Search Results (24,150)

This paper presents a probabilistic sensitivity analysis of a nonlinear electrochemical model for lithium-ion batteries. The model is treated as a reduced virtual replica for uncertainty-aware analysis rather than as a full digital twin. A reduced electrochemical formulation is combined with constrained inverse parameter identification using experimental current–voltage data to relate observable battery behavior to effective model parameters. Predictive variability is assessed through Monte Carlo uncertainty propagation and global sensitivity analysis under both charging and discharging conditions. The results indicate that the particle radius of the positive active material and the effective electrodes area are the dominant contributors to terminal-voltage uncertainty, whereas the electrode thickness parameter and negative electrode active material particle radius have a moderate influence within the studied ranges. Rank-based and variance-based sensitivity measures are more informative than linear indices for this reduced nonlinear system. From a mathematical perspective, the work integrates reduced-order modeling, inverse problem formulation, numerical simulation, and uncertainty quantification in one computational framework for battery analysis. The results support uncertainty-aware parameter prioritization, calibration of reduced electrochemical models, and provide a basis for future work on battery design, control, and digital-twin-oriented extensions under uncertainty. Full article

Adolescence is a critical window for health behavior consolidation, yet the combined influence of physical activity level (PAL) and the body mass index (BMI) on aerobic capacity remains understudied, especially in transitioning periurban environments. This study examined the association between PAL, BMI, and aerobic capacity in adolescents from Montería, Colombia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 112 adolescents (aged 12–17 years). Aerobic capacity was assessed using the 20 m shuttle run test (Course Navette), and PAL was measured via the validated Assessment of Physical Activity Levels Questionnaire (APALQ), following standard fitness assessment protocols. Multivariable linear regression models were utilized to estimate independent associations, adjusting for age and sex. The multivariable model was significant (F = 8.45; p < 0.001), explaining 21% of the variance in aerobic capacity (adjusted R² = 0.21). PAL was positively and independently associated with aerobic capacity (B = 0.22; 95% CI: 0.05–0.38; p = 0.010), regardless of BMI. While age showed a positive association (B = 0.09; p = 0.032) and sex was inversely associated (B = −0.39; p < 0.001), BMI did not emerge as an independent predictor in the adjusted model (B = −0.04; p = 0.080). Aerobic capacity in adolescents is more consistently explained by behavioral factors (what they “do”) than by anthropometric status (what they “weigh”). These findings support a paradigm shift in pediatric public health, prioritizing high-intensity movement overweight control to improve cardiorespiratory fitness in transitioning urban territories. Full article

Soft magnetic composites (SMCs) are attracting increasing attention for electromagnetic applications owing to their three-dimensional shape flexibility and reduced eddy current loss. In this study, the 2-Pressing 1-Annealing (2P1A) process was applied to Fe–5.0 wt.%Si SMC toroidal cores to investigate the effects of pressing temperature and 1st pressing level on densification behavior, interparticle insulation structure, and frequency-dependent electromagnetic response. DEFORM-3D FEM simulations compared relative density distribution, hydrostatic stress, effective strain, and reaction load under single-press and 2P1A conditions. The 1st pressing stage was conducted at 350 °C with 30%, 50%, and 70% pressing levels, followed by final densification at 550 °C. Increasing compaction temperature reduced reaction load and hydrostatic stress range, while the 1st pressing level affected the final density distribution and stress state after 2nd pressing. TEM-EDS confirmed continuous interparticle insulation layers, and thickness measurements were used to compare local boundary structures. Among the 2P1A conditions, the 50% → 100% condition showed the smallest upper/lower relative density difference and the narrowest insulation-layer thickness range, indicating the most balanced condition in terms of densification uniformity and interparticle boundary structure. Compared with the 550 °C single-press condition, the 2P1A compacts showed higher permeability retention and Q-factor values in the 5–20 kHz range. These results indicate that the 1st pressing level influences staged densification behavior, interparticle boundary structure, and frequency-dependent electromagnetic response in Fe–5.0 wt.%Si SMC cores. Full article

An experimental and numerical study of the on-resistance degradation in AlGaN/GaN-based technology is presented. Back-bias measurements on transmission-line-method (TLM) structures were performed to investigate the mechanism underlying the current degradation. The observed TLM current collapse exhibits Arrhenius behavior, which is associated with traps in the buffer layers. Interestingly, the decay time of the collapse shows a decreasing trend with increasing applied bias, which is here investigated and newly interpreted as a signature of Poole–Frenkel bias-enhanced trap emission. An effective model is discussed and implemented in TCAD simulations to support the experimental findings. In addition to providing justification for the temperature and applied-voltage dependence of the observed degradation trends, the proposed mechanism can also explain the spread in the activation energies measured for acceptor traps in the buffer layers, as reported in the literature for AlGaN/GaN technologies. Full article

Geological observations, excavation performance records, field monitoring data, and support applications obtained during construction were examined in relation to excavation-induced structural behavior. Monitoring systems, including tiltmeters, extensometers, and distomat measurements, were used to evaluate deformation behavior in buildings located near the tunnel alignment. This study additionally discusses the differences between the preliminary FEM-based deformation predictions reported during the design stage and the structural behavior observed during excavation. The results indicate that groundwater-sensitive claystone sections generated significant excavation and stability problems despite controlled excavation and support measures. High groundwater inflow (30–35 L/s) caused base instability, unfavorable excavation conditions, and increased deformation risks. Field observations indicated substantially greater deformation behavior than the preliminary FEM-based predictions reported during the design stage. The findings demonstrate that shallow urban tunneling in weak and groundwater-sensitive formations may generate more complex ground–structure interactions than those represented in preliminary numerical assessments. This study highlights the importance of continuous field monitoring, adaptive support strategies, groundwater control measures, and observational excavation management practices for improving tunnel safety and reducing risks to nearby urban structures. Full article

Background: Falls and fall-related injuries are common in older adults and are frequently accompanied by fear of falling (FoF), which may lead to activity avoidance and functional decline. Because many interventions target falls or FoF in isolation, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to identify, describe, and evaluate interventions reporting both falls and FoF outcomes in older adults. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis were registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251113137) and conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched from inception to 4 November 2025. Eligible studies were English-language RCTs that included adults aged ≥60 years, evaluated nonpharmacological interventions, and reported both FoF and falls. Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro scale. Random-effects meta-analyses were performed for FoF (Hedges g), and Bayesian random-effects binomial meta-analyses were conducted for falls. Results: Ten RCTs published between 1998 and 2018 (sample sizes per trial: n = 27–540) were included. Interventions included cognitive–behavioral therapy-based programs, Tai Chi, physiotherapist-led strength and balance training, computerized visual feedback, and video-guided home exercise. PEDro scores ranged from 6 to 9 (mean, 7.7). Pooled analyses showed no significant effect on FoF at the end of intervention (g = −0.20, 95% CI −1.45 to 1.05; p = 0.68; high heterogeneity) or at follow-up (g = −0.14, 95% CI −0.60 to 0.33; p = 0.50). For falls, postintervention evidence favored the null (BF₁₀ = 0.16; pooled estimate −0.01, 95% credible interval [CrI] −0.30 to 0.14). Follow-up results were inconclusive (BF₁₀ = 2.07; pooled CrI −0.56 to 0.00), with substantial uncertainty. Conclusions: Across RCTs that measured both outcomes, interventions did not consistently improve both FoF and falls outcomes. These findings may suggest a partial dissociation between psychological and physical fall-related outcomes, highlighting the need for integrated, adequately powered trials that utilize standardized measures and longer follow-up periods. Full article

Intensifying heatwaves threaten the reliability of electric distribution systems, yet the quantitative relationship between heatwave characteristics and observed power outage behavior remains poorly understood at multi-year, statewide scales. This study develops an event-based, spatiotemporal framework to quantify heatwave-induced outage risk across 254 Texas counties from 2014–2021 by integrating county-level EAGLE-I outage records with reanalysis-derived heat index measurements. An adaptive percentile-based threshold identifies 3048 heatwave events; logistic regression quantifies the probabilistic relationship between heat intensity and major-outage occurrence under three severity definitions. Across 3048 identified heatwave events, 51% involved at least one outage, a rate significantly above the non-heatwave warm-season baseline and revealing widespread heat-related reliability challenges. Outage severity and duration exhibit heavy-tailed distributions, with a small number of extreme events disproportionately affecting customers. Logistic regression models under three severity definitions (P90, P95, and ≥500 customers) demonstrate that heat intensity is a statistically robust probabilistic predictor of major outages, with each +1 °F increase in mean event heat index raising the odds by approximately 43–52%. The predicted probability of a P90-severity major outage approximately doubles across the interquartile range of event heat intensity (~7% to ~14%), providing actionable guidance for utility pre-staging decisions during forecast heatwave episodes. These findings offer a scalable methodology for climate-related reliability assessment, supporting grid hardening, resource planning, and public health preparedness. Full article

The Gompertz distribution is a well-known lifetime model in survival and reliability analysis, but its hazard rate is restricted to monotone increasing behavior, which limits its applicability to more complex data structures. In this study, we investigate the New Extended Gompertz (NEG) distribution, which is obtained by applying the existing NE-X generator framework to the classical Gompertz baseline distribution. Thus, the NEG model is a special case within an already established generator family rather than an entirely new family of distributions. The main contribution of this paper is not the introduction of a new generator, but rather a comprehensive and systematic investigation of this particular Gompertz-based extension, including its statistical properties, estimation procedures, and practical applications. The proposed model introduces an additional shape parameter that provides increased flexibility in modeling skewness, tail behavior, and hazard-rate structures, allowing for increasing, decreasing, bathtub-shaped, and unimodal hazard patterns under different parameter configurations. Several mathematical properties of the NEG distribution are derived, including explicit expressions for the density, distribution, survival, and hazard-rate functions, as well as moments, entropy measures, and series representations. Parameter estimation is performed using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian approaches, with numerical optimization and Metropolis–Hastings MCMC procedures employed due to the absence of closed-form estimators. The finite-sample behavior of the estimators is investigated through extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies under three different parameter settings. The practical usefulness of the NEG distribution is illustrated using two real datasets on carbon-fiber tensile strength. Comparative results with several competing Gompertz-type models indicate that the NEG distribution provides competitive performance. However, all comparisons should be interpreted within the context of the considered datasets and parameter settings, rather than as claims of universal superiority. The findings suggest that the NEG distribution offers a flexible and practical extension of the Gompertz model for lifetime data analysis. Full article

The facet-dependent catalytic behavior of MgO in non-thermal plasma (NTP)-driven CO₂ decomposition is systematically investigated by combining experimental measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Three MgO catalysts with dominant exposure of the (100), (110), and (111) facets are synthesized. CO₂ temperature-programmed desorption (CO₂-TPD) shows that CO₂ adsorption capacity follows the order MgO(110) > MgO(111) > MgO(100), consistent with DFT-derived adsorption energies. DFT energy profiles reveal that although MgO(110) binds CO₂ most strongly, it suffers from excessively strong CO adsorption (5.84 eV), inhibiting product desorption. In contrast, MgO(111) offers a favorable CO₂ adsorption energy combined with a remarkably low CO desorption energy (0.71 eV), enabling rapid turnover. Electronic structure analyses demonstrate substantial charge transfer from MgO(111) to CO₂ (up to 1.76 |e|) and pronounced orbital hybridization near the Fermi level, which are further enhanced under plasma conditions. Plasma-catalytic tests at 0.8 W show that MgO(111) achieves the highest CO₂ conversion (60.7%) with excellent selectivity toward CO (95.3%) and O₂ (94.4%), outperforming MgO(110) and MgO(100). Increasing the input power from 0.8 to 2.5 W raises conversion to 78.1% but reduces energy efficiency due to increased gas heating or non-productive pathways. Overall, the (111)-enriched MgO is identified as an efficient and selective catalyst for NTP-based CO₂ splitting, owing to its optimal balance of adsorption strength, facile CO desorption, strong charge transfer, and plasma–catalyst synergy. This work highlights the importance of facet engineering and power optimization for designing oxide-based plasma catalysts toward energy-efficient CO₂ utilization. Full article

As the global population continues to age, mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, and social isolation among older adults are receiving increasing attention. The built environment is closely associated with older adults’ daily mobility, environmental perception, social participation, and mental health and well-being, but the evidence remains heterogeneous across spatial contexts, environmental indicators, and study designs. Previous umbrella reviews have summarized broad links between the built environment and healthy aging, but less attention has been paid to recent original empirical studies published after the COVID-19 pandemic, the distinction between objective environmental exposure and subjective environmental perception, and the role of social participation as a pathway linking environmental conditions to mental health and well-being. This study employs a systematic literature review approach, searching and screening peer-reviewed empirical studies published between 2015 and January 2026 that focus on the associations between the built environment and older adults’ mental health and well-being. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were used for searching, supplemented by manual searching. After title and abstract screening and full-text evaluation, a total of 60 studies were included. Subsequently, a comprehensive analysis was conducted on aspects such as research design, spatial scale, environmental indicators, types of mental health outcomes, and potential pathways of action. In this review, core mental health and well-being outcomes included negative outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, stress, psychological distress, loneliness, and social isolation, and positive outcomes, such as life satisfaction, subjective well-being, psychological well-being, and mental well-being. Social participation was examined as a behavioral and psychosocial pathway rather than as a core outcome. Emerging methods, including street-view image analysis, FCN-based semantic segmentation, and XGBoost-SHAP, were examined because they can refine environmental exposure measurement and support variable-importance interpretation, rather than because they provide causal evidence. The main synthesis suggests that several built environment factors are associated with older adults’ mental health and well-being, although the strength and consistency of evidence vary across outcome types, spatial contexts, and study designs. (1) Exposure to green and blue spaces, quality of public open spaces, walkability and accessibility, accessibility of neighborhood facilities and services, housing and living conditions, and positive environmental perception are mostly associated with lower levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness, as well as higher levels of life satisfaction, subjective well-being, and psychological well-being. (2) Conversely, adverse environmental exposures such as proximity to roads, pollution, non-vegetated spaces, and high-intensity urbanization are more likely to exacerbate negative psychological outcomes. Existing evidence also suggests that social participation is one of the important behavioral pathways through which the built environment is linked to the mental health of older adults, but it is not the only mechanism. (3) In addition, the direction and intensity of environmental associations remain heterogeneous under different spatial scales, indicator types, and research methods. Overall, this review contributes by organizing recent empirical evidence into a built environment–social participation–mental health and well-being framework, while emphasizing that most findings should be interpreted primarily as evidence of association rather than as stable or uniform causal effects. Full article

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) release from resin-based dental materials is a growing concern due to its potential endocrine-disrupting effects, particularly in pediatric patients. This in vitro study evaluated cumulative BPA release and elution kinetics from commonly used pediatric resin-based materials, due to the limited evidence available. Methods: Three restorative materials (Clearfil Majesty ES-2, Estelite Sigma Quick, and Stela Automix) and one orthodontic material (Transbond XT) were investigated. Eighteen disk-shaped specimens (5.5 mm in diameter and 2 mm in thickness) were prepared for each material and immersed in artificial saliva (pH 6.8) at 37 °C for 1, 7, and 28 days. BPA concentrations were quantified using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). BPA release kinetics were evaluated during the early (1–7 days) and late (7–28 days) release phases. Results: All investigated materials released measurable BPA concentrations, with cumulative BPA release progressively increasing up to 28 days. Clearfil Majesty ES-2 and Estelite Sigma Quick exhibited the highest cumulative BPA concentrations, whereas Stela Automix showed markedly lower values. Transbond XT also demonstrated measurable BPA release. For all materials, BPA release kinetics were significantly higher during the early phase than during the late phase (p < 0.001), indicating a non-linear release behavior over time. Conclusions: BPA release from pediatric restorative and orthodontic resin-based materials is material-dependent and characterized by progressive cumulative accumulation associated with significantly higher early-phase release rates. These findings highlight the importance of assessing the safety of resin-based materials used in pediatric dentistry. Full article

Honeybee colonies are affected by bacterial, fungal, viral, microsporidian, and parasitic diseases that impair brood viability, adult survival, productivity, and beekeeping sustainability. Conventional control relies on sanitary measures, antibiotics where permitted, and synthetic acaricides, but these approaches are constrained by residues, resistance, regulation, and variable field performance. This narrative review critically evaluates essential oils as alternative or complementary tools against American foulbrood, European foulbrood, varroosis, nosemosis, chalkbrood, and mite-associated viral pressure. Evidence indicates that thymol, carvacrol, eugenol, cinnamaldehyde, and related constituents can show marked antibacterial, antifungal, acaricidal, antioxidant, and host-supportive activity under controlled conditions. However, most bacterial, fungal, and nosemosis data remain laboratory-based, and direct antiviral applications against honeybee viruses are not field validated. The strongest practical evidence concerns thymol-based control of Varroa destructor, where efficacy depends on formulation, release rate, temperature, colony status, and safety margins. Essential oils should therefore be considered components of integrated honeybee health management, not substitutes for established measures. Future studies should prioritize chemical standardization, dose–response testing, colony-level trials, brood and queen safety, sublethal behavior and physiology, gut microbiota, residues, and reproducible delivery systems. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Systemic Immune–Inflammation Index (SII), derived from routine blood counts, has emerged as a potential marker of systemic inflammation in psoriasis. However, its longitudinal behavior across different systemic and biologic therapies remains poorly characterized. This study aimed to evaluate changes in SII over time, assess its relationship with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores, and compare SII trajectories among different treatment classes. Methods: A retrospective single-center study included 210 adults with psoriasis treated for 12 months with cyclosporine, anti-TNF-α, anti-IL-17, or anti-IL-23 agents. SII and PASI were recorded at baseline, 16, 36, and 52 weeks. Correlations between SII and PASI were assessed using Spearman’s analysis. Longitudinal changes were evaluated using the Friedman test, and treatment-group differences were assessed using Kruskal–Wallis analysis. An adjusted multivariable linear regression model including age, sex, body mass index, psoriatic arthritis, baseline PASI, and treatment group was performed to identify factors associated with Δ%SII. Results: SII correlated with PASI at baseline (ρ = 0.406, p < 0.001) and at 52 weeks (ρ = 0.186, p = 0.007), whereas no significant associations were observed at intermediate timepoints. Longitudinal analyses demonstrated significant differences in SII trajectories among treatment groups (p < 0.001). SII increased over time in the cyclosporine and anti-TNF-α groups, while anti-IL-17 and anti-IL-23 therapies were associated with marked and sustained reductions. In the adjusted model, anti-IL-17 (β = −90.7, 95% CI −119.6 to −61.8, p < 0.001) and anti-IL-23 therapies (β = −97.9, 95% CI −126.2 to −69.6, p < 0.001) remained independently associated with greater reductions in SII compared with cyclosporine, whereas anti-TNF therapy showed no significant difference. Conclusions: SII is a dynamic marker of systemic inflammatory changes in psoriasis and exhibits distinct longitudinal patterns according to treatment class. The pronounced reductions observed with IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors support the potential value of SII as an adjunctive measure of systemic inflammation. However, prospective studies are required to clarify its clinical utility and determine its role in routine patient management. Full article

The interaction between light and chiral plasmonic metasurfaces provides a powerful mechanism for controlling polarization states at the nanoscale. Utilizing displacement Talbot lithography for large-area fabrication, we characterized the chiroptical response by measuring the evolution of Stokes parameters to quantify phase retardation between orthogonal polarization components. To elucidate the underlying physical mechanism, we employ a hybrid finite element method and rigorous coupled-wave analysis approach to investigate the behavior of the far-field and local-field configurations. Our results reveal that the phase shift is highly sensitive to symmetry-breaking features, where the interplay between different modes dictates the overall circular dichroism signal. Furthermore, the analysis of local field plots suggests specific contributions of plasmonic modes to the chiroptical response. We conclude that the phase shift effects, characterized via Stokes parameters and modal analysis, provide a robust metric for engineering chiroptical properties in these systems. This work establishes a fundamental framework for developing compact polarization-control elements and enhances the understanding of phase-modulated light-matter interactions in chiral plasmonic metasurfaces. Full article

Steel strip surface defect detection remains challenging because defects are often elongated, weakly bounded, low-contrast, and sensitive to imaging degradation. To address these issues, this paper proposes Orthogonal Direction-Adaptive YOLOv8n (OAD-YOLOv8n), a lightweight detector based on You Only Look Once version 8 nano (YOLOv8n) and centered on Orthogonal Direction-Adaptive Efficient Multi-Scale Attention (OA-EMA), an orthogonal direction-adaptive attention module that combines debiased strip descriptors, adaptive direction selection, and local directional convolution. Dynamic upsampling by learning to sample (DySample), a lightweight neck structure (SlimNeck), and Adaptive Threshold Focal Loss (ATFL) are further integrated to improve detail-preserving upsampling, efficient multi-scale fusion, and hard-sample optimization. Across five independent runs on NEU-DET, OAD-YOLOv8n improves Precision, Recall, mAP50, and mAP50:95 by 5.0, 3.6, 4.4, and 3.7 percentage points over YOLOv8n, while reducing FLOPs and parameters by approximately 10.3% and 7.0%, respectively. Complementary experiments on GC10-DET, cross-dataset transfer/adaptation, simulated practical image perturbations, failure cases, and measured inference speed provide a broader characterization of the model’s benchmark-level generalization, robustness, and deployment-related behavior. These results indicate that OAD-YOLOv8n provides an effective accuracy–efficiency trade-off for lightweight steel strip surface defect detection. Full article