This research focused on the design and implementation of the flipped classroom approach for higher mathematics courses in medical colleges. Out of 120 students, 60 were assigned to the experimental group and 60 to the control group. In the continuous assessment, which included homework and quizzes, the average score of the experimental group was 85.5 ± 5.5, while that of the control group was 75.2 ± 8.1 (P < 0.05). For the final examination, the average score in the experimental group was 88.3 ± 6.2, compared to 78.1 ± 7.3 in the control group (P < 0.01). The participation rate of students in the experimental group was 80.5%, significantly higher than the 50.3% in the control group (P < 0.001). Regarding autonomous learning ability, the experimental group spent an average of 3.2 hours per week on self-study, compared to 1.5 hours in the control group (P < 0.005). Other potential evaluation indicators could involve the percentage of students achieving high scores (90% or above) in problem-solving tasks (25.8% in the experimental group vs. 10.3% in the control group, P < 0.05), and the improvement in retention of key concepts after one month (70.2% in the experimental group vs. 40.5% in the control group, P < 0.01). In conclusion, the flipped classroom approach holds substantial promise in elevating the learning efficacy of higher mathematics courses within medical colleges, offering valuable insights for educational innovation and improvement.

Objective: To evaluate the imaging features of spondyloarthritis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the sacroiliac (SI) joints in terms of topography (in thirds) and affected margin, since this aspect is rarely addressed in the literature. Methods: Cross-sectional study with MRI (1.5 T) evaluation of the SI in 16 patients with diagnosis of axial spondyloarthritis regarding the presence of acute (subchondral bone edema, enthesitis, synovitis and capsulitis) and chronic changes (erosions, subchondral bone sclerosis, bone bridging and fatty replacement), performed by two radiologists, blinded to clinical data. MRI findings were correlated with clinical data including age, disease duration, medications, HLA-B27, BASDAI, ASDAS-VHS and ASDAS-PCR, BASMI, BASFI, and mSASSS. Results: Bone edema pattern and erosions showed predominance in the upper third of SI (p = 0.050, p = 0.0014, respectively). There was a correlation between the time of disease and structural changes by affected third (p = 0.028-0.037), as well as the presence of bone bridges with BASMI (p = 0.028) and mSASSS (p = 0.014). Patients with osteitis of the lower third had higher ASDAS values (ESRV: p = 0.011 and CRP: p = 0.017). Conclusion: Chronic inflammatory changes and the pattern of bone edema predominated in the upper third of the SI, but there was also concomitant involvement of the middle or lower thirds of the joint. The localization of involvement in the upper third of the SI was insufficient to differentiate between degeneration and inflammation.

The danger of riverbed processes is considered. Their speed varies from the first few months of the flood to the most dynamic process in nature. It happened in front of people. This may make life on the river bank and the utilization of river resources more difficult. This paper introduces the causes and consequences of the danger performance of riverbed processes, and focuses on the mapping methods of the danger assessment of riverbed processes: determining the danger degree of riverbed processes and different methods of displaying it on the map. An example of displaying danger on the previously drawn map is given, and the distribution of different types and expression degrees of dangerous riverbed processes under various natural conditions in Russia is briefly analyzed.

Low temperature is one of the most significant environmental factors that threaten the survival of subtropical and tropical plant species. By conducting a study, which was arranged in a completely randomized design with three replicates, the relative freezing tolerance (FT) of four Iranian pomegranate cultivars, including ‘Alak Torsh’, ‘Tabestaneh Torsh’, ‘Poost Sefid’, and ‘Poost Syah’, as well as its correlation with some biochemical indices, were investigated. From each cultivar, pieces of one-year-old shoot samples were treated with controlled freezing temperatures (−11, −14, and −17 ℃) to determine lethal temperatures (LT₅₀) based on survival percentage, electrolyte leakage, phenolic leakage, and tetrazolium staining test (TST) methods. Results showed that FT was higher in the second year with a lower minimum temperature and a higher concentration of cryoprotectants. The stronger correlation of electrolyte leakage with survival percentage (r = 0.93***) compared to the other three indices explained that this index could be the most reliable injury index in determining the pomegranate FT to investigate freezing effects. Of all four cultivars, ‘Poost Syah’ was the hardest by presenting a higher FT than ~ −14 ℃ in mid-winter. Accordingly, this pomegranate cultivar seems to be promising to grow in regions with a higher risk of freezing and to be involved in breeding programs to develop novel commercial cultivars.

The Circular Economy (CE) concept has been recognized as the core strategy that can support sustainable business through technological innovation that enables CE transition by focusing on resource savings. This case study conducts research on business strategy in achieving CE transition in an agroindustry company, by performing SWOT analysis to assess internal and external factors. The SWOT model provides valuable results that an effective strategy could maximize strengths and opportunities, minimize weaknesses and threats in business by boosting circularity on business-critical factors. The CE adoption by agroindustry company mostly focuses on efficient organic waste management, energy-efficient production, and production process. This study case reveals that while technology plays a significant role in advancing CE, there is still a significant need to pay attention to the social aspect in supporting the creation of worker-owned cooperatives by creating space for employee involvement in finding innovations and adopting technology in business transition into CE process. Social innovation through the involvement of employees by sharing CE vision, synergizing and optimizing internal potential, and building up the green innovation culture has created an internal conducive climate to put CE principle into practice. Further result shows that a labor-intensive company’s business strategy prioritizes employment and job security over maximizing profits, which directly leads to the economic welfare and social protection of the business operation that makes an inclusive business.

Urban planning is critical to managing rapid urban growth, particularly in African regions experiencing high urbanization rates. This study focuses on Bol, Lake Chad Province, a city facing significant challenges due to inadequate planning frameworks compounded by recurrent humanitarian and climate crises. It fills an empirical gap by analyzing how local planning mechanisms respond to these socio-environmental complexities, with a focus on the interplay between institutional structures, legislative frameworks, and resource allocation. The study assesses urban planning practices in Bol to identify challenges and opportunities, with the aim of improving institutional effectiveness, aligning policies with realities, and integrating climate resilience strategies. Using a qualitative methodology, it combines field surveys, stakeholder interviews, and document analysis, using SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and PESTEL (Political, Economic, Sociocultural, Technological, Environmental, Legal) frameworks for data analysis. The findings reveal that ineffective institutions, poor inter-sectoral coordination, outdated legislative frameworks and resource constraints hamper sustainable urban development in Bol. To address these issues, the study proposes to strengthen local institutional capacities, foster stakeholder collaboration, and modernize urban planning policies through participatory approaches. The study highlights the need to integrate resilience strategies into urban settings to mitigate climate change impacts and improve governance. These measures not only address immediate challenges, but also advance urban planning theory and provide a basis for future research on adaptation strategies in crisis-prone regions. This study offers practical insights for policy makers and contributes to developing more sustainable and resilient urban planning systems in similar contexts.