Abstract: Built heritage is increasingly affected by climate-driven processes, yet its capacity to inform broader understandings of urban environmental change remains insufficiently explored. Here, we synthesize recent literature (2020–2024) on the application of the Historic Urban Landscape (HUL) approach to the integrated management of cultural heritage under climate risk, reframing the historic built environment as a multiscale diagnostic medium for climate–urban interactions. We analyze the steps and tools employed to support decision-making across territorial planning, risk assessment, and heritage governance in the papers selected from Web of Science, Science Direct, and Scopus databases. Results show that the approach is a flexible analytical framework that allows the integration of heterogeneous data, multi-criteria evaluations, and diverse stakeholder perspectives across spatial and temporal scales. Information modelling tools are shown to play a central role in structuring territorial knowledge, identifying patterns of vulnerability, and supporting comparative analyses across urban contexts. Nonetheless, significant challenges persist, including limited quantification of climate-induced degradation mechanisms, uncertainties in linking vulnerability assessments to predictive models, structural constraints on participatory implementation, and a tendency to apply the approach as a checklist due to inadequate understanding of its holistic dimensions. Overall, the HUL approach emerges as a scalable and transferable framework for embedding cultural heritage within climate research, advancing the conceptual integration of built heritage into resilience science and sustainability-oriented urban systems.

Abstract: The increasing digitalization of photovoltaic (PV) inverters and their integration into distributed energy resource (DER) ecosystems expose these devices to a rapidly expanding cyber‑physical attack surface. Existing security requirements are fragmented across heterogeneous technical standards—including IEC 62443, IEC 62351, UL 2900‑1, UL 1741 SB, IEEE 1547, IEEE 2030.5, and SunSpec profiles—and only partially aligned with emerging regulatory obligations such as the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) and NIS2 Directive. This fragmentation complicates assurance, hinders interoperability, and leaves critical security controls inconsistently implemented across vendors and deployments. This paper introduces a Unified Security Baseline (USB) that harmonizes essential technical and lifecycle security controls for PV inverters, including secure boot, firmware signing, anti‑rollback protection, strong authentication, TLS‑secured communication, SBOM governance, secure over‑the‑air updates, and coordinated vulnerability disclosure. The USB provides a device‑centric, standards‑agnostic framework designed to strengthen the security posture of inverter‑dominated DER environments while supporting regulatory compliance. By consolidating cross‑standard requirements into a coherent baseline, this work establishes a foundation for future conformity assessment, certification efforts, and secure‑by‑design engineering practices in critical IoT/OT infrastructures.

Abstract: Background: The late-time fate of black holes and the operational limits of General Relativity (GR) in the far future remain open problems in thermodynamic cosmology, and are central to the causal gap discussed in Penrose’s conformal framework. Objective: We determine, within Gibbs Energy Redistribution Theory (GERT), the lower density boundary of GR validity and the thermodynamic fate of supermassive black holes in the Hyperdilute Regime. Methods: Using the asymptotic gas-dominated GERT term, we derive the critical crossing λ_CMB(a) = H⁻¹(a), compute a_crit and ρ_GR,min analytically, and evaluate black-hole thermodynamic states (in cluding ∆G and inversion scales) across mass ranges, with no additional premises beyond the base framework. Results: We obtain a_crit = 10^12.88±0.12 and log₁₀(ρ_GR,min) = −65.2 ± 0.4 kg/m³, closing the Layer 3 validity domain from Planck density to a symmetric lower operational threshold (161.9 density decades). At acrit, all black holes with M > M^∗ ≈ 1.7×10⁵ M⊙ are in thermodynamic absorption, with strongly non-spontaneous redistribution (e.g., ∆G ≈ +5800 Mc² for 10⁹ M⊙). Thermal inversion occurs later in the Quasi-Vacuum, where cosmological cooling outpaces Hawking thermal change by ∼10¹⁰⁶; at a_inv(M), supermassive-black-hole Schwarzschild radii exceed the Hubble radius by factors of 4 to 10¹⁰. Conclusions: In this regime, Hawking evaporation is not the operative end-channel for high-mass black holes. GERT instead identifies a Gibbs-driven macroscopic phase transition (∆G < 0 in the Quasi-Vacuum) and establishes a symmetric but dynamically inverted boundary structure for Layer 3: Inward-dominated at emergence (dH/da < 0) and Outward-dominated at dissolution (dH/da > 0). This provides a quantitative thermodynamic completion scenario and a causal contribution to the CCC end-state problem.

Abstract: There is a worldwide hazard with microplastics (MPs), plastic production units less than 5 mm, as it increases with the increase in output (>380 million tons/year), which is even division into micro- and nanoplastics. This is a review of over 200 peer-reviewed articles through systematic database searches that combines both experimental, modeling and observational data to help fill knowledge gaps in MP migration, transformations, bioavailability, and health risks in aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments. Results indicate heterogenous distributions: coastal clumps (e.g., 0.011 +- 0.017 items/m3 oceans), bioturbation-induced soil penetration (600 particles/kg), and peaks in wet season. Prevalent (less than 100 mm) fragments/fibers of polyethylene/polypropylene support wind/river transport and sorption of contaminant. Losses Phthalates are lost through transformations by photo-oxidation, abrasion, and biofilms leading to enhanced ecotoxicity via trophic magnification. Bioaccumulation, endocrine disruption, oxidative stress, and chronic illnesses phenotypes are all potential risks of human exposure, which primarily occurs through the ingestion of fish (millions of particles per week through the ocean) pathways. This framework gives greater emphasis on ecological back-human associations whereby there is routine of such ways, prognostic models and ameliorations such as waste curbs and biodegradables to conserve the surroundings and health.

Abstract: Soil moisture (SM) governs land–atmosphere exchanges and strongly influences agricultural management and hydrological assessment, yet high-resolution mapping remains challenging due to sensor-specific confounding effects and limited field observations. This study develops a practical workflow for point-scale SM estimation and wall-to-wall mapping by integrating multi-sensor remote sensing predictors with ensemble learning. A compact predictor set was constructed from Sentinel-2 optical indices (MSI and NDWI), Sentinel-1 SAR descriptors (σVV and the polarization ratio σVH/σVV), and topographic information (DEM), collocated with in situ SM measurements along a transect in the study area. Three tree-based regressors—Random Forest, XGBoost, and CatBoost—were trained under an identical feature configuration and evaluated using R², RMSE, and MAE together with predicted–observed diagnostics. A stacking ensemble was then implemented using leakage-controlled K-fold out-of-fold predictions to generate meta-features, with a Decision Tree as the meta-learner tuned via a grid search. Results show that base learners achieve comparable skill (R² ≈ 0.60–0.62; RMSE ≈ 0.038–0.039), while stacking improves test accuracy (RMSE = 0.0346) and provides a stable mapping-ready model. The trained framework was transferred to stacked raster predictors to produce spatially continuous SM maps, revealing coherent moisture heterogeneity across the region.

Abstract: Vitamin K (VK), traditionally recognized for its role in coagulation, is increasingly implicated in extrahepatic processes, including glucose metabolism and calcium regulation. Suboptimal VK status is common in the general population and may limit these functions, yet evidence linking VK to glucose metabolism and other endocrine axes remains heterogeneous and incompletely synthesized. This narrative review integrates mechanistic, observational, and interventional evidence to examine the role of VK across the endocrine system, with particular emphasis on glucose metabolism. Mechanistic studies indicate that VK supports pancreatic β-cell function, modulates peripheral insulin sensitivity, and enables proper calcium distribution. Observational studies consistently associate higher VK status with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, while interventional studies suggest that VK supplementation may improve glucose metabolism, primarily in metabolically impaired populations. In bone and mineral metabolism, VK acts synergistically with calcitriol, with combined supplementation showing more consistent benefits on skeletal outcomes than either vitamin alone. Evidence for VK involvement in other endocrine axes, including reproductive and inflammatory pathways, remains limited and largely mechanistic. Overall, the available evidence supports a context-dependent role for VK in glucose metabolism, influenced by base-line nutritional and metabolic status and outcome selection, as well as a synergistic interaction with calcitriol and parathormone in calcium regulation. Future clinical studies should incorporate baseline VK status stratification, dynamic measures of insulin sensitivity, and adequately powered designs to clarify the therapeutic relevance of VK across endocrine and metabolic outcomes.

Abstract: Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) faces challenges related to irregular flowering, which compromises crop productivity. Gibberellic acid (GA₃) is a plant growth regulator known for its role in inducing reproductive processes, although its effects on this species are not yet fully understood. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of different GA₃ doses on flowering and vegetative growth in black pepper plants. The experiment was conducted with black pepper seedlings of the Bragantina cultivar in a randomized block design, with four doses of GA₃ (0, 10, 20, and 30 mg L⁻¹) and six replications, using eight-month-old plants grown in pots under full sun. GA₃ applications were performed in two floral induction cycles. Variables related to flowering, chlorophyll a fluorescence, vegetative growth, biomass allocation, and carbohydrate distribution were evaluated. The data were subjected to analysis of variance, regression, mean grouping test, and principal component analysis. The results showed that inter-mediate doses (10 and 20 mg L⁻¹) significantly stimulated flowering at early developmental stages, whereas the 30 mg L⁻¹ dose enhanced vegetative growth while reducing floral induction. Additionally, GA₃ affected physiological parameters by increasing photosynthetic efficiency and altering carbohydrate balance, with higher accumulation of soluble sugars in leaves and reduced starch content in roots. It is concluded that GA₃ application is a promising strategy to modulate reproductive transition in black pepper, with 10 to 20 mg L⁻¹ doses recommended to promote flowering without compromising plant development.

Abstract: This study investigated the effects of dietary nano-antimicrobial peptides (NAPs) on the microbial communities and metabolic profiles in Tibetan sheep. Using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics, the contents of the small intestine, rumen, and rectum were systematically analyzed in a control group (Group A) and a NAP-supplemented group (Group B). Multi-omics integration methods, including O2PLS and Pearson correlation analysis, were employed to explore the association between microbial communities and metabolites. Alpha and beta diversity analyses revealed significant differences (P < 0.05) in the microbial community structure of the small intestine between the two groups. In contrast, the rumen and rectal microbiota remained relatively stable, indicating that the regulatory effects of NAPs on the intestinal microecology are site-specific. In the small intestine, NAPs altered the composition of dominant functional microbiota and the abundance of taxa related to energy metabolism. Metabolomic analysis identified significant shifts in metabolic profiles, specifically within the bile acid, fatty acid, and phospholipid pathways (P < 0.05). Group A exhibited baseline steady-state characteristics (e.g., cholic acids and phospholipids), whereas Group B showed activation of unsaturated fatty acids and related metabolites. Multi-omics integration revealed a stable systematic association between intestinal microbial genera and metabolites. Specifically, bile acid and prostaglandin metabolites were negatively correlated with Firmicutes-related taxa, suggesting a potential role for bile acid metabolism in regulating intestinal microecology and host immunity. These findings suggest that NAP supplementation may contribute to maintaining host energy metabolism and intestinal homeostasis by regulating intestinal microecology.

Abstract: Special and general relativity (SR/GR) work for observers, but they do not provide diagrams of nature that work for all observers. This is because there is no concept of absolute space in SR/GR, where all action is due to an absolute parameter. We show: Euclidean relativity (ER) achieves precisely that. ER describes a mathematical Master Reality, which is absolute 4D Euclidean space (ES). All objects move through ES at the dimensionless speed C. There is no time coordinate in ES. All action in ES is due to an absolute, external evolution parameter θ. In addition, ER describes an observer’s physical reality. He experiences two projections of ES as space and time. The axis of his current 4D motion is his proper time τ. Three orthogonal axes make up his 3D space x₁, x₂, x₃. Without gravity, his physical reality is a Minkowskian reassembly of his axes x₁, x₂, x₃, τ. In this “τ-based Minkowskian spacetime” (τ-MS), τ is the time coordinate and θ converts to parameter time ϑ. Minkowski spacetime and τ-MS are mathematically identical. Thus, ER retains the SR formalism. ER also retains the GR formalism, but only in a specific reference frame defined by τ. The Einstein field equations hold true in this specific frame, but not in ES. ER reproduces both the Lorentz factor and gravitational time dilation. ER rejects cosmic inflation, expanding space, dark energy, and non-locality. And yet, ER predicts time’s arrow, galactic motion, the Hubble tension, and entanglement. Thus, ER significantly improves cosmology and quantum mechanics. We conclude: ER is indispensable for unifying physics.

Abstract: This study examines how the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and the implementation of policies shape inclusive educational outcomes for marginalized learners in Bangladesh, using evidence from Sherpur Sadar Upazilla. A convergent mixed-methods design integrated a student survey (N = 213; seven institutions; March–September 2024) with qualitative data from 37 stakeholders (teachers and policymakers) collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Quantitative findings show that AI tool adoption was the strongest predictor of a composite educational outcome score (β = 0.38, p < 0.001), followed by institutional support (β = 0.25, p = 0.01). In contrast, the policy implementation gap—defined as the mismatch between policy intent and on-the-ground delivery—was negatively associated with outcomes (β = −0.12, p = 0.04). Digital infrastructure quality was positively associated with the outcome but was not statistically significant in the multivariable model (β = 0.17, p = 0.12). The model demonstrated strong explanatory power (R² = 0.67; F(4, 208) = 42.3; p < 0.001). Disparity analyses revealed persistent urban–rural inequities in reliable internet access (94.6% vs. 69.7%) and device readiness, with tablet access emerging as a key enabler of advanced AI-supported learning. Qualitative results corroborated three binding constraints: limited teacher AI preparedness, affordability barriers, and trust concerns related to privacy and algorithmic bias. Building on these findings, the paper proposes a policy–innovation framework centered on localized AI toolkits, sustained teacher upskilling, device-access interventions, and enforceable fairness and transparency safeguards to advance equitable learning opportunities.

Abstract: Milk production in dairy cattle is increasingly challenged by thermal variability. This underscores the need for reliable assessment of microclimatic conditions and their interaction with animal- and management-related factors to ensure sustainable dairy production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of thermal variability and selected environmental and biological factors on key milk production traits in dairy cattle. The influence of fixed factors related to production conditions and microclimatic variability, including the Temperature–Humidity Index (THI), on daily milk yield (MY), milk fat content (MF), and milk protein content (MP) was assessed. The study used a dataset covering two observation periods of daily milk production traits in cows of different breeds (Simmental, Holstein-Friesian, Red Holstein, and Brown Swiss) reared in three regions of the Republic of Serbia (Mačva, Podunavlje, and Šumadija), enabling an assessment of thermal variability under diverse production and microclimatic conditions. The expression and variability of the investigated traits were determined using the PROC FREQ and PROC MEANS procedures, while the effects of individual factors were analysed using general linear and regression models, with results expressed as least squares means. All examined factors showed a highly significant effect on MY, MF, and MP (p < 0.0001). Although the overall level of heat stress was moderate, milk production was highest within the THI range of 51–60. These findings demonstrate that thermal variability significantly influences milk production and composition and highlight the importance of integrating microclimatic indicators into sustainability-oriented dairy management and breeding strategies.

Abstract: Since the pioneering work of Dean P. M. and Matthew E. K. (1970), four decades have elapsed without any consensus on the mechanism responsible for the oscillations of the plasma membrane voltage exhibited by pancreatic β-cells stimulated by glucose. In this review, the different hypothesis dealing with the cause of voltage oscillations that lead to insulin secretion pulsatility will be commented. The earliest explanation attributed the voltage oscillations (bursting) to glycolytic oscillations, taking as a reference skeletal muscle glycolysis oscillations. Later, the scientific interest moved to glucose oxidation after discovering that some mitochondrial parameters also oscillated in synchrony with membrane voltage oscillations. As [Ca2+]cyt increases resultant from membrane depolarization oscillated in synchrony with membrane bursting, it competed with metabolic oscillations (e.g. cytosolic ATP/ADP) for being the cause or the effect of insulin pulsatility; it was demonstrated that metabolic oscillations preceded [Ca2+]cyt oscillations. We are contributing with the hypothesis attributing the cause of voltage oscillations to a sequential competition of two β-cell plasma membrane channels: K+ATP channel and Cx36 hemichannel (Cx36H). Whereas increased glucose metabolism (increased ATP/ADP) closures K+ATP channels and depolarizes the plasma membrane (active phase of a bursting), Cx36Hs are opened and repolarize the membrane potential with a certain delay by inhibiting glucose metabolism (silent phase of a bursting). Repolarization, in turn, closes Cx36H and allows the recovery of glucose oxidation and beginning of a new active phase.

Abstract: In 1916, A. Einstein developed a model of the absorption and emission of radiation from which he derived M. Planck’s radiation law. He postulated light-induced (stimulated) emission, because within the framework of classical physics an oscillator can, depending on the phase difference, both extract energy from the electromagnetic field and transfer energy to it. In a non-coherent field, α = β should hold, where α denotes the kinetic constant of absorption and β that of stimulated emission. This assumption is indispensable for deriving the radiation law from his model. In this context, it is problematic that a certain degree of field coherence follows necessarily from his model, which implies that α ≠ β. Moreover, the model cannot readily be generalised to fields of arbitrary coherence. An alternative model for the absorption and emission of radiation by matter is therefore developed here. On the one hand, it is based on the assumption that, within a blackbody, quanta of different energies may recombine freely; on the other hand, it employs the “pairwise interference model of quantum theory” (PIMOQ). The alternative model of the interaction between light and matter allows the radiation law to be derived for thermal equilibrium in a non-coherent field, under which conditions, according to the model, no stimulated emissions occur. It also describes the behaviour of systems with a coherent field (interference experiment, laser). Furthermore, considerations are presented regarding the energy distribution within a blackbody and the explanatory scope of A. Einstein’s model in this respect.

Abstract: Aquaculture plays a strategic role in food security and rural development in coastal regions. However, structural, economic, and institutional constraints affect small-scale producers in heterogeneous ways. This study analyzes how small-scale aquaculture producers in Manabí (Ecuador) perceive the main challenges affecting their activity, based on a typology comprising three production systems: Backyard, Transitional, and Commercial. A structured questionnaire was administered to 98 producers, including 20 variables assessed using a five-point Likert scale. The analysis combined non-parametric univariate tests (Kruskal–Wallis with Dunn post-hoc comparisons) and multivariate techniques to identify statistically significant differences and structured perception patterns across production systems. Significant differences were detected in variables related to biological input supply, market conditions, and structural production constraints. In particular, larvae and fingerling supply, selling prices, buyer availability, and pond surface area showed differentiated perception patterns across systems. Most differences occurred between Backyard farms and the other two production systems, while Transitional and Commercial farms displayed more similar perception profiles. Transversal constraints shared across systems included high feed costs, energy expenditure, and regulatory requirements. Principal Component Analysis identified two main perception gradients related to market and input constraints and to structural and managerial limitations. Discriminant analysis further confirmed the ability of these dimensions to differentiate production systems. These findings highlight the multidimensional nature of constraints affecting small-scale aquaculture and suggest that production systems are better interpreted as gradients of pressures rather than strictly discrete categories. The results underline the need for adaptive governance approaches combining transversal measures with system-specific interventions. Overall, the study provides empirical evidence to support the design of differentiated and context-sensitive policies aimed at strengthening the sustainable development of small-scale aquaculture in Manabí and similar territories.

Abstract: Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is the standard treatment for patients with intermediate-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), yet nearly half of treated patients fail to achieve durable benefit, and reliable biomarkers enabling early therapeutic stratification are still lacking. Treatment response is typically assessed by imaging one month after TACE and at three-month intervals, potentially delaying timely access to alternative therapies in non-responding patients. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) represent promising biomarkers due to their stability in body fluids and ease of detection. Here, we evaluated circulating miR-22 as an early predictor of TACE response and as a mechanistically relevant therapeutic target. Circulating miR-22 levels were measured by microarray and quantitative RT–PCR in three independent cohorts of early-to-intermediate stage HCC patients undergoing TACE. Circulating miR-22 increased significantly in non-responders as early as 48 h after treatment, and fold changes consistently predicted treatment failure across two independent validation cohorts. Mechanistically, we identified the G2/M checkpoint kinase WEE1 as a direct functional target of miR-22. Modulation of the miR-22/WEE1 axis affected cell-cycle progression, proliferation, apoptosis, and DNA damage response in HCC cell lines and xenograft models. Under hypoxia-mimicking conditions combined with doxorubicin exposure, pharmacological inhibition of WEE1 induced mitotic catastrophe in highly proliferative miR-22–silenced cells. Collectively, these findings identify early post-TACE elevation of circulating miR-22 as a biomarker of non-response and highlight the miR-22/WEE1 axis as a potential target for precision treatment strategies in HCC.

Abstract:

In Cambodia, farmers construct artificial household bat roosts to collect and sell guano as fertilizer. We investigated farming practices and attendant spillover risks using: 1) surveys on guano production; 2) estimating bat population size and species present using carcasses, visual identification, and audio recordings; 3) surveying guano-producing and neighbor households on water, sanitation, and hygiene practices; and 4) testing guano and household food, water and surfaces for coronaviruses by PCR. Bat roosts are constructed using dried palm leaves with coconut tree and/or steel/concrete supports. Roosting areas ranged from 42-327 m², bat abundance varied from 0-11,187, guano production was 5-120 kg/week, guano yields were 0.15-0.4 kg/m2/week, and farmers earned ~100-200 USD/household/month. Higher guano production in peak (normally wet) season was associated with greater bat abundance (p=0.016). The lesser Asiatic yellow house bat (Scotophilus kuhlii) was the only bat species identified. Roosts were <20 m from guano-producing households. Neighbors and households’ hygiene risks included not having handwashing stations and not covering food in storage/while drying. Alphacoronaviruses or Infectious Bronchitis Virus were found in 14.6%, 17.3%, 2.9%, 1.4%, and 0.0% of guano, urine, surface, food, and water samples, respectively. While guano farming offers economic benefits, spillover risks exist. Safe guano collection and storage, handwashing, and food covering in guano-producing communities are necessary to mitigate spillover risks.

Abstract: We pose the Typhoon Engulfment Grand Challenge: determine whether any physically realizable feedback control law can guarantee the safe flight and landing of a commercial aircraft under all extreme, physically admissible typhoon wind fields—or prove that such a guarantee is mathematically impossible. The problem is formulated as a two-player zero-sum differential game between an autopilot (the minimizer, seeking survival) and an adversarial but physics-constrained typhoon (the maximizer, seeking to force the aircraft outside its safe operating envelope). We detail the coupled nonlinear dynamics, define the safe operating set in the airspeed–load-factor plane, and identify four interlocking barriers—high-dimensional Hamilton–Jacobi–Isaacs equations, PDE-constrained adversarial disturbances, hybrid structural failure dynamics, and imperfect observations—that place this problem beyond the reach of any existing mathematical framework. This article serves as a formal statement of the challenge, provides accessible explanations for researchers across disciplines, and charts concrete research directions for communities spanning control theory, aerospace engineering, applied mathematics, machine learning, fluid dynamics, structural mechanics, formal verification, operations research, signal processing, meteorology, and independent researchers worldwide.

Abstract:

The green peach aphid, Myzus persicae (Sulzer), is a globally important agricultural pest whose management is increasingly challenged by widespread insecticide resistance, prompting interest in alternative and sustainable control strategies such as endophytic fungi. This study evaluated the effects of two endophytic fungi, Trichoderma harzianum and Chaetomium cupreum, applied individually or as a 1:1 mixture, on the population ecology of M. persicae feeding on capia-type red pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Aphid development, survival, and reproduction were assessed using age-stage, two-sex life table analysis. Contrary to expectations, T. harzianum significantly enhanced aphid population growth, resulting in a higher intrinsic rate of increase (r = 0.42 d^-1), finite rate of increase (λ = 1.52 d^-1), and net reproductive rate (R₀ = 87.67 offspring) compared to the control (r = 0.32 d^-1, λ = 1.37 d^-1, R₀ = 42.90 offspring). The mixture treatment also increased population parameters, whereas C. cupreum showed limited effects on aphid life table traits. Population projections indicated that T. harzianum treatment could produce aphid populations approximately 380 times larger than the control after 60 days. These results suggest that T. harzianum may improve host plant quality in ways that indirectly favor M. persicae. The findings highlight the importance of evaluating plant–fungus–herbivore interactions before incorporating endophytic fungi into integrated pest management programs.

Abstract: Scaling generalist GUI agents is hindered by the data scalability bottleneck of expensive human demonstrations and the ``distillation ceiling'' of synthetic teacher supervision. To transcend these limitations, we propose UI-Oceanus, a framework that shifts the learning focus from mimicking high-level trajectories to mastering interaction physics via ground-truth environmental feedback. Through a systematic investigation of self-supervised objectives, we identify that forward dynamics, defined as the generative prediction of future interface states, acts as the primary driver for scalability and significantly outweighs inverse inference. UI-Oceanus leverages this insight by converting low-cost autonomous exploration, which is verified directly by system execution, into high-density generative supervision to construct a robust internal world model. Experimental evaluations across a series of models demonstrate the decisive superiority of our approach: models utilizing Continual Pre-Training (CPT) on synthetic dynamics outperform non-CPT baselines with an average success rate improvement of 7% on offline benchmarks, which amplifies to a 16.8% gain in real-world online navigation. Furthermore, we observe that navigation performance scales with synthetic data volume. These results confirm that grounding agents in forward predictive modeling offers a superior pathway to scalable GUI automation with robust cross-domain adaptability and compositional generalization.

Abstract: The present study examines the effects of ICT education on the competency development of 600 trainee teachers in Sri Lanka's National Institutes of Education (NIE). With respect to ICT tools and their interfaces in relation to digital literacy, teaching, and overall facilitator effectiveness, the author presents a discrete quantitative, cross-sectional ICT study. The sample was made up of 300 teachers educated in ICT and 300 teachers educated in traditional (non-ICT) methods. The study utilized a self-administered questionnaire. The author applied and described ICT, regression, and correlation analyses and integrated the ICT variable with effectiveness and competency development in Sri Lanka. The author observed that ICT educators had a higher self-efficacy and ICT tool usage and demonstrated improvements in digital literacy and pedagogy compared to non-ICT educators. A lack of integration of supplemental education technology to support teaching baseline ICT competencies was noted. A holistic approach to teacher training was advocated based on the integrated train of constructivist learning theory and TPACK framework. This study advances the empirical support of ICT and its contribution to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4, Quality Education, by demonstrating the increased value of educator competencies. The study offers actionable insights to enhance ICT training within the teacher education curricula in Sri Lanka, with the aim of equipping teachers to tackle the challenges of the digital era.