Search Results (2,413)

Visual–spatial abilities (VSAs) are increasingly recognized as essential for acquiring 21st-century competencies, such as digital literacy, creative problem-solving, and the ability to interact with virtual and 3D environments. This study explores whether participation in a Computer Animation (CA) course can effectively enhance VSA, thus supporting the broader development of these key skills. A total of 346 students participated, divided into an experimental group (231 students attending CA) and a control group (115 students). The Purdue Spatial Visualization Test (PSVT) was used to assess VSA before and after the course. The analysis considered three aspects: the impact of CA course participation, test–retest effects, and the role of prior 3D software experience. Results showed a significant VSA improvement in the experimental group (+7.08 points), particularly among students without prior 3D experience. The control group showed minimal gains (+1.76 points), confirming that course participation—not test repetition—drove the improvements. More intensive course attendance (full-time students) led to greater progress. These findings suggest that Computer Animation courses can effectively support the development of visual–spatial abilities, which in previous research, have been associated with competencies relevant to digital and creative domains. Full article

The southern rice black-streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) is transmitted by the white-backed planthopper (WBPH), Sogatella furcifera, but not by the co-occurring brown planthopper (BPH), Nilaparvata lugens. Understanding the influence of virus infection of host plants on the performance of close-related vector and non-vector species is an interesting topic for exploring virus–plant–herbivore interactions. This study investigates how SRBSDV infection of rice plants affects the performance of WBPH and BPH and the plant defense responses. Differential performance of the two planthopper species was observed. On infected plants, WBPH displayed prolonged male nymphal development, increased adult longevity, enhanced feeding, and reduced fecundity, which contrasts the reduced nymph survival and fecundity in BPH. SRBSDV infection triggered an increase in salicylic acid (SA) levels and upregulated the expression of SA-related genes (ICS1 and NPR1) in response to WBPH feeding, but not to BPH feeding. These results show that SRBSDV reshapes the host plant defense in a manner that alters key vector traits favoring virus transmission while impairing the fitness of a competing non-vector, which advances current understanding of virus–plant–herbivore interaction. Full article

Tri-reforming of methane (TRM) has emerged as a promising pathway for low-carbon syngas production by integrating steam reforming, dry reforming, and partial oxidation within a single process. This coupling enables simultaneous CH₄ utilization and CO₂ valorization while enabling internal heat generation and flexible adjustment of the H₂/CO ratio for downstream synthesis. However, TRM performance cannot be adequately evaluated using conversion or energy efficiency alone, because the process involves complex interactions among competing reaction pathways, transport phenomena, catalyst stability, and thermodynamic irreversibility. This review provides a multiscale critical assessment of TRM from both first-law energy and second-law exergy perspectives, linking reaction-network fundamentals to reactor-level behavior and system-level performance. The literature evidence shows that although high temperatures and near-autothermal operation can enhance CH₄ conversion and reduce external heat demand, these conditions may simultaneously intensify deep oxidation, hotspot formation, carbon-forming tendencies, and exergy destruction. While equilibrium analyses help define feasible operating windows, they are insufficient without kinetic modeling and reactor-scale studies that capture spatial non-uniformities and pathway competition. Across reported TRM systems, exergy destruction is consistently concentrated within the reformer, identifying the reacting core as the dominant thermodynamic bottleneck. Accordingly, the key challenge in TRM is not simply to maximize conversion but to preserve chemical work potential while maintaining syngas quality and operational stability. Viewed from this perspective, TRM is better understood as an irreversibility-aware multiscale design problem in which optimal performance depends on the integrated optimization of catalyst functionality, reactor architecture, heat management, and system-level operation. Full article

Driven by the growing demand for sustainable polymers, polylactic acid (PLA) has attracted increasing attention due to its renewable origin and biodegradability. Lactide, the key cyclic monomer for PLA production via ring-opening polymerization (ROP), plays a decisive role in determining the molecular weight, stereoregularity, and final performance of PLA materials. However, current lactide synthesis processes still face significant challenges, including competing side reactions under high-temperature and high-vacuum conditions, difficulties in controlling stereochemical purity, and relatively high energy consumption. In this review, recent advances in lactide synthesis are systematically analyzed by examining the two principal industrial routes: the one-step process based on the direct dehydration–cyclization of lactic acid (LA), and the two-step process involving prepolymerization of LA followed by depolymerization/cyclization of oligomeric intermediates. The reaction mechanisms, key intermediates, and major side reactions—including racemization, transesterification, and deep polycondensation—are discussed, together with the regulatory roles of catalytic systems and reaction–separation coupling strategies. Comparative analysis reveals that the one-step route offers advantages in process integration and potential energy efficiency, whereas the two-step route provides superior control over stereochemical purity and process stability. Future research directions focusing on green catalysts, process intensification, and sustainable lactide production are also highlighted. Full article

Background: Flexible bronchoscopy (FB) has long been integral to pulmonology, but its bedside role in the intensive care unit (ICU) is expanding. Despite a lack of high-level evidence, FB remains a pivotal tool for airway visualization, sampling, and selected interventions in critically ill patients. Objective: This meta-narrative review critically appraises the clinical use, evolving indications, safety profile, and emerging controversies of FB in ICU settings, particularly regarding the role of non-pulmonologist intensivists. Methods: A structured literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar for studies published in the past 15 years. Emphasis was placed on observational studies, meta-analyses, and guidelines relevant to FB in ICU patients. Key controversies were grouped under thematic questions based on clinical relevance. Results: A total of 84 articles were retrieved, of which 47 met the predefined inclusion criteria. Seven key thematic domains were synthesized regarding the use of flexible bronchoscopy (FB) in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting. FB performed by trained intensivists was found to be safe and diagnostically effective across a range of ICU populations, including elderly and non-intubated patients. Although procedure-related hypoxemia was reported, it was largely manageable with appropriate precautions. FB demonstrated critical utility in the management of acute respiratory failure (ARF), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and sepsis, particularly through bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), airway secretion clearance, and, selectively, bronchoscopic lung biopsy. The adoption of disposable bronchoscopes may reduce infection risk and economic burden. Furthermore, the integration of advanced techniques such as endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) and transbronchial cryobiopsy is emerging, although application in the critical care environment remains cautious and selective. Conclusions: With structured training and careful patient selection, FB is an adaptable and often underutilized tool in ICU medicine. Multidisciplinary competency development and institutional protocols can enhance its safe integration. Full article

Learning agility is considered a key competence for adapting to rapidly changing educational and technological environments. Although entrepreneurial tendencies have been associated with adaptive learning outcomes, the psychological mechanisms underlying this relationship remain insufficiently understood. This study examined whether self-regulation and artificial intelligence (AI) awareness sequentially mediate the relationship between individual entrepreneurial tendencies and learning agility among high school students. The study involved 564 high school students (55% girls, 45% boys; aged 14–19 years, M = 17.02, SD = 1.28) from two public schools in Türkiye. Participants completed validated measures of entrepreneurial tendencies, self-regulation, AI awareness, and learning agility. The hypothesized serial mediation model was tested using PROCESS Macro Model 6. Entrepreneurial tendencies were positively associated with learning agility both directly and indirectly. Self-regulation emerged as a significant independent mediator, and a significant sequential mediation pathway was identified through self-regulation and AI awareness. The findings suggest that entrepreneurial tendencies are associated with higher levels of self-regulation and AI awareness, which are in turn associated with learning agility. The results highlight the importance of self-regulation and AI awareness as factors associated with the relationship between entrepreneurial tendencies and learning agility. Educational practices that foster entrepreneurship, self-regulation, and AI awareness may support students’ adaptability and readiness for rapidly evolving digital learning environments. Full article

Protein phosphatase PPM1A plays a critical role in cellular signaling by dephosphorylating key regulatory proteins. According to experimental data, the enzyme requires either Mn²⁺ or Mg²⁺ bound in the active center(s), hence its catalytic activity strongly depends on the chelated metal ions. In this study, the metal ion selectivity of PPM1A is investigated using DFT calculations on active site constructs of bi- and trinuclear metal centers and protein ligands from the first and second metal coordination shells. Binuclear Mn-Mn and trinuclear Mn-Mn-Mn sites show poor resistance to substitution by biogenic Fe²⁺ and Zn²⁺, with Gibbs energies of the Mn²⁺ → Fe²⁺/Zn²⁺ exchange being consistently negative in both the gas phase and condensed media. In contrast, Mg-Mg and Mg-Mg-Mg centers are substantially more robust, with a thermodynamically unfavorable Mg²⁺ → Fe²⁺/Zn²⁺ substitution—except in the case of the Mg-Mg-Zn complex. The primary factors governing this metal competition in the modeled structures are the nature of the competing cation and the solvation properties of its aqua complexes, while solvent exposure of the binding site and the number of metal cations in the catalytic center exert a comparatively minor effect. Overall, these findings demonstrate that Mg²⁺-loaded active sites offer considerably greater protection against biogenic metal displacement than their Mn²⁺ counterparts, thus shedding light on the metalloprotein stability and enzyme fidelity of PPM1A. Full article

Endoscopic resection (ER) has become the preferred curative-intent treatment for early upper gastrointestinal cancer, given its superior safety profile compared to surgery. Over the past decade, technological and procedural innovation has substantially expanded the scope, safety, and precision of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and related techniques. This review synthesises current evidence on key advances relevant to upper gastrointestinal ESD practice. Enhanced imaging modalities have improved lesion detection and characterisation, as well as recognition of intraoperative anatomical structures during third-space endoscopy. A new generation of therapeutic endoscopes combines high-definition optics with substantially improved tip-down angulation and channel size, addressing a longstanding gap between diagnostic-class image quality and procedural capability. Resection strategies—including mechanical traction systems, saline immersion therapeutic endoscopy (SITE), and luminal drainage techniques—have reduced procedural complexity and improved dissection conditions. Dedicated closure technologies have improved management of large resection defects, potentially reducing resection-related morbidity. Deep resection techniques, including submucosal tunnelling endoscopic resection (STER), device-assisted endoscopic full-thickness resection (FTRD), knife-assisted full-thickness resection (kFTR), and endoscopic intermuscular dissection (EID), are extending organ-preserving resection to deeply invasive cancers and subepithelial lesions. Management of non-curative ESD resections is being refined through multicentre risk stratification studies. Advances in simulation, competency-based training, and artificial intelligence hold promise for standardising technique acquisition and real-time procedural support. Together, these innovations are reshaping upper gastrointestinal oncology by positioning minimally invasive, organ-preserving digestive endoscopy as a central therapeutic strategy. Full article

Across semi-arid and environmentally vulnerable regions, intensifying climate pressures, land degradation, and resource scarcity are placing growing demands on institutions, communities, and land users. However, the knowledge and technical skills required to respond effectively remain uneven and often poorly aligned with local needs. This study presents a comparative skills audit in Kimberley, Upington, and Rietfontein in the Northern Cape, identifying capacity gaps, stakeholder-specific training priorities, and structural barriers in natural resource and sustainable land management. Using questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, participatory site visits, and multi-stakeholder consultations, competencies were assessed across GIS and remote sensing, climate resilience, soil and land restoration, water conservation, sustainable agriculture, and policy literacy. Results show significant disparities in skills proficiency. GIS and remote sensing (0.8) and climate resilience strategies (1.0) were weakest, while policy literacy (1.5) and soil management (2.0) were also limited. Sustainable agriculture (4.0) and water conservation (2.8) showed relatively stronger capacity. Training needs varied by stakeholder, with government prioritizing geospatial tools and governance, and farmers emphasizing climate adaptation and resource management. Key barriers include limited digital infrastructure (83%), insufficient government support (80%), high training costs (78%), and contextual mismatches (50%). Integrated, place-based capacity development is essential to strengthen adaptive governance and long-term resilience. Full article

Intermediate crops, such as Brassica carinata and Camelina sativa, offer a promising pathway for expanding sustainable feedstock supply for advanced biofuels in Europe without competing with food and feed production. This study applies a competitive priority framework to assess the performance of intermediate crops in Italy and Spain, integrating agronomic, environmental, and regulatory dimensions. Using Member State-specific agroecological conditions, cost structures, and land-use profiles, the analysis identifies key challenges across land use and biomass-production stages and links them to measurable indicators and targeted optimisation strategies. Evidence from both experimental studies and modelling indicates that camelina can be seamlessly integrated into existing cropping systems without compromising crop yields or triggering soil carbon losses. These findings highlight the potential of intermediate crops to enhance soil health, to reduce erosion, and to stabilise yields under climate variability. This study also examines the policy conditions required to enable deployment, emphasising the need for region-specific crop calendars, digital traceability systems, and coherent implementation of RED III, CAP, ESCA, and CRCF frameworks. The distinction between volumetric and GHG-based targets is shown to be critical: intermediate crops perform strongly under GHG-based intensity reduction frameworks that reward soil carbon gains and sustainable cultivation. National instruments in Italy and Spain—including the Piano Strategico della PAC, Decreto Biocarburanti, Plan Estratégico de la PAC, and Real Decreto 376/2022—provide mechanisms for operationalising these strategies. Overall, the results demonstrate that intermediate crops can contribute meaningfully to both national and EU renewable energy, soil restoration, and climate mitigation objectives when supported by coherent agronomic and policy frameworks. Full article

The coexistence of cancer and severe aortic stenosis (AS) is increasing as a result of population aging and substantial improvements in cancer survival. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has transformed the management of AS; however, patients with active malignancy or a history of cancer remain markedly under-represented in pivotal randomized trials. This under-representation has resulted in persistent uncertainty regarding patient selection, risk stratification, and the expected benefit of TAVI in this growing and clinically heterogeneous population. This review provides a comprehensive and contemporary synthesis of the evidence on TAVI in patients with cancer, integrating cardiovascular (CV), oncologic, and geriatric perspectives. Available data on epidemiological overlap, cancer-specific procedural challenges, and short- and long-term outcomes following TAVI are critically examined, with particular emphasis on distinctions between active cancer and cancer survivorship. Key modifiers of risk and benefit—including prior thoracic radiotherapy, competing thrombotic and bleeding risk, immunosuppression, frailty, sarcopenia, and nutritional status—are discussed in detail. Limitations of conventional surgical risk scores in oncology populations are highlighted, underscoring the need for individualized assessment beyond traditional CV metrics. Across registries and meta-analyses, TAVI is associated with high procedural success and comparable short-term outcomes in patients with and without cancer. Excess mortality observed during mid- and long-term follow-up is driven predominantly by non-CV causes related to malignancy rather than valve-related complications. Importantly, patients with cancer in remission demonstrate outcomes similar to those of non-cancer populations, whereas prognosis in active cancer is strongly influenced by disease stage, biology, and competing risks. Overall, cancer diagnosis alone should not preclude consideration of TAVI. Optimal management requires multidisciplinary, goal-oriented decision-making that integrates oncologic prognosis, functional status, and patients’ priorities. As cancer survivorship continues to expand, prospective studies, integrated risk stratification tools, and closer alignment between cardio-oncology and structural heart programs are essential to guide evidence-based and equitable care. Full article

Digital leadership, as a core organizational capability driving technological transformation, plays a pivotal role in the digitalization of traditional industries. Focusing on employees of Sichuan Baijiu enterprises in China and grounded in upper echelons theory, this study develops a theoretical framework in which digital leadership and organizational learning influence organizational innovation through the mediating mechanism of employees’ digital capabilities. Using survey data from 309 employees of Baijiu enterprises, we employ partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to test our hypotheses. The empirical results reveal three key findings: (1) digital leadership positively affects organizational innovation by enhancing employees’ digital capabilities; (2) employees’ digital capabilities partially mediate the relationships between digital leadership and organizational innovation, as well as between organizational learning and innovation outcomes; and (3) these capabilities serve as a critical transmission channel that amplifies the effect of organizational learning on innovation, thereby forming a “learning–capability–innovation” chain. This study extends upper echelons theory to the digital transformation context of traditional manufacturing industries. By introducing employee-level digital capabilities as a key mediating variable, it provides both theoretical insights and practical implications for Baijiu enterprises and analogous traditional industries seeking to foster innovation through strengthening digital leadership, building learning-oriented organizations, and developing employees’ digital competencies. Full article

Digital games are becoming increasingly important as promising tools to foster Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), aiming to combine engagement, systems thinking, and transformative learning. This narrative review synthesizes evidence from 40 studies on serious games, game-based learning, and gamification to assess both the potential and limitations of digital games in ESD contexts. This review thus contributes to the field by integrating theoretical frameworks, empirical evidence, and design principles to provide a coherent understanding of how digital games support ESD learning processes. The findings reveal positive effects on cognitive and motivational outcomes, particularly regarding knowledge acquisition, systems understanding, and learner engagement. In addition, digital games can foster social learning processes such as collaboration, participation, and perspective-taking. These effects are grounded in established theoretical frameworks, including self-determination theory, flow theory, and experiential learning, and are supported by design features such as adaptive feedback, meaningful narratives, social interaction, and authentic decision-making. Across the reviewed studies, cognitive outcomes are most consistently documented, while evidence for long-term behavioral change and real-world transfer remains limited. This reflects both structural challenges of ESD and methodological constraints, including difficulties in measuring behavior, short-term study designs, and heterogeneous implementations. Overall, digital games can support key ESD competencies by enabling learners to engage with complex socio-ecological systems and multi-perspectivity. Their effectiveness and educational value depend less on gameplay itself than on four overarching design principles: encouraging the exploration of systems, linking experience and reflection, balancing between autonomy and guidance, and embedding within broader social and pedagogical processes. Full article

Tooth extraction and maximum anchorage assessment are key decision points in orthodontic treatment planning, yet existing machine learning models for orthodontic decision support often lack transparency, limiting their clinical interpretability and trustworthiness. In this study, we developed and externally validated an explainable orthodontic treatment decision-support model that integrates expert-derived Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) weighting with machine learning. A diagnostic indicator framework comprising 18 orthodontic variables was established through a literature review, clinical data analysis, and two rounds of expert surveys. A retrospective cohort of 485 patients receiving fixed-appliance orthodontic treatment was used for model development and internal validation. AHP-derived composite scores were incorporated into the machine learning models for two prediction tasks, namely tooth extraction and maximum anchorage requirement, and an expert-informed fuzzy-rule score was calculated from pretreatment indicators for the maximum anchorage task to capture clinically interpretable anchorage tendencies. Model performance was evaluated using ROC-AUC, F1 score, precision, recall, PR-AUC, calibration analysis, and decision curve analysis, while SHAP was applied to interpret feature contributions. The AHP-RF extraction model and AHP-enhanced LR maximum anchorage model achieved the highest AUCs among the compared models (0.864 and 0.822, respectively), although paired DeLong tests showed no significant differences from the closest competing models. SHAP analysis identified lower lip-to-E-line distance, U1-NA, and the AHP composite score as important predictors, indicating consistency between model outputs and clinical reasoning. In the external validation cohort, the extraction model correctly classified 57 of 74 cases, and the maximum anchorage model correctly classified 24 of 29 cases, supporting the preliminary transportability of the proposed framework. These results suggest that integrating AHP-derived expert knowledge with machine learning provides an explainable and clinically interpretable decision-support model for orthodontic treatment planning, with potential value in improving standardized, evidence-informed, and patient-specific orthodontic decision-making. Full article

The northern pike (Esox lucius) is an economically important cold-water fish species in northern China. It exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism, yet the molecular mechanism underlying its sex differentiation remains unclear, which hinders the development of aquaculture. Whole-transcriptome sequencing is a powerful approach for screening sex-related genes; however, no such study has been reported for this species to date. In this study, gonadal tissues from three female and three male E. lucius were collected for whole-transcriptome sequencing. A total of 14,941 differentially expressed messengerRNAs, 119 differentially expressed microRNAs, 229 differentially expressed circularRNAs, and 2055 differentially expressed long non-codingRNAs were identified. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in pathways closely associated with sex differentiation, such as steroid hormone biosynthesis and oocyte meiosis. Several key sex-biased genes were identified, including female-biased genes (FANCL, DDX5, SRSF5B) and male-biased genes (STAR, FDX1B, ITGA2B). Furthermore, a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulatory network involving dre-miR-107b was constructed, which may represent a candidate for further investigation into sex differentiation in E. lucius. This study provides the first comprehensive whole-transcriptome dataset of female and male gonads in E. lucius, identifies key sex-biased genes and core pathways involved in its sex differentiation, and thereby identifies the dre-miR-107b-centered ceRNA network and key sex-biased genes (FANCL, DDX5, SRSF5B, STAR, FDX1B, ITGA2B) as core molecular players in sex differentiation of this species. Full article