Papua New Guinea is home to over 840 living languages, making it the most linguistically diverse nation on Earth and presenting unique challenges for educational policy. This multilevel analysis examines the relationship between classroom linguistic heterogeneity and student achievement in mathematics and literacy across 92 primary schools in five provinces. Using hierarchical linear modeling with data from standardized assessments of 4,830 students in grades three through six, we find that moderate linguistic diversity within classrooms correlates with enhanced metalinguistic awareness and problem-solving skills, while extreme fragmentation is associated with reduced literacy outcomes when instruction is delivered exclusively in English. Schools implementing structured bridging programs between tok pisin and English show significantly improved results, supporting the case for flexible multilingual education policies tailored to local linguistic ecologies.

Access to fresh water remains a critical challenge for coastal settlements along the Skeleton Coast of Namibia, where conventional desalination infrastructure is economically unfeasible. This study presents the design, deployment, and performance evaluation of three modular solar-powered reverse osmosis units installed in communities between Henties Bay and Terrace Bay during 2024 and 2025. System configurations incorporating photovoltaic-thermal hybrid panels and energy recovery devices achieve specific energy consumption of 2.8 kilowatt-hours per cubic meter, representing a 35 percent improvement over baseline solar reverse osmosis designs. Seasonal performance analysis across 14 months demonstrates reliable year-round operation with output ranging from 1.2 to 3.4 cubic meters per day. Cost-benefit projections indicate economic viability within four years under current subsidy frameworks available in Namibia.

Microfinance has been widely promoted as a vehicle for economic empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa, but evidence of its effectiveness for women entrepreneurs in savanna regions remains sparse. This longitudinal study tracks 340 women micro-entrepreneurs across six districts in Northern Ghana over a three-year period from 2023 to 2025, comparing participants in group lending programs with a matched control group. Using difference-in-differences estimation and qualitative life history narratives, we find that microfinance access leads to a 32 percent increase in monthly business revenue and significant improvements in household food security indicators. However, benefits are concentrated among women with prior market experience, while the most marginalized participants show minimal gains without complementary skills training and mentorship support.

Indigenous knowledge systems offer valuable perspectives for biodiversity conservation, yet their integration into formal environmental management remains limited in Central America. This ethnobotanical study documents traditional ecological knowledge held by Qeqchi and Mopan Maya communities across three protected areas in southern Belize. Through participant observation, structured plant walks, and 156 semi-structured interviews conducted over two years, we identified 287 plant species actively managed through traditional practices, including 34 species not previously recorded in regional conservation databases. Comparative analysis reveals that community-managed forest patches exhibit 23 percent higher species richness than adjacent government-protected zones. The findings advocate for co-management frameworks that formally incorporate indigenous stewardship practices into national protected area governance structures.

Small Island Developing States face disproportionate risks from coastal erosion exacerbated by rising sea levels and intensifying storm events. This research develops and validates ensemble machine learning models for predicting shoreline retreat across 23 coastal segments in Viti Levu, Fiji, integrating satellite imagery, tidal gauge records, bathymetric surveys, and socioeconomic exposure data spanning 2005 to 2025. Random forest and gradient boosting classifiers achieve prediction accuracies of 89 and 91 percent respectively for five-year erosion trajectories, outperforming traditional empirical models by substantial margins. Wave energy flux and sediment budget parameters emerge as dominant predictive features. The resulting vulnerability maps provide actionable guidance for coastal zone management authorities prioritizing infrastructure relocation and nature-based defense investments.

The transformation of abandoned mining sites into culturally and economically productive spaces represents a growing priority in Central European heritage policy. This comparative study examines eight post-mining sites across the Upper Nitra region of Slovakia and the Ostrava-Karvina district of Czechia, analyzing adaptive reuse strategies implemented between 2010 and 2025. Through archival research, stakeholder interviews, and spatial analysis, we assess how local governance structures, funding mechanisms, and community engagement practices shape rehabilitation outcomes. Findings reveal that participatory planning approaches yield higher community satisfaction and visitor engagement, while top-down redevelopment models achieve faster physical transformation but lower social integration. The study proposes a hybrid framework balancing institutional efficiency with grassroots involvement for sustainable heritage regeneration.

Vaccine hesitancy poses a persistent challenge to public health campaigns in low-income rural communities across South Asia. This cross-sectional study investigates psychosocial determinants of immunization reluctance among 1,420 adults in four subdistricts of Noakhali Division, Bangladesh. A validated survey instrument measuring perceived risk, trust in healthcare institutions, social influence, and information source credibility was administered between March and September 2025. Multivariate logistic regression reveals that misinformation exposure through informal social networks is the strongest predictor of hesitancy, followed by low institutional trust and prior negative healthcare encounters. Community health worker engagement significantly moderates these effects, suggesting targeted interpersonal communication strategies as the most effective intervention pathway for improving vaccine uptake in similar contexts.

Supply chain transparency has emerged as a critical factor in ensuring equitable market access for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. This study evaluates the feasibility and impact of blockchain-based traceability systems deployed across 14 coffee cooperatives in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Using a mixed-methods approach combining transaction log analysis with semi-structured interviews of 238 cooperative members, we examine adoption patterns, operational costs, and perceived benefits over an 18-month implementation period. Results indicate a 27 percent increase in buyer trust metrics and a 15 percent premium on traced lots, though infrastructure limitations and digital literacy gaps remain significant barriers. The findings contribute to ongoing debates about technology-driven agricultural development in resource-constrained settings.

Corruption, fraud, and maladministration within South African universities have increasingly attracted public attention, with allegations frequently reported across national and local media platforms. Despite the prominence of these concerns, systematic empirical research examining whistleblowing and its institutional governance within the higher education sector remains limited. This study seeks to address this gap by analysing the policy frameworks, institutional practices, and experiences surrounding whistleblowing in South African universities. The study first situates whistleblowing within the broader international anti-corruption discourse by examining definitions and conceptual frameworks advanced by leading global anti-corruption organisations and scholarly literature. This review highlights key similarities and contextual variations in the regulation and protection of whistleblowers across jurisdictions. The analysis then turns to the South African context, examining the legislative and policy architecture governing whistleblowing within the public sector and higher education institutions. Empirically, the research investigates whistleblowing policies and practices at three South African universities. A qualitative research design grounded in grounded theory was employed. Data were collected through the analysis of relevant legislation, institutional policy documents, and semi-structured interviews with eight academics and university administrators selected through stratified sampling. The findings reveal a strong consensus among participants regarding the critical role of whistleblowing in addressing corruption and promoting institutional accountability. However, the study also identifies significant challenges, including limited institutional support, perceived organisational resistance, and insufficient protection for whistleblowers. The article argues that while South Africa has developed an extensive regulatory framework governing whistleblowing, the effectiveness of these mechanisms ultimately depends on the extent to which institutions actively protect, support, and legitimise whistleblowers as key actors in promoting ethical governance within universities.

This study develops an integrated theoretical framework explaining how employee fit dimensions influence job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, and intention to stay within South African municipalities. Using literature review methodology, literature was sought through systematic searches of academic databases which included Scopus and Web of Science and ProQuest and EBSCOhost and Google Scholar. Search terms included person�job fit, person�organization fit, person�environment fit, job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior, intention to stay, and South African municipalities. The research included peer-reviewed journal articles which appeared between 1999 and 2025 and studied organizational behavior and human resource management and public sector environments. Non-peer-reviewed sources and studies which failed to provide empirical or theoretical value and publications which did not focus on organizational behavior were excluded. Using the research findings, the researchers constructed the Isabirye-Masoka Integrated Employee Fit�Satisfaction�Retention (IMIEFSR) framework which demonstrates that job satisfaction results from three essential elements: Person�Job Fit, Person�Organization Fit and Person�Environment Fit. Job satisfaction leads organizations to achieve organizational citizenship behavior and employees maintain their intention to stay at work because OCB serves as both a direct result of fit and a middle factor which affects employee retention. The framework includes municipal contextual moderators which consist of leadership quality and governance effectiveness and human resource practices and resource availability to determine how these relationships will operate. The research adds theoretical value through its combination of public-sector retention studies with multidimensional fit models which creates a systematic approach to develop municipal workforce retention plans.

This study examines the effectiveness of the FITT model (frequency, intensity, time, and type) compared with traditional physical education in improving physical fitness and enjoyment among primary school students in Guangdong, China. The objective was to determine whether a structured and higher-frequency FITT implementation produces superior outcomes compared to the standard school curriculum. A quasi-experimental design was conducted with 187 fifth-grade students (aged 10–11 years) assigned to three groups: Enhanced FITT (n = 63), Standard FITT (n = 63), and Traditional Physical Education (n = 61). The Enhanced FITT group participated in four weekly sessions, the Standard FITT group in three sessions, and the Traditional group followed the regular curriculum. Results indicated significantly greater improvements in both physical fitness and enjoyment in the Enhanced FITT group compared to the other groups. Enjoyment increased by +0.91 in the Enhanced FITT group, whereas the Traditional group showed a modest increase of +0.15. The findings suggest that a structured and intensified FITT-based model substantially enhances both physical and motivational outcomes, supporting curriculum innovation and evidence-based teacher training in physical education.

The aim of this study is to investigate the different classes of Agroforestry Systems (AFS) in Tunisia and to assess soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks as an indicator of climate change mitigation. The study was conducted across five classes of agroforestry systems distributed over seven regions: Bousalem, Djebba, Kef (Dahmeni), Mateur (a,b,c), Kairouan, Bouhedma, and Aindraham. To evaluate SOC stocks, soil samples were collected and analyzed at a depth of 0�30 cm. The parameters determined were carbon content (C%), bulk density (g cm?�), and soil organic carbon (SOC) stock (t ha?�). The climatic conditions of the selected agroforestry systems vary considerably among regions, ranging from an upper humid climate with temperate winters in Aindraham under the agri-horti-silviculture system to a lower arid temperate climate in the Bouhedma region. Soil texture also varies by region: soils are clayey in Mateur and Kef, clay loam in Djebba and Kairouan, silty clay in Bousalem, and sandy to gypsiferous in Bouhedma. The results showed that SOC stocks ranged from 2.06 t ha?� in the hortisilviculture system located in the Kef region to 10.85 t ha?� in the hortisilvopastoral system with alley cropping in Mateur. Intermediate values were recorded in Bousalem, and in Mateur a and b, with SOC stocks of 5.34, 5.15, and 4.41 t ha?�, respectively. This study highlights the influence of agroforestry system classes on soil carbon stocks in agricultural lands and underscores their potential role in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The health implications of Multidrug Resistant (MDR) bacteria cannot be overemphasized as they tend to withstand the inhibitory or bactericidal effects of most antibiotics. The use of medicinal plant extracts in the treatment of the diseases caused by MDR has shown to be a promising in protecting human health against these bacteria. Vachellia spp. has been adopted in the treatment of some diseases caused by MDR. However, different species of this plant are yet to be fully utilized. This current review collated information on the antimicrobial potencies of the different Vachellia species as well as their mechanisms of action against MDR. Based on collated information, V. nilotica, V. karroo, V. kosiensis, V. xanthophloea, V. tortilis, and V. sieberiana exhibited promising bioactivities against MDR bacteria. Their mechanisms of action against MDR bacteria include cellular membrane damage which disrupt the defence mechanisms of the bacteria. Although their extracts is promising in the fight against MDR bacteria and the associated diseases, a gap still exists in elucidating the specific parts/species of the plants which could exhibit high antimicrobial potencies. Further studies are recommended to unveil the impacts of the different parts/species of the plant on MDR