Search Results (3,408)

Earth-rock dams are critical components of hydraulic engineering, undertaking core functions such as flood control and disaster mitigation. However, the potential occurrence of dam breach poses a severe threat to regional socioeconomic stability and ecological security. To address the limitations of traditional Bayesian network (BN) in capturing the complex nonlinear coupling and dynamic mutual interactions among risk factors, they are integrated with machine learning techniques, based on a collected dataset of earth-rock dam breach case samples, the PC structure learning algorithm was employed to preliminarily uncover risk associations. The dataset was compiled from public databases, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Dam Safety Management Center of the Ministry of Water Resources of China, as well as engineering reports from provincial water conservancy departments in China and Europe. Expert knowledge was integrated to optimize the network topology, thereby correcting causal relationships inconsistent with engineering mechanisms. The results indicate that the established hybrid model achieved AUC, accuracy, and F1-Score values of 0.887, 0.895, and 0.899, respectively, significantly outperforming the data-driven model G1. Forward inference identified the key drivers elevating breach risk. Conversely, backward inference revealed that overtopping was the direct failure mode with the highest probability of occurrence and the greatest contribution. The integration of data-driven approaches and domain knowledge provides theoretical and technical support for the probabilistic quantification of earth-rock dam breach and risk prevention and control decision-making. Full article

Background: Executive functions may underpin performance in live-fire tasks, whereas evidence for global physical fitness is mixed. We quantified the associations between cognitive flexibility (CF), inhibitory control (IC), overall physical fitness, and rifle marksmanship in cadets, and derived a parsimonious predictive model. Methods: Twenty second-year male airborne cadets (mean age 21.7 ± 2.2 years) completed a live-fire Basic Rifle Marksmanship (BRM) qualification (40 targets at 50–300 m); the Color Trails Test (CTT-1 and CTT-2; interference index) to index CF and processing speed; a stop-signal–style task (CogniFit) to assess IC indexed by NO-GO accuracy and GO-trial response time; and the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT). Associations were examined with Spearman correlations. Multiple linear regression with backward elimination and Bayesian model comparison evaluated predictive models. Results: Faster CTT-2 performance was associated with higher BRM scores (ρ = −0.48, p = 0.032), with a similar association for CTT-1 (ρ = −0.46, p = 0.042). The best-fitting regression model included CTT-2 time and IC–accuracy (adjusted R² = 0.345; RMSE = 7.03), with CTT-2 time the only significant predictor of BRM (b = −0.330, p = 0.006). Bayesian model comparison independently favored a parsimonious CTT-2–only model (P(M|data) = 0.222; BF_M = 5.41; BF₁₀ = 1.00; R² = 0.352). ACFT scores were not significantly associated with BRM. Conclusions: CF and processing speed are key correlates of live–fire rifle marksmanship in cadets, suggesting value in integrating executive–function elements into marksmanship training. Replication in larger cohorts is warranted. Full article

In the context of a complex and volatile domestic and global environment, Chinese enterprises face frequent risks of supply chain disruption that seriously hinder their operations. The rise of the digital economy offers new opportunities to strengthen supply chain resilience. Building on supply chain collaboration and value co-creation theories, this study conceptualizes supply chain collaboration through three dimensions, namely information collaboration, governance collaboration, and innovation collaboration, and explores their role in enhancing resilience. Using panel data of Chinese A-share listed firms from 2011 to 2023, this study investigates the impact of focal firm digitalization on supply chain resilience and its underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that focal firm digitalization generates significant backward spillover effects, enhancing the resilience of its upstream suppliers. Although its positive influence on supply chain stability (measured by supply chain demand and supply fluctuations) is not statistically significant, it substantially enhances recovery (measured by supply chain efficiency) and adaptability (measured by supplier innovation). Mechanism analysis further reveals that digitalization strengthens supply chain collaboration through information, governance, and innovation channels, thereby reinforcing resilience. Moreover, the positive effects are heterogeneous, varying with industry competition intensity, the closeness of upstream–downstream relationships, and suppliers’ regional resource endowments. These findings highlight the need to design digitalization strategies centered on focal firm leadership and upstream–downstream collaboration, thereby advancing both resilience improvement and collaborative mechanism development through differentiated and targeted approaches. Full article

The Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) comprises the application of traditional Internet of Things (IoT) technologies in the healthcare domain. IoMT ensures seamless data-sharing among hospitals, patients, and healthcare service providers, thereby transforming the medical environment. The adoption of IoMT technology has made it possible to provide various medical services such as chronic disease care, emergency response, and preventive treatment. However, the sensitivity of medical data and the resource limitations of IoMT devices present persistent challenges in designing authentication protocols. Our study reviews the overall architecture of the IoMT and recent studies on IoMT protocols in terms of security requirements and computational costs. In addition, this study evaluates security using formal verification tools with Scyther and SVO Logic. The security requirements include authentication, mutual authentication, confidentiality, integrity, untraceability, privacy preservation, anonymity, multi-factor authentication, session key security, forward and backward secrecy, and lightweight operation. The analysis shows that protocols satisfying a multiple security requirements tend to have higher computational costs, whereas protocols with lower computational costs often provide weaker security. This demonstrates the trade-off relationship between robust security and lightweight operation. These indicators assist in selecting protocols by balancing the allocated resources and required security for each scenario. Based on the comparative analysis and a security evaluation of the IoMT, this paper provides security guidelines for future research. Moreover, it summarizes the minimum security requirements and offers insights that practitioners can utilize in real-world settings. Full article

We present an analytical and numerical study of nonlinear wave localization in a one-dimensional rhombic (diamond) waveguide array that combines forward- and backward-propagating channels. This mixed-index configuration, realizable through Bragg-type couplers or corrugated waveguides, produces a tunable spectral gap and supports nonlinear self-localized states in both transmission and forbidden-band regimes. Starting from the full set of coupled-mode equations, we derive the effective evolution model, identify the role of coupling asymmetry and nonlinear coefficients, and obtain explicit soliton solutions using the method of multiple scales. The resulting envelopes satisfy a nonlinear Schrödinger equation with an effective nonlinear parameter $\theta$, which determines the conditions for soliton existence ($\theta >0$) for various combinations of focusing and defocusing nonlinearities. We distinguish solitons formed outside and inside the bandgap and analyze their dependence on the dispersion curvature and nonlinear response. Direct numerical simulations confirm the analytical predictions and reveal robust propagation and interactions of counter-propagating soliton modes. Order-of-magnitude estimates show that the predicted effects are accessible in realistic integrated photonic platforms. These results provide a unified theoretical framework for soliton formation in mixed-index lattices and suggest feasible routes for realizing controllable nonlinear localization in Bragg-type photonic structures. Full article

Background/Objectives: Dupuytren’s contracture is a chronic fibroproliferative disorder of the palmar fascia that leads to progressive flexion deformities and functional impairment. The Southampton Dupuytren’s Scoring Scheme (SDSS) is a disease-specific patient-reported outcome measure designed to quantify disability in this condition. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and evaluate the psychometric properties of the Serbian version of the SDSS. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Institute for Orthopedic Surgery “Banjica”, Belgrade, from January 2024 to March 2025. Sixty-eight patients with Dupuytren’s contracture completed the Serbian SDSS, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain. Translation followed standardized forward–backward procedures. Internal consistency was assessed with Cronbach’s alpha, construct validity with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and convergent validity with Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Results: The Serbian SDSS demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.914). CFA supported a unidimensional five-item structure with strong factor loadings (0.76–0.93) and acceptable fit indices (χ² = 10.094, df = 5, p = 0.073; IFI = 0.979; CFI = 0.978; TLI = 0.956). Convergent validity was confirmed by strong correlations with DASH (r = 0.779) and VAS (r = 0.702) and a strong negative correlation with SF-12 PCS (r = −0.802). Conclusions: The Serbian SDSS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing functional disability in patients with Dupuytren’s contracture and offers a robust, patient-centered measure for clinical and research use. Full article

RF Energy Harvesting (RFEH) circuits have been extensively researched in recent years. Researchers have proposed dozens of RFEH models with various architectures and topologies. Due to the small amount of energy available to be harvested, RFEH circuits must be as efficient as possible, both in terms of receiving energy and its further processing. Recent research has identified that in resonant circuits, some of the received energy is retransmitted and therefore lost. Full article

Background: This paper concerns the study of forces acting on the upper ankle joint of a human in static and quasi-dynamic positions. This paper aimed to determine the pressure forces on the axis of the upper ankle joint in the position of the body tilting forward and backward, as well as in a neutral position. Methods: A model with designated centres of gravity (including and excluding the weight of the platform imitating the foot) and the point of gravity imitating the proximal insertion of the triceps surae and tibialis anterior muscles was developed for this study. The forces and the weight of the tilted object were measured using dynamometers. A method for determining the arms of gravitational forces and the angle of inclination of an object is presented. The function describing the distribution of gravitational loading along its tilting part was described. Next, all measurements and calculations were referred to the human body. Results: Measurements of muscle force, body gravity, the arms of these forces, and the angles of the object’s inclination on the axis of rotation are presented. A methodology for determining the pressure force on the human upper ankle joint axis is presented. The distribution of the value of the pressure force and its components from the maximal forward, through the vertical body position, up to the maximal backward position of the body tilt, is provided. Conclusions: The ankle joint pressure force is the vector sum of the force of gravity and the force of the muscle counteracting the body tilt. This force is the smallest in the vertical body position and increases with the body tilt. It reaches 5.23 times the weight of the tilting part of the body when the body is tilted to its maximum forward position, and 3.57 times the weight when the body tilts backward. Regardless of the direction of the body tilt, the joint pressure vector always runs through the axis of the upper ankle joint. Full article

Background/Objectives: Pediatric postoperative pulmonary complication is a major event associated with increased in-hospital morbidity and mortality. However, data is limited regarding the specific timing and spectrum of postoperative pulmonary complications in the pediatric population. Utilizing data in a cohort of high-risk patients aged ≤ 6 years, we sought to evaluate the timing and incidence of a composite of postoperative pulmonary complications. We hypothesized that ASA physical status, emergent case type, and procedure duration would be associated with pulmonary complications in high-risk children and that these complications would, in turn, be associated with a prolonged length of stay. Methods: Data from patients ≤ 6 years of age who were intubated for major abdominal surgery at the authors’ institution were collected from 1 January 2019 to 28 March 2022. The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary complication, defined as the occurrence/use of reintubation, non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, high-flow nasal cannula, mask, or nasal cannula beyond phase 1 of recovery after anesthesia and within 7 postoperative days. The secondary outcome was hospital length of stay. We performed multivariable logistic regression with backward selection to identify independent predictors for postoperative pulmonary complications after adjusting for covariates. For hospital length of stay, a multivariate linear regression model was used after adjusting for covariates. Results: A total of 88 (26.1%) patients experienced 117 occurrences of postoperative oxygen dependence events, and 80 (90.9%) experienced this event in the first 48 h after surgery. The results of this model demonstrated independent associations between patients with an ASA class of IV (OR 9.86, 95% CI: 1.22–79, p-value = 0.03202) and longer operative time (OR: 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03–1.08, p = 0.00001) and postoperative pulmonary complication. On adjusted analysis, the occurrence of a postoperative pulmonary complication was associated with prolonged postoperative length of stay (adjusted geometric mean ratio of 1.39 (95% CI 1.10–1.75, p = 0.0062). Conclusions: Pediatric postoperative pulmonary complication remains a significant event for many patients and results in a prolonged length of stay. This study lays the groundwork for further investigations of interventions targeted at optimizing and monitoring at-risk individuals. Full article

In an increasingly uncertain business environment, developing organizational resilience to cope with supply chain disruptions is crucial for firms aiming to achieve sustainable growth. This study investigates how forward and backward vertical integration influence organizational resilience in the face of large-scale supply chain disruptions, with particular attention to the moderating role of a firm’s position in the supply network. Drawing on a comprehensive dataset of 2931 publicly listed Chinese firms, we integrate the relational view and information processing theory to examine how integration strategies affect two key dimensions of resilience: organizational stability and flexibility. Our results show that backward integration enhances both stability (reducing the severity of loss by about 17%) and flexibility by accelerating recovery, especially benefiting downstream firms in terms of stability and upstream firms in terms of flexibility. In contrast, forward integration is associated with reduced stability (raising the severity of loss by about 7%) but enables faster recovery for firms closer to end markets. Moreover, we find that the effectiveness of vertical integration depends on organizational context and alternative resilience mechanisms. These findings highlight the importance of aligning integration direction with supply chain position to optimize resilience. By disentangling the distinct strategic trade-offs of forward versus backward integration, this study advances theoretical understanding and offers practical guidance for firms seeking to strengthen their capacity to withstand and recover from systemic shocks. Full article

Although current 3D semantic segmentation methods have achieved significant success, they suffer from catastrophic forgetting when confronted with dynamic, open environments. To address this issue, class incremental learning is introduced to update models while maintaining a balance between plasticity and stability. In this work, we propose CosPrompt, a rehearsal-free approach for class incremental semantic segmentation. Specifically, we freeze the prompts for existing classes and incrementally expand and fine-tune the prompts for new classes, thereby generating discriminative and customized features. We employ clamping operations to regulate backward propagation, ensuring smooth training. Furthermore, we utilize the learning without forgetting loss and pseudo-label generation to further mitigate catastrophic forgetting. We conduct comparative and ablation experiments on the S3DIS dataset and ScanNet v2 dataset, demonstrating the effectiveness and feasibility of our method. Full article

Given the projection of the impact of climate change and the uncertainty caused by geopolitical volatility, minimising emissions has become an urgent priority for the shipping industry. In this context, the aim of the present study is the calculation and estimation of emissions generated by ship operations within a maritime transportation network, as well as the identification of the optimal route that minimises both emissions and travel time. Emission estimation is carried out using methodologies and assumptions from the Fourth IMO GHG Study. The decision-making, along with the optimisation process, is performed through backward dynamic programming, following a multi-objective optimisation framework. Specifically, the analysis is carried out on both a theoretical and a realistic network. In both cases, various scenarios are examined, including different approaches to vessel speed, some of which incorporate probabilistic speed distributions, as well as scenarios involving uncertainty regarding port availability. Additionally, the resilience of the network is examined, focusing on the additional burden in terms of emissions and travel time when a port is unexpectedly unavailable and a route adjustment is required. The calculations and optimisation are carried out using Excel and the @Risk software by Palisade, with the latter enabling the incorporation of probability distributions and the execution of Monte Carlo simulations. Full article

This study investigates the characteristics, meteorological drivers, and transport pathways of air pollution in Yining City from 2020 to 2024 based on meteorological records and air pollutant monitoring data. An integrated modeling approach combining the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and the Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) model was employed. Results reveal an overall annual decrease in ambient pollutant concentrations in Yining, with PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ consistently below the national secondary standards, In contrast, the O₃ concentration shows a marked yearly increase. Pronounced seasonal variations were identified: the elevated O₃ concentrations in summer were driven by high temperatures and intense solar radiation. The significant increase in PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations during winter was predominantly attributed to coal-based heating emissions and temperature inversion conditions. Pollutant concentrations were strongly associated with gaseous precursors (e.g., CO and NO₂) and meteorological factors. Higher temperatures and lower relative humidity aggravated O₃ formation, whereas lower temperatures and higher relative humidity favored PM_2.5 pollution. Correlation analysis revealed that NO₂ and CO showed the strongest correlations with PM_2.5 (r = 0.84) and O₃ (r = −0.62), respectively. Backward trajectory analysis revealed that higher pollution levels were associated with air masses originating from the southwest and southeast. Full article

Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5; aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm) remains a challenging policy for industrialized coastal regions throughout East Asia. In this study, we present a multi-year chemical characterization of PM_2.5 and identify key factors contributing to extreme pollution events in Dangjin, a heavy-industry hub on Korea’s west coast. Between August 2020 and March 2024, 24-h gravimetric filters (up to n = 245; 127–280 valid analyses depending on constituent) were collected twice weekly in winter–spring and weekly in summer–autumn. Meteorological data and 48-h backward HYSPLIT trajectories guided source interpretation. The mean PM_2.5 concentration was 26.22 ± 15.29 µg/m³ (4.74–95.31 µg/m³). The mass was highest in winter (30.83 µg/m³). Secondary inorganic ions constituted 60.3% of the aerosol, with nitrate comprising 29.7%. A nitrate-to-sulfate ratio of 1.94 indicated a stronger influence from mobile NO_x emissions compared to that from coal combustion. The trajectory analysis showed north-easterly transport from Eastern China, followed by local stagnation, which promoted rapid ammonium-nitrate formation. Regional transport contributes to severe PM_2.5 episodes, with their magnitude increased by local NO_x and NH₃ emissions. Our findings suggest that effective mitigation strategies in coastal industrial corridors require coordinated control of long-range transport and domestic measures focused on vehicles and ammonia-rich industries. Full article

As a major energy producer and consumer, China has witnessed rapid growth in carbon emissions, which are closely linked to changes in regional climate and the environment. Water, energy, and food (W-E-F) are the three most critical components of human production and daily life, and achieving the coordinated development of these three resources and connecting them with climate change through the carbon emissions generated during their utilization processes has become a key issue for realizing regional ecological sustainable development. This study constructs a dynamic two-stage network slack-based measure-data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) model, which integrates the water–energy–food (W-E-F) system with the climate change process to evaluate China’s comprehensive ecological efficiency from 2011 to 2022, and adopts the Dagum Gini coefficient decomposition, kernel density estimation, hierarchical clustering, and geographical detector model to analyze provincial panel data, thereby assessing efficiency patterns, regional differences, and driving mechanisms. The novelty and contributions of this study can be summarized in three aspects. First, it establishes a unified framework that incorporates the W-E-F nexus and climate change into a dynamic network SBM-DEA model, enabling a more systematic assessment of ecological efficiency. Second, it uncovers that interregional overlap effects and policy-driven factors are the dominant sources of spatial and temporal disparities in ecological efficiency. Third, it further quantifies the interactive effects among key driving factors using Geodetector, thus offering practical insights for regional coordination and policy design. The results show that China’s national ecological efficiency is at a medium level. Southern China has consistently maintained a leading position, while provinces in northwest and southwest China have remained relatively backward; the efficiency of the water–energy–food integration stage is relatively high, whereas the efficiency of the climate change stage is medium and exhibits significant temporal fluctuations. Interregional differences are the main source of efficiency gaps; ecological quality, environmental protection efforts, and population size are identified as the primary driving factors, and their interaction effects have intensified spatial heterogeneity. In addition, sub-indicator analysis reveals that the efficiency related to total wastewater, air pollutant emissions, and agricultural pollution shows good synergy, while the efficiency associated with sudden environmental change events is highly volatile and has weak correlations with other undesirable outputs. These findings deepen the understanding of the water–energy–food-climate system and provide policy implications for strengthening ecological governance and regional coordination. Full article