Spatiotemporal climate variability is a leading environmental constraint to the rain-fed agricultural productivity and food security of communities in the Abbay basin and elsewhere in Ethiopia. The previous one-size-fits-all approach to soil and water management technology targeting did not effectively address climate-induced risks to rain-fed agriculture. This study, therefore, delineates homogenous climatic regions and identifies climate-induced risks to rain-fed agriculture that are important to guide decisions and selection of site-specific technologies for green water management in the Abbay basin. The k-means spatial clustering method was employed to identify homogenous climatic regions in the study area, while the Elbow method was used to determine an optimum number of the climate clusters. The k-mean clustering used the Enhancing National Climate Services (ENACTS) daily rainfall, minimum and maximum temperatures, and other derived climate variables that include daily rainfall amount, length of growing period (LGP), rainfall onset and cessation dates, and rainfall intensity, temperature, potential evapotranspiration (PET), soil moisture and AsterDEM to define climate regions. Accordingly, 12 climate clusters or regions were identified and mapped for the basin. Clustering a given geographic region into homogenous climate classes is useful to accurately identify and target locally relevant green water management technologies to effectively address local-scale climate-induced risks. The study has also provides a methodological framework that can be used in the other river basins of Ethiopia and indeed elsewhere.

Genome-based testing in oncology is a rapidly expanding area of health care which is the basis of the emerging area of precision medicine. Efficient and considered adoption of novel genomic medicine testing is hampered in Canada by the fragmented nature of health care oversight as well as by lack of clear and transparent processes to support rapid evaluation, assessment and implementation of genomic tests. This article provides an overview of some key barriers and proposes approaches to addressing these challenges as a potential pathway to developing a national approach to genomic medicine in oncology.

A large amount of raw data collected by satellites is processed by the production chain to obtain a large amount of product data, of which the secure exchange and storage is of interest to researchers in the field of remote sensing information science. Authentic, secure data is a critical foundation for data analysis and decision-making. And traditional centralized cloud computing systems are vulnerable to attacks, and once the central server is successfully attacked, all data will be lost. Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) is an innovative computer technology that can ensure information security, traceability and tamper-proof, and can be applied to the field of remote sensing. Although there are many advantages to using DLT in remote sensing applications, there are some obstacles and limitations to its application. Remote sensing data has the characteristics of large data volume, spatiotemporal nature, global and so on, and it is difficult to store and interconnect remote sensing data in the blockchain. To address these issues, this paper proposes a trustworthy and decentralized system using blockchain. The novelty of this paper is to propose a multi-level blockchain architecture in which the system collects remote sensing data and stores it in the Interplanetary File System (IPFS) network, after generating the IPFS hash, the network rehashes the value again and uploads it on the Ethereum chain for public query. Distributed data storage improves data security, supports the secure exchange of information, and improves the efficiency of data management.

The energy production market based on hydrogen technologies is to be an innovative solution that will allow the industry to achieve climate neutrality in the future in Poland and in the world. The paper presents the idea of using hydrogen as a modern energy carrier, and devices that, in cooperation with renewable energy sources, produce the so-called green hydrogen and the applicable legal acts that allow for the implementation of the new technology were analysed. Energy transformation is inevitable, and according to reports on good practices in European Union countries, hydrogen and the hydrogen value chain (production, transport and transmission, storage, use in transport and energy) have a wide potential. Thanks to joint projects and subsidies from the EU, initiatives supporting hydrogen technologies are created, such as: hydrogen clusters, hydrogen valleys, and EU and national strategic programs set the main goals. As noted in this article, Poland is one of the leaders in hydrogen production both in the world and in Europe. Domestic tycoons from the energy, refining and chemical industries are involved in the projects. Eight hydrogen valleys that have recently been created in Poland successfully implement the assumptions of the "Polish Hydrogen Strategy until 2030 with a perspective until 2040", "Energy Policy of Poland until 2040", which are in line with the assumptions of the most important legal acts of the EU , including: the European Union's energy and climate policy, the Green Deal, the Fit for 55 Package.

Crop yield enhancement is crucial for ensuring food security and meeting the growing global demand for agricultural products. The development of innovative technologies, such as CRISPR (Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), has provided new avenues for precise genetic modifications in crops. In this research article, we explore the application of CRISPR technology for crop yield improvement. We discuss the methodology, present recent results, and engage in a comprehensive discussion of the potential benefits, challenges, and future prospects of CRISPR-mediated crop yield enhancement.

Background: With the increasing global incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetic retinopathy (DR) has become one of the leading causes of blindness in developed countries. DR leads to changes in retinal neurons and microcirculation. Rtx1TM (Imagine Eyes, France) is a microscope that allows histological visualisations of cones and retinal microcirculation throughout the DM duration. Objective: This study aimed to analyse the cones and retinal microvascular changes in 50 diabetic individuals and 18 healthy volunteers. The patients participated in the initial visit and two fol-low-up appointments: one and two years after the study, beginning with rtx1 image acquisition, visual acuity assessment, macular OCT scans and blood measurements. Results: The study revealed significant differences in the cone density, mosaic arrangement and vascular morphology between healthy and diabetic patients. The final measurements have shown decreased photoreceptor and microvascular parameters in the DR group compared to the control group. Furthermore, in the 2-year follow-up, both groups' rtx1-acquired morphological changes were statistically significant. Conclusions: Rtx-1 technology was successfully used as a non-invasive method of photoreceptors and retinal vasculature assessment over time in patients with diabetic retinopathy. The study has revealed a trend toward more vascular morphological changes occurring over time in diabetic patients.

Sensor networks, as a special subtype of wireless networks, consist of sets of wirelessly connected sensor nodes often placed in hard-to-reach environments. Therefore, it is expected that sensor nodes will not be powered from the power grid. Instead, sensor nodes have their own power sources, the replacement of which is often impractical and requires additional costs, so it is necessary to ensure minimum energy consumption. For that reason, the energy efficiency of wireless sensor networks used for monitoring environmental parameters is essential, especially in remote networking scenarios. In this paper, an overview of the latest research progress on wireless sensor networks based on LoRa was provided. Furthermore, the analyses of the energy consumption of sensor nodes used in agriculture to observe environmental parameters were carried out. Optimization methods of energy consumption, in terms of choosing the appropriate data collection processes, as well as the settings of wireless network radio parameters were suggested. In the conducted analyses, special emphasis was placed on choosing the optimal package size. In this paper, it was proven that the adjustment of the transmission speed to the actual size of the packet is important for better energy efficiency of communication.

This paper presents a systematic literature review that identifies critical factors impacting the implementation of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) worldwide. The study utilizes two databases, ProQuest and Compendex, as well as Google Scholar. The study identified eight dimensions that illustrate the critical factors of AMT adoption and implementation: education, planning, top management know-how, technical know-how, business, economic impact, regulations, and social impact. The results highlight a research gap in understanding the need for effective integration among these eight dimensions in developed and developing economies. Consequently, the study recommends the adoption of a broader perspective that considers the role of integration and interaction between critical factors in each category and their impact on AMT implementation. The systematic literature review conducted in this study reviews several critical factors related to the adoption and implementation of AMT.

Cooking is a very decentralized and private way of energy consumption in human activities. The existing investigation and statistical analysis can’t effectively calculate the proportion of population relying on clean cooking fuel and utilization technology in the region. Therefore, based on the big data of the earth, this paper adopts the combination of spatial analysis and statistical analysis to determine the survey sample area, and according to the economic conditions, topographic characteristics, national policies for new energy construction and living habits of the provinces and cities under investigation, the questionnaire survey is conducted for the research area to calculate the proportion of the regional population relying on clean cooking fuels and utilization technologies. Taking the south of the Yangtze River in China as an example, the paper effectively calculates that 88.25% of the population depends on clean cooking fuel and technology in this region, of which 89.81% are in urban areas and 79.87% are in rural areas. Analysis of the survey data shows that the proportion of the population using clean cooking fuels and technologies is related to factors such as economic development, income and resource endowment. There is a large urban–rural gap in terms of energy consumption tendency and structure in the south of the Yangtze River in China and cooking energy consumption in rural households also varies from region to region. The technical ideas and conclusions of the paper have high reference application value, which can help promote the upgrading of clean energy utilization and provide data basis for relevant decision and policy making.

The contemporary discourse focuses on the fourth industrial revolution and its impact on compa-nies. An explicative, quantitative, questionnaire survey was conducted with managers of 101 companies in Hungary and 54 in Austria. Our study focused on assessing their preparedness for Industry 4.0 and the key factors they take into account when implementing Industry 4.0 initiatives. We also examined whether there is a correlation between the areas in which companies have made improvements to support Industry 4.0. To complement our quantitative analysis, we conducted a series of four semi-structured interviews with two Hungarian and two Austrian companies. The aim of the interviews was to further investigate the digital readiness of companies and to formulate recommendations for companies venturing into the field of digitalisation. A particular focus was put on comparing the digital maturity of these two neighbouring Central European countries, given the significant differences in their digital maturity as shown by the macro indicators of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI). Therefore, we conducted a micro-level analysis to investigate the extent to which DESI scores correspond to the digital performance of companies at the orga-nisational level.

Clinical trials are research studies performed on people that are aimed at evaluating a medical, surgical, or behavioural intervention. It is a primary way that researchers find out if a new treatment, like a new drug or diet, or medical device is safe and effective in people. In this paper blockchain technology is embedded in a digital twin aiming to improve the quality of clinical trials through the boost of data integrity among the quality-related activities, and to promote participants' safety. First, a blockchain-embedded quality-enabled digital twin is proposed and the interactions among the enablers and peers are highlighted. Then, a prototype of the proposed system is developed, and the data of a pilot trial is used to justify the applicability of the system. The results showed that the proposed system is efficient, and hence it is feasible to adopt into a clinical trial. With the successful development of the proposed system, it is promising to provide effective data integration and knowledge management for improving participant safety.

The rapid development of Deep Learning brought novel methodologies for 3D Object Detection using LiDAR sensing technology. These improvements in precision and inference speed performances lead to notable high performance and real-time inference, which is especially important for self-driving purposes. However, the developments carried by these approaches overwhelm the research process in this area since new methods, new technologies, and software versions lead to different project necessities, specifications and requirements. Moreover, the improvements brought by the new methods may be due to improvements in newer versions of deep learning frameworks and not just the novelty and innovation of the model architecture. Thus, it became crucial to create a framework with the same software versions, specifications and requirements that accommodate all these methodologies and allow the easy introduction of new methods and models. A framework is proposed that abstracts the implementation, reusing and building of novel methods and models. The main idea is to facilitate the representation of state-of-the-art (SoA) approaches and simultaneously encourage the implementation of new approaches by reusing, improving and innovating modules in the proposed framework, which has the same software specifications to allow a fair comparison. This makes it possible to determine if the key innovation approach outperforms the current SoA by comparing models in a framework with the same software specifications and requirements.

The Internet of Vehicles (IoV) is an emerging field that has attracted significant attention due to its potential to transform transportation and mobility. IoV enables the development of new services and applications that can improve transportation systems' efficiency, safety, and sustainability. However, ensuring secure and trustworthy communication among the different components of an IoV system is a critical challenge that needs to be addressed. This paper proposes a blockchain-enabled communication framework for secure and trustworthy IoV applications. The proposed framework leverages the security and decentralization features of blockchain technology to provide secure communication channels for different components of the IoV system, including vehicles, infrastructure, and service providers. The proposed framework provides an identity management system to authenticate and authorize users and devices, thereby preventing unauthorized access and data breaches. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed framework, we conducted experiments using a real-world IoV scenario, and the results demonstrate that the proposed framework can provide secure and trustworthy communication for IoV applications. The proposed blockchain-enabled communication framework offers a promising approach to address the security and trust challenges in IoV communication systems.

We developed and experimented at sea an innovative fiber optic hydrophone (FOH) capable of operating at very low frequency of the seismic spectrum and for detecting small magnitude earthquakes. The FOH exploits an optical fiber coil wrapped around a sensitive mandrel in a Michelson interferometric configuration. The FOH operated for about seven days at a water depth of 40 m, in the Campi Flegrei volcanic area (Southern Italy), a few meters from a well calibrated PZT hydrophone used as a reference. Thirty-three local earthquakes occurred during the simultaneous operation of the two hydrophones, allowing a straightforward comparison of the recordings. The local earthquakes occurred at an epicentral distance shorter than 2.5 km from the site of recording, and were estimated to be in the range of magnitude from -0.8 to 2.7. The analysis of the recorded earthquake waveforms in the frequency and time domain allowed retrieving the response function of the FOH in the frequency range from 5 to 70 Hz. The FOH responsivity in terms of acoustic pressure reaches about 230 nm/Pa and is flat in the studied frequency range. The high quality of the FOH recordings make this equipment suitable for applications addressing submarine volcanic activity and the background seismicity of active faults in the ocean.

Spatial approach based on the deformation measurement of volcanic dome and crater rim is key to evaluate the activity of a volcano, such as Merapi volcano where associated disaster risk is regularly taking lives. Within this framework, this study aime to detect localized deformation and change in the summit area that has occurred concomitantly with the dome growth and explosion reported. The methodology was focused on two sets of data, one LiDAR-based dataset of 2012 and one UAV-dataset of 2014. The results show that during the period 2012-2014, the crater walls are 100 m to 120 m high above the crater floor at its maximum (North to East-South-East sector), while the West and North sector presents a topographic range of 40 to 80 m. During the period 2012 – 2014, the evolution of the crater rim around the dome is generally stable (no large collapse). The opening of a new vent on the surface of the dome has displaced an equivalent volume of 2.04 E+04 m3 corresponding to a maximum -9 m (+/- 0.9 m) vertically. This concludes that during the period 2012 – 2014 when the dome of Merapi experienced phreatic or phreatomagmatic explosions, the topography around the dome rose. This rise does not seem to be related to large wall collapses, and it is likely that modification in the subsurface have triggered those changes.

Digital skills are essential in today’s digital age, which means that students must gain technology-enhanced skills from higher education for their future careers. Studies in Art & Design (A&D) programs in this university surveyed three faculties’ perspectives and nineteen students’ experiences. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this university changed its teaching and learning strategies by offering courses online during autumn 2020 and spring 2021 during mandatory quarantine. However, the A&D program was not entirely based online. As a result, it is important to take a closer look at the A&D programs offered in order to assess the faculties’ perspectives and students’ experiences during the two online semesters. The study included online surveys from instructors’ perspectives and with regard to students’ experiences about the quality of studio learning, traditional studio learning opportunities, and online studio learning opportunities via either live (on-campus) or online studios. Using relationship-based research design, posttest data surveys were collected to ascertain the differences in the mean scores, standard deviations, and percentages of some forms of agreement between the faculties’ perspectives and students’ experiences of the quality of studio learning, traditional studio learning opportunities, and online studio learning opportunities in these Art & Design (A&D) programs. This quantitative research aimed to develop formative assessments and suggestions while establishing whether it would be possible to hold all A&D courses online in a higher education setting.

Over the years, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has seen a steady progress in development and evolution that can aid many sectors. Today, AI plays an essential role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and it is making its way into the military sector as well. Many countries are actively looking into AI military technology. Some of these innovations include image recognition, text analysis, Self-driving vehicles (SDV), gaming, robotic process automation (RPA) & Robotic and Autonomous Systems (RAS), and Autonomous Weapons Systems (AWS). In this research, we discuss the advantages of each innovation mentioned and analyze the many different cybersecurity threats that awaken due to military artificial intelligence systems. We then discuss the open research areas to better improve the current state of military artificial intelligence applications in terms of ethics, system security, proper strategy plan, accepted responsibility matrix, and introduction of relevant laws.

The ignorance of or lack of knowledge about cybersecurity aspects causes a critical problem regarding confidentiality and privacy. This security problem will continue to exist even if the user possesses less expertise in information security. The modern IT technologies are well developed, and almost everyone uses the features of IT technologies and services within the Internet. However, people are being affected due to cybersecurity threats. People can adhere to the recommended cybersecurity guidelines, rules, adopted standards, and cybercrime preventive measures. However, it is not possible to entirely avoid cybercrimes. Cybercrimes often lead to sufficient business losses and spread forbidden themes (hatred, terrorism, child porn, etc.). Therefore, to reduce the risk of cybercrimes, a web-based Blockchain-enabled cybersecurity awareness program (WBCA) process is introduced in this paper. The proposed web-based cybersecurity awareness program trains users to improve their security skills. The proposed program helps with understanding the common behaviors of cybercriminals and improves user knowledge of cybersecurity hygiene, best cybersecurity practices, modern cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and trends. Furthermore, the proposed WBCA uses the Blockchain technology to protect the model from the potential threats. The proposed model is validated and tested using real-world cybersecurity topics with real users and cybersecurity experts. We anticipate that the proposed program can be extended to other domains, such as national or corporate courses, to increase the cybersecurity awareness level of users.

The education system has become even more complex following the global pandemic, which saw face-to-face teaching transition to virtual teaching. To cope with this abrupt transition, it is essential that teachers had a sufficient level of digital teaching competence. This article aims to increase awareness of teachers' self-perception of their digital teaching competences in the educational field. Specifically, this study explores Spanish secondary school teachers’ knowledge and use of different ICT tools by evaluating their competence based on different areas proposed by The National Institute of Technology and Professional Development (Instituto Nacional de Tecnologías Educativas y de Formación del Profesorado, INTEF), Madrid, Spain. From the results of the questionnaires, we have determined that teachers consider themselves to have an upper intermediate level of digital teaching competence, although there are still shortcomings that need to be addressed in order to improve this level of competence, and its true integration in the teaching–learning process.

This qualitative inquiry explores how, during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic in Lithuania (European Union), the stakeholders in education system – university teachers, general education teachers, students and children’s parents – coped with the encountered challenge and what was important to them under changed conditions. This paper uses a communication management objective to describe how participants in the education system respond to the emerging distance learning situation and its challenges.The phenomenographic research approach was chosen to carry out the qualitative study. The 37 interviews from higher education teachers, university students, school teachers and parents of minor school-aged children were conducted during the early stage of COVID-19 quarantine. The research allows concluding that after a successful transition to distance learning the dimensions of communion and supportive collaboration acquired importance among stakeholders in education. Starting new activities, a need for communion and mobilization for joint activities under the crisis situation emerged. The research showed that the adaptation period was necessary at the beginning of the new activity. Competent leadership was expected from the teacher also advance preparation of all the actors in education process was needed. The data do offer a window into the dynamics of online teaching in crisis situation and experiences in new activity that are key to success.

: TiAl6V4 alloy is widely used in selective laser melting and direct laser melting. In turn, works devoted to the issue of how the track stacking scheme affects the value of mechanical properties is not enough. The influence of the Ti6Al4V alloy track trajectories on the microstructure and mechanical properties during direct laser deposition is studied in this article for the first time. The results were obtained on the influence of «parallel» and «perpendicular» technique of laying tracks in direct laser synthesis. All studied samples have a microstructure typical of the hardened two-phase condition titanium. It is shown that the method of laying tracks and the direction of load application during compression testing relative to the location of the tracks leads to a change in the ultimate strength of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy from 1794 to 1910 MPa. The plasticity of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy obtained by direct laser alloying can vary from 21.3 to 33.0% depending on the direction of laying the tracks and the direction of the compression test. The hardness of alloys varies in the range from 409 to 511 HV and depends on the method of laying the tracks and the direction of hardness measurements.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a global public problem despite the availability of effective vaccine. In the past decades, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has surpassed HBV as the most common cause of chronic liver disease worldwide. The prevalence of concomitant chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and NAFLD, thus, reaches endemic in geographic regions where both conditions are common. Patients with CHB and NAFLD are at increased risk of liver disease progression to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Due to complexity of the pathogenesis, accurate diagnosis of NAFLD in CHB patients can be challenging. Liver biopsy is considered the gold standard for diagnosing and determining the disease severity, but it is an invasive procedure with potential complications. There is a growing body of literatures on the application of novel noninvasive serum biomarkers and advanced radiological modalities to diagnose and evaluate NAFLD, but most have not been adequately validated especially for patients with CHB. Currently, there is no approved therapy for NAFLD though many new agents are in different phases of development. This review provides a summary of the epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis and management of the NAFLD and highlights the unmet needs in the areas of CHB and NAFLD coexistence.

The recent outbreak of a new Coronavirus has developed into a global pandemic with about 10,5 million reported cases and over 500,000 deaths worldwide. Our prospective paper reports an updated analysis of the impact that this pandemic had on the Italian agri-food sector during the national lockdown and discusses why and how this unprecedented economic crisis could be a turning point to deal with the overall sustainability of food and agricultural systems in the frame of the forthcoming European Green Deal. Its introductory part includes a wide-ranging examination of the first quarter of pandemic emergency, with a specific focus on the primary production, to be understood as agriculture (i.e. crops and livestock, and their food products), fisheries and forestry. The effect on the typical food and wine exports, and the local environment tourism segments is also taken into account in this analysis, because of their old and deep roots into the cultural and historical heritage of the country. The subsequent part of the paper is centered on strategic lines and research networks for an efficient socio-economic and territorial restart, and a faster transition to sustainability in the frame of a circular bio-economy. Particular emphasis is given to the urgent need of investments in research and development concerning agriculture, in terms of not only a fruitful penetration of the agro-tech for a next-generation agri-food era, but also a deeper attention to the natural and environmental resources, including forestry. As for the rest of Europe, Italy demands actions to expand knowledge and strengthen research applied to technology transfer for innovation activities aimed at providing solutions for a climate neutral and resilient society, in reference to primary production to ensure food security and nutrition quality. Our expectation is that science and culture return to play a central role in national society, as their main actors are capable of making a pivotal contribution to renew and restart the whole primary sector and agri-food industry, addressing also social and environmental issues, and so accelerating the transition to sustainability.

The landscape of centralized cloud computing is now changing to distributed and decentralized clouds with promising impacts on energy consumption, resource availability, resilience, and customer experience. This research highlights the impacts of emerging IT trends, namely, 5G wireless technology, blockchain, and industrial Artificial Intelligence (AI) in development and realization of the next generation of cloud computing. Integration of these technologies in cyber-physical system and cloud manufacturing paradigms is explained and a unified edge-fog-cloud architecture is proposed for successful implementation in manufacturing systems.

This conceptual article is aimed at evaluating the COVID19 impacts on the global economy and to postulating an ‘economic paradigm shift’. We argue that the existing economic, political, and trade principles have been challenged due to the global pandemic issue. We also compare the COVID19 impact on Western countries and Eastern countries with their control mechanisms. The emerging of new economies is due to the travel restrictions and disrupt of the global economies are discussed that pave a gateway to the economic paradigm shift. The article finally assesses the advent of 5G technology and its implications to face any future health threats that will lead to the next economic paradigm shift in the modern world.

Abstract. The COVID-19 has turned in to a global human tragedy and economic devastation. Governments have implemented lockdown measures, blocked international travel, and enforced other public containment measures to mitigate the virus morbidity and mortality. As of today, no drug has the power to fight the infection and bring normalcy to the utter chaos. This leaves us with only one choice namely an effective and safe vaccine that shall be manufactured as soon as possible and available to all countries and populations affected by the pandemic at an affordable price. There has been an unprecedented fast track path taken in R&D by the World community for developing an effective and safe vaccine. Platform technology has been exploited to develop candidate vaccines in a matter of days to weeks and as of now, 108 such vaccines are available. Six of these vaccines have entered clinical trials. As clinical trials are ‘rate-limiting’ and ‘time-consuming’, many innovative methods are in practice for a fast track. These include parallel phase I-II trials and obtaining efficacy data from phase IIb trials. Human ‘challenge experiments’ to confirm efficacy in humans is under serious consideration. The availability of the COVID-19 vaccine has become a race against time in the middle of death and devastation. There is an atmosphere of tremendous hype around the COVID-19 vaccine and developers are using every moment to make claims, which remain unverified. However, concerns are raised about a rush to deploy a COVID-19 vaccine. Applying ‘Quick fix’ and ‘short cuts’ can lead to errors with disastrous consequences.

Regular exercise can reduce depression. However, the uptake of exercise is limited in patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing hemodialysis. To address the gap, we designed a gamified non-weight-bearing exercise program (Exergame), which can be executed during hemodialysis treatment. The Exergame is virtually supervised based on its interactive feedback via wearable sensors attached on lower extremities. We examined the effectiveness of this program to reduce depression symptom compared to supervised exercise in 73 hemodialysis patients (age=64.5±8.7years, BMI=31.6±7.6kg/m2). Participants were randomized into an Exergame group (EG) or a Supervised-exercise group (SG). Both groups received similar exercise tasks for 4-week, 3-session per week, 30-min per session, during hemodialysis treatment. Depression symptom was assessed at baseline and 4-week using Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D). Both groups showed significant reduction in depression score (37%, p<0.001, Cohen’s effect size d=0.69 in EG vs. 41%, p<0.001, d=0.65 in SG) with no between-group difference for the observed effect (p>0.050). The EG expressed a positive exercise experience including fun, safety, and helpfulness of sensor-feedback. Together, results suggested that the virtually-supervised low-intensity Exergame is feasible during routine hemodialysis treatment. It is as effective as supervised-exercise to reduce depression symptom, while reducing burden of administrating exercise in dialysis clinics.

This study contributes to the literature by exploring challenges to implementing ISO 20000-1 in an emerging economy context, and suggests ways to overcome these challenges. A survey-based methodology was adopted. The data were analyzed using principal component analysis. The results indicated that senior management support was the most significant challenge for the successful implementation of IT Service Management (ITSM) systems. Other significant challenges were the justification of significant investment, premium customer support, co-operation and co-ordination among IT support teams, proper documentation, and effective process design The findings help managers introduce IT service management system (ISO 20000-1:2011) as well as improving IT service delivery system in IT support organizations for managing big data in an emerging economy. In the future, cross-firm and cross-country studies on challenges to ISO 20000 can be conducted. Also, interpretive structural model (ISM) can be formulated to examine the interrelationships among the identified challenges to ISO 20000.

In the industrial sector, the financial gain is generally considered at the cost of environmental degradation. The environmental protection and economic benefit are common conflicting objectives in many optimization problems. In any multi-criteria problem, the most challenging part is to optimize the conflicting goals. But if these objectives become non-conflicting, then the problem can be solved with ease. This paper is all about minimizing the environmental impact of industrial processes while maximizing the net economic benefit. There is a general misconception of linking the environmental protection with a financial loss. This is not always true; the Eco-Efficiency or Cleaner Production Technology (CPT) is a perfect example to disprove this notion. Economics of CPT regarding water savings for the textile-processing sector in Pakistan has been analyzed in this paper. Changes in water use before and after the implementation of water conserving technologies in the textile sector of Pakistan from a study conducted by the Cleaner Production Institute (CPI) are utilized to perform a cost-benefit analysis. Direct financial benefits that could be achieved through the application of these technologies are presented only. Other environmental benefits, though not described here, are of no less importance. The study results reveal that very high potential of water savings exists for most of the investments on CPT.

In this study, the prevalent methodology for design of the industrial policy in developing countries was critically assessed, and it was shown that the mechanism and content of classical method is fundamentally contradictory to the goals and components of the endogenous growth theories. This study, by proposing a new approach, along settling Schumpeter's economic growth theory as a policy framework, designed the process of entering, analyzing and processing data as the mechanism of the industrial policy in order to provide "theoretical consistency" and "technical and Statistical requirements" for targeting the growth stimulant factor effectively.

The world is progressing towards a more advanced society where end-consumers have access to local renewable-based generation and advanced forms of information and technology. Hence, it is in a current state of transition between the traditional approach to power generation and distribution, where end-consumers of electricity have typically been inactive in their involvement with energy markets and a new approach that integrates their active participation. This new approach includes the use of distributed energy resources (DER) such as renewable-based generations and demand response (DR), which are being rapidly adopted by end-consumers, where incentives are strong. This paper presents the role of DR aggregator to effectively integrate DER technologies as a new source of energy capacity, into the electricity networks using information communication technology and industry knowledge. This framework based on DR aggregators will facilitate renewable energy integration and customer engagement in electricity market efficiently. To this aim, advantages and disadvantages of DR aggregators are discussed in this paper from political, economic, social and technological (PEST) point of views. Based on this analysis, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis for a typical DR aggregator is presented.

myfood24 is a comprehensive self-completed online 24-hour dietary recall tool currently used for nutritional assessments in epidemiological research. However, its clinical application has been unexplored. This mixed methods prospective observational study explores the acceptability and usability of myfood24 in a clinical population, women with gestational diabetes (GDM). Women were recruited at their first diabetes antenatal clinic appointment. To assess acceptability and usability, they were asked to complete five 24-hour dietary recalls using myfood24 over two weeks and a user experience questionnaire; with a subset invited to participate in a one-to-one semi-structured interview. Of the 199 participants, mean maternal age was 33 years, mean booking BMI 29.7kg/m2, 36% primiparous, 57% White, 33% Asian. Of these 121 (61%) completed myfood24 at least once and 73 (37%) completed the user questionnaire; 15 were interviewed. Usability of myfood24 was measured using the System Usability Scale (SUS) and found to be good (mean 70.9, 95%CI 67.1, 74.6). Interviews identified several areas for improvement, including optimising its use for mobile devices. myfood24 appears to be acceptable and have potential to support self-management and behaviour change for women with GDM but requires adaptation to record blood glucose results alongside real-time tracking of diet.

The goal of the study was to assess the farmers’ acceptance of three sustainable production strategies, namely ‘Agro-forestry’, ‘Alternative protein source’ and ‘Prolonged maternal feeding’. Data on the acceptance of these strategies were collected by a survey of dairy farmers in six EU countries (AT, BE, DK, FI, IT, UK). An extended version of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was applied by means of Structural Equation Modelling to testing various hypotheses on attitudes and intentions of dairy farmers towards these novel production strategies, as well as the influence of organic practices and collaborative behaviours along the supply chain. We found that the most preferred strategy - across all countries - was soy substitution by alternative protein sources. We also found that the intention to adopt a sustainable production strategy may derive from the influence of opinions (and behaviours) of relevant others, showing the role of interactions among farmers and other stakeholders in the adoption of innovations. Finally, the perceived usefulness of all investigated strategies is higher for organic farmers, while collaborative patterns reduce the impact of subjective norm on usefulness and overall acceptance. Our findings should encourage policy makers to consider the important role of supply chain management practices, including collaboration, to enhance the sustainability of dairy farming systems.

One of the foundations of Smart Cities is mobility. To manage the efficiency of urban mobility, continuous recording of traffic flows is essential. The road traffic parameters in the cross section of the road network can be registered with the use of various measurement technologies. This is indirectly due to the complexity of the phenomenon of vehicle traffic and the disturbances in physical quantities generated as a result of it. Traffic data carries: sound waves, vibrations, optical waves and other media. The characteristics of these physical media, properly recorded and mathematically transformed, may constitute a superposition of the position of individual vehicles moving in the traffic flow. Moreover, these waves interfere with each other depending on the observed parameters of the movement of individual vehicles at different places of the network. In this context, information obtained from various media is the overall view of traffic. This article focuses on acquiring infrared traffic data. The movement of each vehicle, regardless of its type, is inextricably linked to infrared radiation, the distribution changing as a function of the road network. Each vehicle is a source of heat and therefore also emits infrared radiation (it heats up gradually while driving, with small temperature fluctuations). Therefore, the temperature of a moving vehicle is generally different from the background (road network) temperature. This article presents a successful attempt to analyze the infrared radiation accompanying road traffic in a selected cross section of the road. In order to register infrared radiation in the traffic stream, a prototype of a measuring system consisting of a pyrometer commonly used in thermometers (cost about 10 € and less) was used. Measurements of infrared radiation of the vehicle stream obtained in this way were compared with the measurement data of handheld traffic recorders, the so-called mechanical vehicle counters. The comparison of the results from both recording methods allows for the formulation of further research hypotheses towards extended research in the field of infrared radiation of the traffic stream. In this regard, it is important to research with various disturbances in the measurements that come from other heat sources located in the road network and its immediate vicinity. This study is important from the point of view of smart cities and C-ITS systems (mainly V2I communication). The registration of data describing the traffic flow with the use of a single pyrometer, instead of an expensive IR camera, is a cheap alternative in modern city information networks. This allows you to create intelligent sensor networks using connectivity based on, e.g., mesh networks. Such activities are possible with costs for one measuring point reduced by one or two orders of magnitude compared to the costs incurred with the use of IR cameras ( € 1000, € 10,000 and more). In the current situation of the energy crisis, the search for innovative solutions with lower energy demand is very important in the Smart City policy.

Netrokona is a district of the Mymensingh division in northern Bangladesh. In this study, we analyze the soil profile in Netrokona Sadar using digital soil mapping and land formation using the satellite image technique. This study also analyzes the soil profile using remote sensing data of 4 different points in selected area. The main focus of the study is analyzing the soil profile for the structural compatibility and environmental impact for that. After analyzing the soil we found that the soil of that area is mainly clay loam and clayey loam and the soil contains low coarse fragement which is 5.6-8% but we need al least 15-30% coarse fragement in the soil. The soil of this area needs good management to improve its drainage and bearing capacity.

This study examined the effectiveness of virtual delivery of the Strength at Home (SAH) intervention program for intimate partner violence in a sample of 605 military Veterans across 69 Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Centers through a national implementation of the program. Outcome measures included physical IPV, psychological IPV, coercive control behaviors, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, and alcohol misuse. Significant pre-intervention to post-intervention reductions were found for all outcomes, with similar effect size estimates relative to a prior investigation of in-person delivered SAH through the same national VA implementation. Study findings suggest that virtual delivery of SAH may be as effective as in-person delivery which has important implications for program access and impact.

Drug–targeted integrated nanofiber development is a current research trend. Potential materials for the development of such systems include Poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (CS) nanofibers, which are traditionally fabricated by electrospinning aqueous solutions of these polymers with acetic acid. To improve drug integration, the binary-solvent system was converted into a multi–solvent system by the adding of ethanol. This caused noticeable shifts in the solvent system's solubility parameter, the interaction of the various component forces, and optical and rheological properties of PVA-CS solution. The results show that solution containing 4% PVA, 3% CS, 15% ethanol and 45% acetic acid is optimal for the increasing of manufacturing productivity, improving the morphology and diameter of PVA–CS nanofibers, without changing in chemical bonding composition. The XRD spectrum revealed that the alterations in the crystal lattice and diameter of the PVA–CS nanofibers leaded to the variation in their thermal and tensile properties.

Reliable detection of sunflower (Helianthus annuus) in edible and used cooking oil (UCO) is crucial for the sustainable production of food and biodiesel. In this study, a variety of sunflower oils (crude, cold pressed, extra virgin, refined, and UCO) were examined using different methods of DNA extraction and PCR amplification to develop an efficient technology for the identification of sunflower in oils. DNA extraction kits such as NucleoSpin Food, DNeasy mericon Food, and Olive Oil DNA Isolation as well as modified CTAB method were found to be able to isolate amplifiable genomic DNA from highly processed oils. Novel uniplex, double, and nested PCR systems targeting the sunflower-specific helianthinin gene were developed for efficient identification of sunflower. New sunflower DNA markers were revealed by uniplex PCRs. The combination of modified CTAB and nested PCR was demonstrated as a reliable, rapid, and cost-effective technology for detecting traces of sunflower in 700 μl of highly processed oil, including refined and used cooking oil. The study will contribute to both the food industry and the energy sector as developed methods can be used for oil authenticity testing in food and biodiesel production.

In this work, we develop a detailed analysis of the current panorama for electric vehicle charging technology, focusing on the various levels and types of charging protocols and used connectors. We propose a charging station for electric cars powered by solar photovoltaic energy, performing the analysis of the solar resource in the selected location, sizing the photovoltaic power plant to cover the demand completely, and exploring different configurations such as grid connection or physical and virtual electric energy storage. Despite the current development applying for specific working conditions, operating voltage, charging rate, power demand, etc., the proposed configuration is modular, adaptable, and resilient. The simulated system operates within the 360 V to 800 V range of continuous current for charging the electric vehicles, with a selectable power range between 20 and 180 kW. The basic layout includes four charging poles, each servicing all working voltages. An oversized PV plant powers the charging station at any time of the year, saving money compared to the alternative of the electric storage unit. In addition, we build simulation tools and algorithms that optimize the design of future projects, providing a solid basis for sustainable energy infrastructure planning and design.

A medium scale household in South Africa consumes about 1000 kWh on average, and ae household spend about 3000 ZAR per month on energy supply using grid electricity. Grid electricity. South Africa’s energy is supplied by a huge governmental organization. Statistical analyses indicate that projected increase of the cost of grid electricity in South Africa is about 30% per annum for the next five years. Our research show that Photo-Voltaic (PV) technology can offer a viable alternative, provided a large initial capital outlay can be made. The technology is user-friendly and easy to operate. It is calculated that the cost of electricity, capitalized over 20 years, considering an 80 % supply of needs and assuming 20 sunny days per month, is about 2.80 ZAR. The study also shows that utilizing a hybrid combination of renewable energies, such as combining PV supply with solar thermal energy absorbers, and converting thermal energy to electricity, as energy supply systems, could reduce the current cost of electricity per household in South Africa to about half of national grid supply prize, R1,50 per kWhr. The study also shows that water provides as a most viable medium to store energy, instead of using expensive battery technology to perform such functions.

(1) Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) has emerged as a potential prognostic tool in cardiovascular diseases, offering individualized insights into autonomic nervous system activity. However, real-time HRV data during the acute phase of STEMI, particularly during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), was not previously explored. (2) Methods: This single-center, observational cohort study included 104 STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). HRV parameters were measured using a wearable device (CE marked) during PCI, capturing dynamic responses. The association between HRV parameters and adverse outcomes, including in-hospital mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), were assessed. (3) Results: HRV parameters significantly decreased after myocardial revascularization, particularly SDNN, RMSSD, pNN50, HF, SD1, and SD2/SD1 ratio. Significant associations were found between reduced SD2/SD1 ratio, approximate entropy, and adverse outcomes, including increased in-hospital mortality and MACE. The SD2/SD1 ratio was significantly lower in patients who died during the hospital stay (p = 0.008) compared to survivors. Approximate entropy was also significantly lower in deceased patients (p = 0.019). (4) Conclusions: Real-time HRV monitoring using wearable technology offers valuable data regarding dynamic physiological changes during primary PCI. The integration of HRV into routine clinical practice, facilitated by wearable devices, could improve the risk stratification and event prediction in STEMI patients.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in predicting and managing risks for coastal port developments significantly enhances planning and operational efficiency. This paper presents a theoretical framework utilizing AI to predict future scenarios based on geological, hydrodynamic, and oceanographic factors. Focusing on the effective implementation of AI in ports, with a specific emphasis on Bulgarian Black Sea coastal areas such as Nesebur, Sarafovo, Sozopol, St. Anastasia Island, and the region of Karantinata in Varna, the study explores AI applications for site selection, risk assessment, and operational optimization to ensure resilient, efficient, and sustainable port infrastructure.

In this 2 x 2 between-subjects experimental study, a virtual reality (VR) laboratory simulation is paired with a VR molecular world intervention to teach chemistry concepts. The independent variables are the implementation timing of the molecular world intervention (Pre-lab vs. Integrated) and the level of embodiment (Traditional vs. VR). Eighty students (N = 80), ages 11-18 years old, from a community center in New York City participated, completing a pretest, the laboratory simulation, the molecular intervention, and a post-test. The pre- and post-test measures included multiple-choice, free-response, and drawing questions. A key finding was that integrating the intervention within the lab simulation, no matter which level of embodiment, led to significantly higher gains in learning. The combination of using physical manipulatives and integrating them within the lab exercise (Integrated Traditional condition) demonstrated the greatest gains overall. On drawing measures, the Integrated VR condition showed significant improvement in three out of the four drawing categories (i.e., molecule shape, atom quantity, and relative sizes). The implications are that even though using a VR molecular world intervention can lead to significant learning of abstract chemistry content, the use of physical manipulatives is still a more effective tool.

Like many coastal lagoons in several countries, “Navío Quebrado” lagoon (La Guajira-Colombia) is a very delicate and precious environment; indeed, it is a nationally recognized Flora and Fauna Sanctuary. Several factors, amongst which climate change, are threatening its existence because of changes in the governing hydro-morphological processes. A first step to address this problem certainly is to understand its hydrological behavior and to be able to replicate via simulation its recent history and then infer likely futures. These potential futures will be marked by changes in the water input by its tributary, the Camarones River, and by a modified water exchange with the sea, according to a foreseen sea level rise pattern, as well as by a different evaporation from the free surface, according to temperature changes. In order achieve the required ability to simulate future scenarios, data on the actual behavior have to be gathered, i.e. a monitoring system has to be set up, which to date is not existent. Conceptually, designing a suitable monitoring system is not a complex issue and seems easy to implement. However, the environmental and socio-cultural and socio-economic context makes every little step a hard climb. An extremely simple –almost “primitive”- monitoring system has been set up in this case which is based on very basic measurements of current velocity and water levels and a direct participation of local stakeholders, first of all the National Park unit of the Sanctuary. All this may clash with the latest groovy advances of science, like in situ automatized sensors, remote sensing, machine learning and digital twins, and certainly several improvements are possible and desirable. But it has strong positive points: it is providing surprisingly reasonable data and…it is working at almost zero additional cost. Several technical difficulties made this exercise interesting in itself and worth being shared. Its novelty lies in showing how old, simple methods may offer a working solution to new challenges. This humble experience may be of help in several other similar situations across the world.

The rapid advancements in satellite technology have led to a significant increase in high-resolution remote sensing (RS) images, necessitating advanced processing methods. Additionally, a patent analysis revealed a significant increase in deep learning and machine learning applications in remote sensing, highlighting the growing importance of these technologies. Therefore, this paper introduces the Kolmogorov-Arnold Network (KAN) model to remote sensing, aiming to enhance efficiency and performance in RS applications. We conducted several experiments to validate KAN's applicability, starting with the EuroSAT dataset, where we combined the KAN layer with multiple pretrained CNN models. The optimal performance was achieved with ConvNeXt, leading to the development of the KonvNeXt model. KonvNeXt was evaluated on the Optimal-31, AID, and Merced datasets for validation, and it achieved accuracies of 90.59%, 94.1%, and 98.1%, respectively. The model also showed fast processing speed, with the Optimal-31 and Merced datasets completed in 107.63 seconds each, while the bigger and more complicated AID dataset took 545.91 seconds. This result is meaningful since it achieved faster speeds and comparable accuracy compared to the existing study which utilized VIT and proved KonvNeXt's applicability for remote sensing classification tasks. Furthermore, we investigated the model's interpretability by utilizing Occlusion Sensitivity and by displaying the influential regions, it validated its potential use in a variety of domains including medical imaging and weather forecasting. This paper is meaningful in that it is the first use of KAN in remote sensing classification, proving its adaptability and efficiency.

With the burgeoning growth of online retail, the issue of counterfeit products has become a significant threat to both consumer trust and brand integrity, posing challenges to sustainable market practices. Online retail platforms are promoted to redesign their channel structures and enhance brand traceability to tackle counterfeits using blockchain technology. To investigate the interactions between blockchain technology and the channel structures of online retail platforms, we design a game theory model incorporating a manufacturer with(out) blockchain participation selling products via an online retail platform that operates an agency channel and/or a reselling channel. We show that the critical trade-off of blockchain participation comprises the brand assurance effect of the blockchain, the channel competition intensification effect, and the blockchain adoption cost. The platform is capable of strategically designing the channel structure to encourage (while discouraging) blockchain participation by the manufacturer. Our analysis highlights the complementarity between blockchain participation and the channel structure. Furthermore, the effect of the consumer’s belief in the reselling channel, the commission fee in the agency channel, and the substitutability between channels are investigated in depth. The research provides valuable insights for online retail platforms and policymakers seeking to foster a sustainable and trustworthy e-commerce ecosystem.

Vascular rings are a rare congenital anomaly of the aortic arch in which a ring-shaped structure forms surrounding the trachea and/or esophagus, potentially causing compression. We describe the case of a 14-month-old female patient with failure to thrive secondary to dysphagia, and a vascular ring formed by a right aortic arch, an aberrant left subclavian artery, and a left liga-mentum arteriosum. Surgical repair involved ligamentum arteriosum division, Kommerell’s di-verticulum obliteration, and left subclavian artery re-implantation into the left carotid artery. Endoscopy and EndoFLIPTM evaluated intraoperative improvement in esophageal narrowing and impedance, respectively. Postoperative period was uneventful and follow-up visits demonstrated dysphagia resolution and a patent re-implanted left subclavian artery.

This study explores the critical role of supply chain management (SCM) in shaping marketing strategies in emerging markets, where rapid economic growth and dynamic consumer behavior present both challenges and opportunities. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the research synthesizes insights from industry professionals across various sectors to elucidate how effective SCM practices can enhance marketing outcomes. Findings reveal that flexibility in supply chain operations is indispensable for adapting to the volatile market conditions typical of emerging economies, enabling companies to respond swiftly to changes in consumer demand and market trends. Advanced technologies such as predictive analytics, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things are identified as key enablers, providing real-time insights that align supply chain processes with marketing objectives. The ability to customize products and services to local preferences, supported by agile supply chains, emerges as a crucial factor in gaining a competitive edge. Cost management and optimization through efficient supply chain practices allow for competitive pricing and effective promotions, essential in price-sensitive markets. The study also highlights the importance of managing regulatory compliance, mitigating risks, and enhancing customer experience through integrated supply chain strategies. Cultural considerations and local market knowledge are critical for aligning product features and marketing messages with consumer expectations. Additionally, sustainability is becoming increasingly relevant, with environmentally conscious supply chains enhancing brand image and supporting marketing strategies. The impact of e-commerce and the role of supplier relationships further underscore the need for cohesive SCM and marketing integration. This research provides a comprehensive framework for understanding how supply chain capabilities can be leveraged to achieve marketing success in emerging markets, offering practical insights for companies seeking to navigate these complex environments effectively.

Supply chain transparency and traceability have become increasingly important in today's globalized and interconnected business environment. This qualitative research explores the challenges and perspectives of industry practitioners regarding supply chain transparency and traceability. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of supply chain professionals, the study identifies key themes including difficulties in achieving visibility beyond immediate suppliers, data fragmentation and inconsistency, barriers to technology adoption, regulatory compliance, cultural and organizational factors, impacts on supplier relationships, and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and sustainability goals. The findings highlight the complex nature of these challenges and the need for collaborative, multi-stakeholder approaches to address them effectively. Despite the challenges, the study also reveals the potential benefits of transparency and traceability for enhancing supply chain resilience, sustainability, and stakeholder trust. Moving forward, companies must leverage technological innovations, establish clear communication channels with suppliers, navigate regulatory complexities, and foster a culture of transparency and accountability within their organizations. Future research should focus on practical strategies for implementing transparency and traceability initiatives, as well as evaluating their impact on supply chain performance and sustainability outcomes.

The use of didactic and interactive materials is essential in generating interest among students and teachers in utilizing mathematical models and digital technologies for the educational process. These materials create a dynamic and engaging learning environment that promotes a deeper understanding of complex concepts and fosters a passion for learning. Additionally, integrating interactive materials into pilot courses can assist teachers in better assessing student learning and adjusting the teaching strategies accordingly and the teachers can receive valuable insights into students' strengths and weaknesses, allowing them to provide targeted support and intervention when needed. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to introduce an approach for solving mathematics problems embedded in technical scenarios within the defense and security fields with the aid of digital technology. In this way, students can visualize abstract concepts, experiment with different scenarios, and receive instant feedback on their understanding. This paper helps to reinforce key concepts and enhance problem-solving skills, sparking curiosity, creativity, and encouraging active participation and collaboration. Throughout the development of this proposal, good practices are adopted, and advice for improvement is collected while having a wide range of users, giving feedback, discussions, and testing (pilot) short-term learning/teaching/training activities.

This qualitative research explores the dynamics of collaborative marketing and supply chain strategies for enhanced product lifecycle management. Through in-depth interviews with industry stakeholders, key themes, challenges, and implications of collaboration emerge. Trust, communication, technology, strategic alignment, and sustainability are identified as critical factors driving successful collaboration. The study highlights the transformative potential of collaboration in driving innovation, efficiency, and customer satisfaction. Despite challenges such as aligning objectives and ensuring data security, collaborative strategies offer significant opportunities for value creation and differentiation. The findings underscore the importance of building trust, leveraging technology, and integrating sustainability considerations in collaborative efforts. Strategic alignment and cultural fit among partners are essential for overcoming differences and achieving common goals. The implications of the research extend to practitioners seeking to enhance collaboration in their organizations and researchers exploring collaborative practices in different industries and contexts. Future research could further explore the impact of collaboration on stakeholder perspectives and outcomes. By addressing challenges and leveraging opportunities, organizations can maximize the benefits of collaborative marketing and supply chain strategies to drive sustainable growth and competitive advantage in today's dynamic business landscape.

Thoracic aortopathy encompasses a spectrum of conditions affecting the aorta, ranging from aneurysms to dissections, posing significant challenges in management and care. In recent years, remote care, facilitated by telemedicine and digital health technologies, has emerged as a promising approach to overcome barriers in delivering timely and efficient healthcare services. This paper explores the practical considerations and challenges associated with implementing remote care strategies in the management of thoracic aortopathy in India with the largest population in the world. By evaluating existing literature and drawing upon clinical experiences, we discuss the potential benefits, limitations, and best practices for incorporating remote care into the management of patients with thoracic aortopathy. Additionally, we address important factors such as patient engagement, technology integration, privacy concerns, and regulatory requirements to optimize the delivery of remote care in this specialized field.

Recent research emphasises the importance of Artificial Intelligence applications as supporting tools for students in higher education. Simultaneously, an intensive exchange of views has started in the public debate in the international educational community. However, for a more proper use of these applications, it is necessary to investigate the factors that explain their intention and actual use in the future. With the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) model, this work analyses the factors influencing students' use and intention to use artificial intelligence technology. For this purpose, a sample of 199 Greek students at the School of Humanities and Social Sciences from the University of Patras participated in a survey. The findings highlight that expected performance, habit, and enjoyment of these Artificial Intelligence applications are key determinants influencing teachers' intentions to use them. Moreover, behavioural intention, habit, and facilitating conditions explain the usage of these Artificial Intelligence applications. The study did not reveal any moderating effects. The limitations, practical implications, and proposed directions for future research based on these results are discussed.

From grape cultivation to ripening and harvest timing to processing, each step can be a critical point when it comes to wine quality and phenolic composition. In this study, the influence of winemaking technology on resveratrol and quercetin content, as well as other polyphenolic compounds, was investigated. Resveratrol is a non-flavonoid polyphenolic stilbene synthesized by grape skin when damaged by infectious diseases or ionizing radiation. Quercetin is a phenol found in grape skins and stems and is produced to protect grapes from UV light damage. Trans-resveratrol and quercetin are known to act as antioxidants, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes, inhibit the growth of cancer cells, and prevent the release of allergic and inflammatory molecules. However, the question was whether red wine could be enriched with these phenols using an innovative winemaking technology. The innovative idea was to completely replace the cold maceration process with maceration with the addition of wild yeast (Torulaspora delbrueckii, Td). Maceration with the addition of wild yeast (Td) offers the following advantages over traditional cold maceration: (1) higher concentrations of trans-resveratrol (>35-40%) and quercetin (>35-40%) in the final wine, (2) the new wine has a higher potential for human health, (3) the wine has a better aroma and stability due to the higher mannoprotein content, and (4) the better energy efficiency in the production process. The study of stability during storage and aging also included derivatives of benzoic acid and hydroxycinnamic acid, piceid, catechin, naringenin, rutin, kaempherol, hesperetin, and anthocyanins. The study found that younger wines had higher phenolic content, while storage of the wine resulted in a decrease in total phenolic content, especially monomeric stilbenes and quercetin.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Blazepod technology when incorporated with various training regimens on the essential elements of physical fitness in volleyball, such as agility, speed, visual response time, and vertical leap. Thirty-six participants (age :17.33±0.48 y, height: 183.78±6.34 cm, weight: 77.14±5.16 kg) were in-volved in this study. In randomized design, three equal groups with two experimental groups and one control group were involved in the study over a period of six weeks: (GE1) used Blazepod technology to workout at a low level; (GE2) used Blazepod technology to workout at a higher intensity; (CG) did not employ Blazepod technology, but it adhered to the same fundamental training curriculum. We conducted agility, speed, reaction time, and vertical jump tests before, midway and after the study to determine optimal training volume, intensity, and frequency. A significant main effect of time (P0.01), and time×group interaction (P>0.001) were found for all tests. Post hoc test showed that the two experimental groups gadget significantly improved in all performance variables (P

This study investigates the effect of scaffold architecture on bone regeneration, focusing on 3D-printed polylactic acid-bioceramic calcium phosphate (PLA-bioCaP) composite scaffolds in rabbit femoral condyle critical defects. To assess their influence on bone healing and scaffold performance, we explored two distinct scaffold designs, alternate and helical laydown patterns. The scaffolds were meticulously characterized for pore size, strut thickness, porosity, pore accessibility, and mechanical properties. The in vivo efficacy of these scaffolds was evaluated using a rabbit femoral condyle critical defect model. Our findings indicate that both scaffold architectures are biocompatible and support bone formation. The helical scaffolds, characterized by larger pore sizes and higher porosity, demonstrated significantly greater bone regeneration than the alternate structures. However, their lower mechanical strength presented limitations for use in load-bearing sites. This study highlights the importance of scaffold architecture in bone tissue engineering and underscores the need to balance porosity and mechanical strength for optimal bone regeneration. The findings provide crucial insights for the design of 3D- printed scaffolds in clinical applications, particularly in the context of critical-sized bone defects. The study also outlines potential areas for future research, including exploring hybrid scaffold designs to achieve optimal porosity without compromising mechanical integrity.

This dossier is aimed at individuals involved in the development, implementation, and application of AI-supported systems in the field of education, particularly those who are dealing with metadata in this context. The insights and recommendations described in this dossier are based on interviews with five experts from the USA and UK, research on metadata standards, and our personal experiences in the context of the INVITE competition. This dossier provides an overview of the current development of learning metadata and existing standards. It shows the efforts and obstacles to introducing those metadata standards from an international perspective based on interviews with five experts in the field. Furthermore, this dossier shows the international experiences in selecting and using metadata standards and how these findings can inspire discussions in the German-speaking discourse regarding the use of metadata in education.

The retrospective noninterventional study investigated the kinetic energy of video images of 18 fertilized eggs (7 were normal and 11 were abnormal) recorded by a time-lapse device leading up to the beginning of the first cleavage. The norm values of cytoplasmic particles were measured by the optical flow method. Three phases profile for normal cases were found regarding the kinetic energy that were 2.199×10⁻²⁴±2.076×10⁻²⁴, 2.369×10⁻²⁴±1.255×10⁻²⁴, and 1.078×10⁻²⁴±4.720×10⁻²⁵ (J) for the phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively. In phase 2, the energies were 2.369 × 10⁻²⁴ ± 1.255 × 10⁻²⁴ and 4.694 × 10⁻²⁴ ± 2.996 × 10⁻²⁴ (J) (mean ± SD, P = 0.0372), and the time required was 8.114 ± 2.937 and 6.018 ± 5.685 (H) (P = 0.0413) for the normal and abnormal cases, respectively. The kinetic energy change was considered a condition for applying the free energy principle that states that, for any self-organized system to be in equilibrium in its environment, it must minimize its informational free energy. The kinetic energy while interpreting it in terms of the free energy principle suggesting clinical usefulness would further our understanding of the phenomenon of fertilized egg development with respect to the birth of human life.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the challenges basic school tutors face when integrating Information and Communication Technology (ICT) into their instructing and learning activities and to recommend possible strategies for addressing those challenges. This study employed an interpretive paradigm and a qualitative method approach to analyze the challenges basic school teachers face when integrating ICT into teaching in an emerging country, particularly Ghana. The participants of this study were chosen using purposive and snowball sampling techniques. A total of twenty (20) respondents were chosen for this study. The study found that teachers, despite their challenges, had a strong desire to integrate ICT into their instruction and learning activities. These challenges are the limited number of ICT tools and the absence of fully-subscribed software package that runs on them, the lack of electrical outlets in some classrooms, poor internet connectivity and power fluctuation. These teachers also had to deal with challenges like Trojan horses and spam despite the slow internet connectivity. The study suggested that basic school management should procure modern ICT tools and fully-subscribed software package to expand the school's ICT infrastructure giving teachers the choice to choose the ICT tools they will integrate into their teaching and learning activities for the successful integration of ICT into instruction and learning activities. Again, school management should ensure teachers are given basic training regarding ICT and its incorporation into tuition and learning activities to acquire the necessary competencies, understanding, and attitudes that will enhance teaching and learning activities.

In the scientific community, it is difficult to find a consensus on defining BIM. Just as the acronym BIM is developed in different ways, it is also understood in different ways. Depending on its understanding, different definitions emerge. It is defined differently by organizations and standards, still differently by academics. Many years of academic discourse on the subject have failed to produce a solution. Despite the fact that the acronym BIM has already done its work for the construction industry, it still stirs up excitement. There is still no clear definition, as the view of BIM varies from one perspective to another. This article attempts to sort out the definitions cited so far by important organizations and key academics. The review was based on deep literature study has attempted to be inclusive and consistent. The question still remains open: do we need a single, correct definition of BIM? The aim of the article is to try to answer this question, open up a renewed discussion and come to a satisfactory consensus. BIM can be identified with an activity, product or system. The article breaks down the definitions of BIM, identifies six key attributes of BIM, presents the evolution of the understanding of BIM and proposes new definitions in a narrow and broad approach.

There are four categories of medical waste that cannot be mixed as this will cause serious problems such as environmental pollution or infection. In the past, the classification of medical waste often involved a lot of human and material resources to process, with workers at risk of exposure to infectious substances. Therefore, an augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) medical waste classification system and method were developed. This innovative medical waste classification system and method combines AR and AI identification technology to reduce the risk of manual judgment errors by clinical staff when handling medical waste.

Traffic signal control plays a key role in managing urban traffic flow, enhancing safety, and minimizing congestion and conflicts. Effective green time allocation is a critical element of this control process. This research explores the utilization of LiDAR sensor technology in the optimization of green time allocation for one phase of a traffic signal at a signalized intersection. LiDAR sensors provide precise and real-time data on vehicle presence and traffic patterns, enabling a data-driven approach to traffic signal control. The study begins with an analysis of the limitations of traditional traffic signal control strategies, which often rely on fixed-time plans or rudimentary vehicle detection systems. These approaches can lead to suboptimal green time allocation, resulting in inefficient traffic management and increased vehicle delays.The integration of LiDAR sensors provides detailed information on vehicle queues, arrival rates, and vehicle types. The research presents a practical framework for green time allocation optimization, considering factors such as intersection geometry, traffic volumes, and signal coordination. An intelligent control algorithm was developed that uses LiDAR data to determine the optimal green time for a specific phase, thereby reducing unnecessary waiting times and enhancing intersection efficiency. The effectiveness of the proposed LiDAR-based green time allocation strategy is demonstrated through extensive field tests. The results indicate significant improvements in intersection throughput, reduced delays, and enhanced traffic safety. In conclusion, this research highlights the transformative potential of LiDAR sensor technology in traffic signal control, specifically in the context of optimizing green time allocation. The findings support the notion that adaptive and data-driven strategies, when integrated with LiDAR sensors, can contribute to more efficient, sustainable, and safe urban traffic management. This research aims to provide valuable insights for transportation engineers, policymakers, and researchers seeking innovative solutions for modern urban traffic control.

Once discovered, cancer stem cells have become a hot topic in the research of cancer therapy. These cells possess stem cell-like self-renewal and differentiation capacities and are important factors that dominate cancer metastasis, therapy- resistance and recurrence. What's worse, their own characteristics make them difficult to be eliminated. Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Targeting colorectal cancer stem cells (CRCSCs) can inhibit colorectal cancer metastasis, enhance therapeutic efficacy, and reduce recurrence. Here, we introduced the origin, marker proteins, identification, cultivation and research techniques of CRCSCs, summarized the signaling pathways that regulate the stemness of CRCSCs, such as Wnt, JAK/STAT3, Notch, and Hh signaling pathway. In addition to these, we also reviewed anti-CRCSC drugs targeting signaling pathways，markers，and other regulators in recent years. These will help researchers gain insight into the current agents targeting to CRCSCs, explore new cancer drugs, and propose potential therapy.

Outcome of redo-mitral valve replacement in the small mitral annulus with the use of the chimney technology is not well documented. From 2019 to 2020, 77 consecutive patients underwent redo-mitral valve replacement with the use of the chimney technology because of a small mitral annulus. To evaluate heart structural integrity and clinical outcomes, postoperative clinical data and echocardiograms were examined. Mean age was 56.7 ± 15.98 years. All patients underwent mitral valve surgery of which 62 were mitral valve replacements, 7 mitral valve repairs, and 8 double valve replacements. Preoperative Mitral valve mean gradient was 18.07 ± 9.40 mmHg. Postoperative mitral prosthesis size 28.51 ± 1.22 mm. The median increment of mitral size enlargement was 4 (0, 6) valve sizes. Mean mitral gradient coming out of the operating room was 10.34 ± 2.12 mmHg and at follow-up echocardiogram performed at 3 years after the procedure was 10.36 ± 1.70 mmHg. One-year survival was 93.3%, while 4-year survival was 89.3% with no reoperation. Use of the chimney technology in small mitral valve re-mitral valve replacement results in larger valve sizes. Moreover, the mean gradients over the mitral valve are acceptable intraoperatively and over time.

Demonstrating biosimilarity entails comprehensive analytical evaluations, clinical pharmacolo-gy profiling, and efficacy testing for at least one medical indication in patients. These require-ments are stipulated by the U.S. Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act (BPCIA). The costliest element—efficacy testing—can be waived if other compliance benchmarks are satisfied, including comparing functional pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarkers, even when they do not di-rectly correlate with clinical outcomes. Most biological drugs, such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), lack identifiable PD biomarkers. The FDA has employed various 'omics' technologies to identify potential PD biomarkers, including proteomics, glycomics, transcriptomics, genomics, epigenomics, and metabolomics. Although these efforts provide a robust scientific basis for estab-lishing biosimilarity, they are neither practical nor necessarily superior to existing functional biomarkers, such as receptor binding and mode-of-action outcomes. As we report for the first time, these functional biomarkers can effectively serve as PD indicators for all FDA-licensed bio-logical drugs. We recommend that the FDA consider officially listing these functional biomarkers to expedite and reduce the cost of biosimilar development, thereby increasing the accessibility of biological drugs. PD surrogates, like the receptor binding and pharmacokinetic profiles, are more robust and offer a rational solution to finding PD markers to compare for establishing biosimi-larity.

Background: Alzheimer's disease causes great changes, with the prefrontal cortex be-ing frequently damaged zones, affecting physical and cognitive behavioural and compromising autonomy and quality of life. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of feedback-based tech-nology on the improvement of physical-cognitive capacities in Alzheimer. Methods: Forty pa-tients with Alzheimer were recruited from the Santa Elena Alzheimer's Association, Seville, of which 15 ended up being pilot participants, divided randomly into controls (8) and experi-mental (7). They were evaluated with: Cognitive Mini-Examination Scale, Oddball Test and At-tention Network, Berg Scale, Tinetti, Timed up and Go and Geriatric Deterioration Scale. The experimental group was treated with feedback-based technology under the supervision of physiotherapists, during 16 thirty-minute sessions, twice a week. The control group performed their usual care. Result: A significant improvement was observed in the experimental group (Cognitive Mini-Examination and Tinetti). In the group of control, a worsening of physical and motor skills was evidenced because of the degenerative disease. Discussion/Conclusion: This treatment could be a strategy to keep the patient in early stages for longer, and improve quali-ty of life delaying dependency. It creates intergenerational bonds and use at home to promote treatment adherence.

The aim of this work was to determine the potential of using a pulsed electric field (PEF) and ultra-sound (US) apparatus to produce mitragynine extracts from Mitragyna speciosa dried leaves. Four modes of the device were tested: PEF, US, US + PEF, and PEF + US. The results were compared with extracts obtained using a conventional technique (maceration, as the control). Changes in the mitragynine content were determined with the liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. The LC-MS/MS analysis showed that the mitragynine contents from kratom extracts using four different modes were different. The highest extraction (106.63 ± 0.85 mg/L) of mitragynine was achieved by the PEF + US procedure, followed by US + PEF (97.27 ± 1.33 mg/L), with increased extraction efficiencies of 45.81 ± 0.59% and 33.00 ± 1.85%, respectively. Moreover, the total energy consumption under the combination technique was 25.0% lower than that with PEF assistance. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) provided confirmatory evidence for the extraction of M. speciosa by the prototype. This study confirmed that PEF and US devices can be considered a green alternative method and may contribute to the application of agricultural products.

In this study, Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (BOTDA) sensing technology was utilized for monitoring settlement in a similarity model of a highway subgrade. As contact winding cannot be used for an optical fiber that is buried directly in soil, uncoupling between. the fiber and the soil can occur. Thus, an optical-fiber-embedded beam (OFEB) was developed, and a method for measuring and calculating the beam deformation was proposed. A calibration test and a test on a similarity model of a subgrade were carried out to investigate the applicability and monitoring accuracy of the OFEB. It was concluded that the OFEB can accurately measure beam deflection, where the maximum relative error between measurements by the optical fiber and a displacement transducer was approximately 5%. The OFEB was embedded directly into a similarity model of a subgrade to monitor settlement. The deflection deformation of the OFEB was found to be close to the subgrade settlement over a certain settlement range with a relative error below 8.1%. Thus, the OFEB can be used to realize measure large-range distributed settlement in a subgrade. A numerical simulation was performed to identify appropriate beam dimensions and material design parameters, thereby extending the measurement range before decoupling of the OFEB and soil occurs. The enhancement of the measurement range and accuracy of the OFEB based on the preliminary experiments carried out in this study enables further investigation of settlement monitoring.

With the popularization of intelligent sensing and the improvement of modern medical technology, intelligent medical sensing technology has emerged as the times require. This technology combines basic disciplines such as physics, mathematics, and materials with modern technologies such as semiconductors, integrated circuits, and artificial intelligence, and has become one of the most promising focuses in the medical field. The core of intelligent medical sensor technology is to make existing medical sensors intelligent, portable, and wearable with full consideration of ergonomics and sensor power consumption issues, for conforming to the current trends in cloud medicine, personalized medicine, and health monitoring. With the development of automation and intelligence in measurement and control systems, it is required that sensors have high accuracy, reliability, stability, as well as certain data processing capabilities, self-checking, self-calibration, and self-compensation，while traditional medical sensors cannot meet such requirements. In addition, in order to manufacture high-performance sensors, it is also difficult to improve the material process alone, and it is necessary to combine computer technology with sensor technology to make up for its performance shortcomings. Intelligent medical sensing technology combines medical sensors with microprocessors to produce powerful intelligent medical sensors. On the basis of the original sensor functions, intelligent medical sensors also have functions such as self-compensation, self-calibration, self-diagnosis, numerical processing, two-way communication, information storage, and digital output. This review focuses on the application of intelligent medical sensing technology in biomedical sensing detection from three aspects: physical sensor, chemical sensor, and biosensor.

The accelerated pace with which new diagnostic possibilities are produced and the budget re-strictions of the healthcare sector require that the decision-making process of acquiring new technologies becomes systematic in nature. There are some methodologies such as the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) that encompasses technological domains, clinical effectiveness, patient safety, organizational and financial aspects, among others. However, these methods do not contemplate the learning curve (LC) which is a differential factor in operator-dependent technologies. An assessment model was conceived based on the assessment domains of the AdHopHTA project with the addition of LC. The model was validated and calibrated through System Dynamics (SD) and using as case study the assessment of Point-of-care Ultrasound (POCUS) equipment in dengue screening. The model helped identify the influence of the LC and patient demand on the income and costs for the healthcare system regarding dengue screening as well as the cost-benefit indicator. The control charts LC-CUSUM and CUSUM are graphic tools to intuitively assess the learning curve which can be used for real-time monitoring once students reach a certain skill level.

Mucosal vaccines offer several advantages over injectable conventional vaccines, such as adaptive immunity induction, secretory IgA production at the entry site of most pathogens, and needleless vaccinations. Despite their potential, only a few mucosal vaccines are currently used. Developing new effective mucosal vaccines strongly relies on identifying innovative anti-gens, efficient adjuvants, and delivery systems. Several approaches based on phages, bacteria, or nanoparticles have been proposed to deliver antigens to mucosal surfaces. Bacterial spores have also been considered antigen vehicles, and various antigens have been successfully exposed on their surface. Due to their peculiar structure, the spores conjugate the advantages of live microorganisms with synthetic nanoparticles. When mucosally administered, spores expressing anti-gens have been shown to induce antigen-specific, protective immune responses. This review accounts for recent progress in the formulation of spore-based mucosal vaccines, describing the spore's structure, specifically the spore surface, and the diverse approaches developed to improve its efficiency as a vehicle for heterologous antigen presentation.

Changing climate conditions and rapidly increasing carbon dioxide emissions have severely affected the global ecosystem and world economy. Governments around the world have paid attention to these resulting challenges and enacted many policies to reduce environmental pollution and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This study aimed to determine and understand the relationship between innovation, foreign direct investment, economic growth, renewable consumption and CO2 emission in Vietnam. Information was collected annually based on the annual data of the General Statistics Office of Vietnam and World Bank from 2000 to 2022. Data processing was conducted using the STATA 17.0 software. The innovation affects Vietnam’s environmental pollution. Innovation positively affect environmental pollution in Vietnam; if Vietnam’s innovation were to increase by 1%, CO2 emissions would increase by 0.68%. The empirical research results of this study also show that renewable energy consumption has a negative effect on environmental pollution in Vietnam; if renewable energy were consumed at a 1% increase, CO2 emission would decrease by 0.51%. In addition, FDI inflows and economic growth have strongly positive affecting to environmental pollution; if Vietnam’s FDI inflows were to increase 1%, CO2 emissions would increase 1.39%; if Vietnam’s GDP increase 1% then CO2 emission would increase 1.26%. This paper also provides some recommendations that can assist Vietnam in developing a green and sustainable economy in the technology revolution 4.0 to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) over a long-term period.

Recent years have seen dramatic growth in the number of scholarly scientific works dedicated to the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI), banking, and finance. With the development of scientometric tools, it is now possible to map, visualize, analyze, and assess scientific activities in many fields of engineering and social sciences including Islamic banking and finance. Based on data retrieved from the Scopus database and using a qualitative method, this study investigates, evaluates, and identifies significant development, trends, and players in the application of AI in Islamic banking and finance using the Visualization Of Similarities Method (VOS) between objects in VOSviewer. From 2006 to 2022, 387 documents were retrieved from the Scopus database; Results revealed that the top five most active countries in terms of publications are Malaysia (117 documents), Indonesia (89 documents), the United Kingdom (36 documents), the USA (24 documents), and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain (24 documents each). The International Islamic University Malaysia and Universitas Indonesia came out on top of active institutions while the top funding source came from the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia. The comprehensive findings and analysis reported in this study serve as a roadmap for future academics to create theory and practice for applying AI in Islamic banking and finance.

With the rapid development of industry, Cr has become one of the major heavy metal pollutants in soil, which has caused serious effects on the soil's ecological environment. However, the effects of Cr stress on bacterial communities in plant rhizosphere soils remain unclear. In this study, I. tectorum was selected as the research object, and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the effects of Cr stress on the structure and diversity of the bacterial community in the rhizosphere soil of I. tectorum. The results showed that I. tectorum had strong tolerance and enrichment to Cr. However, under Cr stress, the diversity and abundance index of rhizosphere bacteria decreased by 8.5% and 6.8% on average, and the Sobs index decreased by 7.6%. Moreover, the bacterial community changed by 20.1% due to the addition of Cr, further leading to a 15.9% decrease in the common species of the bacterial community, among which Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi and Acidobacteriota accounted for more than 74.8% of the total sequence. According to the symbiosis network diagram, it was found that under a two-cultivated pattern, the synergizing effect between dominant bacteria was significantly enhanced, and the soil microenvironment was improved. Redundancy analysis showed that C, N, and P nutrient elements and Cr contents in uncontaminated and contaminated soils were the primary driving factors for the succession of I. tectorum rhizosphere bacterial community, and the response was stronger after Cr(Ⅵ) was added. In conclusion, the results of this study will provide insights into the response of rhizosphere bacterial communities to heavy metal Cr and the interactions between wetland plants and rhizosphere bacteria in wetland phytoremediation.Keywords: Cr stress; rhizosphere bacterial community; Iris tectorum; 16S rRNA sequencing technology; Phytoremediation

Sensing Technology (ST) plays a key role in Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems. ST focuses on developing sensors, sensory systems or smart materials that monitor a wide variety of materials properties aiming to create smart structures and smart materials, using Embedded Sensors (ESs), and allowing continuous and permanent measurements of the structural integrity. The integration of ESs is limited to the processing technology to embed the sensor due to its high-temperature sensitivity and the possibility of damage during its insertion into the structure. In addition, the technological process selection is dependent on the base material composition, either metallic or composite parts. The selection of smart sensors or the technology underlying them is fundamental to the monitoring mode. This paper presents a critical review of the fundaments and applications of sensing technologies for SHM employing ESs, focusing on the actual developments and innovation of these, as well as analysing the challenges that these technologies present, to build a path that allows a connected world through distributed measurement systems.

For the soil in different regions, the nutrient fertility contained in it is different, and the detection and zoning management of soil nutrients before tillage every year can improve grain yield. In this paper, an integrated learning strategy model based on black soil hyperspectral data is designed for rapid classification of organic matter content classification of black soil. Soil hyperspectral image dataset of Xiangyang Experimental Base was collected; by changing the internal structure of the stacking model, an LSVM-stacking model with (MLP, SVC, DTree, XGBl, kNN) five classifiers as the L1 layer was built, and the simulated annealing algorithm was used for hyperparameter optimization. Compared to other stacking models, the LSVM-stacking metrics are significantly improved. The accuracy rate of hyperparameter optimization is improved by 38.6515%, the accuracy rate of the independent test data set is 0.9488, and the comparison of individual learners can improve the recognition classification accuracy of label"1" to 1.0.

This paper focuses on the comparative analysis of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) thermal management with aim to maintain working temperature in the range 15 ℃ – 35 ℃. This is to prevent thermal runaway and high temperature gradients. The proposed approach is to employ the biodiesel, situated inside the diesel/LIB powered hybrid electric vehicle, to supply as fuel and coolant. A 3S2P LIB module is simulated using Ansys-Fluent CFD software tool. The system without a coolant shows that LIB has exceeded the optimum maximum temperature, which leads to shortened life-cycle and poor performance. Four fatty acid methyl ester biodiesels are used as coolants, namely palm, karanja, jatropha, and mahua oils. When compared with conventional methods of cooling, using air and 3M Novec liquid, the palm biodiesel coolant proves to be the best option to maintain LIB temperature within the optimum working range. With the use of palm biodiesel, the system is estimated to lightweight the BTMS by 43%, compared to the case when 3M Novec is used to maintain the same temperature range.

Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) plays a part in modern cyber security, as a result of the increasing need for cyber security systems in the “real” world due to the increasing number of cyber attacks, more sophisticated systems are required in order to prevent these attacks - an IDS can provide this protection. Due to the sophistication of these systems, they must be properly understood, developed and analyzed - research papers can be used as a tool to improve IDS systems. This paper is composed of two main sections: a survey and a taxonomy, providing information, reviews and interpretations from relevant papers, a timeline of important papers, a discussion on the future of IDS and a classification on IDS and how to apply this.

Renewable energy technologies (RET) are critical to the sustainable development of modern societies. Hong Kong has set up a RET theme park so as to fulfill the needs of and impart knowledge on RET through entertainment and educational activities. Such understanding aids in formulating appropriate future park designs and neuromarketing strategies to maximize the attractiveness of the park. Therefore, this study attempts to investigate potential visitors’ preferences with regard to cartoon characters in the RET theme park, especially for student groups to meet the “edutainment” theme of the park. A total of 400 people have participated in this study. Findings indicate that Snoopy, Mickey Mouse, and Donald Duck show a high degree of likeness of presence in the RET theme park.

In the current business environment, firms are eager to adopt new technology as they witness and perceive more and more successful business applications of new technologies, e.g., Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), Cloud Computing, etc. As one of the disruptive technologies, Blockchain technology (BCT) is now drawing public attention owing to the cryptocurrency phenomenon (e.g., Bitcoin), for which Blockchain serves as the backbone technology. Given certain innovative features of BCT, especially its transparency, traceability, security, efficiency, confidentiality, and immutability, BCT holds out the promise of impacting supply chain operational and financial efficiencies. Recently, the burgeoning of Metaverse and Non-Fungible Token (NFT) has boosted the BCT as state-of-the-art technology to another notch. Motivated by the proliferating adoption of BCT, we conduct a holistic literature review with a focus on the status of research on BCT in the context of Supply Chain Management (SCM). In particular, this Blockchain-centered research reviews the research up to date on the Blockchain application in SCM. It provides holistic review in terms of (1) the functionality of BCT and its salient features; (2) the prevailing and potential applications of BCT; (3) and the business benefits and impact of BCT in SCM. Finally, we substantiate and highlight a variety of research directions.

Industrial green technology innovation has become an important content in achieving high-quality economic growth and comprehensively practicing the new development concept in the new era. This paper measures the efficiency of industrial green technology innovation and regional differences based on Chinese provincial panel data from 2005 to 2018, using a combination of the super-efficient SBM model for considering undesirable outputs and the Dagum Gini coefficient method, and discusses and analyses the factors influencing of the industrial green technology innovation efficiency by constructing a spatial econometric model. The results show that: firstly, the industrial green technology innovation efficiency in China shows a relatively stable development trend, going through three stages: " stationary period", " recession period " and "growth period ". However, the efficiency gap between different regions is obvious, specifically in the eastern > central > western regions of China, and the industrial green technology efficiency innovation in the central and western regions is lower than the national average. Secondly, regional differences in the efficiency of industrial green technology innovation in China are evident but tend to narrow overall, with the main reason for the overall difference being regional differences. In terms of intra-regional variation, variation within the eastern region is relatively stable, variation within the central region is relatively low and shows an inverted 'U' shaped trend, and variation within the western region is high and shows a fluctuating downward trend. Thirdly, the firm size, government support, openness to the outside world, environmental regulations and education levels contribute to the efficiency of industrial green technology innovation. In addition, the industrial structure hinders the efficiency of industrial green technology innovation, and each influencing factor has different degrees of spatial spillover effects.

Thanks to rapid development of artificial intelligence technology in recent years, the current artificial intelligence technology is contributing to many part of society. Education, environment, medical care, military, tourism, economy, politics, etc. are having a very large impact on society as a whole. For example, in the field of education, there is an artificial intelligence tutoring system that automatically assigns tutors based on student's level. In the field of economics, there are quantitative investment methods that automatically analyze large amounts of data to find investment laws to create investment models or predict changes in financial markets. As such, artificial intelligence technology is being used in various fields. So, it is very important to know exactly what factors have an important influence on each field of artificial intelligence technology and how the relationship between each field is connected. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze artificial intelligence technology in each field. In this paper, we analyze patent documents related to artificial intelligence technology. We propose a method for keyword analysis within factors using artificial intelligence patent data sets for artificial intelligence technology analysis. This is a model that relies on feature engineering based on deep learning model named KeyBERT, and using vector space model. A case study of collecting and analyzing artificial intelligence patent data was conducted to show how the proposed model can be applied to real-world problems.

Among all economically important plant species in the world, grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) is the most cultivated fruit plant. It has a significant impact on the economies of many countries through wine and fresh and dried fruit production. In recent years, the grape and wine industry has been facing outbreaks of known and emerging viral diseases across the world. Although high-throughput sequencing (HTS) has been used extensively in grapevine virology, the application and potential of third-generation sequencing have not been explored in understanding grapevine viruses and their impact on the grapevine. Nanopore sequencing, a third-generation technology, can be used for direct sequencing of both RNA and DNA with minimal infrastructure. Compared to other HTS methods, the MinION nanopore platform is faster and more cost-effective and allows for long-read sequencing. Due to the size of the MinION device, it can be easily carried for field viral disease surveillance. This review article discusses grapevine viruses and their diagnostic methods, the principle of nanopore sequencing technology and its application in grapevine virus detection, virus–plant interactions, as well as the characterization of viral RNA modifications.

This paper provides attempts to formalize Hayek’s theory of knowledge. It has been theoretically shown that exponential income distribution is a spontaneous order of the well-functioning market economy. We show that this theoretical result is supported by the empirical evidence from the United Kingdom and China. In particular, we empirically show how the income structure of China evolved towards an exponential distribution after the market-oriented economic reformation. Furthermore, we strictly prove that, if the income structure of an economy obeys an exponential distribution, the income summation over all households leads to an aggregate production function with Hicks-neutral-like technical progress, in which the technology factor is exactly equal to society’s information stock that is a result of combining all of decentralized decisions.

Currently the integration of Kazakhstan into the world community requires the training of highly qualified specialists fluently speaking and having a good command of foreign language. The study is devoted to the problem of development of foreign language professional skills of students of non-linguistic specialty. The aim of the research is to identify the efficiency of integrated approach use for shaping foreign language communicative skills of non-linguistic specialty students. The methodological basis of the research was communicative approach to foreign language teaching. In the framework of the research scientific and theoretical literary sources on the problem of the development of foreign language professional skills of non-linguistic specialty students were studied and summarized; the analysis of the empirical material obtained in the questioning and testing of students. To determine the level of formation of foreign language professional competence of international relations specialty students we have developed the following components: linguistic, cognitive, pragmatic. In the course of the experimental study, the authors revealed that the use of problem-based methods such as discussion, project and case technologies, debates in the framework of integrated approach to professional foreign language teaching promote students’ motivation increase and contribute to the improvement of their foreign language professional skills. The results of the study can be used in application of CLIL technology for the formation of foreign language professional competence of non-linguistic specialty students at the university.

Visual Patient technology is a situation awareness–oriented visualization technology that translates numerical and waveform patient monitoring data into a new user-centered visual language. Vital sign values are converted into colors, shapes, and rhythmic movements—a language humans can easily perceive and interpret—on a patient avatar model in real time. In this review, we summarize the current state of the research on the Visual Patient, including the technology, its history, and its scientific context. We also provide a summary of our primary research and a brief overview of research work on similar user-centered visualizations in medicine. In several computer-based studies under various experimental conditions, Visual Patient transferred more information per unit time, increased perceived diagnostic certainty, and lowered perceived workload. Eye tracking showed the technology worked because of the way it synthesizes and transforms vital sign information into new and logical forms corresponding to the real phenomena. The technology could be particularly useful for improving situation awareness in settings with high cognitive demand or when users must make quick decisions. This comprehensive review of Visual Patient research is the foundation for an evaluation of the technology in clinical applications, starting with a high-fidelity simulation study in early 2020.

Electronic designers nowadays are facing two challenging demands for various applications: miniaturization and increased functionality. To satisfy these seemingly opposed requirements, reducing the number of mounted components—and thus solder joints—in PCB designs becomes an attractive approach by directly printing passive components such as embedded resistors into the circuit. This approach can also potentially increase the reliability, such as “mean time between failures” (MTBF), while reducing the circuit board size. With its unique capabilities for non-contact precision material deposition, the Aerosol Jet® direct-write technology has been enabling additive manufacturing of fine-feature electronics conformally onto flexible substrates of complicated shapes. The CAD/CAM controlled relative motions between substrate and print head allows convenient adjustment of the pattern and pile height of deposited material at a given ink volumetric deposition rate. To date in the printed electronics industry, additively printing embedded polymer-thick-film (PTF) resistors has mostly been done with screen printing using carbon-based paste inks. Here we demonstrate results of Aerosol Jet® printed PTF resistors of resistance values ranging from ~50 W to > 1 kW, adjustable (among several variable parameters) by the number of stacked layers (or print passes with each pass depositing a fixed amount of ink) between contact pads of around 1 mm apart with footprint line typically < 0.3 mm. In principle, any ink material that can be atomized into fine droplets of 1 to 5 microns can be printed with the Aerosol Jet® system. However, the print quality such as line edge cleanliness can significantly influenced by ink rheology which involves solvent volatility, solids loading, and so on. Our atomizable carbon ink was made by simply diluting a screen printing paste with a compatible solvent of reasonable volatility, which can be cured at temperatures below 200 ^oC. We show that Aerosol Jet® printed overlapping lines can be stacked to large pile height (to reduce the resistance value) without significant increase of line width, which enables fabricating embedded resistors with adjustable resistance values in a limited footprint space.

Background: Telemedicine (interconsultation between primary and hospital care teams) has been operating in the counties of Central Catalonia Bages, Moianès and Berguedà since 2011 in the specialties of teledermatology, teleulcers, teleeyelids and teleaudiometries. For the period until the end of 2019, a total of 52,198 visits have been recorded. Objective: To analyse the differential costs between telemedicine and usual care in a semi-urban environment. Methodology: A cost-minimization evaluation, including direct and indirect costs from a societal perspective, distinguishing healthcare and user’s costs, within a three-month period. Results: Telemedicine saved € 780,397 over the period analysed. A differential cost favourable to telemedicine of about € 15/visit has been observed, the patient being the largest beneficiary of this saving (by 85%) in terms of shorter waiting times and travel costs. From the healthcare system perspective, moving the time spent in a hospital care consultation to primary care is efficient in terms of the total time devoted per patient. In social terms and in this context, telemedicine is more efficient than usual care. Conclusion: Users’ saving of time in terms of consultation and travel is the main driver of interconsultation between primary and hospital care savings in a semi-urban context. The telemedicine service is also economically favourable for the healthcare system, enabling it to provide a more agile service, which also benefits the healthcare professionals.

In this paper, the preparation methods of porous silicon nitride materials with controllable dielectric constant and pore structure were systematically studied. By using microwave sintering technology, porous silicon nitride materials with high closed pore ratio were prepared by adjusting the content of sintering additives and sintering process parameters, and controlling the grain boundary phase and pore structure and size. The effects of sintering conditions on the total porosity, closed porosity, pore structure and dielectric properties of materials were systematically studied.

Because of the near-term risk of extreme weather events and other adverse consequences from climate change, and, at least in the longer term, global fossil fuel depletion, there is world-wide interest in shifting to noncarbon energy sources, especially renewable energy (RE). Because of possible limitations on conventional renewable energy sources, researchers have looked for ways of overcoming these shortcomings by introducing radically new energy technologies. The largest RE source today is bioenergy, while solar energy and wind energy are regarded as having the largest technical potential. This paper reviews the literature on proposed new technologies for each of these three RE sources: microalgae for bioenergy, photolysis and airborne wind turbines. The main finding is that their proponents have underestimated the difficulties facing their introduction on a very large scale.

Current study aims to evaluate the possibilities to increase part strength by optimizing the FFF process parameters. Five different CAD models of parts with same coupling dimensions but different shape inherited from a recent study were converted into test samples with Ultimaker 2 3D printer. The main measure of success was the sample strength, defined as the load at which the first crack in the stressed area of the part appeared. Three different modifications to the FFF process with verified positive effect on interlayer bonding were applied. First modification included raising the extrusion temperature and disabling printed part cooling. Second modification consisted in reduction of the layer thickness. Third modification combined the effects of the first and the second ones. For four out of five shapes tested applied process modifications resulted in significant strengthening of the part. The shape that exhibited the best results was subject to further research by creating special printing mode. The mode included fine-tuning of three technological parameters on different stages of the part fabrication. As result it was possible to increase the part strength by 108% only by tuning printing parameters of the best shape designed with increasing its weight by 8%.

The bio-oil was largely produced by thermal pyrolysis of Jatropha-derived biomass wastes (denoted as Jatropha bio-oil) using a Pilot Plant with a capacity of 20 kg h-1 at Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR), Thailand. Jatropha bio-oil is an unconventional type of bio-oil, which is mostly composed of fatty acids, fatty acid methyl esters, fatty acid amides and derivatives, and consequently it contained large amounts of heteroatoms (oxygen ~ 20 wt.%, nitrogen ~ 5 wt.%, sulfur ~ 1000 ppm.). The heteroatoms, nitrogen especially, are highly poisonous to the metal or sulfide catalysts for upgrading of Jatropha bio-oil. To overcome this technical problem, we reported a stepwise strategy for hydrotreating of 100 wt% Jatropha bio-oil over mesoporous sulfide catalysts of CoMo/γ-Al2O3 and NiMo/γ-Al2O3 to produce drop-in transport fuels, such as gasoline- and diesel-like fuels. This study is very different from our recent work on co-processing of Jatropha bio-oil (ca. 10 wt%) with petroleum distillates to produce a hydrotreated oil as a diesel-like fuel (Chen et al., Catalysts 2018, 8, 59; http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/catal8020059). Jatropha bio-oil was pre-treated through a slurry-type high pressure reactor under severe condition, resulting in a pre-treated Jatropha bio-oil with relatively low amounts of heteroatoms (oxygen < 20 wt.%, nitrogen < 2 wt.%, sulfur < 500 ppm.). The light and middle distillates of pre-hydrotreated Jatropha bio oil was then separated by distillation at temperature below 240 oC, and the temperature of 240-360 oC. Deep hydrotreating of light distillates over sulfide CoMo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst was performed on a batch-type high pressure reactor at 350 oC and 7 MPa of H2 gas for 5 h. The hydrotreated oil was a gasoline-like fuel, which contained 29.5 vol.% of n-paraffins, 14.4 vol.% of iso-paraffins, 4.5 vol.% of olefins, 21.4 vol. % of naphthene compounds and 29.6 wt.% of aromatic compounds, and little amounts of heteroatoms (nearly no oxygen and sulfur, and less than 50 ppm of nitrogen), corresponding to an octane number of 44, and it would be suitable for blending with petro-gasoline. The hydrotreating of middle distillates over sulfide NiMo/γ-Al2O3 catalyst using the same reaction condition produced a hydrotreating oil with diesel-like composition, low amounts of heteroatoms (no oxygen and less than 50 ppm of sulfur and nitrogen), and a cetane number of 60, which would be suitable for use in drop-in diesel fuel.

The practice of collecting, treating and management of solid waste prior to disposal has become a necessity in developing and modern societies. Over the years, it is known that most wastes that are disposed have a second hand value. However, the construction cost for conventional Material Recovery Facility(s) (MRFs) has been a major barrier for implementation. These technologies require considerable technical expertise, which is often not available in developing nations to successfully operate the MRFs. Covenant University; a private mission institution through her waste to wealth scheme is focused on managing and processing used materials to reusable products. These include Pet bottles, Paper wastes, Food wastes from cafeteria, plastic food packs, nylon, tin cans and others. Specific areas chosen for the Survey include the residential areas for staff and students and the two cafeterias. The waste generated was characterized based on the waste stream so as to quantify the amount of recyclable waste generated and most occurring. The survey involved the use of structured questionnaires, on-site observations and measurements. The study reveals an average amount of recyclable waste generated per day in the institution as 13.46% pet bottles, 4.03% paper, 55.56% food waste, 12.64% plastic, 9.63% nylon and 4.68% tin cans. The study established that adequate waste characterization is a requirement for effective integrated solid waste management which would boost resource recovery, reuse and recycling.

Abstract: This study examines the legal implications of implementing wearable technology in professional sports, focusing on European football leagues. As the adoption of wearable devices in sports continues to grow, it raises significant legal concerns regarding privacy, data protection, and athlete rights. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative analysis of legal frameworks and quantitative survey data from 150 professional footballers across top European leagues. Key findings reveal that 78% of surveyed athletes express concerns about the potential misuse of their biometric data collected through wearable devices (p < 0.001). The study identifies three primary legal challenges: (1) data ownership and control, (2) informed consent and voluntary participation, and (3) potential discrimination based on biometric data in contract negotiations. A comparative analysis of regulatory approaches in different European countries shows significant variations, with only 40% having specific legislation addressing wearable technology in sports.The research also explores the intersection of wearable technology with existing sports law, including doping regulations and fair play principles. A chi-square test indicates a significant association between athletes' awareness of legal rights and their willingness to use wearable technology (χ2 = 15.7, p < 0.01).This study contributes to the growing body of literature on sports law and technology by providing empirical evidence and legal analysis specific to the European football context. The findings have important implications for policymakers, sport’s governing bodies, and athletes' unions in developing comprehensive frameworks to address the legal challenges posed by wearable technology in professional sports.

The growing concern over heavy metal contamination in environmental and industrial settings has intensified the need for sensitive, selective, and cost-effective detection technologies. Electrochemical sensors, due to their high sensitivity, rapid response, and portability, have emerged as promising tools for detecting heavy metals. Recent years have seen significant progress in utilizing biopolymer-based materials to enhance the performance of these sensors. Biopolymers, derived from renewable raw materials, have garnered considerable interest in both science and industry. These biopolymer-based composites are increasingly recognized as superior alternatives to conventional non-biodegradable materials because of their ability to degrade through environmental exposure. This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in biopolymer-based electrochemical sensors for heavy metal detection. It discusses various types of biopolymers and bio-sourced polymers, their extraction methods, and chemical properties. Additionally, it highlights the state-of-the-art in applying biopolymers to electrochemical sensor development for heavy metal detection, synthesizing recent advances and offering insights into design principles, fabrication strategies, and analytical performance. The review underscores the potential of biopolymer-based sensors as cost-effective, eco-friendly, and efficient tools for addressing the pressing issue of heavy metal contamination in water and discusses their advantages and limitation. It also outlines future research directions to further enhance the performance and applicability of these sensors.

A significant part of the global economy is focused on financial technologies, such as digital wallets, a rapidly growing sector. In 2020, 2.4 billion people used digital banking services globally, and this figure is projected to rise to 3.6 billion by 2026. This study aims to evaluate the current state and future trends in research on digital wallets using scientific databases. The methodology employed was a scoping review that analyzed 778 documents after the eligibility process. The terms used were “digital wallet,” “mobile wallet,” and “e-wallet.” Results indicate that India, the United States, and China lead in digital wallet research. Factors such as data security, ease of use, and integration with traditional payment systems significantly influence the adoption of digital wallets. Despite numerous studies, this article provides the first in-depth bibliometric analysis using Scopus and Web of Science. There has been an exponential research increase over the last decade, with a shift towards technological adoption and innovation. Less developed but key topics such as “digital wallets,” “blockchain,” and “block-chain” are fundamental yet have potential for further development. Driving themes like “electronic money,” “e-wallet,” and “electronic commerce” are central and highly developed, indicating their relevance and high research activity.

The aim of this study was to investigate the differentially expressed genes associated with intramuscular fat deposition in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Xinjiang Brown Bulls. The longissimus dorsi muscles of 42 Xinjiang Brown Bulls were selected under the same feeding conditions. The intramuscular fat content of muscle samples were determined by Soxhlet extraction method, from which 5 samples with high intramuscular fat content (HIMF group) and 5 samples with low intramuscular fat content (LIMF group) were selected. It was found that the intramuscular fat content of HIMF group was 46.054% higher than that of LIMF group. Muscle samples produced by paraffin section for morphological observation. It was found that the fat richness of the HIMF group was better than that of the LIMF group. Transcriptome sequencing technology was used to analyze the gene expression differences of longissimus dorsi muscle. Through in-depth analysis of the longissimus dorsi muscle by transcriptome sequencing technology, we screened a total of 165 differentially expressed genes. The results of Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes in the two groups were mainly clustered in biological pathways related to carbohydrate metabolic processes, redox processes and oxidoreductase activities. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes were significantly clustered in 15 metabolic pathways, which mainly covered fatty acid metabolism (related to lipid metabolism and glucose metabolism), pentose phosphate pathway, Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPAR) signalling pathway and other important metabolic processes. The three genes that were predominantly enriched in the glycolipid metabolic pathway by analysis were SCD5, CPT1C, and FBP2, all of which directly or indirectly affect intramuscular fat deposition. In summary, the present study investigated the differences in gene expression between high and low intramuscular fat content in the longissimus dorsi muscle of Xinjiang Brown Bulls by transcriptome sequencing technology, and revealed the related signalling pathways. Therefore, we hypothesized that SCD5, CPT1C, and FBP2 were the key genes responsible for the significant differences in intramuscular fat content of the longissimus dorsi muscles in a population of Xinjiang Brown Bulls. We expect that these findings will provide fundamental support for subsequent studies exploring key genes affecting fat deposition characteristics in Xinjiang Brown Bulls.

This qualitative research explores Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) as a pivotal driver of sustainable practices in the e-commerce sector. Through in-depth interviews with industry experts, practitioners, and scholars, the study investigates how SRM strategies integrate sustainability criteria into procurement processes, mitigate environmental and ethical risks, and enhance operational efficiencies. Key findings highlight the strategic importance of collaborative relationships with suppliers, technological innovations such as blockchain and data analytics in promoting transparency and accountability, and the influence of consumer preferences for sustainable products on market dynamics. Despite challenges such as regulatory complexities and global supply chain dynamics, businesses are increasingly adopting sustainable SRM practices to strengthen brand reputation, achieve cost savings, and align with evolving sustainability standards. The study underscores the interconnected nature of sustainability within e-commerce operations and calls for continued research to advance technological solutions, refine regulatory frameworks, and foster industry-wide collaboration. By embracing sustainability as a strategic imperative, businesses can navigate complexities, drive innovation, and contribute to a more resilient and sustainable future for the e-commerce industry.

This research investigates the pivotal role of Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) in enhancing e-commerce scalability. SRM practices are essential for optimizing supply chain operations and fostering strategic partnerships with suppliers, crucial in the dynamic and competitive e-commerce landscape. Through a comprehensive analysis of case studies, expert interviews, and secondary data, the study examines how leading e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Alibaba implement effective SRM strategies to achieve scalability. Key findings reveal that strategic supplier selection based on capabilities and alignment with business goals, coupled with continuous evaluation and development programs, ensures consistent supply chain performance and customer satisfaction. Technological advancements, including data analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain, play a transformative role in modern SRM by enhancing transparency, efficiency, and decision-making capabilities. These technologies enable real-time monitoring, automated processes, and risk mitigation strategies that bolster supply chain resilience and operational efficiency. Best practices in SRM, such as clear performance metrics, a culture of continuous improvement, and ethical sourcing policies, are critical for driving supplier accountability, innovation, and sustainability. Moreover, sustainability emerges as a growing priority in SRM, with businesses integrating environmental and social considerations into supplier management strategies to meet regulatory requirements and stakeholder expectations. Theoretical frameworks like the Resource-Based View and Transaction Cost Economics provide insights into the strategic implications of SRM, emphasizing its role in fostering competitive advantage and long-term business success. As e-commerce continues to evolve, businesses must adapt and innovate in their SRM approaches to navigate global supply chain complexities effectively. By prioritizing effective SRM practices, leveraging advanced technologies, and embracing sustainability, businesses can enhance their scalability, resilience, and competitiveness in the digital economy.

This qualitative research investigates the impact of Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) on e-commerce innovation adoption. Through semi-structured interviews and document analysis, the study explores how SRM practices influence organizational capabilities to innovate in the context of digital commerce. Key themes emerged, emphasizing the critical role of trust, communication, collaboration, strategic alignment, technology integration, organizational culture, leadership, and external factors in shaping e-commerce innovation. Trust was found to be foundational, fostering transparent communication and collaborative relationships that facilitate innovation. Effective communication channels and collaborative initiatives enabled organizations and suppliers to leverage combined expertise, driving the development of innovative e-commerce solutions. Strategic alignment ensured that both parties worked towards shared goals, supported by technology integration that enhanced operational efficiency and decision-making. Organizational culture and leadership were identified as crucial in creating environments conducive to continuous innovation. External factors such as market dynamics, regulatory requirements, and technological advancements influenced innovation strategies, highlighting the need for adaptive and responsive SRM practices. The findings underscore the interconnectedness of these factors within the SRM framework, offering insights into how organizations can enhance their innovation capabilities and competitiveness in the digital economy. By strategically managing SRM practices and integrating sustainable initiatives, organizations can navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and achieve sustained success in e-commerce innovation.