Search Results (4,754)

With the increasing demand for urban rail transit capacity, shield tunneling has become the predominant method for constructing underground metro systems in densely populated cities. However, the spatial interaction between shield tunnels and adjacent retaining structures poses significant engineering challenges, potentially leading to excessive ground settlement, structural deformation, and even stability failure. This study systematically investigates the deformation behavior and associated risks of retaining systems during adjacent shield tunnel construction. An orthogonal multi-factor analysis was conducted to evaluate the effects of grouting pressure, grout stiffness, and overlying soil properties on maximum surface settlement. Results show that soil cohesion and grouting pressure are the most influential parameters, jointly accounting for over 72% of the variance in settlement response. Based on the numerical findings, a Bayesian network model was developed to assess construction risk, integrating expert judgment and field monitoring data to quantify the conditional probability of deformation-induced failure. The model identifies key risk sources such as geological variability, groundwater instability, shield steering correction, segmental lining quality, and site construction management. Furthermore, the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of various grouting reinforcement strategies were evaluated. The results show that top grouting increases the reinforcement efficiency to 34.7%, offering the best performance in terms of both settlement control and economic benefit. Sidewall grouting yields an efficiency of approximately 30.2%, while invert grouting shows limited effectiveness, with an efficiency of only 11.6%, making it the least favorable option in terms of both technical and economic considerations. This research provides both practical guidance and theoretical insight for risk-informed shield tunneling design and management in complex urban environments. Full article

Weapon systems have transitioned from hardware-centered designs to software-driven platforms, introducing new cybersecurity risks, including software manipulation and cyberattacks. To address these challenges, this study proposes an improved manufacturing readiness level assessment (MRLA) method that integrates cybersecurity capabilities into the evaluation process to address the gaps in hardware-focused practices in South Korea. Based on the MITRE adversarial tactics, techniques, and common knowledge, and the defensive cybersecurity framework, this study identified security requirements, assessed vulnerabilities, and constructed exploratory testing scenarios using defense trees. These methods evaluate system resilience, the effectiveness of security controls, and response capabilities under diverse attack scenarios. The proposed MRLA approach incorporates cyberattacks and defense scenarios that may occur in operational environments. This approach was validated through a case study involving unmanned vehicle systems, where the modified MRLA successfully identified and mitigated critical cybersecurity threats. Consequently, the target operational mode summary/mission profile of a weapon system can be revised based on practical considerations, enhancing the cybersecurity assessments and thereby improving the operational readiness of weapon systems through scenario-based, realistic evaluation frameworks. The findings of this study demonstrate the practical utility of incorporating cybersecurity evaluations into MRLA, contributing to more resilient defense systems. Full article

Global ambitions for net-zero emissions and resource circularity are propelling industry from linear “make-use-dispose”models toward closed-loop value creation. Remanufacturing, which aims to restore end-of-life products to a “like-new” condition, plays a central role in this transition. However, its stochastic inputs and complex, multi-stage processes pose significant challenges to traditional production planning methods. This study delivers an integrated overview of remanufacturing scheduling by combining a systematic bibliometric review of 190 publications (2005–2025) with a critical synthesis of modelling approaches and enabling technologies. The bibliometric results reveal five thematic clusters and a 14% annual growth rate, highlighting a shift from deterministic, shop-floor-focused models to uncertainty-aware, sustainability-oriented frameworks. The scheduling problems are formalised to capture features arising from variable core quality, multi-phase precedence, and carbon reduction goals, in both centralised and cloud-based systems. Advances in human–robot disassembly, vision-based inspection, hybrid repair, and digital testing demonstrate feedback-rich environments that increasingly integrate planning and execution. A comparative analysis shows that, while mixed-integer programming and metaheuristics perform well in small static settings, dynamic and large-scale contexts benefit from reinforcement learning and hybrid decomposition models. Finally, future directions for dynamic, collaborative, carbon-conscious, and digital-twin-driven scheduling are outlined and investigated. Full article

The vulnerability of copper to corrosion in humid and saline environments remains a critical challenge for its long-term use. In this work, we present a streamlined and scalable approach for fabricating superhydrophobic, corrosion-resistant copper surfaces by integrating a simple wet chemical oxidation process with atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition (APCVD) of a perfluorinated silane. The hierarchical CuO nanostructures formed via alkaline oxidation serve as a robust layer, while subsequent silane functionalization imparts low surface energy, resulting in surfaces with water contact angles exceeding 170° and minimal contact angle hysteresis. Comprehensive surface characterization by SEM and roughness analysis confirmed the preservation of hierarchical morphology after coating. Wettability studies reveal a transition from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic behavior, with the Cassie–Baxter regime achieved on nanostructured and silane-functionalized samples, leading to enhanced droplet mobility and self-cleaning effect. Salt spray tests demonstrate that the superhydrophobic surfaces exhibit a corrosion rate reduction of 85.7% (from 2.51 mm/year for bare copper to 0.36 mm/year for the treated surface), indicating a seven-fold improvement in corrosion resistance compared to bare copper. This methodology offers a practical, reproducible route to multifunctional copper surfaces, advancing their potential for use in anti-fouling, self-cleaning, and long-term protective applications. Full article

Urban thermal environments critically impact human settlements and sustainable urban development. In this study, a multi-index framework integrating Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI observations (2004–2019) is developed to quantify the contributions of “source–sink” landscapes to urban heat island (UHI) dynamics in Guangzhou, China, with direct implications for advancing sustainable development. Urban–rural gradient analysis was combined with emerging spatiotemporal hotspot modeling, revealing the following results: (1) there were thermal spatial heterogeneity with pronounced heat accumulation in core urban zones and improved thermal profiles in northern sectors, reflecting a transition from “more sources, fewer sinks” in the southwest to “fewer sources, more sinks” in the northeast; (2) UHIs were effectively mitigated within 25–35 km of the city center, with the landscape effect index (LI > 1) indicating successful sink-dominated cooling; (3) spatiotemporal hotspots were observed, including persistent UHIs in old urban areas contrasting with environmentally vulnerable coldspots in suburban mountainous regions, highlighting uneven thermal risks. This framework provides actionable strategies for sustainable urban planning, including optimizing green–blue infrastructure in UHI cores, enforcing cool material standards, and zoning expansion based on source–sink dynamics. This study bridges landscape ecology and sustainable development, offering a replicable model for cities worldwide to mitigate UHI effects through evidence-based landscape management. Full article

Background: The fabrication of orthodontic aligners directly via three-dimensional (3D) printing presents potential to increase the efficiency of aligner production relative to traditional workflows; however, several aspects of the 3D printing process might affect the dimensional fidelity of the fabricated appliances. The aim of this study is to measure the forces expressed by a 3D printed aligner made with TC-85 DAC resin (Grapy Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea) when an expansion movement of the entire upper dental arch is programmed, comparing the measured forces with those obtained by a common thermoformed aligner (Smart Track^®, Align Technology, Santa Clara, CA, USA). Materials and methods: A patient in transitional mixed dentition was selected, with the presence of all the first molars and permanent upper and lower incisors, and the canines and premolars have not started the exchange. From this patient, a virtual set up of the upper arch has been planned with an expansion of 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm per side; 3 mm horizontal rectangular attachments were added to the set up on the vestibular surface of the permanent molars, deciduous premolars, and deciduous canines. On this set up, 10 Smart Track aligners and 10 3D printed aligners with TC-85 DAC resin were produced. The fabricated aligners were mounted on the machinery used for the test (ElectroForce^® Test Bench; TA Instruments, New Castle, DE, USA) by means of specific supports that simulate the upper arch of the patient (divided into two sides: right and left). To simulate the intraoral environment, the measurements were carried out in a thermostatic bath at a temperature of 37 °C. Results: The key results of this paper showed differences between Smart Track^® and TC-85 DAC. In particular, the expanding force exerted by the 0.2 mm per side expanded Smart Track^® aligners was on average +0.2162 N with a D.S. of ±0.0051 N during the 8 h; meanwhile, the force exerted by the 0.2 mm per side expanded TC-85 DAC 3D printed aligners was on average −0.0034 N with a D.S. of ±0.0036 N during the 8 h. The force exerted by the 0.4 mm per side expanded Smart Track^® aligners was on average +0.7159 N with a D.S. of ±0.0543 N during the 8 h; meanwhile, the force exerted by the 0.4 mm per side expanded TC-85 DAC 3D printed aligners was on average +0.0141 N with a D.S. of ±0.004 N during the 8 h. Conclusions: Smart Track^® aligners express a quantitatively measurable force in Newtons during the programmed movements to obtain a posterior expansion of the dental arches; on the contrary, aligners made with TC-85 DAC resin, in light of the results obtained from this study, express forces close to 0 during the realization of the movements programmed to obtain a posterior expansion of the dental arches. Full article

The ecological interface between grasslands and farmlands forms a critical landscape component, significantly contributing to the stability and functioning of ecosystems within the agro-pastoral transition zone of northern China. Nevertheless, the variation patterns and interactions between soil physicochemical attributes and microbial community diversity at this interface remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated nine sites located within 50 m of the grassland–farmland boundary in the Songnen Plain, northeastern China. We assessed the soil’s physicochemical properties and the composition of bacterial and fungal communities across these sites. Results indicated a declining gradient in soil physicochemical characteristics from grassland to farmland, except for pH and total phosphorus (TP). The composition of bacterial and fungal communities differed notably in response to contrasting land-use types across the ecological interface. Soil environmental variables were closely aligned with shifts observed in bacterial and fungal assemblages. Concentrations of total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen (AN), and available potassium (AK) exhibited inverse correlations with both bacterial and fungal populations. Alterations in microbial community composition were significantly linked to TN, TP, total potassium (TK), AN, AP, AK, and soil pH levels. Variability in soil properties, as well as microbial biomass and diversity, was evident across the grassland–cropland boundary. Long-term utilization and conversion of grassland into cultivated land altered the soil’s physicochemical environment, thereby indirectly shaping the structure of microbial communities, including both bacteria and fungi. These findings provide a valuable basis for understanding the ecological implications of land-use transitions and inform microbial-based indicators for assessing soil health in agro-pastoral ecotones. Full article

Human perception of urban streetscapes plays a crucial role in shaping human-centered urban planning and policymaking. Traditional studies on safety perception often rely on labor-intensive field surveys with limited spatial coverage, hindering large-scale assessments. To address this gap, this study constructs a street safety perception dataset for Wuhan, classifying street scenes into three perception levels. A convolutional neural network model based on transfer learning is developed, achieving a classification accuracy of 78.3%. By integrating image-based prediction with spatial clustering and correlation analysis, this study demonstrates that safety perception displays a distinctly clustered and uneven spatial distribution, primarily concentrated along major arterial roads and rail transit corridors by high safety levels. Correlation analysis indicates that higher safety perception is moderately associated with greater road grade, increased road width, and lower functional level while showing a weak negative correlation with housing prices. By presenting a framework that integrates transfer learning and geospatial analysis to connect urban street imagery with human perception, this study advances the assessment of spatialized safety perception and offers practical insights for urban planners and policymakers striving to create safer, more inclusive, and sustainable urban environments. Full article

With intensifying watershed pollution pressures and growing ecological vulnerability, scientifically revealing and enhancing the water environmental carrying capacity is crucial for ensuring the long-term health of the basin and the sustainable socioeconomic development of the region. However, the dynamic regulatory mechanisms linking narrow-sense and broad-sense water environmental carrying capacity remain poorly understood, limiting the development of integrated management strategies. This study systematically investigated the changing trends of both the narrow-sense and broad-sense water environmental carrying capacity in the Harbin section of the Songhua River basin through model calculations, along with the regulatory mechanisms of its key influence indicators. The results of the study on the carrying capacity of the water environment in the narrow sense show that permanganate, total phosphorus, and ammonia nitrogen exhibited partial carrying capacity across water periods, while dissolved oxygen decreased during flat and dry periods, with only limited capacity remaining at the Ash River estuary and in the Hulan River. The biochemical oxygen demand in the Ash River was consistently overloaded, and total nitrogen showed insufficient capacity except during the abundant water period. Broad-sense analysis indicated that improving urbanization quality, water supply infrastructure, and drinking water safety could effectively reduce future overload risks, with projections suggesting a transition from critical to loadable levels by 2030, though latent threats persist. Correlation analysis between narrow- and broad-sense indicators informed targeted control strategies, including stricter regulation of nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich industrial discharges, restoration of aquatic vegetation, and periodic dredging of riverbed sediments. This work is the first to dynamically integrate pollutant and socio-economic indicators through a hybrid modelling framework, providing a scientific basis and actionable strategies for improving water quality and achieving sustainable management in the Songhua River Basin. Full article

Conventional rail transit train running gear fault diagnosis mainly depends on routine maintenance inspections and manual judgment. However, these approaches lack robustness under complex operational environments and elevated noise levels, rendering them inadequate for real-time performance and the rigorous accuracy standards demanded by modern rail transit systems. Furthermore, many existing deep learning–based methods suffer from inherent limitations in feature extraction or incur prohibitive computational costs when processing multivariate time series data. This study represents one of the early efforts to introduce the TimesNet time series modeling framework into the domain of fault diagnosis for rail transit train running gear. By utilizing an innovative multi-period decomposition strategy and a mechanism for reshaping one-dimensional data into two-dimensional tensors, the framework enables advanced temporal-spatial representation of time series data. Algorithm validation is performed on both the high-speed train running gear bearing fault dataset and the multi-mode fault diagnosis datasets of gearbox under variable working conditions. The TimesNet model exhibits outstanding diagnostic performance on both datasets, achieving a diagnostic accuracy of 91.7% on the high-speed train bearing fault dataset. Embedded deployment experiments demonstrate that single-sample inference is completed within 70.3 ± 5.8 ms, thereby satisfying the real-time monitoring requirement (<100 ms) with a 100% success rate over 50 consecutive tests. The two-dimensional reshaping approach inherent to TimesNet markedly enhances the capacity of the model to capture intrinsic periodic structures within multivariate time series data, presenting a novel paradigm for the intelligent fault diagnosis of complex mechanical systems in train running gears. The integrated human–machine interaction system includes a comprehensive closed-loop process encompassing detection, diagnosis, and decision-making, thereby laying a robust foundation for the continued development of train running gear predictive maintenance technologies. Full article

The characteristics and evolution of fibrous calcite veins in organic-rich shales have gained significant attention due to the recent advancements in shale oil and gas exploration. However, the fibrous calcite veins in the Upper Permian Dalong Formation remain lacking in awareness. To investigate the formation and significance of bedding-parallel fibrous calcite veins in the Dalong Formation, we conducted an extensive study utilizing petrography, geochemistry, isotopic analysis, and fluid inclusion studies on outcrops of the Dalong Formation in South China. Our findings reveal that fibrous calcite veins predominantly develop in the middle section of the Dalong Formation, specifically within the transitional interval between siliceous and calcareous shales, characterized by symmetric, antitaxial fibrous calcite veins. The δ¹³C values of these veins exhibit a broad range (−4.53‰ to +3.39‰) and display a decreasing trend in the directions of fiber growth from the central part, indicating an increased contribution of organic carbon to the calcite veins. Additionally, a consistent increase in trace element concentrations from the central part toward the fiber growth directions suggests a singular fluid source in a relatively closed environment, while other samples exhibit no distinct pattern, possibly due to the mixing of fluids from multiple layers resulting from repeated opening and closing of bedding-parallel fractures in the shales. The notable difference in δEu between the fibers on either side of the median zone indicates that previously formed veins acted as barriers, impeding the mixing of fluids, with the variation in δEu reflecting the differing sedimentary properties of the surrounding rocks. The in situ U-Pb dating of fibrous calcite veins yields an absolute age of 211 ± 23 Ma, signifying formation during the Late Triassic, which correlates with a shale maturity of 1.0‰ to 1.25‰. This integrated study suggests that the geochemical records of fibrous calcite veins document the processes related to overpressure generation and the opening and healing of bedding-parallel fractures within the Dalong Formation. Full article

Plant-based diets are increasingly attracting attention as they play a significant role in human health and environmental sustainability and are believed to be key components of sustainable food systems. In the present study, both pros and cons of the adoption of plant-based diets are analyzed using a bibliometric method integrated with a qualitative examination of the scientific literature. For the bibliometric study, Bibliometrix software was utilized, examining 3245 scientific articles, downloaded from the Scopus database, and printed between the years 1957 and 2025. The analyses were conducted using R software, version 4.4.1, with access to the Bibliometrix package, version 4.1. The results indicate a remarkable rise, in the last two decades, in the scholarly focus on the influence of plant-based diets on the individual’s health condition as well as the environment. Keyword co-occurrence studies and international collaborations demonstrate a dominance of research focus in both the United States and Europe, with significant contributions from the Asia–Pacific region. Furthermore, the current work offers qualitative identification of the benefits of plant diets from various perspectives like nutritional, economic, ecological, and cultural. It also explores the main dissuaders from adhering to these diets, including perceived nutritional hazards, cost perceptions, low availability, and social prohibitions. Findings emphasize that, in spite of all the barriers, plant food-based diets have a wide-ranging ability to provide tangible benefits at both the individual and population levels, and documented in the scientific literature are recommendations of expert-led education programs, economic incentives, and judiciously framed public policies to overcome these barriers and to make this transition possible towards sustainable food choices. Findings provide a comprehensive understanding of the current lines of inquiry and stage the subsequent work on how to motivate sustainability among the general population. Full article

This paper proposes a structured design framework and system architecture for a non-intrusive spatial system aimed at supporting child behavior in everyday domestic environments. Rooted in ethical considerations, our approach defines four core behavior-guided design strategies: routine recovery, emotion-responsive adjustment, behavioral transition induction, and external linkage. Each strategy is meticulously translated into a detailed system logic that outlines input conditions, trigger thresholds, and feedback outputs, designed for implementability with ambient sensing technologies. Through a comparative conceptual analysis of three sensing configurations—low-resolution LiDARs, mmWave radars, and environmental sensors—we evaluate their suitability based on technical feasibility, spatial integration, operationalized privacy metrics, and ethical alignment. Supported by preliminary technical observations from lab-based sensor tests, low-resolution LiDAR emerges as the most balanced option for its ability to offer sufficient behavioral insight while enabling edge-based local processing, robustly protecting privacy, and maintaining compatibility with compact residential settings. Based on this, we present a working three-layered system architecture emphasizing edge processing and minimal-intrusion feedback mechanisms. While this paper primarily focuses on the framework and design aspects, we also outline a concrete pilot implementation plan tailored for small-scale home environments, detailing future empirical validation steps for system effectiveness and user acceptance. This structured design logic and pilot framework lays a crucial foundation for future applications in diverse residential and care contexts, facilitating longitudinal observation of behavioral patterns and iterative refinement through lived feedback. Ultimately, this work contributes to the broader discourse on how technology can ethically and developmentally support children’s autonomy and well-being, moving beyond surveillance to enable subtle, ambient, and socially responsible spatial interactions attuned to children’s everyday lives. Full article

Background: Multiple Myeloma (MM) is a malignant plasma cell dyscrasia that progresses through the consecutive asymptomatic, often undiagnosed, precancerous stages of Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) and Asymptomatic Multiple Myeloma (SMM). MM is characterized by low survival rates, severe complications and drug resistance; therefore, understanding the molecular mechanisms of progression is crucial. This study aims to detect genetic mutations, both germline and somatic, that contribute to disease progression and drive tumorigenesis at the final stage of MM, using samples from patients presenting MGUS or SMM, and newly diagnosed MM patients. Methods: Mutations were identified through a fully computational pipeline, implemented in a Linux and RStudio environment, applied to each patient sequence, obtained through single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq), separately. Structural and functional mutation types were identified by stage, along with the affected genes. The analysis included quality control, removal of the Unique Molecular Identifiers (UMIs), trimming, genome mapping and result visualization. Results: The findings revealed frequent germline and somatic mutations, with distinct structural and functional patterns across disease stages. Mutations in key genes were identified, pointing to molecules that may play a central role in carcinogenesis and disease progression. Notable examples include the HLA-A, HLA-B and HLA-C genes, as well as the KIF, EP400 and KDM gene families, with the first four already confirmed. Comparative analysis between the stages highlighted molecular transition events from one stage to another. Emphasis was given to novel genes discovered in newly diagnosed MM patients, that might contribute to the tumorigenesis that takes place. Conclusions: This study contributes to the understanding of the genetic basis of plasma cell dyscrasias and the transition events between the stages, offering insights that could aid in early detection and diagnosis, guide the development of personalized therapeutic strategies, and improve the understanding of mechanisms responsible for resistance to existing therapies. Full article

Despite the positive impact of culturally responsive social emotional learning (CR-SEL) in enhancing students’ academic achievement and emotional resilience, less is known about how it is employed in rural school settings. We employed a case study design to explore how rural transitional kindergarten (TK) teachers in California practice CR-SEL in their classrooms. Ten TK teachers from seven California rural schools were individually interviewed online. Results of the thematic analysis showed three major themes of CR-SEL practices: multicultural and critical perspective development, inclusive environment, and family engagement. Participants identified different strategies to teach CR-SEL practices in their classrooms. Findings extend our understanding of CR-SEL in practice, and provide practical and research implications for school psychologists, educators, and policymakers. Full article