This study aims to analyze the implementation of creative learning among lower-grade students at SDS Parulian 2 Medan. The research employed a descriptive qualitative method with data collected through observation and questionnaires. The subjects were 51 students from grades II and III. The observation results indicate that teachers still tend to use conventional methods; however, students appeared more enthusiastic when the lessons were accompanied by creative activities such as educational games, quizzes, and the use of concrete media. The questionnaire findings support this, showing that 66.1% of students expressed liking creative learning, 17.6% stated it was average, and 16.3% reported less interest. The combined average score of 2.49 indicates that students’ interest in creative learning is at a moderate to high level. These findings highlight that the application of simple creative strategies can provide more enjoyable and meaningful learning experiences for elementary students. The study recommends that teachers optimize the use of media and varied methods to make learning more engaging and aligned with students’ developmental needs.

Learning discipline is a crucial component that helps students meet their learning objectives, particularly when it comes to honing their critical thinking abilities. The purpose of this study is to examine how learning discipline affects Jakartan high school and vocational high school students' critical thinking abilities. A quantitative approach using a descriptive associative design is the study methodology employed. The sampling procedure was carried out unintentionally mixed with non-probability methods. A Likert scale questionnaire with 40 students as respondents was used to collect the data. The findings demonstrated that, partially and concurrently, studying discipline has a favorable and considerable impact on students' critical thinking abilities. With a t count of 6.176 and a F significance value of 0.000, the positive correlation value is 0.708. According to the analysis of the coefficient of determination (R-Square), learning discipline has a 50.1% impact on critical thinking abilities, with other factors influencing the remaining percentage.

Biopatch is emerging as an innovative device in the field of health monitoring. The goal of this article is to create an adhesive biopatch that can be applied to the user's skin to measure electrocardiogram (ECG), body temperature, and inertial measurement unit (IMU) data. Then, sets of data are then collected in four different environments: running with and without water intake, and resting with and without water intake. In this case, the ECG data was analyzed to indicate the user's hydration state. Future applications of this data involve the integration of machine learning algorithms to predict hydration levels, contributing to essential health monitoring. Although this technology has the potential to improve personal healthcare, more research and technological advancement are needed to reach its full potential.

Young adulthood is a critical developmental period marked by establishing identities, higher education, careers, and relationships. Unexpected life changes or sociohistorical events (e.g., COVID-19 pandemic) can alter life trajectories and exacerbate mental health challenges. Ninety-one college students (M age=23.1; 87% women; 77% White) completed a survey of pandemic-related scales and written narratives about their pandemic experiences; we used an explanatory mixed-method design to explore the relationship between pandemic experiences and health. Two-step cluster analysis of survey responses revealed groupings of participants and yielded three distinct experiences: (1) high level resilience (“Surfers”), (2) serious physical health concerns, but adequate mental health coping (“Swimmers”), and (3) significant mental health challenges (“Sinkers”). There were no significant group differences by demographic or contextual characteristics. A content analysis of written narratives yielded differentiating themes between groups, further corroborating quantitative results. Collectively, findings suggested positive self-rated mental and physical health may be protective against unexpected life events in young adults. Thus, identifying strategies to alleviate stressors associated with unexpected changes among college students is critical, especially for higher education administrators, educators, and mental health professionals to support young adults’ resilience in higher education settings.

This is a 2022 review of Iceland’s progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) #2 (Zero Hunger) and #14 (Life Below Water). SDG #2 primarily focuses on eradicating hunger, creating sustainable agriculture practices, and providing nutritious food for all. Within Iceland, hunger is not a critical concern, which allows Iceland to focus on progressing towards the completion of SDG #2 worldwide. Iceland has demonstrated its commitment to this goal by supporting the World Food Programme through donation and advocacy, working towards global food security. SDG #14 highlights the importance of conserving marine life and resources, which Iceland recognizes, as its economy relies on fisheries. To protect its oceans, Iceland has implemented several sustainable fishing practices, which prevent overfishing and allow for healthy marine life. Iceland also places an emphasis on addressing ocean acidification and its impacts on Iceland’s fishing industry and marine population. Iceland commits to sustainable practices and creates a balance with economic affairs, showing its dedication to the furthering of its country. Iceland’s global contributions and support of international organizations show strong progress to Sustainable Development Goals #2 and #14.

The U.S. healthcare system, despite its advanced technologies, faces critical issues with affordability, accessibility, and care quality. This study investigates the financial motivations behind these challenges, revealing how key players—nonprofit and for-profit hospitals, insurance companies, and lobbyists—often prioritize profits over patient well-being. Through an analysis of restrictive insurance policies, the influence of lobbying in legislative decisions, and the Purdue Pharma case’s impact on the opioid crisis, the research highlights the ways corporate profit strategies compromise patient access and safety. Findings underscore that lobbying efforts and insurance barriers significantly raise healthcare costs, reduce transparency, and limit patient access to essential care. The study calls for policy reforms focused on protecting patient welfare over corporate interests, exploring alternatives like universal healthcare or price control measures to curb exploitative practices. This paper emphasizes the need for a balanced healthcare model, prioritizing affordability, transparency, and patient-centered care over profit maximization.

This paper describes the psychological influence of music in advertisements and the effects of nostalgia on the success of video ads. By examining the research surrounding ad effectiveness, the effect of music on the brain, and brand perception, we determine the underlying cognitive functions behind the music used in nostalgia-centered video advertisements. This paper selects and analyzes specific examples of successful and unsuccessful ad campaigns that incorporate music in order to connect with their audiences by evoking nostalgia. It explores the effects of music on the brain and how it can influence people to connect with a brand. It identifies common qualities of successful campaigns and determines how they influence the brain. Those developing creative strategies for video ads may find this research useful to better understand consumer behavior.

Visually impaired individuals face significant challenges when it comes to reading traditional printed books because they rely heavily on visual cues to access written content. Without the ability to see, they cannot read the text directly, making conventional reading impossible. As a result, visually impaired people often depend on assistive technologies such as screen readers and audiobooks to access written material. However, converting normal books into audiobooks is a time-consuming, labor-intensive, and expensive process. It involves hiring professional narrators, recording the entire book, and editing the audio to ensure clarity and quality. This process requires significant human and technical resources, driving up costs. To address this problem, I propose a machine learning-based Optical Character Recognition system to convert text images into audio signals. The proposed system utilizes convolutional neural networks and long short-term memory for accurate text recognition and conversion. The approach achieved a word-based exact matching score of 93.724, which is a remarkable result. Furthermore, I implemented the system on a low-cost embedded board to demonstrate its feasibility and applicability in real-world scenarios. I expect that this approach can help visually impaired individuals access written content more easily and affordably.

Generative AI systems, possessing the ability to create images from text, are being developed at a fast pace and need a lot of data to train them. This data is scraped from the internet and, more often than not, contains copyrighted images which are used either unlawfully or without the permission of the owner. Lawmakers have not yet caught up to this. This study aims to find the number of copyrighted images in a typical AI training dataset. A sample of 100 random images from training datasets encompassing 10 subtopics were collected and analyzed to find their original source in an attempt to identify if they are copyrighted or not. As per the results of this paper, the majority of the images were copyrighted or not credited. Some categories like art had a higher percentage of copyrighted images than others. New laws need to be made which will govern the vast amount of data being used in the AI industry and make sure that AI innovation is not slowed down while also protecting the intellectual property rights of the owners of the images. The paper suggests that there should be a new type of license which will allow for images to be used in datasets and compensate the owners. A chatbot could also be built which can summarize the complex terms of use of licenses in simple terms.