Search Results (2,309)

This study investigates the dynamic impact of technological innovation and institutional governance on the value-added contribution of Malaysia’s agriculture, forestry, and fishery (AFF) sectors. This research addresses a critical literature gap by integrating Schumpeterian Innovation Theory and Institutional Theory to examine how these drivers promote the primary sector by employing the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach. The empirical results revealed that while technological innovation provides a highly significant boost to sectoral productivity in the short run, its long-run effect is negative. This suggested a structural contraction consistent with Schumpeterian creative destruction notion. Additionally, governance quality exhibited an initial compliance shock before yielding positive results, though it remains prone to long-term institutional traps. These findings contribute a multi-sectoral integrated framework that challenges the traditional siloed approach to AFF research. The study offers vital implications for policymakers, emphasizing the need for adaptive governance and inclusive innovation strategies to ensure that Malaysia’s path toward modernization does not compromise national food sovereignty. Full article

Understanding the impact of rural digitalization on the resilience of the swine industry is crucial to promoting its transformation toward efficient and low-carbon production. However, existing research has not yet clarified how rural digitalization influences the resilience of the swine industry, and there is a particular lack of discussion regarding potential nonlinear relationships. Based on panel data from 30 Chinese provinces for the period 2011–2023, we employed the entropy method to measure the level of rural digitalization and the resilience of the swine industry. Two-way fixed-effects, mediation, and threshold models were adopted to empirically examine the relationship and underlying mechanisms. The findings indicated that rural digitalization significantly enhances the resilience of the swine industry, and this finding remained robust after multiple robustness checks and endogeneity treatments. This effect is primarily mediated by two pathways: industrial-scale expansion and industrial agglomeration. Additionally, well-designed environmental policies and higher rural household incomes can strengthen the beneficial effect of rural digitalization on industrial resilience. Heterogeneity analysis further reveals that the positive influence is stronger in regions with poor transportation infrastructure and in central and western China, where digitalization effectively strengthens the industry’s shock resistance and adaptive capacity. This study offers meaningful implications for policymakers seeking to accelerate rural digitalization and promote high-quality development of the swine industry in the digital age. Full article

Background: Chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy (CIAT) is a type of tendinopathy resistant to conventional conservative treatments. The efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the effects of ESWT on pain management and functional improvement in CIAT patients and compare it with physical and medical treatments Methods: In this retrospective study, 372 patients diagnosed with CIAT between 2019 and 2023 were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups: those who received only physical/medical therapy (Group 1) and those who underwent a combination of ESWT and physical/medical therapy (Group 2). Clinical outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores. The severity of the disease was determined through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Group comparisons were conducted using the independent samples t-test and Fisher’s exact test, while changes over time were assessed with repeated measures ANOVA. Correlation analyses were evaluated using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. Results: Significant improvement in AOFAS and VAS scores was observed in both groups by the third month (p < 0.01). However, at 6 and 12 months, ESWT did not demonstrate superiority over physical/medical treatment. Correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between baseline AOFAS scores and functional improvement, while higher initial VAS scores correlated with greater post-treatment pain reduction. Cardiovascular risk factors negatively impacted both functional recovery and pain reduction (p < 0.05). Although patient satisfaction was higher in the ESWT group, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: ESWT may provide short-term pain relief and functional improvement in CIAT but does not offer a long-term advantage over physical/medical treatment. The placebo effect may contribute to early positive outcomes. These findings do not support ESWT as a routine treatment for CIAT. Full article

Contact–impact phenomena caused by joint clearances can significantly alter the dynamic response of high-speed mechanical systems, yet fewer studies combine analytical impact-force modeling, virtual prototyping, and experimental observations for multi-cylinder internal combustion engine mechanisms within a unified framework. This problem is scientifically important because the piston–connecting rod–crankshaft chain is subjected to rapid motion reversals, high transmitted loads, and local clearances that may generate shocks, force amplification, and vibration growth. The objective of this study is to evaluate the influence of mechanical impact on the dynamic response of a three-cylinder inline engine mechanism by combining analytical modeling, MSC Adams virtual prototyping, and experimental investigation. The mechanism was analyzed in two operating conditions: under load, using an experimentally derived gas pressure input, and without load at low speed imposed on the crankshaft, using a sectioned engine test bench. The loaded virtual model was studied at a crankshaft speed of 6000 rpm, with cylinder gas pressure peaks above 90 bar and engine torque oscillating around 170 Nm. A radial clearance of 0.03 mm was introduced in the connecting rod–piston joint to evaluate clearance-induced impacts. The results showed that the damping coefficient strongly influences the amplitude and harmonic content of the impact force. For the analyzed no-load case at low speed, the simulated impact force reached a maximum value of 3000 N. Experimentally, the worn connecting rod with 0.03 mm clearance exhibited markedly higher dynamic response than the clearance-free case, with the maximum longitudinal acceleration increasing from 17.77 to 48.26 m/s² at 1.341 Hz. The novelty of the study lies in the integrated analytical–virtual–experimental investigation of clearance-induced impact in a three-cylinder inline engine mechanism and in the comparative evaluation of its effects on joint forces and vibration signatures. In addition, compared to other models, the novelty lies in introducing and adapting the impact force damping component for mechanisms with rapid motion and high dynamic loads. Full article

Hydraulic rock drill exhibits outstanding attributes of high power and high frequency, but there are some issues including unclear mechanisms governing impact dynamic behaviors and inaccurate evaluation of impact performance. In this study, a dynamic test platform for the hydraulic rock drill was established by employing the terminal velocity method, utilizing a high-frequency non-contact laser displacement sensor to precisely capture the transient kinematics of the impact piston. The quantitative results indicate that as the input pressure rises from 10 MPa to 23 MPa, the impact frequency increases from 50 Hz to 76.9 Hz, and the impact energy increases from 89.9 J to 275 J. A hydraulic rock drill AMESim simulation model incorporating the impact system, collision medium and buffer system was developed and validated. This reveals the operating mechanism of impact piston driven by the equivalent pressure difference between the front and rear chambers. And the stroke reversal interval governs the duration between the deceleration onset and collision of the impact piston. As a result, both excessively large and small stroke reversal intervals will lower the impact power. The 12 mm stroke reversal interval has been identified as the optimal setting for maximizing impact power, at which the impact power reaches 17,561.3 W, which presents an increase of 4.70% and 3.12% compared to the intervals of 7 mm and 17 mm, respectively. This study contributes a reliable theoretical basis and direct data support to the performance evaluation and optimized design of hydraulic shock systems. Full article

Chirped fiber Bragg gratings (CFBGs) are robust diagnostic sensors that are widely used to track detonation-driven and shock wave propagation. CFBGs are inscribed with a linearly chirped periodic index of refraction changes that alter the Bragg wavelength along the length of the probe. The light return of each individual Bragg element is captured by a detector at a unique time to map the full reflected spectrum. The CFBG spectrum is measured with a dispersive Fourier transform of the reflected light that temporally stretches the spectrum to increase spatial resolution and make a one-to-one map of the wavelength on a time axis. Here, we propose an improvement of CFBG temporal resolution by incorporating two co-linear laser pulses with orthogonal polarization states and a 5 ns time offset. The two separate signals were split and tracked by two separate detectors. An oscilloscope captured good separation in the signals, and two separate spectrograms were generated and interleaved in the post-processing of the data. This novel technique doubled the CFBG temporal resolution and led to a doubled location resolution. As a proof-of-concept of this technique, the resolution improvement was compared between standard CFBG measurements and the two polarization states method on a position-sensitive CFBG sensor. CFBG resolution doubling will advance sensor capabilities and will have a direct impact on improving capture and analysis in dynamic, high-explosive experiments. Full article

Efficiency refers to the performance level corresponding to using minimal inputs to achieve the maximum possible outputs. Despite its importance to the Canadian economy, such performance assessments has rarely been undertaken in the hardware retail industry in recent years. We present the results of a recent study of the relative efficiencies for three major chains of hardware and renovation retail stores operating in Canada (Home Depot, Lowe’s and Rona). We use the classic and bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA) models to measure performance levels over the 22 years from 2000 to 2021. Overall, the firms exhibited high efficiency during this period, and operations management was the primary source of inefficiency. However, an analysis of trends over the 22 years shows that all three companies experienced periods of declining efficiency at the beginning of the study period, followed by a phase of recovery that appears to have accelerated towards the end of the study period. Our longitudinal analysis also indicates that recent shocks and crises have impacted the firms. The succession of crises at the end of the 2000s, the 2007 forestry crisis in Canada, and the 2008 global financial crisis led to the lowest period of efficiency for all the firms, from which they started rebounding in 2011. The specific impact on Rona can explain Lowe’s acquisition of Rona in 2015. However, such a move did not seem to have had a significant improvement beyond accelerating a recovery that had started a few years earlier. This may explain Lowe’s sale of all its Canadian operations in 2022, leading to a new firm called Rona+. Finally, the COVID-19 pandemic also seems to have had a similar effect: accelerating the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis that the firms had started in 2011. Full article

This paper studies how European low-cost carriers (LCCs) adjust and mitigate in response to environmental taxation over the past decade. Global and EU frameworks—most prominently the Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) and CORSIA—have raised carbon-related compliance costs, while several European states have introduced or increased aviation-specific taxes. Given their cost-sensitive business models, LCCs are especially responsive to tax-induced cost shocks. The paper is structured in three parts: an overview of global aviation taxation, a review of national initiatives in selected European countries and an analysis of how LCCs respond to mitigate these impacts. We assemble a hand-collected panel of ten European LCCs and conduct qualitative documentary analysis of annual and sustainability reports (2020–2024), triangulated with regulatory and policy documents. The findings indicate consistent adaptation via selective airfare price pass-through, capacity reallocation away from higher-tax, price-elastic short-haul routes and efficiency gains through fleet renewal and operational measures. We also document targeted stakeholder messaging and advocacy—public campaigns, legal challenges, and, in some jurisdictions, legal disputes—aimed at softening tax design burden. Full article

Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) poses a significant threat to the United States dairy industry. This study evaluates the effectiveness of regional zoning, enhanced detection, and biosecurity in controlling FMD spread, focusing on the New England milkshed, using the InterSpread Plus (ISP+) model. We adapted a baseline ISP+ configuration incorporating United States dairy farm data, movement networks, cattle dealers, markets, and slaughterhouses, with milk processing plants as a model addition. Four hypotheses were tested to understand the impact of different biosecurity strategies: (H1) regional zoning limits the interregional spread of FMD post-detection; (H2) earlier detection in New England via increased passive surveillance reduces the overall outbreak impact; (H3) reduced indirect transmission through enhanced biosecurity measures improves FMD outbreak control; (H4) the combination of regional zoning and earlier detection provides synergistic reduction in FMD impact beyond either strategy alone. The four hypotheses were tested using three geographically distinct infection seed sets; 100 iterations of each scenario were simulated over 210 days and compared to the baseline. Key impact metrics included the daily number of infected premises, the outbreak duration, and the total number of infected premises across the outbreak scenarios. Results suggest shorter outbreak durations and reduced total infected premises under the hypothesized scenarios, compared to the baseline scenario. Kruskal–Wallis H tests confirmed significant differences across the baseline, regional zoning, early detection, enhanced biosecurity, and the combination of heightened passive surveillance with regional zoning scenarios in terms of total infected premises. Post hoc Dunn’s tests indicated that enhanced biosecurity outperformed other control strategies tested. These findings demonstrate that layered interventions may substantially curtail both the national amplification and local spread of FMD, and thus protect the consumer milk supply and reduce cascading economic shocks from an outbreak. Full article

Background: Sepsis remains a major global health challenge, associated with high mortality, prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stays, and disproportionate healthcare costs. CytoSorb hemoadsorption offers a potential adjunct in septic shock, but real-world cost-effectiveness data in Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG)-based systems are limited. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical and economic impact of CytoSorb therapy in ICU patients with septic shock at a high-volume Swiss tertiary care center. Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study (2020–2023) was conducted at Kantonsspital Münsterlingen. Among 246 septic shock patients, 142 received CytoSorb therapy and 104 standard care. Patients were grouped according to treatment exposure. Baseline characteristics as well as ICU course variables, including sepsis origin, Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS) II, and the Nine Equivalents of Nursing Manpower Use Score (NEMS), were compared between groups. Clinical outcomes included ICU/hospital length of stay (LOS) and duration of mechanical ventilation. Economic analysis included DRG-based revenue, direct case-related hospital costs, and net financial results. Results: CytoSorb-treated patients had significantly higher SAPS II scores at baseline. Despite higher initial acuity, this group showed a significantly shorter ICU LOS (median 408.5 vs. 554.5 h; p = 0.001), reduced hospital LOS (23.5 vs. 30.0 days; p = 0.008), and lower nursing workload (>20% NEMS point reduction; p = 0.015). Survivors treated with CytoSorb had significantly shorter ventilation durations (164.0 vs. 336.0 h; p = 0.014). Total hospital costs were not significantly different between groups; however, CytoSorb patients achieved a significantly better net financial result (CHF 17,125 vs. –1930; p = 0.025), particularly in the abdominal and pneumogenic sepsis subgroups. Conclusions: This study provides the first real-world evidence for the cost-effectiveness of CytoSorb hemoadsorption in septic shock, showing reduced ICU length of stay and improved financial outcomes, without increasing treatment costs or nursing workload. These findings challenge the perception of hemoadsorption as a cost driver and highlight its potential to optimize resource use in critical care. Further multicenter studies are needed to inform reimbursement strategies and integration into sepsis treatment protocols. Full article

During the critical period of agricultural green transformation, clarifying the evolutionary logic of farmers’ green production behavior under a multi-stakeholder framework provides significant insights for implementing “Dual Carbon” goals, establishing long-term mechanisms for high-quality agricultural development, and resolving deep-seated contradictions in agricultural non-point source pollution. Based on the social co-governance and public participation framework, this paper constructs a tripartite evolutionary game model involving government departments, farmer groups, and the general public, grounded in cost–benefit analysis, social governance friction, and evolutionary game theory. Through simulation, the study explores the equilibrium states and the specific impacts of varying parameter values on stable points. The findings reveal that: (1) The “interest price scissors” (benefit disparity) between green and conventional production is the key determinant of farmers’ strategic equilibrium. Once this structural contradiction is resolved, green production becomes the optimal strategy. (2) Farmers are highly sensitive to marginal cost–benefit fluctuations, leading to a sequential behavioral cascade: farmers retreat first, followed by the government, and finally the public. (3) Public participation cost is the pivotal variable for activating the co-governance mechanism, and the application of digital governance tools determines the time required to reach equilibrium. (4) A “Success Paradox” exists in government regulation; incentive mechanisms must be adjusted promptly after initial success. (5) Integrated policy combinations outperform single instruments; breaking the “locked-in” state requires a policy shock of sufficient intensity. This research offers a theoretical basis and policy enlightenment for optimizing the social co-governance landscape and promoting sustainable agricultural modernization. Full article

The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), the world’s first system to impose tariffs on the carbon emissions of imported products, commenced its transition period in October 2023 and is scheduled for full implementation in January 2026. This mechanism exerts a profound impact on the global trade landscape and corporate environmental management practices. Taking the CSI All Share Index constituent companies as a research sample, this paper empirically evaluates the impact of the CBAM transition period on the environmental scores of Chinese export enterprises utilizing the Propensity Score Matching Difference-in-Differences (PSM-DID) method. The results indicate that the CBAM transition period significantly inhibits the short-term environmental performance of regulated enterprises. Mechanism analysis reveals that increased financing constraints serve as a core mediating channel, wherein escalated compliance costs and compressed cash flows crowd out resources for low-carbon investments. Furthermore, heterogeneity analysis demonstrates that the negative impact is more pronounced among state-owned enterprises, firms with lower audit quality, and firms with a higher proportion of female executives. Accordingly, the study recommends establishing targeted green transition financing mechanisms, accelerating domestic carbon market reforms, and strengthening international technical harmonization to build corporate resilience against global climate governance shocks and promote sustainable growth. Full article

This paper investigates the long-run relationship and short-run price dynamics between the German electricity and natural gas markets to assess market efficiency, with a focus on the impact of the Russia–Ukraine conflict. Employing Johansen cointegration tests and a Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) on weekly data from 2018 to 2025, we find a stable long-run equilibrium between the two prices. The results show that while the electricity market exhibits a self-correcting mechanism, indicating a certain degree of efficiency, this efficiency significantly deteriorated following the conflict’s outbreak. The natural gas market lost its error-correction capability post-conflict, and momentum effects became pronounced, suggesting impaired price discovery and weakened market efficiency under severe geopolitical stress. The findings provide empirical evidence supporting the reform of marginal pricing models in Europe to enhance resilience against geopolitical shocks. Full article

This paper develops a shock-absorbing asphalt mixture for pedestrian pavements that mitigates the impact of normal walking on pedestrians’ bodies by incorporating crumb rubber from recycled tires to produce a soft mixture. This aims to reduce injuries to vulnerable road users, enable the rethinking of urban pavement designs, and address the major challenges facing societies, ultimately achieving more sustainable, resilient, and safer cities. To promote land sustainability, the designed asphalt mixture should be pervious, allowing water to infiltrate into the underlying soil. The development of the asphalt mixture followed an experimental methodology that involved formulating asphalt mixtures with conventional bitumen, polymer-modified bitumen, and bituminous emulsion. The shock-absorbing capability was evaluated by measuring the deformation of the asphalt mixture over time in response to a falling weight from a Light Falling Weight Deflectometer. Permeability capabilities were assessed through the permeability test. Subsequently, the asphalt mixture was characterized according to its macrotexture, friction, air void content, rutting resistance, and stiffness to assess its suitability as a walking surface material. Results indicate that increasing rubber content enhances deformation capacity and improves cushioning but reduces stiffness. Among the solutions, mixtures with polymer-modified bitumen and intermediate rubber content achieved the balance between impact attenuation and mechanical performance. Full article

Objectives: The Impella 5.5 (J&J MedTech, USA) is increasingly used for refractory cardiogenic shock (CS), yet early predictors of mortality and recovery remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate early patient characteristics and device-related parameters in relation to clinical outcomes; to compare outcome-based phenotypic groups (native heart recovery (NHR), heart replacement therapy (HRT), and death on the device (DEC)); and to analyze P-level impact on hemolysis and acute kidney injury. Methods: This retrospective single-center study included 28 CS patients supported with Impella 5.5 between May 2023 and August 2024. Data included intensive care unit (ICU) hemodynamics, vasoactive-inotropic score (VIS), lab markers, and pump parameters. Primary analysis evaluated early (first 24 h) parameters as potential indicators associated with mortality on the device and recovery, while secondary analyses compared hemodynamic and pump performance parameters across outcome groups, evaluated the association between P-level and hemolysis, and assessed the impact of shock etiology on clinical outcomes. Results: Among 28 patients (mean age 56 years, 10.7% female, body mass index (BMI) 27.7 kg/m²), NHR occurred in 39.3% and bridged to HRT in 42.9%. Non-survivors (17.8%) had significantly higher lactate (3.1 vs. NHR: 1.9 vs. HRT: 1.4 mmol/L, p < 0.001) and VIS (307.0 vs. NHR: 18.8 vs. HRT: 12.6, p < 0.001) at implantation. Higher VIS values (>69) were strongly associated with mortality on the device, with 100% sensitivity and 77% specificity (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.86); VIS < 9.9 was related to NHR (AUC = 0.63, 94% sensitivity, 45% specificity). P-levels were not linked to hemolysis index (r = −0.03, p = 0.64) or lactate dehydrogenase (r = −0.06, p = 0.37). Conclusions: Early vasoactive burden was associated with clinical outcomes in Impella 5.5-supported patients. No association between P-levels and the analyzed hemolysis surrogates was detected in this cohort. Distinct phenotypes across recovery outcomes may guide personalized management, but prospective validation of this exploratory and hypothesis-generating analysis is needed. Full article