Scientific Disciplines Research Articles

VIRTUAL LABORATORIES IN SCIENCE EDUCATION: UNVEILING TRAJECTORIES, THEMES, AND EMERGING PARADIGMS (2013-2023)

Virtual laboratories are transformative tools in science education, yet comprehensive reviews of their prospects are limited. This study addresses this gap through a bibliometric analysis of 218 articles published between 2013 and 2023. Key findings included: (1) research has evolved from initial exploration to rapid expansion; (2) virtual labs have demonstrated adaptability across various scientific disciplines, including chemistry, physics, biology, engineering, and medicine; (3) five research trajectories focus on virtual labs, science education, and computer-based learning; and (4) eight research topics, such as comparisons with physical labs and student performance, have gained prominence. These findings had implications for educational practices, research methodologies, and policy considerations. For educational practices, virtual laboratories offer benefits by removing the need for physical resources, providing flexible delivery, enabling safe exploration, fostering engagement through hands-on experimentation, and enhancing understanding with immersive experiences. For research, virtual labs improve learning and analytical skills, generate detailed data on student behaviors and learning patterns, and lead to innovations in teaching methods and curriculum design. For policymakers, strategic planning is needed to create supportive policies for the effective adoption of virtual labs, including teacher training, infrastructure development, and curriculum integration, making science education more accessible and equitable for all students. Keywords: bibliometrics analysis, science education, research trends, virtual laboratory

Interdisciplinary Approach to Consumer Financial Behavior: Developing a Conceptual Framework

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this article is to develop a conceptual framework of consumer financial behavior with a multidisciplinary approach. Consumer financial behavior is the subject of research in many scientific disciplines, although it is of greatest interest to economists, sociologists, psychologists, and philosophers. The frailty and still insufficient functionality, as well as the lack of application of the models may result from constantly changing macro and microeconomic factors, changing trends, the impact of generational affiliation, and conceptual‐theoretical inconsistencies. Taking into consideration current attitudes toward understanding consumer financial behavior, a contribution to literature is an attempt to diagnose the components of a functional model for financial behaviors, in particular, the diagnosis of input and output factors in the decision‐making process. The proposed model of consumer financial behavior consists of five elements: type of consumer, type of financial product, motivation, abilities, and opportunities, and the factors determining them may be both economic and noneconomic.

The Role of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Pharmacy Education and Practice

A current major topic of conversation in academic pharmacy is “curricular hoarding,” the overloading of the curriculum due to the steady addition of required knowledge and skills without a concomitant subtraction of existing content. It can be tempting to consider addressing hoarding by just reducing content in the foundational biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences or by shifting some foundational content into prerequisites for admission into the Doctor of Pharmacy program. The health care education literature suggests that this approach would negatively impact the development of the critical and clinical thinking skills needed by a modern pharmacist. This commentary is intended to inform conversations on curricular hoarding by affirming and demonstrating the reliance of pharmacists’ clinical and critical thinking on the scientific concepts of the biomedical and pharmaceutical science disciplines and reiterating the importance to the practicing pharmacist of a deep understanding of these concepts, conferred through a careful and intentional educational integration.

Rapid Whole-Plate Cell and Tissue Micropatterning Using a Budget 3D Resin Printer.

The ability to precisely pattern cells and proteins is crucial in various scientific disciplines, including cell biology, bioengineering, and materials chemistry. Current techniques, such as microcontact stamping, 3D bioprinting, and direct photopatterning, have limitations in terms of cost, versatility, and throughput. In this Article, we present an accessible approach that combines the throughput of photomask systems with the versatility of programmable light patterning using a low-cost consumer LCD resin printer. The method involves utilizing a bioinert hydrogel, poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA), and a 405 nm sensitive photoinitiator (LAP) that are selectively cross-linked to form a hydrogel upon light exposure, creating specific regions that are protein and cell-repellent. Our result highlights that a low-cost LCD resin printer can project virtual photomasks onto the hydrogel, allowing for reasonable resolution and large-area printing at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems. The study demonstrates the calibration of exposure times for optimal resolution and accuracy and shape corrections to overcome the inherent challenges of wide-field resin printing. The potential of this approach is validated through widely studied 2D and 3D stem cell applications, showcasing its biocompatibility and ability to replicate complex tissue engineering patterns. We also validate the method with a cell-adhesive polymer (gelatin methacrylate; GelMA). The combination of low cost, high throughput, and accessibility makes this method broadly applicable across fields for enabling rapid and precise fabrication of cells and tissues in standard laboratory culture vessels.

Antioxidants: A Hot Controversy Defused by Cool Semantics.

Recent years have witnessed a rather controversial debate on what antioxidants are and how beneficial they may be in the context of human health. Despite a considerable increase in scientific evidence, the matter remains highly divisive as different pieces of new data seem to support both the pro- and the anti-antioxidant perspective. Here, we argue that the matter at the heart of this debate is not necessarily empirical but of semantics. Thus, the controversy cannot be resolved with the traditional tools of natural sciences and by the mere accumulation of new data. In fact, the term "antioxidants" has been part of the scientific language game for a few decades and is nowadays used differently in the context of different scientific disciplines active at different levels of scientific complexity. It, therefore, represents not a single expression but an entire family of words with distinctively different connotations and associations. The transcendent use of this expression from a basic to a more complex discipline, such as going from chemistry to physiology, is problematic as it assigns the term with connotations that are not corroborated empirically. This may lead to false claims and aspirations not warranted by empirical data. Initially, health claims may not even be indented, yet, on occasion, they are welcome for reasons other than scientific ones. To resolve this debate, one may need to refrain from using the term "antioxidants" in disciplines and contexts where its meaning is unclear, limit its use to disciplines where it is essential and beneficial, and, in any case, become more specific in such contexts where its use is warranted, for instance, in the case of "dietary antioxidants".

Basic or applied research in university–industry collaborations? An analysis of research orientations in knowledge creation partnerships

AbstractIn a knowledge‐based economy, university–industry collaborations play a pivotal role in driving innovation and economic growth. This study investigates the research orientations of these collaborations, focusing on the balance between basic and applied research. Using data from 631 collaborative projects funded by the French Cifre PhD programme, we find that most projects emphasize basic research (61%), contradicting the common expectation that industry‐led partnerships primarily focus on applied research. Importantly, our analysis reveals that this preference for basic research is not contingent on traditional contextual factors such as scientific discipline, company size or university type. These findings challenge established assumptions in the literature and suggest that even in industry‐sponsored research, fundamental inquiry is critical in supporting long‐term innovation strategies. This paper contributes to the understanding of research orientations in university–industry collaborations and offers practical suggestions for enhancing these partnerships and informing research policy. Additionally, we outline a research agenda for further exploration of the factors influencing research orientations, the impact of early‐stage industry engagement and the role of policies in shaping collaboration outcomes.

Open Source Plagiarism Checking Software: An Assessment of Awareness and Utility Among Social Science Research Scholars of Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Darbhanga, Bihar: A Study

This study investigates the awareness and usage of open-source plagiarism checking software among research scholars in the Social Sciences discipline at Lalit Narayan Mithila University (LNMU), Darbhanga, Bihar. Given the increasing importance of academic integrity, this study aims to identify the level of knowledge, usage patterns, and perceived benefits of these tools among researchers. A structured questionnaire was administered to 60 participants, revealing a moderate level of awareness but limited usage. The findings suggest the need for enhanced training and institutional support to promote the effective use of open source plagiarism detection software. Although there is a notable intention to use plagiarism detection resources, various barriers remain that must be addressed to optimize their utilization and reinforce academic integrity in research practices.

Co-construction of an instructional module to improve the understanding of cancer screening by people with intellectual disabilities: Strategic choices

ObjectivePeople with intellectual disabilities (ID) have difficulty in accessing oral or written health information presented in a conventional manner what compromises prevention. This study aims to develop accessible information on breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening for people with ID. MethodThe instructional material has been developed collaboratively by a team involving representatives from different scientific disciplines (medical and psychoeducational) and people with ID. Five principles guided its elaboration, i.e. coconstruction, multimodality, phasing, socio-cognitivism and accessibility. ResultsThe material created is a 5-component module including a 20-minute easy-toread and understand oral presentation with a slideshow, a workshop that encourages manipulation and discussion, a booklet to take away, a film to consolidate information and a questionnaire. ConclusionProviding accessible information is considered a key action in reestablishing equality in access to cancer health care and preventing a cascade of consequences. The co-construction of the module ensures its social and ecological validity. An interventional study is underway to verify its efficacy. Practical implicationThe best practices for cancer prevention endorse spending enough time to discuss screening. This accessible module can be used to provide people with ID basic information about screening, increase their adherence, and facilitate the discussion on this issue.

Best Practices and the Need for Research on MA Degree Programs in Political Science

ABSTRACT Recent research suggests that master’s (MA) education in the United States could be restructured to better meet the expectations of students who seek nonacademic careers. This article considers the state of terminal MA degree programs in political science to assess whether they are preparing students to enter the workforce. We examine programs across various dimensions and supplement this analysis with survey data to gain additional information about the purpose of terminal MA degree programs. The results suggest that their reconceptualization is needed in the discipline of political science.

How to create a national sport strategy

Purpose: Due to its numerous positive effects on individuals and society as a whole, sport has become an important socio-economic subsystem of the national environment. To regulate, develop, and monitor the impact of sport at national, regional, and local levels, countries often develop and adopt various strategic documents, which can be found under the name of national program or strategy for sport development at the national level. Due to the importance of understanding the substantial comprehensiveness of national sports strategies (NSS) and the precision of the methodological-processual approach, the purpose of the present paper is to present a methodological and substantive view of the process of creating NSS and to develop a comprehensive concept (model) that appropriately places the substantive part in the phases of the process. Method: The methodology of writing conceptual research papers was used. This approach provides a bridge or link between different concepts and scientific disciplines. The methodological approach was the “model paper” which aims to provide a theoretical framework that predicts relationships between concepts. A model paper identifies connections between constructs and introduces new constructs. Findings: The development of the substantive model for the preparation of the NSS revealed that the comprehensive sport system at the national level can be understood within the framework of five substructures (financial, organizational, developmental, material, and program) that contribute significantly to the development and implementation of activities related to sport and physical activity. They are interconnected and interdependent and are surrounded by a so-called integrity framework that protects the sport system from the deviations of modern society. The methodological process model reveals that for the implementation of the process of NSS preparation, the most appropriate is the strategic management methodology, which enables accurate and efficient management of planning, organization, implementation, and control of the NSS. The combination of both perspectives (substantive and methodological) enables the development of a comprehensive concept (model) of NSS preparation. Conclusions: The developed concept (model) of the NSS preparation comprehensively covers the issue of the NSS preparation management and is dialectical, open, flexible, and repeatable, enabling future users to manage the NSS preparation in a substantive-holistic and process-effective manner.

Influence of School Working Conditions of Teachers’ Turnover on Learning Achievement in Biology in Public Secondary Schools in Garissa County, Kenya

The modern propensity toward multi-disciplinary research and the alignment of scientific knowledge from different fields has led to significant overlap of the field of Biological sciences with other scientific disciplines. Modern principles of other fields such as Chemistry, Medicine, and Physics are integrated with those of Biology in areas such as Biochemistry, Biomedicine, and Biophysics, making Biology a valuable subject to humankind. However, the government’s inability to retain qualified and experienced teachers in some schools due to high turnover impacts negatively on the students’ learning achievement in this subject. This paper looks into the influence of school working conditions of teachers’ turnover on learning achievement in Biology in public secondary schools in Garissa County. The study was conducted using pragmatic worldview and adopted a convergent mixed-methods design. With a target population of 2786 respondents from 40 public secondary schools, a sample size of 387 respondents was obtained. Using stratified random sampling, 27 schools were selected from which 336 students and 51 teachers of Biology were randomly and purposively drawn respectively. Data collection was done using Biology teacher questionnaire and document analysis guide. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics while qualitative data was analyzed thematically. The study findings showed that school working conditions (r=0.73, p<0.05) had a positive significant correlation with students’ learning achievement in Biology. Qualitative data findings revealed that majority of the teachers intended to transfer from rural to urban schools on the basis of unsuitable working conditions and insecurity. The study concluded that school working conditions of teachers’ turnover influenced low learning achievement in Biology in the study area. The study therefore, recommended strategies that should lower teacher turnover and increase learning achievement in Biology as follows; school principals should provide good leadership and adequate instructional resources for effective teaching of Biology while the government should post security officers to every learning institution in Garissa County to safeguard the non-local teachers’ safety and security

Progress Achieved, Landmarks, and Future Concerns in Biomedical and Health Informatics.

The biomedical and health informatics (BMHI) fields have been advancing rapidly, a trend particularly emphasised during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, introducing innovations in BMHI. Over nearly 50 years since its establishment as a scientific discipline, BMHI has encountered several challenges, such as mishaps, delays, failures, and moments of enthusiastic expectations and notable successes. This paper focuses on reviewing the progress made in the BMHI discipline, evaluating key milestones, and discussing future challenges. To, Structured, step-by-step qualitative methodology was developed and applied, centred on gathering expert opinions and analysing trends from the literature to provide a comprehensive assessment. Experts and pioneers in the BMHI field were assigned thematic tasks based on the research question, providing critical inputs for the thematic analysis. This led to the identification of five key dimensions used to present the findings in the paper: informatics in biomedicine and healthcare, health data in Informatics, nurses in informatics, education and accreditation in health informatics, and ethical, legal, social, and security issues. Each dimension is examined through recently emerging innovations, linking them directly to the future of healthcare, like the role of artificial intelligence, innovative digital health tools, the expansion of telemedicine, and the use of mobile health apps and wearable devices. The new approach of BMHI covers newly introduced clinical needs and approaches like patient-centric, remote monitoring, and precision medicine clinical approaches. These insights offer clear recommendations for improving education and developing experts to advance future innovations. Notably, this narrative review presents a body of knowledge essential for a deep understanding of the BMHI field from a human-centric perspective and, as such, could serve as a reference point for prospective analysis and innovation development.

Clustering Functional Data With Measurement Errors: A Simulation-Based Approach.

Clustering analysis of functional data, which comprises observations that evolve continuously over time or space, has gained increasing attention across various scientific disciplines. Practical applications often involve functional data that are contaminated with measurement errors arising from imprecise instruments, sampling errors, or other sources. These errors can significantly distort the inherent data structure, resulting in erroneous clustering outcomes. In this article, we propose a simulation-based approach designed to mitigate the impact of measurement errors. Our proposed method estimates the distribution of functional measurement errors through repeated measurements. Subsequently, the clustering algorithm is applied to simulated data generated from the conditional distribution of the unobserved true functional data given the observed contaminated functional data, accounting for the adjustments made to rectify measurement errors. We illustrate through simulations show that the proposed method has improved numerical performance than the naive methods that neglect such errors. Our proposed method was applied to a childhood obesity study, giving more reliable clustering results.

The Essential Jesús Huerta de Soto: An Analysis of His Contributions to Economics and Social Thought

Professor Huerta de Soto’s name has achieved great recognition among Spanish-speaking Austrians in recent times. Nevertheless, his thought and conclusions remained mostly unknown to English-speaking Austrians. This article focuses on his thought and contributions over a wide career in economics, law, history, and all the social science branches. We will have the opportunity to introduce his conclusions about central banking, entrepreneurship, history of economic thought, and political philosophy. As we can see, his conclusions encompass many disciplines of social science in a clear application of the Austrian method. We conclude by describing how he has created a living branch of the Austrian school, one of the most important in Europe currently.

Implementation of Gauss Elimination Method on Electrical Circuits Using Python

Problem solving in engineering, science and other disciplines often requires complex and in-depth analysis. A problem that requires effort is determining the value of electric current in a circuit. Generally, the determination of the current value in a circuit with the calculation of Kirchoff's theorem. This research presents an alternative approach to determine the value of electric current in a circuit by combining the Gauss Elimination method and Kirchoff's theorem. The determining process support by Python. This method is effective in finding unknown values in a system of linear equations through matrix operations. A deep understanding of currents in electrical circuits is essential in the design, analysis, and maintenance of electrical systems. The application of the Gauss Elimination Method becomes important in determining the value of current in complicated electrical circuits. The Gauss Elimination Method is able to solve electrical circuit problems using matrix principles to achieve accurate and relevant solutions

Giving Away the Science of School Psychology

Within the field of school psychology, we often put a premium on evidence-based practices, but what is often missing from these conversations is a consideration of replication and open science principles in the evaluation of evidence. Amid growing concerns regarding the replicability of psychological science, calls for greater research transparency, and more careful consideration of the conditions under which a finding might replicate, research suggest that school psychologists’ uptake of open science practices may lag behind that of other social science disciplines. The present paper synthesizes the literature on the replication crisis and corresponding credibility revolution in psychology, describes various open science practices, and considers barriers and adaptations needed to implement these practices in school-based research. The paper ends with recommendations on how to better give away the science of school psychology via transparent research practices so that research consumers can better reap the benefits of evidence-based practice. Impact Statement This paper summarizes the literature on open science, including key concepts relevant to the replication crisis and corresponding credibility revolution. These concepts are then made applicable to the field of school psychology, including our roles as researchers, practitioners, research consumers, and publication editors. By engaging in more transparent research practices, school psychologists can promote a more replicable, reputable, and reliable science, which yields greater benefits and buy-in for the communities we serve.

Effects of the Federal Government's Move to Reschedule Cannabis: A Commentary.

The rescheduling of cannabis, from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), current most restrictive (Schedule 1) designation, would be an important step for cannabis research and researchers. We are researchers who have experience with cannabis research in pre-clinical, clinical, and policy domains, who represent a range of social science disciplines (e.g., Psychology, History). In this commentary, we share our perspectives on the history, policies, challenges and benefits of moving cannabis from the current Schedule 1 designation (similar to heroin) to the less restrictive Schedule III (similar to ketamine). The rescheduling has the potential to contribute in multiple ways to research on cannabis' effects on the brain and behavior, policies for regulating medicinal and recreational use, and the use of cannabis to treat health conditions such as chronic pain. While there is scientific evidence to support this rescheduling, there also are challenges and pushback for keeping the regulations as they currently exist. Although "the devil is in the details," we present our reasons to advocate for improving access to cannabis for research.

SUSTAINABILITY OF E-LEARNING IN HIGHER EDUCATION

The present study examines the sustainability of e-learning strategies integrated into higher education, with a particular focus on computer science disciplines. As part of a pedagogical experiment conducted at the Technical University of Moldova (TUM), 259 students were evaluated post-experimentally to analyze the effectiveness and long-term impact of these strategies on academic performance and the development of professional skills. The results demonstrated that the implementation of the e-learning-centered pedagogical model led to significant improvements in students' cognitive, emotional, and behavioral engagement, thus confirming the sustainability and relevance of these instructional methods. The contribution of this study lies in highlighting the academic and scientific value of effectively integrating e-learning strategies into the university educational process, as well as in formulating well-founded recommendations for optimizing e-learning strategies to meet the current demands of higher education.

Pancreatic ultrasound: An update of measurements, reference values, and variations of the pancreas.

Reliable and reproducible measurement methods have been established, and reference values are used in almost all scientific disciplines. Knowledge of reference values is crucial to distinguish physiological from pathological processes and, therefore, subsequently, for the clinical management of patients. Image storage and documentation of measurements and normal findings should be part of quality assurance in imaging. This paper aims to review the published literature and provide current knowledge of sonographic measurements and reference values of the pancreas. Moreover, the role of clinical influencing factors such as age, gender, constitution, and ethnicity is also analyzed.

Definition of materials chemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 2024)

Abstract Materials chemistry is focused on the design, preparation, and understanding of innovative materials. It is an emerging area of research where definitions are not well established. This document defines the area of materials chemistry for the benefit of chemistry communities and the general public worldwide interested in this discipline. This recommendation defines the term “materials chemistry” as the “scientific discipline that designs, synthesizes, and characterizes materials, with particular interest on processing and understanding of useful or potentially useful properties displayed by the materials designed and synthesized for specific applications.”