Search Results (514)

At the dawn of the 20th century, seminal studies revealed that muscle fibers produce less heat and generate greater force during elongation than during shortening actions, laying the foundation for contemporary research on eccentric exercise. Today, eccentric exercise is widely used by athletes to enhance strength and by older adults to maintain functional capacity, yet it may cause muscle damage, particularly in unaccustomed muscles. Despite more than a century of investigation, the precise mechanisms of eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage remain incompletely resolved. Nevertheless, eccentric exercise serves as a valuable model for studying muscle injury and repair and adaptation. This review organizes current evidence into nine key themes: (1) eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage and flawed biomarkers, (2) satellite cell-mediated and alternative repair pathways, (3) high-force, low-cost contractions and metabolic impact, (4) repeated bout effect and protective adaptations, (5) architectural remodeling of fascicles, sarcomeres and tendon, (6) distinct neural control, proprioception, and cross-education adaptations, (7) mitochondrial, sarcoplasmic reticulum, and cytoskeletal stress remodeling, (8) connective tissue perturbation, remodeling, and joint stability, and (9) targeted, cautious use of antioxidant supplementation. Rather than offering a comprehensive overview, this review highlights pivotal experiments, concepts, and controversies within these themes to guide readers to the most impactful discoveries in eccentric exercise and muscle damage. Full article

A deeper understanding of the relationships between the local and landscape scales in herbivore foraging should place the management of rangeland production systems on a firmer footing. The objective was to test whether local-scale landscape features modulate the coupling between locomotion and eating, thereby altering the pattern of landscape-scale grazing pressure. We studied shepherded small-ruminant herds on hilly semiarid rangeland by integrating acoustic monitoring to detect jaw movements, GPS to track location and movement, and GIS to link location to landscape attributes. Based on 69 one-day foraging routes, minutely rate of jaw movement (RJM) as a function of time-into-foraging-route showed a unimodal concave shape but did not respond to path angle. Minutely movement velocity responded convexly to time-into-foraging-route, and the quadratic term for path angle was negative and highly significant. The response to path angle was concave and symmetrical for uphill and downhill travel. Based on the empirical evidence that increasing path angle reduces velocity but not RJM and a set of reasonable associated assumptions, it is inferred that more jaw movements are performed per unit area scanned by the animal. It is further inferred abductively that more bites are removed per unit area and that more mass is removed per unit area, and hence, grazing pressure is more intense on sloping terrain than on level areas. For a given duration of foraging route, an increase in density of bite placement at the local behavioral scale implies a contraction in the surface area of the daily herd footprint at the landscape scale. This has implications for how carrying capacity of such areas should be defined. Full article

Background: Passive movement-based recovery strategies may support post-exercise recovery without additional metabolic demand. Objective: To examine the acute effects of passive foot flexions during recovery on isometric task performance after repeated exercise. Methods: Fourteen physically active men completed two randomized crossover sessions—passive rest and passive foot flexions—separated by a 7-day washout. Each session included a sustained static isometric plantar flexion task at 75% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC), a 15 min recovery period, and a repeated isometric task. Work capacity was assessed as holding time. Cardiovascular, autonomic, and peripheral responses were recorded throughout the protocol. Results: Baseline holding time did not differ between the conditions. During the repeated isometric task, holding time was significantly longer following passive foot flexions compared to passive rest (67.7 ± 10.4 s vs. 52.9 ± 9.7 s; p < 0.05), with a large effect size (d ≈ 1.5). Passive foot flexions were associated with a greater increase in parasympathetic modulation, reflected by higher root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) during recovery and altered muscle oxygenation dynamics, including faster post-exercise re-oxygenation. For both conditions, heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure exhibited similar exercise–recovery patterns with no between-condition differences. Only minor changes in muscle stiffness were observed following the passive foot flexions. Conclusions: Passive foot flexions may support short-term recovery between repeated isometric efforts, particularly with respect to holding time and RMSSD. Full article

Climate hazards increasingly disrupt schooling, revealing the limits of preparedness models that treat teachers only as implementers. This study reframes teacher empowerment as a climate-resilience capability and examines how governance arrangements enable (or constrain) hazard-ready education systems. Guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), searches of Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar (2000–2025) identified 53 eligible studies. Across diverse hazards and settings, the evidence converges on a governance-to-capability pathway: empowerment becomes resilient performance only when the delegated decision space is matched with financed capacity (time, training, contingency resources), timely risk information and functional communication/digital infrastructure, institutionalized cross-sector coordination (education–DRR–health–protection–local government), and learning-oriented accountability (after-action review and adaptive revision rather than punitive compliance). Reported outcomes include higher preparedness quality, earlier protective action, improved learning continuity and safeguarding, and more sustainable teacher well-being/retention. Predictable failure modes include mandate–resource mismatch, accountability overload, unstable centralization–autonomy dynamics, and inequitable empowerment distribution affecting rural schools, women, and contract teachers, and disability inclusion. The evidence gaps remain pronounced for chronic hazards (especially heat and wildfire smoke), high-vulnerability contexts (fragile/conflict settings and informal settlements), and standardized measures of equity, burden distribution, governance performance, and cost-effectiveness. Policies should prioritize integrated governance packages with explicit protection and equity safeguards. Full article

The engawa, a threshold space in traditional Japanese architecture, has been widely cited as the archetypal manifestation of Kurokawa’s grey space theory. However, prevailing interpretations treat it as a static prototype, overlooking the transformation of its spatial mechanisms across history. The present study addresses this lacuna through a comparative case analysis of three representative teahouses. The following three styles are examined in this study: the sixteenth-century sōan style, the early seventeenth-century samurai style, and the early seventeenth-century shoin-zukuri style. The evolution of the engawa’s mediating function is traced through these three styles. An analytical framework comprising five dimensions—boundary permeability, sequential flow, material tactility, integration of natural elements, and visual transparency—is applied consistently across all cases. The analysis demonstrates a discernible evolutionary trajectory, commencing with an inwardly contracting spiritual threshold in Myōki-an, progressing to an outwardly differentiating social interface in ma, and culminating in a meticulously crafted aesthetic artefact in Mittan. The present findings demonstrate that the engawa is not a fixed spatial prototype but rather a dynamic mediator whose form adapts to shifting social, cultural, and spiritual demands. The study posits that the essence of intermediary space does not lie in any specific configuration, but rather in its capacity to mediate between opposing realms, including self and nature, individual and society, and function and beauty. This reinterpretation provides a theoretical foundation for contemporary architectural practice, proposing that designers should prioritize diagnosing the relational challenges that intermediary spaces are designed to address, as opposed to merely imitating historical forms. Full article

Climate change, together with intensifying human activities, is reshaping global plant invasion dynamics and increasingly threatening ecosystem stability and biodiversity. Cockleburs are highly invasive weeds with strong ecological plasticity and dispersal capacity, causing widespread impacts on agricultural systems and native ecosystems. Here, we used the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model to assess the current (2001–2020) and future (2021–2040, 2041–2060, and 2061–2080) potential distributions, key driving factors, and centroid shifts of four invasive cocklebur species—Cyclachaena xanthiifolia (=Iva xanthiifolia), Xanthium chinense, Xanthium italicum, and Xanthium spinosum—at the global scale under current climate conditions and three Shared Socioeconomic Pathway scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, and SSP585). Species occurrence records were integrated with climatic, topographic, and anthropogenic variables to project habitat suitability. Model performance was robust, with mean training and testing area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values > 0.8 for all species and mean true skill statistic (TSS) values > 0.8 for three species (0.660 for Xanthium spinosum). Suitable habitats were jointly shaped by climatic and anthropogenic factors, although the dominant drivers differed among species. Cyclachaena xanthiifolia and Xanthium spinosum were primarily constrained by temperature and precipitation, whereas Xanthium italicum and Xanthium chinense were more strongly associated with human activity. At present, suitable habitat areas for Cyclachaena xanthiifolia, Xanthium chinense, Xanthium italicum, and Xanthium spinosum were 1196.92 × 10⁴, 358.76 × 10⁴, 888.34 × 10⁴, and 1985.14 × 10⁴ km², respectively. Future projections indicated overall contractions in suitable habitat, with pronounced interspecific variation. Xanthium chinense showed the largest mean decline (−161.23 × 10⁴ km² relative to the present), whereas Cyclachaena xanthiifolia experienced the smallest reduction (−53.15 × 10⁴ km² on average). Centroid analyses further suggested overall shifts toward higher latitudes and elevations under warming scenarios. Despite uncertainties related to climate scenario variability and assumptions inherent in species distribution modelling, these findings provide quantitative evidence to support global invasion risk assessment and climate-adaptive management of invasive cockleburs. Full article

Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) has classically been attributed to localized mechanical disruption following eccentric contractions. Emerging evidence, however, indicates that EIMD represents a systems-level failure of stress integration within skeletal muscle rather than a purely mechanical lesion. Mechanical loading initiates disturbances in intracellular Ca²⁺ homeostasis, which interact with metabolic stress, redox imbalance, and immune activation to form self-reinforcing feedback loops. When compensatory capacity is exceeded, transient injury may shift toward maladaptive remodeling marked by mitochondrial dysfunction, ferroptosis, chronic inflammation, and impaired regeneration. Recent studies identify reactive oxygen species accumulation, iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, dysregulated energy sensing, and aberrant immune polarization as key molecular tipping points governing injury reversibility. Beyond their regenerative role, satellite cells act as integrators of metabolic history and epigenetic memory, linking repetitive injury to reduced muscle adaptability, age-related sarcopenia, and heightened metabolic disease risk. Here, we synthesize evidence from animal models, clinical studies, and multi-omics analyses to establish a systems biology framework for EIMD. We delineate the spatiotemporal interactions among mechanical, metabolic, oxidative, immune, and regenerative modules; identify regulatory nodes that determine adaptive repair versus pathological outcomes; and critically evaluate current nutritional, physical, pharmacological, and regenerative interventions from a mechanism-oriented perspective. Finally, we discuss how multi-omics, digital monitoring, and individualized rehabilitation may enable precision management of EIMD and advance understanding of muscle stress resilience and adaptive limits. Full article

The intelligent upgrading of photovoltaic (PV) power stations can improve their power-generating capacity, reduce operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, and effectively conserve energy and reduce emissions. However, the pressure of research and development (R&D) investment, as well as market demand uncertainty faced by PV technical suppliers, has become an obstacle to intelligent upgrading. From the perspective of R&D cost sharing between PV project operators and technical equipment suppliers in the PV supply chain, this study presents game models for suppliers and operators under the modes of R&D cost sharing and non-sharing, and compares the benefits to both parties under the cost-sharing contract. The results show that under the cost-sharing mode, the operators share a certain proportion of R&D costs with the suppliers, which can improve the effort level of R&D. The greater the impact of the power generation increased by intelligent products on market demand, the better the operator’s maintenance efforts, and the more motivated the operator is to choose the cost-sharing strategy. By setting a reasonable wholesale price for products, both parties can balance their profits. Full article

Under the background of the “dual-carbon” goals and the ecological ecological-civilization-construction strategy, improving the synergistic efficiency of pollution reduction and carbon abatement is a key to promoting green high-quality development. Based on a panel of 30 provincial-level regions in China for 2012–2022, this paper evaluates the impact of digital financial inclusion on the synergistic efficiency of pollution reduction and carbon abatement. First, using a global-frontier directional-distance function (DDF), we characterize the improvement space of “desirable-output expansion—simultaneous contraction of pollution and carbon emissions” under given input constraints, and construct a synergistic efficiency indicator (eff_main). Second, we present a correlation benchmark within a two-way fixed-effects (TWFE) framework and use lead/lag (placebo) tests to probe potential endogeneity; we further construct a Bartik (shift–share) instrumental variable and employ Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) to strengthen causal identification. The results show that in TWFE regressions, digital financial inclusion (dif100) is positively and significantly correlated with synergistic efficiency, with a coefficient of 0.113 (i.e., an increase of 100 index points in the digital financial inclusion index is associated with an average increase of 0.113 in eff_main), but a significant lead effect is present, so this result should be interpreted as correlational only; 2SLS estimates indicate a robust positive causal effect of digital financial inclusion on synergistic efficiency, with a baseline coefficient of 0.405, rising to 0.501 under lagged specifications—exhibiting a dynamic feature of “gradual release in subsequent years.” The study suggests that developing digital financial inclusion helps raise regions’ comprehensive green-transition performance and sustainable development capacity; policy implications include accelerating the closing of digital infrastructure gaps, improving green-finance institutions and performance constraints, and guiding funds more effectively toward energy-saving, emission reduction and low-carbon technology areas. Full article

This study examines the application of ensemble machine learning methods for identifying and flagging potentially risky transactions in military public procurement in Ukraine, a sector characterized by elevated financial and security sensitivity and limited capacity for comprehensive ex post control. Using an integrated dataset of procurement procedures conducted between 2021 and 2025, enriched with 56 financial, economic, and behavioral indicators of suppliers, the study develops and compares standard logistic and LASSO-penalized regression as econometric benchmarks, Random Forest, XGBoost, XGBoost with SMOTE balancing, and CatBoost classification models. The target variable is defined on the basis of officially detected violations identified through state monitoring. Model performance is evaluated using standard binary classification metrics, with particular emphasis on recall. Model uncertainty and predictive robustness are addressed through partial dependence analysis, temporal stability assessment, and out-of-sample residual diagnostics. The results indicate that the CatBoost model demonstrates the most balanced performance across evaluation measures. Feature importance analysis identifies expected contract value, procurement method, CPV code, and suppliers’ financial capacity as significant determinants of procurement-related risk. The findings provide empirical evidence on the usefulness of risk-oriented machine learning tools in supporting earlier detection and monitoring of irregularities in military procurement. Full article

Addressing the high investment costs and market revenue uncertainties faced by hydrogen energy storage projects, this study examines the economic implications of green bond financing on their participation in electricity market transactions. A two-level optimization decision model is constructed: the upper level aims to minimize the total cost over the project’s lifetime by optimizing the proportion of green bond financing, while the lower level aims to minimize daily operational costs by optimizing the hydrogen storage system’s charging and discharging strategy. The model comprehensively accounts for factors including medium-to-long-term contracted electricity volumes, tiered carbon pricing, and forecasting errors for wind and solar generation, utilizing the CPLEX solver for optimization. Case study analysis demonstrates that green bonds can substantially reduce financing costs, achieving optimal net present value within a financing share range of 60–80% and a storage capacity range of 1000–2000 MWh. This enhances the full lifecycle economics of hydrogen storage projects, providing theoretical support for integrated ‘financing–investment–operation’ decision-making. Full article

The main objective of this study is to assess the potential antioxidant property, anti-inflammatory activity, and broncho-dilatating effect of Tetracera madagascariensis, a species traditionally used in the treatment of asthma. Qualitative and quantitative analyses on phytochemical composition and biological properties were performed to evaluate its potential as a bioactive ingredient in plant-based food applications and health-promoting beverages. DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) and FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) models were used for antioxidant capacity. The bronchorelaxant activity of METM and its fractions was evaluated on an in vitro experimental model using isolated guinea pig trachea (n = 5) pre-contacted with histamine, while the action mechanism of EFTM was determined by using specific contracting reagents and antagonists. The analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities were evaluated in murine models (n = 5), specifically using an acetic acid-induced nociception assay and paw inflammatory oedema induced by carrageenan, respectively. Potential toxicity of the extract was evaluated in mice (n = 6). Organic acids and phenolics, particularly quinic acid and quercetin, have been detected as the main compounds. METM showed antioxidant activity (SC₅₀ = 7.52 ± 0.26 µg/mL and FRAP = 228.00 ± 18.68 mmol FIE/kg DW). METM exerted a concentration-dependent bronchorelaxant activity (EC₅₀ = 562.85 ± 38.00 µg/mL) as well as EFTM (EC₅₀ = 128.88 ± 27.9 µg/mL), the most active fraction, partially mediated through β₂-adrenergic pathways with additional non-competitive mechanisms. METM demonstrated dose-dependent anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects, with no toxicity in mice. These findings may support the traditional uses of T. madagascariensis as a bioactive ingredient in herbal beverages and highlight its potential as a source of phytochemicals to be used as health-promoting agents against inflammatory and respiratory disorders. Full article

This article explores the construction of women’s authority in Israeli pluralistic Batei Midrash (houses of learning). Drawing on qualitative interviews with experienced women facilitators, it examines how they enact a form of authority that differs significantly from traditional models. Beyond deriving legitimacy from institutional position or textual mastery, their authority is built through professional vulnerability and relational work. The article develops the concept of Transformative Pedagogical Authority: a stance grounded in ‘power-to’ rather than ‘power-over.’ It argues that facilitators utilize active contraction (Tzimtzum) not as a retreat, but as a deliberate pedagogical strategy to create a ‘hall of Mirrors’, a site of multivocal engagement and interpretive resonance for learners. By analyzing how women navigate questions of legitimacy and authority, the study contributes to broader conversations about gender and pedagogy, offering a model in which authority is reframed not as hierarchical control but as the capacity to enable collective ownership of the knowledge and its production. Full article

The government has established food reserves to support national food security; however, their volume varies widely across regions, and many districts still lack such reserves. The objectives of this study were to analyze the determination of volume and the problems in determining it, management performance, and propose strategies to strengthen food reserves in local governments. This study was conducted in West Java Province in 2022, using primary and secondary data from the study area. Primary data were collected through FGDs with farmer groups and stakeholders from central and regional agencies, and secondary data consisted of food reserve statistics and secondary literature. Quantitative analysis using mathematical equations in accordance with food reserve calculation regulations was used to calculate the potential food reserve production and ideal reserve volume, while qualitative descriptive analysis obtained from the field was used to clarify the results of the analysis. The main findings of this study are as follows. (1) The determination of local government food reserves is regulated by regional policy, with the volume increasing from 23% in 2018 to 187% in 2022 of the ideal volume in West Java; (2) the potential for rice-based food reserves can be expanded in line with regional production capacity, although there are still obstacles, including limited budgets and a lack of commitment from local governments in determining optimal reserve volumes; (3) strengthening regional food reserves must be complemented by the development of community-based reserves; and (4) improving management performance requires supporting regional government policies to ensure sustainable food reserves, adequate warehousing infrastructure, efficient distribution facilities, and effective distribution mechanisms through collaboration with logistics institutions. This study suggests policy recommendations to implement a multi-year cooperation contract with the Logistics Affairs Agency covering procurement, storage, and distribution to expand reserve volumes and improve management effectiveness. Full article

Prunus sibirica L. is a key ecological and economic tree species in northern China that is threatened by habitat degradation due to climate change and human activities. To address the gaps of incomplete historical dynamics and lack of conservation integration in existing studies, we integrated MaxEnt and Zonation v4.0 to predict its suitable habitat across five periods (LIG to 2090s) and three CMIP6 SSP scenarios, identifying key drivers and priority conservation zones. The model showed high prediction accuracy (mean AUC > 0.9). Results indicated that Human Footprint (HFP), Precipitation Seasonality (Bio15), Annual Mean Temperature (Bio1), Elevation (ELEV), and Mean Temperature of the Coldest Quarter (Bio11) were the key environmental factors (cumulative contribution 91.4%), with Bio1, Bio15, Temperature Seasonality (Bio4), and HFP confirmed as major drivers (AUC > 0.8) via jackknife test. Spatiotemporally, the species’ suitable habitat contracted from the Last Interglacial to the Last Glacial Maximum and expanded to the current total suitable area of 506,620.1 km². Under future SSP scenarios, suitable habitats expanded continuously under SSP126 and SSP245 but showed a “first expansion then contraction” trend under SSP585, with a persistent northeastward migration of the habitat centroid. The vertical (altitudinal) distribution of P. sibirica showed a trend of moving to higher elevations under future warming scenarios, especially in the SSP585 scenario. High-priority conservation zones are concentrated in northern China with insufficient existing protection. It is emphasized that this study contributes to improving the adaptive capacity and genetic characterization of P. sibirica almond populations to future climate. Full article