Search Results (377)

There are some problems in the transition zone of an asymmetric bifurcated tunnel with a super-large cross-section, such as a sudden change in section size and asymmetric unloading, which can easily cause problems such as uneven stress and deformation of surrounding rock and local stress concentration of support in the transition zone. The existing research lacks a systematic understanding of the quantification of combined support stiffness and the synergistic relationship between surrounding rock and support in this kind of transition zone. In view of the above problems, a super-large cross-section asymmetric bifurcated tunnel project in China is taken as the basis, and the three-dimensional numerical model of the tunnel is constructed. The installation timing of the initial support was determined using the convergence–confinement method (CCM), and the deformation and stress distribution of the surrounding rock under opposite excavation and reverse excavation were compared. Based on continuum mechanics and the superposition principle, a method was established for calculating the equivalent radial stiffness (ERS) of the combined support system. The effects of combined support stiffness on vault settlement and the maximum principal stress in the shotcrete were analyzed, and support adjustments and construction control measures for the transition zone were examined. Similar vault settlement evolution patterns and comparable final settlement magnitudes were observed under the two excavation methods, with excavation-induced disturbances mainly concentrated around the tunnel perimeter. Compared with reverse excavation, opposite excavation was characterized by faster development of vault settlement, a more symmetrical and continuous distribution of high-stress zones in the surrounding rock, and a smaller zone of influence from excavation. Under opposite excavation, vault settlement in the transition zone was reduced by increasing the stiffness of the combined support system. However, further increases in stiffness yielded diminishing benefits in settlement control, while a more pronounced increase in the maximum principal stress in the shotcrete layer was observed. Therefore, both deformation control and the stress response of the support structure should be considered when adjusting support parameters, rather than relying solely on increased support stiffness. Accordingly, three recommendations were proposed for construction safety control in super-large cross-section asymmetric bifurcated tunnels. These findings can inform initial support design and construction control in the transition zones of such tunnels. Full article

Independent community pharmacies are well positioned to expand clinical services through Chronic Care Management (CCM), yet implementation models remain limited. This prospective observational study evaluated the implementation of a pharmacist-led CCM program at an independent pharmacy in Northern Florida from October 2025 to March 2026. Eligible patients included individuals with two or more chronic conditions enrolled in CCM services. The primary outcomes included the volume and disposition of patient outreach attempts during implementation of the CCM program and the initial cost required to implement the CCM program within the independent community pharmacy. The secondary outcome was staff satisfaction with the implementation and operation of a CCM program in an independent community pharmacy, measured using an anonymous staff satisfaction survey administered approximately five months after program implementation. Program implementation included the development of infrastructure, staffing, patient recruitment, and monthly care management calls. During the beginning of the implementation of the program, the independent pharmacy had the possibility to reach around 16,000 patients. Out of those, we were able to make about 13 calls per day reaching only about 8% of the patients. A total of 3906 call attempts were made during the study period. Of these, 1172 calls (30.0%) were answered and completed, resulting in an overall completion rate of 30.0%. The majority of attempts (2041 calls; 52.3%) resulted in no answer, while 316 calls (8.1%) were declined by patients. The remaining 377 calls (9.6%) were categorized as other outcomes, which included voicemails, busy signals, disconnected lines, and incorrect contact numbers. A total of 3906 call attempts were made, with 1172 answered and engaged calls completed (30.0%). The most common unsuccessful outcome was no answer (52.3%), while follow-up calls demonstrated higher completion rates than cold-call outreach. Startup costs were approximately $14,080, excluding ongoing personnel expenses for three full-time and three part-time staff members. Staff satisfaction surveys (n = 13) demonstrated an overall mean composite score of 22.8 out of 30 with positive perceptions of role clarity, teamwork, and program effectiveness, though workflow inefficiencies and patient engagement barriers were identified. Despite operational challenges, implementation was possible and highlighted the potential for independent pharmacies to implement a pharmacist-led CCM service. Further evaluation of improved patient outcomes, sustainability, and workflow optimization strategies is warranted. Full article

Portable radioactive aerosol monitoring systems integrate air sampling, aerosol collection, and radiation detection within a single measurement chain. In such systems, the aerodynamic conditions established during air transport through the collection filter may influence the spatial distribution of the sampled aerosol and therefore represent an important aspect of system characterization. The portable Monitoring Air pump for Radioactive Aerosol (MARE) system incorporates a high-flow air pump, an airflow monitoring unit, a pleated H13 HEPA aerosol collection filter, and a CeBr₃ scintillation detector for the continuous monitoring of airborne radioactive aerosols. In the present study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was employed to characterize the aerodynamic behaviour of the MARE air-sampling subsystem. Two complementary numerical models were developed using STAR-CCM+: a three-dimensional (3D) model representing the complete sampling configuration and a two-dimensional (2D) model representing a characteristic section of an individual filter pleat. The H13 HEPA filter was represented as a homogeneous porous medium using a Darcy–Forchheimer resistance formulation, thereby accounting for its macroscopic hydraulic resistance without explicitly resolving the underlying fibre-scale structure. The 3D model predicted a pressure drop of 268.7 Pa across the filter, while the corresponding 2D representative-pleat model yielded a pressure drop of 262.3 Pa. The resulting difference of approximately 2.4% indicates a consistent global hydraulic response between the two modelling approaches under the investigated operating condition. However, the 3D simulation revealed a pronounced spatial non-uniformity in the mass-flux distribution over the filter surface. The circumferential distribution was comparatively uniform at a given elevation, whereas the dominant variation occurred along the vertical direction, with higher mass flux predicted in the lower region of the filter, where the influence of the downstream suction system was strongest. At the individual-pleat scale, the mean mass flux was 1.36444 kg m⁻² s⁻¹. The internal region of the representative pleat exhibited mass-flux values approximately 30% above the mean, whereas the external region showed values approximately 10% below the mean, demonstrating substantial local redistribution of airflow within the pleated geometry. These results demonstrate that global pressure-drop measurements alone are insufficient to fully characterize the spatially resolved aerodynamic conditions within the sampling stage. CFD provides complementary information by resolving the local airflow distribution and identifying systematic flow non-uniformities that may be relevant to subsequent investigations of aerosol transport and deposition. The present results therefore provide an aerodynamic basis for future particle-transport and deposition studies aimed at establishing the relationship between local sampling conditions, aerosol collection, and the subsequent radiological response of the MARE system. Full article

Leishmaniasis continues to be a major neglected tropical disease, particularly in endemic areas where reliable diagnosis remains challenging. Many existing diagnostic methods are invasive, lack sufficient sensitivity, or require equipment and expertise that may not be available in resource-limited settings. Parasite-derived spliced leader (SL) RNA has recently gained attention as a promising molecular marker because it may enable the sensitive detection of viable Leishmania parasites and help track changes in infection over time. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are also of growing interest because they protect and transport stable biomolecules that may provide valuable diagnostic information and influence interactions between the parasite and its host. In this proof-of-concept study, we evaluated the feasibility of detecting Leishmania-derived SL-RNA in EV-enriched preparations from experimental leishmaniasis model systems. EV-enriched preparations were isolated from parasite-conditioned media (PCM), infected THP-1 macrophage (I-MP) cell-conditioned medium (CCM), and serum from experimentally infected mice using a precipitation method. As a complementary isolation approach, additional preparations were isolated from PCM by ultracentrifugation. An aliquot of each preparation was analyzed by nanoparticle tracking analysis to determine particle size and concentration, and the remaining portion was used for RNA extraction. RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA and analyzed for SL-RNA amplification using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). SL-RNA amplification was successfully detected in PCM, I-MP CCM, and serum from experimentally infected mice, while uninfected controls showed no specific amplification. These findings were independently confirmed via ddPCR analysis. Notably, EV-enriched preparations from infected mice yielded a stronger SL-RNA signal than serum alone, highlighting the diagnostic potential of targeting SL-RNA in EV-enriched human clinical samples, particularly in low-burden infections. Although these findings support the feasibility of EV-associated SL-RNA as a molecular biomarker for Leishmania infection, clinical validation with human samples is required. Full article

Auxiliary power supplies in voltage source converter-based high-voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) converter stations are exposed to severe bus voltage sags, abrupt load changes, and wide-range operating conditions that seriously challenge conventional control strategies. This paper proposes an event-triggered multi-mode adaptive control architecture which combines linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) with model predictive control (MPC) in a hierarchical manner. The novelty of this work lies in embedding mode-adaptive prediction and disturbance feedforward into an event-triggered LADRC-MPC cascade, a combination that has not been reported for high-frequency auxiliary power converters in HVDC stations. The scheme features an adaptive event-triggering mechanism that cuts the MPC computational burden by over 80% in steady-state, a multi-mode LADRC outer loop handling continuous/discontinuous conduction mode (CCM/DCM) transitions smoothly, and a disturbance-feedforward MPC inner loop embedding the estimated disturbance into the cost function for proactive disturbance rejection. In addition, the input voltage is reconstructed from the inductor voltage balance using linear extended state observer (LESO) estimates, eliminating the dedicated input-voltage sensor. Simulations on a 50 kHz Boost converter show that the proposed method confines the voltage fluctuation during CCM-to-DCM transitions from ±28 V to within ±2.5 V; shortens the recovery time under input-voltage steps from 15 ms to 4.5 ms; and keeps the steady-state error within ±0.05% of the 600 V output, well inside the ±0.5% specification over the full load range. The event-triggered mechanism lowers the average CPU occupancy from 58% under periodic execution to below 15%, enabling high-frequency auxiliary power applications in HVDC systems. Full article

Accurate prediction of the dynamic response of wheeled amphibious vehicles during slope water entry is critical for operational safety, as this process involves intense gas–liquid–solid multi-phase coupling with highly transient and nonlinear characteristics. This paper establishes a bidirectional multi-physics co-simulation framework integrating STAR-CCM+ (version 2506) and ABAQUS (version 2024). For the fluid domain, the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations are solved in conjunction with the Realizable k-ε turbulence model, the volume of fluid (VOF) interface capturing method, and the over-set mesh technique. For the solid domain, rigid body dynamics and contact mechanics formulations are employed, with hull–slope contact constraints explicitly incorporated. Closed-loop coupling between the two domains is achieved via time-step-synchronized data exchange. The proposed method is validated against water entry experiments, with favourable agreement between numerical predictions and experimental measurements. Parametric analysis quantifies the effects of slope angle and initial entry velocity on peak submergence depth, pitch response, and slamming loads. By explicitly incorporating hull–slope contact and friction into the bidirectional coupling process, the proposed framework offers a model- and condition-specific numerical basis for preliminary operating condition screening and safety assessment during cross-medium transition; a generally validated operational envelope remains to be established in future work. Full article

To address the limited endurance of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) during long-duration missions, this study proposes a foldable and retractable wave energy converter (WEC) conformally integrated with the UUV hull. A two-degrees-of-freedom heave-coupled dynamic model of the float–UUV system is established, and parameter-matching relationships are derived using complex dynamic stiffness and impedance-matching theory. A bidirectionally coupled STAR-CCM+-AMESim co-simulation framework resolves the nonlinear viscous flow field, relative motion, and PTO dynamic response in closed loop. Under regular wave conditions defined based on a representative Bohai Sea state, the effects of the transmission ratio and spring stiffness on the coupled motion and equivalent resistive load power output are systematically investigated. Under the specified wave condition, average electrical power varies unimodally with both parameters, reaching 70.8 W at a transmission ratio of 15 and a spring stiffness of 4642 N/m; the corresponding peak power is 161.2 W. The system is more sensitive to increases than decreases in transmission ratio, suggesting a value slightly below the theoretical optimum for engineering design. The instantaneous power shows an asymmetric double-peak pattern, indicating a shift in dominance between direct float-driven generation and spring-mediated energy release. Agreement between theory and co-simulation provides numerical cross-validation and offers a theoretical basis and numerical methodology for designing and optimizing WECs on mobile UUV platforms. Full article

Parsimonious emulators (PEs) trained on complex climate models (CCMs) are useful when global variables like global mean surface temperature and climate-system energy content are sought. CCM runs over millennia extracted from the LongRunMip repository are used to construct and test PEs for global mean temperature and net incoming radiation flux. For the temperature, the PE is a linear impulse response in the form of a superposition of k decaying exponentials, comprising k weight coefficients and k decay times to be estimated by least-square fitting to the temperature from CCM runs with abrupt step-function forcing. The model fit for $k\ge 3$ is good on all time scales, and the fitted model seems to perform even better for smoother forcing scenarios, suggesting that it reflects essential features of the CCM to which it is fitted. Data for radiation flux are combined with temperature data to produce low-order polynomial fits to Gregory plots and analytic expressions for the evolution of the effective feedback parameter, the radiation fluxes, the evolution of climate-system energy content, and an effective system heat capacity. The analysis reveals four stages of the ocean heat uptake, characterised by increasing effective heat capacity. From these Pes, one can compare the global performance of CCMs under different forcing scenarios, highlighting distinguishing features, such as evolution of albedo feedback and cloud radiative effect. Producing Gregory plots for all-sky and clear-sky outgoing long-wave and short-wave radiation, varying cloud albedo is identified as the main contributor to model spread of equilibrium climate sensitivity. Full article

Reservoir impoundment can reactivate pre-existing landslides and reorganize slope topography, thereby changing seepage conditions and subsequent deformation. However, crack mapping, geomorphic interpretation, and hydrodynamic diagnosis are still often treated as separate tasks. This study investigates the Hemenkou (HMK) landslide in the Wudongde Reservoir area, China, using multi-scale space–air–ground observations, including multi-temporal optical satellite images, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry, pyramid scene parsing network (PSPNet)-based crack segmentation, global navigation satellite system (GNSS) monitoring, and convergent cross mapping (CCM). The remote sensing record shows a progressive damage sequence: cracks were mainly restricted to the upper source area in 2012, crown cracking intensified and propagated downslope by December 2020, and the UAV survey of 10 June 2024 revealed a mature tension-crack network concentrated in Zone II. ResNet-50-PSPNet achieved the best crack-extraction performance among the tested models, with Precision = 0.9120, Recall = 0.9041, F1 = 0.9081, and IoU = 0.8316. The mapped cracks are dominated by short, narrow, northeast–southwest-oriented tension cracks. GNSS monitoring reveals strong spatial heterogeneity, with stepwise deformation concentrated in Zone II. CCM provides strong directional evidence for the influence of reservoir water-level fluctuation on Zone II deformation, whereas the weaker rainfall signal is consistent with a secondary reinforcing role. The apparent increase in the rainfall-related CCM signal from 2021 to 2023 is consistent with progressive crack expansion and potentially enhanced hydraulic connectivity in Zone II. Taken together, these observations support the interpretation that post-deformation topography, particularly the tension-crack network and disturbed toe, may organise preferential seepage pathways and increase the sensitivity of the landslide to reservoir drawdown. The study provides an integrated remote sensing and monitoring framework for process-based interpretation of reservoir landslides. Full article

Microbial keratitis requires rapid diagnosis to enable timely, pathogen-directed treatment. Corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) is used to quickly diagnose acanthamoeba and fungal keratitis, but it relies on undesirable contact objective lenses, and no supplier has maintained a stable market presence. Here, we present a preliminary investigation of the potential abilities of non-contact optical coherence microscopy (OCM) as an emerging alternative technology. Using an ex vivo porcine corneal infection model, we demonstrate that OCM can produce en face images, similar to CCM, as well as 3D visualizations of fungi hyphae in stromal tissue. Like CCM, bacterial pathogens were too small to directly identify in OCM images. Nevertheless, OCM detected that ex vivo infection induced systematic changes to the stroma that are consistent with the breakdown of keratocyte structure. These proof-of-concept results demonstrate the potential of non-contact OCM for imaging microbial keratitis and support further in vivo evaluation. Full article

Tension-leg platform (TLP) horizontal-axis wind turbines (TLP-HAWTs) have become increasingly important in deep-water offshore wind energy development. However, their performance is strongly affected by coupled platform motions induced by wind and wave loads, making fully coupled simulations a critical prerequisite for accurate performance assessment. Conventional fully coupled approaches often struggle to balance computational efficiency and numerical fidelity. In this study, a simplified sequential coupled modeling framework is proposed based on the commercial solvers OrcaFlex and STAR-CCM+. In this framework, OrcaFlex is employed to simulate the hydrodynamic response of the floating platform, and the resulting platform motions are subsequently imposed as prescribed inputs in high-fidelity CFD-based aerodynamic simulations. Based on the proposed framework, a series of case studies of a 15 MW TLP-HAWT are conducted to investigate the effects of wind-induced and wave-induced platform motions on aerodynamic performance. The results indicate that wind-induced platform motions have a negligible impact on local inflow conditions and vortex intensity, and their influence on mean blade loads and wake topology can be safely ignored under rated conditions. In contrast, wave-induced motions significantly enhance unsteady aerodynamic loads, intensify vortex shedding, alter torque distribution along the blades, and increase wake turbulence intensity as well as velocity deficit. These findings suggest that wave-induced platform dynamics dominate the unsteady aerodynamic response and wake evolution of TLP-HAWTs under rated conditions, while wind-induced motions play a secondary role. The results provide valuable insights for reduced-order modeling, control strategy development, and the design optimization of efficient floating offshore wind turbines. Full article

Turfgrass phenotyping relies heavily on visual quality (VQ) ratings and RGB indices like DGCI, but these are limited by observer subjectivity, coarse ordinal scales, or ratio formulations that do not reflect perceptual color differences. Hyperspectral and machine-learning tools overcome some limitations but remain costly and difficult to generalize, motivating the need for scalable and interpretable RGB color metrics. We introduce ΔEg, a perceptually anchored CIELAB ΔE distance from an ideal green that provides a continuous and interpretable measure of canopy color evaluated alongside a panel of RGB-derived metrics. A 3 × 3 nitrogen × irrigation greenhouse experiment using hybrid bermudagrass (TifTuf, Cynodon dactylon × C. transvaalensis) quantified canopy responses with RGB imaging, spectral reflectance, CCM-300 fluorescence, and chlorophyll assays. ΔEg correlated strongly with chlorophyll (r = 0.72), similar to DGCI (r = 0.73), and both exceeded CCM-300 (r = 0.29). HSVi showed the strongest association with VQ (r = 0.84) and was most sensitive to irrigation (η_p² = 0.63). CIELUV v* explained the greatest model variation (R²m = 0.94) and responded most to fertilizer (η_p² = 0.84). The yellow fraction was significant across all main and interaction effects and captured canopy decline (r = −0.82 with VQ). An illustrative decision-support scenario using ΔEg indicated that moderate fertilizer combined with mild deficit irrigation optimized turf color and input efficiency. Conclusions apply to controlled conditions, with field-scale validation identified as future work. These results demonstrate that interpretable RGB color metrics, anchored by ΔEg, offer a scalable alternative to VQ scoring and spectral systems. Full article

The interleaved parallel Buck–Boost converter can reduce output voltage ripple and has been widely used in engineering practice. The application of fractional-order theory has a significant influence on model accuracy and power converter performance. Based on fractional calculus theory and the state space averaging method, this paper establishes a fractional-order mathematical model of the CCM interleaved parallel Buck–Boost converter. The steady-state operating point and ripple characteristics of the converter under the Caputo fractional-order definition are analyzed and compared with those under other fractional-order definitions. Fractional-order energy storage elements are constructed, and a fractional-order circuit simulation model of the converter is established for comparative simulation analysis. Finally, experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis. Full article

This study investigates the flow field around a multi-cage aquaculture platform under wave–current coupling. Using STAR-CCM+ with fifth-order Stokes wave theory and a porous media model, the effects of incident wave height and net solidity ratio on wave propagation and energy dissipation are analyzed. Results show the platform exerts a significant damping effect on incident waves. Inside the platform, wave height distribution follows a characteristic pattern: it is relatively high at the front, attenuated in the front cage, recovered in the central cage, and stabilized in the rear cage. Pronounced wave diffraction and energy concentration around the columns cause a marked wave height reduction at the center of the first cage, while wave heights in the middle and rear cages tend to stabilize. The overall wave attenuation pattern remains consistent under different incident wave heights. Higher waves induce greater attenuation in the central culture area, with the transmission coefficient showing a stable variation trend. A higher net solidity ratio enhances front-edge wave reflection and rear wave-height reduction, improving overall damping; a lower ratio results in weaker damping and a higher wave response at the rear. The findings provide practical references for platform design and application. Full article

Upstream–downstream nutrient connectivity strongly regulates water-quality risk in reservoir cascades, yet its quantification remains difficult where discharge, reservoir release, and hydraulic residence-time records are unavailable. This study developed a causal–explainable framework to diagnose total nitrogen (TN) connectivity between the upstream Shimantan Reservoir and downstream Banqiao Reservoir in the Huai River Basin, China. Long-term water-quality records, meteorological variables, land-cover indicators, seasonal descriptors, and lagged upstream predictors were integrated within a leakage-safe analytical workflow combining nonlinear causal inference, time–frequency coupling diagnostics, predictive modeling, SHAP-based attribution, and counterfactual analysis. Convergent Cross Mapping identified statistically significant asymmetric bidirectional nonlinear coupling, with a CCM skill of ρ = 0.746 for Shimantan TN → Banqiao TN and p = 0.730 for the reverse direction (p = 0.002 for both directions). Wavelet coherence showed that upstream–downstream TN coupling was concentrated mainly at short temporal scales, with a cone-of-influence-restricted mean squared coherence of 0.7114 in the 2–6-month intra-seasonal band. The validation-selected Gradient Boosting model provided interpretable test-period predictive skill, on independent source-derived observations from 2021–2023, achieving R² = 0.567, RMSE = 0.391 mg/L, and MAE = 0.312 mg/L. The GAN-generated 2024–2025 segment was excluded from empirical model evaluation and retained only for exploratory future-scenario assessment. SHAP decomposition indicated that upstream-related predictors accounted for 77.04% of the total absolute model attribution during high-TN events, while seasonal conditioned counterfactual upstream neutralization produced mean model-predicted changes of 0.162 mg/L across all test observations and 0.807 mg/L during high-TN events. Together, these results demonstrate that hidden upstream-downstream TN connectivity can be diagnosed through convergent causal, temporal, predictive, and model-attribution evidence in data-limited reservoir cascades. The findings support asymmetric coupled dynamics and downstream inheritance of upstream information but should not be interpreted as proof of exclusively one-way physical nutrient transport. The proposed framework offers a diagnostic decision-support approach for reservoir systems with sufficiently long monitoring records where direct hydraulic observations are unavailable. Full article