Search Results (39,569)

Repetitive magnetic stimulation (rMS) and static magnetic stimulation (sMS) are currently employed as adjunctive therapies for specific neurological conditions. Despite substantial advances in cancer treatment, unfavorable prognoses and outcomes persist, especially for aggressive tumors, including glioblastoma and acute myeloid leukemia. The utilization of magnetic fields has shown antitumoral benefits in both in vitro and animal studies, suggesting its potential as an efficient non-invasive therapeutic approach; nevertheless, the precise mechanisms of action remain unclear. This scoping review intended to identify published research investigating the effects of sMS and rMS in in vitro and in vivo models to evaluate their impacts on morphological and molecular parameters. Four databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus) were assessed; the search strategy was limited to the past twenty-five years of data publication. Studies utilizing rMS or sMS as a treatment for conditions other than cancers, as well as those not considering these therapies as adjunctive therapy, were eliminated. Nine articles using rMS were included: three in vitro, two employing animal models, and the remaining four including both cellular and animal-based analyses. Sixteen studies using sMS were identified: twelve in vitro, three in vivo, and one with both models. The findings show that both rMS and sMS elicit a diverse array of biological responses in cancer cells, which are very variable and greatly influenced by tumor type, stimulation frequency, magnetic field intensity, exposure length, and experimental conditions. Full article

Against the backdrop of a gradual shift in the focus of cultural heritage (CH) conservation and utilization toward the integrated system formed by CH and its surrounding environment as well as regional systems, research on the coordinated protection of nature and culture to promote regional high-quality development has become a new trend. However, systematic summaries of the spatial–temporal distribution of CH in cross-regional typical geomorphic units at the river basin scale and their correlation with the natural environment remain insufficient. This study takes 387 Cultural Relics Protection Units in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River (the Three Gorges region) as the research objects, utilizing GIS spatial analysis technology to examine the impact of the natural environment on CH across different periods and types. The theory of time-depth is introduced to reveal the layering mechanisms and underlying cultural logics. Coupled with the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) model, this study constructs a cultural corridor network and proposes spatial planning strategies. The findings are as follows: (1) The absolute core area for the distribution of CH across all periods remains the gentle slope zone near the river, characterized by elevations below 500 m, slopes within 25°, and distances from water systems within 1 km. However, the adaptive scope exhibits a diachronic evolution from core accumulation to peripheral expansion. (2) Different types of CH exhibited distinct natural adaptation strategies and vertical accumulation. Settlement Sites in the Before Qin Dynasty Period formed the foundational layer of survival rationality, while Ordinary Tombs in the Qin–Yuan Dynasty Period reinforced sedentism. Ancient Architecture in the Ming–Qing Dynasty Period underwent a transformation from “adapting to nature” to “reconstructing nature” as a product of environmental construction. Modern and Contemporary Significant Historical Sites and Representative Buildings in the After Qing Dynasty Period are characterized by a ruptured insertion on steep slopes, inscribing revolutionary memory onto space. The main stream of the Yangtze River serves as the core area of continuous deposition, while the extremely steep slopes form a distinctive stratigraphic accumulation of precipitous terrain. (3) Based on these distribution patterns, the study further proposes a spatial framework for CH called “One Corridor, Three Wings.” This framework uses the main stream of the Yangtze River as the spatial–temporal axis, linking the four core overlapping nodes of Fengjie, Wushan, Badong, and Xiling, supplemented by three secondary cultural clusters of the red heritage sites in southern Badong, the ancient town along the Daning River in Wushan, and the fortress sites in the Xiling–Yiling area. This research not only reveals the evolutionary path of CH in the Three Gorges region, but also provides a scientific basis for the systematic conservation and differentiated utilization of regional CH. Furthermore, it serves as a planning foundation and strategic reference for planning the Yangtze River National Cultural Park, as well as for the integrated preservation and utilization of river basin CH and linear CH with the aim of coordinated natural and cultural conservation. Full article

The foundry industry produces over 66 million tons of mixed casting waste sand, containing toxic and harmful substances such as phenols and aldehydes, every year, which has caused serious soil pollution, water source pollution, and large amounts of CO₂ emissions. Green resource recycling and utilization are urgently needed. The hot method circulating fluidized bed furnace is currently the mainstream technology for the regeneration of casting waste sand. However, traditional equipment has a series of key technical bottlenecks, such as VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions, low yield of fine sand, poor stability of phase change sand, and uneven fluidization, which directly limit the effectiveness, large-scale promotion, and application of waste sand regeneration. This study, based on a self-designed experimental prototype, constructed models with different hood densities and inlet air velocity parameters. A CFD-DEM coupled model, combined with two turbulence models, was used for numerical simulations and experimental validation, and the optimal combination of fluidization parameters was determined. The study confirmed that the k–ω SST model is more suitable for precise simulation of such gas–solid two-phase flows. The research revealed quantitative relationships between key parameters and sand particle fluidization states, addressing the core problem of uneven fluidization in conventional bubbling furnaces and providing important guidance for the optimized design of new thermal cycle bubbling furnaces. It has significant engineering value for promoting the efficient resource utilization of foundry waste sand and the green and sustainable development of the industry. Full article

Product waste in grocery supply chains remains a major concern for multiple stakeholders, particularly retailers, due to the direct financial losses it generates and the potential risks it poses to customer health and safety. In this context, digital technologies—especially artificial intelligence (AI)—offer promising opportunities to improve retail performance and reduce waste. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate the factors influencing retailers’ intentions to adopt AI-based solutions for product waste reduction. To achieve this objective, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was extended by incorporating three additional constructs (i.e., perceived ethical responsibility, product waste reduction-related knowledge, and perceived economic utility of AI for product waste reduction). Data were collected from a purposive sample of 214 grocery retailers operating in major cities in northern Algeria. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed research model and hypotheses. The results indicate that retailers’ behavioral intentions to use AI for product waste reduction are significantly influenced by perceived economic utility of AI, AI for product waste reduction-related knowledge, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use. In contrast, perceived ethical responsibility for product waste reduction did not exhibit a statistically significant effect, although its relationship with behavioral intention was positive. This study contributes to the growing literature on AI adoption for waste reduction in the retail sector, particularly within developing country contexts, and offers practical insights for policymakers and industry stakeholders seeking to promote the adoption of digital technologies for sustainable supply chain management. Full article

At the current stage, water resource shortages and significant regional disparities in resource distribution severely restrict China’s food security. Existing research primarily focuses on resource use efficiency, while lacking a systematic framework to distinguish between equality and equity in the coupled distribution of irrigation water, grain production, and nitrogen pollution across major river basins. The core objective of this study is to utilize the Concentration Index (CI) to construct a unified equity assessment framework, quantify the evolution of equality and equity in irrigation water use, grain production, and nitrogen loss to surface water in different river basins in China from 1992 to 2017, and determine the key influencing factors. For positive production resources, a distribution that benefits low-income groups is equity, while for pollution burdens, this distribution pattern is inequity. The results show that water shortages in Northern China have intensified, and higher income groups have obtained excessive benefits. The distribution of grain production has shifted from favoring higher income groups to favoring low-income groups, with the Concentration Index changing from 0.214 to −0.052, indicating an enhancement in equity. Irrigation water use has shown a certain degree of improvement, with the CI dropping from 0.023 to 0.017. However, nitrogen loss to surface water has exacerbated environmental inequality, with the CI dropping from 0.10 to 0.03, indicating that pollution burdens have shifted to low-income groups. Changes in equity across the country are driven by a small number of high-intensity grain production areas, and the key influencing factors include food security policies, urbanization, population size, and nitrogen fertilizer application. An asymmetric coupling relationship exists between water resource shortages and equity, and the regional economic foundation determines the formation of synergy or trade-offs. The findings underscore the necessity of transitioning from efficiency-focused to equity-focused agricultural governance in China. Targeted policies should include cross-basin ecological compensation mechanisms, differentiated technology promotion strategies, and integrated water–food-pollution management systems to balance food security, environmental protection, and social justice. Full article

The growing integration of renewable energy sources in grid-connected microgrids (MG) has made it increasingly challenging to attain the most cost-effective and emission-efficient power dispatch in the face of uncertainty. This study addresses the scheduling problem of MG under utility-induced demand side load participation level for residential areas. Our research overcomes the constraints of conventional techniques by utilizing quantum-inspired particle swarm optimization (QPSO) to improve the operational efficiency and resilience of MG’s. In this study, a three-stage stochastic framework is proposed to address the optimal energy scheduling of MGs while taking economic and emission aspects into account. Using real-time meteorological data, five Cases were investigated and simulated using MATLAB/Simulink. Without the involvement of load participation, MG’s producing units in first Case, had carbon emissions of 797.110 kg and an operating cost of 267.10 €. Similar to this, the impact of demand side on the MG was evaluated in the remaining Cases. According to the simulation results, the fifth Case, which has optimal DGs scheduling, is the suggested way to improve MGs efficiency and provide a dependable power supply with low operating costs, emission reduction, and convergence features. This study not only demonstrates the practicality of QPSO algorithms but also paves the way for more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy systems. Full article

Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI), particularly Foundation Models (FMs), has recently become a key component of Industry 5.0. Despite growing interest in integrating these technologies into industrial environments, comprehensive analyses of the socio-technical opportunities and challenges of deploying these emerging AI systems in real-world settings remain limited. This article proposes a socio-technical conceptual perspective, termed Responsible Agentic Robotics (RAR), which structures the lifecycle deployment of agentic AI-enabled robotic systems around three core layers: context, design, and value. Additionally, this article presents a brief review of 21 peer-reviewed studies published between 2023 and 2025 (post-ChatGPT era) on FMs and agentic AI-enabled Human–Robot Collaboration (HRC) in industrial assembly/disassembly environments. The results indicate that existing research remains predominantly technology-centric, with a strong emphasis on enhancing robot autonomy, while comparatively limited attention is devoted to human-centered and responsible practices. Moreover, empirical evaluations of human, social, and sustainability dimensions, such as worker empowerment, human factors, well-being, inclusivity, resource utilization, and environmental impact, are rarely conducted and poorly discussed. This article concludes by identifying key socio-technical gaps, outlining future research directions. Full article

Lasiosphaera calvatia (LC), referring to the dry fruiting bodies of certain puffball fungi, has been extensively used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Documented in the Mingyi Bielu, its traditional medicinal properties encompass clearing heat, detoxification, reducing swelling, and stopping bleeding. Modern applications include promoting wound healing, anti-cancer therapy, lowering blood sugar, relieving coughs, and combating HIV, among others. This comprehensive review explores the evolving scientific understanding of LC, covering its botany, traditional use, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicology, and quality control. A wide range of chemical components, including steroids, phenolics, volatile compounds, amino acids, polysaccharides, and polypeptides, have been isolated and identified using diverse analytical techniques. Among these, sterols (particularly ergosterol derivatives), polysaccharides, and polypeptides are considered the major bioactive constituents. The active ingredients of LC are associated with relatively few side effects, a characteristic that supports its use in pediatric populations and underscores its significant research potential. These findings validate the traditional uses of LC and lay the groundwork for further scientific exploration. The sources utilized in this study encompass Web of Science, PubMed, CNKI site, the Chinese Pharmacopoeia, and doctoral and master’s theses. Full article

The scientific community has addressed a wide range of research areas regarding the biotechnological potential of the silkworm silk gland of the Bombyx mori species. The silk gland has a remarkable capacity to synthesize two proteins, fibroin and sericin, each with a well-defined role. Recent research highlights fibroin as being used in the medical and pharmaceutical fields, with the possibility of expanding into nanotechnology. Sericin also has antibacterial, antioxidant, and moisturizing properties with use in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. This paper highlights the importance of the two proteins synthesized by the silkworm silk gland of Bombyx mori by highlighting their structure, chemical composition, and properties. The utilization of the silk gland from a biotechnological perspective can facilitate remarkable progress in various fields of research, the most important of which would be the medical field. Full article

In alternative education programs, school wellbeing is enacted partially through the spatialized (emplaced and embodied) lived experiences of students whose educational futures are fragile. Displaced to a series of trailers and limited to half-day attendance, the participants in this qualitative study were removed from mainstream classes in a large urban high school to attend alternative programming. Utilizing a critical counter-mapping youth participatory action approach, 24 participants mapped their barriers and supports to school wellbeing by moving through, sitting within, and writing together in the school spaces they were no longer permitted to occupy during their studies. As a research collective, students produced twenty-six annotated counter-maps, inscribing their school histories, present tensions, and hopes for educational futures onto existing geographical maps of the building. Findings contribute to understandings of students’ perspectives on best practices for complex school interactions as a foundation for building school climates that center educational wellbeing, care, play, and relationships. In addition to insights into current spatial practices in schools and how they might be rewritten to advance an equity-orientation, this work makes visible the tensions between the school’s emphasis on academic performance and the youth’s lived experiences of injustice on the spatial and metaphorical edges of the system. Full article

This study focuses on the instantaneous effects of fast charging technologies, in terms of the daily operation of mobile devices, and specifically on the trade-off between fast charge and discharge efficiency. A controlled experimental layout is used, containing three smart devices, iPhone 17 Pro, iPad 11 Air and MacBook Pro, and four variations in chargers. The research monitored important values like the voltage, current, power and thermal behavior of the selected devices. These comparative results showed that high-speed charging at 67 Watts causes peak temperatures in the battery to be 41.5 °C, which is significantly higher compared to charging under standard protocols of 20 W, with values of 33.1 °C. This thermal stress forces the battery outside of its optimum operating window and consequently increases the internal resistance of the battery which results in a reduction of about 5% of the subsequent discharge runtime. Although fast charging offers a rapid energy replenishment, the thermal penalty incurred by the fast charging process reduces the battery’s short-term utility, suggesting that standard charging is the best option to maximize the single-cycle duration. Full article

As vital repositories of Beijing’s cultural heritage, Qing Dynasty Qinwang (Prince of the First Rank) mansions offer profound insights into the era’s architectural evolution. Despite its significance, systematic architectural analysis of Prince Jingjin’s Mansion is lacking, with existing research primarily focusing on historical events. To address this gap, the present study focuses on Prince Jingjin’s Mansion as its research subject, utilizing historical document analysis, historical map comparison, field investigation, and space syntax analysis. This study investigates the succession of ownership, historical development, and architectural regulations, and outlines the complete construction process shaped by the evolution of early Qing princely mansion regulations as well as the functional transformation during the late Qing period. Furthermore, the architectural features of the mansion are explored from five perspectives: site selection, functionality, spatial layout, individual buildings, and gardens. The objective of this study is to elucidate the unique characteristics and significance of Prince Jingjin’s Mansion, thereby offering theoretical support for the development of Beijing as a renowned historical and cultural city and for the preservation and adaptive reuse of architectural heritage structures. Full article

Quantum Encryption in Phase Space (QEPS) is a physical-layer encryption framework that harnesses the quantum-mechanical properties of coherent states to secure optical communications against both classical and quantum computational threats. By applying randomized phase shifts, displacements, or their dynamic combinations—implemented as unitary transformations in phase space—QEPS disrupts the phase reference essential for coherent detection, establishing aphase synchronization barrier. This review synthesizes the theoretical foundations, security mechanisms, and experimental progress of the QEPS framework, encompassing its three principal variants: the round-trip Quantum Public Key Envelope (QPKE) protocol—a public-key-like scheme built upon phase randomization (QEPS-p), the symmetric phase-only QEPS-p, and the displacement-based QEPS-d. Experimental validations demonstrate that authorized users achieve bit-error rates (BERs) below the forward-error-correction threshold, whereas eavesdroppers are confined to BERs near 50%, equivalent to random guessing—all while utilizing standard coherent optical transceivers at data rates up to 200 Gb/s over 80 km of fiber. We further examine QEPS’s robustness to channel impairments, its seamless compatibility with existing digital signal processing (DSP) pipelines, and its distinctive position within the post-quantum cryptography landscape. Finally, we outline key challenges and future research directions toward deploying QEPS as a practical, quantum-resistant security layer for next-generation optical networks. Full article

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) enable compact waste-heat energy harvesting but require high-gain DC–DC conversion due to their low-output voltage for DC microgrid interfacing. This work proposes a novel TEG-supplied two-stage architecture consisting of a perturb-and-observe (P&O)-based MPPT boost converter followed by a modified Z-source converter regulated through an advanced model predictive control (MPC) framework. The modified Z-source topology enables high-voltage gain without extreme duty ratios and mitigates switching losses by eliminating diode reverse-recovery effects via synchronous operation. To enhance dynamic performance, the advanced MPC strategy incorporating an adaptive ripple-based weighting mechanism is applied to the modified Z-source converter and benchmarked against MPC and sliding mode control (SMC). Simulation results under multiple disturbance scenarios, including hot-side and cold-side temperature variations, multi-condition disturbances, coupling-factor variation, and measurement noise, demonstrate that the proposed system maintains stable 400 V regulation at a 100 W output level. In contrast, MPC exhibits switching frequency deviations that increase switching losses during transient operation, while SMC suffers from significant voltage deviations under source variations. The proposed strategy maintains tight voltage regulation with nearly fixed-frequency operation around 50 kHz, providing a new perspective for TEG researchers while supporting sustainable waste-heat energy utilization. Full article

With the rapid development of integrated energy systems (IES) towards integration and marketization, the collaborative planning of multi-energy entities has become a research hotspot. However, in real-world market environments, various energy entities often face information asymmetry and competitive interests, posing significant challenges to the optimal scheduling of the system. To address the incomplete information and competitive constraints among multiple energy hubs (EH) within IES, this paper constructs a multi-entity game planning model that accounts for environmental costs and carbon trading mechanisms. The model employs Bayesian game methods to handle the incomplete information among EH and analyzes the dynamic interactive behaviors of market entities under different strategies through multilateral incomplete information evolutionary game theory. Meanwhile, this paper incorporates carbon trading mechanisms along with the coupling technologies of power-to-gas (P2G) and carbon capture systems (CCS) to balance the economic efficiency and environmental protection. Additionally, in response to investment uncertainty, the real options theory is utilized for evaluation, and then a multi-entity incomplete information planning model is constructed, which is solved by using a nested algorithm proposed in this paper. This approach balances the interests of various entities and enhances the comprehensive long-term investment returns considering options. Simulation results demonstrate that the model effectively reflects the game behaviors among multi-energy entities under incomplete information, yielding optimized scheduling solutions that closely align with real-world scenarios. It improves economic benefits while reducing environmental pollution, providing theoretical foundations and methodological support for the planning of integrated energy systems involving multiple entities in electricity market environments. Full article