Integration Technology Research Articles

Urban–Rural Integration and Agricultural Technology Innovation: Evidence from China

Urban and rural relations are important for the sustainable development of a nation or region. Urban and rural integration (URI), as a conceptual framework and strategic tool for managing urban–rural relations, is supposed to play a role in linking urban and rural socio-economic systems to promote the two-way flow of resources, facilitate spatial restructuring and functional transformation, enhance resource allocation efficiency, and shorten the gap between urban and rural areas. This article takes agriculture technological innovation in China as an example, and discuss whether and how URI can promote agricultural technological innovation (ATI). Based on a dataset of 288 prefecture-level cities spanning the years from 1999 to 2018, this article analyzes the mechanism and effect of URI on the development of ATI by using the negative binomial regression model and other models based on measuring the level of URI in the municipal area. The main conclusions are as follows. (1) URI positively promotes the development of ATI and exhibits significant heterogeneity across various dimensions, regions, and agricultural production areas. (2) The mechanism analysis shows that governance systems and mature markets positively moderate the impact of URI on promoting ATI, which also exhibits heterogeneous characteristics across various regions. (3) The impact of URI on the development of ATI exhibits a double threshold effect, and its marginal impact on the development of ATI increases with the deepening of URI. Moreover, the threshold effect of URI demonstrates significant heterogeneity. In central and urban areas, after surpassing the threshold value, the influence of URI on agricultural technological innovation becomes greater. Therefore, it is crucial to continuously deepen the development of URI, smooth the channels of factor flow, enhance resource sharing, break down the urban and rural barriers, and create a new engine for ATI development.

Automatic Indoor Thermal Comfort Monitoring Based on BIM and IoT Technology

Building Information Modeling (BIM) and Internet of Thing (IoT) integration technologies can improve operational efficiency in the operational phase of construction projects. Currently, research on the integration of BIM and IoT has yet to ensure secure data transmission and lacks real-time data processing capabilities. This study builds a framework to collect and analyze BIM and IoT data in real time. The framework is verified to be effective through a case study in an office building. The monitoring system can automatically calculate the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) value, upload and update real-time temperature and humidity data, and visualize thermal comfort through heat maps. The proposed integration approach offers building management strategies to enhance thermal comfort in office environments, fostering a more inclusive and accommodating workspace that acknowledges the diverse cultural backgrounds of occupants.

A node deployment and resource optimization method for CPDS based on cloud‐fog‐edge collaboration

AbstractWith the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) in power distribution and the advancement of energy information integration technologies, the explosive growth in network data volume caused by massive terminal devices connecting to the power distribution network has become a significant challenge. Multi‐terminal collaborative computing is a key approach to addressing issues such as high latency and high energy consumption. In this article, fog computing is introduced into the computing network of the power distribution system, and a cloud‐fog‐edge collaborative computing architecture for intelligent power distribution networks is proposed. Within this framework, an improved weighted K‐means method based on information entropy theory is presented for node partitioning. Subsequently, an improved multi‐objective particle swarm optimization algorithm (MWM‐MOPSO) is employed to solve the task resource allocation problem. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed architecture and allocation strategy is validated through simulations on the OPNET and PureEdgeSim platforms. The results demonstrate that, compared to traditional cloud‐edge service architectures, the proposed architecture and task offloading scheme achieve better performance in terms of processing latency and energy consumption.

I-PHAOS: An Overview with an Open-Source Collaborative Database on Miniaturized Integrated Spectrometers

On-chip spectrometers are increasingly becoming tools that might help in everyday life needs. The possibility offered by several available integration technologies and materials to be used to miniaturize spectrometers has led to a plethora of very different devices, that in principle can be compared according to their metrics. Having access to a reference database can help in selecting the best-performing on-chip spectrometers and being up to date in terms of standards and developments. In this paper, an overview of the most relevant publications available in the literature on miniaturized spectrometers is reported and a database is provided as an open-source project to which researchers can have access and participate in order to improve the share of knowledge in the interested scientific community.

Boosting self-powered wearable thermoelectric generator with solar absorber and radiative cooler

The electrical output of wearable thermoelectric generators (wTEGs) has traditionally been constrained by small temperature differentials when powering microelectronics. In this study, we innovatively combine photothermal and radiative cooling mechanisms within a single wTEGs system, enabling substantial, uninterrupted power generation. Specifically, we designed a multilayer selective solar absorber (m-SSA) composed of flexible dielectric-metal stacks. This absorber demonstrates exceptional solar absorption efficiency of 93 % and significantly low thermal emissivity of 10 %. In practical outdoor conditions, it achieves a temperature increase of up to 108 °C under solar irradiation. Concurrently, we developed a flexible hierarchically porous radiative cooler (HP-RC), which reflects 96 % of solar energy and emits 97 % of thermal energy, achieving a cooling differential of up to 10 °C, even at ambient temperatures of 42 °C. Integration of the m-SSA and HP-RC with wTEGs allows for the simultaneous harvesting of heat from solar, cold space, and earth (robots or human body). This novel energy capture mechanism yielded a notable power density of 198 mW/m² for human body and 52 mW/m2 for steel robots in outdoor wearable applications. This significant advancement promotes the field toward high-performance, integrated green power technologies and holds promise for next-generation wearable self-powered devices.

The integrative biology of the heart: mechanisms enabling cardiac plasticity.

Cardiac phenotypic plasticity, the remodelling of heart structure and function, is a response to any sustained (or repeated) stimulus or stressor that results in a change in heart performance. Cardiac plasticity can be either adaptive (beneficial) or maladaptive (pathological), depending on the nature and intensity of the stimulus. Here, we draw on articles published in this Special Issue of Journal of Experimental Biology, and from the broader comparative physiology literature, to highlight the core components that enable cardiac plasticity, including structural remodelling, excitation-contraction coupling remodelling and metabolic rewiring. We discuss when and how these changes occur, with a focus on the underlying molecular mechanisms, from the regulation of gene transcription by epigenetic processes to post-translational modifications of cardiac proteins. Looking to the future, we anticipate that the growing use of -omics technologies in integration with traditional comparative physiology approaches will allow researchers to continue to uncover the vast scope for plasticity in cardiac function across animals.

Modeling and experimental characterization of a compact Mach–Zehnder electro-optic modulator on the SOI

The Mach–Zehnder electro-optic modulator (MZM) plays a crucial role in photonics integration technology during signal transmission. We propose the design and fabrication of a silicon-based electro-optic modulator based on the M-Z structure and design a modulator using silicon as the waveguide core layer on a silicon dioxide substrate. The detailed design involves a 1×2 splitter, branch waveguides, modulating arm waveguides, and a 2×1 combiner. The MZM fabrication and characterization results reveal that the half-wave voltage of the silicon-based MZM is 2 V, with an optical loss of −2.464dB and a device core size of 450µm×2800µm. The experimental results indicate that the MZM with a low half-wave voltage, a low loss, and high integration has significant value. The proposed MZM exhibits considerable improvements, featuring a low half-wave voltage and a low loss, and this device may serve as a fundamental component in wearable large-scale photonic integrated circuits for weak ECG real-time detection.

Corporate Social Responsibility, Earnings Management, and Cash Holding: A Study of Non-Financial Firms in Pakistan

This study investigates the interplay between CSR practices, earning management, and cash holdings in Pakistani publicly listed companies (PLCs). Spanning the period from 2013 to 2022, the research aims to provide empirical insights into how CSR initiatives influence financial practices within the Pakistani context. Methodologically, the study employs panel unit root tests and compares Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), fixed effects, and random effects models to analyze a sample of 202 non-financial firms listed on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The implications of these findings underscore the importance of strategic CSR integration to enhance financial transparency, mitigate agency conflicts, and foster sustainable corporate growth. Managerial implications suggest that executives should focus on enhancing board effectiveness, strengthening audit oversight, aligning managerial incentives with long-term shareholder interests, and integrating CSR initiatives into core business strategies. However, the study acknowledges several limitations. These include the sector-specific focus on non-financial firms, which may limit generalizability to other sectors within the Pakistani economy. The study's reliance on panel unit root tests and econometric models, while robust, may benefit from alternative methodological approaches and sensitivity analyses. In conclusion, while this study contributes valuable insights into the CSR practices and financial management of Pakistani PLCs, future research should explore longitudinal trends, sector-specific variations, the role of emerging technologies in integration of CSR into corporate strategies. Addressing these areas would further enhance our understanding and inform policy interventions aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and sustainable in emerging market economies like Pakistan.

Integrated Technologies for Anti-Deicing Functions and Structures of Aircraft: Current Status and Development Trends

With the increasing adoption of composite materials in aircraft construction, traditional anti-icing technologies face significant challenges due to the low thermal conductivity and heat resistance of composite resins. These limitations have spurred the development of lightweight, efficient, durable, and cost-effective integrated anti-icing technologies as a critical area of research. This paper begins with an overview of advancements in electrothermal anti-icing and de-icing technologies for aircraft. It then explores the configurations and applications of functional-structural integration technology for anti-icing and de-icing, emphasizing pivotal technologies and current challenges in this field. Finally, the study forecasts the development trends in the multifunctional integration of thermal conductivity/insulation, anti-icing, and electromagnetic wave transparency/wave-absorbing properties. These advancements are driven by the evolution of composite materialization in aircraft and the progression of multi-electrical/all-electrical technologies. The objective is to provide a comprehensive guide for technological development in anti-icing, aiding researchers and relevant departments to further enhance the application of anti-icing technology in composite material aircraft.

Device packaging and integration optimization based on neural network method: Effect of microchannel structure on heat sink performance

With the continuous improvement of power density of electronic device packaging, microchannel structure based on advanced packaging integration technology has become one of the hot topics in thermal management research. In this paper, two heat sink models are numerically simulated: rectangular microchannel and microchannel-pinfin hybrid. The effects of microchannel structure, inlet/outlet arrangement and pinfin design on heat sink performance were studied. The heat sink performance is evaluated by the maximum temperature at hotspot area, the total thermal resistance and the mean absolute temperature deviation (MATD). The research results show that at the same Reynolds number, the hybrid structure with pinfin has better heat sink performance. Compared with the rectangular microchannel structure, the maximum temperature at the hotspot area is reduced by 20.45 K and the total thermal resistance is reduced by 5.9 %. Compared with the three inlet/outlet arrangements of I-type, U-type and Z-type, the I-type hybrid structure has the best heat sink performance. The average absolute temperature deviation is about 10 K at high Reynolds number, and the temperature distribution is more uniform. In addition, the heat sink performance is improved by increasing the pinfin size to expand the heat transfer area. This paper uses simulation results to build an artificial neural network model in order to quickly and accurately predict numerical results under different parameter conditions. The network model has good accuracy and robustness, with a mean absolute error of 0.376 %. The prediction model takes heat source power, Reynolds number and pinfin structural parameters as input. Rapidly predicting the performance of heat sinks with different structural parameters under different boundary conditions will effectively save experimental and computational costs. This research provides new ideas and tools for optimizing heat sink design, and helps improve the application of microchannel cooling technology in electronic devices.

Heat Pump-Assisted extractive Pressure-Swing distillation with integrated feed Preconcentration/Solvent recovery for Isopropanol-Benzene-Water separation

Recently, heat-integrated pressure-swing distillation (HIPSD) has been explored for recovering isopropanol and benzene from wastewater, but the process remains highly energy-intensive. Given the dilute nature of the feed, intensified extractive distillation with an integrated preconcentration column (IEDP) is more suitable. However, previous research has often overlooked the critical role of pressure and lacked rigorous optimization of operating pressure in such systems. In this article, we developed novel extractive pressure-swing distillation with integrated feed preconcentration/solvent recovery column (IEPSD) by introducing a pressure-swing configuration and incorporate energy-saving technologies to achieve more sustainable and cost-effective separation processes. First, thermodynamic analysis is conducted to explore the effect of pressure on extractive pressure-swing distillation. Then, a parallel genetic algorithm is applied for rigorous optimization, followed by the application of heat integration and heat pump. The IEPSD is superior to IED in terms of total annual cost (TAC) and CO2 emission. With the inclusion of energy-saving technologies, IEDPHI and IEPSDHI further reduced TAC by 5.29% and 7.40%, and cut CO2 emissions by 25.18% and 24.03%, respectively, compared to their base processes. The use of a heat pump is particularly advantageous for IEPSD due to its lower boiling temperatures under vacuum pressure, leading to the development of IEPSDHIHP, which offered an additional 22.36% CO2 reduction and marginally lower TAC than IEPSDHI. Ultimately, IEPSDHIHP proves to be the best option, offering a 51.15% TAC reduction and 68.42% CO2 emissions reduction compared to HIPSD. In summary, the developed IED and IEPSD processes, especially with heat integration and heat pump technologies, offer significant economic and environmental advantages over conventional HIPSD.

Exploration and multi performance evaluation of process intensification for separation of ethyl tert-butyl ether/ethanol from wastewater

Ethyl tert-butyl ether is a green gasoline additive that enhances fuel efficiency and can play an essential role in improving fuel performance. This study explored the separation of wastewater containing ethyl tert-butyl ether and ethanol by changing the pressure and adding reactions based on extractive distillation, using the synergistic effect of the entrainer, pressure, and chemical reaction. By utilizing coupling technology and process intensification concepts, developed a comprehensive series of intensified processes that have clarified the interaction mechanisms between the extractive distillation process (EDP), pressure swing extractive distillation process (PSEDP), and reactive extractive distillation process (REDP). Studying the separation and purification mechanisms of products and intermediates during the reaction process provides theoretical and practical support for optimizing chemical processes. Comparative analysis showed that the reactive extraction pressure swing distillation process (REPSDP) had preeminent economic and environmental benefits. The total annual cost of PSEDP, REDP, and REPSDP was reduced by 5.88 %, 1.68 %, and 10.08 %, respectively, compared with EDP. The gas emissions of PSEDP, REDP, REPSDP, and REPSDP with heat integration process (HI-REPSDP) are all lower than those of EDP. HI-REPSDP saves 47.59 % of gas emissions compared to EDP, highlighting its environmental benefits. HI-REPSDP has the best energy efficiency, reducing energy consumption by 47.58 % compared to EDP, significantly improving the energy utilization rate. It was found that the introduction of heat integration technology had a significant improvement effect. This research has crucial theoretical and practical value and provides guidance and reference for achieving a clean and efficient production process.

Research on the Innovation Path of Enterprise Management Mode in the Era of Big Data

With the continuous development of the market economy and the advent of the big data era, traditional management models cannot meet the requirements for enterprise development, which poses certain obstacles to business growth. Therefore, enterprises must continuously leverage the commercial value embedded in the big data era to innovate their management models. In practical terms, internal managers and relevant personnel can innovate based on traditional management models, fully utilizing the advantages of big data to optimize and innovate enterprise management models. By utilizing information technology for extensive data analysis and integration, businesses can be guided in the right direction, provided with reasonable operational plans, and ensured safe decision-making, thereby achieving healthy and sustainable development. This approach enables enterprise management to keep pace with the progress of the times and enhances the role of management in business operations.

A Novel Isolation Approach for GaN-Based Power Integrated Devices.

This paper introduces a novel technology for the monolithic integration of GaN-based vertical and lateral devices. This approach is groundbreaking as it facilitates the drive of high-power GaN vertical switching devices through lateral GaN HEMTs with minimal losses and enhanced stability. A significant challenge in this technology is ensuring electrical isolation between the two types of devices. We propose a new isolation method designed to prevent any degradation of the lateral transistor's performance. Specifically, high voltage applied to the drain of the vertical GaN power FinFET can adversely affect the lateral GaN HEMT's performance, leading to a shift in the threshold voltage and potentially compromising device stability and driver performance. To address this issue, we introduce a highly doped n+ GaN layer positioned between the epitaxial layers of the two devices. This approach is validated using the TCAD-Sentaurus simulator, demonstrating that the n+ GaN layer effectively blocks the vertical electric field and prevents any depletion or enhancement of the 2D electron gas (2DEG) in the lateral GaN HEMT. To our knowledge, this represents the first publication of such an innovative isolation strategy between vertical and lateral GaN devices.

Intellectual Property Management and Legal Protection Mechanism of Blockchain-based Crowdsourced Testing

While promoting the vigorous development of crowdsourced testing services, Internet technology has also generated problems such as non-standard intellectual property management, unclear ownership of rights, and lack of trustworthiness. Based on the characteristics of being decentralized, traceable and tamper-proof of blockchain, IPFS, SHA256 algorithm, and digital certificate technology, this paper puts forward a new intellectual property management framework for crowdsourced testing to meet the requirements of intellectual property traceability of crowdsourced testing, right confirmation and query, and proposes the idea of applying on the chain and off chain decomposition and integration technology to address the storage performance bottleneck problem caused by data expansion on the chain, thus realizing a trusted intellectual property management system of crowdsourced testing. Meanwhile, this paper puts that the intellectual property of crowdsourced testing cannot be fully maintained only by technical means, and corresponding legal support means should be supplemented, including improving the laws and regulations on judicial and administrative protection of intellectual property, and properly handling the legal risk control of intellectual property of crowdsourced testing.

Progress in Research on Co-Packaged Optics

In the 5G era, the demand for high-bandwidth computing, transmission, and storage has led to the development of optoelectronic interconnect technology. This technology has evolved from traditional board-edge optical modules to smaller and more integrated solutions. Co-packaged optics (CPO) has evolved as a solution to meet the growing demand for data. Compared to typical optoelectronic connectivity technology, CPO presents distinct benefits in terms of bandwidth, size, weight, and power consumption. This study presents an overview of CPO, highlighting its fundamental principles, advantages, and distinctive features. Additionally, it examines the current research progress of two distinct approaches utilizing Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) and silicon photonics integration technology. Additionally, it provides a concise overview of the many application situations of CPO. Expanding on this, the analysis focuses on the CPO using 2D, 2.5D, and 3D packaging techniques. Lastly, taking into account the present technological environment, the scientific obstacles encountered by CPO are analyzed, and its future progress is predicted.

Seasonal host shifts based on midgut residues of Protaetia brevitarsis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae).

White-spotted flower chafer adult (Protaetia brevitarsis, Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), a serious omnivorous pest in regions with multiple fruits and crops, was studied to gain a deeper understanding of its damage patterns. DNA molecular tracking technology was used to identify host plant residues in adult P. brevitarsis midgut, and plant species with the most availability were determined during their growing season. Combining the 2019 and 2021 results, it was found that adults in the multi-cropped area fed on 32 plant species from 23 families, with grape (Vitis vinifera, 40%), peach (Prunus perisica, 23%) and mulberry (Morus alba, 14%) making up the majority of their diet. Some adults fed on multiple plant hosts, with four species detected in one adult and two to three species detected in one-third of adults. Adults shifted among host species during the season, moving from mulberry or grape to peach and then back to grape. These results provide a scientific basis for in-depth research to develop green integrated control technologies against P. brevitarsis adults.

Mapping the Literature of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) in Elementary Education: A Bibliometric Review

This study aims to identify and analyze trends in Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) research in primary education, while also exploring opportunities for further research development. Using the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method, 226 relevant publications were found in the Scopus and Publish or Perish databases, with 31 documents from the period 2019-2023 selected and analyzed based on inclusion criteria. The literature review process followed PRISMA guidelines to ensure the quality of results, and the data were analyzed using bibliometric methods with the assistance of VOSviewer 1.6.20 software. The results showed a relatively stable increase in TPACK article publications in primary education, despite a slight decline in 2020 and 2023. Most publications originated from China, Turkey, and the United States, with quantitative and qualitative methods being the most commonly used approaches. The main themes explored included technology integration, teacher training, professional development, and educational technology. Density mapping analysis revealed that content, pedagogical, and technological knowledge remain underexplored in depth, indicating that further research is needed to expand understanding of TPACK application in primary education.

Solutions to improve quality, create breakthrough in training, fostering, attracting and employing talents in Vietnam

In order to create the possibility of economic breakthrough development, remove economic institutional bottlenecks, release resources, and develop the economy quickly and sustainably in Vietnam in the coming time, it is impossible not to mention solutions to improve the quality, create breakthroughs in training and fostering talents. This is one of the important solutions in the context that the Party and State require the application and development of science and technology more and more extensively in all fields and all sectors in Vietnam. The article focuses on researching the the political basis, legal basis, and practical basis for training, fostering, attracting and employing talents in Vietnam. Meanwhile, statistics on undergraduate and postgraduate training in the period of 2016–2022, the training level of the workforce and the Global Talent Competitiveness Index show that Vietnam has not achieved many positive changes in training, fostering, attracting and employing talents as expected. The article is approached from many different aspects, including the perspective of leaders and managers at the head of state agencies, the perspective of businesses and the perspective of the university teaching staff and scientific research workers themselves. On that basis, the article points out the key contents that need addressing so as to build solutions to improve quality, create breakthroughs in training, fostering, attracting and employing talents in Vietnam in the context of international integration and science and technology development. The main contributions of the article focus on the identification of the concept of “talent”, the criteria for determining “talent” and the renewal of awareness of policies and laws on training, fostering, attracting, employing, introducing and recommending talents.

Synergizing lean management and circular economy: Pathways to sustainable manufacturing

AbstractOur research focuses on integrating circular economy (CE) and Lean Management (LM) within the manufacturing sector, a proactive response to the escalating pressures of globalization, environmental sustainability, and market competition. Through a comprehensive systematic literature review, the research uncovers how CE principles can fortify and enrich LM practices, the role of LM in facilitating a transition towards CE, their combined impact on manufacturing performance, and the crucial environmental factors influencing this integration. The findings underscore that CE principles significantly strengthen LM practices by advocating waste minimization and resource optimization, thereby contributing to operational efficiency and sustainability. Conversely, LM aids the transition to a CE by optimizing resource use and minimizing waste, aligning with sustainability goals. LM supports recycling and remanufacturing by employing Just‐in‐Time and value stream mapping methodologies, augmented by Industry 4.0 technologies for seamless CE integration. Despite challenges like integration barriers and the need for organizational change, the synergy between CE and LM offers substantial benefits for environmental performance, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage. Our paper enriches academic knowledge and provides practical applications in sustainable manufacturing practices, offering a roadmap for organizations striving for sustainable operational excellence. Moreover, it also paves the way for future studies to further explore the synergistic potential of CE and LM through empirical studies, quantitative analyses, and the exploration of Industry 4.0 technologies.