مرور مقاله‌ها

Objective: This study investigates the common characteristics of countries with high happiness index scores using a cluster analysis of 20 nations. Design: The study is an ecological study where the unit of observation is the population in a country. Setting: Data were drawn from the World Happiness Report, World Bank, WHO, and World Population Review (2023–2025). Main outcome measures: The study focused on five variables: social support, GDP per capita, healthy life expectancy, crude death rate, and health expenditure. Results: Results revealed that countries in higher-performing clusters exhibited consistently strong social support systems, moderate to high GDP per capita, high healthy life expectancy, moderate crude death rates, and substantial public health spending. Among these factors, social support emerged as the most influential determinant, aligning with recent literature emphasizing the psychological and societal benefits of strong interpersonal networks. GDP alone was not a sufficient predictor of happiness; countries with high economic output but lower investment in health and social infrastructure ranked lower in overall well-being. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that countries with high happiness cannot be characterized by economic prosperity alone. The cluster analysis showed that high happiness may coexist with different combinations of economic, social, and health conditions. The study therefore characterizes countries with high Happiness Index scores as heterogeneous rather than uniform.

Psychosocial risks are an important occupational health concern and may be associated with emotional exhaustion through psychological mechanisms related to employees’ appraisal of adverse working conditions. This secondary analysis used a quantitative, cross-sectional design and data from 458 university employees to examine the mediating role of perceived stress and the moderating role of resilience in the association between psychosocial risks and emotional exhaustion. Correlation, mediation, and moderation analyses were performed, with bootstrap estimation based on 10,000 resamples. Greater psychosocial risk was associated with higher perceived stress and emotional exhaustion, whereas resilience was associated with lower perceived stress. Perceived stress partially mediated the association between psychosocial risks and emotional exhaustion, accounting for approximately 32.5% of the total association. The stress–resilience interaction was statistically significant in the unadjusted model, although its incremental contribution was small (ΔR² = 0.004); after adjustment for sociodemographic and occupational covariates, the interaction retained a similar direction but did not reach conventional statistical significance (p = 0.058). The model accounted for 59.6% of the variance in emotional exhaustion. Given the cross-sectional design, these findings represent statistical associations and do not establish temporal or causal relationships. The results support considering organizational psychosocial conditions, perceived stress, and resilience jointly when examining occupational well-being among university employees.

Learning motivation plays an important role in supporting children's academic success; however, children in orphanages often face limited individual guidance and attention that can lower their learning enthusiasm. Based on observations and interviews, it was found that the learning motivation of elementary school children at Orphanage GA was relatively low, characterized by lack of enthusiasm, quick boredom, and low self-confidence. This community service activity aims to improve children's learning motivation through interactive and enjoyable educational strategies. The method used involved administering pre-tests and post-tests using a learning motivation instrument consisting of 24 statement items, covering eight indicators of learning motivation, each comprising three statement items. The instrument was measured using a four-point Likert scale with four response alternatives, namely Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD), administered to 13 children aged 7-13 years, consisting of 11 boys and 2 girls. The intervention program included coloring activities, personal activity schedule creation, future goals presentations, picture-guessing games, English vocabulary learning using flashcards, an effective learning strategy seminar, and educational word scramble and word search games. The Paired Samples Test results showed that the average learning motivation score increased from 77.00 to 78.69, although the increase was not statistically significant (p = 0.651 > 0.05). Nevertheless, the children demonstrated greater enthusiasm and engagement during the activities. This program can serve as a potential initial step in fostering elementary school children's learning motivation in an orphanage setting and as a consideration for developing more effective and sustainable learning support programs. ABSTRAK Motivasi belajar memiliki peran penting dalam mendukung keberhasilan akademik anak, namun anak-anak di panti asuhan sering menghadapi keterbatasan pendampingan dan perhatian individu yang dapat menurunkan semangat belajar mereka. Berdasarkan observasi dan wawancara, ditemukan bahwa motivasi belajar anak-anak SD di Panti Asuhan GA masih tergolong rendah, ditandai dengan kurangnya antusiasme, mudah bosan, dan rendahnya rasa percaya diri. Kegiatan pengabdian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan motivasi belajar anak melalui strategi edukatif yang interaktif dan menyenangkan. Metode yang digunakan meliputi pemberian pre-test dan post-test menggunakan instrumen motivasi belajar yang terdiri atas 24 butir pernyataan, mencakup delapan indikator motivasi belajar yang masing-masing terdiri atas tiga butir pernyataan. Instrumen tersebut diukur menggunakan skala Likert empat poin dengan empat alternatif jawaban, yaitu Sangat Setuju (SS), Setuju (S), Tidak Setuju (TS), dan Sangat Tidak Setuju (STS), yang diberikan kepada 13 anak usia 7-13 tahun, terdiri atas 11 anak laki-laki dan 2 anak perempuan. Program intervensi meliputi kegiatan mewarnai, penyusunan personal activity schedule, presentasi cita-cita, permainan tebak gambar, pembelajaran kosakata bahasa Inggris menggunakan flashcard, seminar strategi belajar efektif, serta permainan edukatif word scramble dan word search. Hasil analisis menggunakan Paired Samples Test menunjukkan rata-rata skor motivasi belajar meningkat dari 77,00 menjadi 78,69, meskipun peningkatan tersebut belum signifikan secara statistik (p = 0,651 > 0,05). Walaupun demikian, anak-anak menunjukkan antusiasme dan keterlibatan yang lebih baik selama kegiatan berlangsung. Program ini dapat menjadi langkah awal yang potensial dalam menumbuhkan motivasi belajar anak di lingkungan panti asuhan serta menjadi bahan pertimbangan untuk pengembangan program pendampingan belajar yang lebih efektif dan berkelanjutan.

ABSTRACT Insufficient sleep duration among bus drivers has the potential to cause prolonged fatigue, oxidative stress, and elevated liver enzymes such as SGOT and SGPT. Research examining the correlation between sleep duration and SGOT and SGPT levels among bus drivers in Indonesia remains limited. This study aimed to analyze the correlation between sleep duration and SGOT and SGPT levels in bus drivers at Bulupitu Bus Station, Purwokerto. The study employed an analytical observational design with a cross-sectional approach involving 20 bus drivers selected through total sampling. Sleep duration was measured using a questionnaire, while SGOT and SGPT levels were analyzed using the IFCC kinetic method. Correlations between variables were tested using Pearsons correlation with a significance level of 0.05. The average sleep duration of respondents was 6.35-1.59 hours; the mean SGOT level was 29.625-24.94 U/L, and the mean SGPT level was 45,150-33.37 U/L. No significant correlation was found between sleep durition and SGOT levels (r = 0.203: p = 0.391) or SGPT levels (r 0.441, p0.051). Sleep duration did not show a significant correlation with SGOT and SGPT levels in bus drivers. Lifestyle factors and other health conditions may contribute more substantially. Keywords: Sleep Duration, SGOT, SGPT, Bus Drivers. ABSTRAK Durasi tidur yang kurang pada sopir bus berpotensi menimbulkan kelelahan berkepanjangan, stres oksidatif, serta peningkatan enzim hati seperti SGOT dan SGPT. Studi terkait hubungan antara durasi tidur dengan kadar SGOT dan SGPT pada sopir bus di Indonesia masih terbatas. Tujuan dari studi ini adalah untuk menganalisis hubungan antara durasi tidur dengan kadar SGOT dan SGPT pada sopir bus di Terminal Bulupitu Purwokerto. Desain studi ini menggunakan rancangan observasional analitik dengan pendekatan cross-sectional pada 20 sopir bus yang diambil melalui teknik total sampling. Pengukuran durasi tidur dilakukan menggunakan kuesioner, sedangkan kadar SGOT dan SGPT dianalisis dengan metode kinetik IFCC. Hubungan antar variabel dianalisis dengan uji korelasi Pearson pada tingkat signifikansi 0,05. Rata-rata durasi tidur responden adalah 6,35 ± 1,59 jam; rerata kadar SGOT sebesar 29,625 ± 24,94 U/L dan SGPT sebesar 45,150 ± 33,37 U/L. Tidak terdapat hubungan signifikan antara durasi tidur dengan kadar SGOT (r = 0,203; p = 0,391) maupun SGPT (r = –0,441; p = 0,051). Durasi tidur tidak menunjukkan hubungan yang signifikan dengan kadar SGOT dan SGPT pada sopir bus. Faktor gaya hidup dan kondisi kesehatan lain kemungkinan berperan lebih besar. Kata Kunci: Durasi Tidur, SGOT, SGPT, Sopir Bus.

Abstract Less effective emotion regulation abilities during childhood represent a significant factor of risk for healthy child development. However, despite much research into less skilled emotion regulation abilities, findings about the outcomes of emotion regulation ability trajectories in adolescence are inconsistent. This may reflect methodological challenges in undertaking prospective longitudinal research, or a lack of clarity about factors that influence developmental outcomes. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the prospective relation between early childhood (ages 3–6) emotion regulation abilities and adolescent outcomes (ages 13–16). Peer reviewed prospective longitudinal research studies published in English since 2015 were included in the review if they examined emotion regulation abilities in early childhood; assessed subsequent outcomes in adolescence; and examined risk, protective, or promotive factors associated with emotion trajectories. Statistical analyses utilized random effects models and reported pooled effect sizes within groups. Of 27,490 records identified, 16 studies were included in the systematic review, and 10 in the meta-analysis. Early emotion regulation abilities that were less adaptive predicted subsequent less adaptive regulation, psychiatric difficulties, academic concerns, and social challenges in adolescence. Risk and promotive factors for early childhood emotion regulation abilities included pregnancy-related factors, parental mental health, socioeconomic status, child characteristics, cognitive and behavioral traits, and family dynamics. This highlighted the complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. There was conflicting evidence about sex, suicidality, and externalizing behaviors, and quantitative analyses revealed high heterogeneity among the studies. The findings offer insights about the identification of youth at risk, and the development of targeted clinical interventions to enhance adolescent developmental outcomes.

Background: Digital devices have become very important in education. Students are increasingly spending their time on screen for education and other use. However, prolonged screen exposure has led to increasing complaints of digital eye strain, an emerging public health concern. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 165 undergraduate medical students in a tertiary care centre. A pilot studied; semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was entered in Microsoft excel and analysed. Results: The prevalence of digital eye strain among undergraduate medical students was found to be 52.7%. Most common symptom noted were Headache (68.5%), Itching (60.6%), tearing of eyes (58.1%). There was a significant association between the duration of mobile screen usage (>4 hours) and digital eye strain (p value=0.0303). Conclusions: Digital eye strain is a common health concern among medical students. Higher the hours of mobile screen use, greater is the risk of digital eye strain.

Introduction: Suicidal behaviors among adolescents are increasing globally, yet the differences between educational levels remain unclear, which hinders the design of specific prevention strategies. Objective: To compare suicidal behaviors (ideation, risk factors, and depression) between middle school and high school students in Pachuca and San Agustín Tlaxiaca, Hidalgo, Mexico. Methodology: A quantitative, cross-sectional, comparative, non-experimental study was conducted with 38 students (20 middle school students, 18 high school students) aged 14 to 18 years. Three instruments were applied: a test to assess the risk level of suicidal ideation and behavior, a risk factor guide, and the PHQ-9 depression questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Middle school students had a higher proportion of high risk for suicidal behaviors (30.00%) compared to high school students (5.56%). A high level of depression was found only in high school seniors (11.11%). Both groups showed similar proportions of high risk based on risk factors (25.00% in middle school and 22.22% in high school). A significant positive correlation (ρ = 0.52) was found between suicidal thoughts and risk factors (p < 0.05). The Mann-Whitney U test revealed no significant differences between groups. (U = 145.5; p = 0.312). Conclusions: Although no statistically significant differences were found between educational levels and the groups were confounded by institution, municipality, and age, a trend toward a higher proportion of high risk for suicidal behaviors was observed in middle school students and of high depression in high school students. These findings should be interpreted with caution and support the need for prevention programs tailored to each educational level, to be confirmed in studies with greater statistical power and adjustment for confounders.

In April 2026, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order fast-tracking access to psilocybin and ibogaine for the treatment of serious mental illness. This follows decades in which psychedelics had been vilified as a group of drugs entirely lacking in therapeutic potential, associated with counter-cultural groups such as hippies, and whose use was both criminalised and widely stigmatised. Our central questions are: How have the substances, practices, understandings and relationships that comprise psychedelic use developed, and shifted, over time? And how might we best understand the overall structure and dynamics of such changes? We argue that the recent psychedelic renaissance cannot be understood as the simple ‘discovery’ of a therapeutic potential that previously lay dormant in the substances themselves. It is better grasped as a part-process of longer-term informalisation processes, bound up with shifting balances of power between established and outsider groups and with the changing behavioural and emotional standards – the social canons – through which psychedelic use has become refigured. Drawing on the figurational sociology of Norbert Elias and relational work on substance use and health, we trace the shift in psychedelics from counter-cultural sacrament to therapy and technology of the self. Through dialogue with a multimodal, multi-source evidential base, we develop the concept of ‘pharmaceuticalisation from below’ to characterise both the contemporary uptake of psychedelics and the broader figurational dynamics this expresses.

Abstract. The article presents an analysis of the issue of low free-throw conversion rates in basketball, particularly among young players competing in Super League teams during their debut season. Purpose. The aim of the study is to analyze the efficiency of free-throw execution during competitive play among young Super League basketball players throughout the season. Material and Methods. Methods and materials: analysis of specialized scientific and methodological literature, analysis of competitive performance, and mathematical statistical methods. Results. An analysis of scientific and methodological literature confirmed that, despite modern approaches and training methods for basketball players, the issue of free-throw execution persists and requires ongoing attention from basketball specialists as well as researchers in biomechanics and sports psychology. Differences were identified in free-throw efficiency during competitive play between the experimental and control groups, both in terms of group averages and specific playing positions (guards, forwards, and centers). Unlike previous studies, our research focused on identifying the dynamics of free-throw efficiency throughout the season and the need to develop a methodology for improving the execution of this shot by young Super League basketball players; unlike their more experienced counterparts, these players are characterized by inconsistency and are more susceptible to psychological pressure from opposing fans. Conclusions. The research revealed differences in free-throw efficiency during competitive play between basketball players in the experimental group and those in the control group, both in terms of group averages and by playing position (guards, forwards, and centers).

Introduction: Psychological factors can be important for the physical performance of developing female football players, but research is needed to assess their impact. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a motivational psychological intervention strategy to improve physical performance in female U-15 football players from a football school in Zone 8 of Guayaquil, Ecuador. Method: Pre-experimental design with a single group and pretest-posttest measurements. Thirty football players participated. For the evaluation of the motivational climate, the PMCSQ-2 was used, while the YYIR1 and the Cooper Test were the instruments employed to assess physical performance. The intervention consisted of 12 sessions of 45 minutes over six weeks. The Shapiro-Wilk test was applied and then the Student's t-test for dependent samples. Results: The overall PMCSQ-2 score did not show statistically significant changes (t(29) = −1.37; p = 0.182; d = −0.250). On the contrary, statistically significant differences with large effect sizes were found for both the YYIR1 (t(29) = −16.08; p < 0.001; d = −2.936) and the Cooper Test (t(29) = −19.54; p < 0.001; d = −3.567). Discussion: Improvements are evident in the evaluated physical indicators, without significant changes in the overall motivational score. This divergence indicates that the physical response and the perception of the motivational climate do not always develop at the same pace. Conclusions: The intervention was associated with significant improvements in physical performance, which supports its application in youth women's football.

School – Based violence has been recognized as a major educational challenge (UNESCO, 2019). In Uganda, and particularly in urban centers such as Mbale City, reports of student misconduct, peer influence, and group-related conflicts are becoming more common. These challenges not only affect academic performance but also threaten the safety and well-being of learners. Therefore, this study examined the causes, effects, and prevention strategies of school-based violence and gang activity in Mbale City. This study adopted a mixed-approach design, combining literature review with contextual observations in the community whereby Secondary data was obtained from text-books, reports, academic publications and newspapers. Studies indicated that violence in schools negatively affects learners’ academic performance, psychological well-being, and social development (UNESCO, 2019; UNICEF, 2018). Locally, informal observations and reported cases in Mbale City suggested increasing incidents of bullying, student grouping, fighting among students, Intimidation and harassment, Group-based conflicts and indiscipline. The study identified key contributing factors such as peer pressure, family background, Weak school discipline systems (Gottfredson, 2001), Exposure to violence in media and community influence, Overcrowding in some schools and school environment. This further highlighted that effective prevention requires a combination of school-based interventions, parental involvement, and policy support. In Mbale City, these activities remain significant challenges in education and these issues are increasingly visible which require urgent attention according to media reports (Daily monitor 2026, April 17). The study concludes that a coordinated approach is essential in promoting safe and supportive learning environments by combining global research with local understanding to strengthen discipline systems and supervision, Guidance and counseling services in schools, student behavior monitoring by parents and Government’s support to policies that promote school safety.

Rumba turning involves continuous whole-body reorientation, but discrete kinematic summaries do not localise where consistent directional deviations occur across the turn. This exploratory study examined rotational-progress-dependent patterns of pelvic obliquity, thoracic frontal-plane angle, and right support-foot progression angle during the initial 360° Rumba spiral turn in highly trained adolescent female Latin dancers. Fifteen dancers aged 14–16 years completed five valid trials each (75 trials). Three-dimensional kinematics were recorded using a 10-camera Vicon system at 100 Hz. For each trial, accumulated pelvic rotation was used to define rotational progress, and the three outcome waveforms were resampled to 101 points across 0%–100% of the turn. The five trials from each participant were averaged point by point, yielding 15 participant-level representative waveforms per outcome. Two-tailed one-sample statistical parametric mapping (SPM{t}) tests identified intervals in which group mean waveforms differed from their corresponding Plug-in Gait model-defined 0° references, using a Bonferroni-adjusted primary α = 0.0167 across the three outcomes. Pelvic obliquity showed a positive deviation at 11.3%–47.2% and a negative deviation at 56.5%–97.3% of rotational progress. Thoracic frontal-plane angle showed a negative deviation at 13.2%–41.9% and positive deviations at 57.6%–83.0% and 85.7%–92.0%. Right support-foot progression angle showed negative, positive, and negative deviations at 0.0%–4.8%, 10.4%–49.1%, and 56.2%–100.0%, respectively. Sensitivity analyses without the additional across-outcome Bonferroni adjustment preserved the principal directional patterns, with only modest changes in cluster extent and continuity. These findings identify where, across rotational progress, the measured segmental orientations consistently departed from model-defined references during a standardised Rumba spiral turn, without implying normative targets of optimal dance technique.

In today’s dynamic service sectors, particularly aviation and tourism, innovation is a vital driver of performance. While leadership is known to foster innovation, the mechanisms by which leadership influences innovation outcomes through team learning remain underexplored. This study examines the impact of innovation leadership on team performance through team explorative learning, employee innovation, and team innovation, and further examines the moderating role of customer relationship management (CRM) practices in these relationships. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory and Social Learning Theory, innovation is conceptualized as a multi-level outcome shaped by leadership and team dynamics. Using Structural Equation Modelling on survey data from 430 employees and leaders in Vietnam’s aviation and tourism sector, the findings show that innovation leadership enhances team explorative learning, which in turn promotes employee and team innovation. These innovation outcomes subsequently enhance team performance, confirming their mediating roles in the relationship between team explorative learning and performance. Moreover, customer relationship management (CRM) practices moderate these relationships by strengthening the effect of team innovation on performance and attenuating the direct relationship between team explorative learning and team performance. In contrast, CRM practices had a limited moderating effect on the relationship between employee innovation and team performance. This study advances understanding of the indirect pathways through which leadership drives innovation and highlights CRM practices as a boundary condition. Practical implications for managing innovation in complex service environments are offered.

The effectiveness of young football players’ athletic training is determined by the interaction of physical, technical, tactical, theoretical, integrated, and psychological components. In team sports, communicative and organizational inclinations are of particular importance as psychological prerequisites for effective interaction and the realization of leadership potential. Purpose. To identify and compare the age-related characteristics of communicative and organizational inclinations in young football players and to determine their role in the implementation of leadership functions in team activities. Materials and methods. To achieve the aim of the study, an analysis was conducted analysis of scientific and methodological literature, comparison, psychological assessment using the «Assessment of Communicative and Organizational Inclinations» by V. V. Sinyavskyi and B. O. Fedorishyn, and methods of mathematical statistics, including the Kruskal–Wallis test. The study involved three groups of football players (n=108): aged 9–10 (n=33), 13–14 (n=37), and 16–17 years (n=38) from Children and Youth Sports Schools in Kyiv.Results. Significant individual variability in the indicators was established. Communicative inclinations were found to be more developed than organizational inclinations. Their mean values were 3.00±1.58, 2.92±1.40, and 3.21±1.45 points, respectively, across the three age groups, while organizational inclinations were 2.03±1.33, 2.24±1.42, and 2.34±1.38 points. The oldest group demonstrated a higher proportion of athletes with high and very high levels of communicative inclinations, whereas a low level predominated in organizational inclinations across all age groups. No statistically significant age-related differences were found in communicative (H=0.75; p=0.69) or organizational inclinations (H=1.11; p=0.57). Conclusions. Communicative and organizational inclinations are important psychological prerequisites, but not direct indicators, of leadership function implementation. The communicative component creates prerequisites for information, motivational, mediating, and representative functions, while the organizational component contributes to planning, coordination, and responsibility-taking. The findings support the need for targeted development of these characteristics and the application of distributed leadership principles.

Background While the COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions to social connections and lifestyles, many countries continued the sale of alcohol as an essential commodity. Evidence on change in alcohol use, and its association with mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic is, however, mixed and limited to initial periods of the pandemic. This study aimed to address these research gaps. Methods Data were drawn from the COVID-19 Risks Across the Lifespan (CORAL) Study, a three-wave longitudinal study conducted between May 2020 and April 2021. The present sample included 2,369 participants (age M = 38.81 ± 16.94 years, range = 11–100; 90% females) from the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia. Measures included pre-pandemic alcohol use and changes in consumption frequency, quantity, drinking behaviours (e.g., drinking earlier in the day), and motivations (e.g., drinking for enjoyment) during the pandemic. General perceived stress, COVID-19-related stress, loneliness, and symptoms of depression and anxiety were also assessed. Findings Drinking frequency and quantity remained stable across the first year of the pandemic; however, non-linear age associations were found. Young individuals aged between 11 to 20 years, and mid-aged individuals aged between 50 to 70 years, had the highest probability of increased alcohol use frequency and quantity. Drinking behaviours and motivations also remained largely stable, although age- and country-specific differences emerged, potentially reflecting policy differences such as alcohol access restrictions and lockdown measures. Finally, loneliness unidirectionally predicted subsequent alcohol use quantity. Conclusions These findings highlight the heterogeneous alcohol use patterns across age groups and countries during the pandemic, and underscore loneliness as an important public health issue with implications for alcohol misuse.

Stress is an important physiological and psychological reaction which, when prolonged, has a negative impact on the health and well-being of humans. Traditional stress assessment methods tend to be subjective and are not scalable in real-time. In this research, a lightweight machine learning framework to predict stress from easily measurable environmental and activity-related features, temperature, humidity, and steps, is introduced. The proposed method is different from the approach that depends on complex physiological signals and uses minimal non-invasive inputs that can be applied in the wearable and IoT field. The stress level is considered as the target variable, and all the features used as input variables are independent from each other to prevent data leakage. There are several machine learning and deep learning models and their performances are measured, such as LightGBM, Support vector machine (SVM), AdaBoost, Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU). Bayesian hyperparameter optimization is used to improve the performance of the model and guarantee strong generalization. Experimental results show that LightGBM outperforms the other models, giving an accuracy of 97% and a balanced precision, recall and F1 score of 95%. The results demonstrate promising predictive performance on the evaluated dataset. However, since the model was validated on a relatively small publicly available dataset, further evaluation using larger and more diverse real-world datasets is required before practical deployment.

In volleyball, as in other sports, special attention should be paid to the individual characteristics of the athlete. However, this is often neglected. Most problems arise when the selection criteria for a role are not a player’s personal qualities, but rather their technical and tactical skills (tallness, a strong dominant arm, etc.). Here, it’s not just the player’s skills that matter, but also how they present themselves as a person. Many personal qualities are determined by a person’s genetic code, which cannot be changed. The nervous system, temperament, and character play a crucial role in success in volleyball. Athletes’ activities during volleyball are subject to many specific characteristics inherent to the game. The fast pace, the variety and unexpectedness of game situations, the interaction with teammates, the intermittent pace, and other characteristics place mental demands on volleyball players that are markedly different from those placed on, for example, a gymnast during gymnastics exercises. A volleyball player must be able to quickly and accurately navigate changing conditions, instantly switch from one situation to another, and be prepared for any actions by teammates and opponents. The time constraints of fast-paced play place high demands on reaction time and decision-making. Two main types of neuropsychological resilience can be distinguished: players with an unstable nervous system and those with an inert nervous system. In the former case, a player may involuntarily change their mental state before an important game, sometimes becoming calm, sometimes excited. It is important to properly prepare such volleyball players. High-intensity and prolonged training before the game will help them focus and distract themselves from external stress. An athlete with this type of nervous system should focus on the technique and precision of the elements they perform. In the case of an inert nervous system, training should be focused on mental work. Before the game, a volleyball player should begin psychological preparation, which will consist of positive and negative mental stimulation based on the athlete’s personal experience. When working during training or warm-ups, it’s important to emphasize the athlete’s potential dangers.

Reading comprehension is an essential skill that enables learners to understand texts, interpret information, and determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. However, some Grade 8 learners experience difficulties in comprehending reading materials because of limited vocabulary knowledge and difficulty identifying context clues. This study, titled Improving Grade 8 Reading Comprehension Through Targeted Context Clue Strategies, aimed to improve learners’ reading comprehension by implementing targeted, structured context clue strategies. The study involved 33 Grade 8 learners and focused on five categories: definition and explanation clues, synonym and restatement clues, antonym and contrast clues, example and illustration clues, and inference and general context clues. A pretest and posttest were administered to determine changes in learners’ performance following the intervention. The pretest results revealed an overall mean score of 2.48, interpreted as Low, while the posttest results showed an overall mean score of 3.60, interpreted as High. A paired-samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores, t(32) = −10.615, p < .001. The null hypothesis was rejected, indicating that the difference between the learners’ pretest and posttest performance was statistically significant. The findings suggest that targeted, structured context clue strategies may help improve learners’ ability to identify contextual information, infer unfamiliar word meanings, and understand reading passages. The study recommends the continued use of context clue strategies, with additional instructional support for example and illustration clues and definition and explanation clues, to further strengthen learners’ reading comprehension skills.

Abstract Knowing where to find what kind of food, and when, is essential for survival and reproduction. Studying animals’ foraging strategies thus provides insights into the cognitive processes underlying real-world problem solving. We investigated whether free-ranging Guinea baboons ( Papio papio ) keep track of the spatio-temporal availability of a preferred food resource, the Natal orange ( Strychnos spinosa ). An exceptional wildfire that destroyed most ripe fruits in 2019 provided a quasi-experimental opportunity to assess whether Guinea baboons flexibly adjusted their space use to an unexpected change in resource availability or instead continued to follow habitual routines. The animals’ space use patterns shifted significantly following the wildfire. After one single visit, they stopped going to the area during the period when Natal oranges would normally be available. In the following year, when Natal oranges were available again, the baboons resumed regular space use patterns. We also assessed travel linearity, speed, and departure time from sleeping sites towards the target area with and without ripe fruit. Guinea baboons travelled more linearly, 14% faster, and ca. 40 min earlier toward the target area when S. spinosa was in season than when it was not. In conclusion, Guinea baboons rapidly adjusted their space use patterns in response to changes in the availability of a high-value food resource. These results underscore their capacity for flexible, reward-sensitive decision-making and goal-directed foraging.

Sports betting has expanded across sub-Saharan Africa, increasingly intersecting with young people’s aspirations, technological accessibility, and economic insecurity. Although awareness of gambling-related risks may influence young people’s decisions, recognising such risks does not necessarily lead to cessation of betting. This study explored how young bettors understood betting risks in Shibai Street, Buhongwa Ward, Mwanza, Tanzania. A qualitative cross-sectional study employing ethnographic methods was conducted between July and August 2025. Data were collected from 18 purposively selected active bettors aged 18-29 years through in-depth semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and informal conversations. Interviews were conducted in Kiswahili, audio-recorded, transcribed into English, and analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s approach. The findings were interpreted using Verstehen, strain, and rational choice perspectives. Participants identified financial loss, difficulty stopping, stress and mental distress, relationship conflict, theft, reduced attention to work or learning, reduced work-seeking, dishonesty, deepening poverty, and loss of personal possessions as important betting-related risks. However, awareness of these risks did not consistently result in withdrawal from betting. Some participants continued because betting provided hope, expectations of quick financial gains, peer influence, and a perceived opportunity to escape poverty. The study concludes that understanding betting risks among youth requires attention to the meanings attached to betting and the economic and social circumstances within which participation occurs. Risk education should therefore be complemented by livelihood opportunities, community support, counselling, and appropriate harm-prevention measures.