Thomas College

Although collaborative exams have long existed, they often are overlooked in nursing programs due to the belief that individual testing best prepares students for NCLEX success. This article challenges that notion by (1) reviewing literature on collaborative exams as a tool to enhance engagement and retention in nursing education; and (2) presenting insights from two nursing faculty who implemented this method in undergraduate pharmacology. Over a 16-week semester, faculty replaced some traditional high-stakes exams with collaborative testing and structured postexam reflection. Student feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and faculty also noted improved classroom engagement and critical thinking. Collaborative exams support decision making in complex, team-based clinical scenarios. Incorporating them-along with exam wrappers-into nursing curricula fosters group learning, deepens understanding, and better equips students for real-world practice.

Taxonomic classifications often mask ecological convergence among phylogenetically distinct species sharing similar functional roles and adaptations. This study aims to demonstrate that trait-based morpho-functional group (MFG) classification enhances our understanding of phytoplankton dynamics in a tropical wetland. Seventeen functional groups of phytoplankton were identified in the study area. The ecosystem exhibits significant seasonal shifts, from a chlorophyte- and diatom-dominated pre-monsoon to a reduced phytoplankton diversity in the monsoon season and a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria-dominated post-monsoon season. These seasonal shifts of the MFGs showed correlation with established functional frameworks and also strongly correlated with variations in key physico-chemical parameters. This was confirmed by Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA). The present approach of MFG of the algal communities effectively captures ecological strategies and improves the prediction of community responses in tropical wetlands.

Open-set face recognition in unconstrained environments is hindered by identity scarcity, unreliable rejection of unseen individuals, and poorly calibrated decision confidence. This paper introduces an identity-level open-set evaluation protocol on the Labeled Faces in the Wild (LFW) dataset that explicitly models unknown identities during inference and enforces strict separation between training, gallery, and probe identities. The protocol enables joint assessment of open-set verification, identification accuracy, and decision calibration under both balanced and full-open operating conditions. Using this framework, a face-specific embedding model based on FaceNet with VGGFace2 pretraining is evaluated against strong generic and foundation-model baselines. Experimental results show that, using the proposed evaluation protocol, the best-performing face-specialized baseline (FaceNet trained on VGGFace2) achieves robust open-set discrimination and identification performance, with a ROC-AUC of 0.964, an equal error rate of 0.059, a Top-1 identification accuracy of 0.933, and an accepted-known identification accuracy of 0.982 under full-open evaluation. Furthermore, post-hoc calibration significantly improves confidence reliability without affecting discriminative performance. The proposed protocol and results demonstrate the importance of identity-aware evaluation and calibrated decision mechanisms for practical open-set face recognition.

Revolutionizing energy storage demands innovative strategies that transcend the conven­ti­onal boundaries of electrode design. Here, we unveil a powerful approach that harnesses the synergistic interplay between dielectric and conductive nanophases to unlock unprecedented charge storage performance in polymeric supercapacitors. By individually synthesizing copper oxide (CuO) and barium titanate (BaTiO3) nanoparticles and strategically embedding them into a polyaniline (PANI) matrix, we engineered two finely tuned ternary nano­composites: PCB5 (10 wt.% CuO, 5 wt.% BaTiO3) and PCB10 (5 wt.% CuO, 10 wt.% BaTiO3). Advanced structural and spectroscopic analyses (X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Ramanspectroscopy) confirmed the successful integration of the nanophases, while dielectric studies revealed distinct variations in dielectric constant and interfacial polarization behaviour depending on nanoparticle ratios. Among the composites, PCB5 showed the most balanced electrochemical performance, with a specific capacitance of 271.67 F g-¹, outperforming pristine PANI and its BaTiO3-rich counterpart. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy further confirmed the low series and charge-transfer resistances of the PCB5 composite sample, reflecting its efficient ion/electron transport pathways. Furthermore, BET analysis showed an increased surface area (31.37 m² g-¹) compared to pristine PANI (24.08 m² g-¹), providing additional electroactive interfaces for charge accumulation. These findings establish, for the first time, a dielectric-conductive co-engineering paradigm in PANI nanocomposites, where carefully optimized filler ratios act as a dual-function booster of both dielectric constant and electrochemical kinetics. This extraordinary synergy paves the way for transformative next-generation high-energy, high-power supercapacitors with tunable multifunctionality.

The exponential growth of e-commerce has fundamentally transformed global retail landscapes while simultaneously creating unprecedented challenges in data privacy and security management. This paper examines the multifaceted nature of data protection challenges within e-commerce ecosystems, analyzing current threats, regulatory frameworks, and technological solutions. Through a comprehensive review of recent literature and industry reports, this study identifies key vulnerabilities in online transaction systems, evaluates the effectiveness of existing security measures, and assesses the impact of evolving privacy regulations on e-commerce operations. The analysis reveals that while technological advances have enhanced security capabilities, the increasing sophistication of cyber threats and the complexity of multi-jurisdictional compliance requirements continue to pose significant challenges. The findings suggest that effective data protection in e-commerce requires a holistic approach integrating advanced technological solutions, robust regulatory compliance, and comprehensive user education. This research contributes to the understanding of contemporary e-commerce security challenges and provides insights for developing more effective privacy protection strategies in digital commerce environments.

ABSTRACTImidazo[1,2‐a]indoles, 2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐imidazo[1,2‐a]‐indoles and benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2‐a]indoles are rare yet valuable classes of nitrogen‐containing heterocycles, offering diverse applications in pharmaceutical development and advanced materials research. Despite their potential medicinal applications, efficient synthesis methods for these substances remain limited. This review provides an in‐depth analysis of emerging synthetic approaches for imidazo[1,2‐a]indoles and benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2‐a]indoles, including metal‐catalyzed and metal‐free methods, as well as metal‐catalyzed synthesis of 2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐imidazo[1,2‐a]indoles, offering valuable insights into effective synthetic strategies.

The rapid proliferation of technology has posed significant challenges for employers in managing and retaining talented personnel. To sustain competitive advantage, organizations must become adaptive, agile, and continuously reinvent themselves. In the Indian banking sector, Employer Branding, Digital Leadership, and Talent Management are pivotal in driving innovation, ensuring operational efficiency, and maintaining competitiveness. As digitalization accelerates, effective digital leadership is essential for banks to adapt to evolving customer expectations and technological advancements. Indian banks must adopt forward-looking talent strategies to attract, develop, and retain high-potential professionals, particularly in areas such as digital banking, lending, analytics, personalized services, and cybersecurity. This study explores the mediating role of digital leadership in the relationship between employer branding and talent management within Kerala’s banking sector. Data was gathered from 306 middle and senior-level managers across public and private banks. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was conducted using AMOS 20. The findings reveal that digital leadership significantly mediates the relationship between employer branding and talent management, highlighting its strategic role in organizational success. JEL Codes: M12, M15, J24, G21, O33. Received: 26/07/2024. Accepted: 12/02/2025. Published: 03/07/2025.

Subconcussive impacts are very common in the sports world and can have many negative impacts on human function, including increased risk for cognitive decline and behavioral impairments such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The purpose of this article is to analyze the available literature on the effects of jugular vein compression applied by a cervical collar on cerebral structure and function in the setting of chronic impact exposure. This narrative review analyzed 17 articles on brain structure and function, published between 1992 and 2022. Our review of the 17 studies shows an overall neuroprotective effect of the external jugular vein compression applied by the cervical collar during insult to the head as compared to groups who did not wear a collar. These findings suggest a potential role of the cervical collar, in addition to helmets, in reducing the incidence of concussion-induced microtraumas and cascading secondary injury mechanisms. Though positive results are consistent throughout the studies, future studies with increased sample sizes are necessary to create precise estimates of the effects of the cervical collar. In addition, the analyzed studies mainly looked at the effects of the cervical collar on football players, soccer players, and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team members; thus, additional rigorous studies are needed to assess the impact of the cervical collar on other high-risk populations such as military and law-enforcement personnel, among others.