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Claims of AI sovereignty are increasingly invoked but operational control remains uneven. Claims to control are made through national models, sovereign clouds, data localization mandates, and procurement rules; however, whether such claims translate into demonstrable control over how AI systems are run, inspected, and contested remains poorly understood. This paper introduces credible sovereignty, the gap between declared and demonstrable control in deployment, as a conceptual lens for analyzing AI governance to examine how this gap is opened and closed across infrastructure, data, and model supply chains. Using a PRISMA-guided social-science corpus and machine learning-based BERTopic modeling, validated through topic diversity and topic separation diagnostics and triangulated through close reading, the analysis identifies four governance logics through which sovereignty is contested: data infrastructure and legitimacy frameworks; techno-bloc diplomacy and infrastructure politics; European regulatory sovereignty; and community-driven sovereignty in the Global South. Across these logics, sovereignty is enacted less through national capabilities than through proxy mechanisms—certification regimes, procurement clauses, cloud governance, and deployment architectures—each carrying trade-offs between autonomy, dependence, and accountability. Rereading the corpus through an Antecedents–Decisions–Outcomes lens yields a testable research agenda: antecedents that push actors toward sovereignty seeking; design and governance choices that translate ambition into implementation; and outcomes—resilience, inclusion, accountability—against which sovereign AI programs should be assessed. This paper reframes sovereignty as a layered operational capability rather than a discursive claim and links computational synthesis to a normative construct that applies across jurisdictions and scales. Full article

Facing the dual challenges of energy shortage and environmental degradation, photocatalysis and electrocatalysis have emerged as key technologies for converting small molecules into value-added chemicals, yet their conflicting requirements on the electronic structure of catalysts prevent a single material from freely switching between the two modes. Here, we demonstrate a feasible strategy for achieving on-demand switching between these catalytic functions in a single ferroelectric heterojunction, Pd-C₃N₄@In₂Se₃, through polarization engineering. Using first-principles density functional theory calculations, we show that reversing the polarization direction of the α-In2Se3 layer induces a nonvolatile electronic phase transition. The downward polarization (P↓) configuration exhibits metallic behavior, whereas the upward polarization (P↑) state becomes semiconducting with a type-II band alignment. This transition arises from polarization-dependent interfacial built-in electric fields and charge transfer differences. Notably, the metallicity of the P↓ configuration is localized predominantly within the In₂Se₃ layer rather than delocalized over the entire heterostructure. This arises because the enhanced interfacial charge transfer, driven by the larger work-function difference, selectively populates the conduction band of In₂Se₃, pushing its band edge across the Fermi level, while the Pd-C₃N₄ layer remains semiconducting due to charge depletion and the absence of gap-closing hybridization at the interface. In the P↑ state, the heterojunction acts as an efficient photocatalyst for overall water splitting, with band edges straddling the redox potentials. Under illumination, photogenerated electrons and holes make the hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction thermodynamically spontaneous. In contrast, the metallic P↓ state serves as an excellent electrocatalyst for hydrogen evolution, delivering a limiting potential as low as −0.11 V, attributed to strengthened N 2p and H 1s orbital hybridization. These findings resolve the conflicting electronic requirements of photocatalysis and electrocatalysis and offer a new paradigm for designing smart, dual-functional catalysts adaptable to varying energy inputs, providing valuable theoretical guidance for future experimental realization of switchable catalytic systems. Full article

Background/Objectives: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may require topical rectal treatment for distal colonic inflammation. Rectal foams or rectal enemas can reach deeper bowel sections but are complex to administer, especially for pediatric patients with IBD. Furthermore, it is a challenge to visualize this administration process in a structured manner. We aimed to design a rectal demonstration model to enable the visualization of rectal foam administration and to assess the clinical risk potentially associated with detectable errors. Methods: A rectal demonstration model was developed, handling errors were defined, and their clinical risk was rated. The model was tested for rectal foam administration by 19 adolescent patients (aged 12–18 years). Results: A total of 12 observable administration steps, including their clinical risk, were defined by an expert panel of physicians and pharmacists. Seven handling errors were rated with a high clinical risk, such as “Not shaking the spray can at all before administration”. In demonstrations by adolescent patients, a median of three (Q25/Q75; 2/4.5; min/max 1/7) handling errors were identified. The most frequent error was releasing the pump dome too quickly after pushing down (11/19, 58%). At least one error with high clinical risk (score: 5–6) was identified in 15/19 (79%) of patients’ administrations. Conclusions: The developed demonstration model facilitates the visualization of handling errors in rectal foam administration that would otherwise not be accessible in routine care. A high rate of clinically relevant handling errors was identified in adolescents. Prospectively, the model can be used to practice rectal foam administration and address patient handling errors to increase patient safety. Full article

Existing studies often reduce private firms’ environmental behaviors to mere greenwashing, rarely unpacking the underlying mechanisms that drive polluting enterprises to develop and sustain substantive compliance. This paper constructs a “Relational Self-Governing” analytical framework grounded in Self-Governance Theory’s core premise of stakeholder interdependence, identifying local social relationality as a critical mechanism that addresses the theory’s inherent limitations of narrow actor scope and interest-bound action logic. This mechanism drives polluting firms to maintain stable, substantive environmental compliance that exceeds minimum legal requirements. This finding expands Self-Governance Theory’s interest-centered practical strategy spectrum and enriches the analytical connotation of corporate agency embedded in localized environmental governance practices. Hierarchical environmental supervision pressures push firms to align operational targets with governmental environmental objectives, while embedded local social relations reinforce compliance incentives to sustain long-term substantive environmental practices. Three core relational paths underpin this process: goal alignment with local governments, peer recognition among firm owners, and shared environmental responsibility with local residents. Leveraging these paths, firms build stable interactive systems spanning government information sharing, inter-firm mutual supervision, and resident collaborative action, collectively constructing organizational legitimacy. This process gradually institutionalizes substantive environmental compliance and fosters public interest-aligned compliance behaviors. This study counters the one-sided greenwashing narrative in prior literature, extending Self-Governance Theory’s application by unpacking the unique operational logic of corporate substantive compliance in environmental governance. Full article

The current interest in lunar exploration led by the Artemis program is pushing scientists to search for lunar water deposits directly on the surface of the Moon, using small robotic rovers. The Institute of Experimental and Applied Physics, Czech Technical University, Prague (IEAP CTU), is developing a miniature Timepix3-based detector called Neutron HardPix, which is capable of mapping water deposits using non-invasive detection of neutrons created underground by cosmic rays and thermalized by hydrogen. This neutron spectrometer measures count rate variations in thermal, epithermal and fast neutrons attributed to hydrogen abundance in the lunar subsurface, while monitoring cosmic radiation as a natural source of neutrons. Neutron HardPix is based on the miniature (<0.1 U, 130 g) radiation monitor HardPix, and has significant space heritage. Full article

Comprehensive data on sagittal spinal alignment, regional mobility, trunk muscle strength and imbalances in 9–11-year-old children participating in intensively organized sport (IOS) are limited. This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between IOS participation and the aforementioned postural parameters, compared with a non-intensive comparison cohort. A total of 143 children were included (IOS: n = 66; controls: n = 77). Sagittal spinal curvatures (thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis) and regional mobility were assessed using Spinal Mouse^®, software-generated sagittal spinal curvature and trunk muscle imbalance profiles were assessed using Moti Physio 3D system, and absolute trunk muscle strength was measured using a K-Push dynamometer. Statistical analyses included multivariable ANCOVA, multivariable ordinal logistic regression, Fisher’s exact tests, and Benjamini–Hochberg (BH) adjustments, with significance set at p ≤ 0.05. In adjusted ANCOVA models, the IOS group demonstrated significantly higher absolute trunk flexor (20.1 ± 0.5 vs. 16.8 ± 0.5 kgf) and extensor (25.5 ± 0.5 vs. 22.7 ± 0.5 kgf) strength than controls (both p < 0.001), independent of demographic and anthropometric covariates. At the univariate level, the comparison group showed a significantly higher prevalence of software-classified weakness of the m. rectus abdominis (88.3% vs. 72.7%; BH-adjusted p = 0.05) and tightness of the m. psoas major (96.1% vs. 83.3%; BH-adjusted p = 0.05). In contrast, sagittal spinal curvatures and mobility did not differ between groups. After BH adjustment, m. quadratus lumborum differences showed only a non-significant trend (BH-adjusted p = 0.06). Structural parameters were mainly associated with biological factors: age showed an independent association with lumbar lordosis severity (BH-adjusted p = 0.03), whereas sex was independently associated with thoracic (BH-adjusted p = 0.01) and lumbar spine mobility (BH-adjusted p = 0.03). In summary, IOS participation in children aged 9–11 years is associated with greater absolute trunk strength, whereas structural sagittal spinal profiles and software-based muscle-imbalance classifications appear to be driven primarily by age and sex. These findings support integrating non-invasive posture screening with trunk strength assessment when monitoring young athletes and planning developmentally appropriate exercise interventions. Full article

This study examines how migration influences key issues in the economy and the labour market, and whether the latest EU-level policy initiatives—including the EU Talent Pool initiative—may affect the balance between labour supply and demand. The analysis is based on a structured review of legislation and theoretical literature, with particular attention paid to comparative studies of the EU labour market and international policy assessments produced by organisations such as the OECD and the European Commission. The research also found that migration can contribute positively to economic performance by alleviating labour shortages and improving the match between skills and jobs. Some of the literature analysed in the research also points out that migration may have a negative impact on wages, tending to push them downwards, and that collective labour institutions also face challenges in relation to migration. New platforms such as the EU Talent Pool could be a suitable tool for improving coordination between labour supply and demand. Overall, the study concludes that the economic effects of migration are not uniform; its impact on wages may be negative in certain sectors, but this can be offset and influenced by Member States’ regulatory practices and collective labour law institutions. Full article

The recycling of construction and demolition waste and the reduction of carbon emissions are important issues in sustainable construction. Recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) is promising for structural use, but the weak old mortar and multiple interfacial transition zones in recycled coarse aggregate (RCA) may reduce the load-transfer capacity at the steel–concrete interface. To address this problem, this study developed carbonated recycled aggregate concrete-filled flat steel tube (FST-CRAC) members and investigated their interfacial bond–slip behavior through material strength tests and push-out tests on nine specimens. The effects of RCA replacement ratio, carbonation treatment, section aspect ratio, and width-to-thickness ratio were examined. RCA was carbonated at 0.5 MPa for 24 h. The 28-day compressive strength increased from 32.6 to 44.3 MPa in the uncarbonated P series and from 36.2 to 46.2 MPa in the carbonated T series. However, because the two series were developed through separate preliminary mix-design trials, these differences should be interpreted as being jointly associated with carbonation treatment and mix-proportion adjustments rather than as evidence of an isolated causal effect of carbonation. Push-out failure was governed by interfacial debonding, local crushing near the corners, and post-peak frictional slip, with damage consistently concentrated at the short sides and corners of the flat section. Carbonation treatment increased the peak bond load by 2.85–26.23%, with the largest benefit observed at a moderate replacement ratio, while increasing the RCA replacement ratio from 50% to 100% increased the peak load by 27.90% for uncarbonated specimens but only 4.21% for carbonated specimens, indicating that carbonation reduces the sensitivity of bond capacity to replacement ratio. A moderate increase in section aspect ratio increased the peak load by 22.30–25.86%, and reducing the width-to-thickness ratio increased the peak load by 5.95–40.92%. A four-linear bond–slip constitutive model was proposed to describe the full interfacial response, from initial bonding through peak degradation to residual friction. These findings provide experimental support for the use of carbonated recycled aggregates in steel tube-confined composite members and a basis for subsequent nonlinear analysis. Full article

Objective: To compare non-epidural labor, standard epidural analgesia, and dural puncture epidural analgesia with respect to labor progression, obstetric outcomes, analgesia-related outcomes, and neonatal results. Methods: This single-center retrospective observational cohort study included 168 term singleton parturients: 58 without epidural analgesia, 56 with standard epidural analgesia, and 54 with dural puncture epidural analgesia. The primary outcome was the duration of the second stage of labor. Secondary outcomes included first-stage duration, mode of delivery, blood loss, transfusion, analgesia quality, maternal side effects, umbilical venous pH, biochemical acidosis, Apgar scores, neonatal intensive care unit admission, and neonatal resuscitation. Analyses included group comparisons, adjusted models, quantile regression, Firth penalized logistic regression, propensity-score inverse probability weighting, and a nulliparous sensitivity analysis. Results: Second-stage duration was comparable across groups (median 40.0, 45.0, and 48.5 min in the no-epidural, standard epidural, and dural puncture epidural groups, respectively; p = 0.118). Active pushing time was likewise comparable (8.0, 8.5, and 12.0 min, respectively; p = 0.292), and quantile regression, together with a nulliparous sensitivity analysis—in which the second stage was longest in the no-epidural group—did not indicate epidural-related labor prolongation. Compared with standard epidural analgesia, dural puncture epidural analgesia showed numerically lower pain scores and a numerically lower rescue bolus requirement (30/54 [55.6%] vs. 39/56 [69.6%]; p = 0.183), although neither difference reached statistical significance. Umbilical cord venous pH and biochemical acidosis (cord venous pH < 7.20) did not differ significantly among groups (p = 0.266 and p = 0.335, respectively). The only neonatal endpoint that differed between groups was a recorded fetal acidosis flag, which was more frequent in the epidural groups (0%, 7.1%, and 16.7%; p = 0.004) but was not corroborated by objective cord pH, Apgar scores, neonatal resuscitation, or a significant increase in neonatal intensive care unit admission (5.2%, 10.7%, and 16.7%; p = 0.145). Conclusions: Contemporary low-dose standard epidural and dural puncture epidural analgesia were not associated with clinically meaningful prolongation of labor, active pushing time, or major obstetric intervention. Dural puncture epidural analgesia showed a non-significant trend toward more favorable analgesic performance compared with standard epidural analgesia. Objective neonatal acid–base measures (cord venous pH and biochemical acidosis) did not differ significantly between groups; only a recorded fetal acidosis flag was more frequent in the epidural groups, without correlation to objective cord pH or to adverse clinical neonatal outcomes. These results support the obstetric and neonatal safety of contemporary low-dose epidural techniques; the isolated recorded acidosis signal warrants confirmation in prospective studies with standardized cord blood gas sampling. Full article

The National Transport Safety Board found that Wheels-Up Landing was the second highest defining event for aircraft accidents from 2008 to 2022. The increasing push for sustainable propulsion and accompanying novel airframe architectures present new integration and safety challenges for aircraft design and development, among which is the structural integrity and crashworthiness of the aircraft under such extreme events. This paper examines the regulations and design requirements governing aircraft emergency Wheels-Up Landing scenarios, emphasising their implications for aircraft safety and structural integrity. It consolidates standards from aviation authorities, such as the FAA and EASA, which identify and define key requirements relating to occupant safety and fire prevention and protection during such events. The paper then considers the Wheels-Up Landing scenario and its design requirements within the context of future novel aircraft employing sustainable propulsion systems, from higher bypass turbofan to electric- and hydrogen-based technologies. The unique characteristics and challenges of these emerging propulsion technologies are described, highlighting how alternative structural configurations, weight distributions and powerplant architectures may influence the aircraft response under a Wheels-Up Landing event. Finally, an exploration of predictive modelling strategies and methods currently used in Wheels-Up Landing analysis was conducted. While reviewing the breadth of accurate, high-fidelity modelling methods targeting fuselage impact, it also highlighted the gap in both considering the increasingly relevant and frequent powerplant impact scenarios, and the provision of lightweight modelling approaches necessary to rapidly and adequately address the emergency Wheels-Up Landing response early in the aircraft design process. Full article

Physical ability testing is an essential part of police education, as fitness assessments indicate students’ preparedness for police work. Clear documentation and reporting of test protocols and measurement properties are essential for interpreting, evaluating, and comparing the usefulness of different test batteries. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to map the fitness tests used in police education programs internationally, including reporting standards of test protocols, reliability, validity, and sex-based test specificity, thereby providing insight into the physical abilities considered important for police work. The main searches were conducted in the databases CINAHL, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science. The database search yielded 1323 articles, of which 92 met the inclusion criteria. An additional nine articles were included through citation and hand searching. Of the 101 studies, 95 used an average of 4–5 general fitness tests, and 29 included work-related police tests. Test protocols were generally well documented across studies. However, only a few studies included in this review assessed test–retest reliability, and only a limited number of studies, whose primary aim was to validate the tests, evaluated test validity. The most commonly used assessments were upper-body and core muscular endurance (60 s push-up, maximum pull-up, and 60 s sit-up tests), upper-body muscular strength (hand-grip test), lower-body power (standing long jump, and vertical jump tests), and aerobic capacity (20 m multistage fitness, 2400 m Cooper, and 12 min Cooper tests. Only 19 studies reported sex-specific performance standards, including differences in test execution, scoring systems, VO_2max estimation, or time limits. The findings indicate that tests of upper-body muscular endurance and strength, lower-body power, and aerobic capacity are among the most frequently measured physical abilities in police education programs internationally, while also highlighting the need for more standardized reporting of test protocols, reliability, and validity. Full article

Under climate warming, bark beetle outbreaks increasingly threaten forest health. Hylurgops longipillus, a native bark beetle in Northeast China, causes patchy mortality in Pinus koraiensis plantations. We developed an integrated emergency control system based on host selection chemical ecology. Damage characterization revealed that adults concentrated on trees with 10–50% crown needle yellowing, and infestations expanded as discrete patches radiating from multiple epicenters. Electrophysiological and behavioral assays of host volatiles and some of their isomers yielded a highly effective attractant (69.4 adults per five-trap set over 5 d, 1.8× control) and a repellent reducing ethanol-baited trap catches by 83.3%. Emergency control techniques consisted of integrated management combining removal and safe disposal of infested trees, chemical stump sealing, push–pull trapping, and tree vigor enhancement. Three-year monitoring showed ~94% decline in trap catches, no subsequent outbreaks, and stable control. This attractant-centered, chemical ecology-based system can rapidly suppress H. longipillus outbreaks and achieve long-term management, providing a scientific basis and operational framework for similar localized bark beetle emergencies under climate warming. Full article

China pushes forward two key national strategies, namely common prosperity and Healthy China. Many papers have discussed how urban common prosperity and urban healthy development evolve across space, yet most of these works cannot match the practical needs of local high-quality urban construction in Guangdong. This study takes various cities in Guangdong Province as the research area and utilizes multi-source big data from 2010 to 2025 so that it constructs a multidimensional evaluation system for the two major systems. Subsequently, this research employs methods including a deep weighted neural network to conduct empirical analysis. The results show that the urban common prosperity index in Guangdong Province exhibits an overall continuous upward trend. However, common prosperity gradually deviates from the development pattern that matches the economic driving forces. Meanwhile, the prominent advantages of urban healthy development gradually shift from eastern Guangdong to the core area of the Pearl River Delta, which establishes an overwhelming leading position for the Pearl River Delta. Furthermore, the regional development level plays a certain promoting role in healthy development. Spatially, common prosperity and urban healthy development exhibit phased non-linear characteristics, which encompass synchronous growth, growth rate divergence, and trend deviation. This study provides empirical evidence and practical support for Guangdong Province so that policymakers can comprehensively advance common prosperity and healthy city construction. Ultimately, these efforts optimize the regional development layout, which promotes high-quality and sustainable urban development. Full article

As rapid population aging coincides with intensifying urban heat island (UHI) effects, ensuring the outdoor thermal comfort of the elderly in hot–humid regions has become a critical challenge. This study investigates the influence of residential spatial morphology and wind environment on elderly thermal comfort in Fuzhou, China, by integrating PHOENICS and RayMan numerical simulations with a multivariate statistical framework. The Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) was calculated across three metabolic intensities (sedentary, walking, and exercising), while the LMG algorithm was used in R to identify the driving mechanisms. Residential layouts are stratified into High-Performance (Group A) and High-Risk (Group B) categories based on their thermal risk. In Group A, the microclimate is convective-dominant wind speed and air changes per hour are the primary determinants of thermal comfort. Conversely, Group B exhibits a radiation-dominant mechanism, with the sky view factor acting as the primary driver of heat stress in confined environments. Furthermore, metabolic intensity emerges as a decisive factor, as physical exercise frequently pushes PET beyond the 37.1 °C threshold even in high-performance layouts. Accordingly, this study proposes differentiated strategies: prioritizing ventilation-led optimization for Group A and radiation-shielding interventions for Group B, while advocating for supplementary active cooling in high-intensity activity zones to safeguard the geriatric population during peak summer heat. Full article

Battery-powered mobile robots that rely on an edge server for perception spend energy in three places at once: the on-board processor, the radio front end and the drivetrain. These budgets are normally optimised separately, which is a mistake, as lowering the processor clock pushes work onto the wireless link, transmitting into a poor channel costs far more than waiting for a better one, and where the robot drives determines what the channel will be. We formulate the co-management of all three as a minimisation of long-run average energy for a fleet sharing an access point and subject to task deadlines, a power budget and a mission-progress constraint that forces every policy under comparison to cover the same ground. The resulting stochastic mixed-integer non-convex program is made tractable by a Lyapunov drift-plus-penalty argument that decomposes it into four per-slot subproblems: a square-root clock rule, a water-filling transmit-power rule with an explicit on/off test, a join-the-shorter-queue offloading split, and a short lookahead over admissible speeds. The policy needs no channel or workload statistics and attains an A per-task deadline mechanism, feasibility floors on the clock and transmit decisions, and closes the gap between queue-stability guarantees and individual task deadlines, which drift arguments alone do not bound. The policy needs no channel or workload statistics and attains an $\left[O\right(1/V),O(V\left)\right]$ energy–delay tradeoff, stated under precisely qualified assumptions. In a per-task simulation study against six baselines, the policy reduced combined communication and computation power by 25% relative to the strongest deadline-compliant baseline ($p<{10}^{-4}$) at equal mission progress, and was the only scheme to hold deadline violations below 0.5% across the full load range, where every baseline exceeded 16% at high load. Full article