Search Results (6,038)

Smart libraries represent an important integration of digital and intelligent technologies into public cultural spaces and have substantial potential to meet the public’s growing demand for digital cultural services. However, how digital systems, service processes, and spatial environments jointly shape user evaluations and usage intention remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we integrated the information systems success model (ISSM) with the technology acceptance model (TAM) to develop a user-perception framework comprising system quality, information quality, service quality, and environmental quality. Survey data from 352 users with prior experience of smart libraries were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The integrated model showed good explanatory power for user satisfaction, attitude towards use, and usage intention in smart libraries. System quality and information quality were positively associated with perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and user satisfaction, with information quality showing relatively larger path coefficients for perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness. Service quality and environmental quality were positively associated with perceived usefulness and user satisfaction but showed no significant association with perceived ease of use. Perceived usefulness, attitude towards use, and user satisfaction were each positively associated with usage intention, whereas perceived ease of use did not directly predict attitude towards use. These findings indicate that user evaluations of smart libraries are shaped not by technological ease of use alone, but by the combined effects of digital facilities, information organisation, service touchpoints, and the spatial environment. On the basis of these findings, we propose four design strategies: optimising smart facilities and interactive interfaces; coordinating information classification with wayfinding systems; integrating service nodes with digital service scenarios; and improving functional zoning and indoor environmental quality. These strategies provide an evidence base for the spatial design and service-environment renewal of smart libraries. Full article

Generative AI (GenAI) is rapidly altering learning environments, yet comparative research spanning secondary and higher education remains scarce. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this cross-sectional study surveyed Macao secondary (n = 487) and university (n = 401) students in 2026 using convenience sampling; only respondents who had previously used GenAI were retained for analysis, and cross-group adoption mechanisms were evaluated with multi-group structural equation modeling. Results indicate high structural consistency across cohorts: the chain from perceived ease of use through perceived usefulness to behavioral intention holds robustly, with perceived usefulness acting as the primary mediator, and perceived popularity positively predicting behavioral intention in both groups. After correcting for multiple comparisons, the only robust cross-group difference among the 10 structural paths is the direct effect of perceived ease of use on behavioral intention, which is present among secondary students (partial mediation) but absent among university students (full mediation, primarily via perceived usefulness). Measurement-invariance testing further indicated that some perceived-ease-of-use and perceived-popularity items were not fully equivalent across learning stages; accordingly, and given the observational design, the estimated paths are interpreted as associations rather than confirmed causal effects. These findings clarify stage-specific GenAI adoption and yield actionable implications for differentiated educational guidance and digital literacy cultivation. Full article

Long-term groundwater exploitation causes water-level fluctuations, which are a major driver of land subsidence and infrastructure deformation in sedimentary basins. To investigate the stress-history-dependent compression–rebound behavior of deep cohesive soils, soil samples along the Beijing–Tianjin High-Speed Railway were examined using high-pressure consolidation tests, cyclic loading–unloading tests, SEM, and XRD. Prescribed cyclic effective-stress paths were applied to simulate groundwater-level decline and recovery at different burial depths. The results showed that irreversible deformation was highly concentrated in the early loading stage. Under the groundwater-level decline paths, the first loading cycle alone accounted for approximately 77% and 94.8% of the total cumulative compression in the shallow and deep soils, respectively. During repeated loading–unloading between 0 and P₀, the plastic deformation decreased significantly with cycle number, whereas the elastic deformation remained relatively stable. Under the groundwater-level rise paths, the cumulative rebound ratios were only 9.8% for the shallow soils and 17% for the deep soils, indicating that unloading recovered only a small fraction of the preceding compression. In terms of microstructure, the shallow soils had relatively loose and pore-rich fabrics, while the deeper soils exhibited denser particle packing and stronger interparticle contacts. These findings demonstrate pronounced mechanical irreversibility. Together with the measured low permeability, they support a mechanistic interpretation in which slow pore-pressure and effective-stress adjustments may further contribute to delayed deformation. Overall, this study provides a quantitative experimental characterization of the evolution of irreversible compression and incomplete recovery of deep cohesive soils under cyclic effective-stress changes induced by groundwater-level variations. Full article

This study conceptualizes RE100 not merely as a voluntary corporate campaign, but as an evolving socio-technical system that intersects with South Korea’s path-dependent energy regime. Applying BERTopic to a comprehensive corpus of 21,901 raw news articles (reduced to 13,507 analytically relevant articles after noise filtering; January 2019–October 2025), we trace the systemic evolution and multi-layered governance of RE100. Grounded in social constructionism and institutional systems theory, the research reveals how the global sustainability norm becomes structurally embedded in South Korea’s industrial and economic systems through a partially sequential evolutionary process of externalization, objectivation, and internalization. BERTopic identified 39 analytically meaningful topics, subsequently organized into four interpretive clusters: (1) local government-centered construction, (2) spatial reconfiguration and industrial-policy formation, (3) corporate-led market institutionalization, and (4) ESG-driven corporate governance. Collectively, these clusters demonstrate that RE100 has evolved from a peripheral international initiative into a multilayered governance norm embedded across local governance, industrial infrastructure, corporate strategy, and ESG systems. The findings hold theoretical and policy implications for energy-transition governance and climate communication. This progression is recursive rather than strictly linear: corporate-level internalization (Cluster 4) is conceptually linked to, and may interact with, regional and industrial-policy externalization (Clusters 1–2), consistent with a non-linear reading of institutionalization in which corporate site-selection criteria shape local-government infrastructure competition. Cluster 1’s prominence reflects local governments’ discursive visibility rather than substantive policy authority. Notably, RE100’s “normalization” denotes routinized corporate compliance practices, not political consensus on its legitimacy relative to alternatives such as carbon-free 100% or nuclear power. Full article

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a continuously rising global prevalence, imposing a heavy burden on affected families and society. Emotional and behavioural problems are the most common comorbidities of ASD and severely impair the long-term prognosis of affected children. While mindful parenting represents a validated positive parenting model, the internal mechanisms underlying its association with emotional and behavioural developmental outcomes in children with ASD remain unclear. This study adopted a cross-sectional design. Between April and August 2023, 268 parent–child dyads were recruited via convenience sampling from hospitals and special education settings in Jinan, China. Validated instruments were used to assess mindful parenting, parenting stress, family management, and child emotional and behavioural problems, and data were analysed using path analysis with observed variables. The results showed that the sequential chain mediation pathway was fully consistent with the data for total difficulties, with the total indirect effect accounting for 66.71% of the total association. For prosocial behaviour, the model received only partial support, with a 61.54% total indirect association, as the unique indirect path via parenting stress did not reach statistical significance. These findings indicate that mindful parenting is associated with fewer child difficulties through a sequence involving reduced parenting stress and better family management. For prosocial behaviour, this association appears primarily linked to family management, with no significant unique contribution of parenting stress. The study reveals potential family process mechanisms and can inform the development of family-centred interventions. Full article

Hybrid rice outyields conventional rice, but the role of rhizosphere microbiome in this yield advantage remains unclear. We conducted a single-site field experiment to compare three hybrid rice cultivars with one conventional variety. We tested whether the hybrid rice cultivars were associated with distinct rhizosphere microbial consortia, and whether these consortia correlated with soil nutrient availability and yield. Our results showed that the hybrid cultivars produced significantly higher yields than the conventional variety. Rhizosphere soil was collected at booting and mature stages. We integrated 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing, soil physicochemical and enzyme activity analyses, and structural equation modeling to explore associations among rice genotype, microbial community, nutrient availability, and yield. Hybrid rice showed higher yield and 1000-grain weight (Yongyou-1540: 69.76 g/plant, 26.85 g). Genotype-associated differences in microbiome were strongest at booting: hybrids enriched Pseudomonadota and Chloroflexota but depleted Acidobacteriota; genera Geobacter, Anaeromyxobacter, and Burkholderiaceae were enriched. Hybrid rhizospheres had higher available phosphorus and potassium (Heliangyou-165: +62.8% P and +24.7% K at booting; +18.4% P and +350.8% K at maturity). Metagenomic profiling revealed a higher abundance of genes associated with nitrogen fixation, siderophore biosynthesis, and sulfur cycling pathways. Nitrogen fixation gene abundance correlated with alkali-hydrolyzable N (r = 0.66), siderophore biosynthesis with available P (r = 0.73), and sulfate respiration with available K (r = 0.61). Enzyme activities showed genotype-and stage-dependent patterns. Structural equation modeling supported a sequential association path: genotype → microbial community (β = 0.58) → soil nutrient composite (β = 0.52) → grain yield (β = 0.44). The indirect effect of genotype on yield via microbiome and nutrients was significant (β = 0.13), while the direct effect was not. The yield advantage observed in the tested hybrid cultivars was accompanied by cultivar-associated differences in rhizosphere microbiomes that correlate with enhanced nutrient bioavailability during critical growth stages. These correlative findings suggest a potential belowground ecological pathway linking cultivar identity, rhizosphere microbiome functional potential, nutrient availability, and yield; however, they do not demonstrate a causal role of the microbiome in the yield advantage of hybrid rice. Given the single-site, single-year design and the use of only one conventional control cultivar, these results should be considered preliminary and require validation across broader genotype panels and environments. Experimental validation is required to test the hypothesized microbial associations. Full article

The wave of digital transformation has driven profound changes in construction mode. As the core driving force for the sustainable development of digital construction, organizational capabilities have gradually attracted widespread attention from both the academic community and practitioners. This study comprehensively analyzes the structural dimensions and influencing factors of construction project organizations’ capabilities in digital construction mode. Further, employing an analytical approach based on dynamic Bayesian networks, the organizational capability model is constructed to explore the key dimensions, influencing factors, and influence paths of organizational capabilities from a dynamic perspective. The results show that innovation capabilities serve as the pivotal drivers for advancing organizational capabilities, with a probability reaching 88.40%. In the short term, simultaneously enhancing innovation capabilities and leadership capabilities has the best effect on improving organizational capabilities, with a probability of up to 94.89%. However, from a long-term perspective, the probability distribution of various combined strategies is similar to that of the single-dimensional strategies. Consistency in core values stands as the key influencing factor, while the two influence chains symbolizing “technical hard power” and “organizational soft power” constitute the core paths for enhancing organizational capabilities. The research findings contribute to clarifying the priority order and core factors of organizational capability development in the digital construction mode, thereby providing a quantitative decision-making basis for optimizing resource allocation in construction project organizations. Full article

Artificial intelligence can extend the functional capabilities of embedded sensors by extracting application-level information from physical measurements. This study investigates whether footstep-induced floor vibrations acquired with a single triaxial MEMS accelerometer contain sufficient information to characterize pedestrian path orientation and travel sense. A custom sensing platform based on an ADXL355 accelerometer and an ESP32 microcontroller was developed to acquire the structural vibration response at 4 kSPS. Lightweight temporal features were processed using a Random Forest classifier. The primary assessment used leakage-aware event-level cross-validation, with complete footsteps as the data-partitioning units. Under this more conservative protocol, discrimination of the complete A–K movement-label set was poor, whereas a compact 12-dimensional descriptor representation achieved 73.18% accuracy, 71.52% balanced accuracy, and 70.98% macro-F1 for X/Y path-orientation classification. Reliable positive/negative travel-sense discrimination could not be demonstrated from isolated footsteps. For historical comparison, the original sample-level procedure yielded 97.09% accuracy, but this value is retained only as a within-sequence reference because densely sampled observations contain strongly overlapping information. The findings provide proof-of-concept evidence that a single floor-mounted MEMS accelerometer can capture coarse pedestrian path-orientation information without cameras or spatially distributed vibration-sensor networks. Feature extraction and classifier inference were performed offline; broader validation across participants, sessions, floor structures, and realistic disturbances is required before deployment as an embedded edge AI sensing node. Full article

The eddy covariance (EC) technique is a key tool in environmental monitoring, enabling continuous and non-invasive measurement of carbon dioxide (CO₂) fluxes at the ecosystem–atmosphere interface. In environments characterized by high levels of airborne particulates, such as volcanic regions, the reliability of enclosed-path EC measurements can be compromised by frequent filter clogging, potentially affecting data continuity, and increasing maintenance requirements. This study investigates whether the chemical and mineralogical signatures of particulate matter accumulated on clogged Swagelok pre-Licor filters can be used to identify dominant particle sources and provide insights into filter clogging processes. A multi-analytical workflow combining scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), portable Raman spectroscopy, and hyperspectral imaging (HSI) was applied to recovered filter residues. The combined approach provided complementary chemical, mineralogical, and morphological information, allowing discrimination among volcanogenic material (e.g., glass shards, crystals, and lithic fragments), aeolian lithogenic dust, including Saharan inputs, and biogenic particles such as plant fibers. The results revealed two dominant particulate groups, volcanogenic mineral phases and biogenic material, with a minor contribution from wind-transported lithogenic dust. Volcanogenic phases, enriched in Si, Al, and Fe, dominated the inorganic fraction, whereas O-, C-, and N-rich particles were mainly associated with local biogenic sources. No clear evidence of significant anthropogenic contributions was identified. These findings demonstrate that multi-analytical characterization of particles accumulated on EC pre-filters can provide qualitative source attribution and valuable information on the processes responsible for filter loading and clogging. By linking particle characteristics with meteorological and environmental conditions, this approach has the potential to support site-specific, predictive, and event-driven maintenance strategies, contributing to improved EC data quality and more efficient long-term monitoring in high-aerosol environments. Full article

Coastal deltas worldwide are among the regions most vulnerable to land subsidence caused by intensive groundwater extraction, posing serious challenges to urban infrastructure and environmental sustainability. Shanghai exemplifies a typical coastal city experiencing severe land subsidence. Although groundwater abstraction has been strictly regulated and largely prohibited for most purposes, dewatering during deep excavations has become the primary cause of groundwater level fluctuations and the associated soil deformation. This study investigates the deformation mechanisms of Shanghai’s soft soil strata (layers ④ and ⑤₃) under complex groundwater level fluctuations, using a multi-scale experimental approach. Stress-path-controlled triaxial tests were conducted to simulate staged dewatering, repeated dewatering, and artificial recharge processes. The results reveal an approximately linear stress–strain relationship during dewatering, with cumulative irreversible compression observed after cyclic loading. Partial deformation recovery occurred upon recharge, but only at relatively low pressure levels; once the recharge pressure exceeded a certain threshold, considerable axial compression was induced even as radial expansion continued. Microstructural analyses using an Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope (ESEM) and Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry (MIP) show that cyclic effective stress led to the fragmentation of clay aggregates and pore collapse, reducing total pore volume by approximately 10–17%. The deformation mechanism is attributed to the slippage and reorientation of clay particles under face-to-face (F–F) and line-to-face (L–F) contacts. These findings provide critical insights into the multi-scale behavior of soft soils under hydraulic stress and support the development of more sustainable land subsidence mitigation strategies in urban environments. Full article

This study examined direct and indirect associations of Machiavellianism, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism with suicidal ideation through depression, anxiety, and stress in psychiatric patients. A cross-sectional sample of 210 patients completed the Short Dark Tetrad (SD4), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), and Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS). Regression paths were estimated using robust maximum likelihood, whereas indirect effects were evaluated using 10,000 bootstrap resamples. Because 92 participants (43.8%) had SIDAS = 0, two-part sensitivity analyses separated the occurrence from the severity of suicidal ideation; additional analyses excluded the two smallest diagnostic groups. Depression, stress, and anxiety correlated with SIDAS (r = 0.560, 0.509, and 0.466, respectively). The sadism–stress–SIDAS indirect effect was significant in the primary model (B = 0.147; 95% bootstrap CI [0.037, 0.291]), after covariate adjustment (B = 0.126; 95% bootstrap CI [0.016, 0.266]), and after excluding psychotic and bipolar groups (B = 0.115; 95% CI [0.006, 0.259]). In two-part analyses, depression was associated with SIDAS occurrence, whereas stress and sadism were associated with severity among participants with SIDAS > 0. The findings support a stress-related indirect association between sadism and suicidal ideation, but causal interpretation is not warranted. Full article

Background/Objectives: Human feeding behavior involves the use of various tools. However, the kinematic differences between commonly used utensils such as spoons and chopsticks remain insufficiently understood. The current study aimed to quantitatively characterize and compare the three-dimensional kinematics of spoon and chopstick use during ingestion. Methods: A total of 24 healthy adult men (mean age: 27.4 years) were instructed to ingest green soybeans one at a time while seated at a desk. Three-dimensional kinematic data of the eating tools were recorded, and movement trajectories were modeled using polynomial approximations. Movement characteristics, including trajectory patterns, spatial displacement, and duration, were analyzed using multilevel modeling. Results: Multilevel analysis identified statistically significant trajectory patterns, showing that chopsticks exhibited more curved and laterally deviated trajectories, being inserted from a more frontal direction and directed posteriorly and superiorly within the oral cavity, whereas spoons followed more linear paths. Chopstick use was associated with significantly greater spatial displacement across multiple axes compared with spoon use. Overall movement duration was significantly shorter during chopstick use, whereas insertion durations did not differ significantly between tools and withdrawal duration was slightly shorter with chopsticks. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that the same behavioral goal—transporting food to the mouth—is accompanied by different tool-related kinematic patterns. The observed endpoint patterns may reflect utensil geometry and functional constraints; however, their relationship to underlying movement organization cannot be determined from tool-tip kinematics alone. The results provide a quantitative biomechanical characterization of tool-related feeding movements and may contribute to the evaluation of functional feeding movements. Full article

The adaptive reuse of industrial heritage produces diverse functional outcomes, yet how multiple conditions combine to shape these outcomes remains unclear. This study adapts the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework to industrial heritage reuse and applies crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis (csQCA) to 58 projects. The analysis examines convertibility, digital technology adoption, ultimate controller, value factor, policy environment, and locational environment as conditions for cultural, commercial, and public-service functional outcomes. No single condition was necessary across all three outcomes; sufficiency analysis identified five cultural, four commercial, and four public-service configurational paths. Cultural outcomes showed diverse configurational paths, commercial outcomes centered on relatively stable market-oriented conditions, and all public-service paths shared a nonprofit ultimate controller as a core condition. Across the analyzed cases, the formation of functional types exhibited multi-condition conjunction and equifinality, with condition roles varying across configurations and outcomes. Robustness checks showed that the dominant configurations remained relatively stable under the tested thresholds, whereas supplementary configurations were more sensitive to the case-frequency cutoff. The findings indicate that the TOE framework can be contextually translated to the setting of industrial heritage adaptive reuse and used for configurational comparisons across the three functional outcomes. Full article

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in paddy soils poses health risks, yet the role of aggregate-scale Cd binding remains poorly understood under interactive agricultural management. Unlike primary textural separates that are fixed by parent material, aggregates are dynamic and manageable. This study investigates the interactive effects of parent material, water regime shifts in annual tobacco–rice rotation, and chlorine-containing fertilizers on aggregate stability, carbon/nitrogen sequestration, and cadmium (Cd) adsorption in paddy soils from subtropical paddy fields of Hunan Province, South China. Two paddy soils, Masaniutan (granite-derived sandy loam) and Shanniutan (slate/shale-derived clayey soil), were divided into four size classes. Selective removal of soil organic carbon (SOC) and free iron oxides (Fe_d), followed by Cd adsorption experiments. Shanniutan had greater aggregate stability than Masaniutan. Water regime shifts did not significantly alter aggregate structure. Chlorine fertilizers disrupted aggregates, increasing finer fractions. Cd adsorption rose as aggregate size decreased. SOC removal reduced the maximum adsorption capacity (q_m) by 36.8%, while Fe_d played a supporting role. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) revealed that parent material had a strong positive direct effect on aggregate stability (path coefficient = 2.346), while chlorine fertilization (−0.750) and water regime shifts (−0.344) had negative effects. Parent material, water regime shifts, and fertilization jointly influence aggregate stability and the distribution of cementing agents, thereby controlling Cd adsorption capacity—with SOC as the dominant factor. These findings provide a basis for sustainable paddy soil management by promoting SOC retention and avoiding excessive chloride inputs. Full article

Climate extremes and the accelerating low-carbon transition have intensified firms’ exposure to physical and transition risks, yet many firms remain constrained by carbon-intensive development paths. Using panel data for Chinese A-share listed firms from 2013 to 2024, we examine the relationship between corporate climate risk attention (CRA) and corporate carbon lock-in (CCL). CRA is derived from annual-report text, and CCL is measured with a multidimensional index. Fixed-effects estimates show that CRA is significantly and negatively associated with CCL, and this association remains stable across robustness checks. Mediation-style analyses identify statistical indirect associations through green strategic orientation and corporate environmental investment. Subgroup comparisons show that the negative CRA–CCL association is stronger among heavily polluting firms, firms in cities experiencing frequent extreme climate events, and firms in provinces with less stringent environmental regulation. These findings link organizational attention to firm-level carbon unlocking and suggest that climate concerns should inform strategic priorities and environmental investment. They inform transition governance tailored to firms’ transition pressures, local climate risks, and regulatory conditions. Full article