Small-sized microplastics drive structural shifts in aquatic communities: Evidence from the Wei River Basin.

Antibiotic sensitivity as a key Determinant: B. Subtilis Reshapes the Microecology to mitigate antibiotic resistance genes during composting.

• Novel use of geochemical tracers with eDNA to constrain spring groundwater sources. • eDNA and isotopes serve as complementary hydrogeological tracers. • Microbial beta diversity and 3 H reveal elevation gradient influence on springs. • Spring discharge integrates groundwater from multiple recharge zones. Natural springs are vital ecotones which connect surface and groundwaters, play critical ecological roles and sustain important cultural values worldwide. Increasing pressures on hydrological systems from anthropogenic-induced changes threaten springs and their connected waterways. Methods to characterise spring groundwater sources and the dynamics controlling discharge are critical to inform evidence-based management. This study presents an eco-hydrogeological approach synthesising geochemical tracer data (hydrochemistry, stable and radio-isotopes) with environmental DNA (eDNA) from springs and spring-fed surface waters, to develop a conceptual model of groundwater flow paths and water sources for Great Artesian Basin springs in Carnarvon Gorge, northern Australia. Analysis of δ 2 H, δ 18 O, 3 H, 14 C and 36 Cl identified vertical inter-aquifer flow as a major control on local groundwater dynamics. 87 Sr/ 86 Sr helped to constrain dominant water sources for springs and confirmed multiple recharge zones within and surrounding the gorge. eDNA was in certain areas more sensitive than the isotopic tracers to differences in recharge area and flow paths, e.g., distinguishing between groundwater from the same aquifer(s) emerging at different springs hydraulically separated by gorge topography. 3 H showed a statistically significant relationship with eDNA beta diversity and non-linear modelling supported the hypothesised elevation-driven vertical hydraulic gradient controlling groundwater flow to springs. This is among the first studies to demonstrate the value of integrating ecological with isotopic tracers in the context of developing more robust and nuanced conceptual models of complex aquifer-spring-surface water dynamics. We highlight the need for multi-tracer approaches to inform the protection of springs, connected waters, and associated ecological and cultural values.

Carbon biodegradability governs nitrogen retention through microbial ammonia assimilation during composting.

Depth-resolved microbial controls on iron-arsenic redox transformations in flooded paddy soils.

Reference-modulated noise injection for online secondary path modeling in active noise control under strong background noise

Triazine-induced extracellular polymeric substance disruption drives metabolic reprogramming and enhanced volatile fatty acid production in anaerobic sludge fermentation.

Mathematical problem-solving skills are among the priority outcomes in teaching programs. Identifying the cognitive, affective, and social factors that influence the development of these skills is critically important in mathematics education, both theoretically and practically. The aim of this study is to test a theoretically specified model examining the relationships among teacher and peer support, mathematics self-efficacy, mathematical engagement, and metacognitive experience, and to investigate their direct and indirect effects on students’ mathematical problem-solving achievement. The sample consisted of 465 middle school students (250 female [53.8%], 215 male [46.2%]) from two state schools in Istanbul. Data were collected by a mathematical problem-solving test, along with scales measuring mathematics self-efficacy, metacognitive experience, mathematical engagement, and teacher and peer support. The findings support a path model in which social support indirectly predicts mathematical problem-solving performance through self-efficacy and metacognition, and self-efficacy also indirectly predicts problem-solving performance through metacognition. The fact that metacognition directly and significantly predicted problem-solving performance, while the mathematics engagement variable did not demonstrate a significant effect and was therefore removed from the model, is considered among the noteworthy findings of the study.

Research suggests that well-developed parent engagement programs can boost early learning and reduce socioeconomic disparities in subsequent school adjustment. Yet few follow-up studies exist. To address this gap, we followed participants in the Research-based, Developmentally Informed-Parent [REDI-P] intervention study for 8 years to evaluate adolescent outcomes. Participants included 200 4-year-old children (55% White, 26% Black, 19% Latinx; 56% male, 44% female; M age at study entry = 4.45 years) attending Head Start. Families were randomly assigned to REDI-P home learning materials and coaching or an attention control group. Multi-method measures tracked child literacy skills, learning behaviors, social competence, and conduct problems through grade 7. GLM analyses revealed significant preschool intervention effects on grade 7 working memory, β = 0.35, 95% CI 0.08, 0.62, p = .01; perceived social competence, β = 0.30, 95% CI 0.02, .58, p = .04; deviant peer affiliation, β = -0.33, 95% CI -0.60, -0.06, p = .02; and teacher-rated conduct problems, β = -0.30, 95% CI -0.58, -0.01, p = .04. Serial path models identified developmental progressions linking initial intervention effects to adolescent outcomes. Results highlight the long-term value of empowering parents to support the early social-emotional and pre-academic learning of their preschool children.

Purpose This study investigates how authentic culinary experience (ACE) influences repatronize intention (RI) through the mediating role of destination attachment (DA) in a non-iconic gastronomic setting in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 348 domestic culinary tourists using a structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed using PLS-SEM to evaluate path coefficients, effect sizes, and model fit. Bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples was employed to test indirect effects. Findings The results confirm that ACE positively predicts both DA and RI, and DA in turn significantly influences RI. The indirect path from ACE to RI through DA is statistically significant, supporting the mediating role of emotional attachment. Although ACE directly influences RI, the effect size is negligible (f2 = 0.006), with DA serving as the central mediating mechanism. These findings expand the application of the Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework by demonstrating that food-based narratives and community interaction can function as symbolic and emotional anchors in affective loyalty formation, even in destinations lacking iconic physical symbols. Practical implications Destination managers and culinary entrepreneurs should foster participatory cultural storytelling through low-cost narrative tools such as story placemats, simple ingredient explanations during service, and community-nominated vendor recognition programs. Such practices strengthen emotional bonding and cultural alignment, in turn enhancing long-term loyalty. Originality/value This study introduces a culturally grounded operationalization of repatronize intention and empirically validates DA as an affective mechanism linking experience to behavior in culinary tourism. The research contributes to theory by extending the S–O–R framework beyond spatial-symbolic environments into the gastronomic domain.

With the exponential growth of sensing technology and computing power, artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly deeply involved in the field of sports prediction, driving a paradigm shift in sports scientific research from "experience-driven" to "data-driven". This article systematically reviews the evolution logic of AI in sports prediction and analyzes the underlying mechanism of the migration from traditional statistical models to deep learning and reinforcement learning algorithms. The study finds that AI, through the deep mining of multi-source heterogeneous sports data, not only demonstrates remarkable accuracy in predicting competitive performance and assessing the risk of sports injuries, but also achieves functional reconfiguration in the dimensions of sports industry decision support and enhanced spectator experience. This article constructs a technical path model for AI sports prediction and conducts a deep examination of its value spillover and technical limitations in practical applications. The research aims to provide theoretical support for the digital transformation of China's sports industry and offer path references for the optimization and ethical governance of intelligent sports prediction algorithms.

ABSTRACT Air travel remains a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, yet voluntary carbon offsetting (VCO) participation among passengers is persistently low. This study examines the psychological mechanisms shaping travellers' intentions to engage in VCO using a value‐extended Stimulus–Organism–Response framework. Three value‐based stimuli: egoistic values, altruistic values and social consumption motivation are proposed to influence two organismic states: attitudes towards VCO and eco‐guilt. Using survey data from 300 Malaysian respondents planning international travel and analysed through partial least squares path modelling, the findings indicate that egoistic values predict attitudes, while altruistic values and social consumption motivation jointly shape both attitudes and eco‐guilt, with social consumption motivation exerting the strongest effect. Attitudes and eco‐guilt are both associated with VCO intention, supporting a dual cognitive–affective mechanism. Authenticity exhibits an asymmetric moderating role by strengthening the eco‐guilt–intention relationship but not the attitude–intention link. Predictive assessment using CVPAT confirms the model's robustness. Overall, the study demonstrates how value orientations shape prospective travellers' intention to offset flight emissions through both cognitive and affective processes, with eco‐guilt reflecting a moral–emotional response and authenticity reinforcing its translation into behavioural intention. These findings offer practical guidance for airlines and policymakers seeking to increase VCO participation through psychologically informed interventions.

Gaze target detection aims to localize a person’s gaze target. During gaze transition in video, the absence of accurate temporal variation modeling (TVM) may lead to errors in gaze target localization. In this work, we propose a Transition-aware Gaze Model (TGM), which focuses on analyzing temporal differences to achieve accurate location variation modeling. The TGM contains four key components: a frame gaze model, and three transition-aware modules (path variation, direction variation, and fusion). First , the frame Transformer extracts gaze location and direction features. Second , to analyze the feature difference among transition frames, we introduce TVM guided by transition-aware loss. TVM analyzes the location features to capture the moving trajectory of targets (defined as path variation ), which facilitates the search for target locations near the path. Third , TVM also analyzes the direction features to capture the transition-aware direction area (defined as direction variation ), which facilitates the search for target locations within this area. Fourth , since gaze directions dynamically adjust to track gaze targets, path variation, and direction variation are inherently aligned with the natural movement of a person’s gaze. Thus, these two variations are fused into a unified transition-aware feature, which helps cover all potential target locations. To search for accurate target locations, we embed this transition-aware feature into frame features with cross-attention, which can enhance gaze target detection in transition frames. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our method achieves state-of-the-art performance on two datasets, namely VideoAttentionTarget and VideoCoAtt.

Extra-curricular activities (EAs) have become a billion-dollar industry in Asia, and many parents in Singapore enroll their children in enrichment classes to improve English and mother tongue language performance. Despite the heavy investment, it remains unclear how much children could benefit from such exposure. The present study examines this issue with 123 English–Mandarin bilingual children aged four to five. The number of hours children spent in language-related EAs, together with a set of internal factors (e.g., nonverbal intelligence) and external factors (e.g., home input), were used to predict children’s receptive vocabulary and word-reading skills in both languages using path models. Results show that 36% of the children attended English or Mandarin enrichment classes. Participation in English enrichment classes was not significantly associated with children’s English receptive vocabulary or English word-reading skills. In contrast, Mandarin enrichment classes were significantly associated with better Mandarin word-reading performance. The differential effects of enrichment classes may reflect the bilingual context of Singapore, where English dominates daily communication while Mandarin is mainly learned as a subject in preschool and receives relatively limited exposure outside school. The findings highlight the importance of considering sociolinguistic context when evaluating the effectiveness of language enrichment programs.

ABSTRACT Determining renewal priorities for old residential communities is a key challenge for advancing people-centered urban renewal in resource-constrained small and medium-sized cities (SMCs). Using Jiefang District in Jiaozuo City as a case study and drawing on 192 valid questionnaires, this study developed a dynamic assessment framework that integrates spatial heterogeneity analysis, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)-Entropy Weight Method (EWM) combined weighting, and AHP-Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) path modeling to quantify key influencing factors. The Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) method was subsequently applied to establish priority orders. The results reveal a significant spatial misalignment between the allocation of public space resources and population carrying pressure. Property services, community belonging, parking, and community management were identified as prominent influencing factors. Community infrastructure perception emerged as the core driver of overall satisfaction, exhibiting positive synergistic effects with perceptions of community governance and culture. Accordingly, differentiated renewal strategies are proposed: to prioritize enhancements in accessibility, lighting, management, and belonging in key improvement areas; to consolidate strengths in advantage-maintenance areas through smart technologies; and to strategically enhance cultural services in slow-improvement areas. This study offers a scientific decision-making framework and a practical guideline for old residential community renewal in SMCs.

The purpose of this study was to examine paths stemming from early childhood victimization, including maltreatment exposure, community violence exposure, and home violence exposure, exploring how these experiences affected middle childhood behaviors and negative outcomes into adolescence, including delinquency, arrest, dropout, and early sexual intercourse. Variation in paths by sex and type of victimization was also explored. Using data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) consortium and multigroup path models, findings suggested differences in paths by sex and victimization type. According to results, composite victimization was broadly associated with a wide range of negative outcomes in adolescence for both boys and girls. By type, maltreatment was more predictive of negative outcomes for girls (including delinquency and early sexual intercourse), while maltreatment and community violence exposure increased the risk of dropout and delinquency for boys. Findings highlight the importance of exploring variations in patterns following early victimization over time and across environments in order to better meet children's needs and prevent long-term negative outcomes.

Artificial reefs promote coastal carbon stabilization potential through hydrological condition and microbial pathways.

This study examines how personality traits influence learning effectiveness in online vocational education among international students in China, with attention to the mediating role of online learning self-efficacy and the moderating role of perceived high-tech learning support. Using a mixed-method design, survey data were collected from 412 international students enrolled in online or blended vocational programs. Measures included personality traits (conscientiousness and openness), online learning self-efficacy, perceived high-tech learning support, and learning effectiveness. A PLS-SEM-inspired path model with bootstrapping tested direct, indirect, and interaction effects, supplemented by 18 semi-structured interviews. Results indicate that personality traits positively predict self-efficacy and learning effectiveness, with self-efficacy partially mediating this relationship. Perceived high-tech learning support strengthens the link between self-efficacy and learning effectiveness. Interview findings underscore the role of simulation-based practice, timely feedback, and multilingual guidance in enhancing confidence and skill development.

Limited studies have assessed the relationship between job strain and blood pressure (BP) among long term care (LTC) workers or its underlying mechanisms. This study analyzed job strain subscales (job control, skill discretion, job demands, social support, and organizational justice) in relation with BP and whether anxiety and stress mediate these relationships. Using baseline data from an LTC worker wellness study (n=83), linear regressions evaluated job strain subscales and BP. Path models assessed mediation effects. Lower social support and organizational justice were associated, separately, with higher systolic and diastolic BP. Anxiety and stress symptoms mediated the relationship between both subscales and systolic BP, but not for diastolic BP. Interventions to improve social support, organizational justice, as well as anxiety and stress may reduce BP among LTC workers.

Background. Contemporary academic writing practice is increasingly determined by standardized requirements for publication structure and typologies of review studies. At the same time, formal compliance with these standards does not guarantee the methodological coherence of a scientific text, as the logic of knowledge formation often remains unarticulated. Purpose. To propose a critical path model of knowledge synthesis, within which the preparation of a scientific text is considered as a sequential cognitive process governed by an invariant logic of epistemological operations. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted in the format of a conceptual narrative review involving methodological works on evidence synthesis, typologies of review studies, and academic writing. The analysis was aimed at reconstructing functional cognitive operations, establishing causal relationships between them, and formalizing their sequence in the form of a critical path. Results. Five invariant cognitive nodes were identified: orientation, conceptualization, verification, evidence synthesis, and interpretation. It was shown that these nodes form a critical path that determines the methodological coherence of a scientific text regardless of the publication genre. It was established that different types of reviews correspond to individual segments of this path but do not determine its logic. Typical violations of the critical path were identified, including meta-analysis without conceptualization, narrative generalizations without verification, and systematic reviews without orientation in the scientific field, which lead to predictable methodological deformations. Discussion. The obtained results indicate that methodological problems of contemporary scientific texts have a structural character and are associated with the substitution of the logic of cognition by genre-based and formal requirements. The proposed model makes it possible to interpret these violations as consequences of disruptions in causal relationships between cognitive operations. Conclusions. The methodological correctness of a scientific text is determined not by its formal type, but by the consistency of the preparation trajectory with the critical path of knowledge synthesis. The proposed model provides a basis for improving the quality of academic writing, peer review, and editorial evaluation.