Abstract: Background and Objectives: The authors aimed to describe their experience in frameless stereotactic biopsy by using Autoguide Robotic Platform and compare outcomes with frame-based stereotactic technique. We would like to emphasize the importance of this study as it is the first in the literature to use sodium fluorescein for confirmation in intracranial biopsies taken with the Stealth Autoguide Robotic Platform. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 30 patients who underwent stereotactic intracranial biopsy between June 2018 and March 2024. Patients were divided into two groups: Robotic biopsy group (n=15) underwent frameless image-guided stereotactic intracranial biopsy with Stealth Autoguide Robotic Platform and optical neuronavigation system (Stealth-Station S8, Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) by using intraoperative sodium fluorescein. Frame-based (Integra, CRW, New Jersey, USA) stereotactic biopsy group (n=15) underwent stereotactic biopsy with the use of a stereotactic planning system (Atlas Integra Software, New Jersey, USA and Brainlab AG, Munich, Germany), without sodium fluorescein and preoperative MRI and CT scans were performed in all patients. The external cranial anatomy was registered using either facial tracing or O-Arm (Medtronic Sofamor Danek, Inc., Memphis, TN, USA). Results: Robotic biopsy group demonstrated diagnostic yield of 93.3% (14/15) while frame-based group achieved 100% (15/15), with no significant difference (p=0.609). Mean calculated tip error in robotic biopsy group was 0.42±0.19 mm (range: 0.1-0.7 mm) and postoperative targeting accuracy in frame-based biopsy group was 0.51±0.23 mm (range: 0.2-0.9 mm), with no significant difference (p=0.287). robotic biopsy group demonstrated significantly shorter mean surgical time (40.26±6.13 vs 52.47±8.92 minutes, p=0.002). Conclusions: Both frame-based and robotic-assisted stereotactic biopsy techniques achieve comparable diagnostic accuracy and targeting precision. However, robotic biopsy significantly reduces surgical time compared to frame-based technique. The use of intraoperative sodium fluorescein is a valuable adjunct method for confirming that biopsy specimens are obtained from the intended target site.

Abstract: Autoinflammatory diseases are characterized by inappropriate activation of innate immunity resulting in excessive or persistent inflammation in the absence of infection. γδ T cells possess innate-like properties, including rapid responsiveness to stress-induced self-molecules, phosphoantigens, and inflammasome-derived cytokines, while retaining adaptive effector functions. Neutrophils and macrophages are well-established drivers of autoinflammatory disease, but increasing evidence implicates γδ T cells as key intermediaries, by linking innate immune activation to tissue-specific inflammatory pathology.Here we review evidence that in both monogenic and multifactorial autoinflammatory diseases—including, for example, familial Mediterranean fever, hyper- immunoglobulin (Ig) D syndrome, gout, Behçet’s disease, Still’s disease, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative disorders—γδ T cells display altered frequencies, activation states, cytokine polarization, and tissue recruitment. In inflammasome-driven diseases, skewing of γδ T cells toward interleukin (IL)-17 production has been observed, often accompanied by reduced interferon (IFN)-γ secretion, thereby amplifying neutrophilic inflammation and tissue damage. In other diseases, e.g Behcet`s disease, IFNg and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)a producton predominate. Transcriptomic and tissue-based analyses support the accumulation and functional specialization of γδ T cells at sites of sterile inflammation. Collectively, these findings position γδ T cells as central amplifiers and modulators of inappropriate innate immune activation in the context of autoinflammatory diseases. Improved understanding of γδ T cell subset-specific regulation may inform novel therapeutic strategies targeting autoinflammatory diseases.

Abstract: Shipping is urgently exploring alternative vessel energy sources across a wide range of options - from other fossil fuels to renewables - with a view to more sustainable ship propulsion. Based on processing of publicly available data, the authors discuss the prospects of the supply chains for 16 vessel power sources alternative to oil, comparing descriptive statistics across respective fuel supply chain Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to evaluate potentiality along with hidden vulnerabilities. While finding marked dif-ferences across calculated mean, standard deviation and coefficient of variation values, the authors do not preclude the development of parallel ship fuel supply chains, unlike the case of previous fuel transitions in shipping. To support this scenario, already forming in practice, they emphasize the enabling attributes of today’s world fleet in terms of total capacity and of size of each of the main shipping sectors which could eventually sustain nowadays multiple fuel supply chains. Concluding on limitations and challenges that such an energy-source multitude can create, the authors underline the need to consider in the Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) of shipping fuels their total impact, including necessary ship hardware changes for a more thorough assessment of fuels’ impact across the entire shipping services’ supply chain.

Abstract: Carbon dots (CDs) have enormous potential in optical sensing applications because of their remarkable physicochemical properties. Benefiting from high specific surface area, rich active sites, bright photoluminescence, high photostability, and biocompatibility, CDs have been widely used as functional layers in optical fiber sensors, resulting in notable improvements in sensitivity, response speed, and environmental stability. This review describes recent advances in CD-integrated optical fiber sensors, with a focus on CD synthesis techniques and their integration with optical fibers for the sensing of diverse analytes, such as heavy metal ions, biomarkers, and dyes. CD-integrated fiber sensors exhibit significantly enhanced detection performance in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, repeatability, response time, and recovery time, compared to their non-CD counterparts. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives are discussed. This review aims to provide valuable insights for the design and development of novel CD-integrated optical fiber platforms for sensing chemically and biologically relevant analytes.

Abstract: The effect of confinement of fluorophores (Rhodamine 6G) in nano-cavities of porous 3D sculptured coatings made by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) was investigated by fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). Shortening of fluorescence/photoluminescence lifetime by ~ 10% was observed from the dye-permeated (in liquid) structure; however, there was no rotational hindrance of dye molecules. When dried, a strong rotational hindrance 89% was observed for the orientation along the ordinary optical axis (fast-axis), and the hindrance was smaller than 57% for the extraordinary direction (fast axis). Light intensity distribution inside the nano-structure with a form-birefringence was numerically modelled using plane wave illumination and a dipole source. Nanoscale localisation of light intensity due to dipole nature I ~ 1/radius^6 and boundary conditions for E-field allows efficient energy deposition inside the region of lower refractive index (nanogaps).

Abstract: Agritourism is an expanding form of experience-based rural tourism, yet limited empirical research explains how experiential marketing shapes perceived value and satisfaction in authentic farming contexts. Drawing on Schmitt’s Strategic Experiential Modules and the Memorable Tourism Experience (MTE) framework, this study develops and tests a structural model linking agritourism experience, perceived value, and satisfaction. Survey data from 398 visitors across twelve certified agritourism communities in Taiwan were analyzed using CFA and SEM. Results show that agritourism experiences significantly enhance perceived value and directly increase satisfaction, with perceived value exerting a strong mediating effect. The findings underscore the distinctiveness of agritourism, where authenticity, natural variability, and human–land interactions generate experiential outcomes not replicable in constructed tourism spaces. The study advances experiential marketing theory and offers practical guidance for rural tourism development.

Abstract: A number of approaches to a theory of quantum gravity assume the fabric of spacetime is distinct from the spacetime of the material world of matter and energy. On a short time scale, one cannot distinguish between the fabric of spacetime expanding, nominally due to dark energy, or the scale of the material world contracting with respect to the fabric of spacetime. Contraction of the scale of the material world (length, time, mass, and charge contracting equally) maintains observable physical laws and results in a decreasing derived dark energy density matching that reported by the DESI Collaboration in March 2025. The DESI fits to the dark energy density over time show a distinct difference between those using scale-dependent supernovae data and those using mostly scale-independent angular measurements, such as from CMB and BAO measurements. That difference is resolved by applying a scale contraction rate of -3%/Gyr to the supernovae data. Scale contraction of the material world eliminates the need for dark energy to explain the apparent expansion of space, resolving the ~10¹²² discrepancy between the dark energy density required to match observation and that calculated for the vacuum energy as the mechanism for dark energy. The large force of the vacuum energy is a potential mechanism for compression of the material world, and would explain why the observed expansion only occurs outside of gravitationally bound systems. A scale-contraction model for cosmological kinematics explains why the dark energy density appears to be decreasing without requiring the underlying vacuum energy to be changing with time. Scale contraction of the material world predicts the observed directions and order of magnitude of the Hubble tension and the S₈ tension, which has been a challenge to other proposed modifications of ΛCDM since those two tensions have opposite trends over time, the Hubble constant being about 10% larger in the late universe compared to the early universe, and the structure constant, S₈, about 10% smaller. Scale contraction of the material world can be tested by modifying the LCDM cosmological model to include scale contraction over time, and assessing if the Hubble and S₈ tensions are quantitatively reduced or resolved.

Abstract: Historically, the toxicological evaluation of poorly soluble low toxicity particles (PSLTs), such as titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs), has focused on carcinogenicity and lung overload, leaving their pathological function in development of pneumoconiosis undefined. In this study, we initiate a "Pneumoconiosis Renaissance", redefining the human "Gold Standard" of pneumoconiosis pathology as a primarily interstitial "Dust Macule (DM) to Mixed Dust Fibrosis (MDF) axis." In contrast, rats develop a species-specific "Airspace-Dominant Phenotype" (Pulmonary Dust Foci) driven by airspace stagnation. Integrating recent continuous inhalation exposure and recovery after inhalation exposure studies, we demonstrate that this overwhelming alveolar pathology in rats acts as a "Biological Mask," physically superimposing upon and obscuring human-relevant interstitial sequestration. Crucially, however, extended recovery periods can unmask these interstitial events, revealing the true underlying pathology. We propose that future risk assessments and Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) must incorporate spatial resolution. By rigorously segregating sensitive rat-specific airspace events from human-relevant interstitial remodeling, we can accurately bridge the interspecies gap. This review argues that rather than discarding the rat model, we must learn to decode it—using spatial distinctions to filter the airspace mask and evaluate the true interstitial risk of inhaled biodurable particles.

Abstract: Prostate cancer remains a leading cause of male cancer mortality, principally due to the inevitable transition from androgen-sensitive disease to lethal castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). This review synthesizes the multifaceted molecular mechanisms driving this therapeutic failure, moving beyond a catalogue of signaling nodes to a structural and kinetic analysis of resistance networks. We dissect the reactivation of Androgen Receptor (AR) signaling through the lens of key kinase cascades, specifically the PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK axes, and their regulation of the steroidogenic gatekeeper CYP17A1. Special emphasis is placed on the structural determinants of CYP17A1 activity, including the critical Asn202 gating mechanism and the "backdoor" pathway of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) biosynthesis that bypasses canonical testosterone intermediates. Furthermore, we integrate the "hydrophobic spine" hypothesis of kinase activation to explain the efficacy and failure of Type I and Type II kinase inhibitors. In parallel, we unravel the regulatory complexity of non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), detailing how upregulated transcripts like LINC00675 and Lnc-ZNF30-3 function as dynamic scaffolds and competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) to stabilize AR and promote epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). By converging these insights with emerging therapeutic strategies, such as next-generation lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-mediated RNA interference utilizing hexagonal HII phase endosomal escape, we provide a comprehensive roadmap for dismantling the molecular fortresses of advanced prostate cancer.

Abstract: The technological change that has transformed the world in the last two centuries has been facilitated by new modes of finance and governance, engineering, management and organization. Recurrent waves of innovation have delivered mechanization, steam power, railroads, steel, electricity, the internal combustion engine, petrochemicals, electronics, aviation, digital networks, information technology, biotechnology, big data, the industrial internet of things, and cloud computing. However, the next fundamental waves of innovation will be typified by environmental science, including biotechnology, renewable energy, green technology and regenerative industries, and this will form successive revolutions in sustainability and regeneration. The concept of changing paradigms goes beyond the technological transformation achieved by advances in digital technology in recent decades, to encompass the dramatic changes that have occurred in terms of globalisation of value chains and cultures, strategic rethinking of business purpose and direction, transformation of organisations and conceptions of stakeholders, and most of all the all-embracing imperatives in a resource constrained world of sustainability and regeneration. These new waves are overwhelming economies and societies, with the objective of sustaining the environment and ecology upon which we all survive (Clarke 2019; Clarke 2023; Clarke, Benn and Edwards 2026; Clarke and Clegg 2000). The overwhelming ambitions of business and technology have to be tempered by the increasing realization that we are reaching the limits of environmental planetary boundaries, and these must not be transgressed if we wish to ensure the survival of humanity and the stability of the planet. The ecological limits of the planet have now a scientific basis in the planetary boundaries framework (Rockström et al 2009). The concept of a “safe operating space for humanity” is based on the best knowledge of the fundamental dynamics of the earth system: the planetary processes that together maintain climate stability and ecological resilience. The regeneration paradigm ironically has the task of restoring all the ecological damage created since the beginning of the industrial revolution. The first paradigmatic shift towards mechanization and steam power, besides greatly expanding the material wealth of human economy and society, began an unfortunate and ultimately disastrous destruction of the natural world, and ultimately of the ecology of the planet. All of the paradigm shifts that have occurred in the last two centuries have in some way contributed mightily to this despoilation of nature, and undermining of the ecological balance. Now it is time to repair the damage before it is too late. Instead of destroying nature we have to work in service of nature, restoring and enhancing ecosystems and diversity. In the process we have to work towards reducing the harshness of inequalities that undermine societies and promote the well-being of communities. The advance of the well-being and health of the people and the planet, providing habitat for native plants and animal species that have been brought to the brink of extinction is a worthy goal. We have to create the means to withstand the dangers of climate change with nature based design, developing new protective eco-systems. If we achieve all this, the regenerative paradigm will be recognized as the greatest human and scientific achievement of all (Konietzko, Das and Bocken 2023).

Abstract: Long COVID is the consequence of having had COVID. Long COVID has many other names including Long-haul COVID, Post-COVID conditions (PCC), Post-COVID-19 syndrome, Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 condition (PASC) and Chronic COVID. Long COVID is the name most frequently used. COVID is not alone in having severe post infection consequences. Influenza, Ebola, Marburg, Dengue, and Lyme Disease are other infections with severe post infection consequences. Long COVID has emerged over the past few years and is ill-defined. Long COVID’s underlying science and treatments are rapidly evolving. There is no diagnostic test for it. The most-often reported lower bound on its prevalence is about 7%. Seven percent doesn’t sound like much, but under the assumption that 75% of the people in the world have had COVID, that means 420 million people in the world have Long COVID which is about 5 times the number of people killed or injured in the 20th and 21st century wars. There are several root causes for Long COVID with inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction being the two leading villains. Long COVID prevalence goes down with recent variants, COVID vaccination, early antiviral use, being fit, being young, and surprisingly being male. The most important action to reduce the chance of Long COVID is COVID vaccination. The impact of COVID vaccination on Long COVID prevalence is quite uncertain. Papers report 10% to 100% reduction in Long COVID rates from pre-disease vaccination. The average reported reduction is 50%. The impact of vaccination on people with no comorbidities is uncertain with wide ranges being reported. There are no guaranteed treatments for Long COVID; however, some treatments offer either broad or organ-specific relief for many. This paper reviews 179 different Long COVID treatments described in 249 papers. These papers came from the author’s personal data base called The Mouse That Roared of 24,000+ papers that have been accumulated over the last five and a half years. The Mouse That Roared papers cover all aspects COVID including the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the COVID disease, therapeutics, vaccines, behavior, testing, herd immunity, Long COVID, Long COVID Treatment, Politics and National COVID responses, etc. Unlike COVID, there are no excellent treatments, which I call silver bullets, for Long COVID Fortunately, there are some treatments that help some a bit. I will call those “bronze bb’s.” Even with them, healing is very slow. The recovery time with Long COVID is longer than the body’s normal times because COVID’s damage is widespread and because COVID damages our body’s healing process.

Abstract: In the present research work, the corrosion behaviour of pure Al in methyl esters with different degree of unsaturation and chain length, present in biodiesel, has been investigated by using electrochemical techniques. Evaluated methyl esters included methyl acrylate (C4H6O2) and methyl linoleate (C19H34O2) which were added to methyl propionate, (C4H8O2) and methyl oleate (C19H36O2 ) respectively. Electrochemical techniques involved electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electrochemical noise, and were supplemented by detailed studies of scanning electronic microscopy. Results have shown that the corrosion rate and the susceptibility to localized type of corrosion such as pitting increased with an increase in the number of unsaturations and in the chain length. Corrosion process was under charge transfer and was not affected neither by an increase in the number of unsaturations nor in the chain length. The charge transfer resistance value decreased by an increase in the number of unsaturations nor in the chain length.

Abstract: Central cord syndrome (CCS) is the most common incomplete spinal cord injury, producing more severe motor deficits in the upper than lower extremities and impairing sensory and autonomic function. Although transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (tSCS) has shown benefits in motor and sensory recovery after spinal cord injury, studies have not explicitly documented whether CCS subjects were included. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of tSCS over 12 weeks on motor and sensory outcomes in a subject with CCS. Methods: A 20-year-old male with a C7 injury was evaluated at baseline and after 12 weeks with the American Spinal Cord Injury Impairment scale, Modified Ashworth Scale, Penn and Spasm Frequency Scale, 3-Meter Walk Test, 6-Minute Walk Test, 9-Hole Peg Test, Box and Block Test, hand dynamometry, and lower-limb EMG. tSCS was applied between T9 and L1 at 30 Hz. Results: At 12 weeks, upper-limb motor and sensory scores improved, while spasm frequency and hand spasticity were reduced. Manual dexterity improved bilaterally in the 9-Hole Peg and Box and Block Tests, with a 2 kg gain in right-hand grip strength. In the 6-Minute Walk Test, the distance covered increased from 224.4 m to 295.2 m, and a 1.36 s reduction in 3-Meter walking time was achieved. Conclusions: tSCS improved motor and sensory function and reduced spasticity and spasms. These findings suggest that tSCS may serve as an effective complementary intervention for motor and sensory rehabilitation in individuals with mild cervical injuries, including CCS.

Abstract: Although Gibbons et al. (2025) found that fear and sleep deprivation combined to predict unique variance in 5 out of 6 everyday and heroic courage measures, those measures either measured willingness to engage in courageous behaviors or fear when engaging in these behaviors, as suggested by the revised 20-item Woodard Pury Courage Scale (R-WPCS-20). However, most courage definitions involve risky behaviors considered courageous that elicit fear, which means that fear, when willing to engage in risky/courageous behaviors, indicates courage. Conversely, fear when unwilling to engage in risky/courageous behaviors indicates cowardice. The current study used the data from 256 participants in the Gibbons et al. study using the R-WPCS-20 to combine the ratings for willingness to engage in 20 risky behaviors and fear to engage in each of those behaviors into 20 courage ratings. Specifically, 3 was subtracted from each of the willingness ratings, ranging from 1 (low) to 5 (high), and multiplied by the fear rating, ranging from 1 (no fear) to 5 (high fear), resulting in 20 combined courage measures ranging from -10 (high cowardness) to 10 (high courage). The 20 combined ratings loaded well onto a single factor of courage with high factor loadings (the lowest factor loading was .764) and a Cronbach’s alpha of .99, demonstrating excellent interitem reliability. The results showed that fear/anxiety interacted with 2 measures of sleep (hours and poor sleep quality) to predict the single measure of courage that combined willingness to engage in courageous behaviors and fear when engaging in them, which clearly emphasized the contribution of fear in defining and predicting courage.

Abstract: Background: This research was conducted to compare the relationship between a comprehensive set of optical coherence tomography (OCT) parameters of the fovea and two measures of age-biological and chronological-in healthy adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) data from 154 healthy adults aged 22–89 years. Parameters assessed: foveal thickness, foveal pit depth and diameter, pit slope steepness, and the presence or absence of the foveal bulge. Biological age was calculated using the PhenoAge algorithm. Results: The core geometry of the foveal pit showed no significant dependence on either type of age (p > 0.1). In contrast, the prevalence of the foveal bulge declined significantly with age: from ~80% in the youngest group (17-44 years) to 0-50% in the oldest group (75-92 years) (p = 0.0014 for PhenoAge, p = 0.0208 for chronological age). The odds ratio (OR) for the loss of the bulge per year of age was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.94–0.98).Conclusion: The foveal architecture remains structurally stable throughout adulthood. The foveal bulge emerges as a sensitive biomarker of age-related changes. Biological age does not provide additional predictive value over chronological age for foveal structural parameters under physiological aging conditions.

Abstract: Population aging is the most significant demographic transformation of the 21st century, reshaping health systems, economies, and societies. The biological processes of immunosenescence and inflammaging weaken host defenses, reduce vaccine effectiveness, and increase vulnerability to infectious and chronic diseases. These changes underscore the urgent need for preventive strategies that extend beyond childhood immunization. Vaccination is a cornerstone of healthy aging, capable of preventing infections and has been associated with reductions in systemic inflammation, frailty, and loss of functional independence in later life. Furthermore, new insights into vaccine-mediated immunomodulation, including trained immunity, adjuvanted formulations, and epigenetic reprogramming, highlight the evolving role of vaccines as modulators of immune fitness across the lifespan. This first part of our review examines the intersection of aging and immunity, as well as the potential of vaccines to address these challenges. Part 2 will expand on specific vaccines, proposed vaccination schedules, and global perspectives for lifelong immunization.

Abstract: Purpose: This manuscript synthesizes and integrates a series of previously published innovative sonographic concepts into a unified framework of Functional Lung Ultrasound (FLUS), introducing lung ultrasound as a real-time bedside functional “visual spirometry” tool. Rather than focusing on artefact-based interpretation, it reframes pulmonary sonography as a structural–functional imaging modality. The primary aim is to systematize the diagnostic meaning of novel sonographic entities—namely the Twinkling White Area (TWA), Bat Sign dynamics, vascular echo patterns, and pleural separation—with particular emphasis on lung ultrasound’s role in the bedside functional diagnosis, phenotyping, and monitoring of obstructive lung syndromes, within a coherent physiological and pathophysiological model of peripheral lung function. Methods: This work is based on a structured reinterpretation of serial ultrasound examinations previously performed in healthy subjects and in over 600 patients with obstructive, interstitial, infectious, malignant, and vascular lung diseases, as reported across separate original publications. Sonographic features of the Merlin Space—including pleural line behavior, rib-shadow geometry, TWA morphology, and respiratory excursion—are collectively reanalyzed and integrated with their corresponding CT correlations, morphologic substrates, and hemodynamic implications in order to construct a reproducible structure–function continuum. Results: The TWA is consolidated as a genuine subpleural reflective interface dynamically linked to peripheral lung density, representing the baseline architectural unit of the aerated lung. The Bat Sign is redefined as a functional continuum rather than a static landmark: the Healthy Bat preserves symmetric TWA geometry, rib-shadow distance, and respiratory motion, whereas the Sick Bat exhibits deformation, asymmetry, and altered dynamics reflecting early parenchymal or obstructive involvement. The Front Sight in Rear Sight sign is confirmed as a dual-vascular echo configuration corresponding to pulmonary infarction supported by bronchial collateral perfusion. Posterior basal pleural separation emerges as a functional marker of chronic, non-exudative, viscerally confined pleural–subpleural remodeling rather than acute inflammatory pleural disease. Conclusion: This integrated framework formally establishes Functional Lung Ultrasound (FLUS) as a real-time, bedside “visual spirometry” modality, in which echo morphology, motion analysis, and perfusion patterns translate directly into functional assessment of airflow, density distribution, and peripheral vascular dynamics. By unifying structural and physiological echo phenomena, FLUS positions lung ultrasound as a true functional imaging tool for obstructive, interstitial, infectious, malignant, and vascular lung syndromes.

Abstract: This study investigated the impact of pricing strategies on the growth and sustainabil-ity of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the City of Mbombela Local Municipal-ity, South Africa. The study employed a quantitative research approach. The study sampled 132 SMEs operating within the City of Mbombela Local Municipality. A self-administered questionnaire was tested for reliability and validity and thereafter used to collect data from the respondents. This study employed multiple linear regres-sion analysis and performed the reliability test. In this study, the data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that SMEs primarily used cost-plus, value-based, and competitor-based pricing strategies, frequently modi-fying prices in response to market competition and technological advancements. The study found a significant and positive relationship between pricing strategies and growth. Furthermore, a positive and significant nexus between pricing strategies and the sustainability of the SMEs. The practical implication of this study informs the SME managers/owners and policy makers that SMEs that apply strategic and mar-ket-oriented pricing practices are more likely to achieve improved performance out-comes. The study therefore emphasises the importance of effective pricing in promot-ing both growth and long-term sustainability among SMEs. The findings of this study are expected to persuade the SMEs to pay crucial attention to the pricing strategies implemented in the business.

Abstract: Examination malpractice remains a significant challenge in higher education, undermining academic integrity and the credibility of qualifications. This study aimed to explore students’ perceptions of invigilation as a strategy for preventing academic dishonesty, assess the adequacy of current invigilation practices, and examine how different types of invigilation influence cheating behaviors. An exploratory quantitative research design was employed, collecting data from 295 Zambian university students using a structured electronic questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, including means and standard deviations, were used to summarize participants’ responses. The results revealed that a majority of students perceive invigilation as effective in reducing cheating (M = 3.90, SD = 1.13) and are generally satisfied with the adequacy of current invigilation practices (M = 3.64, SD = 1.14). Strict invigilation was identified as the most effective approach to deterring malpractice (58.4%), while students reported moderate variability in adherence to proper examination procedures (M = 3.59, SD = 1.24). However, perceptions of the effectiveness of specific types of invigilation were lower (M = 2.54, SD = 0.58), suggesting that while supervision is valued, its implementation and style can influence its deterrent effect. The study concludes that vigilant, well-staffed, and consistently applied invigilation practices are crucial for maintaining examination integrity and minimizing academic dishonesty.

Abstract: This preprint proposes a radical departure from terraforming: the Ze-formation of a planet. We introduce the Ze System as a co-evolutionary state of planetary animation, achieved not by imposing an external template, but by actively provoking a celestial body’s latent potentials into structured, intelligent exchange. Grounded in an ontology of latent fields (Ibrahim, 2022), the framework shifts from passive observation to active provocation via targeted decoherence, resonance amplification, and non-local perturbation (Maruyama, 2019; Watanabe & Li, 2017). The core methodology is the engineering of predictive conflicts, where adversarial models—one standard, one incorporating a hypothesized latent variable—are tested by minimal Ze-Probes. The resulting patterned error localizes hidden structures (Fong et al., 2016). This process is interpreted through the Principle of Dual Reading, synthesizing causal and teleological narratives to guide intervention (Voss, 2021). A dedicated toolkit—predictive AI, resonant manipulators, and quantum-enhanced error detectors—enables this planetary-scale dialogue. Crucially, the framework is governed by an ethics of co-creative responsibility, acknowledging the non-neutrality of intervention and the irreversible cost of localizing potentials (El-Hadi, 2020). We argue that the ultimate outcome of Ze-formation is not a habitable world, but an active planetary interlocutor capable of complex informational exchange and collaborative self-revelation, transforming humanity’s role from terraformer to partner in cosmic meaning-making.