Arts and Humanities

Abstract: The functioning of complex natural structures, such as living systems, still lacks a generally accepted theoretical basis with respective empirical experimental verification for decades. We propose a class of experiments to test whether such systems could be subject to an unknown ordering principle that cannot be captured by known physical laws. We hypothesise that the quantum mechanical uncertainty principle enables ordering phenomena in nearly chaotic systems in the sense of a strong emergence principle, which would not be expected when they are modelled conventionally, as several authors have already formulated in various forms. To account for the harsh conditions prevailing in living systems that may preclude fragile macroscopic quantum coherence, our hypothesis does not require such coherence at all, contrary to earlier related proposals. To test this hypothesis, two virtually identical and sufficiently complex experimental setups should be compared. One setup will operate with deterministic pseudo-random number generators at key sensitive points, while the other one will use quantum-based physical random- number generators, the two setups being otherwise identical. Existing artificial neural networks are proposed as possible test objects, and their performance under identical training conditions can be used as a quantitative benchmark. As this working hypothesis extends far beyond artificial networks, a successful outcome of such an experiment could have significant implications for many other branches of science.

Abstract: In this study, we employed the 5-meter Accuracy Digital Elevation Model (DEM) developed by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, to analyze the spatial distribution of Yayoi-period archaeological sites. Rather than relying on conventional regional cross-tabulations—such as prefecture-level classifications—this approach adopts a Geographic Information System (GIS)–based analysis that enables higher spatial precision as well as more intuitive and visually accessible interpretation. Through this methodology, we aim to reconstruct the geographical conditions of ancient Japan at the end of the Yayoi period, approximately 1,800 years ago, and to offer a new perspective on the long-standing debate concerning the location of Yamatai (Yamataikoku). The results of analyses using the 5m DEM substantially increase the likelihood that Yamatai was located in northern Kyushu. In addition, northern Kyushu exhibits highly distinctive patterns of land use that vary markedly by region. The areas surrounding present-day Asakura City and Ogori City appear to have been specialized primarily for military purposes. In contrast, the Yoshinogari site—one of the largest Yayoi-period settlements in Japan—shows a pronounced specialization in agriculture, particularly large-scale wet-rice cultivation. The area corresponding to modern Fukuoka City, meanwhile, functioned as a major urban center in which both military and agricultural functions were concentrated. Furthermore, the “Jimmu’s Eastern Expedition” undertaken by the first Emperor Jimmu cannot necessarily be dismissed as a purely legendary event; it likely reflects certain historical facts. By introducing a GIS-based approach that has been relatively underutilized in previous research, this study serves as a pilot project while simultaneously representing an ambitious attempt to expand the horizons of visualization in ancient Japanese historical studies.

Abstract: The issue of single-use plastic (SUP) waste is a recent sustainability challenge in developing and fragile regions with varying capacities for waste management, enforcement, and regional governance. This paper examines the regulation of SUPs in the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) member states as an example of regional environmental governance in contexts of weak institutions. The paper provides a structured qualitative legal analysis of formally enacted legislative and policy measures. It assesses the extent to which national (and some subnational) legal responses comply with key principles of international environmental law, including prevention, the polluter-pays principle, and cooperation. The findings show that the legal responses to SUPs in IGAD are developing, but differ in scope, legal form, consistency, and effectiveness. Some countries employ direct bans, while others regulate plastics through their general environmental and waste management legislation. Prevention measures are prominent, but responsibility management measures (such as extended producer responsibility) are in their infancy, with Kenya, and to a lesser extent Uganda, showing more integrated systems. The paper links the regulation of SUPs to sustainable consumption and production, climate change, marine protection, effective institutions and partnerships, and informs discussions about SDGs 12, 13, 14, 16, and 17. The paper concludes that the most pragmatic way forward for IGAD is progressive regional harmonization, with enhanced common standards, monitoring, producer responsibility, and transboundary cooperation, rather than immediate legal convergence.

Abstract: Single-coin finds are increasingly valued as a source for understanding patterns of human activity in the Early Middle Ages. This pilot study examines whether the chronological evenness of single coins can serve as a quantitative proxy for persistent human occupation and landscape stability. Six sites in the Netherlands (450–1200 CE) are compared: three located near relatively stable Pleistocene topographic features (Noardeast-Fryslân/Dokkum, Nijmegen, and Maastricht) and three in dynamic coastal or near-coastal Holocene landscapes (Waadhoeke/Franeker, Katwijk, and Veere/Domburg). All single finds were assigned to five standardised 150-year periods. Chronological evenness was measured using three complementary indices: standard deviation of percentage shares, Shannon entropy, and cosine similarity to a uniform distribution. Sites were classified as “balanced” when at least two metrics met predefined thresholds. The results demonstrate a clear distinction between the two groups. Assemblages from stable landscape positions show relatively balanced chronological profiles, while those from dynamic coastal zones exhibit strongly peaked distributions dominated by the 600–750 CE period (χ² = 347.00, df = 4, N = 1,702, p < 0.001, Cramér’s V = 0.452). Greater chronological evenness appears linked to proximity to stable geomorphological settings. These findings suggest that single-coin evenness can function as a useful proxy for long-term landscape persistence when combined with geo-archaeological evidence. Limitations include recovery biases and variable sample sizes. The study advocates the development of standardised, open-access single-coin datasets to facilitate broader comparative research.

Abstract: This study examined the potential of AI-assisted tools to improve English language learning for neurodiverse students (with ADHD, dyslexia, or autism) in low-resource settings in Iran, considering student and teacher perspectives and students’ lan-guage-learning outcomes. The study used a convergent mixed-methods design, and 142 neurodiverse learners and 97 teachers participated through surveys, a 4-week ex-perimental study involving 30 learners (15 AI intervention, 15 controls), and semi-structured interviews with 15 learners, 10 teachers, and five parents. The out-comes were positive: learners stated that they enjoy adaptive features such as multi-modal input and gamification (M=4.2/5) and are motivated by them, and teachers found inclusivity to be important but perceived low confidence (M=2.7/5) because of the training gaps. The AI group showed substantial improvements in vocabulary (+16.3, d=1.21), reading comprehension (+13.3, d=1.05), and oral fluency (+9.2 wpm, d=0.89) compared to controls. Qualitative themes emphasized personalization as em-powerment, as well as obstacles such as infrastructural constraints, exam-based cur-ricula, and cultural cynicism. Recommendations were provided on the transformative power of AI in promoting equity and the need to train teachers and make changes in low-resource schools.

Abstract: Guizhou Province, a typical karst mountainous region in southwest China, features a complex geographical environment and diverse ethnic cultures, which together have fostered unique traditional village landscapes. Taking 757 national and provincial-level ethnic traditional villages in Guizhou as the research object, this study employs methods including GIS spatial analysis, the nearest neighbor index, and kernel density estimation to quantitatively reveal the geographical distribution characteristics, spatial differentiation patterns, and underlying causes of Miao, Dong, Bouyei, and Han Tunpu villages from the perspectives of two core physical geographic factors: topography and river systems. The results show that: (1)In terms of topographic distribution, village sites exhibit a significant vertical differentiation pattern: the Miao people "reside in the mountains", the Dong and Bouyei people "stay close to water", and the Han Tunpu settlements "occupy strategic passages". Meanwhile, a slight preference for sunny slopes is observed (52.4% of villages are on sunny slopes), but no overwhelming "sun-seeking, shade-avoiding" tendency exists. (2)Regarding river system distribution, different ethnic groups display distinct patterns of water utilization: the Dong and Bouyei people form a tight "ribbon along rivers" dependency (over 70% of villages are within 1 km of a river), the Miao people rely on mountain streams with a pattern of "far from large rivers, close to small ones", and the Han Tunpu settlements adopt an "engineered" transformation and utilization pattern. (3)Quantitative analysis shows that the spatial distribution of villages is significantly clustered, forming three high-density core areas: the Duliu River, Qingshui River, and Tunpu areas. Elevation, slope gradient, and distance to rivers are key natural constraint factors. This study reveals a "non-random" three-dimensional distribution pattern of ethnic traditional villages in Guizhou, which represents an optimal spatial response of various ethnic groups to the complex karst environment based on their historical migration memories, livelihood strategies, and cultural adaptability. This finding is of great value for understanding the mechanism of ethnic-environment interaction and for the conservation of traditional villages.

Abstract:

This study integrates Vedic philology, ritual history, and philosophical hermeneutics in a multi-layered analysis of Agnihotra. Within the Yajurvedic tradition, where its exterior performance is linked to varṇa and āśrama, the study elucidates Agnihotra’s technical structure and śākhā-specific methods through Śruti sources. The question of ritual eligibility in the context of declining dharma is examined through Purāṇic and Smṛti depictions of the Yugas, while retaining the normative authority of Śruti. Passages from the Upaniṣads and the Bhagavad Gītā are then analyzed to demonstrate the internalization of yajña, where the Upaniṣads emphasize the primacy of knowledge and the Gītā reinterprets sacrifice in terms of niṣkāma-karma and jñāna-yajña, establishing a continuum between ritual practice and philosophical insight leading to mokṣa. Finally, the Mādhyandina and Kāṇva recensions of the Śukla Yajurveda are compared to assess their suitability for understanding Agnihotra in the Kali Yuga. While the Mādhyandina recension provides systematic clarity, the Kāṇva recension preserves earlier and more detailed ritual layers. The study concludes that the Kāṇva recension offers a particularly strong framework for the textual and ritual-philosophical analysis of Agnihotra in the Kali Yuga.

Abstract: The article examines, on the basis of a comparative study, the place and scientific significance of Cyclopean structures located within the territory of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic in the context of Azerbaijani archaeology. The research focuses on the distribution area, chronology, and architectural features of these monuments in Nakhchivan. It has been determined that the fortress-type Cyclopean structures of Nakhchivan are monuments of great scientific and historical importance in Azerbaijani archaeology. These constructions reflect the formation and development of defensive architecture in the region and make it possible to study their chronology and evolutionary processes. The study demonstrates that these fortresses, built of large unworked stones without the use of mortar, reveal the military–strategic thinking of ancient tribes, their level of social organization, and the importance they attached to the protection of residential spaces. Their wide distribution across the territory of Nakhchivan proves that the region was located on important trade and migration routes and functioned as an active political and economic center. These monuments serve as invaluable sources for the study of early urbanization processes, cultural interactions, and stages of regional development within the territory of Azerbaijan. Keywords: Nakhchivan, Cyclopean structures, fortress, defensive fortification, architectural structure.

Abstract: Traditional cosmological arguments are often thought to rely fatally on the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR). This paper develops a contingency argument that does not. We adopt a two-sorted first-order logic with predicates for world-membership and symmetric accessibility between possible worlds. Within this framework, we formulate four axioms, each verified to be consistent and independent both from one another and from the PSR. We provide philosophical justification for each axiom. Then, we demonstrate that, if the empty world does not access any non-empty world, the existence of a necessary entity follows from the well-foundedness of a transmundane material condition of possibility.

Abstract: To date, many studies on the Nazi Special Courts have focused on the individuals involved in passing judgement or in the prosecution process in general, as well as on their political significance. For our study, we undertake a re-evaluation and computational ‘upcycling’ of an archive catalogue from the 1970s containing around 10,000 legal cases from the Munich Special Court (1933–1945). Although this was not an entirely new phenomenon–they were originally introduced by the Weimar Republic–, the special courts were unique in that they brought together general criminal law and ‘crimes’ in the form of non-conformity with National Socialist ideology under a single jurisdiction.

Abstract: The sustainable regeneration of industrial heritage in cold regions is constrained by severe winter climate, seasonal behavioral shifts, and declining spatial vitality. However, existing research has rarely explained how cold-climate conditions influence catalyst effects and regeneration performance in industrial heritage areas. This study proposes a digital twin-enabled framework for the sustainable regeneration of cold-region industrial heritage. Using industrial heritage sites in Harbin, China, as a case study, the research integrates multi-source data to construct a dynamic assessment system that links climate constraints, spatial structure, and human activity patterns. The results show that winter conditions significantly reduce the effectiveness of traditional catalyst mechanisms by weakening outdoor interaction, fragmenting movement continuity, and increasing reliance on indoor transitional spaces. Simulation results further demonstrate that climate-responsive interventions, such as indoor connectivity enhancement, mixed-use functional implantation, and seasonal activity optimization, can improve regeneration effectiveness and spatial resilience. By combining digital twin technology with sustainable urban regeneration theory, this study provides a replicable analytical framework and practical decision-support tool for industrial heritage revitalization in cold-region cities.

Abstract: In the wake of the Fifth Industrial Revolution, artificial intelligence (AI) has become a disruptive force in architectural design processes. One AI technique is text-to-image, which generates visual representations from textual descriptions. This research questions how architects and students organise the text-to-image prompts. Unfortunately, AI images have neglected the basic principles of architectural theories. The problem explored here is whether AI-generated images truly reflect architectural theory or replicate styles without deep understanding. This research, therefore, aims to propose a chart of semantic textual models, including keywords of theories of architecture, to organise the text-to-image prompts. To achieve this aim, the article followed scientific methodology, began with a literature review, and then analysed previous readings that highlighted this gap and proposed solutions. Through three AI platforms, the research followed an experimental method, injecting five architectural theories into AI prompts to compare images before and after. As a result, the images (after) became more realistic, expressing more clearly the trend's characteristics, and conveying symbolic meanings. The conclusion is that AI architectural images must have a maestro to organise prompts. This maestro is the 'Theory of Architecture', which is expected to bridge the gap between AI's ultimate imagination and the authentic principles of design trends.

Abstract: This study addresses the critical challenge of translating the profound social, spatial, and cultural dynamics of the traditional introverted Persian house into more tangible design metrics for contemporary Iranian housing. Relying on qualitative data from twenty-four diverse expert interviews across architecture, urban planning, and policy, the research demonstrates that the notion of replicating and duplicating historical form is unsustainable. Instead, it proves that the introverted configuration is an ontological imperative rooted in measurable performance, serving simultaneous social, cultural, psychological, and environmental paradigms. The main findings show that preserving cultural continuity requires a shift from aesthetic conservation to prescriptive configuration. This logic is synthesised into a consolidated socio-spatial framework, whose originality lies in introducing three auditable design instruments: 1) the sequenced depth and filtration protocol for spatial arrangement; 2) the controlled visual and environmental parameters for façade performance; and 3) the cultural adaptability and resilience requirement for functional programming. The framework’s prescriptive metrics, such as minimum space syntax values and the visual filtering coefficient, provide regulatory bodies with the precise technical tools necessary to enforce cultural protocols like privacy and dignity in high-density urban developments. This framework offers a pragmatic pathway for safeguarding Iranian housing’s cultural identity, ensuring future developments are certified not only for safety and structure, but for their adherence to the fundamental socio-spatial contract of the Persian dwelling.

Abstract: This article analyses the Korean Netflix documentary series In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal (2023) and its sequel I Am a Survivor (2025) as sites where religious authority, heresy, trauma, and victimhood are publicly renegotiated in contemporary South Korea. Focusing on the case of the Christian Gospel Mission (JMS) led by Jeong Myeong-seok whose seventeen-year prison sentence was confirmed by the South Korean Supreme Court in January 2025, this article argues that the two series enact what it terms mediatised religious unmasking: a documentary mode that performs explicitly theological functions, asking questions of legitimate authority, naming heresy, legitimating survivor testimony, and relocating sacred agency from the charismatic leader to the victim and witness. Drawing on the theoretical framework of digital religious authority, this article situates the series within the broader transformation of religious authority in the digital age whilst attending to the distinctive institutional and regulatory context of South Korean OTT documentary production. Close attention is paid to the formal and aesthetic dimensions of the two series. The article concludes that OTT documentary now functions as a critical domain for the public negotiation of religious authority, posing new challenges for religion-media studies and for the study of new religious movements.

Abstract: This study examines women’s textile knowledge in Portugal as a fundamental element of cultural heritage, situating it within domestic, social, and industrial contexts, with a particular focus on Guimarães. Drawing on a multidisciplinary approach grounded in historical and documentary evidence, it analyses how female expertise in spinning, weaving, embroidery, and lacemaking contributed to the evolution of textile practices from the fifteenth century to the present day. The findings indicate that this knowledge was pivotal to the transformation of domestic textile activities into an emerging industrial sector, shaping both production methods and cultural identity. The study concludes that recognising the historical importance of women’s textile labour is essential for understanding the development of the Portuguese industry. Furthermore, this research emphasises the urgency of preserving, transmitting, and legitimising the intangible cultural heritage inextricably linked to women’s textile mastery. It argues that integrating this legacy into contemporary creative and industrial practices can foster cultural sustainability and unlock new possibilities for future innovation, ensuring that this ancestral expertise remains a living pillar of regional identity.

Abstract: Heritage management has traditionally been shaped by what Laurajane Smith termed the “authorized heritage discourse” wherein a narrow group of professionals determines values and meanings on behalf of broader communities. This article argues that a more inclusive, socially responsible model of heritage management is both possible and necessary. Drawing on three convergent intellectual traditions: heritage interpretation as formulated by Freeman Tilden and subsequently deepened through hermeneutic philosophy; eco-museums and the new museology born from the Santiago Round Table of 1972; and the human-rights-based framework for cultural heritage enshrined in the Council of Europe’s Faro Convention of 2005 the article proposes “heritage literacy” as the conceptual synthesis that bridges these streams. Heritage literacy denotes a form of socially responsible heritage management that empowers citizens to understand the processes through which heritage is constructed, to participate actively in its interpretation, and to direct their own development through it. The article demonstrates that heritage literacy operates simultaneously as knowledge/wisdom management and as a democratic practice, and argues that it should be recognized as an essential dimension of (cultural) human rights. By tracing the theoretical genealogy of each contributing tradition and synthesizing them into a unified framework, this article offers both a conceptual contribution to critical heritage studies and a practical orientation for heritage professionals and policymakers seeking to move beyond top-down models of heritage governance.

Abstract: This article critically examines the conceptual, historical, and epistemological foundations of bioethics as a transdisciplinary field that emerges in response to the ethical tensions produced by technoscientific development. Through an analytical and interpretative approach, the paper revisits the historical events that shaped modern bioethics, and the contemporary challenges that arise from the expansion of biomedical and technological interventions. The analysis highlights the persistent dilemmas involving autonomy, paternalism, vulnerability, and intercultural asymmetries. It also addresses the ethical impact of technoscience on the reconfiguration of life, death, and human nature. The article argues pluralistic and adaptive bioethics capable of sustaining epistemic vigilance and guiding decision-making processes in diverse and complex sociocultural contexts.

Abstract: This paper develops a systematic philosophical dialogue between Kantian autonomy and Buddhist ethics in relation to freedom, moral agency, and moral cultivation. And in place of a hierarchic or reductionist juxtaposition, it is rather a question of how each tradition articulates the ethical normativity it adheres to in relation to specific philosophical problems. Kantian moral reasoning connects freedom with rational self-legislation and conceives moral obligation through universal law as articulated in the Groundwork of the Metaphysics of Morals and the Critique of Practical Reason. Buddhist ethics, by contrast, understands freedom as liberation from ignorance and craving, emphasizes causal continuity, compassion and moral cultivation, and it does so without postulating an enduring self. Drawing on recent contributions in Buddhist moral philosophy particularly that of Damien Keown, Charles Goodman and Jay L. Garfield, the article argues that the two perspectives offer kairotic rather than chronological perspectives on moral agency. Kantian universal respect and autonomy are at odds with Buddhist ethics which discloses the emerging and relational character of ethical existence. The conclusion is that the concept of moral freedom is better conceptualized when understood through the combined view of rational normativity and moral cultivation.

Abstract:

This study uses Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) forecasting models and regression analysis to explore the impact of three government funding mechanisms on financial sustainability in Singapore’s arts and heritage sector. Based on data obtained from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) for FY (FY refers to “Financial Year”, which is generally from 1 April to 31st March of the following year) 2022-2024, we modelled three funding scenarios: direct organisational grants (Scenario A), citizen-directed cultural vouchers (Scenario B), and a hybrid model combining both approaches (Scenario C). The results showed that while direct funding provides the most significant immediate capacity increase, a hybrid model provides a better balance between organisational stability and demand, thereby offering a more sustainable pathway for sector development. Our study makes a methodological contribution by illustrating the application of ARIMA forecasting to cultural policy evaluation, and compared the outcome of supply-side and demand-side interventions in the cultural sector.

Abstract: This article explores how memory emerges through material environments and em-bodied practices in historic wooden neighbourhoods. Drawing on research from the WoodiSH project (Wooden Cities: Memory, Sustainability and Craft in Historic Neigh-bourhoods), the study examines how knowledge and cultural memory become embed-ded in-built environments through everyday practices of dwelling, repair, and craft. The article proposes the concept of terroir as a conceptual framework for understand-ing historic environments as place-bound ecologies of memory. Originally associated with viticulture, terroir is here expanded to describe how relationships between land-scape, materials, craft traditions, and human practices shape the character and memory of place. By combining this concept with theoretical perspectives from mate-rial culture studies, phenomenology, and 4E cognition (embodied, embedded, enactive, and extended cognition), the article argues that memory is not located solely in human minds but distributed across people, materials, tools, and environments. The discussion further draws on Tim Ingold’s concepts of meshwork and wayfaring to show how knowledge about built heritage emerges through movement, engagement, and practical interaction with material environments. Historic wooden neighbour-hoods in Trondheim, Vilnius, and Pori are approached as living archives in which traces of use, repair, and everyday life accumulate in buildings and landscapes. The article concludes by suggesting that heritage environments should be understood not only as objects of preservation but also as pedagogical and cognitive landscapes. Through attentive engagement with materials, surfaces, and practices, researchers, craftspeople, and residents participate in ongoing dialogues with the past. Memory, in this perspective, is not simply remembered—it is encountered, inhabited, and sus-tained through material practice.