For the UAE, the recent population increase, coupled with rapid urbanization and higher per capita water consumption patterns, arid climatic conditions with acceleration of extreme weather temperatures, and being located in one of the world's most water-stressed regions with severely limited freshwater availability has posed a critical and escalating challenge of water scarcity, with implications not only for public health and achieving prosperity and sustainable development, but also presenting as a threat to geopolitical security. By employing a systematic literature review approach supplemented by secondary data from official reports from UAE government and international entities such as WHO, FAO, UNDP, policy documents, global environmental frameworks and studies conducted, and peer-reviewed academic research, this working paper has scrutinized the causes of water scarcity in the UAE's context under the domains of water availability, consumption patterns, public health risks, and the effective-ness of current policy responses. Results confirmed that the problem of water scarcity in the UAE is being aggravated by low rainfall, averaging an average of <100 mm/year, climate variability changes, over-consumption of water by the populace, over-extraction of water underground, and ineffective conservation strategies used by industries and agricultural sectors. This results in an increase in the gap between demand and sup-ply of water, with a considerable dependence on the desalination process, which meets more than 90% of the country's freshwater demands and puts the natural water resources of the UAE under significant strain. The detrimental effects of water scarcity on population health have been identified as immediate, intermediate, and long-term implications. These include poor levels of hygiene practice, the prevalence of water-borne diseases, varied levels of malnutrition that may result due to poor water availability, higher rates of trans-fer of infectious ailments, mental stress issues, and the problem of population migrations that cause health crises with financial stresses on the healthcare system, and result in reduced production levels of the healthcare sector. Furthermore, lower agricultural productivity may result in food insecurity conditions that create a higher dependence on imported food products, making vulnerable sections of the community prone to malnutrition. The set of strategies currently followed by the UAE regarding water management, such as the 2036 Water Security Strategy, has also been critically assessed. These strategies concentrate on the efficiency of water desalination and water reuse. The current UAE water management strategies, including the Water Security Strategy 2036 and national programs focusing on desalination efficiency, waste-water reuse, and conservation, have also been critically evaluated. Despite recent progress achieved in water conservation efforts, addressing the limitations, such as modifying consumer consumption behaviour, real-time monitoring of water quality, engaging relevant stakeholders, intersectoral collaboration, and the prompt implementation of innovative approaches to reduce the environmental burden of energy-intensive desalination processes, is necessary in order to achieve an effective and sustained management of water shortages in this region. In conclusion, the way forward to address water scarcity is outlined in the form of multi-level strategies that integrate sustainable water desalination technologies, expand waste-water reuse, and incorporate smart water conservation systems. Offering better governance structures and filling the gaps regarding water policies and building public awareness regarding the issue can help the UAE not only assure its water security but also the health of its citizens as well.

This monograph critically analyzes the evolution of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in mathematics education, highlighting the emergence of dynamic mathematics as a transformative paradigm in the study of functions. From behaviorist automation to interactive environments and artificial intelligence, four historical stages are identified, reflecting a shift from technical tools to cognitive mediators. Grounded in theoretical frameworks such as Duval’s theory of multiple representations, Rabardel’s instrumental genesis, and Ausubel’s meaningful learning, the study demonstrates how digital environments like GeoGebra, Desmos, and Graspable Math enhance conceptual understanding, mathematical modeling, and computational thinking. However, their implementation faces structural challenges: the digital gap, insufficient teacher training, the risk of passive cognition, and the commercialization of education. Technology alone does not bring transformation; it requires pedagogical mediation, equity, and aligned curricular policies. The study concludes that dynamic mathematics is not a technological solution, but rather a pedagogical, ethical, and political commitment to a more active, inclusive, and meaningful mathematics education.

This study examines the impact of digital transformation on organizational change and employee adaptability in the context of firms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Based on a primary quantitative survey of 201 mid-level employees, the research explores how digital innovation reshapes business processes, organizational culture, and workforce dynamics. It emphasizes the importance of effective change management strategies, leadership support, and structured training programs in ensuring smooth digital transitions. The findings confirm that digital transformation significantly influences organizational culture by driving structural changes, improving workflows, and enhancing decision-making processes. Regression analysis revealed that digital transformation accounts for 86.6% of the variance in organizational change and 86.2% in employee adaptability. Furthermore, communication effectiveness and workflow integration emerged as the strongest indirect predictors of adaptability. Employee adaptability emerges as a critical factor for successful digital transformation, with training opportunities and leadership guidance serving as key enablers. The study contributes to academic literature by linking digital transformation with established theories of organizational change and employee adaptability. It also provides practical recommendations for managers and policymakers to foster a culture of continuous learning, strengthen employee readiness, and align organizational practices with digital strategies to achieve long-term success.

Slideshow presented in June 2018 as part of the Trans Europe Experts working group. https://www.transeuropexperts.eu/index.php?part=5&sujet=312

Patient satisfaction surveys are a crucial element of hospital strategic management, offering important insights into treatment quality and the entire patient experience. The research underscores the value of patient satisfaction surveys in influencing healthcare policy, enhancing consumer involvement, and strengthening organizational performance. Research indicates that whereas worldwide systems gain advantages from standardized frameworks and policy assistance, local hospitals often encounter resource constraints in executing feedback-oriented tactics. The research finds that implementing best practices from successful foreign models may enhance hospitals' ability to provide superior, patient-centered care via informed strategic planning.

Existe una conexión entre la lectoescritura y el aprendizaje neuronal, destacando cómo la práctica de la escritura a mano activa redes cerebrales vinculadas a la memoria, la atención y la creatividad, y cómo estas habilidades impactan en la comprensión lectora y la producción escrita. Sin embargo, en la era digital, el desarrollo de estas capacidades se ve cuestionado por la tecnificación del aula. Este informe examina la importancia de la caligrafía y la cursiva en la educación, y su relación con el desarrollo cerebral, al mismo tiempo que propone estrategias pedagógicas para integrar de manera efectiva la escritura manual en los currículos escolares contemporáneos, equilibrando tradición y digitalización.

El estudiante a distancia a menudo forma parte de contextos paralelos desde los cuales se vincula asumiendo diferentes roles como el estudiantil, parental y laboral. En este trabajo se discuten las complejas características de estos tres roles y las implicaciones que conlleva la simultaneidad de los mismos en los estudiantes unadistas desde el punto de vista del enfoque sistémico, abordando los fundamentos para la creación de escenarios de reflexión y apoyo con base en las competencias socioemocionales. Se presenta un diagnóstico inicial mediante una encuesta tipo Likert aplicada a 191 estudiantes de forma virtual, y entrevistas semiestructuradas desarrolladas con 10 estudiantes de forma presencial, todos ellos pertenecientes al CEAD JAG. Se obtuvo información que evidencia las percepciones y opiniones de quienes no tienen hijos, en tanto se considera importante tenerlos en cuenta como parte de la comunidad y como seres humanos cuyo proyecto de vida también puede incluir el tema familiar. Se alcanzaron hallazgos en la descripción del perfil del estudiante unadista que es padre, desde sus competencias socioemocionales y necesidades. Se describen, analizan y evalúan dos eventos de sensibilización y acompañamiento para la promoción del bienestar personal y familiar, llevados a cabo en el mismo CEAD con la participación de únicamente estudiantes en el primer evento, y estudiantes junto con sus familias en el segundo. Ambos encontraron gran receptividad y pertinencia entre los estudiantes unadistas con roles parentales, también entre los docentes asistentes; se plantea la continuidad de esta iniciativa para que se constituya en proyecto de investigación aplicada a largo plazo con la población objetivo descrita. Así pues, se recopilan los fundamentos teóricos sobre el tema articulando una comprensión de la realidad que viven los estudiantes que son padres y los soportes para un acompañamiento efectivo, con la descripción y análisis de las experiencias hasta ahora desarrolladas en la UNAD que sirven de para diagnosticar y perfilar un programa de intervención y seguimiento.

Burnout among healthcare professionals is a critical global challenge that undermines workforce well-being, organizational effectiveness, and patient safety. This working paper presents an integrative review of burnout mitigation strategies, categorizing interventions across individual, organizational, and technological domains. It frames burnout as a multidimensional occupational phenomenon, highlights its causes and consequences, and synthesizes evidence from empirical studies and systematic reviews, with a particular focus on the UAE and comparable healthcare contexts. The findings indicate that individual-level strategies enhance coping capacity and resilience, while organizational-level interventions address systemic and structural drivers. Additionally, technological solutions offer scalable and innovative approaches to support healthcare professionals. However, significant gaps remain in longitudinal evaluations, interventions beyond physicians, and economic assessments of cost-effectiveness. The paper concludes with practical implications for policymakers, managers, practitioners, and researchers in the UAE, emphasizing that burnout mitigation is not only an ethical imperative but also a strategic priority for sustaining workforce resilience and maintaining high-quality healthcare. These findings guide UAE healthcare leaders in prioritizing cost-effective, culturally adaptable burnout mitigation strategies to enhance staff well-being and patient outcomes.

Q-Learning-like fairness-aware deep reinforcement learning framework based on a modified Dueling Deep Q-Learning-Like architecture. The proposed system introduces a complex approach to addressing fairness in decision-making processes while maintaining high performance in system base data configuration assessment tasks in different categories. The architecture implements a multi-model feature approach for fairness optimization, incorporating numerous data processing pipelines that handle multiple concurrent data streams. It includes a fairness-aware deep Q-learning-like architecture with a multi-state model, an integrated multi-stream processing system, and a weight-based reward mechanism balancing prediction and accuracy with fairness metrics. Experimental results have shown the effectiveness of our approach in maintaining fairness across different featured groups while achieving high performance in system base data configuration assessment tasks. Unlike traditional system base data configuration assessment methods that rely on subjective self-reporting, which are vulnerable to cultural biases, literacy barriers, and limited effectiveness in non-verbal patients (e.g., infants, critically ill, or cognitively impaired individuals)—our automated approach provides objective, continuous monitoring with consistent interpretation across diverse patient populations. This addresses critical clinical challenges, including disparities in system base data configuration management across demographic groups, clinician bias in system base data configuration assessment, and communication barriers in vulnerable populations. Furthermore, our fairness-aware framework specifically mitigates algorithmic biases that might otherwise perpetuate existing inequities in system base data configuration management.

Obesity is an epidemic that affects the whole world and the country of the United Arab Emirates is not an exception as this problem afflicts a large percentage of the population. The point of consumptive trends that are dominated by high-fat fast foods, sedentary living, and compounded by stringent climatic weather conditions, all together damage the health and wellbeing, all pre-determined by the harsh climatic conditions, are the major cause of this phenomenon. There are other contributory factors which enhances further to increase the prevalence of obesity among individual populations. However, the problem can be based on multifaceted interventions. The threat of becoming obese is significantly reduced by avoiding high-fat fast food and soft drinks that are rich in calories. All the governmental bodies, non-governmental organizations, service agencies, and the media and educators play a central role in the propagation of healthy lifestyle practices among the people and herding obesity in various national settings.