Although the term ‘intellectual tradition’ is frequently used, it is rarely clearly defined, leaving a vast and largely unknown space for multidimensional inquiry. This article explores how to find tacit intellectual traditions by drawing upon cross-cultural philosophical resources and proposing possible methodological directions for educational research. The main argument is that intellectual traditions can be tacit at both epistemological and ontological levels. Three Western theorists—Edward Shils, Michael Polanyi, and Michael Oakeshott—critically reflect on anti-traditionalism and objectivism since the Enlightenment. They contend that intellectual traditions, including the tradition of science, as tacit knowledge, play an important role in human knowing and action. Chinese philosophy also attaches great importance to the tacit dimensions of intellectual tradition particularly at the ontological level, as exemplified by the core concept of ‘Dao’. As a foundational assumption underlying the worldview in ancient China, Dao generated different ways of knowing in Confucianism, Daoism, and Zen Buddhism. Even today, it continues to shape how Chinese people interpret and transmit traditions. The philosophical comparison between East and West reveals the complexities inherent in intellectual traditions, which bring new opportunities for educational research. Incorporating diverse tacit intellectual traditions can help researchers better understand cross-cultural educational issues in teaching, learning, and research. For this purpose, we propose ethnoepistemology, ontography, and hermeneutics as potential methodological tools.
A novel, rapid, and efficient technique for removing phoxim residues from grapes was developed using microbubbles plasma-activated water (mbPAW). The mbPAW system was generated by utilizing a non-thermal plasma jet as the working gas of the Venturi tube. The phoxim residues in the grapes were quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography. Results indicated that the mbPAW treatment significantly enhanced the removal efficiency of the phoxim residues in grapes (92.82 %) compared with plasma-activated water (PAW) treatment (73.60 %) and microbubble generator without the plasma (mbW) treatment (13.56 %). The improved decontamination efficacy of mbPAW was attributed to its stronger oxidation capability and acidic environment, particularly the increased concentration of hydroxyl radicals, which facilitated phoxim removal from the grapes. Notably, LC-Q-TOF analysis revealed identical degradation products of phoxim (diethyl (Z)-(((cyano (phenyl)methylene)amino)oxy)phosphonate and (Z)-N-hydroxybenzimidoyl cyanide) in both the systems, confirming consistent degradation pathways. Crucially, post-treatment quality assessments revealed no statistically significant differences in grape physicochemical properties, including color, firmness, sugar content, vitamin C concentration, and superoxide dismutase activity. This study establishes mbPAW as a green, residue-free strategy for pesticide decontamination in horticultural products, offering high removal efficiency with minimal adverse impacts on produce quality.
Enhancement-mode (E-mode) p-channel field-effect transistors (p-FETs) remain challenging for GaN complementary logic (CL) technology due to their unstable threshold voltage (Vth), low current density, and large on-resistance (RON) at 6 V CL-compatible operation. In this work, we demonstrate a high-performance E-mode GaN p-FET with a p-NiO/p-GaN heterojunction gate. Notably, the suppressed Vth shift and improved channel conductivity were simultaneously achieved in the E-mode channel. The improvement is primarily due to the type-II band alignment at the p-NiO/p-GaN interface. This structure reduces band overlap, resulting in a low interface trap density (DT) of 3.29–5.71 × 1010 cm−2 eV−1 as measured by the sub-bandgap photo-assisted capacitance–voltage method. The fabricated device with LG/LGS/LGD = 1.5/3/3 μm exhibits a Vth of −0.6 V with a minimal hysteresis of 0.02 V and maximum shift of 0.04 V under stress, a ID of 5.5 mA/mm, a RON of 0.47 k Ω mm, and a transconductance (gm) of 1.8 mS/mm for 6 V CL-compatible operation.
The evolution of Fe(II)-oxidizing microorganisms has been closely linked to the evolution of Earth's iron biogeochemical cycle and redox history. However, its impact on the coupled biogeochemical cycling of iron and phosphorus, particularly the distribution of iron-bound phosphate (PFe) in water columns, remains largely unexplored. This study elucidates the distinct Fe(II) oxidation mechanisms of the anoxygenic Rhodobacter ferrooxidans SW2 and the oxygenic Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002, along with the properties, transformation processes, and phosphate interactions of their biogenic iron (oxyhydr)oxides. SW2-mediated Fe(II) oxidation via iron oxidase drove sequential transformation from ferrihydrite to green rust and then to goethite. The resulting cell-mineral aggregates had a large hydrodynamic diameter (Dh, up to 26 μm), a high Fe/C ratio (∼2.5), and a rapid sedimentation rate (up to 57.7 m/day), efficiently transporting PFe to deep-sea sediments. In contrast, PCC 7002 indirectly oxidized Fe(II) via oxygen production, forming poorly crystalline iron (oxyhydr)oxides stabilized by extracellular polymeric substances. The resultant small aggregates (Dh = ∼6.9 μm), with a slower sedimentation rate (∼3.9 m/day), exhibited high phosphorus retention and were susceptible to dissimilatory iron reduction, facilitating PFe recycling in surface waters. These findings suggest that biogenic iron (oxyhydr)oxides from anoxygenic iron oxidizers act as carriers, transporting phosphorus to deep sediments, whereas those from oxygenic cyanobacteria function as phosphorus traps in surface waters. This study provides new insights into how the evolution of Fe(II)-oxidizing microorganisms reshapes PFe cycling and distribution in water columns, emphasizing the need to integrate microbiological and geochemical perspectives in understanding Earth's biogeochemical cycles.
Earth’s core has long been speculated to be the largest reservoir of hydrogen (H) on the planet. However, current estimates of its H content involve substantial uncertainties, due to the challenge of quantifying H under extreme conditions. Here, we perform superliquidus metal-silicate partitioning experiments on H using laser-heated diamond anvil cells, and combine it with atom probe tomography. The direct observation of H at silicon- and oxygen-rich nanostructures in the iron alloy indicates coupled sequestration of silicon, oxygen and hydrogen into Earth’s core during its formation. With the observed molar Si/H ratio close to unity, Earth’s core is estimated to contain 0.07-0.36 wt.% H, equivalent to 9-45 oceans of water. Such an amount would require the Earth to obtain the majority of its water from the main stages of terrestrial accretion, instead of through comets during late addition.
For biointegrated flexible systems that acquire and process electrophysiological signals, amplifying weak biosignals from their original low amplitudes (ranging from microvolt to millivolt) to volt-level is essential for subsequent processing. Achieving this level of amplification requires a high voltage gain (>105 or 100 decibels for microvolt signals). However, realizing such gain in flexible circuits remains highly challenging because of constrained integration scale and limits in feasible circuit topologies. Here, we report flexible amplifiers that achieve ultrahigh gain by leveraging intrinsic gain singularities induced by negative differential resistance (NDR) effect in carbon nanotube–based transistors. The NDR behavior is investigated under various factors, including contacts, gate structures, and channel lengths. Guided by insights into the correlations between NDR characteristics and device-level parameters, a device-circuit codesign approach is implemented to build a flexible amplifier achieving a record-high gain of 104 decibels among all reported flexible amplifiers, with successful demonstration of electroencephalogram signals amplification. A carbon nanotube–based flexible amplifier achieves >100-dB voltage gain, demonstrating EEG signal amplification.
Chinese universities have actively engaged in knowledge production about other countries and played crucial roles in training professionals for the country’s foreign policy community since the founding of the People’s Republic (PRC). For decades, the transformations of the PRC’s international and area studies programs have not only reflected the shifting demands of top decision-makers but also influenced the interactions among scholars, academic institutions, government agencies, business elites, and the general public. This article analyzes the ups and downs of China’s international and area studies programs in the second half of the 20th century and how they were closely intertwined with the country’s shifting priorities in foreign policy, overseas Chinese affairs, and higher education. Primarily focusing on the case of Southeast Asian Studies (SEAS), this paper explores how the PRC’s area studies programs interacted with the country’s foreign policy during the 1955–1965 and post-1978 periods. Despite the changing geopolitical dynamics after 2000, the academic infrastructure and particular institutional culture formed in these two phases remain essential to our understanding of China’s area studies initiatives today.
This paper revisits the commercial peace hypothesis using global event data from 1989 to 2019. We show that greater imports consistently worsen bilateral relations, with the effect strengthening after the 2008 financial crisis. The negative impact is most pronounced in democracies, high-income countries and those with elevated unemployment, where globalisation's distributive conflicts more easily shape foreign policy. Instrumental variable estimates confirm causality, and analyses using militarised interstate disputes reveal that trade-driven tensions extend beyond diplomacy to overt conflict. These findings challenge the optimistic view that economic interdependence fosters peace.