Search Results (230)

Decarbonising the building sector is an energy policy priority due to its major contribution to global energy consumption and related emissions. Accurate energy modelling is crucial, with significant scientific advancements being made in the last decade. As data gathering is a primary bottleneck, the potential of Geographic Information Systems and Remote Sensing for streamlining data acquisition and integrating data sources has gained specific interest. This study aims to identify prevailing trends in scales, inputs, and outputs of energy modelling, focusing on Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems applications. A structured literature review was conducted, encompassing screening, textual analysis, and findings synthesis to identify key research trends. The results highlight a predominance of the neighbourhood scale (54%) and the reliance on building geometries as principal input (91% of studies). Remote Sensing, used in 36% of cases, is employed for defining geometric (41%) and non-geometric (45%) attributes, while 17% of studies leverage it to determine climatic variables. EnergyPlus remains the most widespread simulation engine (37%), frequently coupled with construction archetypes (50% of cases) to address data gaps. The increasing integration of these technologies in energy modelling is expected to diversify the number of inputs, ultimately enhancing output accuracy, scalability, and generalisability. Full article

Despite pressure to scale green building (GB) adoption in Indonesia, many government building projects underperform against their initial intended design, creating a compliance gap between the design and construction phases and reducing the GB rating and its potential benefits. This study investigated the barriers and drivers affecting the Indonesian government’s GB projects’ compliance using a systems thinking (ST) approach. A causal loop diagram (CLD) was constructed from stakeholder interviews and literature scoping, followed by semi-qualitative analysis, combining systems archetype identification, eigenvector centrality (EC), and influence mapping to propose potential leverage points as a basis for policy analysis of the current regulatory scenario. Key findings show that knowledge development, sustained stakeholder integration, project documentation readiness, and government support reinforce GB compliance, but are undermined by financial constraints. CLD analysis identified that the more sustainable factors, including regulation alignment, capacity building, and enhancing collaboration, should become a focus of interventions in the system, instead of focusing solely on the provision of funding. This study presents a novel exploration of the GB adoption problem in an Indonesian governmental context through a comprehensive and systems approach. Further research might require narrowing the system boundaries, broadening the literature and stakeholder validation, and performing quantitative modelling to test intervention scenarios to support rigorous decision-making processes. Full article

The agglomeration of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) industry is a key driver of the low-altitude economy. To understand how UAV industrial agglomeration emerges across cities with different socioeconomic foundations, this study investigates its dynamic configurational pathways. It develops an analytical framework that integrates the institutional environment, market conditions, and knowledge-based capabilities. Using panel data for 280 Chinese cities from 2017 to 2023, we apply panel data qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) to identify configurational pathways toward UAV industrial agglomeration. Seven socioeconomic conditions are considered: science and technology expenditure, policy support, infrastructure, social consumption level, financial development, urban innovation capacity, and human capital. The results show that UAV industrial agglomeration arises from the joint effects of multiple conditions, not from any single factor. We identify six pathways that are grouped into three archetypes: institution–knowledge-driven, institution–market-driven, and multidimensional synergistic configurations. The dominant pathways shift over time and differ across city sizes. These findings provide macro-level evidence on the mechanisms underpinning UAV industrial agglomeration. They also offer implications for strengthening the UAV industrial ecosystem. Full article

The engawa, a threshold space in traditional Japanese architecture, has been widely cited as the archetypal manifestation of Kurokawa’s grey space theory. However, prevailing interpretations treat it as a static prototype, overlooking the transformation of its spatial mechanisms across history. The present study addresses this lacuna through a comparative case analysis of three representative teahouses. The following three styles are examined in this study: the sixteenth-century sōan style, the early seventeenth-century samurai style, and the early seventeenth-century shoin-zukuri style. The evolution of the engawa’s mediating function is traced through these three styles. An analytical framework comprising five dimensions—boundary permeability, sequential flow, material tactility, integration of natural elements, and visual transparency—is applied consistently across all cases. The analysis demonstrates a discernible evolutionary trajectory, commencing with an inwardly contracting spiritual threshold in Myōki-an, progressing to an outwardly differentiating social interface in ma, and culminating in a meticulously crafted aesthetic artefact in Mittan. The present findings demonstrate that the engawa is not a fixed spatial prototype but rather a dynamic mediator whose form adapts to shifting social, cultural, and spiritual demands. The study posits that the essence of intermediary space does not lie in any specific configuration, but rather in its capacity to mediate between opposing realms, including self and nature, individual and society, and function and beauty. This reinterpretation provides a theoretical foundation for contemporary architectural practice, proposing that designers should prioritize diagnosing the relational challenges that intermediary spaces are designed to address, as opposed to merely imitating historical forms. Full article

Background: Poor lifestyle choices contribute significantly to non-communicable chronic diseases. Given the family’s influence on health behaviours, this study aimed to identify distinct family archetypes based on family health climates for physical activity and nutrition to inform targeted family-based health promotion strategies. Methods: Two hundred family dyads (≥15 years old, cohabiting) in Singapore completed a survey assessing family health climates (physical activity and nutrition), together with individual behaviours, and family lifestyle behaviours. Based on family health climate scores, K-means clustering identified family archetypes. Random Forest analysis determined key contributing constructs to the clusters. Chi-square and ANOVA tests compared socio-demographics, family and individual behaviours, and sleep quality across archetypes. Results: Four family health climate archetypes were identified: Survivors (16%) had poor health climate scores for both physical activity and nutrition, lower socioeconomic status, infrequent family meals, and poorer diet and sleep quality. Nourished Sedentary (16%) had a poor climate for physical activity but a positive climate for nutrition, higher socioeconomic status, frequent family meals, and limited physical activity. Satisficers (41%) had moderate health climates for both, with average socioeconomic status and engagement in healthy behaviours. Flourishers (27%) had positive health climates for both higher socioeconomic status, frequent family meals, healthy food choices, and greater physical activity engagement. Conclusions: The identification of four distinct family health climate archetypes demonstrates that health-related behaviours cluster at the family level rather than solely at the individual level. These findings underscore the importance of targeting family systems in health promotion and support the development of tailored, family-specific strategies. Full article

Cognitive warfare is a hybrid threat that combines information manipulation with psychological influence, often amplified by digital platforms and synthetic media. Conventional cybersecurity tooling is optimized for technical intrusion and offers limited support for anticipating and responding to influence operations. This paper presents a conceptual framework that structures cognitive warfare threats with General Morphological Analysis (GMA) and links plausible configurations to indicator profiles and response playbooks. We first conduct a PRISMA-informed literature review (2018–2025) to derive a five-dimensional taxonomy (actor, tactic, medium, target, objective). We then apply cross-consistency assessment to remove implausible state-pair combinations and obtain a reduced library of internally consistent scenarios. To support analyst-guided triage, we outline an AI-enabled workflow that maps observable signals to taxonomy states, matches events to scenarios, and prioritizes responses via an auditable, policy-set risk score. Finally, we illustrate the framework on three publicly documented cases and show how each case maps to scenario vectors, indicators, and playbooks. No end-to-end system implementation or performance metrics are reported; the contribution is the structured scenario library and the traceable mapping from observations to response guidance. Full article

Extreme hydro-meteorological events are intensifying under climate change, disproportionately disrupting last-mile healthcare in flood-prone geographies. In this study, flood-adaptive primary care clinics (FAPCCs) integrated with islandable smart microgrids and a rapid-deploy medical technology stack (MedTech) are developed and evaluated to ensure continuity of essential services (triage, maternal and child health, vaccination cold-chain, minor procedures, diagnostics, and telemedicine) during fluvial, pluvial, and coastal flooding. Evidence on resilient health facilities, microgrid architectures, distributed energy resources, and modular clinical systems is presented in a multi-layer systems design: (1) a modular, amphibious, and elevatable clinic chassis; (2) a photovoltaic–battery–diesel hybrid system with demand-aware energy management; (3) redundant connectivity long-term evolution/fifth-generation, satellite, and very high frequency; (4) a rapid-deploy MedTech kit including point-of-care diagnostics, low-temperature cold-chain, negative-pressure isolation, and sterilization modules; and (5) flood-aware logistics using unmanned aerial vehicle/unmanned surface vehicle. A mixed-integer linear programming sizing is formulated and dispatched with a continuity-of-care reliability metric that couples energy availability to clinical throughput. Simulation across three archetypal sites (peri-urban delta, inland riverine, coastal estuary) shows that FAPCCs achieve the service availability of higher than 99.5% across 7-day grid outage scenarios while reducing fuel use by 62–81% relative to diesel-only baselines, maintaining vaccine temperatures within 2–8 °C with <0.1% thermal excursion time, and sustaining telemedicine quality of service with <150 ms median uplink latency in hybrid networks. A life-cycle cost analysis indicates a 7.1–9.8 year discounted payback from fuel displacement and avoided service loss. Deployment playbooks and policy guidance are also proposed for Ministries of Health and Disaster Agencies in monsoon-impacted regions. Full article

Variational Mode Decomposition (VMD) is a powerful formalism for the time-scale analysis of vibration signals from rotating machinery. However, its performance is often compromised by complex parameter configuration, where subjective manual tuning leads to mode mixing or information loss. In this study, we present a physics-guided framework that generalizes VMD optimization across diverse operating conditions. We utilized a meta-dataset combining three distinct sources (CWRU, HUST, UO) to validate the approach. Through a shaft-normalized segmentation strategy and K-Means++ clustering, we identified six distinct signal archetypes based on spectral morphology. Central to this framework is the Energy-Dispersion Index (EDI), a novel physically interpretable metric designed to differentiate between structured fault transients and stochastic noise. Extensive validation via a full-factorial Design of Experiments (8640 trials) confirmed the statistical superiority of EDI over benchmarks like kurtosis and envelope entropy, yielding an 8.3% improvement in modal fidelity. Furthermore, a rigorous ablation study demonstrated that the proposed archetype-based parameterization is highly efficient. This strategy achieved a $392\times$ speedup over online optimization while maintaining statistically equivalent diagnostic accuracy. Additionally, by generalizing parameters from high-quality archetype representatives, the framework reduced spectral leakage (Orthogonality Index) by 51.4% compared to instance-wise optimization. The resulting framework provides a mathematically rigorous, real-time solution for automated vibration signal decomposition. Full article

This article examines Romanian internet memes as cultural micro-narratives that encode social critique, identity negotiation, and emotional response through compressed, multimodal storytelling. Using a mixed-method approach, the study integrates qualitative narrative analysis with quantitative sentiment data drawn from the RoMEMESv2 corpus, comprising 983 Romanian-language memes. The analysis identifies recurrent narrative roles and plot structures adapted from Propp’s morphology and applied to digital contexts, revealing archetypal roles, such as the slacker hero, the bureaucratic villain, the domestic guardian, and the trickster. From a quantitative point of view, the corpus exhibits a dominant negative sentiment, particularly within political memes, which combine systemic critique with affective ambivalence. These findings distinguish Romanian memes from datasets in other languages, suggesting that negativity functions not as deviance, but as a culturally specific narrative and emotional resource. Multimodal analysis demonstrates how visual and textual elements operate through anchorage, intertextuality, and symbolic compression, so as to construct narrative messages within single frames. The study argues that Romanian memes function as digital folklore: they narrate social frustration and institutional distrust through irony, repetition, and archetypal condensation, offering insights into the emotional and narrative logic of post-communist digital culture. Full article

China’s rapid urbanization has driven a pronounced east–west sustainability schism, where affluent coastal corridors face cumulative pollution pressures, while interior regions grapple with ecological fragility and comparatively weaker governance capacity. To diagnose this divergence, we establish the Environmental Stressor Regulatory Capacity (ESRC) framework, integrating indicators across industrial emissions, resource intensity, economic innovation, and institutional resilience. Leveraging Chinese spatiotemporal data from 283 prefecture-level cities from 2003 to 2021, our multi-method analysis reveals three core findings: Dagum Gini decomposition indicates intensifying interregional inequality. Kernel density estimation identifies four distinct transition archetypes: eastern high-base consolidation, central relay diffusion, western polarization–correction, and northeastern asymmetric revitalization. Crucially, random forest regression highlights the high predictive salience of Regulatory Capacity for ESRC variation. These findings are consistent with institutional asymmetry as the key explanatory factor for why some Western regions remain locked in spatial traps. These results may inform targeted ecological compensation for critical zones to support SDG advancement with regional equity. Full article

Mechanistic interpretation in transition metal electrocatalysts for water splitting, particularly for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), remains challenging despite major advances in operando spectroscopy, isotope labelling, and electrochemical analysis. Mechanistic claims are frequently supported by incomplete or overinterpreted evidence, leading to persistent ambiguity in active site identification, rate-limiting step assignment, and pathway discrimination. This review adopts a claim-centric framework that organises experimental approaches around the specific mechanistic assertions they aim to support, rather than cataloguing catalyst classes or performance metrics, and formalises this perspective as a decision-guided framework for mechanistic validation. We critically assess how techniques such as isotope labelling, operando spectroscopy, and electrokinetic analysis can and cannot substantiate claims related to adsorbate-versus lattice-oxygen-mediated pathways, reconstruction-defined active phases, and dynamic surface behaviour. Application of this framework to common mechanistic archetypes in OER electrocatalysis shows that surface reconstruction and condition-dependent pathway switching limit static mechanistic assignments, and that single-technique interpretations are rarely definitive. By clarifying the minimum evidentiary standards required for common mechanistic claims, this review aims to promote more rigorous, transparent, and falsifiable mechanistic analysis, supporting durable progress beyond descriptor-driven correlations and isolated performance benchmarks. Full article

Identity-based communities that share common characteristics, beliefs, and experiences (e.g., Black LGBTQ+ communities) have historically been conceptualized as protective bubbles that buffer Black LGBTQ+ individuals against the deleterious effects of systemic racism and cisheterosexism. However, this monolithic narrative often masks the internal power dynamics that divide belonging. This study explores the exclusionary dynamics embedded within these safe spaces, examining how internal hierarchies of skin tone, socioeconomic status, and gender performance function as proximal stressors. Guided by a critical constructivist paradigm, this study utilized Reflexive Thematic Analysis to analyze open-ended survey responses from 74 Black LGBTQ+ adults. Data were drawn from a larger mixed-methods study and analyzed using a six-phase recursive process to identify latent patterns of intragroup gatekeeping. The analysis revealed that the sanctuary of the community is restricted. Three primary themes emerged: (1) Phenotypic Capital and the Politics of Authenticity, where lighter skin tone triggered authenticity scrutiny and darker skin tone faced rejection based on physical appearance; (2) Socioeconomic Gatekeeping, where belonging was stratified by the cost of participation and protective insularity within working-class spaces; and (3) Policing the Binary, where rigid adherence to gender archetypes created a landscape of performance surveillance. Access to community resilience is not a universal right but a negotiated status contingent upon the payment of a resilience tax. To promote genuine health equity, researchers and practitioners working with this population must move beyond the uncritical referral to “community” and actively dismantle the internalized systems of oppression that fracture collective survival. Full article

Metropolitan governance in the U.S. has taken shape over generations and is still evolving. The U.S. territory is literally covered by a myriad of institutions responsible for influencing the country’s physical destiny, cultural identity, and digital representations. Due to their growing complexity, metropolitan areas require adequate institutional mechanisms capable of steering the physical, socio-economic, ecological, and digital transformations within their jurisdictional boundaries. The research question at the core of this article is the following: Where does knowledge concerning land management for metropolitan governance in the U.S.A. come from? This paper aims to review metropolitan governance’s evolution, state of the art, and current challenges in the U.S. at the beginning of the 21st century. The methods consisted mostly of reviews of specialized literature as well as an analysis of two metropolitan archetypal case studies on opposite ends of the country: the sprawling Southwest (Phoenix, Arizona) and the shrinking Northeast Rust Belt (the Albany Capital Region of upstate New York). It is argued that although the Councils of Government (COGs) and metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are invaluable in producing land cover and land use change atlases and toolkits of their territories, fragmented units of government within metropolises intensify economic and fiscal disparities and can potentially undermine regional competitiveness and efficiency. The article’s key findings revolve around the current and most pressing challenges and strategies with the potential to move metropolitan governance institutions toward greater regional cooperation and planning. Full article

This study aims to improve early settlements of construction delay disputes via contract claims procedures. The research method includes the evaluation of twenty-one case studies, academic and grey literature and case law concerning disagreements over delay assessments. The results reveal the two primary root causes of the escalations of such disagreements from contract claims into disputes, including the fact that legal systems do not offer best or good practice guidance on delay analysis methods, and construction agreements infrequently ensure contractual certainty and a clear risk allocation for the measurement and management of delays. The proposed archetype provides (i) a useful analytical framework that enhances the construction and legal professionals’ understanding of dispute causation and (ii) an integrated solution that incorporates contractual and procedural reforms and technological solutions, ensuring the production and distribution of reliable source materials, mechanisms that improve contractual certainty, and a reduction in the data repositories and the professionals currently involved in the assessment of delays. Full article

The research examines organisational leadership styles in the transition to the circular water economy using explanatory quantitative methods, combining semantic normalisation of structured survey responses and latent class analysis. One hundred and fifty organisations from the water sector in Lima, Trujillo, and Cajamarca participated and received a previously validated 30-item Likert-type questionnaire (α = 0.97). The nine analytical domains were developed resources, leadership, culture, technological capabilities, rivalry, suppliers, regulatory framework/support, implementation, and results to discover different organisational configurations. The ideal model identified eight latent classes that are grouped into four organisational archetypes: established leaders, aspirants with regulatory deficits, environment-focused with medium execution, and structural laggards. The findings reveal that circular implementation and results depend more on the articulation between organisational culture, strategic leadership, and regulatory framework than on the availability of technical or financial resources. In addition, great interorganizational heterogeneity was found, which challenged homogeneous public policies and requires differentiated strategies according to the level of circularity in which each organisation finds itself. The research provides empirical evidence to operationalise water transition indicators within the framework of SDG 6 and SDG 12, developing a robust taxonomy to track institutional progress toward water sustainability. Full article