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Article
Arts and Humanities
Humanities

Ismail A Mageed

Abstract: This study investigates the use of the mathematical idea of functions to find and represent the best elements affecting teaching in universities, colleges, and schools. Conceptualising these elements as variables inside functional connections helps us create a phenomenal mathematical approach to maximise learning results. A strict method of grasping the complicated interaction of factors like teacher competence, student involvement, resources, and institutional policies is the integration of mathematical models, hence enabling evidence-based techniques for academic excellence.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Architecture

Bruno Postle,

Nikos A. Salingaros

Abstract: This paper introduces a hybrid design framework that combines Christopher Alexander’s Pattern Language with generative AI. Advanced large language models (LLMs) enable real-time synthesis of design patterns, making complex architectural choices accessible and comprehensible to stakeholders without specialized architectural knowledge. A lightweight, web-based tool lets project teams rapidly assemble context-specific subsets of Alexander’s 253 patterns, reducing a traditionally unwieldy 1,166-page corpus to a concise, shareable list. Demonstrated through a case study of a university department building, this method results in environments that are psychologically welcoming, fos-tering health, productivity, and emotional well-being. LLMs translate these curated patterns into vivid experiential narratives—complete with neuro-scientifically informed ornamentation. LLMs produce representative images from the verbal narrative, re-vealing a surprisingly traditional design that was never inputted as a prompt. Two separate LLMs (for cross-checking) then predict the pattern-generated design to catalyze improved productivity as compared to a standard campus building. By bridging abstract design principles and concrete human experience, this approach democratizes archi-tectural planning grounded on Alexander’s human-centered, participatory ethos.
Article
Arts and Humanities
History

Dan C. Baciu

Abstract: The Hymn to Nikkal is the oldest surviving musical text with well-preserved musical notation, although the language in which it is written has remained almost entirely unintelligible. By comparison, the Rig Veda is the oldest complete collection of verses, written in one of the best-understood ancient languages. However, these approximately 20,000 verses have been passed down to us without musical notation. Coincidentally, the Hymn to Nikkal and the Vedas stem from the same Bronze Age period—or was the connection between them deeper than mere contemporaneity? The present article performs a systematic analysis of the rhythm and cadences present in the hymn and the Vedas and demonstrates that they are closely related. The Hymn to Nikkal can therefore be interpreted as an echo of the tradition of the Rig Veda, from which it receives and on which it helps shed new light for modern-day audiences. Furthermore, the musical connection between hymn and Vedas also provides evidence for the existence of a significant cultural connection between distant Bronze Age societies. A cultural connection between these societies has long been expected and is now finally documented through the most volatile of sources possible: music. Music has wings; it disappears quickly, yet it also easily spreads across the globe.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Humanities

Paul Mbewe,

Shabel Mvula,

Innocent Ndabala

Abstract: Due to the enormous issues the global education system experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a notable trend towards open and remote learning (ODL) as a means of ensuring educational continuity. However, a key area of interest throughout the COVID-19 period was the application of policies and ethical practices in Higher Education Institutions. Other quality difficulties included a lack of engagement, limited access to resources, inadequate support services, etc. This study looks at policies and practices related to quality assurance in open and remote learning in private institutions in Zambia. Using semi-structured interview guides and questionnaires, the study uses a descriptive study design and purposeful sampling to uncover the current state of policies and practices. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) will be used to evaluate the data.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Philosophy

Orhan Oguz Yilmaz

Abstract: This paper examines the ontological and symbolic dimensions of absence and nothingness through a multi-layered analysis spanning classical philosophy, existentialism, and contemporary metaphysics. It distinguishes between three conceptual modalities: the absence within being, the metaphysical zero as a formal placeholder, and the unrepresentable ∅ as a limit-concept. Drawing from ancient sources such as Parmenides and Democritus, and extending through Heidegger, Sartre, and modern symbolic logic, the study proposes an ontological model wherein ∅ is not a void but a pre-representational fold—neither being nor non-being. The paper further engages with thermodynamic entropy and mathematical nullity to support its thesis that symbolic nothingness functions as a condition of potentiality rather than negation. The aim is to bridge metaphysical abstraction with formal semantics, suggesting a new philosophical grammar for understanding absence beyond binary opposition. Implications for the philosophy of language, cosmology, and negative theology are briefly discussed.
Essay
Arts and Humanities
Literature and Literary Theory

Theodor-Nicolae Carp

Abstract: This review essay critically examines Detox, Thirst and Longing: Constellation After Collapse (2025), a visionary literary work by Theodor-Nicolae Carp. As the seventh volume in Carp’s Axiological Cosmopoetics series, the book blends literary theory, symbolic anthropology, theology, and emotional epistemology to propose a new literary anthropology centered on the post-collapse archetype of Homo constellatus. This figure embodies moral clarity, neurodivergent perception, and symbolic resilience, offering a framework for ethical living in a world shaped by collapse. In exploring this new archetype, Carp challenges traditional views of human resilience and offers a model for cultural survival and reconstruction. The essay argues that Detox, Thirst and Longing functions not merely as a poetic collection but as a cosmopoetic guide for emotional and cultural renewal. Through techniques such as sacred paradox, emotional detoxification, and post-digital liturgy, Carp seeks an “axiological realignment”—a reordering of values in response to symbolic collapse, emotional suppression, and technological saturation. The work invites readers to reconsider the relationship between art, ethics, and cultural rebuilding, positioning Carp’s poetry as both a personal and collective tool for transformation. Additionally, this review provides a literary commentary on "Introduction of AI and the Ongoing Tearful Rain," a poem that transforms contemporary anxieties about artificial intelligence into a profound spiritual meditation. Using water as a metaphor—encompassing tears, rain, and birth waters—the poem explores humanity's relationship with AI through biblical and mythological imagery. The analysis reveals how the poet elevates technological discourse to a spiritual level, presenting AI as both a life-sustaining force and a consciousness-suppressing system. The poem moves from individual crisis to cosmic redemption, critiquing technological dependence while offering hope for authentic human flourishing. Key themes include the tension between human agency and technological control, and the spiritualization of the digital experience. Ultimately, this review contends that Carp’s poetic form is not just artistic expression, but a moral and spiritual infrastructure. It maps grief, longing, and memory onto a coherent ethical system that offers hope in the face of cultural fragmentation. In a world dominated by irony and emotional detachment, Detox, Thirst and Longing provides an alternative: a post-secular ritual for emotional and spiritual renewal through theopoetic hermeneutics and prophetic literature.
Essay
Arts and Humanities
Literature and Literary Theory

Theodor-Nicolae Carp

Abstract: The present literary-philosophical essay explores the structure, symbolic depth, and cultural urgency of New Collection of Cosmic Poetry (2025), authored by Theodor-Nicolae Carp. Building upon the foundations of Axiological Cosmopoetics, the essay examines how the collection functions as a form of liturgical reconstitution in response to what the author names “symbolic collapse”: the degradation of conscience-bearing language, emotional literacy, and sacred anthropology in late modernity. At the core of this work lies the poetic and theoretical birth of Homo constellatus—a proposed human archetype for a post-collapse civilization, marked by moral fire, symbolic perception, emotional clarity, and spiritual integrity.Through the integration of literary close reading, symbolic anthropology, emotional epistemology, and post-secular theological reflection, this essay analyzes New Collection of Cosmic Poetry as both cultural critique and visionary intervention. It identifies the central poetic strategies deployed by Carp—sacred paradox, moral inversion, and symbolic reversal—as instruments of what the author terms “axiological realignment.” The canon embedded within the collection is read not merely as poetic ornament, but as a sacred grammar—a ritualized framework for recovering dignity, emotional resonance, and symbolic coherence.The present manuscript offers a close reading of “The Hunger for the Bread of Life,” a foundational poem within New Collection of Cosmic Poetry, analyzing it as a contemporary spiritual lament that addresses the emotional and theological impoverishment of modern life. Drawing on biblical symbolism, prophetic cadence, and axiological paradox, the poem explores the existential consequences of affection denied and love pathologized. Hunger—both physical and metaphysical—emerges not as lack alone, but as sacred resistance: a protest against a world that has desacralized emotional need and mistrusted tenderness. The poem reframes affection as an ontological necessity rather than a psychological excess, positioning emotional receptivity as a structure of being rather than sentimentality. Interpreted within the larger cosmopoetic framework of Homo constellatus, the poem functions as a liturgical lament and a symbolic microcosm of cultural collapse. It challenges prevailing cultural narratives of autonomy, purity, and affective control, proposing instead a vision of love as ontological nourishment—an emotional sacrament necessary for human coherence in an age of relational scarcity.Particular attention is given to the emergence of emotion as epistemology: the proposal that grief, tenderness, and moral ache are not therapeutic symptoms but revelatory capacities—key to navigating ethical disintegration. In this framework, the exiled inner child, the abandoned prophet, and the neurodivergent visionary are not marginal figures but carriers of civilizational memory. The poems speak not just to the broken, but from them—positioning the emotionally abandoned as bearers of sacred contradiction and untapped symbolic authority.The essay concludes by situating Carp’s canon within a wider cultural and philosophical conversation: including comparative references to prophetic literature, scriptural lamentation, symbolic anthropology, and the theological poetics of writers such as Simone Weil, Paul Celan, and Giorgio Agamben. It argues that Carp’s poetic system offers a viable roadmap out of civilizational disintegration—not through ideological assertion, but through a recovery of sacred tension, emotional truth, and axiological coherence.Ultimately, New Collection of Cosmic Poetry is not only a work of literature—it is an ontological event. It reclaims the act of writing as sacrament, poetry as canon, and the forgotten human as the site of sacred remnant. The essay invites scholars of literature, religion, neurodivergence, ethics, and symbolic systems to re-engage poetry not as escape, but as cultural architecture for the age of collapse.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Religious Studies

Anderson Fabián Santos Meza,

Hugo Córdova Quero

Abstract: Christian Zionism has been one of the most influential theological currents within global evangelicalism, with a significant impact in Abya Yala [the Americas] through evangelical missions[1] and the growth of Pentecostalism and Neo-Pentecostalism. Its close relationship with dispensationalist premillennialism has consolidated an interpretation of biblical history that places Israel at the center of eschatological events, promoting unconditional support for the Israeli state. However, this vision has been strongly questioned by other Christian currents in the region, especially by Latin American Liberation Theology (TLL) and the ecumenical movement, which have denounced the strategic use of the Bible to legitimize the Israeli occupation in Palestine; moreover, it is relevant given that “in our region, economic, political and military apparatuses violently deploy discourses of religious content, in the manner of crusades to reach power and dispose of territories, goods, and peoples.”[2] Despite these tensions, sustained dialogues on the subject have been absent, which calls for an in-depth analysis of its theological, political, and social implications.On the systematic approach to Christian Zionism, it is essential to note the two premises that Elizabeth Philipps, in 2008, pointed out in her research entitled Apocalyptic Theopolitics: Dispensationalism, Israel/Palestine, and Ecclesial Enactments of Eschatology: “(1) exposé pieces written journalistically for audiences unfamiliar with Christian Zionism, and (2) awareness-raising pieces written by evangelical leaders and scholars to dissuade evangelical audiences from adherence to Christian Zionism. Of the few recent works on Christian Zionism written for scholarly readers, none is written by a theologian” (p. 4).[3]Likewise, for authors such as Gerald R. McDermott, Zionism is a phenomenon before the appearance of dispensationalist premillennialism and evangelical Zionism. This author assures that Zionism traces its roots some eighteen centuries earlier with antecedents in the Hebrew Bible —the covenant of Yahweh with Israel and the promised land— and in the Jewish authors who wrote part of the Christian Bible maintaining that vision in the figure of the return of the Jewish Diaspora to establish a new Israel.[4] On the other hand, some authors argue that it is not necessarily possible to equate premillennialism and fundamentalism, since although there are notable coincidences, there are also many divergences.[5] This chapter addresses the relationship between evangelical Zionism and the evangelical churches in Abya Yala, exploring both their expansion and the critical responses from liberationist and ecumenical perspectives. To this end, it is divided into four main sections. The first section analyzes the theological framework that has shaped Christian Zionism. It will explore dispensationalist premillennialism, its influence on the literalist interpretation of biblical prophecy, and its impact on global politics, especially concerning Israel. It will examine how this view has influenced Latin American evangelical churches, shaping their perspective on the Jewish people's role and the world’s eschatological destiny.The second section addresses how evangelical missions have promoted Christian Zionism in the region. It studies the role of missionary organizations and evangelical leaders in disseminating narratives that reinforce support for Israel and how these positions have influenced the foreign policy of Latin American countries. In addition, we analyze the evangelization strategies used and their impact on the construction of religious identities in Abya Yala.The third section explores the response of progressive theological movements to Christian Zionism. It examines how the TLL has denounced the instrumentalization of the Bible to justify oppression and how ecumenical churches have promoted a critical view of the Israeli occupation. The lack of an open debate between these sectors and Christian Zionism is also discussed, as are the reasons behind this absence of dialogue.Finally, the fourth section proposes the importance of opening a space for debate among the different Christian currents in Abya Yala. It reflects the need for a theology that prioritizes peace and justice, instead of apocalyptic narratives that reinforce geopolitical conflicts. The possibility of building bridges between evangelical, liberationist, and ecumenical sectors to promote a more ethical vision committed to the social reality of the region is raised.This chapter, therefore, offers a comprehensive analysis of Christian Zionism’s impact in Abya Yala, its theological roots, its expansion through evangelical missions, and the responses it has generated in progressive Christianity. In doing so, it seeks to contribute to a deeper debate on the role of religion in international politics and its influence on faith communities in the region. [1] It is important to recall that, since the Missionary Council of Panama in 1916, the historic Protestant churches in Latin America —direct heirs of the sixteenth-century Reformation— began to adopt the name evangélicas instead of protestantes. This shift, however, should not be confused with the use of the term “evangelical” in the U.S. context, which typically refers to conservative evangelical churches that emerged in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. In this chapter, this distinction is crucial for Latin American religious studies: iglesias evangélicas históricas (mainline Protestant churches) are differentiated from iglesias evangelicales, often aligned with U.S.-style evangelicalism in theology, practice, and political positioning. For more information, see: Córdova Quero, Hugo (2014). El desafío del diálogo. Historia, definiciones y problemáticas del ecumenismo y la pluralidad religiosa (Buenos Aires: GEMRIP Ediciones). [2] Cardoso Pereira, Nancy, Sandra Nancy Mansilla, and Larry Madrigal Rajo. “Introducción.” Revista de Interpretación Bíblica Latinoamericana 93 (2024): 7. [3] Philipps, Elizabeth. Apocalyptic Theopolitics: Dispensationalism, Israel/Palestine, and Ecclesial Enactments of Eschatology (Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 2008). [4] McDermott, Gerald R. “A New Christian Zionism.” Providence Magazine (April 2016): pp. 57-62. [5] Martins Campos, Breno, and Aretha Beatriz Brito Da Rocha. “Aproximações e distanciamentos entre fundamentalismo e pré-milenarismo: por uma tipologia do protestantismo a incluir John Gresham Machen.” Revista Caminhando 24, no. 1 (2019): pp. 193-213.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Architecture

Jorge Andrés Velázquez Peña

Abstract: Interior design has a profound impact on the perception and psychological well-being of individuals within a space. This effect is driven by the interaction of elements like color, textures, decorative items, and lighting, which influence the senses and emotions. A thoughtfully planned interior design can serve as a strategic tool to enhance mental health, boosting productivity, creativity, and overall well-being, while also affecting the sensory experience through lighting, colors, textures, spatial layout, and materials. The research employed documentation of specialized texts and direct observation of modified spaces. It concludes that a well-balanced interior design transforms spaces into functional and emotionally engaging environments, highlighting the link between interior design and environmental psychology.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Humanities

Aadil Bouhlaoui

Abstract: This article presents a comprehensive analysis of artificial intelligence (AI) agent deployment strategies for countering online extremism, with particular focus on addressing the phenomenon of digital radicalization in Islamic contexts. Drawing upon recent developments in AI capabilities, evolving legal frameworks including the EU AI Act, and emerging patterns of extremist adaptation to digital technologies, this study examines the technical feasibility, legal permissibility, ethical implications, and theological dimensions of AI-mediated counter-extremism operations. The research integrates contemporary case studies, including the Islamic State's 2023 AI propaganda guide and the systematic migration of extremist activities to gaming platforms, to provide evidence-based strategic recommendations for policymakers and security practitioners. The analysis reveals a fundamental tension between the definitional ambiguity surrounding "Keyboard Jihad" and operational requirements for precise targeting. While academics employ the term to describe legitimate intellectual efforts to rectify misperceptions of Islam, security practitioners use it to denote online terrorist propaganda and recruitment activities. This definitional dichotomy presents severe operational risks of misidentifying legitimate discourse, potentially validating extremist narratives and causing strategic blowback that undermines counter-extremism objectives. Through systematic evaluation of three distinct AI agent deployment models—overt analytical agents, direct engagement agents, and covert engagement agents—this study demonstrates that transparent, community-partnered approaches offer superior strategic effectiveness compared to surveillance-based or deceptive methodologies. The research establishes that direct engagement AI agents, designed to provide authentic theological guidance and counter-narratives, represent the most promising paradigm for addressing critical gaps in legitimate Islamic knowledge (Al-Ilm Al-Shari) that extremist groups exploit for recruitment and radicalization purposes. The study concludes that covert AI agents for engagement and influence operations present insurmountable legal, ethical, and strategic barriers under current regulatory frameworks, particularly the EU AI Act's comprehensive requirements for high-risk AI systems. Conversely, the principle of maslaha (public interest) in Islamic jurisprudence provides theological justification for transparent AI agents that offer authentic guidance while respecting community values and democratic principles. The article proposes a three-track strategic framework prioritizing immediate deployment of overt analytical capabilities with comprehensive safeguards, pilot development of direct engagement agents through extensive community consultation and theological validation, and suspension of covert engagement capabilities pending explicit legal authorization and public debate. This approach emphasizes competing with extremist narratives through superior theological authenticity and genuine community partnership rather than through deception or surveillance, aligning strategic effectiveness with democratic values and human rights protections.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Architecture

Diana Salgado Benítez

Abstract: Interior design is closely related to the diversity of the spaces we inhabit on a daily basis. In the educational context, this study aims to analyze how the application of interior design principles can transform university students’ workspaces by evaluating various strategies and elements such as furniture arrangement, lighting, color and ergonomics. Through a review of the literature on environmental psychology and its link to academic performance, as well as surveys applied to university students, it was possible to obtain a deeper understanding of how these factors influence their daily experience and academic outcomes. The findings led to a set of specific recommendations for optimizing university spaces to enhance student well-being, creativity and academic performance.
Essay
Arts and Humanities
Architecture

Xiaogang Xu

Abstract: The construction ruler (营造尺,Yingzao chi) for this hall is 320.6 mm. It adopts the system of large and small rulers that has been in practice since the Tang and Song dynasties. Each large ruler is divided into 10 cun(寸), which is equivalent to 12 small cun(小寸). It uses architectural modulus similar to modern ones. The basic module is 1 chi. Based on this, the macroscopic dimensions are determined and the proportion of the main body is controlled. Four small cun are used as the sub-module, which is one-third of the basic module. Half a chi, that is, six small cun, is also a sub-module of one chi. Based on this, the height of columns, the height of bracket sets, etc. are determined. 0.4 small cun are also a sub-module, which is one-thirtieth of the basic module. This is used to measure various components, such as dou (斗,square blocks), gong (栱,cross-shaped brackets), and fang (枋,horizontal bars).
Article
Arts and Humanities
Music

Bomin Wang

Abstract: This study explores how Philip Glass's post-minimalist techniques in the film score of *The Hours* interact with the film’s non-linear narrative structure. By integrating musicological analysis and film narrative theory, the paper examines the use of micro-variations, additive processes, and repetitive harmonic structures in Glass’s score. These techniques are shown to not only intensify the emotional resonance of the film but also reinforce its fragmented temporal flow across three interwoven storylines. Case studies of specific scenes illustrate how the music's subtle evolution parallels the narrative’s thematic continuity and psychological depth. This research contributes to the understanding of post-minimalist film scoring, emphasizing the aesthetic and structural synergies between music and moving image.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Architecture

Jorge Pablo Aguilar Zavaleta

Abstract: Public works financing faces a critical challenge: while traditional projects meet deadlines and budgets by 75-80%, those with public-private partnerships (PPPs) achieve 90-95% efficiency (MEF-Perú, 2023). However, a study of 37 cases in the US reveals that 40% of PPPs generate disputes due to regulatory failures or financial management (ASCE, 2024). Even more striking, "green bonds" are emerging as a solution, mobilizing USD 500 billion in 2023 for sustainable infrastructure, although "greenwashing" threatens their credibility (Climate Reality Project, 2023). The paradox: while private investment drives innovation (e.g., 20% savings in highway maintenance, CBO, 2024), its focus on profitability can neglect social benefits. Technology (AI, digital twins) promises to optimize costs by 30%, but only 15% of governments adopt it (McKinsey, 2024). The verdict PPPs and innovative tools are key, but they require robust legal frameworks to balance efficiency and equity.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Other

Nina Cristina Ditoiu,

Radu Tarau,

Daniel-George Dumitrașcu,

Altan Abdulamit,

Dan-Sebastian Sacui

Abstract: The main focus is on the cultural, solar, and environmental large-scale contexts that impact small traditional agricultural plots, following the technical input data of agrivoltaics solar power or fish-friendly micro hydropower, considering the cultural landscape. The case study on an existing polder addresses several environmental issues, risk management concerns, energy requirements, and aspects of renewable energy transition, including potential solutions and their impact. Cultural landscape, agricultural plot management, and ecology focusing on traditionally inspired design in rural wetland areas in Romania, Technical vs. Humanistic as a solving path through some inspiring "Dyads" is emphasised in the proposed paper.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Humanities

Ismail A Mageed

Abstract: Fractions continually gift substantial conceptual and procedural hurdles for number one and early secondary college students (Key Stages Two and Three) in arithmetic schooling. Traditional coaching techniques regularly war to bridge the space among concrete expertise and summary illustration, main to rote memorisation in place of actual mastery. This article proposes and explores a singular pedagogical technique: leveraging the inherent homes of fractal geometry to train fractions. Fractals, with their self-similarity, scaling, and recursive nature, provide intuitive visible and structural analogues for fractional principles along with components of an entire, equivalence, ordering, and operations. The paper outlines the conceptual demanding situations normally confronted with the aid of using college students and information how a fractal geometric angle can deal with those. It identifies key open issues that warrant similarly empirical investigation, which includes curriculum integration, trainer training, and efficacy throughout numerous mastering populations. Furthermore, it synthesises a blended theoretical framework, drawing on cognitive load theory, constructivism, inactivism, embodied cognition, and Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development, to underpin the fractal technique. Finally, the object explores the combination of sensible exercise methodologies to decorate and support mastering inside this framework, offering a pathway toward attaining deep conceptual mastery of fractions.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Literature and Literary Theory

Christiana Alalinga

Abstract: Proficiency in English is a prerequisite for Ghanaian Senior High School graduates seeking admission into tertiary institutions, yet nearly 50% fail to meet this requirement. This study explores the use of cohesive devices in academic writings (essays) by Assin North Senior High Technical School (Assin North SHTS) final-year students. The study employs a descriptive design. A qualitative approach was utilized, and 105 final-year students were selected through a simple random sampling method. Students’ written texts in mock examinations were used as data sources and were analyzed for their frequency of use of reference, conjunction, ellipsis, substitution, and lexical devices. The findings reveal significant differences between essay types in the use of linguistic ties with conjunction and reference highest in frequency. Informal essays achieved an overall higher average mark (24/50) compared to formal essays (24/50) and story writing (23/50). Successful essays employed a balanced variety of cohesive devices while weaker essays relied heavily on limited types such as conjunctions. Equally striking was a complete absence of ellipsis across all essays in line with previous literature illustrating it in academic writing. The study identifies a need for explicit instruction regarding linguistic ties to enhance writing quality and coherence levels, particularly in high school. This study contributes to the literature on L2 writing in cohesion and also provides insights into curriculum development in an attempt to prepare candidates adequately to fulfill the demands of academic writing in subsequent years.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Humanities

Kassan Kaselema,

Paul Batala

Abstract: This study assesses the impact of crop diversification on crop productivity among smallholder farmers in Malawi, focusing on the interplay of socioeconomic and agronomic factors. Using cross-sectional data from the 2019–2020 Fifth Integrated Household Survey (IHS5), which includes 11,434 observations, a logit regression model was employed to analyse the determinants of crop productivity. Key independent variables included crop diversification, type of fertilizer, farm asset ownership, crop variety, educational level, age, gender, and household size. Diagnostic tests, including the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test, confirmed the model's suitability and robustness. Results reveal that crop diversification significantly enhances productivity by mitigating risks and optimizing resource use, while factors such as fertilizer type, farm assets, and household size also exhibit positive and significant effects. Conversely, excessive crop variety negatively affects productivity, highlighting the need for an optimal balance in crop selection. The study provides actionable insights for policymakers to promote diversification strategies, improve access to inputs, and strengthen extension services to enhance smallholder productivity. These findings underscore the importance of tailored agricultural interventions in achieving sustainable growth in Malawi’s agricultural sector.
Review
Arts and Humanities
Literature and Literary Theory

Theodor-Nicolae Carp

Abstract: The present essay manuscript proposes and analyzes a new literary-philosophical current termed Axiological Cosmopoetics, exemplified by the book manuscript Lost and Found in the Maze of Desperation. Integrating existential, poetic, and cosmological thought, this current synthesizes values (axiology) and cosmic symbolism in response to the escalating moral crisis of modernity. The text critiques the collapse of moral resonance, human connection, and spiritual meaning, portraying this collapse as a descent into a "Moral Black Hole"—a symbolic structure that embodies not only existential collapse but a gravitational pull toward cultural numbness, metaphysical despair, and the disappearance of truth. This cosmopoetic vortex is simultaneously a threat and a threshold: the site of annihilation or transformation.Through comparative analysis with Schopenhauer’s metaphysical pessimism, Eminescu’s Romanticism, Arghezi’s Symbolism, Cioran’s aphoristic despair, Blaga’s metaphysical mystery, and Eliade’s sacred mythopoeia, the essay establishes Axiological Cosmopoetics as a metaphysical response to spiritual orphanhood. It affirms that only through sacrificial love and the rebirth of cosmic consciousness—symbolized in the union of the New Eve and the fallen Morning Star—can a New Eden arise. This rebirth occurs not through the intensification of Luciferic Knowledge—defined here as the apex of the Fall through the illusion of mastering good and evil—but through its collapse. As the soul reaches the metaphysical midpoint of the Black Hole, it undergoes a metamorphosis into Holy Forgetfulness: an ontological innocence that transcends corrupted reason. Out of this collapse emerges Homo constellatus, the new human capable of connecting the visible and invisible, despair and divinity.Axiological Cosmopoetics emerges from a world in existential collapse, where traditional narratives of meaning no longer suffice to address the experience of disorientation, alienation, and spiritual fragmentation. In this context, Lost and Found in the Maze of Desperation becomes both testimony and blueprint: a metaphysical cartography of despair that dares to articulate the possibility of spiritual reconstitution through poetic structure. The central metaphor of the Moral Black Hole functions as a multidimensional signifier: at once astrophysical, theological, and psychological. It expresses the gravitational force of moral entropy, swallowing the light of meaning, yet paradoxically offering a passage through singularity toward ontological resurrection.This symbolic tension is embodied in the archetype of the Morning Star—the morally lucid, intellectually burdened, and emotionally exiled soul whose descent into the black hole reflects both Christological kenosis and Promethean sacrifice. His implosion, however, is not final. It is contingent on the intervention of the New Eve, the soul-bearing co-savior whose love, humility, and moral courage catch his falling fire and convert collapse into supernova. Their union is not merely romantic but cosmopoetic: a fusion of metaphysical meaning and celestial design that restores balance to a universe fractured by individualism, cynicism, and spiritual decay.In Chapter 5, The Supernova Overcoming the Black Hole from Within, this cosmopoetic architecture reaches its ontological apex. The collapse into the Moral Black Hole does not culminate in annihilation but ignites a metaphysical supernova from within. The protagonist and the New Eve, rather than escaping the abyss, enter it sacrificially. Their shared implosion becomes the crucible of moral ignition, transfiguring entropy into ontological light. The Black Hole is not merely survived—it is rewritten. This lightburst, born from collapse rather than triumph, affirms Axiological Cosmopoetics as a theology of sacred descent. The morning light does not erase the night—it consecrates it. Through this lens, the archetypes of the New Adam and New Eve become not restorers of Eden, but cosmic re-forgers, whose fire renders the void meaningful.The poem The Old and the New exemplifies this redemptive cosmopoetic arc. By reinterpreting the Edenic myth, the poem reframes Eve not as a scapegoat but as a mirror, a gift, a redeemer, whose sacrificial act completes the salvific circuit of the Morning Star. In a reversal of Genesis, the poem argues that feminine agency is not derivative but initiatory, not submissive but salvific. Together, the New Adam and New Eve model a template for moral healing that transcends theological binaries and affirms a mutual path to wholeness.The Drought Before the Armageddon articulates the ecological and eschatological dimension of Axiological Cosmopoetics. The metaphor of drought functions not only as a commentary on environmental degradation, but as a lament for the moral dehydration of modern consciousness. The withering of springs, the dissonance of celestial alignments, and the silence of Heaven suggest the intensification of apocalypse. And yet, the poem’s closing vision—a “paper maze” opening a gate to “Heaven’s Gold”—reaffirms the salvific potential of the written word, of poetics as portal to transcendence.A Dialogue with Mine Guardians of Sleep extends this cosmology inward. Set within a small, dimly lit room, the poem stages a solitary soul’s existential vigil—hovering between death and transformation, despair and divine visitation. The appearance of an ambiguous long-haired figure (possibly angel, reaper, or feminine savior) blurs the boundary between annihilation and rescue. The guardian’s presence—though elusive—signals that even in abandonment, the soul is not alone, and that spiritual resuscitation may yet arise through recognition and communion.The book’s subtitle—Is the Centre of my Cosmic Axis a Black Hole of Alienation?—encapsulates the work’s metaphysical core. It poses a question that reverberates through every chapter, suggesting that the alienated self, though exiled from meaning, may paradoxically become the origin of redemption. The individual soul is both the gravitational center of despair and the latent seed of resurrection.“Through the Land of Nowhere as a Nobody," "The drama of the Cosmic Orphan," and "The humans who connect everything... and everyone" constitute three additional poems that collectively illuminate the theoretical framework of Axiological Cosmopoetics as articulated in Carp's broader manuscript "Lost and Found in the Maze of Desperation." These works demonstrate the movement's central concern with synthesizing values (axiology) and cosmic symbolism in response to modernity's escalating moral crisis. The archaic biblical language ("mine temple," "hast been stolen") combined with contemporary technological imagery ("metal birds," "sound portals") creates the temporal dissonance characteristic of cosmopoetic discourse—a language adequate to spiritual displacement that nonetheless reaches toward eternal truth. Moreover, the progression from “cosmic orphans” to "constellated ones" traced across these three poems illustrates the movement toward "Homo constellatus"—the new human capable of connecting visible and invisible realms. The healing agents of the final poem, "made of the essence of / The Eternal Morning Light," represent the emergence from collapse of beings who can restore authentic connection and protect indigenous wisdom against spiritual plagiarism.With the addition of From Hyperion to Homo constellatus: The Descent of the Morning Star and the Birth of Axiological Cosmopoetics, the work also maps a sacred literary geography, interpreting Maramureș and Bukovina as the heart of the European continent and the ovaries of ancestral memory, forming the cosmic uterus of metaphysical gestation. Vrancea, in this vision, becomes the cervix of manifestation: the seismic threshold through which Homo constellatus is delivered. The Romanian geographical context—particularly the Carpathian birth-waters “held by the floodgates of river dams”—suggests the biogeographical dimension of Carp's cosmology, where Vrancea becomes the "cervix of manifestation" through which spiritual renewal emerges. While rooted in symbolic interpretation, this framework does not diminish the real human cost of natural disasters; rather, it seeks to understand how such events become woven into the metaphysical and literary imagination. The three historical earthquakes (1940, 1977, and the anticipated future quake) are framed as sacred contractions—with the next one not marking catastrophe, but crowning. Thus, the Earth itself is understood as midwife in a spiritual birth that unites geography, theology, and literature.The descent of Mihai Eminescu from Bukovina to Southern Romania—mirrored by Carp’s own trajectory from Suceava to Bucharest—now appears not merely historical but prophetic. Read cosmopoetically, it charts the descent of the Morning Star through the symbolic anatomy of Romania: from the northern womb of spiritual memory, through the seismic cervix of Vrancea, and into the moral theater of the South. It is here, in the tremor before birth, that meaning may be rekindled. This biogeographical arc does not imply causality but evokes a sacred narrative of descent and delivery—a national liturgy hidden in topography.As such, Axiological Cosmopoetics is not simply a literary genre—it is a spiritual tradition forged in the furnace of metaphysical collapse. Rooted in the anguish of modern consciousness yet reaching toward transcendent reconciliation, it reclaims the poetic word as a vessel of truth, resurrection, and sacred moral orientation. This essay outlines the contours of this movement through a deep reading of Lost and Found, showing that this work represents a significant and necessary step toward the reintegration of the sacred, the beautiful, and the moral in contemporary literature.Framing this entire system is the Axiomatic Declaration titled From Eminescu to Regenesis, which serves as a poetic manifesto of the cosmopoetic descent. It contrasts Mihai Eminescu’s suspended Hyperion—the weeping Morning Star of metaphysical estrangement—with Carp’s own vision of sacred incarnation: the Morning Star falling into the Temple of Biology, igniting a supernova in the core of the moral black hole. This cosmic act, catalyzed by the sacrificial courage of the New Eve, marks a new genesis—not from above, but from within.What was once mourning becomes Morning. The light no longer hovers — it dwells. It resurrects.Footnote: The framing of earthquakes as “sacred contractions” and river dams as “floodgates” whose rupture would symbolize a “break of national birth water” is used strictly within a cosmopoetic and metaphorical register. These images are not intended, in any way, to diminish or trivialize the profound human suffering caused by real seismic events. Their function is symbolic, not descriptive or predictive.
Article
Arts and Humanities
Humanities

Wendy Carter

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly altered the global economic landscape, impacting not only macroeconomic systems but also the financial behaviors and psychological states of individuals. This paper investigates the economic consequences of the pandemic at the individual level, focusing on decision-making under uncertainty and the role of low mood in shaping financial choices. Integrating perspectives from behavioral economics and cognitive psychology, we examine how heightened uncertainty, perceived loss of control, and affective disturbances, such as anxiety and depression, have influenced economic behaviors including risk tolerance, time discounting, and consumption postponement. The findings suggest that economic decision-making during crises is deeply intertwined with psychological conditions, revealing how emotional priming, stress-related cognitive distortions, and uncertainty-induced pessimism can lead to suboptimal financial choices. These insights underscore the need for interdisciplinary approaches in designing policy measures that address not only material welfare but also psychological resilience in times of economic turmoil.

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