Search Results (485)

With the rapid advancement of urbanization in China, the issue of imbalanced regional distribution of EFI has become increasingly prominent, given its role as a core component of ecological civilization construction. To scientifically identify spatial disparities in environmental facility development across China’s urban agglomerations, this study examines 138 cities within China’s ten major urban agglomerations. By constructing a multidimensional comprehensive evaluation index system, and employing entropy weighting, the Dagum Gini coefficient, kernel density estimation, and the spatial β-convergence model, this study systematically analyzes regional differences in China’s EFI development levels from 2014 to 2024. This study found that the overall level of EFI in China exhibits a gradient pattern, characterized by “higher in the east and lower in the west, stronger in the south and weaker in the north.” The Pearl River Delta and Yangtze River Delta regions consistently rank in the top tier, while the Central Plains and Guanzhong regions lag significantly behind. Regional disparities follow an inverted U-shaped trend, widening initially and then narrowing, with the gaps primarily stemming from interregional interactions. Spatial agglomeration is evident among urban agglomerations, and late-developing regions such as Chengdu–Chongqing and the Middle Yangtze River region are converging at a relatively rapid pace. Based on these findings, it is recommended to strengthen cross-regional coordination mechanisms, implement differentiated development strategies, and accelerate the transition to smart infrastructure to promote the balanced and coordinated development of EFI, thereby supporting high-quality, green, and low-carbon regional development. Full article

Background and Clinical Significance: Early loss of pacing capture after pacemaker generator replacement is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening event, especially in pacemaker-dependent patients. In this setting, device malfunction is often initially attributed to intrinsic lead damage, prompting consideration of invasive lead revision or extraction. However, not all early failures reflect true structural lead dysfunction. Careful interpretation of device interrogation findings, particularly in relation to pacing configuration, may uncover reversible causes and support a more targeted diagnostic and management approach; Case Presentation: A 61-year-old man with complete atrioventricular block presented with recurrent syncope six days after elective pacemaker generator replacement. The electrocardiogram showed absence of effective ventricular pacing with a slow escape rhythm. Device interrogation revealed loss of ventricular capture in bipolar configuration associated with markedly elevated impedance, initially raising concern for lead malfunction. However, switching to unipolar pacing restored effective capture with normal electrical parameters, suggesting preserved lead integrity and prompting reconsideration of the underlying mechanism. Further diagnostic evaluation, including imaging and intraoperative assessment, was therefore undertaken to clarify the cause and guide management; Conclusions: Early pacing failure should not automatically be equated with lead damage. Beyond documenting a reversible lead–header interface problem, this case highlights the diagnostic value of a stepwise approach integrating pacing configuration behavior, targeted imaging, and intraoperative header-independent testing. Such an approach may facilitate rapid localization of reversible defects and help avoid unnecessary lead revision. Full article

Bioequivalence (BE) studies are essential to file an abbreviated new drug application (ANDA) against an innovator drug product. Conventional BE studies can be complex, time-consuming, and operationally challenging, particularly for products with long half-life drugs, high variability, or formulation complexity. Advances in quantitative modeling and simulation have expanded the role of model-generated information in generic drug development from a supportive role toward providing critical regulatory evidence. Model-Integrated Bioequivalence (MIBE) represents a focused application of this paradigm in which mechanistic or empirical models are used to directly support BE determination. While physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) and physiologically based biopharmaceutics modeling (PBBM) approaches have been widely discussed in the literature, increasing attention is being directed toward population pharmacokinetic (POP-PK) modeling for MIBE implementation, particularly when mechanistic assumptions are uncertain or extensive in vitro characterization is impractical. This review provides a contemporary overview of MIBE in generic drug development, with a specific emphasis on POP-PK-based approaches. Key quantitative modeling frameworks are discussed along with evolving regulatory perspectives that support the integration of model-based evidence for BE assessment. We illustrate six diverse hypothetical case examples covering different formulations, a variety of BE scenarios and using MIBE to answer specific regulatory questions on BE. Collectively, this manuscript addresses an important topic of MIBE for complex and non-complex generic formulations and may provoke thinking among the generic companies to use such approaches in the regulatory context to enable faster and timely approval to bring the necessary medicines to the market at a rapid pace. Full article

As AI-powered e-commerce platforms grow more capable of predicting customer wants, a critical question remains unexplored: what makes customers perceive these experiences positively? The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into e-commerce platforms is reshaping how customers search for, evaluate, and experience digital services. However, empirical research has not kept pace with clarifying which platform-level factors most effectively shape customer experience (CX) in AI-driven environments. This study validated the Trust, Autonomy, Personalization, and Customer Engagement (TAPE) framework as a comprehensive set of CX drivers in intelligent commerce. Using survey data from 400 active e-commerce users, we employed a multi-stage approach combining exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and covariance-based structural equation modeling (SEM) with bootstrapped mediation testing. All four TAPE drivers demonstrated significant positive reflective associations with CX, with personalization and engagement emerging as the strongest contributors. CX was strongly associated with customer satisfaction, loyalty, and brand equity, and mediated the effects of all four dimensions on these strategic outcomes, with model comparison evidence supporting full mediation. The study contributes theoretically by integrating and empirically validating four established CX dimensions within the AI-enabled e-commerce context, and by demonstrating the central mediating role of CX in converting intelligent platform features into user-perceived strategic value. Managerially, the TAPE framework provides actionable guidance for designing transparent, adaptive, and engaging AI-driven customer journeys that enhance both experience quality and long-term brand outcomes. Full article

Increasing recognition of the clinical impact of isolated tricuspid regurgitation has led to rapid expansion of surgical and transcatheter tricuspid valve interventions. Given the close anatomic relationship between the tricuspid valve and the atrioventricular conduction system, both surgical and transcatheter approaches carry a significant risk of new conduction disturbances and permanent pacemaker implantation. A three-dimensional understanding of the atrioventricular conduction axis is essential to anticipate and mitigate these complications. This review provides a comprehensive overview of conduction system anatomy and physiology in the context of tricuspid valve interventions, highlighting the mechanisms underlying procedure-related conduction abnormalities. We also discuss contemporary management strategies, including approaches to pre-existing transvalvular leads, valve-sparing pacing alternatives, and the evolving role of electrophysiologists within the multidisciplinary heart team. Full article

Integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into design education is no longer optional; it has become an essential tool for enhancing innovative design and preparing students for data-driven practice and rapid technological acceleration. However, ignoring AI risks professional irrelevance; it introduces a range of concerns about students’ cognitive skills and comes with many drawbacks in the education process, as it threatens the attainment of learning outcomes, renders a fair assessment process unachievable, and places academic integrity in a vulnerable position. Using a qualitative case study approach, this research employs semi-structured interviews with 27 senior-year students in the interior design department to gain in-depth academic insights into how AI influenced their design process in their term project and its impact on their cognitive development and decision -making. Instructors’ observations on students’ skills, their pace in the project, and their end-products were documented. This study demonstrates that integrating AI into design education cannot be avoided, making a new paradigm for addressing design education inevitable. Based on the analysis, the paper proposes a conceptual framework outlining key dimensions in teaching and assessing strategies in design education adopting AI, focusing on analysis, critical thinking, reasoning, and process rather than on the end-product and its presentation. Full article

With the rapid advancement in Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), AI-generated content (AIGC) lacking human cognitive oversight is increasingly permeating open web environments and academic communication systems. This study integrates longitudinal retraction data (Retraction Watch Database, 1990–2026), web-scale analyses of AI-content penetration (Common Crawl, 2013–2026), and bibliometric mapping of governance scholarship (Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, Google Scholar, 2020–2026) to diagnose the cross-level misalignment between synthetic-content diffusion, AI-related misconduct pressure, and governance attention. On this basis, it proposes a Normalized Coverage Index (NCI) to measure the relative relationship between scholarly attention to AI-related academic misconduct governance and the level of misconduct pressure observed through retraction data across disciplines. The results reveal pronounced asymmetries at the disciplinary level. Fields such as chemistry (0.04), physics, mathematics & statistics (0.11), and life sciences & biology (0.34) exhibit clear governance gaps, whereas Education shows a comparatively excessive level of attention (NCI = 29.26). Since 2022, AIGC has expanded rapidly across open web corpora, accompanied by a sharp rise in AI-related retractions, which also exhibit a longer detection lag than traditional forms of misconduct (2.77 years vs. 1.91 years). Although the volume of academic governance-related research has grown rapidly, its proportion within the broader body of AI-related research has declined, suggesting that scholarly attention to governance has not kept pace with technological diffusion. Consequently, a structural misalignment in governance—closely tied to the allocation of attention—has emerged within the academic system in the era of GenAI. This misalignment may pose potential risks to the robustness of the knowledge production system. Addressing it requires rebuilding epistemic infrastructure through provenance transparency, auditable workflows, and governance-aware seed corpora aligned with empirically concentrated risks. Full article

The main purpose of the research is to rank EU member states by the intensity of their efforts to implement the CE model. Understanding EU member states’ differences is crucial to formulating effective policy measures that foster sustainable development and enhance economic resilience across the EU. The degree of CE development was examined through three sub-indicators: (i) private investment related to CE sectors; (ii) persons employed in CE sectors; and (iii) gross value added as a percentage of GDP. Data from the Eurostat database for the last five available years were used. Hierarchical agglomerative cluster analysis is used to identify groups of structurally similar countries. Countries are ranked using the PROMETHEE II multi-criteria decision-making method with objectively derived CRITIC weights, complemented by GAIA visualisation. The analysis identifies five distinct clusters with a highly heterogeneous CE landscape across the EU. The PROMETHEE-GAIA research results reveal two different paths on which European countries are moving towards CE. The first, characterized by high structural maturity but limited dynamic flexibility, is evident in Sweden and Belgium. And the second path, illustrated by Estonia and Croatia, is distinguished by a rapid pace of transformation and lower historical structural capacities. Full article

Stripe rust of wheat, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), is one of the most devastating diseases that seriously threatens global wheat security. In the 21st century, Pst biology, epidemiology, and evolutionary pace have been altered far more quickly than expected because of climate variability. Warmer winters, along with erratic rainfall and increasing periods of leaf wetness, are continuously changing the geographic distribution of Pst. This may accelerate the emergence of races adapted to high temperatures and enhanced virulence, enabling their expansion into new agroecosystems. Despite extensive breeding efforts, varietal resistance is increasingly short-lived under the pressure of rapidly evolving lineages of the pathogen. Pst infection can be managed through integrative management practices, including biological control agents (BCAs), cultural and agronomic practices, rotation, and targeted application of fungicides. Varietal resistance, as well as disease management, is discussed in addition to recent advances in understanding pathogen biology, climatic influences, virulence evolution, and host resistance. Furthermore, this review highlights the need for climate-smart disease-resistant varieties breeding, a disease surveillance network, and diversified, eco-friendly control strategies to safeguard wheat production in an era of rapid environmental change. Full article

Background and objectives: Odontogenic abscess represents a serious infection in the head and neck region with the necessity of immediate treatment. Due to the fast pacing and progression, as well possibly severe consequences of this condition, it is important to have a fast and reliable biomarker to adequately monitor these patients. Since serum procalcitonin and C-reactive protein (CRP) are the most commonly used clinical biomarkers to monitor serious infections, the aim of this study was to investigate their temporal profiles in hospitalized patients undergoing surgical management of odontogenic abscesses. Materials and methods: This longitudinal, multicentric study was conducted on 65 patients with odontogenic abscesses at the University Hospital of Split and Dubrava University Hospital. Biomarker levels were assessed at admission and at four time points during the early and middle postoperative periods to evaluate initial elevations, treatment-associated changes, and differences in kinetic behavior. Results: After converting real procalcitonin and CRP values to proportions, a Δ between the time points was calculated. There was a statistically significant difference in the Δ proportion between procalcitonin and CRP in the 0–6 h time frame (19.3 (10.6–27.8)% vs. 7.2 (−3.0–20.4)%, p < 0.001) and the 24–48 h time frame (30.8 (24.5–35.0)% vs. 51.7 (30.5–57.7)%, p < 0.001). Furthermore, multiple linear regression analysis showed that procalcitonin at time point 0 (p = 0.037), 6 h (p = 0.009) and 24 h (p = 0.038) significantly predicted hospitalization duration after model adjustment for age, gender, BMI and pre-admission antibiotic treatment. Conclusions: The findings of this study show that procalcitonin exhibits a faster and more pronounced decrease in the early postoperative period compared with the CRP values. Following the middle postoperative period both biomarkers decreased in association with clinical improvement; however, procalcitonin demonstrated an earlier and more consistent decline. The observed pattern indicates a rapid dynamic of procalcitonin values during the early postoperative phase and supports its potential value for early monitoring of surgical treatment response in odontogenic abscesses. Full article

With the growing significance of renewable energy resources and energy storage systems, the number of grid-connected inverters has been rising at an increasingly rapid pace. Generally, these inverters are directly integrated with the distribution network by synchronizing with the grid voltage at the point of common coupling. However, the low grid strength and varying R/X ratios, as the common characteristics of most distribution networks or weak grids, can lead to dynamic interactions that comprise stability and limit the power transfer capacity of grid-connected inverters. To ensure stable operation of the inverters, researchers must determine the stability boundary, described as the maximum power transfer capacity of grid-connected inverters under the premise of maintaining system small-signal stability. For this purpose, we propose to formulate a state-space model of the system in the synchronously rotating dq-frame of reference and perform eigenvalue analysis to determine the stability boundary. With a detailed model of the control structure and parameters of the grid-connected inverters, the stability boundary is identified as a surface with respect to different grid strengths and R/X ratios. Case study results of proposed eigenvalue analysis are compared with those of admittance model-based stability analysis as well as time-domain simulation using a switching model in Matlab/Simulink, validating the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed eigenvalue analysis for stability boundary identification. Full article

Food waste is an issue that affects human and environmental health around the planet. At colleges and universities, food waste poses a serious concern, as its impact can be compared to that of mini-cities or large corporations. Identifying an institution’s capacity to reduce and redistribute food waste is critical to decreasing its carbon footprint and maintaining sustainability. Understanding the nature of waste produced at a university’s buildings is the first step in establishing effective waste management plans; however, campus cafeterias, being the primary source of food waste, are typically the focus. Limited research emphasis has been placed on assessing food waste generated in campus dormitories. This project tests the hypothesis that food waste generated from dormitories at the main campus of Adelphi University, a private liberal arts institution in New York, is a significant component of waste. To analyze post-consumer trash disposal patterns, garbology methods were utilized. Trash collected at dormitories between 2022 and 2024 was sorted and weighed. This mixed-methods analysis included student interviews of waste perceptions. Food waste was the primary waste type generated in the halls, followed by food and beverage packaging, including containers, napkins, and utensils. In particular, food waste comprised 32% of sampled dormitory waste. Interview results integrated with these quantitative results demonstrated student perceptions of food led to food waste, such as perceived level of cooking, portion sizes, and home context. These results suggest that any efforts to improve campus sustainability through management of food waste–such as composting or anaerobic digestion–must encompass dormitories as well as cafeterias. As the world’s population continues to rise at a rapid pace, primarily in metropolitan areas, the volume of waste generated by this growth must be managed to address planetary health. Full article

A substantial number of potential underground carbon storage reservoirs exist in regions that contain permafrost (continuously frozen layers of the subsurface), such as in the Alaskan North Slope. The extent and depth of these permafrost layers are changing globally at a rapid pace on the geologic timescale, which warrants continued research and observation. In order to prepare for successful carbon sequestration projects in these regions, in this work, we investigate the outcome from the potential scenario of carbon dioxide encountering the permafrost at depth. This article reviews currently available literature pertaining to the characteristics of permafrost for carbon storage in the case of the injection of carbon dioxide into deep onshore underground reservoirs. This study compares research showing evidence of both the flow of carbon dioxide gas through permafrost and the storage of carbon dioxide gas by permafrost. The findings suggest more research is needed, and several future research areas are outlined in this work. Full article

This study employs CiteSpace 6.3 R1 software to conduct a quantitative analysis of 645 cavitation-related centrifugal pump publications from the Web of Science Core Collection database (2007–2025) using bibliometric methods. The analysis encompasses publication volume statistics, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and keyword clustering. The results indicate that research on centrifugal pump cavitation is currently in a phase of rapid development. The annual number of publications related to centrifugal pump cavitation shows an overall fluctuating upward trend, with Jiangsu University emerging as the leading research institution. The research hotspots include fault diagnosis, impeller design, numerical simulation, and validation, forming four major developmental pathways. Research on cavitation in centrifugal pumps has gradually shifted its focus from numerical simulation to practical engineering issues such as pressure pulsation and cavitation, with hot topics evolving at an accelerated pace. Future efforts must address challenges like cavitation monitoring and high-precision simulation to comprehensively enhance the anti-cavitation performance and operational reliability of centrifugal pumps. Full article

The rapid pace of digital transformation has increased organizations’ reliance on digital technologies and collaborative systems as key drivers of technological innovation. However, the mechanisms through which digital trust, digital technology, and digital capability shape innovation performance—particularly through knowledge sharing—remain insufficiently explored. This study examined the relationships among these digital enablers and innovation performance, positioning knowledge sharing as a central mediating mechanism grounded in the Knowledge-Based View and Open Innovation Theory. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected through a structured survey of 280 professionals working in IT, software development, telecommunications, and other technology-intensive industries. Convenience sampling was employed, and statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS to assess reliability, validity, and structural relationships. The findings revealed that digital trust, digital technology, and digital capability significantly enhance knowledge-sharing practices, which in turn positively influence innovation performance. Moreover, knowledge sharing was found to play a critical mediating role in translating digital enablers into innovation outcomes. This study contributes to the digital innovation literature by highlighting the importance of digital preparedness and collaborative knowledge practices in fostering technological innovation. The findings also offer practical insights for organizations seeking to strengthen innovation performance by developing digital capabilities, fostering trust, and promoting effective knowledge-sharing cultures in technology-intensive environments. Full article