Maize value-added products play a crucial role in reducing post-harvest losses, enhancing food security, and generating income. While extensive research has focused on maize production in Cameroon, the exploration of ...Maize value-added products play a crucial role in reducing post-harvest losses, enhancing food security, and generating income. While extensive research has focused on maize production in Cameroon, the exploration of its value-added products and their profitability in the North-West Region remains underexplored. This study examined the profitability of maize value-added products in Mezam Division, with the objectives to: 1) identify various maize-based products, 2) assess the diversity of these products, 3) conduct a cost-benefit analysis of selected products, 4) examine the relationship between profitability and product diversity, and 5) identify key constraints impacting profitability. To achieve these objectives, structured questionnaires were administered to 500 small-scale maize entrepreneurs randomly selected from five subdivisions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze objective 1 and 5, while the Shannon Diversity Index was employed to assess product diversity. Additionally, a cost-benefit analysis was conducted on four selected products namely pap, parched corn, peeled parboiled corn, and corn beer, and a correlation analysis was used to examine objective 4. In total, 13 maize value-added products were identified, with a diversity index of 4.4. The total cost of processing the four selected products per entrepreneur using 18 kg of maize per product was FCFA 83631.5 (US $132.75), while the total revenue was FCFA 121864.5 (US $193.43), resulting in an economic profit of FCFA 38,233 (US $60.69). Pap emerged as the most profitable product, with an economic profit of FCFA 27,875 (US $44.24), while corn beer was the least profitable, with an economic profit of FCFA 2133.46 (US $3.39). The correlation analysis revealed a strong negative relationship between product diversity and profitability (r = −0.91), indicating that entrepreneurs can maximize profitability by focusing on a few high-demand products like pap and parched corn. Key constraints to profitability included fluctuating market prices, high production costs, limited access to finance, and inadequate storage facilities. Despite these challenges, our findings indicate that maize value addition is profitable in Mezam Division. Entrepreneurs can leverage this data for informed decision-making and future investments. It is recommended that the government promote maize value addition and provide financial support for modern processing equipment to boost profitability and income generation.展开更多
International trade research has long sought to investigate how manufacturers can upgrade within global value chains and escape the“low-end trap”.This paper examines how collaborative innovation can facilitate this ...International trade research has long sought to investigate how manufacturers can upgrade within global value chains and escape the“low-end trap”.This paper examines how collaborative innovation can facilitate this ascent,using an undirected weighted network of joint patent applications and firm-level data.By analyzing the network’s structural characteristics and its evolution,we explore the mechanisms through which collaboration drives the rise of manufacturing enterprises within global value chains.Our findings show that:(1)China’s rapidly expanding collaborative innovation network features a distinct“core-periphery”structure,with leading firms,universities,and government research institutions at its center.(2)By strengthening market power and enabling firms to take on more advanced production,collaborative innovation contributes to a higher domestic value-added rate in exports.(3)Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of collaborative innovation on moving up the value chain is particularly evident for firms with strong production and technology absorption capabilities,those positioned lower in the value chain,and those facing fewer trade barriers.展开更多
With the deepening of international agricultural division of labor,trade methods have shifted from traditional bilateral trade to agricultural global value chain(AGVC)trade.Sanitary and Phytosanitary(SPS)measures are ...With the deepening of international agricultural division of labor,trade methods have shifted from traditional bilateral trade to agricultural global value chain(AGVC)trade.Sanitary and Phytosanitary(SPS)measures are a crucial factor affecting agricultural trade and a key variable in AGVC governance.This paper,based on the 2012-2020 University of International Business and Economics Global Value Chain Index(UIBE GVC Index)and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Non-Tariff Measures Database(UNCTAD NTMs Database),measures the structural heterogeneity and breadth heterogeneity of SPS measures.It also constructs mathematical models and fixed-effects models to explore the impact of SPS heterogeneity on AGVC upgrading.The findings reveal that the heterogeneity of SPS measures exerts a significant inhibitory effect on the upgrading of agricultural global value chains.Moreover,compared to developed countries,a reduction in SPS measures’heterogeneity demonstrates a more pronounced positive impact on AGVC upgrading in developing countries.展开更多
Herein,the association between the dynamic adsorption capacity of toluene and several important characteristic values on activated carbon(AC)samples was investigated by multidimensional linear regression.Among the cha...Herein,the association between the dynamic adsorption capacity of toluene and several important characteristic values on activated carbon(AC)samples was investigated by multidimensional linear regression.Among the characteristic values,the carbon tetrachloride(CTC)adsorption value has demonstrated relatively stronger correlation with the toluene adsorption capacity on AC sampleswith diverse sources and forms,particularly in exposure to high-concentration toluene.Notably,the relevance of the toluene adsorption capacity to the CTC value could also be extended to a series of other porous adsorbents,which proved the wide applicability of CTC value in characterizing the adsorption behaviors.Based on these results,a mathematical and visual model was then established to predict the toluene adsorption saturation under different conditions(inlet concentration,adsorption time,initial CTC value,etc.)on diverse AC samples,of which the accuracy has later been verified by experimental data.As such,a fast and accurate estimation of the adsorption behaviors over AC samples,and possibly other porous adsorbents,was realized.展开更多
Lignin is one of the most important biomass resources. With the increasing consumption of petroleum resource, lignin transformation is of strategic significance and has attracted widely interest. As lignin is a random...Lignin is one of the most important biomass resources. With the increasing consumption of petroleum resource, lignin transformation is of strategic significance and has attracted widely interest. As lignin is a random construction of aromatic monomers, the degradation products are usually very complex, which limits the scaling application of lignin as feedstock for valuable chemicals. Thus, it is desperately desired to develop highly selective approach to lignin conversion. This review first gives a brief introduction to the structure of lignin, and then summarized the methods for selective transformation of lignin into phenols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, alkanes and arenes. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of lignin selective transformation are discussed.展开更多
Photoelectrocatalysis(PEC)is a promising approach that can convert renewable solar energy into chemical energy,while most concern is concentrated on PEC water splitting to obtain high‐value‐added fuel—hydrogen.In p...Photoelectrocatalysis(PEC)is a promising approach that can convert renewable solar energy into chemical energy,while most concern is concentrated on PEC water splitting to obtain high‐value‐added fuel—hydrogen.In practice,more economic benefits can be produced based on PEC technique,such as H_(2)O oxidative H_(2)O_(2) synthesis,organic selective oxidation,organic pollutants degradation and CO_(2) reduction.Although there are plenty of excellent reviews focusing on the PEC water splitting system,the production of various high‐value‐added chemicals in PEC systems has not been discussed synthetically.This Account will focus on the production process of various high‐value‐added chemicals through PEC technology.The photoelectrode design,reaction environment and working mechanisms of PEC systems are also discussed in detail.We believe that this comprehensive Account of the expanded application of photoelectrocatalysis can add an inestimable impetus to the follow‐up development of this technology.展开更多
Background:Understanding the factors that influence adolescent psychological resilience is critical for promoting mental health.This study explores the impact and mechanism of labor values on adolescent psychological ...Background:Understanding the factors that influence adolescent psychological resilience is critical for promoting mental health.This study explores the impact and mechanism of labor values on adolescent psychological resilience from the perspective of emotion regulation theory.Methods:This study conducted an in-depth analysis using the Labor Value Scale on 2691 elementary school upper-grade students,middle school students,and high school students.Results:The results show that:(1)labor values can positively predict adolescents’mental resilience;(2)cognitive reappraisal and expression inhibition play a partial mediating role in the relationship between labor values and adolescents’psychological resilience.Among them,labor values can positively predict adolescents’mental resilience through positive cognitive reappraisal,and labor values can also predict adolescents’mental resilience through expression inhibition.Conclusion:Based on the theory of emotion regulation,this study explores the direct effect of labor values on mental resilience and the mediating effect of different strategies of emotion regulation.The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for improving the mental resilience of adolescents.展开更多
Carbon dioxide(CO_(2) ) capture and conversion is the key route for the mitigation of the greenhouse effect and utilization of carbon sources to obtain value-added products or fuels.Much attention is paid to the devel...Carbon dioxide(CO_(2) ) capture and conversion is the key route for the mitigation of the greenhouse effect and utilization of carbon sources to obtain value-added products or fuels.Much attention is paid to the development of novel materials with high CO_(2) adsorption capacity and conversion rate.MXene is the graphene-like two-dimensional metal carbide/nitride/carbonitride owning favorable structure,morphology,high surface-bulk ratio,and physicochemical properties.Here,we review the CO_(2) capture,sensing,and conversion by MXene and MXene-based materials.Furthermore,the underlying mechanism involved the capture,sensing,and conversion of CO_(2) is summarized.This review would open a new horizon for CO_(2) valorization with high efficiency and promising widespread applications.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the diagnostic and predictive value of MRI features combined with clinical indicators for prostate cancer(PCa)and clinically significant prostate cancer(csPCa),and to establish a non-invasive ...Objective:To investigate the diagnostic and predictive value of MRI features combined with clinical indicators for prostate cancer(PCa)and clinically significant prostate cancer(csPCa),and to establish a non-invasive combined model.Methods:A total of 36 patients with pathologically confirmed benign lesions(44 foci)and 23 patients with PCa(49 foci),including 25 foci of csPCa and 68 foci of non-csPCa,were included.SyMRI quantitative maps and clinical indicators were collected,and 224 imaging features were extracted.The intra-and inter-group correlation coefficients(ICC)for each feature were calculated using intra-and inter-group correlation analysis,and features with an ICC>0.75 were selected as stable features that could be reproducibly extracted.Independent predictors were screened using logistic regression to construct single and combined models,and the performance was evaluated using ROC curves.Results:Age,PSAD,PD map contrast,and T2 map joint entropy were significantly higher in the PCa group compared to the benign group,while the median ADC was significantly lower(p<0.05).The above-mentioned indicators were significantly correlated with PCa and csPCa,and the diagnostic performance of the combined model was superior to that of a single MRI or clinical model.Conclusion:MRI features combined with PSAD can effectively differentiate PCa and predict csPCa,providing a non-invasive quantitative diagnostic basis for clinical practice.展开更多
Objective:To evaluate the predictive value of secreted phosphoprotein 1(SPP1)gene expression for postoperative survival in patients with advanced liver cancer undergoing hepatic artery interventional chemoembolization...Objective:To evaluate the predictive value of secreted phosphoprotein 1(SPP1)gene expression for postoperative survival in patients with advanced liver cancer undergoing hepatic artery interventional chemoembolization treatment.Method:Bioinformatics methods,including gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis,were used to identify genes related to survival prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients.A retrospective analysis of 115 advanced liver cancer patients treated between January 2016 and October 2017 was conducted.Patients were categorized into SPP1 high-expression(n=89)and low-expression groups(n=26).Additionally,115 healthy individuals served as the control group.The relationship between SPP1 expression and clinical pathological features was analyzed.A 60-month follow-up and logistic regression analysis identified risk factors affecting survival.Results:SPP1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in liver cancer patients compared to healthy controls(P<0.05).SPP1 expression levels were significantly associated with tumor size,Child-Pugh grading,lymph node metastasis,and BCLC staging(P<0.05).High SPP1 expression,along with tumor size,Child-Pugh grading,lymph node metastasis,and BCLC staging,were independent risk factors for survival(P<0.05).The 60-month survival rate was 17.39%,with a median survival of 40 months in the low-expression group versus 18 months in the high-expression group(P<0.05).Conclusion:SPP1 expression is significantly upregulated in advanced liver cancer patients and has predictive value for postoperative survival following hepatic artery chemoembolization treatment.SPP1,combined with clinical indicators such as tumor size,Child-Pugh grading,lymph node metastasis,and BCLC staging,may serve as a prognostic biomarker for interventional treatment outcomes.展开更多
The electrochemical reduction of C02 into liquid fuels especially coupling with the intermittent renewable electricity offers a promising means of storing electricity in chemical form, which reduces the dependence on ...The electrochemical reduction of C02 into liquid fuels especially coupling with the intermittent renewable electricity offers a promising means of storing electricity in chemical form, which reduces the dependence on fossil fuels and mitigates the negative impact of anthropogenic C02 emissions on the planet. Although converting CO2 to fuels is not in itself a new concept, the field has not sub- stantially advanced in the last 30 years primarily because of the challenge of discovery of structural electrocatalysts and the development of membrane architectures for efficient collection of reactants and separation of products. This overview summarizes recent advances in catalytic conversion of CO2 and presents the challenges and future directions in producing value-added fuels.展开更多
The global wave of digitalization has accelerated the process of corporate digital transformation,placing higher demands on financial and accounting management.Since then,accounting work has shifted from the tradition...The global wave of digitalization has accelerated the process of corporate digital transformation,placing higher demands on financial and accounting management.Since then,accounting work has shifted from the traditional transactional model to a modern value management-oriented model,leading to a transformation of accounting functions.As corporate managers,they must advance their work proactively,empower the modernization and innovation of financial accounting with digital technology,and transition to management accounting to ensure enterprises keep pace with the times.Therefore,this paper explores the current status of corporate financial and accounting work amid the digital wave,identifies the challenges in the transformation of accounting from transactional to value management-oriented,and finally proposes several feasible and effective improvement strategies,aiming to provide more references for relevant practitioners.展开更多
Addressing these water management challenges requires a comprehensive and integrated approach.Floods and other water-related challenges in urban areas can have an impact on land values.However,the lack of studies has ...Addressing these water management challenges requires a comprehensive and integrated approach.Floods and other water-related challenges in urban areas can have an impact on land values.However,the lack of studies has developed a comprehensive index methodology related to examining floods and land value relationships for urban areas.Therefore,the main purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive index methodology related to examining floods and land value relationships for urban areas that is called a Flood-Adjusted Land Value Index(FALVI)Methodology.This paper illustrates the importance of the proposed FALVI methodology to determine the relationship between flood events and land value.Important variables within three main aspects—environmental,socio,and historical flood variables—would be elaborated and measured by GIS-based analysis.It provides a more accurate and thorough assessment of property values by taking flood risk variables into account throughout the valuation process.This methodology is also regarded as an essential methodology for examining floods and land value links in metropolitan areas.FALVI can help guide government strategies on flood management,land use planning,and catastrophe risk reduction.By identifying high-risk locations,governments can prioritize flood mitigation measures and enact restrictions that prevent development in susceptible areas.Urban areas in certain watershed systems can be kept viable for the long term by carefully reviewing this methodology and implementing suitable land management strategies.展开更多
Under the current long-term electricity market mechanism,new energy and thermal power face issues such as deviation assessment and compression of generation space.The profitability of market players is limited.Simulta...Under the current long-term electricity market mechanism,new energy and thermal power face issues such as deviation assessment and compression of generation space.The profitability of market players is limited.Simultaneously,the cooperation model among various energy sources will have a direct impact on the alliance’s revenue and the equity of income distribution within the alliance.Therefore,integrating new energy with thermal power units into an integrated multi-energy complementary system to participate in the long-term electricity market holds significant potential.To simulate and evaluate the benefits and internal distribution methods of a multi-energy complementary system participating in long-term market transactions,this paper first constructs a multi-energy complementary system integrated with new energy and thermal power generation units at the same connection point,and participates in the annual bilateral game as a unified market entity to obtain the revenue value under the annual bilateral market.Secondly,based on the entropy weight method,improvements are made to the traditional Shapley value distribution model,and an internal distribution model for multi-energy complementary systems with multiple participants is constructed.Finally,a Markov Decision Process(MDP)evaluation system is constructed for practical case verification.The research results show that the improved Shapley value distribution model achieves higher satisfaction,providing a reasonable allocation scheme for multi-energy complementary cooperation models.展开更多
In the process of financial management and operation, a firm should not only aim to maximize its shareholders' benefits, but also consider the interests of all stakeholders. Bearing social responsibility to each s...In the process of financial management and operation, a firm should not only aim to maximize its shareholders' benefits, but also consider the interests of all stakeholders. Bearing social responsibility to each stakeholder to a certain extent and pursuing harmonious social development are fully consistent with the concept of China's building a harmonious socialist society. Furthermore, added value also reflects the idea of social responsibility Based on the relational contract theory, the paper divides stakeholders into staff and shareholders under relational contracts, creditors, suppliers and consumers under transactional contracts and governments and communities under special contracts. The paper details the effect mechanism of a firm's bearing social responsibilities to each stakeholder on the creation of added value respectively, and considers that corporate social responsibilities should be included in the system for creating added value to theoretically support firm managers to fulfill social responsibilities.展开更多
Agricultural production(especially intensive rice production)is a primary income source for over 2.0×10^(7) people in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta.However,adverse climate change impacts,socio-economic change...Agricultural production(especially intensive rice production)is a primary income source for over 2.0×10^(7) people in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta.However,adverse climate change impacts,socio-economic change,and high dependence on farm inputs for intensive production constrain the longer-term sustainability of rice systems.Government and agribusiness actors are encouraging more farmers to grow non-rice crops and supporting the upscaling of alternative crops to paddy rice.We used a qualitative approach to investigate the value chain characteristics,as well as constraints and opportunities of alternative crops via two case studies(baby corn and honeydew melon)in An Giang and Hau Giang provinces,Vietnam.Data collection involved focus group discussions with local farmers and interviews with farmers and industry experts.Thematic analysis was used to compile the findings,and the results were validated with local government staff.The baby corn value chain featured on-going and stable market demand(including value-addition)and better vertical coordination(e.g.,written contracts and financial support).The honeydew melon value chain featured positive relationships between farmers and traders despite less-developed vertical coordination.There are opportunities for value chain engagement through product quality certification,value-addition,and accessing high-value domestic and export markets.However,farmers require crop-specific and generic support from private and public sectors.Increased labour requirements and limited access to finance and credit limit value chain participation.Upscaling and marketing alternative crops can enhance farmer profitability and support non-farming agricultural business establishment,economic growth,and community development.Efficient value chains will be critical to ensure the adoption of alternative crops and development of crop-specific agribusiness models.These findings can inform policy-makers and change facilitators in designing targeted interventions to support the adoption of alternative crops in the study area as well as in Vietnam and globally.展开更多
In this paper,a distributed adaptive dynamic programming(ADP)framework based on value iteration is proposed for multi-player differential games.In the game setting,players have no access to the information of others&#...In this paper,a distributed adaptive dynamic programming(ADP)framework based on value iteration is proposed for multi-player differential games.In the game setting,players have no access to the information of others'system parameters or control laws.Each player adopts an on-policy value iteration algorithm as the basic learning framework.To deal with the incomplete information structure,players collect a period of system trajectory data to compensate for the lack of information.The policy updating step is implemented by a nonlinear optimization problem aiming to search for the proximal admissible policy.Theoretical analysis shows that by adopting proximal policy searching rules,the approximated policies can converge to a neighborhood of equilibrium policies.The efficacy of our method is illustrated by three examples,which also demonstrate that the proposed method can accelerate the learning process compared with the centralized learning framework.展开更多
Objective:To monitor the incidence of immune-related adverse events(irAEs)in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)and programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1),and to evaluate the effectiveness of nursi...Objective:To monitor the incidence of immune-related adverse events(irAEs)in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)and programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1),and to evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions using a quantitative scoring system.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 65 cancer patients who received PD-1 therapy at the Oncology Department of Baotou Cancer Hospital from December 2023 to December 2024.The study examined the clinical features and blood test results related to irAEs.The National Cancer Institute’s Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events(NCI-CTCAE)was used to grade the severity of these events,which were classified into five levels.Based on the NCI-CTCAE scores,appropriate nursing measures were implemented,and a comprehensive risk assessment framework was developed.Results:The study group showed lower complication rates,overall incidence,and average hospital stay compared to the control group(P<0.05).Among the 65 patients,twenty-eight(43.07%)experienced a total of 35 irAEs,with 2(5.71%)being grade 3 or 4.The most frequent irAEs were dermatological conditions(34.29%),particularly rash with itching.The occurrence of irAEs did not correlate with patient gender,age,blood parameters(hemoglobin,white blood cell count,platelet count,etc.),or liver function(P>0.05),but it was associated with tumor type(P<0.05).Conclusion:PD-1 treatment is generally safe,with a low incidence of severe(grade 3 or higher)irAEs.Close monitoring is essential to ensure early detection,intervention,and management of irAEs,thereby maintaining a low level of adverse events and enhancing the safety and efficacy of PD-1 therapy.Implementing a quantitative risk scoring system for nursing care can decrease the rate of complications,enhance patient safety,and potentially reduce hospital stays and medical costs.展开更多
Microalgae have been considered as an efficient microorganism for wastewater treatment with simultaneously bioenergy and high value-added compounds production.However,the high energy cost associated with complicated b...Microalgae have been considered as an efficient microorganism for wastewater treatment with simultaneously bioenergy and high value-added compounds production.However,the high energy cost associated with complicated biorefinery(e.g.microalgae cultivation,harvesting,drying,extraction,conversion,and purification)is a critical challenge that inhibits its large-scale application.Among different nutrition(e.g.carbon,nitrogen and phosphorous)sources,food processing wastewater is a relative safe and suitable one for microalgae cultivation due to its high organic content and low toxicity.In this review,the characteristic of different food wastewater is summarized and compared.The potential routes of value-added products(i.e.biofuel,pigment,polysaccharide,and amino acid)production along with wastewater purification are introduced.The existing challenges(e.g.biorefinery cost,efficiency and mechanism)of microalgal-based wastewater treatment are also discussed.The prospective of microalgae-based food processing wastewater treatment strategies(such as microalgae-bacteria consortium,poly-generation of bioenergy and value-added products)is forecasted.It can be observed that food wastewater treatment by microalgae could be a promising strategy to commercially realize waste source reduce,conversion and reutilization.展开更多
This study aims to develop and expand a new perspective on ecological value realization(EVR)and provide policy recommendations for marine ecological value realization(MEVR)based on Carbon Trading.Currently,the immatur...This study aims to develop and expand a new perspective on ecological value realization(EVR)and provide policy recommendations for marine ecological value realization(MEVR)based on Carbon Trading.Currently,the immaturity of EVR calculation methods and difficulties in determining the price of ecological products pose significant challenges to ecological value trading.By employing mathematical models and logical reasoning,this study proposes a novel frame-work for EVR,illustrated through several diagrams.According to this frame-work,ecological value is not static but fluctuates with factors such as human well-being(HV)or gross domestic product(GDP).Therefore,ecological value should be determined by an exchange market rather than solely relying on hypothetical calculation methods.Consequently,carbon trading cases are crucial in under-standing ecological value.Based on the analysis of blue carbon(BC)trading cases,including the lack of international BC exchanges,challenges in carbon sink projects,and the Free Rider Effect,this paper identifies current issues in MEVR and BC trading in China.To address these challenges,we propose integrating carbon trading databases with evaluations of ecological protection and restora-tion projects,along with BC trading data,to calculate ecological value.Addi-tionally,we recommend increasing the supply of BC products in both national carbon trading markets and voluntary markets,promoting the internationaliza-tion of BC accounting,addressing the Free Rider Effect through government actions and market mechanisms,attracting more foreign investment in BC en-hancement projects,and formulating a BC enhancement plan during marine resource development.展开更多
文摘Maize value-added products play a crucial role in reducing post-harvest losses, enhancing food security, and generating income. While extensive research has focused on maize production in Cameroon, the exploration of its value-added products and their profitability in the North-West Region remains underexplored. This study examined the profitability of maize value-added products in Mezam Division, with the objectives to: 1) identify various maize-based products, 2) assess the diversity of these products, 3) conduct a cost-benefit analysis of selected products, 4) examine the relationship between profitability and product diversity, and 5) identify key constraints impacting profitability. To achieve these objectives, structured questionnaires were administered to 500 small-scale maize entrepreneurs randomly selected from five subdivisions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze objective 1 and 5, while the Shannon Diversity Index was employed to assess product diversity. Additionally, a cost-benefit analysis was conducted on four selected products namely pap, parched corn, peeled parboiled corn, and corn beer, and a correlation analysis was used to examine objective 4. In total, 13 maize value-added products were identified, with a diversity index of 4.4. The total cost of processing the four selected products per entrepreneur using 18 kg of maize per product was FCFA 83631.5 (US $132.75), while the total revenue was FCFA 121864.5 (US $193.43), resulting in an economic profit of FCFA 38,233 (US $60.69). Pap emerged as the most profitable product, with an economic profit of FCFA 27,875 (US $44.24), while corn beer was the least profitable, with an economic profit of FCFA 2133.46 (US $3.39). The correlation analysis revealed a strong negative relationship between product diversity and profitability (r = −0.91), indicating that entrepreneurs can maximize profitability by focusing on a few high-demand products like pap and parched corn. Key constraints to profitability included fluctuating market prices, high production costs, limited access to finance, and inadequate storage facilities. Despite these challenges, our findings indicate that maize value addition is profitable in Mezam Division. Entrepreneurs can leverage this data for informed decision-making and future investments. It is recommended that the government promote maize value addition and provide financial support for modern processing equipment to boost profitability and income generation.
基金supported by the National Social Science Fund of China(NSSFC)“Research on Collaborative Innovation and Global Value Chain Upgrading in Manufacturing”(Grant No.23CJL019)“Research on the Advantages of Ultra-Large-Scale Market and the Construction of Modern Industrial System”(Grant No.23&ZD041).
文摘International trade research has long sought to investigate how manufacturers can upgrade within global value chains and escape the“low-end trap”.This paper examines how collaborative innovation can facilitate this ascent,using an undirected weighted network of joint patent applications and firm-level data.By analyzing the network’s structural characteristics and its evolution,we explore the mechanisms through which collaboration drives the rise of manufacturing enterprises within global value chains.Our findings show that:(1)China’s rapidly expanding collaborative innovation network features a distinct“core-periphery”structure,with leading firms,universities,and government research institutions at its center.(2)By strengthening market power and enabling firms to take on more advanced production,collaborative innovation contributes to a higher domestic value-added rate in exports.(3)Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the impact of collaborative innovation on moving up the value chain is particularly evident for firms with strong production and technology absorption capabilities,those positioned lower in the value chain,and those facing fewer trade barriers.
文摘With the deepening of international agricultural division of labor,trade methods have shifted from traditional bilateral trade to agricultural global value chain(AGVC)trade.Sanitary and Phytosanitary(SPS)measures are a crucial factor affecting agricultural trade and a key variable in AGVC governance.This paper,based on the 2012-2020 University of International Business and Economics Global Value Chain Index(UIBE GVC Index)and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development Non-Tariff Measures Database(UNCTAD NTMs Database),measures the structural heterogeneity and breadth heterogeneity of SPS measures.It also constructs mathematical models and fixed-effects models to explore the impact of SPS heterogeneity on AGVC upgrading.The findings reveal that the heterogeneity of SPS measures exerts a significant inhibitory effect on the upgrading of agricultural global value chains.Moreover,compared to developed countries,a reduction in SPS measures’heterogeneity demonstrates a more pronounced positive impact on AGVC upgrading in developing countries.
基金supported by the Key Research and Development Projects in Zhejiang Province(Nos.2023C03127,2024C03114,2024C03108)the Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.22208300,22078294)+2 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(No.LQ23B060007)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Provincial Universities of Zhejiang(No.RF-A2023004)Zhejiang Provincial Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.ZJ2023145).
文摘Herein,the association between the dynamic adsorption capacity of toluene and several important characteristic values on activated carbon(AC)samples was investigated by multidimensional linear regression.Among the characteristic values,the carbon tetrachloride(CTC)adsorption value has demonstrated relatively stronger correlation with the toluene adsorption capacity on AC sampleswith diverse sources and forms,particularly in exposure to high-concentration toluene.Notably,the relevance of the toluene adsorption capacity to the CTC value could also be extended to a series of other porous adsorbents,which proved the wide applicability of CTC value in characterizing the adsorption behaviors.Based on these results,a mathematical and visual model was then established to predict the toluene adsorption saturation under different conditions(inlet concentration,adsorption time,initial CTC value,etc.)on diverse AC samples,of which the accuracy has later been verified by experimental data.As such,a fast and accurate estimation of the adsorption behaviors over AC samples,and possibly other porous adsorbents,was realized.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 21603235)National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2017YFA0403103)Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. QYZDY-SSW-SLH013)
文摘Lignin is one of the most important biomass resources. With the increasing consumption of petroleum resource, lignin transformation is of strategic significance and has attracted widely interest. As lignin is a random construction of aromatic monomers, the degradation products are usually very complex, which limits the scaling application of lignin as feedstock for valuable chemicals. Thus, it is desperately desired to develop highly selective approach to lignin conversion. This review first gives a brief introduction to the structure of lignin, and then summarized the methods for selective transformation of lignin into phenols, aldehydes, carboxylic acids, alkanes and arenes. Finally, the challenges and opportunities of lignin selective transformation are discussed.
文摘Photoelectrocatalysis(PEC)is a promising approach that can convert renewable solar energy into chemical energy,while most concern is concentrated on PEC water splitting to obtain high‐value‐added fuel—hydrogen.In practice,more economic benefits can be produced based on PEC technique,such as H_(2)O oxidative H_(2)O_(2) synthesis,organic selective oxidation,organic pollutants degradation and CO_(2) reduction.Although there are plenty of excellent reviews focusing on the PEC water splitting system,the production of various high‐value‐added chemicals in PEC systems has not been discussed synthetically.This Account will focus on the production process of various high‐value‐added chemicals through PEC technology.The photoelectrode design,reaction environment and working mechanisms of PEC systems are also discussed in detail.We believe that this comprehensive Account of the expanded application of photoelectrocatalysis can add an inestimable impetus to the follow‐up development of this technology.
基金supported by Scientific Research Fund of Hunan Provincial EducationDepartment(23B1133):How Labor Affects Moral Development:Based on the perspective of mixed research methods.
文摘Background:Understanding the factors that influence adolescent psychological resilience is critical for promoting mental health.This study explores the impact and mechanism of labor values on adolescent psychological resilience from the perspective of emotion regulation theory.Methods:This study conducted an in-depth analysis using the Labor Value Scale on 2691 elementary school upper-grade students,middle school students,and high school students.Results:The results show that:(1)labor values can positively predict adolescents’mental resilience;(2)cognitive reappraisal and expression inhibition play a partial mediating role in the relationship between labor values and adolescents’psychological resilience.Among them,labor values can positively predict adolescents’mental resilience through positive cognitive reappraisal,and labor values can also predict adolescents’mental resilience through expression inhibition.Conclusion:Based on the theory of emotion regulation,this study explores the direct effect of labor values on mental resilience and the mediating effect of different strategies of emotion regulation.The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for improving the mental resilience of adolescents.
基金Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (B2019408018, E2020048004)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Universities in Hebei Province (JYQ201902, JYT201901)+4 种基金Program for the Top Young Talents of Higher Learning Institutions of Hebei Province (BJ2020047)College Students’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program Project Fund of Langfang Normal University (202010100001, S202010100011)National Natural Science Foundation of China (21773307)Hebei Higher Education Teaching Reform Research and Practice Project (2019GJJG357)Research Project of Langfang Teachers University (LSLB201701) for financial support。
文摘Carbon dioxide(CO_(2) ) capture and conversion is the key route for the mitigation of the greenhouse effect and utilization of carbon sources to obtain value-added products or fuels.Much attention is paid to the development of novel materials with high CO_(2) adsorption capacity and conversion rate.MXene is the graphene-like two-dimensional metal carbide/nitride/carbonitride owning favorable structure,morphology,high surface-bulk ratio,and physicochemical properties.Here,we review the CO_(2) capture,sensing,and conversion by MXene and MXene-based materials.Furthermore,the underlying mechanism involved the capture,sensing,and conversion of CO_(2) is summarized.This review would open a new horizon for CO_(2) valorization with high efficiency and promising widespread applications.
文摘Objective:To investigate the diagnostic and predictive value of MRI features combined with clinical indicators for prostate cancer(PCa)and clinically significant prostate cancer(csPCa),and to establish a non-invasive combined model.Methods:A total of 36 patients with pathologically confirmed benign lesions(44 foci)and 23 patients with PCa(49 foci),including 25 foci of csPCa and 68 foci of non-csPCa,were included.SyMRI quantitative maps and clinical indicators were collected,and 224 imaging features were extracted.The intra-and inter-group correlation coefficients(ICC)for each feature were calculated using intra-and inter-group correlation analysis,and features with an ICC>0.75 were selected as stable features that could be reproducibly extracted.Independent predictors were screened using logistic regression to construct single and combined models,and the performance was evaluated using ROC curves.Results:Age,PSAD,PD map contrast,and T2 map joint entropy were significantly higher in the PCa group compared to the benign group,while the median ADC was significantly lower(p<0.05).The above-mentioned indicators were significantly correlated with PCa and csPCa,and the diagnostic performance of the combined model was superior to that of a single MRI or clinical model.Conclusion:MRI features combined with PSAD can effectively differentiate PCa and predict csPCa,providing a non-invasive quantitative diagnostic basis for clinical practice.
基金Medical Research Project of Xi’an Science and Technology Bureau“Molecular Mechanism of miR-1305 Competitive Endogenous circRNA in the Development of Liver Cancer”(Project No.22YXYJ0134)General Project of Key Research and Development Program of Shaanxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology“Mechanism Study on the Inhibition of Liver Cancer Invasion and Metastasis by Downregulating METTL3 and Reducing the m6A Modification Level of MMP3 with Honokiol”(Project No.2023-YBSF-631)。
文摘Objective:To evaluate the predictive value of secreted phosphoprotein 1(SPP1)gene expression for postoperative survival in patients with advanced liver cancer undergoing hepatic artery interventional chemoembolization treatment.Method:Bioinformatics methods,including gene ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)pathway analysis,were used to identify genes related to survival prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)patients.A retrospective analysis of 115 advanced liver cancer patients treated between January 2016 and October 2017 was conducted.Patients were categorized into SPP1 high-expression(n=89)and low-expression groups(n=26).Additionally,115 healthy individuals served as the control group.The relationship between SPP1 expression and clinical pathological features was analyzed.A 60-month follow-up and logistic regression analysis identified risk factors affecting survival.Results:SPP1 mRNA expression was significantly higher in liver cancer patients compared to healthy controls(P<0.05).SPP1 expression levels were significantly associated with tumor size,Child-Pugh grading,lymph node metastasis,and BCLC staging(P<0.05).High SPP1 expression,along with tumor size,Child-Pugh grading,lymph node metastasis,and BCLC staging,were independent risk factors for survival(P<0.05).The 60-month survival rate was 17.39%,with a median survival of 40 months in the low-expression group versus 18 months in the high-expression group(P<0.05).Conclusion:SPP1 expression is significantly upregulated in advanced liver cancer patients and has predictive value for postoperative survival following hepatic artery chemoembolization treatment.SPP1,combined with clinical indicators such as tumor size,Child-Pugh grading,lymph node metastasis,and BCLC staging,may serve as a prognostic biomarker for interventional treatment outcomes.
文摘The electrochemical reduction of C02 into liquid fuels especially coupling with the intermittent renewable electricity offers a promising means of storing electricity in chemical form, which reduces the dependence on fossil fuels and mitigates the negative impact of anthropogenic C02 emissions on the planet. Although converting CO2 to fuels is not in itself a new concept, the field has not sub- stantially advanced in the last 30 years primarily because of the challenge of discovery of structural electrocatalysts and the development of membrane architectures for efficient collection of reactants and separation of products. This overview summarizes recent advances in catalytic conversion of CO2 and presents the challenges and future directions in producing value-added fuels.
文摘The global wave of digitalization has accelerated the process of corporate digital transformation,placing higher demands on financial and accounting management.Since then,accounting work has shifted from the traditional transactional model to a modern value management-oriented model,leading to a transformation of accounting functions.As corporate managers,they must advance their work proactively,empower the modernization and innovation of financial accounting with digital technology,and transition to management accounting to ensure enterprises keep pace with the times.Therefore,this paper explores the current status of corporate financial and accounting work amid the digital wave,identifies the challenges in the transformation of accounting from transactional to value management-oriented,and finally proposes several feasible and effective improvement strategies,aiming to provide more references for relevant practitioners.
基金funded by DRTPM(Direktorat Jenderal Pendidikan Tinggi,Riset,dan Teknologi),Kementerian Pendidikan,Kebudayaan,Riset dan Teknologi Penelitian Indonesia through the Fundamental Reguler Grant.
文摘Addressing these water management challenges requires a comprehensive and integrated approach.Floods and other water-related challenges in urban areas can have an impact on land values.However,the lack of studies has developed a comprehensive index methodology related to examining floods and land value relationships for urban areas.Therefore,the main purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive index methodology related to examining floods and land value relationships for urban areas that is called a Flood-Adjusted Land Value Index(FALVI)Methodology.This paper illustrates the importance of the proposed FALVI methodology to determine the relationship between flood events and land value.Important variables within three main aspects—environmental,socio,and historical flood variables—would be elaborated and measured by GIS-based analysis.It provides a more accurate and thorough assessment of property values by taking flood risk variables into account throughout the valuation process.This methodology is also regarded as an essential methodology for examining floods and land value links in metropolitan areas.FALVI can help guide government strategies on flood management,land use planning,and catastrophe risk reduction.By identifying high-risk locations,governments can prioritize flood mitigation measures and enact restrictions that prevent development in susceptible areas.Urban areas in certain watershed systems can be kept viable for the long term by carefully reviewing this methodology and implementing suitable land management strategies.
文摘Under the current long-term electricity market mechanism,new energy and thermal power face issues such as deviation assessment and compression of generation space.The profitability of market players is limited.Simultaneously,the cooperation model among various energy sources will have a direct impact on the alliance’s revenue and the equity of income distribution within the alliance.Therefore,integrating new energy with thermal power units into an integrated multi-energy complementary system to participate in the long-term electricity market holds significant potential.To simulate and evaluate the benefits and internal distribution methods of a multi-energy complementary system participating in long-term market transactions,this paper first constructs a multi-energy complementary system integrated with new energy and thermal power generation units at the same connection point,and participates in the annual bilateral game as a unified market entity to obtain the revenue value under the annual bilateral market.Secondly,based on the entropy weight method,improvements are made to the traditional Shapley value distribution model,and an internal distribution model for multi-energy complementary systems with multiple participants is constructed.Finally,a Markov Decision Process(MDP)evaluation system is constructed for practical case verification.The research results show that the improved Shapley value distribution model achieves higher satisfaction,providing a reasonable allocation scheme for multi-energy complementary cooperation models.
基金supported by the Excellent Young Talents in Colleges and Universities in Anhui province Education Project (Grant No. gxyq ZD2017076)Philosophy and Social Planning Project in Anhui province (Grant No. AHSKQ2015D38)Talent Fund Project of Hefei University (Grant No. 15RC21)
文摘In the process of financial management and operation, a firm should not only aim to maximize its shareholders' benefits, but also consider the interests of all stakeholders. Bearing social responsibility to each stakeholder to a certain extent and pursuing harmonious social development are fully consistent with the concept of China's building a harmonious socialist society. Furthermore, added value also reflects the idea of social responsibility Based on the relational contract theory, the paper divides stakeholders into staff and shareholders under relational contracts, creditors, suppliers and consumers under transactional contracts and governments and communities under special contracts. The paper details the effect mechanism of a firm's bearing social responsibilities to each stakeholder on the creation of added value respectively, and considers that corporate social responsibilities should be included in the system for creating added value to theoretically support firm managers to fulfill social responsibilities.
基金funded by the 2022-2023 Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research(ACIAR)Alumni Research Support Facility(ARSF)programme:“Farmers’adaptive capacity and agricultural transformation in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta:understanding and supporting value chain engagement”the ACIAR-funded project“Farmer options for crops under saline conditions(FOCUS)in the Mekong River Delta,Vietnam”(SLaM/2018/144)to this study.
文摘Agricultural production(especially intensive rice production)is a primary income source for over 2.0×10^(7) people in the Vietnamese Mekong River Delta.However,adverse climate change impacts,socio-economic change,and high dependence on farm inputs for intensive production constrain the longer-term sustainability of rice systems.Government and agribusiness actors are encouraging more farmers to grow non-rice crops and supporting the upscaling of alternative crops to paddy rice.We used a qualitative approach to investigate the value chain characteristics,as well as constraints and opportunities of alternative crops via two case studies(baby corn and honeydew melon)in An Giang and Hau Giang provinces,Vietnam.Data collection involved focus group discussions with local farmers and interviews with farmers and industry experts.Thematic analysis was used to compile the findings,and the results were validated with local government staff.The baby corn value chain featured on-going and stable market demand(including value-addition)and better vertical coordination(e.g.,written contracts and financial support).The honeydew melon value chain featured positive relationships between farmers and traders despite less-developed vertical coordination.There are opportunities for value chain engagement through product quality certification,value-addition,and accessing high-value domestic and export markets.However,farmers require crop-specific and generic support from private and public sectors.Increased labour requirements and limited access to finance and credit limit value chain participation.Upscaling and marketing alternative crops can enhance farmer profitability and support non-farming agricultural business establishment,economic growth,and community development.Efficient value chains will be critical to ensure the adoption of alternative crops and development of crop-specific agribusiness models.These findings can inform policy-makers and change facilitators in designing targeted interventions to support the adoption of alternative crops in the study area as well as in Vietnam and globally.
基金supported by the Aeronautical Science Foundation of China(20220001057001)an Open Project of the National Key Laboratory of Air-based Information Perception and Fusion(202437)
文摘In this paper,a distributed adaptive dynamic programming(ADP)framework based on value iteration is proposed for multi-player differential games.In the game setting,players have no access to the information of others'system parameters or control laws.Each player adopts an on-policy value iteration algorithm as the basic learning framework.To deal with the incomplete information structure,players collect a period of system trajectory data to compensate for the lack of information.The policy updating step is implemented by a nonlinear optimization problem aiming to search for the proximal admissible policy.Theoretical analysis shows that by adopting proximal policy searching rules,the approximated policies can converge to a neighborhood of equilibrium policies.The efficacy of our method is illustrated by three examples,which also demonstrate that the proposed method can accelerate the learning process compared with the centralized learning framework.
基金Baotou City Health Science and Technology Plan(Project No.:2023wsjkkj109)。
文摘Objective:To monitor the incidence of immune-related adverse events(irAEs)in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs)and programmed cell death protein-1(PD-1),and to evaluate the effectiveness of nursing interventions using a quantitative scoring system.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 65 cancer patients who received PD-1 therapy at the Oncology Department of Baotou Cancer Hospital from December 2023 to December 2024.The study examined the clinical features and blood test results related to irAEs.The National Cancer Institute’s Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events(NCI-CTCAE)was used to grade the severity of these events,which were classified into five levels.Based on the NCI-CTCAE scores,appropriate nursing measures were implemented,and a comprehensive risk assessment framework was developed.Results:The study group showed lower complication rates,overall incidence,and average hospital stay compared to the control group(P<0.05).Among the 65 patients,twenty-eight(43.07%)experienced a total of 35 irAEs,with 2(5.71%)being grade 3 or 4.The most frequent irAEs were dermatological conditions(34.29%),particularly rash with itching.The occurrence of irAEs did not correlate with patient gender,age,blood parameters(hemoglobin,white blood cell count,platelet count,etc.),or liver function(P>0.05),but it was associated with tumor type(P<0.05).Conclusion:PD-1 treatment is generally safe,with a low incidence of severe(grade 3 or higher)irAEs.Close monitoring is essential to ensure early detection,intervention,and management of irAEs,thereby maintaining a low level of adverse events and enhancing the safety and efficacy of PD-1 therapy.Implementing a quantitative risk scoring system for nursing care can decrease the rate of complications,enhance patient safety,and potentially reduce hospital stays and medical costs.
基金Supported by the National key Research and Development project(2016YFB0601003)National Natural Science Foundation of China(21878228 and31701526)+3 种基金Basic Research Fees of Universities and Colleges in Tianjin(2017KJ001)Youth Teacher Innovation Fund of Tianjin University of Science&Technology(2015LG26)Project Program of Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety,Ministry of Education,China(2018007)Open Project program of State Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety,Tianjin University of Science&Technology(SKLFNS-KF-201824).
文摘Microalgae have been considered as an efficient microorganism for wastewater treatment with simultaneously bioenergy and high value-added compounds production.However,the high energy cost associated with complicated biorefinery(e.g.microalgae cultivation,harvesting,drying,extraction,conversion,and purification)is a critical challenge that inhibits its large-scale application.Among different nutrition(e.g.carbon,nitrogen and phosphorous)sources,food processing wastewater is a relative safe and suitable one for microalgae cultivation due to its high organic content and low toxicity.In this review,the characteristic of different food wastewater is summarized and compared.The potential routes of value-added products(i.e.biofuel,pigment,polysaccharide,and amino acid)production along with wastewater purification are introduced.The existing challenges(e.g.biorefinery cost,efficiency and mechanism)of microalgal-based wastewater treatment are also discussed.The prospective of microalgae-based food processing wastewater treatment strategies(such as microalgae-bacteria consortium,poly-generation of bioenergy and value-added products)is forecasted.It can be observed that food wastewater treatment by microalgae could be a promising strategy to commercially realize waste source reduce,conversion and reutilization.
基金Fund of Laboratory of Marine Ecological Conservation and Restoration,Ministry of Natural Resources/Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Ecological Conservation and Restoration,Grant/Award Number:EPR2023010Fund of Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Survey Technology and Application,Ministry of Natural Resources,Grant/Award Number:MESTA-2022-D003。
文摘This study aims to develop and expand a new perspective on ecological value realization(EVR)and provide policy recommendations for marine ecological value realization(MEVR)based on Carbon Trading.Currently,the immaturity of EVR calculation methods and difficulties in determining the price of ecological products pose significant challenges to ecological value trading.By employing mathematical models and logical reasoning,this study proposes a novel frame-work for EVR,illustrated through several diagrams.According to this frame-work,ecological value is not static but fluctuates with factors such as human well-being(HV)or gross domestic product(GDP).Therefore,ecological value should be determined by an exchange market rather than solely relying on hypothetical calculation methods.Consequently,carbon trading cases are crucial in under-standing ecological value.Based on the analysis of blue carbon(BC)trading cases,including the lack of international BC exchanges,challenges in carbon sink projects,and the Free Rider Effect,this paper identifies current issues in MEVR and BC trading in China.To address these challenges,we propose integrating carbon trading databases with evaluations of ecological protection and restora-tion projects,along with BC trading data,to calculate ecological value.Addi-tionally,we recommend increasing the supply of BC products in both national carbon trading markets and voluntary markets,promoting the internationaliza-tion of BC accounting,addressing the Free Rider Effect through government actions and market mechanisms,attracting more foreign investment in BC en-hancement projects,and formulating a BC enhancement plan during marine resource development.
