Arts and Humanities

Abstract: This study examines the transformation of human capital mobility in the digital era under the accelerating pace of socio-technological change and analyzes the resulting challenges for sustainable development. It identifies the key characteristics and drivers of contemporary human capital mobility and considers their broader implications for social development and governance. The research is based on a structured review, systematization, and critical comparison of academic literature and analytical reports from international organizations. The findings show that contemporary mobility is characterized by pace of change, pervasiveness, and globality and is driven by digital transparency, remote work, AI, automation, and state support. Contemporary human capital mobility leads to the rapid redistribution of human capital, the reorganization of social space, and shifts in social values, while the pace of socio-technological change intensifies these effects and makes adaptation more difficult. The main challenge for sustainable development lies in the growing mismatch between the pace of socio-technological change and the capacity of governance institutions, infrastructure, and social institutions to adapt.

Abstract: A central challenge in the structural diagnostics of paintings is the accurate, repeatable non-invasive, ideally non-contact, assessment for the detailed documentation of subsurface defects such as detachments and cracks generated by inter-layer de-cohesion resulting in material degradation and interrelated propagation of defects; all of which precede visible detection of surface damage. The ultimate aim is the protection of the precious irreplaceable painted surface. Currently advanced imaging techniques used in structural diagnosis of artworks, including Digital Holographic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (DHSPI), Infrared Thermography (IRT), Digital Speckle Shearography (DSS), are used in providing the valuable structural information. Main contribution is in subsurface defect localisation and despite differences in resolution, displacement sensitivity, defect characterisation, depth discrimination, efficiency of data retrieval, info utilisation and quantitative phase retrieval, under the especially demanding constrains in the investigation in Cultural Heritage (CH) documentation, these techniques can trace subsurface and bulk discontinuities’ safely and efficiently. Digital Holographic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (DHSPI), is a custom-made interferometry system, based on principles of holographic and speckle interferometry, developed to respond to the unique combination of requirements in CH and for structural documentation in paintings diagnostics; which either on wood or wall represent a continuous mechanics problem of a solid object with an inhomogeneous stratigraphic anisotropic construction that mathematically becomes an interferometric phase-field multi-physics interpretation problem. The portable DHSPI lab prototype aims to solve it, implements highly coherent diverged laser beams for safely illuminating large scale surfaces and recording digital sequence of images of the surface as displaced after a transient alteration; which are processed under numerical phase reconstruction algorithms to provide a whole and local phase-resolvable full-field measurement of out-of-plane surface-normal displacements induced by controlled low thermal excitation. It combines a novel thermo-mechanical monitoring methodology for substantiate a richer description of defect morphology features and structure dynamics. In this work the conceptual foundation of DHSPI as a CH tool is presented, its evolution from classical holographic interferometry to digital implementations with sequential interferometry and progressive implementation of sequential thermo-interferometry application is discussed, while DHSPI applicability to the multi-layered structures of CH as appear in wall- panel- and canvas paintings, is analysed. Related systems are also discussed in relevance of CH demands. Particular emphasis is placed on interferometric sensitivity mechanisms, fringe pattern wrapped phase utilisation and unwrapped phase-map interpretation, excitation strategies, and comparative performance against established non-destructive testing techniques. The presented critical technical and advanced methodological review briefly also explores emerging perspectives, including multi-modal instrumentation as hybrid DHSPI–thermography AI-assisted automatic interpretation. and the lab-based conceptual framework of multi-channel holographic recording for simultaneous displacement component extraction. By synthesis in optical metrology and heritage diagnostics developments, this work positions DHSPI within a broader era-transition from passive-imaging toward information-based diagnostics through the post-imaging interference analysis, a displacement-based structural metrology approach, contributing to the advancement in multi-modal preventive conservation strategies for paintings and large-format heritage surfaces. It proposes to hold-on to DHSPI as a high-sensitivity monitoring multitask tool capable of guiding implementation of complimentary techniques and addressing unresolved challenges in painting conservation from standardised documentation protocols to research on aging deterioration mechanisms.

Abstract: This article examines cross-Strait variation in Chinese baseball terminology through a document-based comparison of two primary sources: the terminology appendix contained in the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association’s baseball rules and the China Baseball Association’s Basic Terminology of Baseball standard. Based on Supplementary Dataset S1, a cleaned 363-entry English-Chinese comparison dataset, the study investigates how baseball terms differ across the Strait in documentary coverage, lexical designation, expression style, and communicative relevance. The analysis identifies 214 directly comparable entries with renderings on both sides. Of these, 101 are classified as convergent or near-convergent, while 113 show lexical divergence. A further 149 entries do not enter the directly comparable subset. The findings show that cross-Strait baseball terminology is shaped by more than isolated word-level difference. Taiwan-side terms often preserve compact and conventionalized forms used in baseball practice, whereas Mainland standardized forms frequently display a more explicit and institutionally codified style. The article argues that such variation should not be treated simply as inconsistency, but as specialist-language variation shaped by different historical, institutional, and communicative conditions. On this basis, the article suggests a graded, communication-oriented approach that tolerates low-sensitivity variants, cross-references moderate-sensitivity terms, and coordinates high-sensitivity rule terms for umpiring, commentary, translation, and instruction.

Abstract: This article argues that the fragmentation of International Relations (IR) theory is not only a problem of competing schools, but a deeper ontological dispute over social totality. Realism, liberal institutionalism, constructivism, critical theory, post-structuralism, Global IR, and decolonial approaches each assume a different image of world order and of the human subject. Through conceptual genealogy and critical reconstruction, the article revisits Kant, Hegel, Marx, Lukács, Dussel, Quijano, Mariátegui, Zavaleta Mercado, Wynter, Said, Glissant, Wallerstein, and postcolonial IR. It proposes heterogeneous relational totality as a way beyond both closed systemic determinism and pure fragmentation. This framework rethinks power, agency, temporality, recognition, and emancipation through coloniality, planetary interdependence, and relational human existence.

Abstract: The El Duende ‘one-canvas’ model was developed as an arts-based practice for supervision in art therapy training. Responding to changes in institutional teaching structures, this case review reflects on its use in experiential training groups on one UK-based course, with the aim of developing understanding and theoretical insights that may inform future teaching practice. Eight training group facilitators retrospectively reviewed their experience of the model as applied in five experiential training groups over a three-month period. Data were analysed thematically through an iterative, collaborative, and reflexive process and four core themes were identified. Results are discussed with links made to Donald Winnicott’s ideas of creative destructiveness, use of the object, transitional space, and the holding environment. While limited in scope, results indicate that, through sustained cycles of repetition and return, the ‘one-canvas’ model served to hold intense transformational processes within a condensed timeframe, offering trainees a valuable experiential learning experience. The study builds on established research in the field, expanding previous applications of the model including theoretical understanding, and supporting innovation and reflection in art therapy education. Future research may consider further adaptations to the model, student perspectives, and its influence on personal and professional development.

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: 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 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 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.

Abstract: Southern Chinese lion dance (nanshi) in Bangkok moves between temple ritual, community representation, school training, and judged competition, yet these domains are rarely analyzed together. Focusing on recent institutional transformation within one influential Teochew-centred ecology, this article examines how ritual governance, competition, and heritage-making have become mutually reinforcing. The study combines multi-sited historical ethnography in Bangkok and Guangdong (2022-2023) with documentary traces from the 2000s-2020s, including temple and association commemorative publications, municipal school records, Thai cultural and competition reporting, heritage registers, and transnational rule texts. It finds that huiguan and temples stabilize calendars, patronage, and authority, while judged competition introduces auditable norms of time, safety, team composition, and difficulty. These regimes do not simply displace ritual; they reorganize it. Certificates, trophies, lion heads, photographs, and anniversary volumes turn performance credentials into community archives that narrate continuity, merit, and public legitimacy. Rather than a linear shift from ritual to sport, the Bangkok case shows how codification, temple-linked patronage, and heritage discourse jointly reshape a diasporic ritual practice.

Abstract: The question of how meaning arises from communication, cognition, and experience remains unresolved across philosophy and cognitive science. Existing theories variously attribute meaning to intention, linguistic structure, interpretation, or subjective valuation, yet fail to integrate these dimensions into a unified framework.The Awareness-Based Meaning System (ABMS) proposes a process-based model in which meaning is not transmitted as an intrinsic property of messages but emerges through a valuation-dependent reconstruction within awareness. In this framework, messaging originates at the source as either Appearance-Based Messaging (ABM), grounded in shared conventions, or Intention-Based Messaging (IBM), which embeds generative depth through intention. At the recipient, messaging undergoes interpretive processing (IP), producing informational intelligence, followed by valuation processing (VP), which assigns relevance and transforms information into emotionally charged intelligence. Meaning arises only when this valuation-integrated content is incorporated into awareness as Recognition-Based Meaning (RBM).ABMS introduces a critical distinction between generative depth and realized meaning, and predicts a fundamental asymmetry between intention-based messaging and experienced meaning, contrasted with relative symmetry in convention-based messaging. This framework unifies and extends existing theories by specifying how intention, interpretation, valuation, and awareness interact to produce meaningful experience.Furthermore, ABMS generates empirically testable predictions, including the necessity of valuation for meaning formation and the dissociation between interpretive depth and meaningful experience. By formalizing the transformation from messaging to meaning, ABMS provides a coherent theoretical and experimental foundation for investigating meaning as an awareness-dependent and valuation-driven process.

Abstract: We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”— Aristotle (paraphrased by Will Durant)Quality improvement is not merely a managerial obligation—it is an art of refinement and a disciplined pursuit of excellence that has shaped industries for over a century. From the statistical precision of Six Sigma at Motorola to the philosophy of continuous improvement embodied in Kaizen at Toyota, and from the investigative clarity of Fishbone Diagrams to the predictive foresight of Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) used in aerospace systems, each methodology offers a unique pathway toward operational perfection. This article presents a structured exploration of twenty influential quality improvement methodologies. Each method is explained through clear procedural steps, illustrated with block diagrams, and supported by real-world case studies drawn from leading technology organisations such as Toyota, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, Amazon, Tesla, and Intel. Beyond industrial applications, these methods reveal broader principles of disciplined thinking, systematic learning, and continuous growth. Ultimately, the philosophy of quality improvement extends beyond organisations—it provides a powerful framework for improving personal learning, professional development, and everyday decision-making.

Abstract: Introduction: Bodybuilding is fundamentally influenced by biomechanical efficiency, which plays a crucial role in optimizing muscular development and minimizing the risk of injury. Despite its widespread significance, the systematic integration of biomechanical principles in bodybuilding practice remains insufficiently explored, especially within emerging fitness communities. Objective: The primary aim of this systematic review is to synthesize current scientific evidence regarding the biomechanical principles that underpin effective bodybuilding techniques. The review seeks to identify key mechanical factors that influence performance outcomes and to propose practical recommendations for enhancing training efficacy and athlete safety. Methodology: A comprehensive analysis of 23 peer-reviewed studies was conducted, focusing on the relationship between biomechanical variables such as joint angles, body alignment, and load application and their effects on muscle recruitment and strength enhancement. The studies were selected based on relevance, methodological quality, and contribution to applied bodybuilding biomechanics. Results: The findings indicate that precise manipulation of joint positioning, optimized load distribution, and correct body posture significantly improve muscle activation and strength development. These elements, when systematically applied, contribute to greater training efficiency and reduced injury incidence. Discussion: The outcomes of this review corroborate existing literature in sports science, while offering bodybuilding-specific insights that address a notable research gap. The contextual relevance to Albania further underscores the need for biomechanical education in evolving fitness sectors.Conclusions: Incorporating biomechanical principles into bodybuilding training can substantially improve performance, safety, and long-term health outcomes. Future research should pursue longitudinal and intervention-based studies to further validate these findings and inform practice.

Abstract: Religion, culture, and ethnic heritage play a significant role in shaping migrant identities. This paper investigates the interplay of these factors in the identity formation of African Christian migrants in Europe. In particular, it analyzes how second-generation (2G) migrants integrate Western secular values with Pentecostal orientations to facilitate upward social mobility. The analysis is based on a critical review of existing literature, supported by selected ethnographic case studies and qualitative interviews discussed in the cited works. By drawing on empirical research from various European contexts, this study aims to provide a rigorous and multidimensional understanding of intergenerational identity reconstruction among 2G African Christians. By centering the Pentecostal family as a primary site of socialization, this paper explores how 2G African Christians both distance themselves from indigenous African spirit cosmologies and adapt elements of these cosmologies to pursue secular, achievement-oriented objectives. This dialectical engagement highlights a generational shift: while first-generation migrants depend heavily on religion and religious institutions for integration, 2G migrants prioritize secular aspirations as they navigate socioeconomic structures, negotiate belonging, and construct new forms of transnational identity.

Abstract: The security crisis in Burkina Faso has displaced over two million people, disproportionately affecting women and children, who are exposed to multiple forms of violence. This study assesses the resilience capacity of internally displaced women in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. A mixed-methods approach was employed with 1,056 participants, combining questionnaires administered via KoboToolbox and semi-structured interviews, in compliance with ethical standards. Findings reveal statistically significant correlations between year of displacement and both physical (r = 0.150, p = 0.017) and psychological violence (r = 0.072, p = 0.022). Nearly 46.74% of respondents lost relatives in atrocious circumstances (summary executions, throat-slitting, immolation), generating post-traumatic disorders including chronic insomnia, flashbacks, and psychosis. Despite psychosocial support from NGOs, prayer (39.74%) and silence (23.36%) remain the predominant coping strategies. These findings underscore the imperative for psychosocial interventions grounded in the victims’ cultural habitus to enhance their effectiveness.

Abstract: Competency-Based Education (CBE) represents a significant shift from traditional higher education, emphasizing learning outcomes and mastery of specific skills over time-based credit systems. Synthesizing findings from 73 peer-reviewed empirical studies and official institutional data, the analysis examines the core principles of CBE, its implementation frameworks, and its practical application in higher education institutions. The analysis further reveals how CBE addresses current challenges in postsecondary education, including providing flexible learning pathways, developing industry-relevant skills, and achieving measurable learning outcomes. Through institutional case studies and implementation strategies, this analysis provides a framework for understanding CBE's role in transforming higher education and assessing student achievement.

Abstract: Strategic decision-making (SDM) has traditionally been viewed as a human activity based on judgment, experience, and negotiation among senior managers. These decisions are limited by attention constraints, incomplete information, and bounded rationality. Today, many firms embed artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithmic decision-making systems into strategic processes. In some cases, algorithms do more than support managers. They filter options, rank priorities, and strongly shape final decisions. This article asks when SDM remains meaningfully human and when it becomes effectively algorithmic in algorithmically mediated enterprises. The study uses a theory-building integrative review of 62 contributions from strategy, information systems, behavioural research, and governance. It compares human and algorithmic decision-making across five dimensions: interpretive authority, search structure, time orientation, accountability, and scalability. Based on this analysis, it develops a framework of human–AI decision structures. The framework identifies three main forms: human-dominant, sequential hybrid (AI-to-human or human-to-AI), and aggregated human–AI governance structures. Each form affects not only decision accuracy but also power, learning, agency, and accountability. The key challenge is not to defend purely human strategy. It is to design governance systems where decision rights, oversight, and contestability remain strong when algorithms act as active decision participants.

Abstract: This study examines how AI-assisted artistic practices reshape authorship, cultural ownership, and museum governance through the lens of cultural sustainability. Drawing on qualitative methods including literature analysis, expert interviews, and exhibition case studies, it explores emerging ethical challenges related to data provenance, creative agency, and institutional responsibility. The findings reveal hybrid forms of authorship that disrupt conventional intellectual property frameworks and highlight museums’ growing role as mediators between technological innovation and cultural preservation. While AI-driven exhibitions expand accessibility and engagement, they also risk cultural homogenization. The study offers strategic insights for policymakers and cultural institutions on fostering ethical, inclusive, and sustainable AI integration in artistic practice.

Abstract: The paper examines the acoustic properties of the production of the English vowels by the non-native speakers with two language and cultural backgrounds, namely Pakistani English (PakE) and Arabic English (ArE). The study, through a multi-methodological framework premised on machine learning, explores the impact of the first language on the production of English vowels amongst native speakers of Pahari in Pakistan and Arabic speakers in Saudi Arabia (KSA). The task of the participants (10 participants per region, mixed-sex) was to create a list of English words with specific emphasis on 10 target vowels inserted into carrier sentences with CVC (hVd) structure and no pauses. F1 and F2 formant frequencies and the duration of the vowel were extracted using PRAAT version 6.1.04. Analysis and visualisation of this data was performed in Python and involved the use of vowel space plots, computation of Euclidean distances, and patterns of clustering among the speakers. Vowel classification and predicting speaker groups were analyzed by supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms, including k-means clustering and logistic regression. This was the process that demonstrated phonological patterns in the two groups with system. The results indicated that there were consistent internal differences in each of the groups and significant differences compared to the British English vowel targets. These findings indicate that PakE and ArE have organized phonological regulations. The implications of the study are on the teaching of pronunciation, building of speech recognition systems, and the development of region-specific text-to-speech (TTS) synthesisers. The study also discusses the importance of open-source tools in computational phonetics, with Python-based analysis becoming a common element of code-driven processing.