Eggshells, which are mainly composed of calcium carbonate, have been considered as alternative filler in polymer composites to reduce cost and improve some of the material properties. One of the biofillers that has not yet widely studied for its potential use in rubber is quail eggshell. For this research study, the effects of quail eggshell filler on the abrasion resistance and thermal degradation of room temperature vulcanizing (RTV) silicone rubber were investigated. Samples with 0, 5, 10 and 15 wt. % quail eggshell filler were prepared through manual mixing and open molding process. Abrasion resistance test was performed based on ASTM D4060 while thermogravimetric-differential thermal analysis was utilized to examine thermal degradation. Results revealed that the abrasion resistance of silicone rubber increases as the eggshell filler content rises from 0 to 15 wt. %. The silicone rubber with 15 wt. % filler achieved the best abrasion resistance with a mass loss of about 44.7 % less than the sample without filler. For the thermal analysis, the sample with 15 wt. % eggshell filler achieved a higher peak degradation temperature of about 605.61 oC as compared to the plain sample (511.25 oC) but the latter appears to resist thermal degradation better at high temperatures.

The study investigated the live selling of apparel on Facebook as a form of entertainment that blends digital marketing with e-commerce. It examined how satisfaction mediates the effect of the factors associated with apparel live selling on Facebook on Gen Z’s repurchase intention. A descriptive-casual method utilizing the Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analyzed the results and tested the hypotheses from the data gathered from 371 respondents. Results showed that satisfaction partially moderates the causal relationship between the exogenous variables and repurchase intention. Researchers found that live sellers can create more value for customers and better serve them by focusing on important factors like product range, delivery speed, and customer service. The indirect effect of the factors influencing live selling on repurchase intention through customer satisfaction was significant. This means that part of the causal relationship between the factors of Live Selling and Gen Z's repurchase intention towards Facebook Live Selling was mediated by Satisfaction. The major contribution of this study is the identification of the six key factors that influence Gen Z customers' likelihood to repurchase an apparel brand found on Facebook through live selling. By highlighting the mediating role of customer satisfaction, this study reveals how retailers can increase loyalty and repeat purchases by focusing on providing customers with a positive shopping experience. Moreover, the study provides valuable insights into what makes Gen Z different and how marketers can tailor their products to appeal specifically to this important consumer group.

Soil pollution in urban environments is a critical issue with significant implications for public health, environmental quality, and sustainable urban development. This review paper explores the various aspects of soil pollution in urban areas, including its sources, types of pollutants, consequences, mitigation strategies, and the importance of sustainable urban development. The sources of soil pollution in urban environments are diverse, ranging from industrial activities and waste disposal to emerging sources like microplastics and pharmaceuticals. The types of pollutants found in urban soils include heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and organochlorine pesticides, among others. The consequences of soil pollution in urban areas encompass public health risks, environmental impacts, and contamination of water resources. Mitigation strategies such as remediation techniques, pollution prevention measures, urban green infrastructure, and public awareness are crucial for addressing soil pollution in urban environments. Sustainable urban development plays a key role in maintaining soil health and integrating soil considerations into urban planning. By understanding the sources, types, consequences, and mitigation strategies of soil pollution in urban areas, cities can work towards healthier environments and sustainable development.

This study addresses the critical importance of customer-focused strategies and brand promotion within the food component import–export sector, a context that remains underexplored, particularly with respect to the influence of external factors across diverse geographical settings. Its objective was to empirically investigate how operational excellence, particularly customer relationship management (CRM), value-added services, and product quality and safety assurance affects customer loyalty and, in turn, drives brand promotion. Utilizing a descriptive quantitative research design, a cross-sectional survey was administered in the Philippines, with data analyzed through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings indicate that CRM exerts the most significant influence on customer loyalty, while product quality and safety assurance also positively contributes. Importantly, customer loyalty emerged as a strong driver of brand promotion. The model demonstrated high predictive power for customer loyalty and substantial explanatory power for brand promotion. These results highlight that strong customer relationships developed through CRM are essential for fostering loyalty and positioning customers as effective brand advocates. Preserving product quality and safety assurance is fundamental, the study's results imply that companies should purposefully put in comprehensive CRM systems and tailored encounters. To develop devoted clients, hence boosting brand awareness and securing sustained competitive advantage. Future studies ought to broaden the scope of investigated factors and explore more generalizable geographical settings to improve generalizability.

Digital portfolios have become an essential assessment tool in project-based and student-centered learning environments. Unfortunately, students exert minimal effort in creating digital portfolios because they find the writing component unchallenging. This issue is concerning since existing research predominantly focuses on the use of pre-existing platforms for building digital portfolios. With this concern, there is an opportunity to explore more challenging approaches to digital portfolio creation. Consequently, this study employs a project-based learning (PBL) approach within a website design and development course, where 176 undergraduate students completed weekly coding tasks culminating in a self-coded digital portfolio. Using a one-group posttest-only research design, data were collected through a structured questionnaire that included demographic items and validated scales measuring learning effectiveness and ownership of learning. The survey was administered electronically after students submitted their digital portfolio projects. The results reveal that device ownership shows only weak associations with students’ perceptions, while internet connectivity and self-reported academic performance demonstrate stronger relationships with engagement and ownership of learning. Additionally, prior experience with digital portfolios positively influences students’ engagement, motivation, and ownership of learning. Implications of these findings are discussed for supporting the integration of digital portfolios into technical disciplines. Overall, this study contributes to the literature on PBL methodology, expands our understanding of digital portfolio integration, and underscores the significance of student-centered pedagogies.

The transition from a centralized to a decentralized energy network has grown significantly. As a result, bidirectional energy platforms for consumers and producers have been established. In support, technological advancement in distribution networks is carried out, encouraging local consumers to participate in energy production, leading to the emergence of LECs, empowering them to captivate, generate and share renewable energy. A comprehensive review of LECs is presented in this paper, addressing their operational characteristics, control strategies, market interactions, regulatory frameworks, and real-world implementation challenges. Moreover, the paper provides the technical challenges related to grid integration, economic, and regulatory policies associated with peer-to-peer interaction are some of the hindrances in deploying a successful LEC strategy. The paper identifies a critical gap between the academic and real-world environment that can be bridged through realistic assumptions, adaptive control strategies, and measurements of cyber threats. Additionally, pilot projects are assessed to understand the feasibility and impact of LECs in real-world environments. This study proposes the requirements for establishing advanced network and monitoring technology, dynamic pricing strategy, and revised regulatory policies for the successful implementation of the LEC strategy.

The rise of digital platforms has led to a massive influx of textual data. While traditional textual analysis techniques have been effective, analyzing large datasets is becoming impractical due to the required time and resources. To demonstrate the usefulness of text mining as an alternative, this study analyzed data extracted from an emergency remote learning (ERL) environment. Free-form responses from a series of cross-sectional surveys (2020–2022) were analyzed using word frequency, collocation, concordance, topic modeling, and sentiment analyses. According to the findings, the most commonly occurring unigram and bigram in the text corpus were “hard” and “mental health,” respectively. Three primary themes based on lived experiences were identified, namely individual, academic, and technological challenges, and another three themes emerged from coping strategies, including entertainment, relationship, and health-related mechanisms. Negative sentiment toward the ERL setup was also evident in the text corpus. Overall, the combination of text mining techniques allowed for a comprehensive exploration of the linguistic features of the corpus and provided a multifaceted understanding of the selected phenomenon. Consequently, this study endorses text mining as a methodology for analyzing large volumes of textual data.

The integration of digital technologies in education has profoundly transformed teacher education, necessitating a focus on creativity, problem-solving, and inquiry-based learning. Despite the expanding literature on technological self-efficacy, creativity, and curiosity in education, significant gaps persist in understanding their relationships, especially in teacher education. Utilizing a cross-sectional design, the study applies PLS-SEM to investigate the relationships among technological attitudes, technological self-efficacy, technological problem-solving engagement, intrinsic motivation, learning engagement, pedagogical knowledge, content knowledge, creative reasoning, and curiosity among 875 respondents from a state university in Cebu City, Philippines. The findings reveal that positive technological attitudes significantly enhance technological self-efficacy, which, while influencing technological problem-solving engagement, does not directly impact creative reasoning or curiosity. Additionally, both technological problem-solving engagement and intrinsic motivational factors substantially contribute to fostering creativity and curiosity. The strong roles of pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge further emphasize the need for teacher education programs to incorporate holistic strategies that combine technological engagement with pedagogical frameworks. These insights underscore the importance of equipping pre-service teachers with the skills and knowledge necessary to cultivate creativity and curiosity in their future classrooms, thereby enhancing overall educational effectiveness.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine how physical education (PE) students engage with fitness content on TikTok. Methods: The evaluation involved 597 students enrolled in a PE 1 course across three campuses of a prominent university. Results: Findings show that students primarily watch TikTok videos for entertainment, with male students also seeking motivation and social interaction, while female students look for escape, advice, and guidance. Engagement is highest for videos featuring body transformations, fitness tips, and motivational content, with a tendency to apply learned exercises, tips, and nutrition education. Body transformations and motivational videos effectively arouse emotions and elicit affective responses. Conclusion: This research highlights diverse motivations and impacts of fitness content on TikTok among PE students, contributing to the literature on social media usage and offering insights for enhancing instructional practices in PE and understanding digital media interaction.

Philippine is one of the countries near in the Pacific Ring of Fire. In recent years, several moderate to high seismic activities happened that leads to casualties, deaths and damages in different structures. Manila is the capital of the Philippines with a population of almost 1.8 million. Many structures have been considered as old and unsafe and with an impending earthquake, it is essential to rehabilitate these structures. The imminent danger of the West Valley Fault when it moves is known throughout the metro manila and other neighbouring regions. The damage and casualties that will sustain from the possible 7.2 magnitude earthquake is fatal. Conducting mitigation programs is critical for it will greatly benefit the government and the people. Rapid Visual Screening (RVS) is an effective and efficient way of assessing the building’s structural integrity. This methodology is used to assess the structure’s seismic risk by visual observation of the exterior and interior of the buildings and a data collection form. RVS was applied in 26 hospital building’s located in Manila and the outcome of the assessment has shown that only 6 hospital buildings proved to be seismically adequate when using the level 1 data collection form. RVS is an effective tool in providing initial insight in the building’s vulnerability to seismic event.