Advancing Knowledge Through Open Access

The Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ) is one of the major parameters which determines the structural integrity in welded API 5L X52 pipelines, especially in a sour gas service containing Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) [1]. This thorough review paper performed the analysis of different international standards including Det Norske Veritas Germanischer Lloyd DNVGL-ST-F101, American Petroleum Institute API 1104, National Association of Corrosion Engineers... The Heat-Affected Zone (HAZ) is one of the major parameters which determines the structural integrity in welded API 5L X52 pipelines, especially in a sour gas service containing Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) [1]. This thorough review paper performed the analysis of different international standards including Det Norske Veritas Germanischer Lloyd DNVGL-ST-F101, American Petroleum Institute API 1104, National Association of Corrosion Engineers NACE MR0175 and American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASME B31.8. The researcher analysed the governing and regulation of Heat Affected Zone microstructure and associated properties including strength, hardness and toughness through the specifications like heat values, time between passes and Post Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT), welding specifications and qualification of welding procedures, welders and consumables [2]. By collecting and analysing the data from recent studies (2018-2025), the researchers found out that the standards focusing on prescribing strict recipes for welding and qualification procedures like DNVGL-ST-F101, including explicit heat input limits (typically 1.0-2.0 kJ/mm), obligatory post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), and rigorous consumable qualifications, perform well in Heat Affected Zone in sour gas service. The maximum hardness retirement i.e. 22 HRC (248 HV) obligated for sour media creates a critical limitation that forces optimization of welding procedures. The standards which focus on final quality or the end results rather than prescribing any specific method for producing the weld (Performance-based standards) like API 1104 remains less stringent which results in greater variation in properties around the weld i.e. the HAZ area impacting the service reliability in a worse manner during the sour media [3]. Contemporary world adopting new digital welding techniques for monitoring during weld production, prediction of the microstructural properties of HAZ based on machine learning and other advanced methods like hybrid welding processes which combines different precision welding techniques provide promising results for production of high quality and reliable welds which offer enhanced safety and reliability during sour service [4]. Read more

Conventional cyclone risk assessments in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) systematically fail to predict food system collapse locations, leading to misallocated adaptation investments. This study quantifies a fundamental exposure-impact disconnect across Vanuatu's 71 area councils: cyclone exposure explains only 14% of food security impact variance (R² = 0.14, r = 0.38), with topographic, agro-ecological, and infrastructure mediators determining the remaining... Conventional cyclone risk assessments in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) systematically fail to predict food system collapse locations, leading to misallocated adaptation investments. This study quantifies a fundamental exposure-impact disconnect across Vanuatu's 71 area councils: cyclone exposure explains only 14% of food security impact variance (R² = 0.14, r = 0.38), with topographic, agro-ecological, and infrastructure mediators determining the remaining 86%. Using data from five Category 4–5 cyclones (2015–2023), we constructed a Hazard Exposure Index (HEI; proximity 40%, intensity 35%, frequency 25%) and an Impact Severity Index (ISI; four equally weighted dimensions: agriculture, infrastructure, food insecurity, recovery). Regression with interaction terms reveals three mediating mechanisms. First, topographic elevation reduces ISI by 40–60% at highland area councils (>400 m) relative to coastal equivalents at comparable HEI (r = −0.54, p < 0.001). Second, crop diversity buffers medium-exposure zones (HEI 0.3–0.6; β = −0.082, p = 0.018) but provides no significant protection under extreme cyclone loading (HEI > 0.7), consistent with resilience theory stability thresholds. Third, infrastructure capacity generates "hidden hotspots": Torba province (low exposure, ISI = 0.34) required a median 18 days to reach 50% of affected households versus 6 days in Shefa (high exposure, ISI = 0.61) — a threefold differential driven solely by maritime connectivity deficits. High-exposure provinces with strong infrastructure systematically outperform low-exposure provinces with distribution network weaknesses. A Food Security Resilience Index (FSRe; range: 46–61 on a 0–100 scale) reveals stark provincial heterogeneity — Sanma as buffered regional hub (FSRe = 61) versus Tafea and Shefa as critical/fragile (FSRe 46–47) — enabling a four-category spatial typology for targeted adaptation investments under SIDS fiscal constraints. Findings demonstrate that spatially explicit integration of topography, agro-ecology, and infrastructure is essential for efficient climate adaptation planning in archipelago SIDS, with direct implications for Sendai Framework Target E national DRR strategy development and Green Climate Fund adaptation investment prioritization. Read more

Background: Within contemporary medical education systems dominated by the biomedical paradigm, medical students commonly experience a decline in empathy alongside uncertainty in professional identity formation. Narrative medicine, as an educational approach designed to bridge objective technical reasoning and subjective human experience, has been proposed as a response to this humanistic crisis. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying its effects, the boundaries... Background: Within contemporary medical education systems dominated by the biomedical paradigm, medical students commonly experience a decline in empathy alongside uncertainty in professional identity formation. Narrative medicine, as an educational approach designed to bridge objective technical reasoning and subjective human experience, has been proposed as a response to this humanistic crisis. However, the psychological mechanisms underlying its effects, the boundaries of existing empirical evidence, and strategies for systematic implementation remain insufficiently clarified. Content: Drawing on a comprehensive review of the literature, this article elucidates two core theoretical mechanisms through which narrative medicine operates. First, through the cycle of attention, representation, and affiliation combined with reflective practice, narrative medicine facilitates the coordinated development of cognitive empathy and emotional resonance. Second, through narrative integration, it supports learners in transforming fragmented clinical experiences into coherent professional identities. A synthesis of empirical studies published over the past decade indicates that well designed narrative medicine curricula can enhance reflective capacity, communication skills, and a sense of professional meaning, although their effectiveness is substantially moderated by curricular intensity, pedagogical modality including digital and multimodal approaches, and cultural context. Conclusion: The integration of narrative medicine currently faces structural barriers, including limited curricular space, the scarcity of standardized assessment tools, and insufficient faculty development. Future efforts should adopt implementation science frameworks to shift from isolated elective offerings toward longitudinal spiral curricula, develop multidimensional evaluation strategies, and explore the use of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and virtual reality in narrative pedagogy. These efforts may establish narrative medicine as a foundational pathway for cultivating physicians with core humanistic competencies. Read more

High-quality collaborative discourse is essential for deep learning in Problem-Based Learning (PBL). However, novice facilitators frequently struggle with topic drift, which occurs when discussions deviate from core learning objectives. Grounded in Cognitive Load Theory and instructional scaffolding, this paper analyzes the cognitive mechanisms behind topic drift in PBL. It identifies three typical deviation patterns: "Premature Resolution" (bypassing mechanistic deduction), "Detail... High-quality collaborative discourse is essential for deep learning in Problem-Based Learning (PBL). However, novice facilitators frequently struggle with topic drift, which occurs when discussions deviate from core learning objectives. Grounded in Cognitive Load Theory and instructional scaffolding, this paper analyzes the cognitive mechanisms behind topic drift in PBL. It identifies three typical deviation patterns: "Premature Resolution" (bypassing mechanistic deduction), "Detail Fixation" (over-engagement with peripheral details), and "Social Avoidance" (stemming from dysfunctional group dynamics). To address these patterns, this paper presents a literature-based facilitation guide offering specific intervention strategies and discursive prompts. These include mechanistic backtracking, metacognitive monitoring, and cognitive visualization. The study argues that effective pedagogical intervention relies on the strategic timing of facilitation rather than the immediate correction of factual errors. Ultimately, built on a foundation of relational trust, this process requires educators to shift their role from "epistemic authorities" to "cognitive coaches." Read more

C-phycocyanin (C-PC) is a high-value pigment–protein in Spirulina biomass whose thermolability makes it vulnerable to degradation during post-harvest drying, yet freeze-drying—the gold-standard preservation method—remains prohibitively energy-intensive for large-scale production. This study investigated whether controlled-humidity air drying can preserve C-PC content and its antioxidant functionality in dried biomass comparably to freeze-drying. Wet Spirulina biomass (25 g fresh weight) was dried under... C-phycocyanin (C-PC) is a high-value pigment–protein in Spirulina biomass whose thermolability makes it vulnerable to degradation during post-harvest drying, yet freeze-drying—the gold-standard preservation method—remains prohibitively energy-intensive for large-scale production. This study investigated whether controlled-humidity air drying can preserve C-PC content and its antioxidant functionality in dried biomass comparably to freeze-drying. Wet Spirulina biomass (25 g fresh weight) was dried under nine factorial combinations of temperature (25, 40, and 60°C) and relative humidity (20, 30, and 40%) using a temperature–humidity chamber, with freeze-drying (FD) as the reference. C-PC was extracted, quantified spectrophotometrically along with allophycocyanin and chlorophyll, and its purity index (A₆₂₀/A₂₈₀) and antioxidant activity (DPPH radical scavenging, IC₅₀, and ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant capacity) were determined. Statistical analyses included one-way ANOVA with Tukey's post-hoc test and partial Pearson correlation. Air drying at 25°C yielded C-PC contents of 184.39 - 194.72 mg g^-1 DW (98 - 104% of the FD reference, 188.11 mg g^-1 DW) with food-grade purity indices of 0.95 - 1.00, whereas drying at 40°C and 60°C reduced C-PC to 76 - 85% and 58 - 63% of the FD value, respectively. Partial correlation analysis identified temperature as the dominant determinant of C-PC loss (Pearson r = -0.90 to -1.00), while relative humidity exerted a secondary, modulatory influence. The 25°C air-dried C-PC retained 86 - 87% of the antioxidant capacity of a commercial C-PC reference standard, approaching the 94% retention achieved by freeze-drying. These findings demonstrate that controlled-humidity air drying at 25°C and 20 - 30% relative humidity effectively preserves both C-PC yield and bioactivity at levels comparable to freeze-drying, offering a potential scalable and low-cost drying alternative for the Spirulina nutraceutical industry Read more

This study examines curriculum reform in the "Comprehensive Jewelry Material Techniques" course, a core component of the jewelry design program at West Yunnan University of Applied Sciences, drawing on curriculum theories and Torrance's principles of creative thinking, it addresses persistent challenges in applied undergraduate art education: outdated content, pedagogical monotony, limited material diversity, superficial applications, and constrained instructional time. These... This study examines curriculum reform in the "Comprehensive Jewelry Material Techniques" course, a core component of the jewelry design program at West Yunnan University of Applied Sciences, drawing on curriculum theories and Torrance's principles of creative thinking, it addresses persistent challenges in applied undergraduate art education: outdated content, pedagogical monotony, limited material diversity, superficial applications, and constrained instructional time. These impede students' innovatnment with industry demands in a digital-era art and design landscape. This study adopts a progressive, student-centered pedagogy integrating material cognition, deep practice, themed jewelry creation, multi-dimensional evaluation, and achievement exhibitions. This fosters interdisciplinary knowledge synthesis, psychological safety, and holistic competencies—enhancing material mastery, aesthetic literacy, and practical innovation. Empirical outcomes demonstrate elevated teaching efficacy, as evidenced by student works exhibiting novel material fusions, creative potential. The reforms model a transformative paradigm for vocational art curricula, bridging experiential transmission with autonomous exploration to cultivate adaptable, creatively resilient designers responsive to societal and technological shifts. Read more

Background: The construction industry is one of the most hazardous sectors worldwide, with workers consistently exposed to risks from prolonged contact with hazardous materials. This study evaluates the effectiveness of wearable technologies in improving safety and health monitoring among construction workers in Nigeria. Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 370 construction workers, site managers, and safety officers across... Background: The construction industry is one of the most hazardous sectors worldwide, with workers consistently exposed to risks from prolonged contact with hazardous materials. This study evaluates the effectiveness of wearable technologies in improving safety and health monitoring among construction workers in Nigeria. Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among 370 construction workers, site managers, and safety officers across Nigeria using an online questionnaire hosted on Google Forms. The study employed purposive sampling to ensure representation across job roles, experience levels, and project types. Data were collected on awareness, usage, benefits, challenges, and improvements associated with wearable technology. Data was analysed using SPSS version 28. Results: Findings showed that awareness of wearable technology was low (32.4%), and only 34.1% reported personal utilisation. Smart vests (32.7%), noise monitoring devices (32.4%), and smartwatches (32.4%) were the most common devices used. Benefits cited included reduced accident occurrences (28.4%) and enhanced well-being (24.6%), while barriers included cultural/language issues (32.7%) and technological limitations (22.4%). Overall, 48.6% reported improvement in safety and health monitoring. Logistic regression showed that wearable technology use significantly improved safety and health monitoring (AOR = 5.937, p < 0.001), with commercial project workers reporting higher odds of improvement (AOR = 7.495, p = 0.001). Conclusion: Wearable technology significantly enhances safety and health monitoring in Nigeria’s construction industry, particularly for experienced workers and commercial projects. Targeted interventions addressing awareness, training, and accessibility are crucial to overcoming barriers and maximizing its impact. Read more

Hypertension remains a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although effective antihypertensive therapies are available, sustained blood pressure control remains suboptimal due to inconsistent medication use. Most adherence research is quantitative and offers limited understanding of how individuals interpret lifelong treatment within daily life, particularly in culturally grounded contexts. To explore the lived experiences of Filipino adults taking antihypertensive... Hypertension remains a leading cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although effective antihypertensive therapies are available, sustained blood pressure control remains suboptimal due to inconsistent medication use. Most adherence research is quantitative and offers limited understanding of how individuals interpret lifelong treatment within daily life, particularly in culturally grounded contexts. To explore the lived experiences of Filipino adults taking antihypertensive medication. A qualitative study grounded in Heideggerian interpretive phenomenology was conducted. Ten Filipino adults diagnosed with hypertension were purposively recruited from outpatient clinics in Manila, Philippines. In-depth semi-structured interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using the six-step IPA framework. Analysis revealed six interconnected themes describing how participants interpreted and sustained medication use: (1) Diagnosis as Disruption; (2) Medication as Protection and Responsibility; (3) The Paradox of the Silent Illness; (4) Everyday Barriers to Sustained Treatment; (5) Constructing Routine and Adaptive Self-Management; and (6) Family as Anchor within Cultural Contexts. These themes reflected emotional adjustment, symptom-driven adherence, financial and work-related barriers, adaptive coping strategies, and strong family-centered motivation. Medication-taking was experienced as an ongoing negotiation shaped by bodily cues, daily demands, and relational obligations. Conclusion: Antihypertensive medication use is shaped by relational, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts, underscoring the need for family-inclusive and culturally responsive hypertension care. Read more

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) in the elderly poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to immunosenescence, comorbidities, and atypical clinical presentation. This study evaluates the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of TB in patients aged ≥65 years. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted including all TB cases reported between 2020 and 2024. Data from the National Tuberculosis Program were analyzed for... Background: Tuberculosis (TB) in the elderly poses significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to immunosenescence, comorbidities, and atypical clinical presentation. This study evaluates the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of TB in patients aged ≥65 years. Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted including all TB cases reported between 2020 and 2024. Data from the National Tuberculosis Program were analyzed for demographic characteristics, clinical form, bacteriological confirmation, comorbidities, and treatment outcomes. Results: Of 1,335 TB cases, 352 (26.4%) occurred in individuals aged ≥65 years. Pulmonary TB accounted for 80.7% of cases. Men represented 63.4% of patients, and 56.8% lived in urban areas. Bacteriological confirmation was achieved in 82% of pulmonary cases, and treatment success exceeded 85%. Diabetes mellitus (26.5%) and arterial hypertension (31%) were the most common comorbidities. An increase in TB cases was observed in the post-COVID-19 period. A significant association was found between age and clinical form of TB (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Elderly individuals constitute a substantial proportion of TB cases and frequently present with chronic comorbidities. Despite diagnostic challenges, favorable treatment outcomes were achieved, highlighting the need for integrated and early management strategies in this population. Read more

The focus of this study was to determine the influence of religious literacy and multicultural teaching competence on the teaching self-efficacy of Religious and Moral Education (RME) teachers in public basic schools within the Kumasi Metropolis. The research employed a cross-sectional survey design with a sample of 308 RME teachers selected through the stratified sampling technique from 165 basic schools... The focus of this study was to determine the influence of religious literacy and multicultural teaching competence on the teaching self-efficacy of Religious and Moral Education (RME) teachers in public basic schools within the Kumasi Metropolis. The research employed a cross-sectional survey design with a sample of 308 RME teachers selected through the stratified sampling technique from 165 basic schools across 14 circuits. Data were collected using questionnaires and analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that religious literacy significantly and positively influenced teachers’ self-efficacy (β = 0.487, p < 0.05), accounting for 23.7% of the variance. Similarly, multicultural teaching competence demonstrated a strong positive effect on teaching self-efficacy (β = 0.711, p < 0.05), explaining 50.6% of the variance. Finally, the study found that religious literacy and multicultural teaching competence together contributed 52.2% to RME teachers' teaching self-efficacy (SD = 0.692, p < 0.05, R² = 0.522). The study recommended that the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) should design and mandate regular in-service training programmes focused specifically on religious literacy for RME teachers. Also, it was recommended that pre-service and in-service training should emphasise awareness of personal biases, deep knowledge of learners’ cultural and religious backgrounds, and practical skills for culturally responsive pedagogy. Read more

This study proposes an integrated approach combining geographic information systems (GIS) and geotechnical analyses to assess the stability of the Oued Ayda mountain lake dam, located in the Siliana Governorate, northwestern Tunisia. The mechanical properties of the embankment and foundation materials were integrated into a Mohr-Coulomb geomechanical model, while the pore water pressure distribution was simulated for various representative hydromechanical... This study proposes an integrated approach combining geographic information systems (GIS) and geotechnical analyses to assess the stability of the Oued Ayda mountain lake dam, located in the Siliana Governorate, northwestern Tunisia. The mechanical properties of the embankment and foundation materials were integrated into a Mohr-Coulomb geomechanical model, while the pore water pressure distribution was simulated for various representative hydromechanical scenarios: end of construction, normal operation, rapid drainage, and short- and long-term empty reservoir conditions. The stability analysis, performed using the Morgenstern-Price method with the SLOPE/W software (GeoStudio), reveals high safety factors on the upstream side (SF > 3 in the short term and SF ≥ 2 in the long term), indicating good resistance of this slope to hydraulic and mechanical stresses. Conversely, the results show that the downstream slope exhibits significantly lower safety factors, ranging from 1.335 to 1.338 under long-term conditions, particularly during normal operating and rapid drainage scenarios. These reduced values indicate a high vulnerability of this slope to persistent saturation and adverse hydraulic gradients. In conclusion, although the dam exhibits satisfactory overall stability, the downstream slope remains the most vulnerable area of the structure. The results underscore the need for rigorous management of water level fluctuations and suggest reinforcing the drainage system or implementing targeted stabilization measures to ensure the long-term safety and durability of the structure. Read more

Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) generate vast volumes of user-generated content that provide real-time insights into public sentiment. Despite the widespread use of traditional machine learning methods, their limitations in capturing contextual nuances in noisy social media text remain a challenge. This study leverages the Sentiment140 dataset, comprising 1.6 million labeled tweets, and develops predictive models for binary... Social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) generate vast volumes of user-generated content that provide real-time insights into public sentiment. Despite the widespread use of traditional machine learning methods, their limitations in capturing contextual nuances in noisy social media text remain a challenge. This study leverages the Sentiment140 dataset, comprising 1.6 million labeled tweets, and develops predictive models for binary sentiment classification using Naive Bayes, Logistic Regression, and the transformer-based BERT model. Experiments were conducted on a balanced subset of 12,000 tweets after comprehensive NLP preprocessing. Evaluation using accuracy, F1-score, and confusion matrices revealed that BERT significantly outperforms traditional models, achieving an accuracy of 89.5% and an F1-score of 0.89 by effectively modeling contextual and semantic nuances. In contrast, Naive Bayes and Logistic Regression demonstrated reasonable but consistently lower performance. To support practical deployment, we introduce SentiFeel, an interactive tool enabling real-time sentiment analysis. While resource constraints limited the dataset size and training epochs, future work will explore full corpus utilization and the inclusion of neutral sentiment classes. These findings underscore the potential of transformer models for enhanced public opinion monitoring, marketing analytics, and policy forecasting. Read more