Search Results (21,490)

As Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) becomes integrated into professional and educational contexts, understanding its role in self-regulated learning (SRL) is essential. This study examined the engagement of 1265 adults from seven occupational sectors with GenAI for SRL, focusing on personal skills, cognitive perceptions, motivation, and contextual factors. The results indicated that the metacognitive application of GenAI is shaped by individual and contextual variables rather than solely on professional affiliation, with distinct patterns emerging across groups. Lecturers and high-tech professionals tend to use GenAI metacognitively when strong self-regulation skills are aligned with high perceived usefulness. Educators, despite high motivation, avoid GenAI unless its advantages are clear. Among healthcare professionals, concerns can either hinder or promote their use, depending on metacognitive readiness. For the general public, its use remains largely functional. This study extends the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by identifying perceived usefulness as a mediator between motivation and meaningful engagement, underscoring the need to address both skills and perceptions to foster equitable, informed, and strategic adoption of GenAI in diverse learning environments. Full article

The heart’s electromagnetic field (HEMF) represents the strongest magnetic signal in the human body and has been increasingly associated with processes related to the Heart–Brain Axis (HBA). The present review summarizes its biophysical basis along with current and emerging biosensing technologies. It examines hypotheses regarding interpersonal interactions and interactions with external fields, including geomagnetic activity, and reviews evidence linking the HEMF to autonomic activity and emotional states. It provides an overview of magnetic field-based therapeutics, introduced here as our own term “BioMagnetoTherapies” (BMT), underscoring their common objective of externally inducing, stabilizing or restoring coherence across the HBA. Collectively, it positions cardiac electromagnetic signals as both a measurable marker, key to HBA dynamics and related disorders, as well as a promising target for emerging biosensor- and BioMagneto-Therapeutics. Full article

Text-to-video (T2V) generation has recently emerged as a transformative technology within the field of generative AI, enabling the creation of realistic, temporally coherent videos based on natural language descriptions. This paradigm provides significant added value in many domains such as creative media, human-computer interaction, immersive learning, and simulation. Despite its growing importance, systematic discussion of T2V is still limited compared with adjacent modalities such as text-to-image and image-to-video. To alleviate the scarcity of discussions in the T2V field, this paper provides a systematic review of works published from 2024 onward, consolidating fragmented contributions across the field. We survey and categorize the selected literature into three principal areas—namely, T2V methods, datasets, and evaluation practices—and further subdivide each area into subcategories that reflect recurring themes and methodological patterns in the literature. Emphasis is then placed on identifying key research opportunities and open challenges that need further investigation. Full article

The advent of drone technology has led to groundbreaking advancements across various industries, including warehousing operations. In recent years, warehouse drones have garnered significant attention due to their potential to revolutionize traditional inventory management and order fulfillment processes. This paper presents a comprehensive review that synthesizes findings from more than 120 research papers on drone-enabled practices in warehouses. The review systematically considers multiple parameters, including drone function (inventory counting, mapping, surveillance, inspection, and intralogistics support), robot platforms used (UAV, UAV-AGV), deployment architecture (single and multi-drone system), validation approach (real-time and simulation), technology and methodology used (modern electronic devices, AI, and IOT), and environmental context (dynamic and static). Furthermore, the paper explores the diverse applications of warehouse drones in inventory management, maintenance and inspection, picking and packaging, goods transportation, security and surveillance, and warehouse layout optimization. The review highlights that most studies still rely on single-UAV systems tested mainly in simulations, with only a few real-time demonstrations of fully autonomous performance inside real warehouses. Although multi-drone approaches are emerging to improve scalability, they continue to struggle with coordination and safety. Research remains largely focused on static environments, with dynamic warehouse conditions receiving far less attention despite their practical importance. The findings of the review are presented with the tabulated results and a comparative table to provide a better understanding of the review work, which helps to identify the existing literature gap. The review presents its findings through clear tables and comparisons, making it easier to understand existing studies and pinpoint the gaps in the current literature. Full article

Background/Objectives: Proton therapy has emerged as an advanced radiotherapy modality due to its unique physical dose distribution and its distinct radiobiological properties. The finite range of protons in tissue enables highly conformal dose delivery with minimal exit dose, significantly reducing irradiation of surrounding normal tissues compared to photon-based radiotherapy. Beyond these physical advantages, proton beams exhibit a spatially varying linear energy transfer that increases toward the distal edge of the spread-out Bragg peak, leading to clustered and complex DNA damage that is more difficult for cancer cells to repair. Methods: This review integrates experimental, computational, and clinical evidence to examine how proton-induced DNA damage, relative biological effectiveness, oxygen effects, and non-targeted responses contribute to tumor control and normal tissue sparing. Results: Comparative analyses with photon intensity-modulated radiotherapy demonstrate consistent reductions in acute and late toxicities across multiple tumor sites, particularly in pediatric patients and in tumors located near critical organs. The review also discusses emerging technologies, including pencil beam scanning, image-guided and adaptive proton therapy, compact accelerator systems, and ultra-high dose rate FLASH proton therapy, which collectively aim to enhance treatment precision, biological effectiveness, and accessibility. Conclusions: Together, these developments support proton therapy as a rapidly evolving modality with significant potential to improve therapeutic outcomes in modern oncology. Full article

This essay offers a philosophical and bioethical upholding of Dignitas Personae §27, which cautions against the use of human gene editing (HGE) for non-therapeutic purposes. After situating the debate within the historical development of gene-editing technologies, the essay classifies enhancement-oriented interventions—physical, behavioral, and cognitive—and argues that such practices risk violating human dignity, diminishing authentic freedom, and promoting a deterministic anthropology. Drawing on a personalist framework, the analysis incorporates insights from neuroscience, genetics, and natural law. In the second part, the essay examines Aristotelian–Thomistic metaphysics, integrating Ernest Mayr’s notion of teleonomy to explain how the rational soul actualizes its perfect operations. It is argued that non-therapeutic HGE, especially germline modifications, may disrupt the ontological structure of the human person by impairing the soul’s expression through properly disposed prime matter. Ultimately, Dignitas Personae stands as a coherent and prescient response to emerging biotechnologies, defending the human person against technocratic reductionism and the ideological drive to transcend our embodied finitude. Full article

Road transport decarbonization remains a strategic priority in the context of the global climate emergency. Between 2013 and 2024, most economic sectors in the European Union reduced emissions, whereas the transport and storage sector increased them by 14%, largely driven by road freight demand. This review provides an updated overview of the decarbonization status of the road transport fleet across all segments, with particular focus on heavy-duty freight, which remains 97.9% fossil-fuel dependent. It examines short- and medium-term decarbonization pathways for the existing fleet, highlighting liquid biofuels as an immediately deployable option where full electrification is constrained by technological and economic barriers. Among these options, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) and hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) stand out due to their compatibility with current engines and fuel distribution infrastructure, but each presents specific limitations. Biodiesel raises concerns over long-term engine durability, while HVO requires further evidence on its impact on NO_x emissions and fuel lubricity. When these sustainable fuels are used with or without fossil diesel, there are still several unanswered questions. The emerging use of HVO/FAME blends is therefore discussed as a promising route to mitigate the drawbacks of each fuel, and a research agenda is proposed to support accelerated decarbonization of heavy-duty road freight in the EU. Full article

To compete with fossil fuels, biofuels produced from renewable waste biomass must be cost-effective, adaptable to existing heat and power infrastructure, and possess desirable fuel properties and performance metrics matching those of fossil fuels, while having a much lower carbon footprint. However, handling and processing biowastes in thermochemical biorefineries is challenging owing to their high moisture content, low bulk density, poor grindability, low calorific value, and heterogeneous physicochemical properties. Torrefaction has emerged as an effective thermochemical technology for upgrading biowastes into torrefied biomass, which exhibits improved, homogeneous physicochemical properties, including higher calorific value, higher bulk density, better grindability, and hydrophobicity. This review synthesizes the current state of research on torrefaction, with particular emphasis on process parameters, reactor designs, commercial-scale implementations, and an analysis of its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The comparative advantages and limitations of different torrefaction reactors are highlighted, emphasizing how each reactor’s characteristics determine its suitability for specific circumstances and operating conditions. This article also considers the technical and economic challenges associated with scaling up torrefaction. The discussion on specific case studies on techno-economic analysis of torrefaction outlines the key barriers and provides incentives for researchers to consider when upscaling the technology. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat analysis offers strategic insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders into possible actions to support torrefaction and its upscaling. Full article

The construction industry faces persistent challenges in productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. Digital twin (DT) technology has emerged as a promising pathway for lifecycle optimisation, yet its construction adoption remains limited. Key barriers include fragmentation across project phases, weak data continuity at handover, and conceptual ambiguity between DT and Building Information Modelling (BIM). This systematic literature review analyses 160 peer-reviewed studies (2018–2026) selected from 463 Scopus records using a PRISMA-guided process and inter-rater reliability testing (Cohen’s κ = 0.83). The review clarifies that DTs extend beyond BIM in three ways: they enable bidirectional, automated physical-digital data exchange; integrate heterogeneous real-time sources such as IoT sensors and operational systems; and maintain lifecycle continuity from design through to end-of-life. Select advanced implementations report notable performance gains. These include rework and logistics reductions of up to 80%, cost savings of approximately 5%, schedule acceleration of around two months, energy reductions of 15–30%, and maintenance cost reductions of 10–25%. These figures reflect case-level outcomes from high-performing pilots and should not be read as typical industry benchmarks. Broader adoption remains constrained by interoperability gaps, data quality challenges, digital maturity deficits, misaligned stakeholder incentives, and paper-based regulatory environments. DTs represent a socio-technical transformation, not a standalone technology upgrade. Realising their potential requires coordinated progress in standards development, governance frameworks, collaborative delivery models, and workforce capability. Future research should focus on scalable interoperability, longitudinal lifecycle value validation, human-centred adoption strategies, and sustainability assessment methods to support evidence-based diffusion of DTs in the built environment. Full article

The rapid growth of synthetic textile production has intensified the release of micro- and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) into aquatic environments, primarily through industrial effluents and domestic laundering. Textile-derived microplastics, especially polyester fibers and polymeric coating fragments, constitute a significant fraction of plastic contamination in wastewater systems. Although wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can remove a large proportion of MPs, substantial quantities accumulate in sewage sludge, raising concerns about long-term environmental persistence and secondary release pathways. This review critically examines the sources, classification, and release mechanisms of textile-based micro- and nanoplastics, including fibrous debris and coating-derived fragments. Then it focuses on current identification and removal technologies, such as sedimentation, coagulation/flocculation, electrocoagulation, flotation, membrane filtration, adsorption, and biodegradation, and on the emerging strategy of converting recovered microplastics into value-added porous carbon materials via hydrothermal treatment and pyrolysis. Carbonized microplastics exhibit high surface area and adsorption capacity for dyes, heavy metals, and organic pollutants, offering a circular approach that simultaneously mitigates plastic pollution and enhances wastewater treatment efficiency. By integrating source control, optimized removal technologies, and carbonization-based valorization, this review proposes a dual-benefit framework that transforms textile-derived microplastic waste from an environmental liability into a functional resource for sustainable water purification. Full article

The joint influence of digital adoption in corporate governance and its impact on external assurance is a critical and emerging nexus in the literature concerning auditing and technological innovation, especially in volatile markets. Building on agency theory and resource dependence theory, this study investigates the nexus between corporate digital transformation (DT) and audit quality (AQ), while examining the moderating role of AC characteristics—specifically size, gender diversity, expertise, and activity—within the Egyptian context. Utilizing a sample of 120 non-financial firms listed on the Egyptian Exchange (EGX) from 2022 to 2024 (360 firm-year observations), the analysis employs Robust Least Squares (M-estimation) and Panel EGLS to ensure resilience against outliers and heteroscedasticity. The empirical findings provide robust evidence that digital transformation significantly enhances audit quality by constraining discretionary accruals, supporting the premise that technological integration improves monitoring and transparency. Moreover, the results reveal that the audit committee acts as a pivotal positive moderator, strengthening the digitalization-audit quality relationship; this impact is most pronounced in firms with larger, more gender-diverse, and financially expert audit committees. While audit committee activity shows a reactive correlation with accruals, its interaction remains essential for continuous monitoring in digital environments. Ultimately, this study offers novel insights for regulators and firms in emerging economies, highlighting that the benefits of technological adoption in financial reporting are maximized only when complemented by robust internal governance mechanisms, necessitating simultaneous investment in digital infrastructure and the fortification of audit committee attributes to ensure sustained audit market efficiency. Full article

Knowledge Graphs (KGs) are increasingly adopted in cultural heritage research to address challenges of semantic heterogeneity, data fragmentation, and cross-institutional knowledge integration. Despite the rapid growth of KG-based heritage systems, a comprehensive and methodologically rigorous synthesis of existing applications remains limited. To address this gap, this study conducts a ROSES-based systematic review of KG applications in cultural heritage, aiming to examine prevailing application domains, methodological patterns, and emerging research trends. Following the Reporting Standards for Systematic Evidence Syntheses (ROSES), a structured search was conducted in Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore. After duplicate removal, screening, eligibility assessment, and quality appraisal, 248 peer-reviewed studies published between 2015 and 2024 were retained for final synthesis. A mixed-method approach combining descriptive analysis and thematic synthesis was employed to analyze KG construction strategies, technological components, application contexts, and reported outcomes. The results indicate that KGs are primarily applied in five interconnected areas: digital recording and preservation, knowledge management and integration, protection and restoration support, cultural transmission and education, and research and innovation. Methodologically, the literature reveals a transition from ontology-driven and manually curated knowledge models toward hybrid approaches integrating artificial intelligence techniques such as natural language processing and machine learning. However, persistent challenges remain, including ontology alignment, scalability, evaluation inconsistency, and limited cross-project interoperability. This review contributes a consolidated and transparent evidence base for KG applications in cultural heritage and advances a conceptual understanding of KGs as socio-technical infrastructures that mediate cultural knowledge representation and interpretation. The findings offer methodological insights and practical implications for researchers, heritage professionals, and system designers, while highlighting directions for future interdisciplinary research. Full article

Information and communication technologies have evolved exponentially in recent years, significantly expanding their diversification and applicability. Extended reality (XR) technologies—including virtual, augmented, and mixed reality—have solidified the conceptualization of space and function. XR represents the definitive medium due to its close analogy with physical reality, enabling an unprecedented degree of interaction compared to previous media. By leveraging spatial and temporal factors, XR allows for the emergence of suprainteractions—interactions that do not occur naturally in physical environments. The integration of AI into these workflows heralds a new era, reevaluating technological utility as the current landscape poses challenges for identifying use cases and dead zones within the XR field. This article proposes a model, derived from a narrative literature review, that identifies key features in technological applications and the evolution of XR. Based on concepts such as representativeness, realism, system performance, and spatial narrative, the model designs a framework for the development of diverse functions within the XR domain. Full article

A production system comprises a series of interconnected processes involving planning, processing, and product distribution. The effectiveness and efficiency of such systems play a vital role in reducing operational costs, enhancing productivity, and improving product quality. As such, regular evaluation of production systems is essential to identify inefficiencies, waste, and bottlenecks, and to develop targeted strategies for improvement. This research aims to construct a simulation model of a production system using FlexSim software as a decision-support tool to facilitate performance evaluation and the development of scenario-based solutions. By employing a simulation-based approach, this study enables the analysis of the production process without interfering with actual operations, thereby minimizing associated risks and reducing the consumption of time and resources. Furthermore, simulation allows for virtual testing of various operational scenarios, including modifications in production capacity, workforce allocation, workflow configurations, and the implementation of emerging technologies. In this case study, the production process was predominantly constrained by operator waiting time, which constituted approximately 30% of the total processing time. In response, an alternative scenario was developed wherein operators with lower utilization rates were reassigned to workstations characterized by high operator wait times. The implementation of this scenario yielded a 29.5% reduction in average queue waiting time and a 31.7% decrease in total production time. These findings demonstrate a substantial improvement in production efficiency. Therefore, the outcomes of this study are expected to provide valuable insights for strategic decision-making and support the optimization of production systems in industrial environments. Full article

The orthodontic landscape is currently witnessing a significant technological evolution with the emergence of direct 3D-printed aligners (DPAs), which promise to close the digital workflow loop by eliminating the geometric limitations and solid model waste inherent to traditional thermoformed clear aligners (TCAs). This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the material science governing this transition from inert thermoplastic sheets to reactive photocurable resins. We explore the fundamental chemistry of DPA materials, and the pivotal role of post-processing in ensuring mechanical integrity and biocompatibility. Beyond passive mechanics, this review highlights preclinical research in functional material engineering, detailing how experimental DPAs are being investigated for the integration of antibacterial agents, remineralization fillers, and drug delivery systems. Furthermore, we evaluate the limited but emerging clinical data on DPAs, contrasting their shape-memory properties and force delivery profiles with conventional appliances, while critically addressing emerging safety concerns regarding monomer elution and microplastic generation. We conclude that while DPA technology offers superior dimensional control, comprehensive life cycle assessments and long-term in vivo trials are essential to fully substantiate their clinical efficacy, overall sustainability, and potential as advanced orthodontic appliances. Full article