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This study explores the attitudes of resource teachers toward IEPs, identifies the challenges and facilitators that influence their implementation and the overall effectiveness of inclusive education practices in Macau. The findings of the study revealed resource teachers play a pivotal role in establishing and implementing IEP for students with special educational needs. Nevertheless, it is discovered that there is little significance of IEP for catering the needs of students with SEN in the actual inclusive educational environment despite the fact that most teachers recognize the importance of IEP. Findings also revealed that the current IEP is often seen as a limited reference tool, lacking practical application in the classroom. The absence of progress monitoring and effective evaluation negatively impacts the value of the IEP. Teachers'insufficient skills in assessing students’ progress and the limited content of the IEP further hinder its effectiveness in supporting students with SEN. The study highlights the need for improvements in practicality, evaluation, and content to enhance the effectiveness of IEP oncatering the needs of students with SEN. Meanwhile, the findings revealed obstacles including teachers' lack of professional knowledge, cumbersome administrative processes, limited human resources, low parent involvement, and inconsistent progress monitoring. These challenges hinder the effectiveness of IEP implementation. Oppositely, the only key facilitator, which is student progress, allows for reflection and adjustments in teaching practices. Improving teacher training, streamlining administrative procedures, increasing resources, enhancing parent involvement, and standardising progress monitoring are crucial for optimising IEP implementation and supporting students with special educational needs.

"This study investigates the perspectives, challenges, and strategies of STEM teachers in Macau as they integrate STEM education into their curricula. STEM teachers in Macau generally consider the integration of STEM education essential for enhancing students' creativity and problem-solving abilities. However, during the implementation process, they face challenges such as insufficient resources, limited opportunities for professional development, and difficulties in interdisciplinary collaboration, which restrict the effectiveness of STEM teaching. This study employed a qualitative research approach, conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews with STEM teachers in primary and secondary schools in Macau to understand their experiences and needs. Purposeful sampling was used to ensure diversity and representativeness of the sample. The findings indicate that schools lack sufficient STEM teaching resources (such as equipment and materials), and limited professional development opportunities prevent teachers from effectively mastering new technologies and teaching methods. Furthermore, interdisciplinary teaching is constrained by challenges in collaboration and curriculum design. Low student engagement and insufficient parental support also affect the effectiveness of STEM education. The results suggest that schools should enhance resource allocation, promote professional development for STEM teachers in Macau, and encourage interdisciplinary teaching collaboration to improve the quality of STEM education, thus strengthening students' creativity and problem-solving skills. These findings offer valuable insights for STEM educators and policymakers to foster the comprehensive development of STEM education.

This dissertation explores the concept of a topographic shopping mall in Macau inspired by the region's mountainous landscapes and its potential to integrate nature within urban environments. As consumer preferences increasingly shift towards sustainable and health- oriented experiences, the incorporation of nature-inspired design principles emerges as a critical response to these demands. This study investigates how blending natural elements— such as local flora, organic forms, and water features—can enhance the shopping experience, fostering a deeper connection between individuals and their environment. The research addresses key questions regarding the effective integration of nature-inspired design in commercial architecture, the impact of these elements on user experience and well-being, and their influence on economic performance. By examining existing design strategies and their effects on visitor satisfaction, this dissertation aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the benefits associated with nature-inspired retail environments. Ultimately, the findings highlight the importance of creating biophilic spaces that not only fulfill practical needs but also promote health and a sense of community, positioning the topographic shopping mall as a potential model for future commercial developments.

In the everchanging environment of the digital era, incorporating new technologies has become a critical engine for company development and progress Mobile applications, for example, have emerged as important tools for reaching and engaging a diverse client base These apps° user interface ¥UI¦ design is essential to this engagement since it directly influences the ease of use, user experience ¥UX¦, and, ultimately, the organisation°s overall reputation Macau has experienced a significant shift in food delivery service in recent years, with a quick transition to an online platform Three significant companies have emerged in this fastpaced atmosphere, each vying for a piece of the market These platforms act as meal order brokers, linking customers and restaurants, with most eateries available on all three apps In this situation, it is vital to identify the factors that influence clients to pick one application over another Simultaneously, pinpointing the pain points inside competitors° applications that generate unhappiness among certain customers becomes a crucial goal This research aims to uncover the primary factors influencing user app preferences in the Macau food delivery business, providing insight into the strengths and weaknesses that impact customer choices and, as a result, the trajectory of these organisations

Environmental concerns drive corporate and consumer focus on sustainable packaging. Research explores key factors influencing consumer intent, emphasizing the importance of strategic integration for enhanced purchase intentions and environmental goals. A comprehensive literature review identifies factors such as perceived value, willingness to pay, environmental concern, and attitude toward sustainable packaging. Empirical validation using survey data demonstrates the statistical significance of these factors on consumer purchase intentions, with the willingness to pay to emerge as the most influential determinant. Stakeholders are urged to incorporate these findings into strategies for sustainable packaging, fostering positive environmental impact, and informing academic and managerial discussions.

The current quantitative study aims to understand/investigate the perception of Macao society towards couple therapy and therapists and the perception of Macao's professionals working with couples about couple therapy services in Macao. Given the small sample of this study of professionals who work as therapists for couples in Macao, this indicates that there is not a large number of them. The result of the research indicates also a general positive attitude of professionals towards clients but also indicates that couple therapy needs improvement. The sample used to measure the society shows that the society manifested moderate positive attitudes toward couple therapy. However, the findings may reveal that there are still weak points of societal knowledge and contact for couples therapy services. The outcome manifested that Macao has limited literature about Family and Couple Therapy which may be relevant to understand the poor knowledge of the society related to this field. The current study suggests the elaboration of future studies about Couple Therapy services and about the concept of couple therapy to promote therapeutic service to couples and academic researchers that promote governmental support to offer professionals validation.

<jats:p>The significance of forgetting in the Zhuangzi and its methodological significance for living a good life in particular has long been recognized by Zhuangzian scholars. However, with regard to what is really meant by forgetting, scholars are still far from reaching some clear consensus. Thus, with the aim of clarifying what is meant by forgetting in the Zhuangzi, I propose a wholistic understanding of forgetting in terms of the Zhuangzian conception of human self-cultivation. On the one hand, it involves an analysis of how forgetting is used negatively in the Zhuangzi to characterize and explain human fallenness. On the other hand, it also entails a careful analysis of all positive uses of forgetting in the text to mean our elimination of chengxin, orientation to the Dao, and fitness with all things in harmony.</jats:p>

<jats:p>This study aims to understand how companies address and integrate sustainability challenges in packaging design, as well as the motivations and processes that influence managers’ decisions when adopting sustainable practices. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with managers from five major Portuguese companies to gather qualitative data on the motivations and processes related to sustainable packaging strategies and actions. The list of questions was developed based on the literature review, from which the dimensions to be analyzed were identified. The results indicate that several factors influence companies’ decisions regarding sustainability in packaging. Despite some factors being beyond the control of companies, the interviews reveal that companies possess the necessary knowledge and are committed to adopting more sustainable packaging.</jats:p>

Understanding consistent inter-individual variability in animal behaviour, known as personality traits, is essential for exploring the mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of behavioural diversity. Aggressive behaviour influences survival, resource acquisition, and reproduction, so clarifying individual differences can enhance our understanding of ecological dynamics and improve experimental design accuracy in behavioural studies. In this study, ornamental male Betta splendens, a model organism for aggression research, were analysed for intra- and inter-individual variability in aggressive responses to their mirror image-a standard method for assessing aggression in fish-once per week, and their consistency was evaluated over three consecutive weeks There were significant differences in aggressive behaviour across individuals, with coefficients of variation ranging from 29 to 60%. While most fish exhibited the full suite of aggressive displays, some showed no aggressive behaviour, while others only displayed threat behaviours but did not advance to the attacks. The consistency of individual threat and attack behaviours varied, but repeatability was high overall (intra-class correlation coefficients >= 0.5), indicating that individual fish have different levels of aggression. There was habituation to the mirror assay, with aggression decreasing significantly by the second week, though the degree of habituation, a form of learning, varied among individuals in some behaviours. Air-breathing frequency correlated positively with aggression behaviours and can be considered an indicator to infer aggression level in this species. These results indicate that inter-individual variation in aggressive behaviour and habituation to repeated testing using the mirror assay should be considered in aggression studies using B. splendens and potentially in other species.

This anthology has been skillfully edited by two excellent young scholars of the impact of grassroots and non-formal transnational interactions upon Sino-American relations during the late 1930s and 1940s, years when first war with Japan and then an internecine civil war consumed China. The collection highlights “a motley array of Chinese and Americans who have long flown under the radar,” neglected by the official narrative of dealings between China and the United States which, according to the authors, has focused primarily upon a rather restricted cast of characters, most of them high-level official figures (3). The authors also deliberately draw upon both Western and Chinese sources, utilizing archival and printed materials from repositories in Taiwan, mainland China, North America, and beyond. The selection of individuals and enterprises featured in this fascinating collection is undoubtedly eclectic, ranging from Herbert Yardley, an expert cryptographer who spent 1938 to 1940 in China, training young Chinese codebreakers to decipher Japanese codes, to Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Evans, who took advantage of his military position in Taiwan following the Japanese surrender to appropriate and sell a small fortune in confiscated gold. Along the way, one encounters Chinese, British, and American guerrilla operatives in World War II South China; Gong Peng, the young Chinese spokeswoman for the Communists in Chongqing, the wartime capital, who enchanted and won over to her cause a wide swathe of Western journalists and diplomats; Gu Gengyu of Sichuan, who gained control of China’s lucrative hog-bristle production during the 1940s, selling in bulk to the United States government; and General Haydon Boatner, righthand man to Joseph W. Stilwell, the U.S. commander in the World War II China-Burma-India theater.

As societies globalize, mastery of a second language or multiple languages has become an important index to enhance interaction in the society, in that English is a widely used medium of communication globally. For engagement in international business, commerce, science, technology, and governance, the benefits of an efficacious English language teaching force to facilitate the English acquisition process of students in classrooms around the world is highly valued. The objective of the research was to investigate the possible factors (internal and organizational) related to EFL teacher's self-efficacy in Macao (Chinese Medium Instruction context) via qualitative approach. As evidenced through the EFL teachers' interviews, teachers' experience, as well as some external factors in term of working environment, organizational socialization, and work engagement can be possible factors positively related to their self-efficacy. Recommendations for the school management and educational department to enhance and sustain the efficacy of EFL teachers were discussed.

With the rapid development of mobile network, APP has become an important platform for children to acquire knowledge, entertainment and learning. Environmental education APPs have great potential to cultivate children's environmental awareness with the feature of “edutainment” and “fun”, as well as to stimulate their interest in learning and change their behavioral habits. Starting from children's UI and UX design, we use creative and child-friendly design to enhance the attractiveness of the product and the user's adhesion. Through quantitative research, we investigate the market and user needs, and analyze competitors. Through qualitative research, we analyze the content of the product using educational psychology as a starting point. The main motivation of this study is to enhance children's interest in environmental protection and their sense of social responsibility through game- based teaching, in view of the environmental problems in Macao and the world.

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is an American car manufacturer and one of the leading automobile manufacturers with over a century of history in the auto industry. The Company is headquartered in the United States, in Dearborn, Michigan. However, it has operations in over 125 countries around the world, including Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America, offering a wide range of vehicles under the Ford and Lincoln brands. The Company has demonstrated resilience and adaptability in response to shifts according to consumer preferences, technology advancements, and government regulations. The company has been investing constantly to restructure and position itself and remain competitive. Therefore, finding strategies to boost sales and get high returns from invested capital is a must for the company to keep its market share, even though this is still a challenge due to the nature of the automotive industry, which brings intense competition from both traditional and new entrants, particularly EV manufacturers. In this study the focus is not only to estimate the intrinsic value of Ford Motor Company as of 31, December 2023, but also to analyze essential aspects of the company including SWOT, PESTEL, and Porter’s five forces analysis to get a framework of internal and external environment of the company which enables us to identify strategic opportunities, competitive advantage, vulnerabilities, and threats of the Company. After understanding the dynamics of the company and the economic overview, which are crucial to predict the impact of key assumptions when evaluating the company’s intrinsic value. For the second part of our study, the attention goes to the financial analysis of both historical and forecasted financial statements that are extremely important to apply for the Discounted Cash Flow valuation methods and later to perform a sensitivity analysis to understand the Company’s financial performance. Therefore, Ford Motor Company’s intrinsic value from the three discounted cash flow models leads us to conclude that the Ford stock’s price is currently undervalued, and it is expected to grow in the future.

Indoor air quality (IAQ) is a critical public health concern given that individuals spend approximately 90% of their time in enclosed environments. Poor IAQ has been linked to respiratory diseases, cardiovascular conditions, and cognitive impairment, while improvements in air quality have demonstrated measurable benefits, including enhanced workplace productivity (2 to 7 times greater efficiency) and reduced prevalence of asthma and allergies. This study investigates IAQ across diverse occupational settings in Macao, employing a combination of environmental sampling and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) exposure model to assess health risks associated with prolonged indoor exposure. Field sampling was conducted in five representative workplaces (restaurants, student dormitories, auto repair shops, offices, and parking security rooms), and particulate matter was collected from air conditioning filters to detect heavy metal content in the samples. Subsequently, we applied the PMF model to analyze the pollution sources and the US EPA exposure model to assess health risks and evaluate the carcinogenic risks in the five representative workplaces. The forward matrix factorization (PMF) model identified six major pollution sources: traffic emissions (23.8%, Zn/Sb), building materials (21.6%, Al/Ti), cooking activities (18.5%, Na/Ca), chemicals (15.2%, Ag/B), electronic devices (12.3%, Tl), and outdoor activities (8.6%, Co/Ni). The health risk assessment using the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) exposure model showed that the overall non-carcinogenic risk (HI = 6.16×10^-6) and carcinogenic risk (6.57×10^-9) were below the safety threshold, indicating that its direct health hazard was minimal. However, nickel and chromium were identified as the main contributors to potential long-term risks.This study is currently only a preliminary exploratory study and provides a basis for subsequent research.These findings underscore the necessity for site-specific IAQ management strategies, such as enhanced mechanical ventilation, air filtration upgrades, and occupancy regulations. The study provides policymakers with evidence-based insights to mitigate health risks in high-exposure environments while establishing a framework for future IAQ monitoring in urban settings.

The pervasive presence of microplastics in the environment constitues a significant challenge for internationalntern conservation efforts. Since the increase in anthropogentic activities and inadequate plastic waste management over all years, Macao coastal ecosystems have been greatly impacted. Therefore, it is essential to assess the presence and characteristics of microplastics in both waters and sediments along the coastlines of Macao particularly focusing on mangrove and non-mangrove areas. This evaluation aims to gather data on the sources, transport mechanisms, and ecological impacts of microplastics in Macao's coastal waters. A recent local report has indicated that Macao's water sources are not completely free from contamination. This has become a significant concern, as coastal and wastewater sources are heavily polluted with microplastic particles. Macao has been referred to as one of the world's most pressing plastic ocean pollution areas, with one of the highest rates of such pollution globally. Microplastics, however, are not the only plastic pollutant found, as nanoplastics have been found in shore waters, harming ocean ecosystems and becoming incorporated into the food chain. This research was used to quantitatively estimate the density and occurrence of microplastics in Macao coastal ecosystems in mangrove and non-mangrove areas (Taipa Mangroves Wetland, Cotai Ecological Reserve, Coloane Village Wetland) and Hac Sa beach. The results show that the non-mangrove site has a density of microplastics at 267.98 pieces/kg, which has the lowest of all the sampling stations, and Taipa Mangroves Wetland, with the highest concentration of microplastics within the forest among the sampling stations in the mangrove zone of Macau. This research can also provide useful information for environmental conservation and management plans.

The Administrative Regulation No. 29/2020 on the Special Education System has been officially implemented since September 2021. The promulgation and enforcement of this important regulation mark that Macao's special education cause has entered a new era of development. In the overall system of special education, the teaching staff has always played a vital role. Their professional literacy, teaching status, and career feelings directly affect the quality and effectiveness of special education, and further concern the growth and future development of special students. This study focuses on the group of special education teachers in Macao, with the core goal of in-depth exploring various situations in their career. Specifically, it mainly revolves around teachers' current status, including their actual feelings in the teaching process, faced difficulties and challenges, as well as their demands and expectations for professional development. Meanwhile, it emphasizes the analysis of the current situation of teachers' professional achievement motivation, understanding the inner satisfaction and achievement gained in special education work, and further explores various factors affecting teachers' professional achievement motivation, such as the school management environment, parents' cooperation degree, society's cognition and support for special education, and teachers' own professional growth background. This study adopts qualitative research methods and semi-structured interviews, uses Grounded Theory three-level coding to carefully and deeply interpret teachers' statements, so as to extract core information and key themes. On this basis, it summarizes and draws research conclusions: Social perception shows obvious polarization in the public's cognition of special education teachers;School environment indicates that the working environment has an important impact on teachers' professional achievement motivation. The lack of effective communication and collaboration mechanisms among colleagues, and even interpersonal conflicts, lead to teachers' difficulty in obtaining good interpersonal support and cooperative atmosphere at work, reducing their work enthusiasm and achievement motivation; Personal development shows that teachers generally lack clear plans and specific schemes for career planning, thus hindering long-term career development. This study further proposes a series of practical countermeasures and suggestions, aiming to improve the professional achievement motivation of special education teachers in Macao from multiple aspects, including school management, educational policy formulation, social support system construction, and teachers' own professional development, so as to provide solid talent support and guarantee for the sustainable development of Macao's special education cause. It ensures that every special student can obtain sufficient growth and development opportunities in a high-quality educational environment, better integrate into society, and realize their own value and potential. 《特殊教育制度》第29/2020號行政法規自2021年9月起正式落地實施，這一重要法規的頒布與執行，標誌著澳門特殊教育事業踏入了一個全新的發展時期。在特殊教育的整體體系中，教師隊伍始終扮演著至關重要的角色，其專業素養、教學狀態以及職業感受等各個方面，均直接影響著特殊教育的質量與成效，進而關乎特殊學生的成長與未來發展。 本研究將目光聚焦於澳門特殊教育教師群體，以深入探究其在職業生涯中的多種情況為核心目標。具體而言，主要圍繞教師自身當下的狀態，包括其在教學過程中的實際感受、面臨的困難與挑戰，以及在專業發展方面的訴求與期望；同時著重對教師職業成就感的現狀進行剖析，了解在特殊教育工作過程中收穫的內心滿足感及成就感；並進一步挖掘影響教師職業成就感的各類因素，如學校管理環境、家長配合程度、社會對特殊教育的認知與支持力度，以及教師自身的專業成長背景等多個層面。本研究採用質性研究方法和半結構訪談法，運用紮根理論三級編碼對教師們的言辭進行細緻拆解與深入解讀，從而提取出核心資訊與關鍵主題，並在此基礎上進行歸納總結，最終得出的研究結論，社會評價：大眾對特殊教育教師的認知呈現出明顯的兩極分化。學校環境： 工作環境方面對教師職業成就感產生重要影響。同事之間缺乏有效的溝通協作機制，甚至存在人際衝突，導致教師在工作中難以獲得良好的人際支持與合作氛圍，降低其工作積極性與成就感。個人發展： 教師在職業生涯規劃方面普遍缺乏明確的打算與具體的計劃，從而對長期職業發展產生了一定的阻礙。 本研究進一步提出了一系列切實可行的對策與建議，旨在從學校管理、教育政策制定、社會支持體系建設以及教師自身專業發展等多個方面著手，提升澳門特殊教育教師的職業成就感，為澳門特殊教育事業的可持續發展提供堅實的人才支撐和保障。確保每位特殊學生都能在優質的教育環境中獲得充分成長與發展的機會，更好地融入社會，實現自身價值與潛能。

This study explored the influence of Macao caregivers' interaction with young children on language development, and analyzed the family language environment,sociolect-cultural influence and the current language development support system from the perspective of social work. A qualitative research method was used to analyze the interaction pattern and the progress of language development through in-depth interview and observation. The study found that the overuse of electronics, caregiver interaction and multilingual environment affected language development to different degrees, and made suggestions on how social workers should intervene and improve the support system for language development.