Search Results (248)

The current-mode logic (CML) driver has evolved alongside integrated circuit (IC) technology. Its typical structure contains a tail current source, differential amplifying transistors, and load resistors. It is widely used in modern optical transceivers and other serial link transceivers, and is compatible with various processes, including CMOS, SiGe BiCMOS, and InP DHBT. The basic performance indicators of CML driver include gain, bandwidth, power, and total harmonic distortion (THD). For different application scenarios, different tail currents and load resistance are required. Nowadays, as the performance requirements for drivers in various applications continue to increase, more techniques need to be employed to balance high speed, high output amplitude, high linearity, and low power, such as bandwidth expansion techniques, linearity improvement techniques, and gain control techniques. In this review, the electrical characteristics of basic CML circuits are highlighted and compared with other interface level standards. The advancement of CML drivers is summarized. Emerging CML structures and performance enhancement technologies are introduced and analyzed. Design considerations are concluded in terms of the challenges faced by high-speed drivers. The review provides comparative study and comprehensive reference for designers. Full article

Heat exchangers are central to energy and process industries, yet performance is bounded by the trade-off between higher heat transfer and greater pressure drop. This review targets indirect-type heat exchangers and organizes bioinspired strategies through a multi-scale lens of surface, texture, and network scales. It provides a structured comparison of their thermo-hydraulic behaviors and evaluation methods. At the surface scale, control of wettability and liquid-infused interfaces suppresses icing and fouling and stabilizes condensation. At the texture scale, microstructures inspired by shark skin and fish scales regulate near-wall vortices to balance drag reduction with heat-transfer enhancement. At the network scale, branched and bicontinuous pathways inspired by leaf veins, lung architectures, and triply periodic minimal surfaces promote uniform distribution and mixing, improving overall performance. The survey highlights practical needs for manufacturing readiness, durability, scale-up, and validation across operating ranges. By emphasizing analysis across scales rather than reliance on a single metric, the review distills design principles and selection guidelines for next-generation bioinspired heat exchangers. Full article

With the ongoing advancement of urbanization, the renewal of old urban areas has emerged as a central front in enhancing urban quality, with street space improvement playing a pivotal role in advancing sustainable urban development. This study focuses on Chengdu, a highly urbanized megacity, employing a combination of multi-point continuous street view photography, spatial mapping, and landscape design interventions to systematically examine human activity patterns, commercial dynamics, and pathways for spatial optimization along the street-facing interfaces of old residential neighborhoods and their adjacent urban streets. The findings reveal that: (1) commercializing the street-facing façades enhances local employment opportunities; (2) window-type fences demonstrate superior adaptability by effectively balancing commercial accessibility with resident safety; and (3) a diverse mix of commercial types sustains the vitality of street-level economies in these areas. These results not only offer actionable spatial strategies for the renovation of old residential zones in Chengdu but also contribute transferable insights for urban regeneration efforts globally. Full article

This study evaluates whether an AI-built DeFi website case can match professionally developed DeFi platforms in digital marketing performance, innovation-related strategic behavior, and entrepreneurial impact. Using a multi-method design, we compare five established DeFi websites (Aave, Lido, Curve, MakerDAO, Uniswap) against one AI-built interface (Nexus Protocol). The analysis is designed as a five-platform benchmarking study of established professional DeFi websites, complemented by one AI-built case (Nexus Protocol) used as an illustrative comparison rather than a representative class of AI-built interface. The objectives are to (i) test differences in traffic composition and acquisition strategies, (ii) quantify how engagement signals predict authority and branded traffic, (iii) examine cognitive processing and trust-cue attention via eye tracking, and (iv) model emergent engagement and authority dynamics using agent-based simulation (ABM). Web analytics (March–October 2025) show significant variation in traffic composition across professional platforms (ANOVA F = 3.41, p = 0.0205), while regression models indicate that time on site and pages per visit positively predict Authority Score (R² = 0.61) and Branded Traffic (R² = 0.55), with bounce rate exerting an adverse effect. PCA and k-means clustering identify three strategic archetypes (innovation-driven, balanced-growth, efficiency-focused). Eye-tracking results show that professional interfaces generate tighter fixation clusters and shorter scan paths, indicating higher cognitive efficiency. In contrast, fixation on key UI elements and trust cues is comparable across interface types. ABM outputs further suggest that reduced engagement depth in the AI-built interface yields weaker long-run branded-traffic and authority trajectories. Overall, the study provides an integrated evaluation framework and evidence-based implications for AI-driven interface design in high-trust fintech environments. Full article

This paper presents an Interoperable User-Centred Digital Twin (I-UCDT) framework for sustainable energy system management, addressing the growing complexity of energy generation, storage, demand, and grid interaction across industrial and community-scale systems. The proposed framework provides a unified environment for the visual representation and management of interconnected energy components, supporting informed decision-making among diverse stakeholder groups. The I-UCDT framework adopts a modular plug-and-play architecture based on the Functional Mock-up Interface (FMI) standard, enabling scalable and interoperable integration of heterogeneous energy models from platforms such as Modelica, MATLAB/Simulink, and EnergyPlus. A standardised data layer processes and structures raw model inputs, while an interactive visualisation layer translates complex energy flows into intuitive, user-accessible insights. By applying human–computer interaction principles, the framework reduces cognitive load and enables users with varying technical backgrounds to explore supply–demand balancing, decarbonisation pathways, and optimisation strategies. It supports the full lifecycle of energy system design, planning, and operation, offering flexibility for both industrial and community-scale applications. A case study demonstrates the framework’s potential to enhance transparency, usability, and energy efficiency. Overall, this work advances digital twin research for energy systems by combining technical interoperability with explicitly formalised user-centred design characteristics (C1–C10) to promote flexible and sustainable energy system management. Full article

This study investigates rim seal flow in axial turbine configurations through a combined experimental–numerical approach, with the objective of identifying sealing-flow conditions that minimize ingestion while limiting aerodynamic losses. Experimental measurements from the University of BATH are used to validate computational methodology, ensuring consistency with established sealing-effectiveness trends. The work places particular emphasis on the influence of computational domain selection and interface treatment, which is shown to strongly affect the prediction of ingestion mechanisms. A key contribution of this study is the systematic assessment of multiple domain configurations, demonstrating that a frozen rotor MRF formulation provides the most reliable steady-state representation of pressure-driven ingress, whereas stationary and non-interface domains tend to overpredict sealing effectiveness. A simplified thin-seal model is also evaluated and found to offer an efficient alternative for global performance predictions. Furthermore, a statistical orifice-based model is introduced to estimate minimum sealing flow for different rim seal geometries, providing a practical engineering tool for purge-flow scaling. The effects of pre-swirl injection are examined and shown to substantially reduce rotor wall shear and moment coefficient, contributing to lower windage losses without significantly modifying sealing characteristics. Unsteady flow features are explored using a harmonic balance method, revealing Kelvin–Helmholtz-type instabilities that drive large-scale structures within the rim seal cavity, particularly near design-speed operation. Finally, results highlight a clear trade-off between sealing-flow rate and turbine isentropic efficiency, underlining the importance of optimized purge-flow management. Full article

Under the dual pressures of global climate change and anthropogenic activities, enhancing the ecological functions of hydraulic structures has become a critical direction for sustainable watershed management. While traditional spur dike designs primarily focus on bank protection and flood control, current demands require additional consideration of river ecosystem restoration. Numerical simulations were performed using the RNG k-ε turbulence model to solve the three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations, a formulation that enhances prediction accuracy for complex flows in curved channels, including separation and reattachment. Following a grid independence study and the application of standard wall functions for near-wall treatment, a comparative analysis was conducted to examine the flow characteristics and ecological effects within a 180° channel bend under three configurations: no spur dikes, a single-side arrangement, and a staggered arrangement of non-submerged, flow-aligned, rectangular thin-walled spur dikes. The results demonstrate that staggered spur dikes significantly reduce the lateral water surface gradient by concentrating the main flow, thereby balancing water levels along the concave and convex banks and suppressing lateral channel migration. Their synergistic flow-contracting effect enhances the kinetic energy of the main flow and generates multi-scale turbulent vortices, which not only increase sediment transport capacity in the main channel but also create diverse habitat conditions. Specifically, the bed shear stress in the central channel region reached 2.3 times the natural level. Flow separation near the dike heads generated a high-velocity zone, elevating velocity and turbulent kinetic energy by factors of 2.3 and 6.8, respectively. This shift promoted bed sediment coarsening and consequently increased scour resistance. In contrast, the low-shear wake zones behind the dikes, with weakened hydrodynamic forces, facilitated fine-sediment deposition and the growth of point bars. Furthermore, this study identifies a critical interface (observed at approximately 60% of the water depth) that serves as a key interface for vertical energy conversion. Below this height, turbulence intensity intermittently increases, whereas above it, energy dissipates markedly. This critical elevation, controlled by both the spur dike configuration and flow conditions, embodies the transition mechanism of kinetic energy from the mean flow to turbulent motions. These findings provide a theoretical basis and engineering reference for optimizing eco-friendly spur dike designs in meandering rivers. Full article

Visual attention mechanisms are modulated by chromatic properties of the environment, with significant implications for human–computer interaction, interface design, and cognitive ergonomics. Despite extensive research on color perception, a critical gap remains in understanding how background colors differentially affect initial attentional capture versus sustained processing efficiency during text reading. This study investigates how seven different background colors (yellow, orange, red, green, blue, purple, and black) influence visual attention and cognitive load during standardized reading tasks with white text, revealing a fundamental asymmetry in chromatic processing stages. Using high-frequency eye-tracking at 120 Hz with 30 participants in a within-subjects design, we measured time-to-first fixation, total viewing duration, fixation count, and revisitation frequency across chromatic conditions. Non-parametric statistical analyses (Friedman test for omnibus comparisons, Wilcoxon signed-rank test for pairwise comparisons) revealed a systematic dissociation between preattentive capture and sustained processing. Yellow backgrounds enabled the fastest initial attentional capture ($0.65$ s), while black backgrounds produced the slowest detection ($1.75$ s). However, this pattern reversed during sustained processing: black backgrounds enabled the shortest total viewing time ($0.88$ s) through efficient information sampling (median $5.0$ fixations), while yellow required the longest viewing duration ($1.75$ s) with fewer fixations (median $3.0$). Statistical comparisons confirmed significant differences across conditions (Friedman test: ${\chi }^2\left(6\right)=138.4$–$154.2$, all $p<0.001$; pairwise comparisons with Bonferroni correction: $\alpha =0.0024$). We note that luminance and chromatic contrast were not independently controlled, as colors inherently vary in both dimensions in realistic interface design. Consequently, the observed effects reflect the combined influence of hue, saturation, and luminance contrast as they naturally co-occur. These findings reveal a descriptive pattern consistent with functionally distinct mechanisms, where chromatic salience appears to facilitate preattentive capture while luminance contrast appears to determine sustained processing efficiency, with optimal colors for one stage being suboptimal for the other under the present experimental conditions. This observed chromatic asymmetry suggests potential implications for interface design: warm colors like yellow may optimize rapid attention capture for alerts and warnings, while high-contrast combinations like white-on-black may optimize sustained reading efficiency, though these preliminary patterns require validation across diverse contexts. Green and purple backgrounds offer balanced performance across both processing stages, representing near-symmetric solutions suitable for mixed-task interfaces. Given the controlled laboratory setting, university student sample, and 15 s exposure duration, design recommendations should be considered preliminary and validated in diverse real-world contexts. Full article

Recent studies show that titanium (Ti)-based alloys combine established mechanical strength, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility with emerging electrical and electrochemical properties relevant to bioelectronics. The main goal of the present manuscript is to give a wide-ranging overview on the use of Ti-alloys in electronics and biomedicine, focusing on a comprehensive analysis and synthesis of the existing literature to identify gaps and future directions. Concurrently, the identification of possible correlations between the effects of the manufacturing process, alloying elements, and other degrees of freedom influencing the material characteristics are put in evidence, aiming to establish a global view on efficient interdisciplinary efforts to realize high-added-value smart devices useful in the field of biomedicine, such as, for example, implantable apparatuses. This review mostly summarizes advances in surface modification approaches—including anodization, conductive coatings, and nanostructuring that improve conductivity while maintaining biological compatibility. Trends in applications demonstrate how these alloys support smart implants, biosensors, and neural interfaces by enabling reliable signal transmission and long-term integration with tissue. Key challenges remain in balancing electrical performance with biological response and in scaling laboratory modifications for clinical use. Perspectives for future work include optimizing alloy composition, refining surface treatments, and developing multifunctional designs that integrate mechanical, biological, and electronic requirements. Together, these directions highlight the potential of titanium alloys to serve as foundational materials for next-generation bioelectronic medical technologies. Full article

Quick visual balance perception in layouts is essential for a positive user experience. However, existing computational models often struggle to accurately capture this key aesthetic aspect, particularly in interfaces with asymmetric elements. This paper introduces Visual Moment Equilibrium (VME), a new cognitive model that redefines visual balance as a unified perceptual force field, similar to moment equilibrium in physical systems. Based on principles from Gestalt psychology, spatial cognition, and psychophysics, we incorporate three main innovations: (1) a Measured Balance index enhanced with psychophysical transformations to enable sensitive quantification of visual imbalance; (2) a nine-grid visual weighting system combined with Manhattan distance to reflect human attentional distribution and non-Euclidean spatial reasoning; and (3) a Shape Sparsity Ratio with a piecewise compensation function that formally operationalizes the Gestalt principle of closure, especially for irregular visual elements. Validation against human perceptual benchmarks from the Analytic Hierarchy Process shows that the VME model has a strong correlation with expert judgments regarding regular interfaces (Pearson’s r = 0.942, accounting for 88.8% of the variance), outperforming the widely used model (33.9%). VME also maintains high predictive accuracy for irregular interfaces (r = 0.890), emphasizing its wide applicability across various design configurations. Full article

In order to address the urgent demand for high-performance materials in the field of automotive lightweighting, there is a need for solutions to the interface instability and performance degradation of traditional reinforcing phases (e.g., SiC, CNT) at elevated temperatures. The present study prepared BNNTs/Al composites via the stirred casting method for automotive connecting rods. The microstructure, interface characteristics, phase evolution, and high-temperature wettability were systematically characterised using a range of analytical techniques, including SEM, TEM, XRD, and DSC. A study was conducted to assess the mechanical properties of the composites in comparison to those of conventional 40Cr steel. This investigation enabled an evaluation of the material’s comprehensive performance for use in automotive connecting rods. The study successfully achieved uniform dispersion of BNNTs within the aluminium matrix, forming tightly bonded, semi-coherent interfaces such as Al/AlN and Al/AlB₂. It was found that complete wetting was achieved at 675 °C, with interface reactions generating AlN and AlB₂ phases that significantly enhanced performance. The prepared connecting rod demonstrates a specific strength that significantly exceeds that of 40Cr steel. The experimental investigation conducted in a controlled setting yielded notable outcomes. The empirical evidence demonstrated a 6.5% enhancement in braking performance and a 5.8% reduction in fuel consumption. Through the optimisation of interface design and process control, the BNNTs/Al composite achieves a balanced compromise between high strength, low density, and excellent thermal stability. The material’s potential for use in lightweight automotive connecting rods is significant, offering a novel approach to the eco-friendly manufacturing of related components. Full article

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites, particularly carbon fiber and glass fiber reinforced composites, are widely used in cutting-edge industries due to their excellent properties, such as light weight and high strength. This review systematically compares and summarizes recent research advances in flame retardancy for carbon fiber-reinforced polymers and glass fiber-reinforced polymers. Focusing on various polymer matrices, including epoxy, polyamide, and polyetheretherketone, the mechanisms and synergistic effects of different flame-retardant modification strategies—such as additive flame retardants, nanocomposites, coating techniques, intrinsically flame-retardant polymers, and advanced manufacturing processes—are analyzed with emphasis on improving flame retardancy and suppressing the “wick effect.” The review critically examines the challenges in balancing flame retardancy, mechanical performance, and environmental friendliness in current approaches, highlighting the key role of interface engineering in mitigating the “wick effect.” Based on this analysis, four future research directions are proposed: implementing green design principles throughout the material life cycle; promoting the use of natural fibers, bio-based resins, and bio-derived flame retardants; developing intelligent responsive flame-retardant systems based on materials such as metal–organic frameworks; advancing interface engineering through biomimetic design and advanced characterization to fundamentally suppress the fiber “wick effect”; and incorporating materials genome and high-throughput preparation technologies to accelerate the development of high-performance flame-retardant composites. This review aims to provide systematic theoretical insights and clear technical pathways for developing the next generation of high-performance, safe, and sustainable fiber-reinforced composites. Full article

The use of food industry by-products in the production of construction materials is a great method to achieve sustainability and simultaneously reduce cement consumption. The present research analyzes the use of pomegranate seed cakes (untreated, oven-roasted, and microwave-treated), grape seeds, and black cumin seeds for 0–15% cement replacement. In addition, the focus is on the thermal pretreatment methods and their compatibility with the microstructure of the cement, especially microwave processing due to its rapid heating, low energy demand, and improved microstructural compatibility. The outcomes suggest that microwave-treated pomegranate seed cakes resulted in the highest workability stability, lowest slump loss, and most uniform distribution in the cement matrix in comparison to untreated and oven-roasted pomegranate seed cakes. Comprehensive mechanical tests (compressive, flexural, and splitting tensile strength) and microstructural analyses (SEM, EDS, FTIR, XRD, BET) were conducted on both raw additives and concrete specimens. Although mechanical performance decreases with increasing organic content, mixtures containing 3–5% bio-modifier provided a favorable balance between workability, strength retention, and microstructural development. Microwave pretreatment not only improved the surface morphology but also made the interface more reactive, and by consuming around 80–85% less energy than the oven roasting, it strengthened the sustainability feature of the process. In a nutshell, the research proves that low-energy thermal pretreatment of food-grade waste can result in functional, eco-efficient cementitious composites, and at the same time, the integration of food engineering principles into environmentally friendly construction material design will become inevitable. Full article

Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is a key oxidant for green chemical processes, yet its catalytic utilization and activation efficiency remain limited by material instability and uncontrolled radical release. Here, we report a dual-functional, hollow conductive polymer nanostructure that enables selective modulation of H₂O₂ reactivity through interfacial physicochemical design. Hollow polypyrrole nanospheres functionalized with carboxyl groups (PPy@PyCOOH) were synthesized via a one-step Fe²⁺/H₂O₂ oxidative copolymerization route, in which H₂O₂ simultaneously served as oxidant, template, and reactant. The resulting structure exhibits enhanced hydrophilicity, rapid redox degradability (>80% optical loss in 60 min (82.5 ± 4.1%, 95% CI: 82.5 ± 10.2%), 10 mM H₂O₂, pH 6.5), and strong electronic coupling to reactive oxygen intermediates. Subsequent tannic acid–copper (TA–Cu) coordination produced a conformal metal–polyphenol network that introduces a controllable Fenton-like catalytic interface, achieving a 50% increase in ROS yield (1.52 ± 0.08-fold vs. control, 95% CI: 1.52 ± 0.20-fold) while maintaining stable photothermal conversion under repeated NIR cycles. Mechanistic analysis reveals that interfacial TA–Cu complexes regulate charge delocalization and proton–electron transfer at the polymer–solution boundary, balancing redox catalysis with energy dissipation. This work establishes a sustainable platform for H₂O₂-driven redox and photo-thermal coupling, integrating conductive polymer chemistry with eco-friendly catalytic pathways. Full article

Focusing on traditional dwellings in China’s Yangtze River Delta, this study integrates physical environment measurement and computer simulation to quantify the influence of spatial morphological parameters on the daylighting environment and analyze its temporal dynamic adaptation throughout the year. Moreover, by exploring the dynamic interaction between the daylighting environment and the dwellers’ behavior patterns, it elucidates how traditional spaces, through light, guide and support a specific lifestyle, and how this interaction, combined with regional aesthetic concepts and cultural traditions, fosters a unique culture of light. Based on the findings, the following conclusions can be drawn: (1) spatially, traditional dwellings adopt a synergetic daylighting mechanism, which is collectively determined by the morphological parameters of the south sky-well, the deployment of north crab eye sky-wells, and the coordination of orientation, depth, and window type; (2) temporally, traditional dwellings exhibit a dynamic daylighting regulation mechanism realized by the reasonable design and combination of spatial and interface components, and they precisely balance the light and thermal needs in different seasons; (3) the temporal daylighting regulation guides the dwellers to form a behavior sequence that is synchronized with natural rhythms, thereby shaping human behavior and local culture in the regions; (4) the daylighting environment in traditional dwellings satisfies the demand for practical functions, embodying the organic integration between technical rationality and humanistic spirit. In summary, from the perspectives of spatial layout, seasonal adaptation, behavior guidance, and cultural expression, this research clarifies the characteristics, formation mechanism, and implicit relationship with local culture of the daylighting environment in traditional dwellings in the Yangtze River Delta. It provides a new perspective for understanding the ecological adaptability of regional traditional architecture and offers valuable insights and references for the development of green architecture nowadays. Full article