. They also stated that the application fostered an environment conducive to assessment and feedback through online interactions.

The study was conducted at IRUWASA (Iringa Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authority) in Iringa, Tanzania, to assess the effects of self-management tools, particularly on Employee Self-Service (ESS), on organisational performance. A mixed research approach was employed, combining quantitative data from structured questionnaires with qualitative insights from semi-structured interviews, enabling both statistical reliability and deeper contextual understanding. The research adopted a cross-sectional design with a sample size of 85 respondents, selected from a target population of 105 employees using simple random sampling to ensure representativeness. Data were collected through questionnaires and interviews, with primary data complemented by secondary data from HR records and ESS system logs. Analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20, applying descriptive statistics to summarise patterns, while validity and reliability were confirmed through expert review, KMO testing, and Cronbach’s Alpha. Ethical principles, including informed consent, confidentiality, and organisational approval, were strictly observed to ensure compliance with research standards

Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a significant global maternal mental health issue often overlooked, particularly in Northern Nigeria, where the total fertility rate of 7.2 amplifies PPD risks and vulnerability due to repeated multiple childbirths at short intervals, which contributes to emotional and physical stress. Purpose: This study examines how culturally relevant information sources and risk communication influence knowledge and help-seeking behaviours related to PPD in Niger State. Methods: The study adopted a mixed research design of a survey (n-384) and a Focus Group Discussion (n-32). A multistage and purposive sampling technique was used. Kobo Toolbox was used to collect data, SmartPLS-SEM, and Yin (2009)’s thematic explanation was used for analysis. Results: Revealed that over 50% of the variance, healthcare providers emerged as the single most influential source of postpartum depression knowledge, followed closely by social media and radio. Qualitative insights from focus group discussions further illustrated how stigma and the credibility of messengers shape women’s willingness to act on such information. Indigenous media, particularly community radio and storytelling, also indicate strong potential as culturally grounded channels for awareness. These findings underscore that combining clinical, digital, and culturally resonant communication can bridge knowledge gaps and promote early help-seeking among women. Conclusion/Practical Implication: The study recommends integrating PPD education into maternal health policies and leveraging digital platforms and community radio for culturally sensitive communication to reduce stigma and promote early help-seeking. Recommendation: To mitigate stigma and promote early intervention, we recommend co-designing public health communication that synergises clinical authority with the cultural resonance of indigenous and digital media.

Children and adolescents (C&A) <18 years of age report varying cancer treatment communication preferences. The aim of this qualitative meta-synthesis was to describe C&A voices regarding their preferences for engagement in their treatment communication. This report shares their preferences specific to their involvement in cancer treatment decision-making (TDM). Applying meta-aggregation methods, a systematic search was conducted in multiple databases with no limitation to the date range. Studies included participants <18 years of age with childhood cancer using qualitative or mixed research methods, written in English. Findings were limited to C&A self-reported findings. A total of 3213 articles were identified, with 55 articles included. A total of 156 findings related to preferences for TDM were extracted from 39 studies. Three synthesized findings were identified: (1) How I participate in decisions about my cancer treatment, (2) When I do not participate in decisions about my cancer treatment, and (3) Why I participate in decisions about my cancer treatment. This meta-synthesis identified how, when, and why C&A want to be involved in their cancer TDM. Their voices represent a range of preferences for involvement, from a more passive to more active role. Evidence-based practice recommendations were identified with a focus on meeting the C&A communication preferences.

The purpose of this study was to examine human subject research published in the Journal of Music Education Science, an academic journal published by The Korean Society of Music Education Technology, and to examine the Institutional Review Board (IRB)-reviewed research to change perceptions of research ethics. To this end, 159 (33.4%) human subject studies published from 2013 to 2025 were analyzed. The analysis criteria were modified and applied from the previous study by Jeong jae-eun and Seog moon-joo (2014). In order to systematically analyze and establish objective evidence criteria, word frequency and quantitative analysis were conducted through content analysis. The research results are as follows. First, human subject research has been conducted consistently at an average of about 12 cases per year, and the subjects were 54 cases (32.14%) of research on minors and 114 cases (67.86%) of research on adults, with adult research showing that there were almost twice as many cases. Second, the research methods were quantitative research in 103 cases (64.78%), qualitative research in 43 cases (27.04%), and mixed research in 13 cases (8.18%). Third, institutional (public) IRBs appeared in research papers in 2018, and approval numbers began to be presented with the institution name only in 2022, and studies that included approval numbers and approval dates were rare. Lastly, researchers generally recognized that the approval of research subjects and their guardians (legal representatives, legal guardians) was necessary, and it was found that awareness of the institutional name and approval number (date) for the institutional (public) IRB needed to be improved.

ABSTRACT While the relationship between music, place, and tourism has been well-documented, there is a noticeable gap in understanding how tourists’ sensory perceptions, particularly auditory perceptions of music, influence their overall tourism experience. The study adopted mixed research methods to address this question. In the qualitative phase, we utilised co-occurrence network analysis to identify musicscapes derived from the lyrics of Inner Mongolian grassland songs. Furthermore, in the quantitative phase, we exam­ined the relationships among musicscape, cultural involvement, and tourism experience quality, based on 420 valid questionnaires collected from visitors during the peak tour­ism season in July 2021 at the Xilamuren Grassland. The findings reveal that Grassland songs include eight distinct types of musicscapes, and the perception of these land­scapes positively influences cultural involvement, which, in turn, significantly enhances the evaluation of tourism experience quality. Cultural involvement partially mediates the relationship between musicscape perception and tourism experience quality. This study highlights the adaptability of music as a tourism soundscape, enriches the under­standing of tourism landscape appeal across diverse cultural contexts, and underscores the practical importance of incorporating music into sensory marketing and travel desti­nation experience design.

Teaching writing is an ever-relevant, challenging, and time-consuming process for educators. This study, which offers an alternative for acquiring skills like creative writing, aims to determine the effects of the process-genre based writing approach on fifth graders' attitudes toward writing and writing anxiety. The mixed research design utilizes both qualitative and quantitative data obtained from 75 students. The quantitative data were collected using a writing attitude and writing anxiety scale from two classes with similar structures, while the qualitative data were gathered solely from the experimental group through a structured interview form. As a result, it was determined that the process–genre based writing approach led to a significant and positive change in students’ attitudes toward writing and their levels of writing anxiety. Moreover, the qualitative data revealed that students believed their critical thinking and creative skills had developed. Sharing their written products, showing a willingness to write, and enjoying the writing process were among the positive affective responses related to the intervention. However, a limited number of students continued to exhibit negative reactions such as difficulty, avoidance, anxiety, and shyness. It is recommended that future studies conduct in-depth research specifically examining the causes of persistent anxiety and negative attitudes.

This study focused on integrating eco-schools programme approach in addressing curriculum gaps - with a critical review of education for sustainable development in public primary schools in Mvomero district, Tanzania. The study deployed a pragmatic philosophy with a convergent research design under a mixed research approach guided by the Social Learning Theory. The study further collected data from one hundred and forty-five (145) informants using purposive sampling technique, simple random sampling technique, and stratified sampling technique. Descriptive statistical tests were employed for quantitative data, and thematic analysis procedures were used to analyze qualitative information. The study revealed the strength in curriculum planning and content, existence of gaps in curriculum implementation and hands-on learning processes under government supervision, while the accomplishment of hands-on learning experiences under eco-schools programme demonstrated the best results. Nevertheless, the study found that there is underutilization of technology caused by the education leaders at different educational administrative levels due to the rigidity and lack of professional development. This study concluded that at Mvomero district, there are curriculum gaps in terms of implementation for both theory and hands-on learning activities practices under government supervision, while there is a strong emphasis for hands-on learning activities preparation and implementation under eco-schools programme. Subsequently, the study recommended to the responsible organs to set clear policies for the public primary schools in Tanzania to adopt eco-schools programmes for effective acquisition of sustainable development skills as outlined by United Nations in Education for sustainable development goal number 4 (SDG 4) which advocates for decent education for all children.

With the deepening of the transformation and upgrading of the construction industry and high-quality development, the intrinsic relationship and optimization path between Construction Quality Management (CQM) and Organizational Performance (OP) have become a core issue of concern for both the industry and academia. The traditional quality management system faces many challenges in responding to increasingly complex engineering requirements and urgently needs to integrate emerging technologies to achieve strategic upgrades. This study focuses on exploring the empirical correlation between construction quality management practices and organizational performance (covering multiple dimensions such as cost, schedule, safety, satisfaction, etc.), and deeply analyzes the intelligent technology driven path centered on the deep integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Internet of Things (IoT) technology, aiming to construct a strategic framework of "quality technology performance" linkage. This study reveals the correlation mechanism between construction quality management (QC) and organizational performance (OP) through empirical analysis, and proposes a performance upgrade path by integrating BIM IoT technology. Using a mixed research method (quantitative questionnaire+qualitative case), the significant impact of QC elements on OP was verified (β=0.78, p&lt;0.01), and a "technology management performance" strategic framework was constructed. The results show that BIM IoT improves quality and efficiency through data collaboration (reducing design changes by 30%), real-time monitoring (reducing rework rates by 25%), and decision optimization, ultimately driving OP growth of 18% -24%. The research provides a feasible strategic paradigm for the digital transformation of the construction industry, verifying the necessity of technology integration and institutional innovation to drive organizational sustainable competitiveness. This study not only reveals the close relationship between construction quality management and organizational performance from an empirical perspective, but also innovatively proposes a quality management upgrade path with BIM IoT technology linkage as a strategic lever, providing theoretical basis and practical guidance for construction enterprises to break through quality management bottlenecks and achieve performance leaps. The study ultimately emphasizes that promoting the deep integration of intelligent technologies such as BIM IoT and quality management, and building an organizational process and performance evaluation system that is compatible with them, is a key strategic choice for the construction industry to achieve high-quality, efficient, and sustainable future development.