This paper systematically explored the critical role and associated molecular mechanisms of
epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in the progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
(ESCC). Through a comprehensive literature review, the major molecular markers of EMT in ESCC and
its mechanisms in promoting tumor invasion and metastasis were analyzed. These mechanisms include the
reduction of cell adhesion, enhancement of mesenchymal traits and motility, and facilitation of extracellular
matrix degradation. Studies have shown that during EMT, the expression of epithelial markers such as
E-cadherin is downregulated, while mesenchymal markers such as N-cadherin and vimentin are upregulated.
These changes significantly enhance the invasive and metastatic potential of tumor cells. As a key driver of
ESCC progression, EMT not only sheds light on the biological characteristics of this disease but also provides
a theoretical basis for developing novel therapeutic strategies and improving patient prognosis

The Role and Molecular Mechanisms of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition (EMT) in the Progression of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

With the advancement of globalization and internationalization, the demand for high-quality service personnel in the hotel industry is increasing. In the hotel management program of higher vocational colleges, especially in the hotel English courses, how to effectively cultivate students' cross-cultural communicative competence has become the key to enhancing their employment competitiveness. This study focuses on the etiquette service module in hotel English courses of higher vocational education. By analyzing the current situation, it discusses the necessity and practical challenges of cultivating cross-cultural communicative competence and proposes specific strategies, aiming to provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for the teaching reform of hotel management program.

Research on the Cultivation Strategies of Cross-cultural Communicative Competence in Etiquette Service Module of Hotel English Course in Higher Vocational Education

This paper examines the dynamic visual color language in La La Land (2016) through a seasonal  narrative framework. Combining color psychology and film semiotics, it analyzes how shifting color systems—particularly blue, red, yellow, purple, and green—externalize the protagonists’ psychological evolution and relational transformations across five seasonal chapters. The study reveals that color transcends decorative symbolism to become an active narrative force, where recurring hues acquire layered meanings. This ‘same color, different meaning’ mechanism deepens the film’s exploration of artistic dreams and reality.

The Visual Color Language Framework in Seasonal Storytelling  of La La Land

The rapid advancement of digital economic forces, especially Artificial Intelligence(AI) technologies, is driving structural changes in modern business ecosystems, making the AI-sustainability connection a key research area in management science and technological economics. This study uses the SALSAFS method to conduct a systematic literature review, aiming to clarify how AI applications influence corporate decision-making, performance development, resource allocation, and structural innovation. The research focuses on databases like Scopus, EBSCO, and Science Direct, retrieving articles published between 2020 and 2025. After strict screening, 32 articles were included, categorized into four themes: Human Resource Management, Performance Development, Business Transformation, and ESG. The findings show that AI adoption impacts ESG performance by influencing these aspects, driving corporate sustainable development. This study not only constructs a conceptual framework for AI-driven corporate sustainability but also points out future research directions, advocating a shift from an instrumentalist to a constructivist approach in AI applications. The research has both theoretical and practical implications, while acknowledging limitations such as potential literature inclusion biases.

The Catalytic Role of Artificial Intelligence in Enabling Corporate Sustainable Development: A Systematic Review

This study tests whether embedding low-cost, replicable classroom “micro-interventions” that raise participation can improve university students’ legal literacy. We conducted a two-wave, class-level staggered adoption across law-related courses, assembling a four-wave student panel (T0–T3; N=1,080; 4,320 student‑wave records). Causal identification relies on difference‑in‑differences with student and time fixed effects and class‑clustered inference, complemented by an event‑study; a 0–100 engagement index from learning logs opens the mechanism. The intervention increases the legal‑cognition test (O1, 0–100) by 5.37 points (SE=0.33; d≈0.77) and the scenario‑based compliance task (O2, 0–100) by 6.07 points (SE=0.58; d≈0.64). Dynamics show O1 building up across post‑adoption waves, whereas O2 peaks early and attenuates. Benefits are larger for students with low baseline engagement, indicating compensatory effects. While mild positive pre‑trends—especially for O2—advise caution in causal interpretation, robustness checks preserve sign and magnitude. Overall, routine, repeatable participatory practices embedded in ordinary teaching yield policy‑relevant gains in legal cognition and short‑term scenario performance and offer a scalable pathway for civics/legal education in higher education.

From Participation to Legal Literacy: Causal Effects of Low‑Cost Classroom Micro-Interventions in Universities

This systematic review traces the theoretical and methodological trajectory of the social semiotic approach to multimodal discourse analysis. Originating in M.A.K. Halliday's foundational work on language as a social semiotic, the approach has evolved into a comprehensive framework for analysing how meaning is made through the interplay of diverse semiotic resources in social contexts. We chart its development through the critical-ideological turn of Hodge and Kress, the landmark application to visual communication by Kress and van Leeuwen, and its formalisation as Systemic Functional Multimodal Discourse Analysis (SF-MDA). The review synthesises the core principles of the approach—including the motivated sign, the concept of semiotic resource, and the centrality of the metafunctional principle—and examines its extension to non-linguistic modes such as sound, music, and gesture. We survey its application across key contemporary domains, including digital media, advertising, and education, highlighting its analytical power in deconstructing complex multimodal texts. Finally, the paper critically assesses the methodological challenges, scholarly debates, and future directions of the field, considering the impact of interactive digital technologies and the rise of computational semiotics. It is concluded that the social semiotic approach remains an indispensable critical and analytical tool for understanding the complex, multimodal nature of contemporary communication.

From Language to the Semiosphere: A Systematic Review of the Social Semiotic Approach to Multimodal Discourse Analysis

This paper aims to conduct an in-depth study on the institutional construction of urban–rural community planners within the process of urban regeneration, and to explore their critical role in promoting sustainable urban development. Through a comprehensive analysis of theoretical frameworks, legal and regulatory systems, public participation mechanisms, professional competencies, and technological support, this study seeks to provide valuable insights and policy implications for urban planning and governance. Focusing on the practical experiences of community regeneration and planner systems in Taiwan, Shanghai, and Beijing, the research summarizes their achievements, challenges, and existing problems. On this basis, it further explores the design of a localized institutional framework for community planners that aligns with the characteristics of Chinese urban–rural communities, aiming to advance modernized community governance under the background of urban regeneration.

Institutional Construction of Urban–Rural Community Planners under the Context of Urban Regeneration

With the rapid iteration of digital technology, the information literacy of university teachers has become a key factor influencing the quality of higher education. This study, through analyzing the current situation of information literacy among university teachers, found that most teachers have capability deficiencies in obtaining digital resources, data analysis, and the application of teaching technologies, making it difficult for them to adapt to the demands of digital teaching. The research points out that the improvement of information literacy should start from establishing a digital education awareness and a lifelong learning perspective; building diversified and personalized learning paths; improving the training system and incentive mechanism; creating a smart teaching environment and sharing platform; and perfecting the evaluation standards and policy support system.

Research on the Current Situation and Improvement Path of Information Literacy of University Teachers in the Digital Age

Amidst the dual imperatives of achieving national “Dual Carbon” goals and meeting rising consumer expectations, the logistics distribution industry confronts the twin challenges of reducing carbon emissions and enhancing customer satisfaction. As a pivotal element within distribution operations, route optimization serves as a critical leverage point for balancing these two objectives. Grounded in practical operational contexts, this paper explores optimization strategies for logistics distribution routes that concurrently lower carbon emissions and improve customer satisfaction. It approaches the issue from four dimensions: innovation in distribution models, vehicle operation management, service collaboration, and route planning support tools. The findings offer actionable insights to support the green transformation and quality-oriented development of logistics enterprises.

Research on Route Planning for Instant Logistics Distribution Considering Carbon Emissions and Customer Satisfaction

Based on data from the Seventh National Population Census (Seventh Census), this study systematically forecasts and analyzes China’s future population size, structure, and trends by integrating historical demographic shifts with policy contexts. Employing a population projection model that comprehensively considers multiple factors including fertility rates, mortality rates, and age structure, the study examines critical issues such as population aging and shifts in labor supply. Results indicate that China’s population will peak at approximately 1.431 billion around 2028 before entering a phase of negative growth, with the population size projected to decline to around 1.28 billion by 2050. Concurrently, the degree of population aging will intensify, leading to a significant rise in the old-age dependency ratio.

Prediction and Analysis of China’s Future Population Based on the “Seventh National Census Data”

This paper investigates the transformation of China’s ICH through a visual governance lens, finding a tripartite field of tension between state, market and community. With the Wuwei Lantern Festival as the example, mainly the Balifish Lantern and Dougang Board Dragon Lantern in Wuwei County. The research shows that the parametric discipline of state power and the impoverished semiotic discourse of market forces together lead to the reduction of living ritual into spectacle, forming a paradoxical situation of “preserving the appearance but erasing the spirit”. On the contrary, it also highlights the resilience of communities – specifically how local artists embody their own topological resistance through embodied knowledge and adaptive actions. It is ultimately posited that good safeguarding necessitates collaborative governance to generate “cultural folds,” or institutional spaces of negotiation, to facilitate cultural reproduction from a community perspective in the face of spectacle-making.

The Spectacle of the Sacred: Intangible Cultural Heritage and Visual Governance in China

In the strategic context of promoting rural revitalization and common prosperity comprehensively, the equalized provision of public services in vocational education has become a critical link in achieving social equity and optimizing the allocation of human capital. However, most research mainly focuses on elaborating macro-policies. There are few analyses on the multiple dualistic patterns arising from the urban-rural dual structure within the vocational education system and their root causes, which causes a lack of systematic solutions. Employing literature analysis and case study methods, this paper investigates the structural imbalances in vocational education service provision, manifested as “prioritizing urban over rural areas, emphasizing both basic and higher education while neglecting the secondary vocational education, and valuing academic credentials over practical training.” It aims to explore effective pathways for promoting the equalization of public services in vocational education. The study proposes systematically dismantling institutional and systemic barriers through measures such as constructing an integrated urban-rural vocational education network, fostering diversified development of educational providers, and establishing demand-oriented talent cultivation models. These efforts are designed to enhance the accessibility and adaptability of public services, providing institutional guarantees for the equitable development and quality enhancement of vocational education.

A Study on Strategies for Equalizing Public Services in Vocational Education under the Urban-Rural Dual Structure

International Academic Frontiers is dedicated to promoting the exchange and dissemination of innovative research across a wide range of disciplines，published by Hong Kong Science and Technology Publishing Company. The journal aims to serve as a bridge between scholars, researchers, and professionals from around the world, facilitating the sharing of ideas and discoveries that push the boundaries of knowledge.

2025 Vol.5 Issue.1

Articles