Search Results (1,288)

The author investigates how digital learning competence (DLC) is bridged to academic achievement (AA) through informal digital learning engagement (IDLE) and how meta-cognitive self-regulation (MSR) shapes these pathways among university students. Grounded in a moderated mediation framework, this research conceptualizes DLC not as a static skill set but as a latent capacity that is channeled into academic outcomes when students autonomously engage in digital environments and regulate their cognition. Survey data were collected from 432 undergraduate students and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that DLC significantly predicts AA both directly and indirectly via IDLE, identifying informal digital learning engagement as a central pathway through which digital learning competence is translated into academic gains. Furthermore, MSR moderates the relationship between DLC and IDLE, such that higher levels of metacognitive self-regulation strengthen the conversion of digital learning competence into productive informal digital learning engagement. These findings support a dynamic view of digital learning competence and underscore the roles of learner autonomy and metacognitive awareness in transforming digital skills into meaningful educational outcomes. By integrating perspectives on digital literacy, self-regulated learning, and informal learning, this study offers implications for the design of digital learning ecosystems that effectively bridge students’ digital capacities with their academic achievement. Full article

Perennial trees in temperate regions precisely coordinate the timing of seasonal growth cessation and dormancy with environmental cues, primarily photoperiod. While the roles of abscisic acid (ABA) in dormancy regulation are well-established, its function in growth cessation remains less defined. ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE 5 (ABI5) is a basic leucine zipper transcription factor that plays a central role in ABA-mediated development and abiotic stress responses, yet its roles in photoperiodic regulation of growth cessation and its coordination with radial stem growth remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that in poplar (Populus tomentosa) trees, exogenous ABA application exacerbated short-day (SD)-induced growth inhibition, accelerated bud set, and strongly suppressed secondary xylem formation. We identified a Populus ABI5 homolog, PtoABI5, whose expression is induced by both ABA and SDs. Overexpression of PtoABI5 phenocopied and enhanced SD responses, leading to premature growth cessation and a pronounced inhibition of cambial division and wood formation under SDs. Conversely, PtoABI5 suppressed the expression of the GA biosynthesis gene, while it enhanced the expression of GA catabolic genes. Exogenous GA application partially rescued both the apical growth defects and the impaired secondary xylem development in PtoABI5-overexpressing plants. Our findings establish PtoABI5 as a central integrator, linking ABA and GA signaling pathways to coordinately arrest shoot apical growth and seasonal wood formation, thereby fine-tuning the seasonal growth cycle in perennial trees. Full article

Objectives: This study aimed to compare laparoscopic deroofing and laparoscopic partial splenectomy regarding recurrence, perioperative safety, and short-term postoperative outcomes in pediatric patients. Methods: This retrospective single-center study included pediatric patients who underwent laparoscopic partial splenectomy or laparoscopic deroofing for benign splenic cysts between January 2012 and August 2025. Demographics, cyst characteristics, operative variables, postoperative complications, and recurrence were analyzed. The primary outcome was cyst recurrence; secondary outcomes included duration of surgery and length of hospitalization. Results: Twenty-three patients met the inclusion criteria: 10 underwent laparoscopic partial splenectomy and 13 laparoscopic deroofing. Groups were comparable in age, sex distribution, cyst diameter, body mass index, and American Society of Anesthesiologists classification (all p > 0.3). No conversions to open surgery occurred. Operative time was significantly shorter for partial splenectomy (37.8 ± 7.1 min) compared with deroofing (77.3 ± 33.6 min; p = 0.001). Length of hospitalization did not differ significantly between groups (median 2 days; p = 0.596). Two minor postoperative complications occurred in the deroofing group, without a significant difference between techniques (p = 0.486). A striking difference in recurrence was observed: no recurrences occurred after partial splenectomy (0%), whereas recurrence was documented in 8/13 patients (61.5%) after deroofing (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Laparoscopic partial splenectomy offers superior long-term efficacy in treating benign splenic cysts in children, with significantly lower recurrence rates and shorter operative times than laparoscopic deroofing. While deroofing remains a technically accessible option, its high recurrence rate limits its role as a definitive treatment. Partial splenectomy appears to be the preferred spleen-preserving technique. Future prospective, multicenter, and ideally randomized studies are warranted to confirm these findings. Full article

Levee overtopping poses a significant risk to flood defense infrastructure by inducing severe erosion and scour, particularly along the landward slope and toe regions. This study investigates the effectiveness of an integrated protection system combining seamless cement coating with strategically placed H-type piles to mitigate scour and modify flow dynamics under prolonged overflowing. A series of physical model tests were conducted to evaluate full and partial concrete slope protection with and without pile integration. Results showed that the seamless concrete revetment significantly delayed slope failure, resisted joint-related seepage, acted as a rigid cantilever, and maintained the structural integrity despite surrounding erosion. The inclusion of emergent H-type piles at the downstream toe disrupted the overflow jet, enhanced early energy dissipation, and reduced scour dimensions. The FC + P_ES (fully coated with emergent piles) configuration exhibited the strongest performance, reducing downstream scour length by 40%, upstream extent by 66.7%, and maximum scour depth by 7.7% compared to the FC_NP (fully coated, no-piles) condition. Partial slope coverage combined with emergent piles delayed scour initiation by approximately threefold, highlighting the synergistic effect of combined surface and flow-deflected structures measures. Conversely, bed-level piles redirected jet energy beneath the surface layer, intensifying vertical scour and upstream erosion, indicating the critical importance of pile placement and elevation. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating seamless surface protection with vertical flow disrupters to effectively manage flow-induced erosion and enhance levee resilience against overtopping floods. This hybrid approach offers a practical solution for flood-prone riverine levee systems. Full article

Terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP) integrates vegetation responses to climate, terrain, and human activities, yet their combined effects in mountainous–basin regions remain unclear. Focusing on the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC) in southwest China, we build a framework that couples spatial diagnosis, interaction-aware attribution, and scenario-based projection. Using 500 m MODIS NPP (2000–2020) with climatic, topographic, land-use, and socio-economic data, we quantify NPP trends, use optimal-parameter GeoDetector and partial correlations to separate driver contributions and interactions, and train a random forest (RF)–SHAP model driven by CMIP6–SSP climate projections to 2050. The CCEC shows strong greening: 85.17% of the area exhibits increasing NPP and 68.56% shows extremely significant increases, with productivity peaking at mid-elevations (~1950 m) and intermediate slopes. Elevation, NDVI, and temperature dominate, while precipitation, slope, and soil moisture are secondary, and enhancement-type interactions, especially between elevation and precipitation, prevail. Land-use statistics and NPP transfer matrices highlight cropland-to-forest/grassland conversion as the main greening source. CMIP6-based simulations indicate stable or modestly higher NPP through 2050, with western mountain forests remaining key carbon sinks and basin lowlands constrained by warming and land-use pressure. Full article

In this study, a series of Ag/Co-HA catalysts were synthesized using a plasma-assisted method. Plasma is a partially ionized gas composed of electrons, ions, neutral molecules, free radicals, photons, and excited-state substances, which can serve as a highly reactive medium for catalyst modification. Its unique discharge characteristics can effectively regulate the dispersion of active sites, electronic structure, and metal–support interactions. The study compared the performance of catalysts prepared by the traditional high-temperature calcination method with those treated by rapid plasma in the toluene oxidation removal reaction. The results showed that the catalyst treated by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma exhibited excellent low-temperature catalytic activity, achieving 100% toluene conversion and approximately 75% CO₂ selectivity at 275 °C, while the catalyst prepared by traditional calcination only achieved 73% toluene conversion and approximately 50% CO₂ selectivity at 285 °C. This study provides a simple preparation method for the Ag/5Co-HA-P catalyst. Due to the plasma treatment’s ability to precisely control the catalyst structure, along with advantages such as low energy consumption, short processing time, and environmental friendliness, it holds significant application prospects in the field of VOCs treatment. Full article

The catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to methanol is significantly important both practically and scientifically for the reduction in CO₂ emissions. Furthermore, it can partially address the issue of human reliance on non-renewable resources. The main motivation of this study is to use a melamine polymer network to support a copper-based catalyst for CO₂ hydrogenation to methanol. Based on Schiff base chemistry, a facile catalyst-free process, a novel porous polyaminal polymer (MGPN) was prepared with nitrogen contents as high as 38%. MGPN was used as a support for Cu-based catalyst and applied in CO₂ hydrogenation to CH₃OH under mild conditions. A deep characterization of the MGPN@CuO/ZnO/Al₂O₃ catalyst was made through FTIR, N₂ adsorption–desorption, SEM-EDS, TEM, TGA, XRD, CO₂-TPD, and H₂-TPR techniques. The CO₂ hydrogenation study was performed in a fixed bed reactor with a residence time of 1.104 s on varying parameters such as the metal loading, catalyst amount, flow rate, pressure, calcination temperatures, reduction temperatures, and catalytic reaction temperature profile. The space-time yield (STY) of 145.43 mg_methanol·g_catalyst⁻¹·h⁻¹, a selectivity of 98.36%, and CO₂ conversion of 11.76% were obtained under an economically and energetically sustainable low-pressure (1 MPa) and 260 °C hydrogenation process. Full article

The Tibetan Plateau is highly sensitive to global climate change and characterized by pronounced ecological fragility, making vegetation net primary productivity (NPP) a key indicator for assessing ecosystem functioning and regional ecological security. This study aims to characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics of NPP and to disentangle the multiple natural and land-use drivers shaping its variability across the Tibetan Plateau. MODIS-derived NPP data for the period 2001–2022 are integrated with multi-source datasets on climate, topography, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and land use (CLCD), and analyzed using trend and correlation analyses, land-use transfer matrices, an optimal-parameter geographical detector, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that NPP exhibits a significant but fluctuating upward trend (0.52 gC·m⁻²·a⁻¹, p < 0.01), with higher values in the southeast and lower values in the northwest, the Yunnan Plateau evergreen broadleaf and pine forest region (VA5) and the southern Himalayan montane forest region (VA6) function as high-value centers, and regions such as the Kunlun high-cold desert region (HID1) represent low-value centers. The mutual conversion between forestland and grassland and bare land constitutes a key process driving regional NPP changes, with the net expansion of forestland making a substantial contribution to NPP increases (net gain of 2606.88 TgC). Geographic detector analysis indicates that NDVI (q = 0.741) and land use type (q = 0.741) are the primary factors governing the spatial differentiation of NPP, followed by precipitation, slope, and temperature. Moreover, interactions between any two factors enhance their explanatory power, with the interaction between aspect and land use type exhibiting the strongest effect (q approaching 1). PLS-SEM path analysis further quantifies the driving pathways, revealing that mean annual precipitation and land use type are the most direct drivers of NPP, while climatic and topographic factors influence NPP indirectly through their effects on vegetation cover and land use type. This study advances the understanding of the multifactorial driving mechanisms of ecosystem productivity on the Tibetan Plateau and provides a scientific basis for zoned and differentiated ecological restoration and climate adaptation strategies. Full article

Exploitation alliances struggle to maintain long-term stability, adapt to changing conditions, and deliver lasting value. Although contractual governance is widely recognized as crucial to exploitation alliance performance, the role of specific clauses remains unclear, especially in turbulent environments. This study examined how contractual clauses interact and affect exploitation alliance performance. Clause-level data collected from 110 senior managers involved in Chinese residential joint ventures (JVs), which are typical examples of exploitation alliances, were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results indicate that constitutional clauses, such as decision-making mechanisms and the alliance manager, promote the implementation of input–output controls, which in turn boost operational efficiency, the core of sustainable performance in exploitation alliance. Input–output controls both mediate and moderate the effect of constitutional clauses on risk controls. Conversely, clauses on division of labor and risk control have no direct effect on operational efficiency. This study identifies a three-tier contractual hierarchy and shows that operational efficiency arises mainly from performance-oriented clauses, rather than protective safeguards. These insights offer a micro-foundational view on designing contracts to foster resilient, value-creating collaborations in repeated, resource-intensive ventures. Full article

To address the increasing demands for faster response and higher control accuracy in the braking systems of electric and intelligent vehicles, a novel brake-by-wire actuation unit and its braking force control methods are proposed. The braking unit employs a permanent-magnet linear motor as the driving actuator and utilizes the lever-based force-amplification mechanism to directly generate the caliper force. Compared with the “rotary motor and motion conversion mechanism” configuration in other electromechanical braking systems, the proposed scheme significantly simplifies the force-transmission path, reduces friction and structural complexity, thereby enhancing the overall dynamic response and control accuracy. Due to the strong nonlinearity, time-varying parameters, and significant thermal effects of the linear motor, the braking force is prone to drift. As a result, achieving accurate force control becomes challenging. This paper proposes a model-free adaptive control method based on compact-form dynamic linearization. This method does not require an accurate mathematical model. It achieves dynamic linearization and direct control of complex nonlinear systems by online estimation of pseudo partial derivatives. Finally, the proposed control method is validated through comparative simulations and experiments against the fuzzy PID controller. The results show that the model-free adaptive control method exhibits significantly faster braking force response, smaller steady-state error, and stronger robustness against external disturbances. It enables faster dynamic response and higher braking force tracking accuracy. The study demonstrates that the proposed brake-by-wire scheme and its control method provide a potentially new approach for next-generation high-performance brake-by-wire systems. Full article

Nanomaterial-based hole transport layers (HTLs) play a vital role in regulating interfacial charge extraction and recombination in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). To improve PSC efficiency, hydrothermally synthesized CeO₂@MoS₂ nanocomposites (CM NCs) were incorporated as an interfacial buffer layer into a NiO_X/MeO-2PACz HTL. The introduction of CM NCs induces strong interfacial interactions, where Mo sites in MoS₂ interact with NiO_X, modulating the Ni²⁺/Ni³⁺ ratio and reducing the interfacial trap density. Moreover, CeO₂ promotes the formation of oxygen vacancies, collectively improving the conductivity and hole transport capability of the NiO_X HTL. The MoS₂-grafted CeO₂ interlayer effectively tailors the interfacial energetics and creates an effective channel for hole transfer, thereby reducing open-circuit voltage (V_OC) loss and enhancing device performance. This interface modification efficiently enhances hole extraction, and non-radiative recombination is effectively suppressed at the NiO_X/MeO-2PACz/perovskite interface. Thereby, incorporating 2 vol% CM NCs into PSCs achieved a power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 17.93%, compared to 17.50% for a 1 vol% CM NCs-based device and 17.01% for the unmodified control device. The enhanced performance at the optimized CM NCs concentration is attributed to effective defect passivation, reduced V_OC loss, and improved interfacial band alignment, which together facilitate hole extraction and suppress non-radiative recombination. However, excessive CM NCs incorporation (4 vol%) leads to increased interfacial resistance, partial hole blocking effects associated with the n-type nature of CeO₂, and aggravated recombination, resulting in degraded device performance. These results demonstrate that precise control over CM NCs interlayer thickness and concentration is critical for maximizing device performance, providing a robust strategy for designing high-efficiency and stable NiO_X-based PSCs and advancing nanocomposite-enabled interfacial engineering for photovoltaic applications. Full article

This study investigates transboundary hydro-meteorological trends in the Upper Po River basin, adopting a multi-perspective framework to disentangle the joint evolution of climatic and hydrological drivers. We analyzed climatic variables from 25 weather stations (1950–2022) alongside streamflow data from 14 river sections (1911–2022). Trends were assessed using the Mann–Kendall test to detect monotonic changes and the Theil-Sen estimator to quantify magnitude, ensuring robustness against outliers. The results reveal pronounced warming, particularly in spring maximum temperatures with +0.95 ± 0.40 °C per decade, and +0.62 ± 0.35 °C per decade at the annual scale. Conversely, average and minimum daily temperatures show lower rates with, respectively, +0.50 ± 0.26 °C and +0.39 ± 0.27 °C at the annual scale. Consequently, potential evapotranspiration increased significantly (+15.1 ± 9.4 mm per decade), likely contributing to a marked decline in summer streamflow in 8 out of 14 sections. Correlation analysis confirms that snow dynamics modulate the hydrological response: precipitation drives discharge annually and in autumn, winter exhibits a weaker coupling, as winter precipitation is partially stored in the basin as snow, contributing to discharge during spring and summer. By focusing on this strategic region for European agriculture and industry, the study provides useful insights into the combined effects of warming and evapotranspiration on water availability for adaptation strategies. Full article

The utilization of waste biomass such as chicken manure (CM) for producing valuable products like fermentable sugars has gained increasing research attention. However, limited studies have explored the effect of acid pretreatment on sugar recovery efficiency specifically from CM. This study investigates the production of glucose and xylose from CM using dilute sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) at concentrations of 0.6, 0.8, and 1.0 M under varying conditions. The results indicate that the highest yields were achieved from decrystallized CM, producing 46.21 mg glucose/g CM and 8.47 mg xylose/g CM under optimal conditions of 0.6 M H₂SO₄ and 100 °C. In contrast, non-decrystallized CM yielded 13.98 mg glucose/g CM and 1.67 mg xylose/g CM under 1.0 M H₂SO₄ and 100 °C. The decrystallization process using concentrated sulfuric acid effectively disrupted the lignin structure and partially hydrolyzed hemicellulose, enhancing cellulose accessibility during subsequent dilute acid hydrolysis. The study also revealed that glucose and xylose yields decreased as the dilute acid concentration increased from 0.6 to 0.8 M and temperature rose from 80 to 100 °C for decrystallized CM. Conversely, for non-decrystallized CM, sugar yields increased with higher acid concentration and temperature. These findings highlight the critical role of pretreatment in improving sugar recovery from CM and suggest that optimizing acid concentration and thermal conditions can enhance the efficiency of biomass conversion. This research contributes to the sustainable valorization of agricultural waste into bio-based products. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of graded replacement of soybean meal (SBM) with black soldier fly larvae meal (BSFLM) on growth performance, growth dynamics, carcass characteristics, and economic efficiency in Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica). A total of 300 one-day-old quail chicks were randomly allocated to five dietary treatments in which SBM was replaced with BSFLM at 0, 25, 50, 75, or 100% using isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets. Body weight was recorded weekly, feed intake was measured per cage, and growth dynamics were assessed using the Gompertz growth model. At 42 d of age, 150 quails were slaughtered to determine carcass yield and major carcass components, and economic evaluation was performed using scenario-based analyses to compare feed cost efficiency under contrasting ingredient price conditions. Dietary inclusion of BSFLM had no significant effects on body weight at any measured age, mortality rate, or carcass yield and composition. Feed intake and feed conversion ratio were significantly improved at the 50% BSFLM inclusion level, indicating improved feed efficiency at moderate replacement. Gompertz growth parameters, including mature weight, growth rate, and inflection point traits, were not affected by dietary treatment, confirming that intrinsic growth patterns were maintained. Economic analyses showed that partial replacement of SBM with BSFLM was associated with improved or stabilized feed cost efficiency depending on relative ingredient prices, whereas higher inclusion levels were more sensitive to unfavorable price conditions. In conclusion, BSFLM can be incorporated into Japanese quail diets without detrimental effects on growth performance or carcass traits, with moderate inclusion levels providing the most consistent balance between biological efficiency and economic robustness, thereby supporting risk-aware and sustainable poultry feeding strategies under variable market conditions. Full article

Partial oxidation of methane is a highly attractive route for hydrogen-rich syngas production, provided that high H₂ yields and H₂/CO ratios above 3 can be achieved. Herein, we demonstrate that precise compositional tuning of Ni–Cu bimetallic catalysts supported on Gd-doped CeO₂ enables direct control over defect chemistry and reaction pathways in partial oxidation of methane. A systematic investigation of Ni/Cu ratios was conducted to elucidate composition–structure–activity relationships using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, temperature-programmed reduction/oxidation/desorption, and thermogravimetric analysis. While monometallic 5%Ni/GDC and promoted 1%Re4%Ni/GDC exhibited high methane conversion, they failed to deliver optimal hydrogen selectivity. In contrast, introducing Cu within a narrow compositional window fundamentally altered the reaction mechanism. The 2.5%Ni2.5%Cu/GDC catalyst showed limited oxygen vacancy formation and pronounced carbon deposition, leading to inferior catalytic performance. Remarkably, the 3.5%Ni1.5%Cu/GDC catalyst maximized both oxygen vacancy density and surface basicity, thereby selectively activating CO₂- and H₂O-assisted oxidation routes and enforcing the exclusive dominance of indirect POM pathways. This defect-mediated pathway control effectively decoupled methane activation from hydrogen-consuming side reactions while simultaneously promoting hydrogen-forming, CO-consuming reactions, most notably the water–gas shift reaction. As a result, the optimized 3.5%Ni1.5%Cu/GDC catalyst achieved an H₂ yield of 84% with an H₂/CO ratio of 3.11 and maintained stable operation for 40 h on stream at 600 °C. These findings establish Ni–Cu compositional tuning as a powerful strategy for defect engineering and reaction pathway regulation, providing new design principles for efficient and durable partial oxidation of methane catalysts targeting hydrogen-rich syngas production. Full article