Search Results (59,116)

In the current soil erosion control efforts, the lack of collaboration among multiple stakeholders is a major problem that restricts governance performance. Based on carbon trading and the Public–Private Partnership model, this paper constructs a tripartite differential game model involving the government, enterprises, and farmers, focusing on the government subsidy and the enterprise–farmer benefit-sharing mechanism. It systematically analyzes the dynamic evolution process of multi-stakeholder collaborative governance behavior under the collaborative mechanism. Through numerical simulation, the impacts of key variables such as benefit-sharing ratio, synergy effect of measures, and unit carbon sequestration on the optimization of enterprise governance measures, effort level, government fiscal expenditure, and tripartite benefits were analyzed. The results indicate that (1) the benefit-sharing ratio has a significant bidirectional regulatory effect on the system, with both excessively high and excessively low ratios weakening the collaborative governance effect; (2) the synergistic effect between governance measures significantly enhances the enthusiasm of enterprise governance and promotes the allocation of resources towards measure with better carbon sequestration benefits; and (3) the unit carbon sequestration significantly affects governance structure and government subsidy strategies, with the government being more sensitive to carbon sink responses of afforestation measures. The research results provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the ecological governance system under the “dual carbon” goal and also provide policy references for promoting the transformation of governance model from “government-led” to “multi-stakeholder collaboration”. Full article

Preclinical studies in virological research are pivotal to comprehend mechanisms of viral virulence and pathogenesis and evaluate antiviral therapies or vaccines. Mouse models, through access to various genetic strains and amenable reagents, along with their ease of implementation and cost-effectiveness, remain the gold standard for establishing go/no-go thresholds before advancing to non-human primate or clinical studies. In preclinical mouse studies, standardized weight loss thresholds (WLTs)—which correspond to an established percentage of weight change at which animals are humanely euthanized—are a routine metric to quantitatively evaluate the lethality of a viral pathogen and the effectiveness of antiviral countermeasures in preventing fatal viral disease. While it is recognized that WLTs can significantly impact the assessment of viral virulence, they are often established to meet existing ethical or methodological requirements, rather than being based on a specific scientific rationale. Here, we examine how various experimental variables—including mouse and viral strains and the sex ratio within a mouse cohort—influence the ability of a WLT to support the generation of robust mouse models of fatal viral infection. Using various mouse strains and viral pathogens, we report that variations in experimental conditions in mouse preclinical studies can significantly compromise the performance of a non-adjusted WLT to yield an accurate estimate of viral virulence. Our findings advocate for a robust adjustment of WLT to each experimental framework and associated variables to establish mouse models of fatal viral infection that can generate high-resolution data acquisition while upholding ethical standards. Overall, our study provides methodological insights to enhance the unbiased acquisition and benchmarking of viral virulence and antiviral efficacy data in mouse models. Full article

Numerous studies have examined various geometric designs in cellular structures, yet the role of cross-sectional geometry remains underexplored. Cross-sections significantly influence the effective material properties of architected materials, where stress concentrations at junctions can reduce structural strength. This study investigates how different cross-sections affect energy absorption efficiency in both bending- and stretching-dominated cellular structures. Five classes of lattice structures, each designed with four distinct cross-sections, were fabricated using a custom stereolithography printer. Mechanical performance—specifically energy absorption and energy absorption efficiency—was evaluated through physical simulation and experimental testing. The results show that selecting optimal cross-sections can enhance yield stress by an average of 35% for cubic, 39% for BCC, 22% for BCCZ, and 41% for FCC structures. These findings demonstrate the critical impact of cross-sectional geometry on mechanical behavior. Both experimental and finite element analysis-based homogenization approaches were employed to validate results. The study proposes cross-section design guidelines aimed at optimizing strength-to-weight ratios, offering valuable insights for the development of high-performance mechanical metamaterials. Full article

Rapid advancements in peer-to-peer (P2P) streaming technologies have significantly impacted digital communication, enabling scalable, decentralized, and real-time content distribution. Despite these advancements, challenges persist, including dynamic topology management, high latency, security vulnerabilities, and unfair resource sharing (e.g., free rider). While software-defined networking (SDN) and blockchain individually address aspects of these limitations, their combined potential for comprehensive optimization remains underexplored. This study proposes a distributed SDN (DSDN) architecture enhanced with blockchain support to provide secure, scalable, and reliable P2P video streaming. We identified research gaps through critical analysis of the literature. We systematically compared traditional P2P, SDN-enhanced, and hybrid architectures across six performance metrics: latency, throughput, packet loss, authentication accuracy, packet delivery ratio, and control overhead. Simulations with 200 peers demonstrate that the proposed hybrid SDN–blockchain framework achieves a latency of 140 ms, a throughput of 340 Mbps, an authentication accuracy of 98%, a packet delivery ratio of 97.8%, a packet loss ratio of 2.2%, and a control overhead of 9.3%, outperforming state-of-the-art solutions such as NodeMaps, the reinforcement learning-based routing framework (RL-RF), and content delivery networks-P2P networks (CDN-P2P). This work establishes a scalable and attack-resilient foundation for next-generation P2P streaming. Full article

The red-claw crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus has been widely introduced and cultured in China and has become a crucial economic freshwater species. However, individuals reared from the same batch of seedlings in uniform aquaculture systems exhibit significant size variation within and between genders, which notably impedes the optimization of both their quality and yield. Gut microbiota plays an important role in the metabolism, development, and immunity of aquatic animals. However, the knowledge on the intestinal microbiota of red-claw crayfish with various sizes and genders is poor. In this study, the intestinal microbiota of red-claw crayfish cultured in consistent farming conditions were separated to larger-sized female (GUBF), larger-sized male (GUBM), smaller-sized female (GUSF), and smaller-sized male (GUSM) groups based on their body size (weight) and gender, before being analyzed via high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The intestinal microbiota results showed that alpha diversity tended to generally decrease in the order of GUBF, GUBM, GUSF, and GUSM, indicating that the richness and evenness of the gut flora were gradually improved with the increase in body weight or from male to female. Community richness and diversity were highest in the GUBF group, followed by the GUBM, GUSF, and GUSM groups, respectively. Beta diversity indicated significant differences in gut microbiota between the GUBF and GUSF, GUBM and GUSM, GUBF, and GUBM groups. Further analysis showed that the dominant phyla in the intestine of the red-claw crayfish were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Fusobacteriota, Bacteroidota, and Deinococcota, and the dominant genera were Vibrio, Tyzzerella, Candidatus Bacilloplasma, Citrobacter, and Candidatus Hepatoplasma. Moreover, nine phyla and 106 genera were identified to be significantly different in abundance among all four groups. Pairwise comparisons revealed that the phylum Dependentiae and Planctomycetota and genus Babeliaceae_unclassified were significantly abundant in the gut of female crayfishes, regardless of body size. On the other hand, irrespective of genders, the abundance of Novosphingobium, Piscinibacter, and Citrobacter was significantly increased or declined in the larger or smaller crayfishes, respectively. PICRUSt2 analysis based on the KEGG database suggested that the pathway bacterial secretion system, isoflavonoid biosynthesis, and pathway glycerolipid metabolism were significantly up- and down-regulated in female individuals, respectively, regardless of body sizes. Meanwhile, the adipocytokine signaling pathway, pyruvate metabolism, and pathway electron transfer carriers were significantly up- and down-regulated in larger individuals, respectively, regardless of gender. Gender differences may induce gut microbiota to exert a greater impact on hormonal regulation, whereas differences in individual size seem to lead gut microbiota to develop a preference for food intake and energy sources. In summary, this study revealed key differences in the intestinal microbiota of the crayfish with different sizes and genders, even in those which were cultured in the same environment and period, which potentially suggest that the intestinal microbiota may be influenced by some other factors in the culture system, such as hormone secretion, metabolism, and immunity. This study will contribute to improving growth performance and animal quality in the aquaculture of C. quadricarinatus. Full article

Methane steam reforming is the most widely adopted hydrogen production technology. To address the challenges associated with the large radial thermal resistance and low mass transfer rates inherent in the tubular packed bed reactors during the MSR process, this study proposes a structural design optimization that integrates annular metal foam gas channels along the inner wall of the reforming tubes. Utilizing multi-physics simulation methods and taking the conventional tubular reactor as a baseline, a comparative analysis was performed on physical parameters that characterize flow behavior, heat transfer, and reaction in the reforming process. The integration of the annular channels induces a radially non-uniform distribution of flow resistance in the tubes. Since the metal foam exhibits lower resistance, the fluid preferentially flows through the annular channels, leading to a diversion effect that enhances both convective heat transfer and mass transfer. The diversion effect redirects the central flow toward the near-wall region, where the higher reactant concentration promotes the reaction. Additionally, the higher thermal conductivity of the metal foam strengthens radial heat transfer, further accelerating the reaction. The effects of operating parameters on performance were also investigated. While a higher inlet velocity tends to hinder the reaction, in tubes integrated with annular channels, it enhances the diversion effect and convective heat transfer. This offsets the adverse impact, maintaining high methane conversion with lower pressure drop and thermal resistance than the conventional tubular reactor does. Full article

The growing need for sustainable and resource-efficient materials increasingly promotes the use of block-glued laminated timber (glulam) in buildings and civil structures such as bridges. While timber is renewable and sustainable, the formaldehyde-based adhesives commonly used in glulam raise environmental and health concerns. This study addresses this gap by presenting one of the first combined life cycle assessment (LCA) and life cycle cost (LCC) analyses of bio-based versus synthetic adhesives for block-glued glulam. A pedestrian bridge in Zwolle, the Netherlands, serves as a case study. Three synthetic adhesives—melamine-urea formaldehyde (MUF), phenol resorcinol formaldehyde (PRF), and phenol formaldehyde (PF)—and two bio-based alternatives—lignin phenol glyoxal (LPG) and tannin-furfuryl alcohol formaldehyde (TFF)—are analyzed. The LCA covers raw material sourcing, transport, and end-of-life scenarios, with impacts assessed in accordance with EN 15804+A2 using Earthster and the Ecoinvent v3.11 database. The proposed method integrates environmental and economic assessments, with results presented both per kilogram of adhesive and per cubic meter of glulam to ensure comparability. Results show that synthetic adhesives have higher environmental impacts than bio-based adhesives: the carbon footprint of 1 kg of adhesive averages 0.60 kg CO₂-eq for bio-based adhesives and 2.01 kg CO₂-eq for synthetic adhesives. LCC are similar across adhesives, averaging EUR 400 per m³ of glulam. These findings suggest that bio-based adhesives can compete environmentally and economically, but their limited availability and uncertain long-term performance remain barriers. Overall, the study highlights trade-offs between sustainability and structural reliability and provides guidance for sustainable adhesive selection in timber engineering. Full article

This study investigates the bidirectional relationship between biodiversity conservation, an increasingly important dimension of corporate social responsibility (CSR), and corporate financial performance (CFP). Specifically, it compares the manufacturing sector, which has substantial environmental impact and close ties to ecosystems, and the nonmanufacturing sector. The analysis draws on 1079 firm-year observations of Japanese companies from 2017 to 2022, employing the ratio of biodiversity-related expenditures to total environmental costs as the independent variable. CFP is measured by return on assets (ROA) and the price-to-book ratio (PBR). The results show that the effects on ROA significantly differ between manufacturing and nonmanufacturing sectors, with more positive impacts in manufacturing. In contrast, no clear sectoral differences are identified for the PBR. The reverse analysis suggests that, in the nonmanufacturing sector, firms with a higher PBR tend to allocate less to biodiversity conservation, whereas in manufacturing firms, both ROA and the PBR indicate positive effects, although statistical significance was not established. These findings indicate that biodiversity conservation in the manufacturing sector can be regarded as a strategic investment that contributes to profitability, and that its effects differ across industries. The study further suggests that investors and policymakers should consider industry-specific characteristics when evaluating corporate initiatives and designing institutional frameworks. Full article

Against the backdrop of global sustainable development and the fast-growing digital economy, aligning corporate ESG practices with digital transformation is key for enterprises’ high-quality development, yet existing studies have not fully explored ESG’s directional impact on digital transformation. This study examines how corporate ESG performance drives digital transformation and the moderating roles of firm characteristics, industry types, and ownership structures, using 11,109 valid observations from Chinese A-share listed companies (2009–2022); it adopts the causal forest algorithm and supplements with OLS, quantile, and Poisson regressions for robustness tests. The results show that ESG significantly promotes digital transformation—with obvious positive effects from E and S dimensions, while G has no statistical impact—and further analysis reveals nonlinear moderation by firm characteristics and contextual differences: the positive effect is stronger in high-tech and private enterprises but weaker in traditional and state-owned enterprises (due to institutional constraints). These findings offer theoretical insights into ESG–digital synergies and practical guidance for targeted sustainability and digital strategies. Full article

Due to high sedimentation rate up to ~1 m/year, mud-capped dredge pits (MCDP) are often considered natural laboratories for studying sedimentary processes, slope stability and the impacts of dredging activities on marine environments. Although many studies have been performed on the Louisiana shelf, there is a lack of high spatial resolution research covering the eastern, central and western Louisiana shelf to comprehensively investigate sediment infilling. Eighteen vibracores were collected from the Peveto Channel dredge pit (PC), Raccoon Island dredge pit (RI) and Sandy Point dredge pit (SP), and more than 1300 samples were analyzed to study the spatial variation in surficial sediment using statistical analyses. Our results indicate that the inner Louisiana continental shelf is silt-dominated, and there was no consistent grain size variation when comparing the sediment within the pits with that outside the pits. Skewness emerged as a prominent factor in the RI and SP, while standard deviation was the most influential in the PC. Our analysis shows also that two principal components are confirmed and account for more than 95% of the total grain size variance. Full article

Background: Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease marked by the presence of endometrial tissue outside the uterus. Main symptoms include pain in the sacrum, pelvis, and abdomen, occurring at various stages of the menstrual cycle or during intercourse. These symptoms can severely affect daily functioning and quality of life. Methods: The study involved 200 women aged 18–47, divided into two groups. The WHT group (N = 100) included women with endometriosis not receiving hormone therapy, and the HT group (N = 100) included women undergoing hormone treatment. An anonymous questionnaire was used, comprising a VAS, the FFQ-6 food frequency questionnaire, and questions regarding menstruation-related symptoms and effects. Results: Women in the HT group reported higher pain levels (Me = 8.0 vs. 7.0) and more frequent negative impacts on academic/work performance (p = 0.008) than the WHT group, who reported higher work attendance (p = 0.043). In the WHT group, consumption of sugar, honey (p = 0.019), sweet cereals (p = 0.023), and sweetened beverages (p = 0.036) was associated with absences and concentration difficulties (p = 0.010). In contrast, in the HT group, those reporting absences consumed more nuts and vegetables (p = 0.024; p = 0.003). Conclusions: Women with endometriosis undergoing hormone therapy report more severe pain and more frequent disruptions in daily functioning. Both hormone therapy and diet significantly influence the intensity of menstrual symptoms as well as the ability to function professionally and socially. Full article

 Background: Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) have emerged as increasing environmental and public health concerns. Dentistry contributes to this exposure through polymer-based materials and personal oral care products. This review summarizes the current evidence on the sources, release mechanisms, physicochemical properties, and toxicological and biological effects of MNPs derived from dental sources and oral care products, as well as the synergistic effects of MNP oral exposure with environmental exposure. Methods: An electronic search was performed across the PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science databases to identify studies investigating the source, release mechanisms, physico/chemical properties, and toxicological/biological impact of MNPs related to dental materials, oral care products, and the synergic effects of MNPs oral and environmental exposure. Results: MNPs are released in the dental setting from resin-based composites, clear aligners, and prosthetic and impression materials through degradation, wear, and handling processes. Home-use products like toothpastes, toothbrushes, floss, and mouthwashes contribute to chronic oral exposure. Evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and human biomonitoring studies supports the biological activity and systemic distribution of MNPs. Despite this, clinical awareness remains limited, and regulatory oversight insufficient. Conclusions: Dentistry is both a source and vector of MNP exposure. Encouraging the use of safer, MNP-free materials, and raising awareness among dental professionals, may support more responsible and health-conscious practices. Further research and alignment with global policy strategies could help guide future innovation and risk mitigation in the dental field.  Full article

This study systematically investigates soil and stream sediment along the 165 km Ibar River to examine the origin and transfer of pollutants. The research focuses on the environmental impact of long-term mining and irregular waste management, as well as natural enrichment related to weathering processes. A comprehensive sampling campaign was conducted, collecting 70 samples from 14 locations. At each location, samples of river sediment, floodplain soil (0–5 cm and 20–30 cm depths), and river terrace soil (same depths) were collected. The contents of 21 elements (Ag, Al, As, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn) were determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed to identify statistically significant differences in element contents between defined zones, sampled materials (river sediments, floodplain soils, and river terrace soils), and sampled soil horizons (topsoil, 0–5 cm, and subsoil, 20–30 cm). Multivariate analysis, including correlation coefficient, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis, revealed two distinct groups of elements with highly significant correlation coefficients (r > 0.7). The first group, comprising Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Mn, and Zn, indicates anthropogenic enrichment, likely resulting from mining and smelting activities in the middle flow of the Ibar River (The Mining and Metallurgical Complex Trepča). The second group, consisting of Cr, Mg, and Ni, suggests enrichment related to the weathering of elements from the ophiolite zone in the lower Ibar River. The study found high enrichment ratios of toxic elements like arsenic, cadmium, lead, and zinc, particularly in stream sediments and floodplains. Notably, arsenic contents exceeded European averages by up to 57 times in stream sediments, posing a significant environmental concern due to its high content. Full article

Emotional intelligence (EI) is increasingly recognised as being essential for effective school leadership. However, the direct and cascading effects of school leaders’ EI on teachers and students remain underexplored, particularly in diverse global contexts. This systematic review examined how school leaders’ EI competencies impact teachers’ performance and students’ learning outcomes across contexts. This study synthesised 28 studies published between 2011 and 2024, following the PRISMA guidelines. The findings revealed that self-awareness, empathy, and relationship management emerged as core EI competencies for school leaders across contexts, and principals with high EI positively impacted teachers’ emotional reframing, instructional delivery, and collective efficacy. This study also shows that teacher well-being, instructional leadership practices, and school climate mediated the cascading effects on student outcomes. In addition, this study revealed that cultural and contextual factors modulate EI expression in leadership and that EI metrics showed limitations in cross-cultural applicability. While school leaders’ EI enhances teacher performance and student outcomes through direct and indirect pathways, this review highlights that EI manifestation and efficacy depend on alignment with cultural norms and systemic priorities. Based on these findings, we propose the development of culturally responsive EI frameworks and assessment tools for cultivating emotionally intelligent leadership across global educational contexts. Full article

The frequent blasting in underground mines results in stress waves of different intensities, which is one of the main factors leading to backfill collapse. Improving the strength of backfill is an effective way to reduce the backfill damage. In this study, rice straw fiber and graded tailings were used as raw materials to prepare rice straw fiber-reinforced cemented tailings backfill (RSCTB). An orthogonal experimental design was employed to perform unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, diffusivity measurements, and Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar (SHPB) tests. The results showed that straw fibers slightly reduce slurry fluidity. The UCS of RSCTB at a specific mix ratio was more than 50% higher than that of cemented tailings backfill (CTB) without rice straw. The dynamic unconfined compressive strength (DUCS) of RSCTB increased linearly at different strain rates. The effect of rice straw fibers on the UCS and DUCS was much smaller than that of cement content and solid mass concentration. Excessively long and abundant straw fibers are not conducive to improving the long-term impact resistance of RSCTB. Full article