Search Results (1,342)

The digital economy has become an important force driving regional transformation and green development, yet existing evidence on its net carbon-balance effects on land-use carbon emission efficiency (LUCEE) remains limited. Using panel data for 41 cities in the Yangtze River Delta from 2002 to 2022, this study first calculates city-level net carbon-emission pressure by jointly considering anthropogenic carbon emissions and land-based carbon sequestration, and then evaluates LUCEE using a super-efficiency SBM model with undesirable outputs, in which urban construction land is incorporated as an independent input rather than used as a common scaling denominator. A two-way fixed-effects model, mediation model, geographical detector, and spatial econometric model are further employed to examine the temporal dynamics, transmission mechanisms, spatial heterogeneity, and spatial associations of the digital economy. This study finds that, in the short term, digital-economy development is significantly negatively associated with LUCEE, while this negative association gradually weakens over time, with no clear evidence of a positive reversal within the observed lag structure. Industrial tertiarisation shows partial and limited evidence as a transmission channel, although it does not automatically translate into greener land-use performance. The digital economy also helps explain LUCEE heterogeneity and shows enhanced explanatory power when combined with government intervention, land-use intensity, industrial tertiarisation, and economic development. Moreover, the spatial analysis provides supplementary evidence of a negative association between digital-economy development in spatially connected cities and local LUCEE, although this finding should be interpreted cautiously given the limited evidence of endogenous spatial dependence. These findings deepen the understanding of the low-carbon consequences of digitalisation and provide policy implications for green digital development, industrial transformation, and regionally coordinated carbon mitigation. Full article

This study aimed to systematically evaluate the potential of Candida utilis-fermented corn steep liquor (CU-FCSL) to replace soybean meal (SBM) in broiler diets. A total of 72 twenty-one-day-old Arbor Acres Plus broilers (six replicates of six birds) were fed basal or test diets (20% substitution) to determine metabolizable energy. The same design was used to determine standardized ileal amino acid digestibility (SID), with an additional nitrogen-free diet group. In a 42-day growth trial, 288 one-day-old broilers were assigned to control, 2%, 4%, or 6% CU-FCSL diets (six replicates of 12 birds). The results showed that CU-FCSL contained AME 11.36 MJ/kg DM and AMEn 11.31 MJ/kg DM, including SID values of Lys (90.00%), Met (94.01%), Thr (84.63%), and Val (88.86%). Compared with the control, broilers fed 2% or 4% CU-FCSL consistently exhibited greater body weight and weight gain across all phases, whereas 6% inclusion impaired growth performance (p < 0.05). The 4% level improved ether extract digestibility, immune parameters, and intestinal villus height-to-crypt depth ratio, whereas 6% inclusion increased abdominal fat, elevated serum uric acid and ALT, decreased serum IgG, IgM, and IL-10, and inhibited intestinal development and health. In conclusion, 2% and 4% CU-FCSL could be added to replace SBM without adverse effects on broiler health. Full article

Within the framework of green sustainable development, the relationship between the digital economy (DE) and the green efficiency of water resources (GEWR) has received increasing attention. This study uses panel data from 30 provincial-level regions in China covering 2014–2023, comprising 300 province-year observations. The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between the digital economy spatial correlation network and GEWR and to explore the potential pathway and moderating role of environmental regulation. Accordingly, it is hypothesized that the DESCN is positively associated with GEWR, that industrial structure upgrading (ISU) and water conservancy industry development (WCI) constitute potential pathways related to this association, and that environmental regulation positively moderates the relationship between DC and GEWR. The super-efficiency slacks-based measure (SE-SBM) model serves as the tool for measuring the level of the GEWR. The digital economy spatial correlation network (DESCN) is constructed through a modified gravity model, which helps analyze interregional DE connections and the spatiotemporal characteristics of GEWR. Furthermore, empirical analysis is conducted to thoroughly examine the relationship between the DESCN and GEWR. The results showed that: (1) the degree centrality (DC) of the DESCN was positively and significantly associated with GEWR; (2) DC was positively and significantly associated with ISU and WCI, supporting H2a and H2b at the level of variable relationships but providing only preliminary evidence concerning the proposed pathways because the corresponding indirect effects were not estimated; and (3) the positive and statistically significant interaction between DC and environmental regulation (ER) indicates that ER strengthens the positive relationship between DC and GEWR. Full article

The low-carbon transition of cropland use must reconcile emission reduction with food security in major grain-producing areas. Using panel data for 89 major grain-producing counties in Sichuan Province, China, from 2010 to 2022, this study measures the low-carbon transition performance of cropland use (LCTP-CLU) with a global-benchmark undesirable-output super-efficiency slacks-based measure (GB-US-S-SBM) model. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and a spatial Durbin model are then used to examine spatiotemporal patterns, driving factors, and spillover effects. LCTP-CLU increased overall, with the sample mean rising from 0.558 in 2010 to 0.618 in 2022. Performance was higher in northeastern Sichuan and lower in southwestern Sichuan, and high-value counties became increasingly contiguous by 2022. The cropland area per agricultural worker, multiple-cropping index, and rural economic development significantly improved LCTP-CLU, whereas the agricultural industrial structure reduced it. LCTP-CLU also exhibited significant positive spatial spillovers; cropland area per agricultural worker, multiple-cropping index, and rural economic development generated positive effects in neighboring counties. These findings support differentiated county-level policies and cross-regional coordination to advance low-carbon cropland use while safeguarding grain production. Full article

The research evaluated how location, crop year, relative maturity, and nutrient composition affect modeled soybean meal (SBM) values and the relative livestock feed value (LFV) scores of soybean varieties grown in southern Illinois. The study also assessed the impact of non-ruminant-specific LFV scores and modeled SBM composition in ruminant diets on requirements for other feed ingredients, such as feed corn. Among 47 soybean varieties collected from two southern Illinois locations over two growing seasons, modeled SBM values ranged from US$340.0 to US$370.0 per ton, while relative LFV scores varied from 1.3 to 9.9. SBM inclusion in the modeled backgrounding beef cattle diets ranged from 331.8 kg to 367.1 kg/ton, and feed corn inclusion ranged from 82.4 kg to 117.6 kg/ton. The feed formulation model showed a positive association for soybean seed protein with methane (CH₄) emissions (r = 0.94 for CH₄ as % GE, r = 0.98 for CH₄ in mol/d, and r = 0.89 for CH₄ in Mcal/d), though the relative range in predicted CH₄ emissions from the feed formulations was only 1.8%, suggesting minimal impact of soybean varieties and limited practical significance. The feed formulation model showed a positive association between corn demand and dietary CP concentrations (R² = 0.85). Meal from superior soybean seeds is predicted to be required at lower inclusions in model ruminant diets to achieve a net positive metabolizable protein balance. Full article

Border regions are China’s key ecological security barriers, yet their green transition remains poorly understood because existing studies focus mainly on developed coastal and inland areas. Whether uniform national environmental regulation can achieve effects in border regions comparable to those observed in coastal and inland regions, where resource-dependent industries and structural constraints prevail, has not been systematically examined. Using provincial panel data of 30 Chinese provinces from 2006 to 2022, this study constructs an improved two-stage dynamic SBM-DDF model with differentiated pollutant damage weights to measure green total factor productivity (GTFP), and combines panel Tobit regression, structural moderating effect analysis, and subsystem mechanism decomposition to examine the heterogeneous effects of environmental regulation on green development across coastal, inland, and border regions, as well as the underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that the associations between environmental regulation and green development differ substantially across regions. Command-and-control regulation is positively associated with GTFP in coastal regions but negatively associated with GTFP in inland regions, and the border–coastal difference in this coefficient is statistically significant. Market-based regulation is significantly and negatively associated with GTFP in border regions, although the border–coastal and border–inland differences in this coefficient are not statistically significant. Mechanism tests provide suggestive evidence that multi-dimensional structural constraints and production–governance subsystem conflicts are associated with the weaker association of environmental regulation in border regions. The results are broadly robust across alternative specifications, but some coefficients—particularly for command-and-control regulation—are sensitive to whether regulatory intensity is measured in absolute or scale-adjusted terms. These sensitivities are reported and discussed in the robustness section. These findings offer conditional and exploratory evidence for differentiated environmental governance strategies tailored to regional conditions. Full article

This experimental trial assessed raw cowpea seed (CPS; Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.) inclusion effects in finishing pigs’ diet on growth performance, blood chemistry, meat quality, and fatty acid profile (FAs). A number of 54 crossbred male pigs ([♀F1 Topigs Large White × Norsvin Landrace] × ♂ Duroc) with an initial average body weight of 60.3 ± 3.20 kg (mean ± SD calculated across individual pigs) were divided into three groups of 18 pigs each comprising six pens of three pigs per treatment. The control group (CON) was fed a standardized SBM-based complete feed. In the experimental groups, the SBM was replaced with increasing levels of cowpea seeds (100 and 200 g/kg: CPS10 and CPS20 groups). Iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric diets were designed with comparable levels of total lysine, sulphury amino acids (methionine + cysteine), calcium, and phosphorus. At the end of the experiment (49-day finishing period), all pigs were slaughtered. To evaluate physicochemical traits and the fatty acid profile, samples of the Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle were collected. Incorporating CPS into pig diets produced no significant effects on growth performance (final BW, ADG, ADFI, FCR) or carcass characteristics. Overall, CPS inclusion did not affect blood biochemical indices or most meat quality parameters; however, a 20% CPS level decreased fat content, and both CPS treatments reduced the pH at 24 h post mortem, without affecting meat color or drip loss. Chewiness and resilience were lower in CPS10 group compared to CON group. Finally, the inclusion of CPS into the pigs’ diet ensured (p = 0.032) higher relative proportions of n-3 PUFAs within total muscle FAMEs, in the LD muscle, including, in particular, α-linolenic acid (p = 0.043), docosapentaenoic acid (p = 0.047), and docosahexaenoic acid (p = 0.044), which allowed for an increase in the hypo-/hypercholesterolemia ratio (p = 0.044) and a reduction in the n-6/n-3 PUFAs ratio (p = 0.037) compared with the CON group. In conclusion, raw Aura 26 cowpea seeds could partially replace soybean meal in fattening pig diets without adversely affecting productive performance while favorably altering the relative fatty acid composition of LD muscle lipids. Full article

Cross-regional greenhouse gas emission linkages have contributed to the formation of interconnected carbon emission networks among cities. However, whether a city’s position within such networks influences agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) remains insufficiently understood. Using panel data from 40 prefecture-level cities in the Yangtze River Delta, China, from 2010 to 2024, this study measures AGTFP using a super-efficiency SBM model and constructs a carbon emission network based on a modified gravity model and social network analysis. Degree centrality is employed to capture cities’ network positions. Two-way fixed-effects, threshold, and moderation models are applied to examine the relationship between network centrality and AGTFP. The results show that carbon emission network centrality is positively associated with AGTFP, primarily through improvements in technical efficiency rather than technological progress. The relationship exhibits a nonlinear pattern: CENC is positively associated with AGTFP when the urban–rural income gap is below a certain threshold, but the association becomes negative when the gap exceeds this threshold. Moreover, stronger water resource management enhances the positive association between network centrality and AGTFP. These findings underscore the significance of network-based coordination and institutional capacity in driving agricultural green transformation. Full article

Improving environmentally adjusted water use efficiency in the planting industry (EAWUE) is important for balancing agricultural production, water conservation, and water environmental protection. Using panel data for 101 prefecture-level cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt during 2011–2023, this study integrates a Super-SBM model with undesirable outputs, a modified gravity model, social network analysis, and a temporal exponential random graph model (TERGM) to examine EAWUE dynamics, spatial association networks, and formation mechanisms. The results show that EAWUE improved overall, although spatial disparities remained evident. The spatial association network became denser and more connected, with inter-city linkages expanding from local associations to broader cross-regional and multi-node interactions. The Yangtze River Delta maintained a prominent core position, cities in the middle reaches played stronger bridging roles, and cities in the upper reaches showed increasing participation, forming four functional block types. Network tie formation was statistically associated with endogenous network structures, node attributes, spatial constraints, and temporal dependence. Reciprocity, transitive structures, and network persistence showed positive associations with tie formation, whereas geographic distance showed a negative association. Resource endowment, rural human capital, and industrial structure upgrading generally showed positive associations, while economic development and government support exhibited heterogeneous associations with sending and receiving roles. Sensitivity and robustness tests generally supported the main structural findings. These findings highlight the need for differentiated prefecture-level governance, stronger agricultural water conservation and non-point source pollution control, improved cross-regional coordination, and fuller use of core nodes and functional blocks to support sustainable agricultural water management. Full article

Background: Opioid-induced constipation (OIC) is a frequent and clinically relevant complication of long-term opioid therapy in both cancer and non-cancer populations, negatively affecting symptoms, treatment adherence, and health-related quality of life. Peripherally acting μ-opioid receptor antagonists (PAMORAs) represent a mechanism-based therapeutic approach targeting peripheral opioid effects while preserving analgesic activity. However, the overall value of PAMORAs, integrating clinical outcomes, patient-reported benefits, and health-economic implications, has not been comprehensively assessed. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing PAMORAs versus placebo in adults with OIC was performed. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, and Web of Science were searched up to June 2025. Studies were stratified according to clinical setting (cancer versus non-cancer populations). The primary outcome was the change in mean weekly spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs). Secondary outcomes included constipation-related quality of life assessed by the Patient Assessment of Constipation–Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) questionnaire and health utility estimation through EQ-5D mapping. A two-step exploratory framework linking SBM improvement to PAC-QOL and subsequently to EQ-5D utilities was applied to extend the economic evaluation across the available evidence base. Results: Nineteen RCTs including 5565 patients (2785 PAMORA-treated and 2780 placebo-treated patients) were included. PAMORAs significantly increased weekly SBMs compared with placebo (mean difference [MD] 1.49; 95% CI 1.04–1.95; p < 0.0001). The treatment effect was highly consistent in non-cancer populations (MD 1.28; 95% CI 1.10–1.46; I² = 0%) and larger but more heterogeneous in cancer populations (MD 2.67; 95% CI −0.001 to 5.35; I² = 93.7%). In five trials reporting quality-of-life outcomes, PAMORAs were associated with a statistically significant improvement in PAC-QOL scores compared with placebo (MD −0.25; 95% CI −0.41 to −0.10); however, only one study demonstrated an improvement approaching a clinically meaningful threshold, limiting the certainty regarding the clinical relevance of the pooled effect. Mapping analyses provided an exploratory estimate of the relationship between bowel function, patient-reported quality of life, and EQ-5D utilities, allowing estimation of illustrative value-based treatment thresholds. Estimated acceptable monthly treatment costs ranged from approximately €25 to €101 depending on population and trial characteristics. Conclusions: PAMORAs consistently improve bowel function in patients with opioid-induced constipation across cancer and non-cancer settings. Available evidence also suggests an improvement in constipation-related quality of life, although the clinical relevance of this effect remains uncertain because of the limited number of studies and the lack of consistently clinically meaningful changes. The exploratory integration of clinical outcomes, patient-reported measures, and health-economic parameters provides a potential framework for personalized treatment evaluation, but the estimated economic thresholds should be interpreted cautiously and should not be considered direct estimates of cross-country cost-effectiveness. Full article

Amid tighter resource and environmental limits in China, the integration of digitization and greening gives new momentum to sustainable agriculture; however, its methods and structural conditions remain unclear. This study utilizes provincial panel data from 2011–2023 and the super-efficiency SBM-GML model to estimate agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP). It empirically examines the green empowerment effect of agricultural digitization, its transmission pathways, and structural boundaries. Unlike existing studies that rely on input-oriented or rural-level digitalization measures and qualitative regional groupings, this study constructs an agriculture-specific index, identifies agricultural socialized services (ASS) as an organizational channel, examines the moderating role of environmental regulation, and uses a continuous threshold variable to identify the structural breakpoint at which digitization’s green effect changes. The findings indicate that digitization considerably enhances AGTFP, and this association remains stable across a range of robustness checks. Mechanism analysis indicates that ASS partially mediates this effect, while environmental regulation intensity positively moderates the relationship. Heterogeneity and threshold analyses show that the empowering effect is only significant in the eastern region, but not in the central and western regions; it is significant in the main grain-producing areas. Moreover, a tentative structural breakpoint is identified when the grain-sown area proportion reaches 0.486. Since this threshold is statistically significant only at the 10% level, it should be regarded as preliminary evidence. Accordingly, we recommend regionally differentiated digital agriculture strategies, strengthening the socialized agricultural service system, and enhancing synergy between environmental regulation and digital empowerment to effectively advance the green transformation of China’s agriculture. Full article

Wave energy is a renewable resource with enormous, untapped potential. Devices known as WABs (Wave-Activated Bodies) constitute the most diverse category of WECs (Wave Energy Converters). This review systematically analyzes the state of the art in WAB technology development, evaluating their Technology Readiness Level (TRL), energy performance, mass-to-power ratio, economic indicators (LCOE and CAPEX), and potential applications, with specific attention to the Mediterranean basin. To focus on technologies with realistic near-term deployment prospects, the analysis is deliberately restricted to devices with a maturity of at least TRL 5 (TRL ≥ 5); on this basis, ten devices spanning four representative subcategories (point absorbers, attenuators, flexible tube devices and gyroscopic systems) were examined. Point absorbers are the most mature and best-represented class: compact resonant converters such as CorPower Ocean C4 have been tested and grid-connected in open ocean conditions, achieving among the most favorable mass-to-power ratios (about 200 t/MW). The Mocean Blue X attenuator and the SBM S3 flexible tube converter illustrate alternative, storm-resilient architectures at intermediate maturity, the latter replacing rigid hulls and conventional power take-offs with an elastomeric tube and distributed electroactive conversion. Gyroscopic systems enclose all moving parts within a sealed hull; among them, ISWEC is the only WAB device grid-connected in the Mediterranean Sea. Across all classes, the mass-to-power ratio emerges as the key driver of economic competitiveness, while integrated WEC–PTO–control co-design is the main lever for reducing the LCOE. Device-level cost data are rarely disclosed at pre-commercial stages, so the comparison is reported as an evidence-bounded ranking that distinguishes demonstrated performance from undisclosed information, together with the most realistic routes toward bankable Mediterranean wave farms. Full article

This study compared two inoculum preparation protocols for the mixed fermentation of unsterilized soybean meal (SBM) with Aspergillus niger and Candida tropicalis. The mono-culture-derived (MO-C) inoculation protocol involved separately cultivating A. niger and C. tropicalis and subsequently inoculating both cultures into SBM, whereas the co-culture-derived (CO-C) inoculation protocol involved cultivating both microorganisms together in the same medium before inoculating into SBM. Compared with the MO-C treatment, the CO-C treatment resulted in a slightly higher apparent crude protein content and significantly increased the acid-soluble protein and free amino acid contents in fermented soybean meal (FSBM), with increases of 9.22% and 141%, respectively. The CO-C treatment was also associated with greater reductions in β-conglycinin and raffinose-family oligosaccharides (RFOs), as well as higher DPPH and ABTS radical-scavenging activities and ferric-reducing power of FSBM. These findings suggest that the co-culture inoculum protocol provides a simplified approach for preparing mixed inocula and may improve selected nutritional and functional properties of FSBM under the tested conditions. Full article

This study employs the Super-SBM model to evaluate the green efficiency of agricultural water use (GEAW) at the municipal level across China from 2013 to 2022. Urbanization levels are systematically assessed using the entropy weight method. Grounded in this theoretical framework, we employ a two-way fixed effects regression model to estimate the effect of urbanization on GEAW and to examine whether government water conservancy infrastructure investment intensity (GOVE) moderates this relationship. The findings of this study indicate that: (1) China’s GEAW exhibited a fluctuating downward trend, with pronounced regional disparities. Geographically, the distribution exhibited a clear trend: elevated levels in the eastern and southern regions, contrasted with lower values in the western and northern areas. (2) The urbanization process is positively associated with GEAW. (3) The urbanization process exerts a heterogeneous promoting effect on GEAW contingent upon GOVE; a single-threshold effect is empirically identified. Specifically, when GOVE remains below the threshold level, the urbanization process exhibits no statistically significant positive impact on GEAW. However, once investment surpasses this critical threshold, the urbanization level (URBA) begins to exert a robust and positive influence on such efficiency. Therefore, within the broader context of ongoing urbanization, it is imperative to actively foster coordinated green development between urban and rural areas and optimize governmental investment strategies for water infrastructure—particularly through differentiated, targeted, and evidence-based governance approaches—thereby establishing favorable external conditions conducive to enhancing GEAW and advancing the modernization of agriculture. Full article

This study aims to assess the impact of different forms of feed and their processing methods on growth performance, nutrient absorption, and carcass quality in pigs across both growing and finishing stages. A total of 440 crossbred (Yorkshire × Landrace × Duroc) pigs were used in two experiments. Experiment 1 (Exp. 1) included 220 growing pigs (63 days of age; initial body weight [BW], 25.06 ± 1.82 kg), while Experiment 2 (Exp. 2) included 220 finishing pigs (105 days of age; initial BW, 54.80 ± 3.66 kg). In both experiments, pigs were assigned to four dietary treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial design with 11 replicates with five pigs (two gilts and three barrows)/pen. In Exp. 1, growing pigs were either fed mash and/or crumble diets with or without 5% PKM for 6 weeks. Herein, corn, soybean meal (SBM), and PKM were all processed into both mash and crumble forms. In Exp. 2., finishing pigs were fed with mash (extruded) and crumble (non-extruded) diets with and without PKM for 10 weeks. At the end of week 6, growing pigs fed neither mash nor crumble with and without PKM diets showed no significant (p > 0.05) changes in their growth performance and nutrient digestibility. Similarly, no notable (p > 0.05) changes were observed on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and carcass grade quality in finishing pigs at the end of week 10. In summary, the present study had insufficient (less than 80%) statistical power to show possible differences between the treatment groups suggesting that current findings are preliminary evidence regarding the use of PKM and different feed-processing strategies in pig diets; however, further studies with greater experimental replication are warranted to validate these findings to clarify potential treatment effects. Full article