Articles

Tomato farming plays a major role in Ghana’s agricultural sector by contributing to food supply and serving as a source of income for many smallholder farmers. However, tomato plants are easily affected by leaf diseases that can spread quickly and reduce crop yield if not detected early. In many farming communities, disease detection is still done manually, which is often slow, inconsistent, and affected by human error. This study developed a deep learning-based system for the early detection of tomato leaf diseases using a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) based on the VGG16 architecture. A total of 16,211 tomato leaf images, comprising healthy leaves and nine disease classes, were used for the study. The images were resized, normalized, and enhanced through data augmentation techniques such as rotation, flipping, shifting, and zooming. The model achieved its highest validation accuracy of 96.8% at epoch 16, while the final validation accuracy at epoch 20 was 94.30%, demonstrating strong performance in tomato disease classification.

Mathematical modeling plays a central role in infectious disease epidemiology, shaping outbreak response strategies and informing public health policy. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the value of these models but also exposed persistent limitations related to data fragility, lack of transparency, limited stakeholder engagement, and insufficient consideration of social and political contexts. Rather than critiquing modeling as a discipline, this perspective argues for a reorientation of infectious disease modeling toward a more responsive, equity-centered, and participatory paradigm. We propose a conceptual framework built on three interrelated principles: adaptability through real-time data integration, transparency via open-source and reproducible practices, and relevance through interdisciplinary and co-produced model design. Drawing on illustrative examples from COVID-19 and dengue control efforts, we highlight how integrating behavioral dynamics, local knowledge, and policy feedback can improve model usefulness and public trust. Reconceptualizing models as dynamic systems of inquiry rather than static forecasting tools can enhance decision-making and promote more equitable and effective responses to future public health emergencies.

This study investigated the pedagogical implications of out-of-field teaching in Social Studies. The Out-of-field Social Studies teachers could encounter several challenges in their preparation and the implementation of the integrated Social Studies curriculum. This study sought the lived experiences of the out-of-field teachers concerning the causes of out-of-field teaching in social studies, problems encountered by the out-of-field teachers and the mechanisms they employ to cope with the teaching of Social Studies. The study chose the qualitative phenomenological research design. Data were collected from all the 17 out-of-field Social Studies teachers through in-depth structured interview. Data were transcribed and analysed, through the inductive thematic analysis approach, unveiling of themes and concepts from the narratives of the research participants. The study revealed that out-of-field teaching in Social Studies occurs as a result of teacher shortage in integrated social studies programme. It is also caused by the perception that any teacher could teach Social Studies irrespective of the teachers’ qualification. Out-of-field teacher encounter problems such as inadequate content and pedagogical knowledge, lack of classroom managerial techniques and inability to deliver lessons through the integrated approach. Engaging in professional development courses, peer coaching, in-service training and workshops were some of the mechanisms employed by out-of-field teachers to cope with the teaching of Social Studies. The pedagogical implications of this phenomenon are that when teaching the Social Studies, the out-of-field teachers place more emphasis on aspects of the Social Studies curriculum where they have much knowledge and skip or put less emphasis on other aspects they lack in-depth knowledge, thus, the integrated approach to teaching Social Studies is not adopted effectively by out-of-field teachers. This waters down the content of Social Studies at the Senior High School level. Addressing the problem of out-of-field teaching in Social Studies requires training and recruiting more teachers who have background training and experience in the integrated approach to the teaching of Social Studies.

The Chinese film <i>Wolf Warrior II</i> floats all the way at the domestic box office, and jumps into the top 100 of the world's film box office rankings. It has achieved great economic success and ratings are overwhelmingly positive in China. Nevertheless, in stark contrast to this, <i>Wolf Warrior II</i> is cold at the box office abroad, and the word of mouth is not satisfactory. Transcreation is the re-creation or adaptation of content for a group of specific target audience. As an inter-related process of translation, a successful and holistic transcreation can arouse the same emotions as well as connotations produced in the target language as the source language. There are different perspectives to detailed translation analysis of China’s identity as a prominent character of contemporary society. Insofar as this research probes into the branding and in subtitle translation, it also constructs a binary theoretical model based on triadic signs of intersemiotic translation and metafunctional framework of multimodal analysis to testify China’s core values in this film and beyond.

The purpose of this study was to assess different periodontitis groups affected with mild, moderate and severe alveolar bone levels and treated using the Sandwich’s procedures. A total of 53 subjects, who had taken two sets of full-mouth standarized paralleling radiographs with mean observation time was 10.18±3.89 years and (ranges: 5.1 to 18.3 years) were collected for the past 20 years. The radiographic alveolar bone levels (RABL) at mesial and distal aspects of teeth were assessed by measuring the distance between cemento-enamel junction (CEJ) and the bone crest using an electronic digimatic caliper (EDC) under 7.5 magnified radiographs. The patients, who presented with SAP, were between 24 and 84 years of age, with a mean age of 54.8±10.2years. Although, the treatment of angular defects in molars with guided tissue regeneration, emdogain has been reported and has exhibited significant and predictable results, however, afforded very limited and less predictable results in the treatment of advanced class II and III maxillary furcation defects. The majority of root resection procedures are commonly recommended for treating advanced molar furcation, in particular located at molars with class III furcation involvement, there is still some controversy regarding the long-term prognosis after different treatment modalities. In general, the root resection procedure is a surgical approach for simultaneously performing a periodontal flap operation at first and followed by the amputation and/or resection of maxillary root(s). There are some complications and disadvantages, such as post-operative pain and bleeding, swelling, infection, etc. The present report is to describe the combination of therapeutic provisional prosthesis (TPP), fixed prosthesis, non-surgical procedure using root separation and/or resection (RSR) and for the treatment of advanced Class II and III furcation-Involved molars. In addition, evidenced-based clinical trials of retrospective and longitudinal data were also prescribed here. The purpose of this study was to present treatment procedures of Sandwich’s technique and retrospectively to evaluate the long-term clinical trials of this method in treating molar teeth with SAP and molar FI who were diagnosed as guarded and/or hopeless prognosis.

The management of supply chains is increasingly complex. This study provides a comparative analysis of the cost-benefit analysis for managing various risks. It identifies the financial implications of leveraging artificial intelligence in supply chains to better address risk. Empirical results show a business case for managing some sources of risk more proactively facilitated through predictive modeling techniques offered by AI. Across investigation streams, the use of AI results in an average total cost saving ranging from 41,254 to 4,099,617. Findings from our research can be used to inform managers and theorists about the implications of integrating AI technologies to manage risks in the supply chain. Our work also highlights areas for future research. Given the growing interest in studying sub-second forecasting, our research could be a point of departure for future investigations aimed at considering the impact of forecasting horizons such as an intra-day basis. We formulate a conceptual framework that considers how and to what extent performance evaluation metrics vary according to differences in the fidelity of predictive models and factor importance for identifying risks. We also utilize a mixed-method approach to demonstrate the applicability of our ideas in practice. Our results illustrate the financial implications of integrating AI predictive tools with business processes. Results suggest that real-world companies can circumvent inefficiencies associated with trying to manage many classes of risk via the use of AI-enhanced predictive analytics. As managers need to justify investment to top management, our work supports decision-making by providing a means of conducting a trade-off analysis at the tactical level.

Biodiversity is related to a global problem: its destruction, a fact supported by scientific authorities. It is not trivial that educational dimension has been contemplated as one of the strategies for its conservation. Since 1992 global initiatives such as the Convention on Biological Diversity postulates concepts that linked education and nature conservation. The main objective of this research work is to test the level of assimilation of extracurricular scientific knowledge by primary school pupils. The method chosen for the content was, on the one hand, a master class intervention with an interactive presentation on a digital whiteboard. Third cases were chosen. Each case consisted of a presentation of the current status of a species of fauna present in Spain. On the second part, students were asked to write an essay and to illustrate the experience during the presentation. Regarding the essays, students showed that they were more attracted to the first species that was presented (Iberian lynx) in a proportion of over 45% of cases. The “Endangered species” concept appeared in more than 77% of the texts reviewed. In terms of drawings, almost 55% of the responses seem to devote more attention to the second species described (<i>Testudo graeca</i>). An attempt was made to offer rigorous, structured information related to different aspects of natural reality in order to contemplate the broadest possible vision. The example of an instructional intervention presented here aims to be an alternative to other transmissive teaching models. Likewise, the linking of abstract concepts with socio-cultural reality proved to be a successful strategy to reinforce knowledge about natural biodiversity, endangered species or threat factors.

Neurodegeneration and aging are pressing issues with significant personal, economic, ethical, and social consequences. However, the underlying biological mechanisms of these conditions remain largely unknown, making the development of effective treatments challenging. The difficulty in early detection and diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases further compounds the issue. Recent advancements in genetics, genomics, and brain imaging technology hold great promise for improving our understanding of neurodegeneration and aging, as well as the development of personalized medicine and new drugs and therapies. Addressing these challenges will require a multi-disciplinary and collaborative approach from researchers in various fields. This Special Issue offers valuable insights and perspectives on this critical area of research, which can help advance our understanding and improve the health and well-being of our aging population.

In this article, we discuss a new proposed concept of economic engineering that seeks to innovate a new model by combining the theories of Karl Marx and Adam Smith, taking into consideration main economic factors to create a sustainable and inclusive economic system that addresses existing challenges and provides a roadmap for future economic growth. Through a brief analysis of the existing gaps between Marxist and Smithian economics, we developed a new economic matrix that leverages the strengths of both theories while also incorporating the latest insights from modern economic research. Our novel approach to economic engineering represents a fresh perspective on the economy and offers practical tool for addressing the most pressing challenges facing society today.

This essay explores how AI can enhance clinical research and, particularly, its pivotal role in the development of medical devices. A data-driven approach to medical device development that can streamline regulatory compliance and quality assurance is discussed. Methods that generate insights from pre-stage data and utilize it during development are detailed. The effectiveness of this approach in compliance audits, 510(k) submissions, and quality system audits - reducing time, effort, and risks is analyzed. The findings are illustrated with practical examples and takeaway recommendations. When reading a scientific article, how many times have you judged the quality of the research by looking at the methodology section? Artificial intelligence algorithms can be developed with the most robust and innovative technology, but if they are not properly validated, they will be worthless in the eyes of regulatory authorities. Conversely, outdated and simplistic models can still gain regulatory clearance if robustness is effectively demonstrated. For better or worse, ethics, economics, and robustness are often sacrificed in the constant government struggle to keep up with the technological edge of AI development. The slow crawl of lawmakers is constant in every field. Automating small tasks can save time and reduce risks when playing catch-up with a changing regulatory framework so the rest of the AI development can continue uninhibitedly. This dives into using FDA open data to collaborate with a food and drug law company and develop several bottom-up initiatives that supply knowledge needed for regulatory compliance and quality systems development. Methods that input pre-stage data and output actionable insights as models are provided. By sharing these resources and advice as academic researchers, efficiency in streamlining processes is maximized, thereby letting more time and resources be allocated to the actual development [1].

<b>Background:</b> Neck pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek treatment in the hospital. The causes of neck pain vary widely, trigger misdiagnosis, and often result in mistreatment. Misdiagnoses and mistreatment-related neck pain diagnoses are often associated with a diagnosis of cervical herniated disc. The implication of the misdiagnosis is the use of excessive investigations and inappropriate therapy. This review aims to determine the causes of neck pain often obtained in daily practice and how to diagnose and treat it. <b>Method:</b> Search relevant articles on clinical diagnosis of neck pain with the keywords neck pain diagnostic therapy using Medline and PubMed databases. <b>Results:</b> Neck pain can be in the form of axial pain, which is mostly related to disorders of the joints and muscles of the neck, or in the form of pain in the roots and spinal cord. Investigations and therapy must be related to the clinical diagnosis of neck pain experienced by patients with a history of neck pain. <b>Conclusion:</b> Neck pain is one of the most common complaints encountered in outpatient department settings, associated with reduced quality of life. Patients may come with differing degrees of pain, various symptoms, and aetiologies making it quite challenging to treat them into complete remission. Despite being frequently encountered, some patients with neck pain are underdiagnosed and undertreated due to failure to understand the clinical symptoms before deciding possible aetiologies.

Today, the presentation of a three-dimensional model of real-world features is very important and widely used and has attracted the attention of researchers in various fields, including surveying and spatial information systems, and those interested in the three-dimensional reconstruction of buildings. The building is the key part of the information in a three-dimensional city model, so extracting and modeling buildings from remote sensing data is an important step in building a digital model of a city. LiDAR technology due to its ability to map in all three modes of one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional is a suitable solution to provide hyperspectral and comprehensive images of the building in an urban environment. In this review article, a comprehensive review of the methods used in identifying buildings from the past to the present and appropriate solutions for the future is discussed.

Estimation of crop water requirements is of paramount importance towards the management of agricultural water resources, which is a major mitigating strategy against the effects of climate change on food security. South Africa water shortage poses a threat on agricultural efficiency. Since irrigation uses about 60% of the fresh water available, it therefore becomes important to optimise the use of irrigation water in order to maximize crop yield at the farm level in order to avoid wastage. In this study, combined application of an artificial neural network (ANN) and a crop – growth simulation model for the estimation of crop irrigation water requirements and the irrigation scheduling of potatoes at Winterton irrigation scheme, South Africa was investigated. The crop-water demand from planting to harvest date, when to irrigate, the optimum stage in the drying cycle when to apply water and the amount of irrigation water to be applied per time, were estimated in this study. Five feed –forward backward propagation artificial neural network predictive models were developed with varied number of neurons and hidden layers and evaluated. The optimal ANN model, which has 5 inputs, 5 neurons, 1 hidden layer and 1 output was used to predict monthly reference evapotranspiration (ETo) in the Winterton area. The optimal ANN model produced a root-mean-square error (RMSE) of 0.67, Pearson correlation coefficient (r) of 0.97 and coefficient of determination (R²) of 0.94. The validation of the model between the measured and predicted ET_o shows a r value of 0.9048. The predicted ETo was one of the input variables into a crop growth simulation model, called CROPWAT. The results indicated that the total crop water requirement was 1259.2 mm/decade and net irrigation water requirement was 1276.9 mm/decade, spread over a 5-day irrigation time during the entire 140 days of cropping season for potatoes. A combination of the artificial neural networks and the crop growth simulation models have proved to be a robust technique for estimating crop irrigation water requirements in the face of limited or no daily meteorological datasets.

<b>Purpose</b>: The model of CSR devised by the American scientist ″Archie B. Carroll in 1991″ - which became well- known in academic circles as Carroll′s CSR pyramid, has been criticized by academics and researchers. The researcher firmly believes that one of the most important reasons that led to the emergence of these criticisms was Carroll's adoption of the idea of the pyramid as a form to illustrate his idea of CSR. The content of the pyramid does not match the accompanying explanations given by Carroll. Carroll's CSR pyramid does not reflect the concept of simultaneous CSRs. Also, Carroll's CSR pyramid does not reflect the logical interaction and interrelationships among CSRs. It is also noted that, Carroll's pyramid reflects the expectations of stakeholders and does not reflect the expectations of companies from their commitment to their social responsibilities. This study aimed to design a model for CSR, in which the content of its figure matches the explanations attached to it, and reflects the concept of simultaneous CSRs, in addition to the logical interaction and the interrelationship among those responsibilities. <b>Method</b>: The researcher used the concept of precedence as an approach to explain the logical interaction and interrelationships among CSRs. The idea of precedence is clearly found only in the railway industry. The interaction of CSRs with each other can be likened to the interaction of the components of a classic train (a cockpit and coaches). Therefore, the researcher adopted the idea of the classic train as an innovative model to address some of the shortcomings of Carroll ′s pyramid. Battal's CSR train as an innovative model- in this study, can reflect the notion of simultaneous CSRs, the logical interaction and interrelationships among CSRs, and expectations and aspirations of both stakeholders and companies. <b>Result</b>: By adopting the idea of the classic train work and its components, this study was able to produce a model of CSR as an alternative model for Carroll′s pyramid (1991). <b>Originality</b>/<b>Value</b>: Battal ′s CSR train is an educational model that is designed to address some of the shortcomings of Carroll's CSR pyramid "as a figure and content." The content of Battal′s CSR train matches the attached explanation, and this will help to understand how CSRs interact with each other, as well as the concept of simultaneous CSRs. It is an enrichment of the thought of CSR.

<b>Purpose:</b><b> </b>The aim of this study is to the analysis of the South African history of the culture of teaching and learning. This study was driven by the desire for effective teaching and learning within the South African context. <b>Design / Method / Approach: </b>The information in this research came from outside sources (secondary sources). Journal articles (after peer review), dissertations (both published and unpublished), internet sources, and textbooks were used as informational resources. <b>Findings: </b>Teachers believe they have no say in the development of the educational system but are expected to execute its policies and procedures. Fear of change can lead to inappropriate behaviour. For a country to have globally competent citizens it needs to review its curriculum. South Africa has undergone a substantial educational change since the mid-1990s, but its efforts to implement new curricula have been problematic. After the dawn of democracy, concerns were raised about the decline of a positive culture of teaching and learning, especially in disadvantaged township schools. <b>Theoretical implications: </b>there is a lack of theory on an analysis of the South African history of the culture of teaching and learning. Thus, this study seeks to expand the theory. <b>Practical implications: </b>Findings from this research will advance the science behind the culture of teaching and learning in South Africa. <b>Originality / Value: </b>This research will shed light on the development of South Africa's teaching and learning culture, provide suggestions gleaned from its findings, and point the way toward other avenues of inquiry. <b>Research Limitation &#x26; Implications: </b>This research was constrained by the quantity and quality of published secondary sources at the time of writing.

In this paper, a new method of detection of election fraud is proposed. This method is based on the calculation of the ratio of two standard normal random variables; estimation of parameters of obtained sample and comparison of these estimates with known theoretical values of parameters. Also in the paper, there is an example of the application of the described method.

The purpose of the study was to examine Carl Rogers' humanistic approach to supporting women in leadership positions to make a formed decision on how to manage the challenges they face. A qualitative approach was adopted for the study. The population of the study included fifteen (15) headmistresses and housemistresses in the Senior High Schools in the New Juaben Municipality in the Eastern Region. The purposive sampling technique was used to select schools, headmistresses and housemistresses in the schools. The schools selected were Oyoko Methodist Senior High School (OMESS), SDA Senior High School (SEDASS), Ghana Senior High School (GHANASS), Koforidua Technical Institute (KOTECH), Nana Kwaku Boateng Senior High School (OBOSS) and New Juaben Senior High School (NJUASCO). The main instruments used for data collection were a semi-structured interview guide and Reflective dialogue. Data was analysed through the use of the thematic approach. Within-case and across-case analytical technique was used to analyse the qualitative data. This was done through the identification of themes, categories and sub-categories the analytical tool for the qualitative data through interviews and reflective dialogue (RD). Themes that were extracted from the interview corresponding to Carl Rogers' humanistic person-centred) the approach were; inherent potentialities, support, motivation, power relation, INSET, cultural dimension, and guidance and counselling. The study revealed that women face challenges using inadequate school facilities they do their best possible to manage their challenges with the few facilities available, the introduction of Carl Rogers' intervention, and women became more aware of their potential in managing the challenges they face at work in their leadership positions. It is recommended that guidance programmes should be conducted often to inform both teachers and students about the potential of women. It has also emerged that women leaders do not know who they are and therefore they should undergo counselling in order to be self-actualised.

The recent evidence on AI in automotive safety shows the potential to reduce crashes and improve efficiency. Studies used AI techniques like machine learning and predictive analytics models to develop predictive collision avoidance systems. The studies collected data from various sources, such as traffic collision data and shapefiles. They utilized deep learning neural networks and 3D visualization techniques to analyze the data. However, there needs to be more research on AI in school bus and commercial truck safety. This paper explores the importance of AI-driven predictive failure analytics in enhancing automotive safety for these vehicles. It will discuss challenges, required data, technologies involved in predictive failure analytics, and the potential benefits and implications for the future. The conclusion will summarize the findings and emphasize the significance of AI in improving driver safety. Overall, this paper contributes to the field of automotive safety and aims to attract more research in this area.

This article seeks to relate (trans)generational issues with the phenomenon of sociodromology and education in the COVID-19 pandemic period that began globally in the first months of 2020 and 2021. To make such crossings possible, we will initially present under which aspects we are addressing the term generation, and its respective phenomenological development, transgenerationality. Once these concepts have been properly presented it is also necessary to relate those information with the generations that are currently living within educational environments, especially schools. After such an exposition, we will present the theory that contemplates the vector of acceleration and its respective consequence for humanity. Sociodromology emerges as a theoretical instrument that makes it possible to critically glimpse how the speed of machines has dictated our lives, having a perverse facet of exclusion that determines which groups may be able or unfit at their pace. Finally the text concludes its reflection on the current educational context using the critical tools of socio-pedagogy, which views the subjects who are involved in the educational process as representatives of an even greater order in the world, which transcends schools. In this perspective, education as a pillar of knowledge acquisition should be revised in addition to its pre-determined role in society and should form individuals who could change the world and their communities.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of computer-assisted instruction approach to the teaching and learning of photosynthesis on the performance of second year Senior High School (SHS 2) Biology students in science. The design for the study was a quasi-experimental research. This study was carried out in Sefwi Wiawso SHS and Asawinso SHS all at Sefwi Wiawso Municipal Assembly in the Western North Region of Ghana. They are all mixed institution. The purposive sampling techniques was used to schools, classes and students for the study. One-hundred one (101) electives biology participants were purposively selected, they consist of SHS 2 Science of (55) fifty-five students from Sefwi Wiawso SHS and SHS 2 Home economics of (46) forty-six students also from Asawinso SHS. The third years were not selected because they were preparing to write their WASSCE. The main instrument for data collection was questionnaire. The study collected only quantitative data and employed quantitative method of data analysis. Data obtained from participants in both experimental and control groups on the Test 2 were analysed statistically using independent-measures t-test. The independent-measures t-Test was used to investigate whether any differences existed between experimental and control groups’ mean scores on the Test 2. The study further revealed that computer-assisted instructions gives feedback to learners to have the opportunity to master computer-assisted instructional package tool used. It is recommended that, computer-assisted instruction method should be encouraged in many Biology classes in Wiawso Municipal Assembly, since it gives students opportunity to see links between concepts, summarise and organise their works, thoughts logically and sequentially. Both genders must be encouraged to use computer-assisted instruction method to studying Biology.