Search Results (4,996)

Purpose: This study investigates the structural pathways driving the startup potential of Generation Z students in Romania’s post-transition economy. It examines the sequential relationship between Entrepreneurial Mindset (EM), Entrepreneurial Intentions (EIs), and Entrepreneurial Behavior (EB), focusing on the mediating role of intentions in bridging the gap between cognition and action. Design/methodology/approach: Using a quantitative explanatory design, data were collected through a two-stage hybrid framework from a sample of 215 Romanian business students associated with the Hackathon Innovation Labs (HILs), selected via a non-probability purposive sampling method. Hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimation, supported by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) to ensure statistical rigor. Findings: Results confirm that EM is a robust predictor of EI, which significantly drives EB, explaining 45.2% of its variance. The findings highlight that intentions fully mediate the relationship, suggesting that a growth-oriented mindset turns into firm intentions to overcome institutional and cultural barriers. Originality: This research applies a rigorous SEM framework to a cohort of digital natives in an underrepresented Eastern European emerging market. It integrates mindset as a foundational cognitive precursor and provides empirical evidence of the sequential path to entrepreneurial behavior. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited by its sample size and geographic focus on Romanian business students. Future longitudinal research should explore external contingency factors, such as access to capital and ecosystem support, to validate model generalizability. Practical and social implications: Higher education should shift toward experiential programs like HILs, embedding credit-bearing hackathons and micro-credentials to foster an entrepreneurial mindset. Socially, sustaining this momentum with structured mentorship bridges the intention–action gap, transforming Gen Z’s digital potential into tangible economic value for the post-transition ecosystem. Full article

In recent years, aquaculture, a critical pillar of global food security, has faced challenges including germplasm resource degradation, frequent disease outbreaks, and insufficient environmental adaptability. To address these issues, omics technologies—centered on genomics, transcriptomics, and related fields—are driving the transformation of aquaculture toward precision and intelligence by establishing a three-dimensional “genotype–phenotype–environment” knowledge network. In this review, we outline foundational applications of omics in aquaculture and highlight the characteristics and current applications of distinct omics approaches. Furthermore, we summarize three core application domains of omics in aquaculture: (1) genetic breeding via genomic selection (GS), gene editing, and multi-omics molecular dissection of economic traits; (2) disease prevention through host–pathogen interaction studies and microbial engineering; and (3) environmental assessment through multi-omics characterization of biological and ecological responses. Additionally, we identify challenges in applying omics technologies to aquatic breeding and database development. Overall, this review aims to provide aquaculture practitioners with actionable insights by enhancing understanding of omics-driven innovations in sustainable aquaculture advancement. Full article

Ensuring the long-term sustainable utilisation of supplemented cropland has become a critical challenge for implementing China’s requisition–compensation balance of farmland (RCBF) policy, particularly in the fragmented hilly and mountainous regions of Southwest China. Existing studies generally evaluate land suitability and utilisation performance separately, making it difficult to identify mismatches between theoretical suitability and actual utilisation and thereby limiting targeted regulation. To address this limitation, this study proposes a suitability–utilisation deviation identification (SUDI) framework, which integrates four sequential analytical components: three-dimensional suitability assessment, suitability–utilisation deviation identification, driving mechanism analysis, and sustainable regulation. Taking Beibei District of Chongqing as a case study, supplemented cropland parcels were identified using the 2020–2024 land change survey data. A three-dimensional suitability evaluation system incorporating production, ecological, and utilisation attributes was established to quantify theoretical land suitability. Actual utilisation performance was characterised using the land economic utilisation coefficient, and suitability–utilisation deviation was identified through residual analysis between theoretical suitability and utilisation intensity. A Bayesian-optimised Extreme Gradient Boosting-SHAP (XGBoost-SHAP) model was subsequently employed to reveal the nonlinear effects and interaction mechanisms of the driving factors. The results indicate the following: (1) supplemented cropland in Beibei District is predominantly characterised by medium-to-high suitability, with high-suitability patches exhibiting a mosaic spatial pattern of local aggregation and overall dispersion; (2) suitability–utilisation deviation is dominated by under-utilised plots, whereas well-matched and over-intensified plots account for substantially smaller proportions, indicating that insufficient realisation of land suitability is the prevailing utilisation pattern; and (3) the land economic utilisation coefficient is the dominant factor driving suitability–utilisation deviation, while high-standard farmland construction and plot area exhibit significant mitigating effects. Moreover, significant interaction effects between utilisation intensity and location-related variables reveal that unfavourable spatial conditions amplify deviation risk under intensive land use. The proposed SUDI framework extends conventional suitability assessment by explicitly linking suitability evaluation with utilisation performance, driving mechanism analysis, and differentiated regulation. It provides a transferable analytical framework for diagnosing suitability–utilisation mismatch and supports dynamic management and sustainable utilisation of supplemented cropland in fragmented hilly and mountainous regions. Full article

Henan Province is one of China’s most culturally resource-rich regions, yet the spatial organization and driving mechanisms of its high-grade tourism resources remain insufficiently understood. This study investigates the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of 2396 high-grade tourism resource sites across 157 county-level units in Henan Province. An integrated analytical framework combining GIS-based spatial analysis (nearest neighbor index, kernel density estimation, and spatial autocorrelation), geographic detector methods, and a spatial error model is employed to examine the roles of natural, economic, social, and cultural factors. The results indicate that high-grade tourism resources exhibit significant spatial clustering, forming a pronounced core–periphery structure with a dual-center pattern centered on the main urban area of Zhengzhou and Dengfeng. Strong positive spatial autocorrelation is observed, characterized by contiguous hot spots in central and northwestern Henan and cold spots in the eastern plains. The spatial differentiation of high-grade tourism resources is driven by multiple interacting factors, among which topography and material cultural heritage are the primary drivers, while economic development and intangible cultural heritage act as secondary facilitators. These findings provide empirical evidence for understanding inland tourism spatial structures and offer practical insights for heritage-led, cluster-based tourism planning, aimed at promoting sustainable regional development. Full article

Cryptomeria japonica var. sinensis Miquel (Chinese cedar) is an ecologically and economically vital evergreen conifer endemic to China. Renowned for its rapid growth and superior timber quality, the species has evolved from a traditional forestry resource into a multifaceted model species for phytochemistry and biotechnology. This review synthesizes recent advancements in its biology, chemical profiling, industrial utilization, and molecular breeding. Taxonomically and morphologically distinct from the Japanese variety, Chinese cedar exhibits robust physiological plasticity and complex transcriptomic responses to abiotic stresses. Phytochemically, the tree is a prolific reservoir of volatile essential oils, complex terpenoids, and flavonoids. These bioactive secondary metabolites demonstrate potent antimicrobial, antioxidant, and neuroprotective properties, driving broad applications in modern pharmacology and sustainable agrochemicals. Industrially, the timber is increasingly utilized in the fabrication of advanced engineered structural composites and circular bioenergy production. Concurrently, breakthrough biotechnological platforms including a chromosome-level reference genome assembly, multi-omics, somatic embryogenesis, and CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing have advanced molecular breeding, accelerating the targeted development of climate-resilient and non-pollen-producing (hypoallergenic) elite cultivars. However, as global climate change and historical habitat fragmentation severely threaten ancient wild populations, this review advocates for integrated in situ and ex situ conservation strategies. By identifying critical research gaps in translational pharmacology, precision gene editing, and comparative genomics, this review provides a comprehensive foundation for understanding the biology, phytochemistry, biotechnology, and utilization of this invaluable botanical resource, offering a strategic roadmap for its sustainable management and commercial valorization. Full article

Against the dual strategic backdrop of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals and high-quality urbanization development, extant literature exhibits four prominent research gaps: oversimplified evaluation indicator systems, exclusive exploration of the unidirectional carbon impacts exerted by urbanization, a scarcity of long-time-series coupling analyses targeting the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YEB), and functional fragmentation between coupling coordination assessment and predictive simulation tools. Drawing on panel data covering 11 provinces and municipalities within the YEB spanning 2000 to 2021, this study constructs a comprehensive urbanization evaluation framework encompassing four dimensions: population, economy, society, and spatial layout. Meanwhile, an integrated carbon emission assessment system is established from the perspectives of population, economy, energy consumption, and carbon sinks. The entropy-weight method is adopted to assign indicator weights, and a combination of the coupling coordination degree model and system dynamics (SD) model is employed to analyze spatiotemporal evolutionary characteristics and simulate development trends from 2022 to 2032. By organically integrating the coupling coordination model and the SD model, this study establishes an integrated analytical framework that unifies static comprehensive evaluation and driving-mechanism decomposition, thereby compensating for the limitations of time-series forecasting models such as the grey prediction model and ARIMA, which only fit trends from historical data. Empirical results reveal that regional urbanization levels witnessed sustained growth across 2000–2021, with spatial urbanization acting as the core driving pillar. The overall coupling coordination degree maintained a steady upward trajectory, while the east–west regional disparity gradually narrowed. The simulation projections for 2022–2032 demonstrate continuous improvements in coordinated development across the entire basin: the coupling coordination degree ranges from 0.788 to 0.954 for the eastern region, 0.810 to 0.859 for the central region, and 0.752 to 0.865 for the western region. Such spatial differentiation corresponds to distinct practical development pathways: low-carbon stock optimization in the east, low-carbon industrial undertaking in the central zone, and clean energy transition acceleration in the west. All provincial-level administrative regions are projected to achieve an upgrade in their coupling coordination grades by 2032. This study acknowledges several limitations: missing raw data are supplemented via interpolation, only a single baseline scenario is simulated, predictive uncertainty is not quantitatively measured, and subjectivity persists in the weight assignment of coupling subsystems. Ultimately, differentiated low-carbon urbanization governance strategies are proposed for the three sub-regions, offering empirical references for the coordinated realization of dual carbon targets throughout the Yangtze River basin. Full article

China–Iraq international energy cooperation on natural gas constitutes a critical component of energy diplomacy under the Belt and Road Initiative. This study develops a multidimensional analytical framework encompassing geopolitical, economic–market, legal–policy, resource–technology, social–environmental, and bilateral–institutional dimensions. Subsequently, an integrated fuzzy DEMATEL-ISM model is employed to investigate the hierarchical structure and transmission pathways of influence among these factors. The findings reveal that the multiple factors can be classified into four clusters (driving, linkage, independent, and dependent), each exhibiting distinct roles in system evolution. Meanwhile, the model identifies a six-tier hierarchical structure, with directed pathways transmitting from deep-rooted factors through intermediate nodes to surface-level outcomes. Surface-level factors occupy the upper tier and directly shape cooperative performance, while intermediate-level factors act as transmission conduits that relay and transform deeper influences. Deep-level factors, including great-power rivalry, resource endowment, and market demand, form the system’s foundational layer. They remain immune to influence from upper tiers and thus require strategic governance to fundamentally ensure enduring cooperation sustainability. Consequently, policy priorities should center on deep-level drivers, complemented by targeted adjustments to intermediate and surface factors. This study offers a novel multi-level structural analytical lens and provides actionable policy recommendations to enhance cooperative resilience under the Belt and Road framework. Full article

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is a key pathogen causing calf diarrhea and bovine respiratory diseases, bringing sustained economic losses to the cattle industry. As an RNA virus, BCoV possesses high mutation and recombination capacities, leading to prominent genomic genetic diversity. The genome contains hypervariable and conserved regions, with the S (especially S1), HE and Open Reading Frame (ORF4) genes serving as major variation hotspots linked to viral antigenicity, tissue tropism shift and immune evasion. Host immune pressure drives strong positive selection on S protein antigenic variation. This review discusses existing research limitations and proposes future directions including genomic surveillance, reverse genetics verification and broad-spectrum vaccine development to support BCoV prevention and control. Full article

This article examines Slavoj Žižek’s critique of ecocentrism through the lens of Lacanian ideology theory, asking how the ecological crisis is symbolically organized in contemporary discourse. Rather than treating ecocentrism as a coherent ecological doctrine, it approaches it as an ideological formation that shapes how environmental breakdown is interpreted, moralized, and acted upon. The article argues that appeals to “nature” often construct it as a normative horizon of balance, limit, or lost order through which crisis becomes intelligible in specific ways. It then traces the conceptual, subjective, and social operations through which ecocentrism acquires force: ecological disruption is narrated through images of harmony and violation, responsibility is individualized through guilt and obligation, and ecological concern is absorbed into green capitalist practices such as ethical consumption and managed environmental responsibility. In this way, ecocentrism can function not only as a language of ecological critique but also as a framework that obscures the historically specific political–economic processes driving environmental destruction. The article does not deny the urgency of the ecological crisis. Rather, it argues for a more materially mediated account of ecological politics, one that is more attentive to capitalist accumulation, infrastructural systems, and unequal social relations in producing socioecological harm. Full article

The development of arid-oasis agriculture and territorial spatial restructuring strongly influence regional eco-environmental quality. Clarifying production–living–ecological space (PLES) transitions and the nonlinear mechanisms driving eco-environmental quality is important for sustainable agricultural land use and ecological governance. Northern Xinjiang combines economic agglomeration with ecological sensitivity, making it a representative region for examining changes in eco-environmental quality and their underlying drivers. Land-use data for 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020 were analyzed using land-use transition matrices, the eco-environmental quality index (EEQI), spatial autocorrelation, and hotspot analysis to characterize spatiotemporal changes under PLES transitions. XGBoost–SHAP was applied to identify the dominant factors, nonlinear responses, and interactions. The results showed that: (1) ecological space remained dominant from 1990 to 2020, but its share declined from 91.72% to 87.36%. Production and living spaces increased from 7.78% and 0.50% to 11.72% and 0.92%, respectively. Agricultural production space expanded most markedly, and spatial restructuring was most intense during 2000–2010. (2) EEQI decreased from 0.3100 to 0.2922 and showed an overall fluctuating decline. Significant spatial clustering was observed, with Moran’s I values consistently above 0.81 (p < 0.001). High-value areas were mainly distributed in the Ili River Valley and along the northern slope of the Tianshan Mountains, whereas low-value areas were concentrated in the Junggar Basin interior and the arid areas along its eastern margin. (3) During 2000–2020, LAI and NPP in agricultural production space increased by 45.7% and 48.2%, respectively. These increases indicated overall improvements in canopy condition and productivity. After 2010, NPP growth slowed markedly while LAI remained relatively stable, indicating a stage-specific divergence. (4) XGBoost–SHAP showed good robustness and spatial generalizability, with R² values of 0.868–0.918 and RMSE values of 0.059–0.075. NDVI remained the primary driver, while Elev contributed consistently. The dominant interaction shifted from NDVI ∩ PopDen in 1990 and 2000 to NDVI ∩ Elev in 2010 and NDVI ∩ GDP in 2020. This shift indicated fundamental natural constraints and stronger joint effects of population and economic activities during the later stages. These findings provide a scientific basis for optimizing PLES, regulating arid-oasis agriculture, and safeguarding regional ecological security. Full article

Canada’s labour force has depended on immigrant populations to drive economic growth and workforce development. However, racialized immigrants face significant barriers in securing employment that aligns with their foreign education, training, and work experience. This qualitative study utilized seven focus group interviews with 44 racialized immigrants to explore their experiences in job searching, employment retention, and career advancement in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The findings revealed five main themes: (a) lack of recognition for foreign credentials; (b) absence of Canadian work experience and survival jobs; (c) language and accent barriers; (d) childcare and motherhood; and (e) Islamophobia. This study offers a comprehensive understanding of systemic discrimination and gender-related obstacles encountered by racialized immigrants, which hinder their integration into the labour market. It underscores the need to revisit immigration policies to better align with labour market realities and address these inequalities. Full article

China pushes forward two key national strategies, namely common prosperity and Healthy China. Many papers have discussed how urban common prosperity and urban healthy development evolve across space, yet most of these works cannot match the practical needs of local high-quality urban construction in Guangdong. This study takes various cities in Guangdong Province as the research area and utilizes multi-source big data from 2010 to 2025 so that it constructs a multidimensional evaluation system for the two major systems. Subsequently, this research employs methods including a deep weighted neural network to conduct empirical analysis. The results show that the urban common prosperity index in Guangdong Province exhibits an overall continuous upward trend. However, common prosperity gradually deviates from the development pattern that matches the economic driving forces. Meanwhile, the prominent advantages of urban healthy development gradually shift from eastern Guangdong to the core area of the Pearl River Delta, which establishes an overwhelming leading position for the Pearl River Delta. Furthermore, the regional development level plays a certain promoting role in healthy development. Spatially, common prosperity and urban healthy development exhibit phased non-linear characteristics, which encompass synchronous growth, growth rate divergence, and trend deviation. This study provides empirical evidence and practical support for Guangdong Province so that policymakers can comprehensively advance common prosperity and healthy city construction. Ultimately, these efforts optimize the regional development layout, which promotes high-quality and sustainable urban development. Full article

Understanding which segments of the economy drive aggregate stock market movements is central to risk management. This study traces how the economic drivers of the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index (S&P 500) changed across two episodes: the 2020 COVID-19 shock and the 2025 technology-led period, using eleven sector indices and nine deep learning architectures. During COVID-19, forecasting power concentrated in Consumer Discretionary, Health Care, and Industrials before reorganizing sharply around Information Technology, consistent with a disruptive break. In 2025, Information Technology and market momentum dominated throughout, with no comparable reorganization, consistent with a gradual adjustment rather than a disruptive shift. This distinction, invisible from accuracy metrics alone (Gated Recurrent Unit: Mean Absolute Percentage Error = 3.41% and 2.16%), shows that information-concentration diagnostics can complement forecast-accuracy and risk-monitoring frameworks. Full article

The spatial allocation of urban road infrastructure directly affects urban operational efficiency, social equity, and ecological environmental quality. Taking 36 major Chinese cities as the research subjects and drawing on data from municipal statistical yearbooks, this study employs a composite index method, Theil index decomposition, and correlation analysis to reveal spatial differentiation patterns, imbalances, and driving factors of urban road infrastructure levels, based on both aggregate and average indicators. The results indicate that the aggregate road infrastructure level exhibits a “high in the southeast, low in the northwest” pattern along the Hu Huanyong Line, while the average road infrastructure level reveals relatively lower performance in some first-tier cities. Imbalances exist in both aggregate and average dimensions, with Theil indices of 0.231 and 0.059, respectively; intra-regional disparities contribute more to total inequality than inter-regional disparities. Urban permanent population (ridge regression coefficient: 0.1991) and fiscal revenue (ridge regression coefficient: −0.1087) are the core driving factors among the four influencing factors of aggregate road infrastructure level spatial differentiation, whereas GDP (−0.0318) and built-up area (0.0703) exert only marginal effects. This suggests that current aggregate urban road infrastructure levels are shaped by the interplay of urbanization stage, economic development level, fiscal system, and spatial planning policies, all operating within the constraints imposed by the city’s natural geographical conditions, and have not yet adequately addressed residents’ demand for spatial equity. The study recommends establishing differentiated investment mechanisms, optimizing road network density in developed cities, and constructing a spatial matching early-warning system to promote people-oriented new urbanization and coordinated regional sustainable development. Full article

The paper examines the impact of gas turbine engine component manufacturing quality on the efficiency criteria of its life test. Known methods for selecting test parameters apply maximum damageability equivalence and minimum test time as test efficiency criteria. This study also proposes taking into account the maximization of engine life cycle profits through the proper selection of test parameters. Engine components that determine its life were selected: the turbine blade, rotor bearing, reducer driving gear, fan bearing, and DC and AC generators. Both the mathematical expectation and variance of the quality parameters were varied during the study. The manufacturing quality of engine components and assemblies is characterized by geometric, mechanical, and physical parameters. These parameters include bearing fit diameters, initial radial clearance, turbine blade geometry, mechanical properties and gear shape, generator insulation quality, and others. Selection of parameters was based on the life cycle simulation model. The following results were obtained in the course of the study within the framework of modeling: (1) Manufacturing accuracy has a more significant impact on test results than deviations from mean values of initial state parameters; (2) under the accepted assumptions, despite the fact that variation in production parameters from the standard values does not affect the comparability of test results, they lead to an acceleration of the testing process. At the same time, this entails a decrease in overall economic efficiency throughout the entire life cycle of the product; (3) according to the obtained results, the overall profitability of a production run of engines is primarily determined by the quality characteristics of the turbine blades, and least of all by the fan bearing quality parameters. Full article