Octavio Monroy-Vilchis | Biological Networks | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Octavio Monroy-Vilchis | Biological Networks | Research Excellence Award

Autonomous University of Tlaxcala | Mexico

Dr. Octavio Monroy-Vilchis is a distinguished researcher and academic specializing in biodiversity, conservation biology, and wildlife management. He earned his PhD in Biodiversity and Conservation from the University of Alicante in 2004 and holds a Master of Science in Ecology and Environmental Sciences from the National University of Tlaxcala. Throughout his career, Dr. Monroy-Vilchis has completed numerous postgraduate and refresher courses in areas such as experimental design, statistical analysis, cognitive strategies in teaching, and sustainable development, primarily at the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico. He has contributed extensively to research on the ecology, behavior, and conservation of wild mammals, particularly felids, jaguars, ocelots, and endangered amphibians in Mexico and Central America, producing influential publications on genetic diversity, habitat connectivity, and human-wildlife interactions. In addition, he has led long-term conservation and management programs for ecological parks and protected areas, conducted field-based studies on predator-prey dynamics, and actively participated in international courses and collaborations across Latin America and Europe. Dr. Monroy-Vilchis’ work integrates field research, applied conservation, and environmental education, making significant contributions to both scientific knowledge and biodiversity preservation policies.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

"Prevalence of injuries in a Caiman crocodilus chiapasius (Bocourt 1876) population from the South Pacific coast of Mexico", GA González-Desales, GJ Soria-Ortiz, O Monroy-Vilchis, Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 60 (1), 2025.

"Morphometric variability and productivity of the fruits of Mauritia flexuosa L.f. on an altitudinal gradient in Peru", Y Quinteros-Gómez, M Zarco-Gonzalez, D Gómez-Ticerán, FC Gonzáles, Caldasia 47, 2025.

"Productivity and morphometric variability of Mauritia flexuosa Lf fruits along altitudinal gradient in Peru", Y Quinteros-Gómez, M Zarco-Gonzalez, D Gómez-Ticerán, Caldasia 47, 2025.

"Morphometric variability and productivity of Mauritia flexuosa Lf fruits along an altitudinal gradient in Peru", YMQ Gómez, MMZ González, DG Ticerán, FCC Gonzáles, OM Vilchis Caldasia 47 (1), 2025.

"Proximal and underlying geoecological drivers of the current distribution of the volcano rabbit (Romerolagus diazi): new evidence for habitat expansion", AA Luna-Gil, A Velazquez, LA Garcia-Almaraz, O Monroy-Vilchis, Revista mexicana de biodiversidad 96, 2025.

Francesco Gullo | Graph Data Structures | Graph Analytics Achievement Recognition 

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Dr. Francesco Gullo | Graph Data Structures | Graph Analytics Achievement Recognition 

University of L'Aquila | Italy

Dr. Francesco Gullo is an Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of L’Aquila (DISIM), Italy, where he specializes in artificial intelligence and data science with a strong focus on algorithmic foundations. He earned his PhD in Computer and Systems Engineering from the University of Calabria in 2010 and previously held research and industry positions at the University of Calabria, the University of Catanzaro, George Mason University (USA), Yahoo Labs and Fundació Barcelona Media (Spain), and the UniCredit banking group (Italy). His recent research interests span graph machine learning, graph data management, and trustworthy AI, and he has authored over 100 publications in leading international venues. Prof. Gullo has also made significant contributions to the scientific community, serving as Associate Editor for EPJ Data Science and IJDSA, General Co-Chair of WSDM 2026, Finance Chair of CIKM 2024, ADS Track PC Co-Chair of ECML-PKDD 2026, Workshop Co-Chair of KDD 2024 and ICDM 2016, and Industry Track PC Co-Chair of ASONAM 2024, in addition to organizing numerous workshops and serving regularly on senior program committees of top-tier conferences.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

"Polarized Communities meet Densest Subgraph: Efficient and Effective Polarization Detection in Signed Networks", F Gullo, D Mandaglio, A Tagarelli, ACM Transactions on Knowledge Discovery from Data, 2025.

"Cyber Attack Protection via Temporal Online Graph Representation Learning", B Lakha, J Layne, E Serra, F Gullo, S Jajodia, IEEE Transactions on Big Data, 2025.

"Holistic dry resist optimization on bright field EUV contact hole patterning", CC Huang, F Gullo, M Brouri, A De Silva, A Lushington, N Kenane, International Conference on Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography, 2025.

"Segmentation of temporal graphs", R Giancotti, F Gullo, PH Guzzi, E Serra, P, Veltri Information Sciences, 2025

"Discovering Balance-Aware Polarized Communities in Signed Networks with Graph Neural Networks", F Gullo, D Mandaglio, A Tagarelli, 2025.

Stef Van Den Elzen | Network Visualization | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Stef Van Den Elzen | Network Visualization | Research Excellence Award

Eindhoven University of Technology | Netherlands

Dr. Stef Van Den Elzen is an accomplished expert in visual analytics, artificial intelligence, and advanced data visualization, currently serving as an Assistant Professor in Visual Analytics at Eindhoven University of Technology since 2021. Prior to this, he worked as a Senior Scientist and Product Owner at Philips Research, where he led an agile team of over 15 members and drove the integration of state-of-the-art AI technologies into impactful innovations. His industry leadership includes serving as VP of Engineering at SyneRScope, guiding strategic direction, technical roadmaps, and product development, following earlier roles as Visualization Architect and Software Engineer in which he developed pioneering visual analytics techniques and supported international research projects. Dr. Van Den Elzen began his career with roles in software visualization, interactive data analysis, and educational support, and he earned his PhD in Visual Analytics for dynamic networks from Eindhoven University of Technology, graduating cum laude. He also holds a cum laude Master’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering with a specialization in Visualization, a minor in Game and Multimedia Technology from Utrecht University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, building a strong foundation that has enabled his innovative contributions to research, industry, and technology development.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

"Towards multi-faceted visual process analytics", S van den Elzen, M Jans, N Martin, F Pieters, C Tominski, MC Villa-Uriol, Information Systems, 2025.

"When Dimensionality Reduction Meets Graph (Drawing) Theory: Introducing a Common Framework, Challenges and Opportunities", FV Paulovich, A Arleo, S van den Elzen Computer Graphics Forum, 2025.

"Long sequences with a lot of events (LoLo): A visual analytics approach for analyzing long event sequences", S van der Linden, B Cappers, A Vilanova, S van den Elzen Information Visualization, 2025.

"Cluster-Based Random Forest Visualization and Interpretation", M Sondag, C Meinecke, D Collaris, T Von Landesberger, S Elzen, arXiv preprint arXiv:2507.22665, 2025.

"Automated Refined Comic Generation: From Investigation Provenance to Data Comics using Visual Narrative Structure", K Roggenbuck, A Vilanova, S van den Elzen, 2025 Eurographics Conference on Visualization, 2025.

Juan Liu | Aquaculture | Women Researcher Award

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Dr. Juan Liu | Aquaculture | Women Researcher Award

Dalian Ocean University | China

Dr. Juan Liu is an Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the Experimental Teaching Center, specializing in the prevention and control of aquatic animal diseases, pathogen immunity, feed additives, immunostimulants, and the immune mechanisms of polysaccharides in aquaculture animals. She earned her Doctorate in Cell Biology from Liaoning Normal University in 2010 and has since developed a strong research portfolio focused on enhancing immunity and health in Apostichopus japonicus (sea cucumber). As a corresponding author, Dr. Liu has contributed significantly to the field through impactful publications, including studies on the immune-protective effects of chitosan oligosaccharides, their biodistribution, and their dietary benefits on growth performance, non-specific immunity, digestion, and resistance to pathogens such as Vibrio splendidus. Her work continues to advance sustainable aquaculture practices and innovative disease-prevention strategies.

Profiles: Orcid

"Immune Protective Effect of Chitosan Oligosaccharide on Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated Coelomocytes of Sea Cucumber", Rongyue Wang; Xiaoyu Nie; Xiaofan Li; Jinwei Tang; Chong Huang; Juan Liu, Polymers, 2025.

"Biodistribution of chitosan oligosaccharide labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate in the sea cucumber, Apostichopus Japonicus", Xiaofan Li; Rongyue Wang; Chong Huang; Jinwei Tang; Juan Liu, Aquaculture International, 2024.

"Dietary effect chitosan nanoparticles on growth performance, immunity and resistance against Vibrio splendidus in the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicas", Rongyue Wang; Xiaofan Li; Jinwei Tang; Juan Liu; Heng Yin; Ruijun Li; Shigen Ye, Aquaculture Reports, 2023.

Yunjie Zhao | Biological Networks | Research Excellence Award

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Prof. Yunjie Zhao | Biological Networks | Research Excellence Award

Central China Normal University | China

Prof. Yunjie Zhao is a distinguished biophysicist who earned his Ph.D. in Biophysics from Huazhong University of Science and Technology in 2012, where he conducted pioneering research on computational prediction of non-coding RNA structures under the mentorship of Prof. Yi Xiao, following his B.S. in Physics from the same institution. He advanced his expertise as a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at The George Washington University with Prof. Chen Zeng, contributing significantly to de novo protein design and bionetwork modeling. Since 2016, he has been a faculty member at Central China Normal University, becoming a full Professor in 2019, and has taught a wide range of courses including Machine Learning, Biophysics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, and Physics. Prof. Zhao is an active member of several professional societies, including the Chinese Physical Society and the Biophysical Society of China, and previously the American Physical Society. He serves as an editorial board member for leading journals such as Briefings in Bioinformatics, iScience, Pharmaceuticals, Life, Biomolecules, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, and Scientific Reports, and is a frequent reviewer for top-tier publications including Nature Biotechnology, Nature Reviews Genetics, Nature Machine Intelligence, Nature Communications, and Physical Review Letters. His research contributions are further reflected in multiple granted patents spanning protein–ligand binding site prediction, RNA contact prediction, plant lectin polymerization peptide inhibitors, and protein drug binding pocket prediction, underscoring his impactful contributions to computational biology and biophysics.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

"RNA-protein interaction prediction using network-guided deep learning", H Liu, Y Jian, C Zeng, Y Zhao, Communications Biology 8 (1), 2025.

"Advances and Mechanisms of RNA–Ligand Interaction Predictions", C Zhuo, C Zeng, H Liu, H Wang, Y Peng, Y Zhao Life 15 (1), 2025.

"Decoding the effects of mutation on protein interactions using machine learning", W Xu, A Li, Y Zhao, Y Peng, Biophysics Reviews 6 (1), 2025.

"Advances in Methods for Accurate Prediction of RNA–Small Molecule Binding Sites: From Isolated to AI-Integrated Strategies", J Gao, C Zhuo, C Zeng, H Liu, Y Zhao, Pharmaceuticals 18 (10), 2025.

"Ab initio HIV-1 Tat–TAR interactions study using hybrid scoring-enhanced molecular modeling across subtypes", C Zeng, H Wang, J Gao, H Liu, C Zhuo, Y Zhao, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics 27 (27), 2025.

Yingzi Yang | Biological Networks | Research Excellence Award

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Prof. Yingzi Yang | Biological Networks | Research Excellence Award

Harvard School of Dental Medicine | United States

Prof. Yingzi Yang is a distinguished developmental biologist whose career spans leading institutions including Harvard Medical School and the National Institutes of Health. She earned her BS in Biology from Fudan University in 1988 and completed her PhD in Molecular Biology at the Sloan-Kettering Institute and Weill Medical College of Cornell University in 1996, followed by postdoctoral training with Andrew P. McMahon at Harvard University. She joined the NIH in 2000 as an Investigator and rose to Senior Investigator before being appointed Professor of Developmental Biology at Harvard Medical School in 2015, where she also serves as Principal Faculty of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and a member of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center. Widely recognized for her contributions to Wnt signaling, skeletal biology, and developmental mechanisms, Prof. Yang has received numerous honors including the AAAS Fellowship, ASBMR Fellowship, the IADR Distinguished Scientist Award, multiple NIH Awards of Merit, and the Vincent du Vigneaud Award of Excellence. She has held major leadership roles such as President of the Chinese Biological Investigators Society (2022–2024), member of the NIH SBDD Study Section, and keynote speaker at national scientific meetings. Her extensive service includes high-level Harvard committees, NIH central tenure committees, Gordon Research Conference leadership, international symposium organization, and major grant review panels for NIH, NSF, and global scientific agencies. A respected scholar and reviewer for top-tier journals including Cell, Nature family journals, Science family journals, and Development, Prof. Yang is recognized worldwide for advancing fundamental understanding of developmental and stem cell biology and their implications for human disease.

Profiles: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

"Disrupting bile acid metabolism by suppressing Fxr causes hepatocellular carcinoma induced by YAP activation", Y Liu, J Zhu, Y Jin, Z Sun, X Wu, H Zhou, Y Yang, Nature Communications 16 (1), 2025.

"Fibrous dysplasia/McCune-Albright syndrome: state-of-the-art advances, pathogenesis, and basic/translational research", B Palmisano, C Berry, A Boyce, JF Charles, MT Collins, A Corsi, FA Fierro, Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases 20 (1), 2025.

"Piezo1-mediated mechanotransduction controls osteocyte maturation and dendrite development via a YAP-CCN-Src signaling axis", YJ Hu, X Wu, F Wang, Y Jin, Y Jin, Y Liu, Q Cong, Y Yang, Nature Communications, 2025.

"Injury-induced niche factors Cxcl12 and Shh/Ihh coordinate suture stem cell activation during calvarial bone regeneration", B Li, T Ouchi, J Liu, Y Yang, Science Signaling 18 (909), 2025.

"Neutralization of Receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand reduces fibrosis and promotes osteoblast differentiation in a mouse model of fibrous dysplasia driven", RT Ormsby, Y Zhang, C Hodys, LA Wake, SM Perez, K Tsang, Y Yang, JBMR plus 9 (10), 2025.

Yaoyao Zhang | Network Security | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Yaoyao Zhang | Network Security | Research Excellence Award

Guangzhou University | China

Dr. Yaoyao Zhang is a dedicated researcher in the field of computer science and cyberspace security, earning her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from Zhongyuan University of Technology (2020–2023) and currently pursuing further academic advancement at Guangzhou University from 2024. Her research primarily focuses on secure data sharing, blockchain applications, and cybersecurity innovations, contributing significantly to related scientific literature. She has authored and co-authored multiple high-impact publications, including studies on medical data sharing schemes with cloud-chain cooperation in IoT, life-cycle security management mechanisms for secure image sharing, blockchain-based incentive mechanisms for cyber threat intelligence, and decentralized autonomous access control for data sharing. Her scholarly contributions extend to research on blockchain-empowered data storage security services, showcasing a strong commitment to advancing security technologies. Dr. Zhang has also participated in several major scientific research projects, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.62172085), the National Key R&D Program of China (No.2022YFB3102700), the Guangdong Key Laboratory Project for Industrial Control System Security (No.2024B1212020010), and the Outstanding Young Researcher Project of the Guangdong Provincial Natural Science Foundation (No.2025B1515020022), reflecting her active role in cutting-edge innovation and national-level scientific progress.

Profiles: Orcid

Featured Publications

"ZHOU Yuan, YANG Qing-lin, ZHUANSUN Chen-lu, CHEN Kai, LI Yi, LIU Yuan, TIANZhi-hong. Research Progress on Blockchain-Empowered Data Storage Security Service[J]. ACTA ELECTRONICASINICA, 2025".

"Li K, Pan H, Zhang Y, et al. A Blockchain-Enabled Decentralized Autonomous Access Control Schemefor DataSharing[J]. Mathematics, 2025".

"Zhou Y, Zhang Y, Yang Q, et al. A Blockchain based Efficient Incentive Mechanism in Tripartite Cyber ThreatIntelligence Service Marketplace[J]. Blockchain: Research and Applications, 2025".

"Zhang Y, Yao Z, Pan H, et al. LSMM: A Life-cycle Security Management Mechanism for Secure ImageSharing[C]//2022 2nd International Conference on Computer Science and Blockchain (CCSB). IEEE, 2022".

Angelos Athanasiadis | Neural Networks | Research Excellence Award

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Mr. Angelos Athanasiadis | Neural Networks | Research Excellence Award

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki | Greece

Angelos Athanasiadis is a Ph.D. candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), specializing in FPGA-based acceleration of Convolutional Neural Networks. With expertise spanning embedded system development, heterogeneous computing, and cyber-physical systems, he has contributed to both academic and industrial innovation through participation in EU research initiatives—including the ADVISER and REDESIGN projects—and through consultancy and R&D roles at EXAPSYS and SEEMS PC. His work focuses on advancing energy-efficient hardware acceleration, leading to the development of a parameterizable HLS matrix multiplication library for AMD FPGAs that enables full-precision CNN inference for accuracy-critical domains such as aerial monitoring and autonomous embedded systems. He further expanded the field with FUSION, an open-source high-fidelity distributed emulation framework integrating QEMU with OMNeT++ via HLA/CERTI synchronization to support deterministic, timing-aware multi-node execution and realistic prototyping of heterogeneous systems. Complementing his strong technical background, he holds an MBA awarded with high distinction and an M.Eng. in electronics and computer systems, supported by internships at Cadence Design Systems in Munich.

Profiles: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

"Pose Analysis in Free-Swimming Adult Zebrafish, Danio rerio: "fishy" Origins of Movement Design", Jagmeet S. Kanwal; Bhavjeet Sanghera; Riya Dabbi; Eric Glasgow, Preprint, 2025.

"Complex Sound Discrimination in Zebrafish: Auditory Learning Within a Novel “Go/Go” Decision-Making Paradigm", Anna Patel; Sai Mattapalli; Jagmeet S. Kanwal, Animals, 2025.

"From Information to Knowledge: A Role for Knowledge Networks in Decision Making and Action Selection", Jagmeet S. Kanwal, Information, 2024.

"NemoTrainer: Automated Conditioning for Stimulus-Directed Navigation and Decision Making in Free-Swimming Zebrafish", Bishen J. Singh; Luciano Zu; Jacqueline Summers; Saman Asdjodi; Eric Glasgow; Jagmeet S. Kanwal, Animals, 2022.

"NemoTrainer: Apparatus and Software for Automated Conditioning of Stimulus-directed Navigation and Decision Making in Freely Behaving Animals", Bishen Singh; Luciano Zu; Jacqueline Summers; Saman Asdjodi; Eric Glasgow; Jagmeet S. Kanwal, Preprint, 2022.

Angelos Athanasiadis | Neural Networks | Research Excellence

Published on by Network Science

Mr. Angelos Athanasiadis | Neural Networks | Research Excellence

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki | Greece

Angelos Athanasiadis is a Ph.D. candidate in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), specializing in FPGA-based acceleration of Convolutional Neural Networks. With expertise spanning embedded system development, heterogeneous computing, and cyber-physical systems, he has contributed to both academic and industrial innovation through participation in EU research initiatives—including the ADVISER and REDESIGN projects—and through consultancy and R&D roles at EXAPSYS and SEEMS PC. His work focuses on advancing energy-efficient hardware acceleration, leading to the development of a parameterizable HLS matrix multiplication library for AMD FPGAs that enables full-precision CNN inference for accuracy-critical domains such as aerial monitoring and autonomous embedded systems. He further expanded the field with FUSION, an open-source high-fidelity distributed emulation framework integrating QEMU with OMNeT++ via HLA/CERTI synchronization to support deterministic, timing-aware multi-node execution and realistic prototyping of heterogeneous systems. Complementing his strong technical background, he holds an MBA awarded with high distinction and an M.Eng. in electronics and computer systems, supported by internships at Cadence Design Systems in Munich.

Profiles: Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

"An efficient open-source design and implementation framework for non-quantized CNNs on FPGAs", A Athanasiadis, N Tampouratzis, I Papaefstathiou, Integration, 2025.

"Energy-Efficient FPGA Framework for Non-Quantized Convolutional Neural Networks", A Athanasiadis, N Tampouratzis, I Papaefstathiou, arXiv preprint arXiv:2510.13362, 2024.

"An Open-source HLS Fully Parameterizable Matrix Multiplication Library for AMD FPGAs", A Athanasiadis, N Tampouratzis, I Papaefstathiou, WiPiEC Journal-Works in Progress in Embedded Computing Journal 10 (2), 2024.

Li Hongchang | Applied Economics | Research Excellence Award

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Dr. Li Hongchang | Applied Economics | Research Excellence Award

Beijing Jiaotong University | China

Dr. Li Hongchang, Ph.D. in Economics, is a Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Economics and Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, specializing in Transport Economics Theory and Policy, socioeconomic and environmental impacts of rail transit, investment and financing evaluation, and transport industry and corporate governance. With extensive professional experience, he has led more than 50 national-level, World Bank, and ministerial-level research projects, and conducted long-term studies in transport economics, including major initiatives such as Innovative Research on Highway Investment and Financing and Highway Cost Accounting and Control. Dr. Li has published over 200 influential papers in leading international journals-including Transportation Research Part A, Transport Policy, and Energy—as well as top Chinese core journals such as Quantitative & Technical Economics and China Soft Science, and is the author of three academic monographs. His research excellence has earned him numerous recognitions, including Outstanding Lecturer, the Zhijin Excellent Teacher Award, the “Three Educations” Advanced Individual honor, the First Prize for Outstanding Paper from the China Railway Society, the Outstanding Research Report Award from the Ministry of Commerce, and the First Prize for Outstanding Consulting Achievements from both the China International Engineering Consulting Corporation and the China Engineering Society, while also being ranked among China's most influential scholars in Transport Economics. In addition to his academic achievements, Dr. Li actively contributes to the field through key professional roles, including Executive Director of the Center for Technological Innovation and Strategic Management at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, China Representative for the World Conference on Transport Research Society (WCTRS), Expert Panel Member of the China International Engineering Consulting Corporation, Deputy Director of the China Transport Economics Research Center, Council Member of the Beijing Industrial Economics Association, Co-Chair of the Travel Behavior Planning Committee of the Transport Planning Section of the World Transport Convention (WTC), and Program Chair of the International Conference on Transport and Space-Time Economics (TSTE). He also serves as a peer reviewer for Railway Economics Research and a special commentator for China Railway Network, and is frequently invited to share his expertise through major media platforms, including CCTV, China National Radio, and Beijing Traffic Broadcasting.

Profiles: Scopus

Featured Publications

"Together or alone? Environmental regulations and energy consumption: Empirical evidence from 200 cities in China", Li Hongchang, Energy, 2025.

"The impact of digital infrastructure development on the green transformation of cities: Considering the moderating effect of human capital level", Li Hongchang, International Review of Economics and Finance, 2025.

"High-Speed Railways and Enterprise Green Innovation: Evidence from Manufacturing Industries in China", Li Hongchang, Sustainability Switzerland, 2025.

"The evolution and influencing factors of digital freight structure in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration: A complex network analysis perspective", Li Hongchang, Transport Policy, 2025.