This study uses the opening of the new Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) in stages between 2010 and 2012 in Singapore as the exogenous event to empirically test the impact of the new Circle Line (CL) on housing wealth. Applying a "differences-in-differences" approach to the non-landed private housing transaction data covering the period from 2009 to 2013, we find that the average housing prices increase by 1.6% in the post-opening of the CL. We find significant capitalization of the new CL into housing prices, especially households living within a 400-meter radius (the treatment zone) from the closest MRT stations on the CL. The treatment effects that are measured by the "marginal willingness to pay" for houses located within the treatment zone is 13.2% relative to houses located outside the treatment zone. The new CL opening creates an estimated S$1.23 billion housing wealth effects for households living in close proximity to the CL MRT stations. However, we do not find significant "anticipative" effects on house prices in the six-month window prior to the opening of CL. The strongest treatment effect is found after the opening of the phase 1 of CL, and the treatment intensity declines in phases 2 and 3 of the CL opening.

Global energy agencies and commissions report a sharp increase in energy demand based on commercial, industrial, and residential activities. At this point, we need energy-efficient and high-performance systems to maintain a sustainable environment. More than 30% of the generated electricity has been consumed by HVAC-R units, and heat exchangers are the main components affecting the overall performance. This study combines experimental measurements, numerical investigations, and ANN-aided optimization studies to determine the optimal operating conditions of an industrial shell and tube heat exchanger system. The cold/hot stream temperature level is varied between 10 ℃ and 50 ℃ during the experiments and numerical investigations. Furthermore, the flow rates are altered in a range of 50–500 L/h to investigate the thermal and hydraulic performance under laminar and turbulent regime conditions. The experimental and numerical results indicate that U-tube bundles dominantly affect the total pumping power; therefore, the energy consumption experienced at the cold side is about ten times greater the one at the hot side. Once the required data sets are gathered via the experiments and numerical investigations, ANN-aided stochastic optimization algorithms detected the C10H50 scenario as the optimal operating case when the cold and hot stream flow rates are at 100 L/h and 500 L/h, respectively.

This study employs a transfer matrix, dynamic degree, stability index, and the PLUS model to analyze the spatiotemporal changes in forest land and their driving factors in Yibin City from 2000 to 2022. The results reveal the following: (1) The land use in Yibin City is predominantly characterized by cultivated land and forest land (accounting for over 95% of the total area). The area of cultivated land initially increased and then decreased, while forest land continued to decline and construction land expanded significantly. The rate of forest land loss has slowed (with the dynamic degree decreasing from −0.62% to −0.04%), and ecosystem stability has improved (the F-value increased from 2.27 to 2.9). The conversion of cultivated land to forest land is the primary driver of forest recovery, whereas the conversion of forest land to cultivated land is the main cause of reduction; (2) cultivated land is concentrated in the central and northeastern regions, while forest land is distributed in the western and southern mountainous areas. Construction land is predominantly located in urban areas and along transportation routes. Areas of forest land reduction are mainly found in the central and southern regions with rapid economic development, while areas of forest land increase are concentrated in high-altitude zones or key ecological protection areas. Stable forest land is distributed in the western and southern ecological conservation zones; (3) changes in forest land are primarily influenced by annual precipitation, elevation, and distance to rivers. Road accessibility and GDP have significant impacts, while slope, annual average temperature, and population density exert moderate influences. Distance to railways, aspect, and soil type have relatively minor effects. The findings of this study provide a scientific basis for the sustainable management of forest resources and ecological conservation in Yibin City.

This study explores approaches to optimizing inclusive education through international and local perspectives. It examines the role of educators in inclusive settings, highlights strategies for early detection of children’s developmental needs, and evaluates inclusive school management practices. Using qualitative case study methods, the research includes comprehensive observations and interviews at Fatma Kenanga Islamic Character School. Findings emphasize the importance of individualized learning plans, shadow teacher involvement, and collaborative stakeholder engagement. Integrating global insights, this study contributes to advancing inclusive education practices in Indonesia and beyond.

In this work, the structural transformations of a suboxide vacuum-deposited film of SiO_1.3 composition annealed in an inert atmosphere in a wide temperature range of 100 °C–1100 °C were characterized by the reflection-transmission spectroscopy technique. The experimental spectroscopic data were used to obtain the spectra of the absorption coefficient α(hν) in the absorption edge region of the film. Based on their processing, the dependences of Urbach energy E_U and optical (Tauc) bandgap E_o on the annealing temperature were obtained. An assessment of the electronic band gap (mobility gap) E_g was also carried out. Analysis of these dependences allowed us to trace dynamics of thermally stimulated disproportionation of the suboxide film and the features of the formation of nanocomposites consisting of amorphous and/or crystalline silicon nanoparticles in an oxide matrix.

Molybdenum (Mo) is considered and described as an essential element for living organisms’ development. Until now, no studies have been performed on genes involved in the Mo transporter in ancestral Ipomoea species. This study aimed to identify potential Mo genes in Ipomoea trifida and I. triloba genomes using bioinformatics tools. We identified four Mo transporter genes, two in I. trifida and two in I. triloba. Based on the RNA-seq datasets, we observed that Mo genes are expressed (in silico) and present different mechanisms between the tissues analyzed. The information generated in this study fills missing gaps in the literature on the Mo gene in an important agronomic crop.