International Journal of Arts, Sciences and Education

Enhanced Robustness in Early Multi-Class Detection of Diabetic Retinopathy Across Datasets Using EfficientNet and CLAHE

Ageng Cahyo Widjaya, Irmawati — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a severe complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) that can lead to vision loss. DR has a high prevalence among DM patients and is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. Early detection of DR is crucial to prevent adverse effects on vision in later stages. This study utilizes EfficientNet and CLAHE methods to detect DR levels based on fundus images. Experiments were conducted on three datasets: DDR, IDRiD, and Messidor. These datasets contain five stages of DR: normal, mild, moderate, severe, and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Our proposed model achieved a validation accuracy of 85.97% and a testing accuracy of 86.16%, outperforming other models such as Inception-ResNet-v2 (82.18%), Inception-V3 (78.79%), and ResNet-50 (74.32%). The validation and testing accuracy values above 85% indicate that the model can accurately predict labels. Interestingly, when a mixed dataset was used, the testing accuracy decreased. This decline in accuracy may be due to increased data variability, inconsistent preprocessing, and differences in image quality. Nonetheless, this model significantly contributes to preventing severe complications and vision loss due to DR.

Educational Management and Literary Strategies for Preventing Sexual Abuse

Veronica Mogboh, Vitalis Chinemerem Iloanwusi — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The persistent threat of sexual abuse in Nigerian secondary schools calls for strategic, context-sensitive prevention models. This study explores how educational management practices can integrate literary texts into school safeguarding strategies to enhance students’ awareness and moral consciousness. Drawing from both empirical data and literary analysis, the study adopted a mixed-methods design. A structured questionnaire was administered to 225 respondents, including principals, vice principals, literature teachers, and JSS3 students across five secondary schools in Enugu State. Descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, were used to analyze responses to three research questions. In addition, thematic analysis was conducted on two prescribed literary texts, Sparkles at Dawn by Nimi Ekere and Shattered Dreams by Nasiru Rabiyatu Ahmed both of which explore child abuse from culturally resonant perspectives. Findings revealed that while literary texts moderately enhanced students’ awareness of sexual abuse (M = 2.57), the strategic utilization of these texts by school administrators and teachers remained limited (M = 2.42). The study further identified a strong agreement (M = 2.64) on the role of educational management in optimizing literature-based prevention. Thematic insights from the texts underscored the irony and complexity of abuse, challenging educators to engage students meaningfully. The paper concludes that integrating literature into safeguarding policies, supported by administrative training and curriculum reform, can offer a sustainable model for child protection. Implications for teacher education and school leadership are discussed, alongside recommendations for policy and practice.

Perceived Risks and Effects of Heat Stress to Students and their Coping Strategies

BONDEE PEÑAFLOR, BEVERLY GAY CAMBRI — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The study assessed the perceived risks and effects of heat stress to students and their coping strategies which could serve as input for policy and institutional innovation in the school. A cross-sectional survey research design was employed in this study covering 583 respondents. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results show that the perceived risk with the highest weighted mean include: Hot weather during these days can cause sickness; People exposed to heat have a greater risk of developing serious diseases; and Heat is a potentially lethal risk. Meanwhile, the perceived effects of heat stress are: Tiredness/Exhaustion, difficulty in getting sleep, and not able to study well at home and in school. To address these effects, foremost of the students’ coping strategies is by drinking cold water, juice or carbonated drinks, followed by keeping a personal tumbler to keep drinking water. In addition, students wear comfortable clothes to enhance thermal comfort and bathe more frequently to cope with heat stress. They also utilized trees and parks as the preferred places to stay or resting space for thermal comfort during hot days. To address these, the school management employs initiatives such as conserving/maintaining greeneries and blue spaces, water dispenser made available at no cost to the students, adjustment in class schedules, installation of air conditioning units and/or provision of additional fans, and adopting flexible learning modalities. The students were satisfied with these initiatives of the school. Finally, there is significant relationship between the perceived risks with that of the perceived effects, the coping strategies, and the school’s interventions relative to heat stress. As students exhibit coping strategies, they are, in a way, reducing their risks. On the same manner, as the school management provides necessary interventions that address heat stress, the school also aid in lowering the risks and in enhancing the coping strategies of the students.

The Role of Social Media in Shaping Modern-Day Activism

Syed Ishfaqul Bari Bari — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The fourth industrial revolution is presently taking place throughout the world. This revolution was greatly influenced by the development of digital media. The range of socio-political activism was altered. Global communication has been profoundly altered by technology breakthroughs, with social media platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, Snapchat, Telegram, and WeChat at the forefront. The study explores how social media has changed activism in the modern day by highlighting how it can increase access, visibility, scope, and empowerment. Examining well-known movements including the Greta Thunberg climate change protest, #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, and the Anti-Discrimination Movement in Bangladesh, the analysis delves deeply into the dynamics of digital activism. Despite democratising freedom of speech and fostering global connectivity, social media has drawbacks such as false information, divisiveness, and performative activism, and privacy concerns. This may halt the movement. The globe is currently moving towards a more sophisticated technical development. It is anticipated that activism in the future will become more digital, propelled by innovations in technology like virtual reality and artificial intelligence. In order to protect user data and guarantee social media's effectiveness as a weapon for social change, the study emphasises the necessity of responsible platform management.

Myostatin: Functional Divergence, Evolutionary Insights, and Therapeutic Potential

Muhammad Farhab — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) family members, growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) and myostatin (MSTN), share 89% sequence identity in their mature forms but exhibit distinct biological functions. While MSTN is a well-established negative regulator of skeletal muscle growth, the role of GDF11—particularly in postnatal development—remains controversial. This controversy stems in part from the perinatal lethality of Gdf11-null mice, which has led to reliance on recombinant proteins that may not fully replicate endogenous GDF11 activity. In contrast, genetic studies using knockout or conditional knockout models consistently suggest that GDF11 and MSTN play opposing roles in tissue development and homeostasis. This review explores the evolutionary divergence of GDF11 and MSTN, highlighting their distinct expression patterns and functions across species. We discuss their proteolytic processing, signaling mechanisms, and physiological roles in development, adulthood, and aging. Additionally, we evaluate the therapeutic potential of recombinant GDF11 and the implications of MSTN inhibition. Notably, while the mature domains of GDF11 and MSTN are highly conserved, their prodomains exhibit significant divergence, suggesting unique regulatory mechanisms for GDF11. This comprehensive analysis aims to clarify the functional distinctions between GDF11 and MSTN and their relevance in health and disease.