Development of Physics Learning Devices with Group Investigation Type Cooperative Model to Improve Students Logistics Thinking Ability in Senior High School

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This research is a development research that aims to develop Physics Learning Tool with Cooperative Model of Group Investigation Type to Improve Students’ Logical Thinking Ability in High School. This research uses the ADDIE development model which consists of five stages: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. Validation of Learning Devices was carried out by involving three validators who assessed the feasibility of media, material, and educator responses. The sample in this study was class XI consisting of 25 students who were given a pretest and post test. Data analysis techniques were carried out based on the stages of the ADDIE development model. The results showed that the learning tools developed have a high level of validity, practical, and effective in improving students’ logical thinking skills. The use of this learning tool has a positive impact in improving students’ understanding of physics learning on temperature and heat material as well as improving students’ logical thinking skills in physics learning.

An Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) Methodology for Heart Disease Classification

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Heart disease continues to be one of the predominant contributors to morbidity and mortality on a global scale, underscoring the imperative for early and precise diagnosis to enhance patient outcomes. Machine Learning (ML) has emerged as a formidable instrument in the classification of cardiovascular diseases, utilizing intricate clinical datasets to discern patterns that conventional statistical methodologies may fail to detect. Nevertheless, notwithstanding their robust predictive capabilities, numerous machine learning models function as black-box systems, exhibiting a deficiency in transparency regarding their decision-making processes. The absence of interpretability presents a considerable challenge in clinical environments, where trust, accountability, and elucidation are of utmost importance for medical professionals. In order to tackle this issue, we propose a methodology for heart disease classification that is grounded in Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI). This approach incorporates interpretable machine learning models to improve diagnostic transparency and reliability. Our framework conducts an evaluation of various classifiers, including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Gradient Boosting (GB), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), and LightGBM. This assessment is based on essential performance metrics, namely accuracy, precision, recall, F1-score, and AUC-ROC. Furthermore, SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) and LIME (Local Interpretable Model-Agnostic Explanations) have been integrated to enhance the interpretability of the model. The experimental findings indicate that XGBoost surpasses alternative models, attaining the highest classification accuracy of 92% and an AUC-ROC score of 0.93, all while preserving interpretability. This study underscores the significance of incorporating Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI) techniques within medical AI applications. It advocates for the adoption of transparent, interpretable, and clinically dependable machine learning methodologies to enhance clinical decision-making and optimize patient outcomes.

Challenges in Quality and Quality Assessment in Education: Subjectivity, Ambiguity, and Professional Deficiencies in the Bulgarian Context: A Case Study

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This research critically examines the dismal state of the quality assessment framework in the Bulgarian education system, revealing a “tangled eclectic educational patchwork” that fails to yield any meaningful improvements. Through an incisive analysis of key official documents—namely, the “Framework for Assessing the Quality of Education,” the “Inspection Guide,” and the “Analysis of the Quality of Education Provided by Schools”—the study exposes a system “riddled with vagueness, subjectivity, meretricious practices of no in-depth value and real positive results and significant limitations in the current assessment approach. Specifically, the findings indicate a pervasive subjectivity linked to personal impressions of inspectors, a lack of clear and standardized indicators, and insufficient stakeholder involvement, which collectively undermine the reliability and validity of quality assessments which create a “blurry picture” that lacks reliable benchmarks. The absence of real feedback from essential stakeholders—students, parents, and teachers—leaves the entire framework detached from reality, with desultory emphasis on compliance over genuine improvement that resulted in a culture that prioritizes procedural adherence instead of stimulating an environment conducive to educational excellence. The disconnect with international benchmarks (as given PISA) further exacerbates these issues, highlighting rough discrepancies between reported data and actual performance outcomes. This study aims to provide insights into the systemic challenges facing Eastern European and especially Bulgarian education, along with practical recommendations for enhancing the quality assessment framework to more effectively support student learning and institutional development.

Contemporary Pedagogical “Global Epidemic Maladies” Disrupting and Distorting VET: Survey on the Pedagogical Diseases of the 21st Century

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The article explores the contemporary pedagogical maladies affecting vocational education and training (VET) processes in the 21st century. It identifies a range of systemic issues that hinder immensely effective learning and teaching, including a focus on short-term outcomes, administrative constraints, market-driven approaches, cultural irrelevance, outdated curricula, and a lack of evidence-based practices. The author summarizes and categorizes the educational “diseases” with the most intense effects in VET. In addition to the broadly discussed educational issues, such as pedagogical myopia, the overemphasis on credentialism, and the commodification of education (and others)—which treats learning as a product and prioritizes profit over quality—the author provides definitions for several other negative educational phenomena that are increasingly prevalent in contemporary discourse. In operational terms are given proposals and author’ definitions of new maladies, such as “educational Lisenkovism,” “educational Bufosynchronism,” “pluralism of educational Ersatz-Models,” “pedagogical Pharisaism,” “pedagogical solipsism,” and “factoid-like Jactitation”. The core reason for all the identified pedagogical maladies can be attributed to a systemic often deliberate misalignment between educational practices, institutional policies, and the evolving needs of learners and the labour market. The survey is structured based on the origins of the phenomena and their likely future pernicious effects.

Transforming Lesson Study with PHP Learning Application: It’s Impact on Students’ Digital Literacy

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Improving the digital literacy of educators and students is an important element in educational reform to support the achievement of students’ academic achievement. This study aims to identify alternative solutions through the development of Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) application-based learning to improve students’ digital literacy. The study used a quasi-experimental method with a one-group pretest-posttest design involving 41 students of the Elementary School Teacher Education Study Program, Makassar Islamic University who were taking the Microteaching course. The study was conducted in eleven meetings, with digital literacy measurements using test instruments and questionnaires based on indicators compiled Referring to Caballé, Cervera, Esteve Mon (2020) and Wang Ng (2012). The results of the study showed a significant increase in digital literacy, with an average N Gain of 45% on the test results and 56% on the questionnaire. The implementation of PHP-based Lesson Study has also been shown to facilitate the implementation of the planning (plan), implementation (do), and reflection (see) stages, as measured by assessment instruments adapted from the UNY Lesson Study Team (2007) and Ibrohim (2009). With these results, the technology-based application shows its effectiveness in supporting the improvement of students’ digital literacy and can be implemented widely at various levels of education to improve the efficiency and quality of learning.

Dengue-Associated Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis: A Diagnostic and Therapeutic Challenge

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Dengue fever, a widespread arboviral infection, ranges in severity from mild febrile illness to life-threatening conditions such as dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome. Rarely, dengue can precipitate hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a severe hyperinflammatory syndrome characterized by dysregulated macrophage and T-cell activation. We report a case of a 45-year-old female presenting with fever, hepatosplenomegaly, cytopenias, and hyperferritinemia, who was diagnosed with dengue-associated HLH. The diagnosis was established using clinical findings, elevated ferritin, cytopenias, splenomegaly, and hemophagocytosis in the bone marrow, fulfilling the HLH-2004 criteria. Early initiation of dexamethasone, along with supportive therapy, improved the patient’s clinical status. This case underscores the importance of increased clinical vigilance for HLH in dengue patients with rapid clinical deterioration. Early diagnosis and prompt immunomodulatory therapy can significantly improve outcomes. Further research is needed to better understand the pathophysiology, diagnostic challenges, and optimal treatment strategies for dengue-associated HLH.

Generation and Distribution of Protons in the Nucleus According to New Axioms and Laws

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The Theory of new Axioms and Laws  contains 2 new Axioms and 8 new Laws and is created by the same author. This Theory  claims that elementary particles are constructed simultaneously from 2 different vortices: open transverse vortex and open longitudinal vortex. They are mutual orthogonal in space S and in time T. These vortices can be accelerating or decelerating.

The transverse   vortex   is   open  ,  transversely coiled in 2D .Pulsating in time T  it  forms  pulsating  transverse vortex that  spread  in space  as  transverse wave  .Every points on this  transverse wave move with a constant time T= const.   This is the real time-space of light waves and Electromagnetic waves.

The longitudinal  vortex is also open, but is wound longitudinally in 3D .Pulsating  in time T it forms  longitudinal waves . If it has  positive  acceleration   the accelerating  longitudinal vortices   suck in free vortices  from outside to inward. They   attract and pack  such  that they insert  each inside other and  form an accelerating longitudinal Funnel. In  Funnel the   longitudinal  and angular speed of spirals  are changing so that  the length all   spirals is one and the same: S=.const. The acceleratng longitudinal Funnels generate   the  Gravitational  time-space of attraction.

Transverse and longitudinal vortices transform each other: when the transverse vortex  expands in radius R , the longitudinal vortex shrinks  in length L and vice versa.

The proton is generated by a longitudinal decelerating vortex  with length L in 3D that comes from outside space .It   winds up a transverse acceleration vortex in a 2D  from in to outward  direction  in form of sphere  with radius R( Law 2).

It is known   that the nucleus of atom is formed  by  many shells of protons inserted one into another .Because the protons repell each other  ,that is why it is neccessary are tightened and laced up each other.This take place   by (software approach)   the accelerating longitudinal Funnels coming from  all directions of 3D  from out-inward  and  by   (hardware approach)  implemented  by the  of the neutrons .

The central spirals of  accelerating longitudinal Funnel  have maximal longitudinal velocity (in direction of  the moving) and minimal angular speed (along the radius) (Law6).That is why  the generated in  center protons have maximal  length L max  of longitudinal vortex and  minimal transverse radius  R min (Law2).Thus  the central protons look like to invisible points.

The peripheral spirals have minimal  longitudinal velocity (in direction of moving ) and maximal angular speed (along radius)( Law6). That is why the peripheral protons have minimal  length  L min of longitudinal vortex and  maximal transverse radius R max(Law2). Thus the peripheral protons   look like of well visible spheres.

The Influence of Service Quality on Loyalty Mediated by Customer Satisfaction at Hospital X

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The development of the business world is increasing, competition is very tight, so the thing that companies need to pay attention to is service quality. Service quality plays a very important role in hospital services because it will influence the loyalty and satisfaction of customers or patients who come to the hospital. Factors that influence service quality, namely Tangibility, Assurance, Reliability, Responsiveness, and Emphaty. Meanwhile, the definition of satisfaction is a person’s assessment of the product’s perceived performance or results in relation to expectations. And the definition of loyalty is a classic word used to describe loyalty and very enthusiastic devotion to an individual. What can be done to prepare ourselves for market demands is to improve service quality. The aim is to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. This research aims to find out how much influence service quality has on customer satisfaction and loyalty at Hospital X. The number of samples in this research was 100 respondents. The data used is a type of quantitative data obtained from filling out questionnaires by selected respondents using a simple random sampling method. The analytical method used is processed using Smart PLS (Partial Least Square) software. The results of this research show that there is a significant influence of service quality on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, customer satisfaction has a significant influence on customer loyalty, but customer satisfaction does not mediate the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The Degrowth of Tourism Industry in the Island of Crete, Greece. Is it Desirable and Feasible?

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The concept of degrowth has been developed recently as an alternative paradigm to continuous and unlimited growth which prevails nowadays. The degrowth of tourism industry has been proposed in overcrowded tourism destinations balancing the satisfaction of tourists and local residents with the sustainability of the natural ecosystems. The island of Crete, Greece is located in eastern Mediterranean basin hosting an increasing number of visitors every year. The tourism industry in the island is well developed having a high economic impact. The prosperous tourism industry in Crete has surpassed the carrying capacity of the island threatening its fragile ecosystems causing phenomena of overtourism with undesired and harmful impacts in the local societies. The degrowth of the local tourism industry can be conceived as an alternative paradigm of the current growth model of tourism which threatens its long-term sustainability. It rejects the current model of continuous and unlimited growth of tourism promoting the values of locality, development of small-scale enterprises, quality of life, environmental sustainability, reduction of carbon emissions, decommodification of tourism activities and smaller production and consumption. The adoption of tourism degrowth in Crete requires the mobilization and the active participation of the multiple stakeholders of the tourism industry in the island while it promotes their long-term interests which are currently threatened by overtourism, climate crisis and overconsumption of the limited natural resources.

Dietary Educational Program and Its Effect on the Knowledge of Patients with Diabetes Mellitus in Rivers State Nigeria

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Background: Diet is one of the key risk factors of T2DM because many nations have experienced dietary changes favoring increased calorie consumption due of urbanization and economic expansion. However, many diabetic patients still suffer the complications of diabetes mellitus because of their poor knowledge of the dietary management of diabetes mellitus. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effects of a dietary educational program on the knowledge of diabetic patients. This study was carried out among patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), Rivers State, Nigeria. This study used a quasi-experimental design. Multistage sampling techniques was used to enroll a total of 162 participants,  with 81 in the Control Group (CG) and 81 in the Experimental Group (EG), while Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) served as EG and CG respectively. Both groups received equal intervention of personalized meal timetables and 2 weekly phone call follow-ups. Additionally,   EG received Dietary education, using cooked and raw food demonstrations. Data was collected using a Semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data while the statistics analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22 statistical software with a p-value of <0.05 regarded as significant. Patients’ QoL, knowledge were assessed at baseline and six months (P1 & P3). The knowledge was classified into “good” fair and “poor,” At P1, EG had poor knowledge (EG: 17.3%) while CG had 18.5%. Knowledge at P3, 0% of patients in EG had poor knowledge while 17.3 % was seen in CG there was an improvement in both groups with p=0.001. Because of the educational program, the patients’ knowledge was affected positively at the end of the program. However, EG had better knowledge because of the demonstration of food. Thus, dietary intervention programs improved the knowledge of the patients.