Search Results (2,398)

Based on Chinese A-share listed companies’ panel data from 2008 to 2023, we examine the impact of digital–real integration on firm green technology innovation. The empirical results show that digital–real integration can significantly improve firm green technology innovation. Mechanism analysis reveals that digital–real integration improves firm green technology innovation by reducing financing constraints, improving productivity and reducing information asymmetry. Heterogeneity analysis results show that the positive effects are more pronounced in private and other non-state-owned firms, large-scale firms and firms with stronger internal control. The study also confirms that government green subsidy, governance quality, intellectual property protection, digital infrastructure and marketization level can enhance the positive effect of digital–real integration on firm green technology innovation. Full article

Portable Buddhist shrines refer to small-scale mobile or assembled shrines, typically made of wood, stone, clay, and metal. They were initially used as temporary ritual sites or ornamental attachments for temples and stupas, later becoming independent objects of devotion. This art form, the origins of which can be traced to ancient India and later diverse regional traditions, has been discovered in significant quantities along the Silk Road and neighboring regions. Previously, scholarly attention centered primarily on exquisite wall shrines, stupa-shaped shrines, and stele-shaped shrines. However, when factors such as the spatial arrangement and ritual functions of mobile ritual sites are taken into account, along with the materials and techniques employed in creating Buddhist shrines, artifacts such as badge-style bronze Buddha statues, painted silk banners, and wooden panel paintings may also be classified as portable Buddhist shrines. Accordingly, portable Buddhist shrines can be divided into three forms: pedestal, hanging, and open–close or mother–child. A key reason for this expanded classification is that all such forms are functionally and stylistically linked to large-scale cave temples. Moreover, these shrines share a common visual grammar, defined by the dynamic integration of images and texts and the mutual imitation and complementarity of statue and painting. This represents a quintessential example of cross-cultural dissemination and the coexistence of local traditions in Buddhist art. Full article

Background/Objectives: The large size of commonly used regulatory elements such as the cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate-early promoter imposes a significant burden on the already restricted payload capacity of first-generation adenoviral vectors, potentially hindering the development of multi-antigen vaccine candidates. To address this limitation, we have engineered a panel of novel, small, semi-synthetic promoters designed to leverage the changes in transcriptomic milieu following adenoviral vector entry. Methods: Eight synthetic enhancer modules (SE1–SE8) were designed in silico, each composed of transcription factor binding sites (TFBSs) previously found in host genes that are upregulated during early adenoviral infection. These synthetic enhancers were coupled with a minimal CMV core promoter to generate a panel of compact semi-synthetic promoters (cSE1–cSE8), and their activity was evaluated in the context of ChAdOx1 viral vectors expressing GFP or a modified Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite (CSN) antigen. Promoter performance was characterised in vitro via flow cytometry, RT-qPCR, and Western blotting, and in vivo by quantifying antigen-specific T-cell (IFN-γ ELISpot) and IgG antibody (ELISA) responses in BALB/c mice. Results: In vitro characterisation revealed a wide range of promoter activity across the panel, with cSE3 and cSE5 driving transgene expression levels comparable to the benchmark CMV promoters despite their markedly reduced genomic footprint. In vivo, ChAdOx1 vectors incorporating cSE3 and cSE5 elicited potent antigen-specific T-cell and IgG responses that were comparable to those induced by the larger CMV control promoters. Conclusions: We have successfully developed semi-synthetic promoters that match the potency of the much larger, frequently used CMV promoters whilst simultaneously reducing genomic footprint. These novel regulatory elements will facilitate the design of next-generation vaccines, particularly those requiring large antigens or multi-antigen cassettes. Full article

Agrivoltaic systems integrate solar electricity generation with agricultural production on the same land and have emerged as a promising strategy to address land-use conflicts between food and energy systems. This PRISMA-based systematic review synthesizes evidence from 249 peer-reviewed studies published between 2010 and 2025, applying an integrated three-dimensional framework that simultaneously examines technical efficiency, environmental sustainability, and institutional governance. The results show that agrivoltaic systems consistently achieve superior land-use performance, with Land Equivalent Ratio values typically ranging between 1.2 and 1.8, indicating 20–80% greater territorial efficiency than separate agricultural and photovoltaic systems. In water-stressed regions, reported improvements in water-use efficiency commonly reach 15–30%, while life-cycle assessments indicate substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental impacts. The integrated analysis also reveals important design-dependent trade-offs related to panel density, crop selection, and local agroclimatic conditions. Despite their demonstrated technical and environmental maturity, the large-scale deployment of agrivoltaic systems remains constrained by institutional barriers, including the lack of dedicated regulatory frameworks, fragmented agricultural and energy policies, and the strong geographical concentration of research in the Global North, with limited evidence from Latin America and other regions of the Global South. Overall, the findings indicate that agrivoltaic systems represent a credible component of integrated land-use and energy transition strategies, but their responsible scaling will depend primarily on advances in governance, policy alignment, and context-specific system design. Full article

Agriculture remains one of the most hazardous industries in Australia, with consistently high rates of workplace injury and fatality. Traditional approaches to monitoring safety performance in agriculture have largely relied on reactive lag indicators, metrics that capture incidents after they occur, such as injury rates, compensation claims, or fatalities. While useful for identifying trends and measuring past performance, there is a need for proactive lead indicators, and these are preventive measures that identify risk and promote safer practices before injuries occur. With limited research available on leading indicators specific to the agricultural industry, the modified Delphi method has been identified and designed for this study. A panel of experts will be engaged with the aim to achieve consensus on a set of valid lead indicators for Australian agriculture. This study will include four rounds of Delphi questionnaires with the addition of a face-to-face consensus conference to be included in round four. The data gathered in this study to identify Work Health and Safety (WHS) leading indicators has potential to improve farmers’ safety, wellbeing, and personal health, as well as reducing injuries and fatalities across the Australian agricultural industry. Full article

Decoupling between CO₂ emissions and economic growth is critical to reversing climate change. The OECD plays a crucial role in this regard, given its considerable share of global CO₂ emissions and GDP. This study examines the decoupling performance and the roles of renewable energy transition, as well as specific eco-innovations on climate change mitigation and environmental technology development across the OECD economies. The preliminary tests on a large panel of OECD countries identify cross-sectional dependence, structural breaks and heterogeneity. For robustness, the study proposes Fourier-CS-ARDL, Fourier-AMG, and Fourier–Dumitrescu–Hurlin methods as generalizations of their linear counterparts. After identifying cointegration and its singularity with Fourier-bootstrapping bounds and Fourier–Johansen tests, the modeling stage suggested a positive, but significantly inelastic long- and short-run elasticity of emissions to economic growth. Most of these effects are reversed by renewable energy transition in the long run and partially reversed in the short run. These CO₂ mitigation effects are also evident across different eco-innovations with varying temporal impacts. Novel Fourier causality tests identify feedback loops between CO₂ and CO₂-mitigating factors, as well as unidirectional causality from growth to all mitigating factors, confirming the indirect effect of growth on CO₂ mitigation. Overall, these results clearly suggest “relative” decoupling in OECD accompanied by CO₂e mitigation effects from eco-innovations and energy transition, and highlight the potential for green growth following the successful adaptation of energy transition and eco-innovations. Policymakers in OECD are encouraged to leverage the identified feedback mechanisms and establish international technology transfer policies to homogenously curb CO₂ emissions. Full article

Large-format thin ceramic panels are increasingly used in ventilated façade systems due to their reduced weight, high durability and architectural versatility. However, their reduced thickness and large dimensions require reliable anchoring solutions capable of safely transferring wind loads to the supporting structure. This study investigates the structural behaviour of a concealed mechanical anchoring system for large-format porcelain stoneware panels installed in ventilated façades. An experimental campaign was carried out using a full-scale façade prototype representative of real construction conditions. The specimen was subjected to incremental wind pressure and suction loading in a controlled laboratory environment while monitoring the deformation of the ceramic panels, backing support layer and aluminium substructure. The experimental results show that the ceramic panels exhibited stable structural behaviour without cracking or anchor pull-out under pressure levels up to 3006 Pa, exceeding twice the design service pressure. The maximum estimated deflection at the service pressure level (1300 Pa) was 5.7 mm, significantly below the admissible limit defined by the L/200 serviceability criterion. A simplified mechanical analysis based on classical bending theory confirmed that the stresses induced in the ceramic panels remained well below their flexural strength. The results demonstrate that the investigated concealed anchoring system provides reliable structural performance for large-format thin ceramic panels subjected to wind loading in ventilated façade systems, while the simplified analytical verification confirms the mechanical consistency between the measured deformation levels and the flexural capacity of the ceramic material. Full article

Smart cities require effective disaster management (like flooding, solar storms, sandstorms, or hurricanes), as it directly impacts people’s lives. The key challenges of disaster management are timely detection and effective notification during the crisis. This research presents a smart multi-layer framework for notification classification and management before and during flooding disasters. The framework includes an early detection module as the main phase in the alerting process. This step depends on an Ensemble Learning (EL) model based on a triad of the three best selected models (Deep Learning (DL), Random Forest (RF), and K-nearest Neighbor (KNN)) to analyze data collected continuously from the Internet of Things (IoT) layer. In the boosting phase, the framework utilizes Large Language Models (LLMs) with DL to analyze social textual crowdsourcing data. The results will enable the framework to identify the most affected areas during a flood. The framework adds a fog computing layer alongside a cloud layer to enable instantaneous processing of user responses and generate specialized alerts based on contextual factors such as location, time, risk level, alert type, and user characteristics. Through testing and implementation, the proposed algorithms demonstrated an accuracy rate of over 98% in detecting threats using a dataset of real, collected weather and flooding data. Additionally, the framework proposes a centralized control panel and a design of a smartphone application that offers essential services and facilitates communication among managed civil defense teams, citizens, and volunteers. Full article

Understanding the spatial mismatch between population distribution and economic activities is central to regional development, particularly in large river basins experiencing rapid demographic change. Existing studies often rely on slow-moving structural variables and give limited attention to dynamic population processes. This study examines the spatiotemporal patterns, demographic mechanisms, and regional heterogeneity of population–economy mismatch in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2020. We hypothesize that population–economy mismatch exhibits pronounced spatial heterogeneity across the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the basin, and that demographic structure and migration dynamics play a decisive role in shaping these patterns. Using county-level data, we construct a Population–Economy Distribution Disparity Ratio R, apply decomposable Theil indices, and estimate two-way fixed-effects panel models incorporating demographic and migration indicators. Spatial econometric models are further employed as robustness checks. The results show that intra-regional disparities account for more than 97% of total population–economy mismatch, while inter-regional differences remain limited. Population migration intensity and age structure significantly influence mismatch dynamics, with effects varying systematically along the basin gradient. These findings underscore the importance of integrating dynamic demographic processes into spatial mismatch analysis and support regionally differentiated and systemically coordinated policy interventions for high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin. Full article

This study evaluates the resistance of existing reinforced concrete buildings to progressive collapse using the Tie-Force Method specified in UFC 4-023-03. Five multi-storey residential reinforced concrete buildings in different regions are analysed. In situ rebar scanning and Schmidt hammer tests revealed existing reinforcement layouts and concrete strengths (14–26 MPa). From the measured geometries, material properties and design loads, the required peripheral, longitudinal–transverse and vertical tie forces are calculated and converted into equivalent reinforcement areas. The results show that none of the investigated buildings satisfies all tie-force requirements with its current detailing. In particular, approximately 40% of the total Ø12 reinforcement required for the most critical peripheral ties in the other functional areas is concentrated in a single building. For longitudinal and transverse ties within the slab plane, additional Ø12 bars are required, especially along the most unfavourable grid lines in large-span panels. Vertical tie demands are modest and can generally be met with about 1–7 Ø16 bars in the selected columns. The findings indicate that, in the investigated sample, tie-force deficiencies appear to be governed more by design era and structural layout than by geographic location, and that strengthening slab-plane ties is critical for improving progressive-collapse resistance in the investigated buildings. In typical existing RC frame buildings, tie-force inadequacy is governed primarily by slab-plane ties rather than by vertical ties and the variation in required tie reinforcement across buildings is controlled more by design era and plan-geometry/floor-load characteristics than by geographic location. Full article

This study examines the wage effects of educational mismatch in China by jointly addressing sample selection, endogeneity, and nonlinear career-stage heterogeneity within a unified econometric framework. Although educational mismatch has been widely studied, existing evidence largely relies on linear models that overlook experience-dependent wage dynamics and potential selection and endogeneity biases. Using data from the 2020 wave of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study extends the Duncan–Hoffman model by integrating a sample-selection-corrected threshold regression estimated via instrumental variables. This approach allows the identification of experience thresholds at which the wage effects of overeducation and undereducation differ across regimes. The results reveal pronounced nonlinearities in mismatch-related wage differentials. Overeducation is associated with wage penalties at early career stages, but these penalties weaken and, in some cases, disappear once workers surpass the estimated experience threshold. In contrast, undereducation yields modest wage premiums early in the career but becomes increasingly penalized at higher experience levels. Substantial gender heterogeneity is also observed: male workers are better able to use accumulated experience to offset educational shortfalls, whereas female workers face more persistent penalties, particularly at later career stages. Full article

To address the challenges of designing geologically compatible, large-scale gas drainage strategies in gassy coal mines, this study introduces an integrated workflow combining detailed gas-geological unit subdivision with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) for the Baode Coal Mine. This approach aims to transform gas drainage technology selection from empirical judgment to a systematic, quantitative decision-making process, thereby enhancing control precision and mine safety. First, the No. 8 coal seam was refined into ten distinct gas-geological units (II-i to II-x), forming the foundation for a targeted management strategy. For these units, a quantitative evaluation index system was constructed, integrating key factors such as permeability, structural characteristics, and unit area. The AHP was then employed to assess the adaptability of four primary drainage technologies: ULB-uni/bi (underground long borehole unidirectional/bidirectional drainage), UULB (underground ultra-long directional borehole drainage), UDLB-SHF (underground directional long borehole drainage with staged hydraulic fracturing), and FHWS (fractured horizontal wells drilled from the surface). The decision analysis reveals significant regional differentiation in technical suitability. FHWS ranks highest in structurally complex and water-rich zones. UDLB-SHF and UULB serve as viable, cost-effective alternatives to FHWS in various scenarios, with UULB being particularly advantageous for “large-area pre-drainage” in extensive panels with relatively simple geology. ULB-uni/bi is confirmed as the most economical option but is suitable only for minor blocks with simple conditions. Consequently, the study proposes a hierarchical, zone-specific strategy: prioritizing surface-based FHWS for high-risk zones, employing UDLB-SHF for active permeability enhancement in low-permeability resource-rich areas, utilizing UULB for efficient large-area drainage, and restricting ULB-uni/bi to small, geologically normal blocks. Ultimately, this research establishes a robust technical selection system that integrates fine geological subdivision, AHP-based multi-criteria evaluation, and targeted technology matching. It provides a scientific basis for balancing risk control and cost optimization in gas drainage design for the Baode Coal Mine. In summary, the methodological framework proposed in this study provides a systematic approach for coal mine gas control under complex geological conditions. Its core value lies in achieving the unity of scientificity and practicality in gas control technology decisions through standardized analysis logic and differentiated adaptation mechanisms, thereby providing support for the precise and efficient development of coal mine gas control. Full article

Digitalization is reshaping how knowledge is created and diffused within cities. Exploiting the staggered implementation of the Broadband China policy, this study examines the impact of digital infrastructure development on urban innovation capacity using panel data for 77 prefecture-level cities in the Yellow River Basin from 2010 to 2021. Treating the policy as a quasi-natural experiment, we employ a staggered difference-in-differences design to identify its effects. The results show that digital infrastructure development significantly enhances urban innovation capacity, with these findings remaining robust across multiple placebo and robustness tests. The effects are more pronounced in economically developed and large cities, indicating substantial heterogeneity in policy outcomes. Further analysis suggests that urban entrepreneurial activity strengthens the positive effect of digital infrastructure on urban innovation. By combining a staggered policy design with heterogeneity and mechanism analyses, this study provides new evidence on how digital infrastructure supports urban innovation. Full article

Hydrogel-based products are used in many areas of biomedicine and healthcare. Recently, the incorporation of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), a renewable and functional nanomaterial, into hydrogels has enhanced their functionality, particularly by imparting mechanical strength and structural integrity. This scoping review aims to appraise the types of biomedical models and assays that have been utilised to investigate the effects of CNC incorporation into hydrogels in tissue engineering, wound healing, medical implantation and drug delivery applications, and reports on the rationale for including these models and assays. A structured literature search was undertaken in major scientific databases (PubMed Central, PubMed, BioMed Central, ScienceDirect, Wiley and EBSCOhost), focusing on identifying primary research published between 2016 and 2024. From this process, fifteen studies providing biomedical analyses met the inclusion criteria. Most of these investigations employed in vitro cell-line models (n = 12), with a smaller number utilising in vivo experimental systems (n = 5). Across the included studies, CNC incorporation typically yielded measurable performance gains: reported compressive or storage modulus improvements of 20–40% over hydrogel-only controls, consistently high cell viability (>85%) across multiple human and murine cell types for up to 21 days, and sustained drug release profiles (days–weeks) in stent and antitumour contexts. Where quantified, functional outcomes in vivo included preserved graft volume (autologous fat grafts) and reduced intimal hyperplasia signals in vascular graft models. Critical gaps included heterogeneous CNC sources and surface chemistries, inconsistent reporting of CNC concentration and hydrogel formulation parameters, the limited duration and scope of biocompatibility testing, and minimal alignment with standard evaluation protocols, constraining reproducibility and cross-study comparability. To date, there are no human clinical trials of CNC-hydrogels. Translational readiness will require standardised ISO-compliant biocompatibility evaluations. Large-animal studies under relevant mechanical and physiological conditions, and rigorous long-term degradation and immunogenicity assessments to de-risk progression to human trials. We recommend standardised CNC sources and surface functionalisation reporting, concentration (wt%) ranges, hydrogel rheological characterisation (G′, G″, swelling), and consistent biological endpoints (viability, differentiation, inflammation panels) to enable robust meta-analyses and translational benchmarking. Distinct from prior nanocellulose reviews that emphasise material synthesis and properties, this analysis centres on the biomedical models and assays applied to CNC-incorporated hydrogels, identifying the methodological convergence and divergence that directly impact translational pathways. Full article

The Auditing of Natural Resource Assets (ANRA) is an institutional arrangement in China that evaluates leading cadres’ performance in the management and protection of natural resource assets at the time of their departure from office. Although existing studies have examined the institutional design and implementation mechanisms of ANRA, empirical evidence on its direct impact on farmland protection remains limited. Moreover, previous research has largely overlooked spatial heterogeneity in ANRA’s effects across diverse local contexts such as economic regions and different grain functional areas. To narrow these gaps, this study generated a panel data set, covering 275 prefecture-level cities from 2011 to 2017. The study employed a staggered difference-in-differences (DID) model to empirically evaluate the effects of ANRA on farmland protection. The results show that the implementation of the ANRA policy has significantly increased farmland area in pilot regions, with an average annual increase of approximately 5800 hectares relative to non-pilot regions during the post-policy period. The policy effects varied across regions and the positive impact is more pronounced in the eastern regions and major grain-producing regions. Mechanism evidence suggests that the ANRA contributes to farmland protection by reshaping local land-use behavior. Based on these findings, the paper recommends promoting the normalization and standardization of ANRA, strengthening land use regulation to enhance resource allocation efficiency, and improving the design of policy classifications based on regional heterogeneity. Full article