Search Results (217)

Background/Objectives: X-ray computed tomography (XCT) is a powerful tool for volumetric imaging, where three-dimensional (3D) images are generated from a large number of individual X-ray projection images. However, collecting the required number of low-noise projection images is time-consuming, limiting its applicability to scenarios requiring high temporal resolution, such as the study of dynamic processes. Inspired by stereo vision, we previously developed stereo X-ray imaging methods that operate with only two X-ray projections, enabling the 3D reconstruction of point and line fiducial markers at significantly faster temporal resolutions. Methods: Building on our prior work, this paper demonstrates the use of stereo X-ray techniques for 3D reconstruction of sharp object corners, eliminating the need for internal fiducial markers. This is particularly relevant for deformation measurement of manufactured components under load. Additionally, we explore model training using synthetic data when annotated real data is unavailable. Results: We show that the proposed method can reliably reconstruct sharp corners in 3D using only two X-ray projections. The results confirm the method’s applicability to real-world stereo X-ray images without relying on annotated real training datasets. Conclusions: Our approach enables stereo X-ray 3D reconstruction using synthetic training data that mimics key characteristics of real data, thereby expanding the method’s applicability in scenarios with limited training resources. Full article

Growing awareness of sustainable development and green consumer concerns is driving the market expansion for green agriculture products. E-commerce live streaming gives rural enterprises a new channel through scenario-building and interaction, while agro-tourism integration combines resources to generate a variety of promotion scenarios. This study examines the effects of external stimuli, including social networks, resource endowment, infrastructure, and the characteristics of e-commerce streamers, on the perception, trust, perceived value, and purchase intention of green consumption. It is based on the SOR (Stimulus–Organism–Response) theoretical model and focuses on e-commerce live streaming in the agriculture-tourism integration scenario. According to a structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis of 350 consumer questionnaires, these external stimuli primarily influence purchase intention through perceived value, trust, and green consumption cognition, with resource endowment having the most significant impact. The effects of infrastructure on perceived value and streamer attractiveness on green consumption cognition are not statistically significant. This research not only broadens the use of the SOR model in the emerging field of agritourism integration but also offers rural businesses theoretical backing and useful guidance to maximize e-commerce live marketing and enhance agritourism integration. Full article

Schools are major consumers of energy and water, significantly influencing environmental sustainability and operational budgets. This study presents a comprehensive review of global trends in energy and water consumption in school buildings, identifying key factors that shape usage patterns, such as the geographic location, climate, building characteristics, and occupancy levels. A particular focus is placed on the role of predictive models in enhancing resource efficiency. The review found that energy consumption in schools varies widely, with heating, lighting, and cooling systems being the primary contributors. In contrast, research on water consumption—especially predictive modeling—is notably scarce, with no studies found that focused specifically on school buildings. This highlights a critical gap in the literature. This study evaluated the existing predictive approaches, including regression analyses, machine learning algorithms, and statistical models, which offer valuable tools for forecasting consumption and guiding targeted efficiency interventions. The findings underscore the urgent need for data-driven strategies to support sustainable resource management in educational facilities. Full article

Acoustic metasurfaces play a key role in building acoustics, noise control, and acoustic cloaking by regulating the acoustic wave scattering characteristics through subwavelength structures. The design of diffusely reflecting metasurfaces aims to achieve a uniform distribution of a scattered field, which is essentially a high-dimensional nonconvex optimization problem that needs to balance the computational efficiency in the synergistic optimization of the spatial arrangement of cells and the angular response. In traditional methods, a heuristic algorithm is prone to local optimization, and it is difficult to balance the global search and local adjustment. And full-wave simulation is time consuming and seriously restricts the design efficiency. Therefore, the hybrid tornado-gradient descent optimization algorithm (VDGD) is proposed in this paper. It uses a two-stage collaborative optimization approach to refine the reflection angle distribution of acoustic metasurfaces, thereby enhancing the uniformity of the diffuse acoustic field. The Tornado Optimization Algorithm (TOA) was initially employed to introduce global perturbations to the randomly initialized design. Local optimization can be avoided by gradually decreasing the perturbation magnitude, which reduces the standard deviation of the sound field from about 5.81 dB to about 4.07 dB. Then, the gradient descent is used for local fine adjustment to further reduce the standard deviation to about 1.91 dB. Experimental results show that the VDGD algorithm outperforms the seven classical and up-to-date optimization algorithms in improving scattering uniformity. This method achieves an effective balance between global search and local fine tuning, providing an efficient and flexible optimization strategy for metasurface design, which can bring application support for intelligent acoustic devices and sound field regulation. Full article

This paper examines the phenomenon of collaborative consumption among Generation Z in Ukraine, focusing on its significance for sustainable consumption and the factors driving its popularity. In the context of increasing digitalization and environmental challenges, the authors analyze the extent to which young Ukrainians engage in the sharing economy and the motivations behind their choices. Special attention is given to the unique characteristics of Generation Z in Ukraine, who, unlike their Western peers, are marked by a strong sense of patriotism, greater social responsibility, and a desire for economic stability—factors influenced by the country’s challenging geopolitical situation. The study was conducted using an online survey (CAWI) with a sample of 292 respondents in 2024. The results indicate that 54.8% of the respondents show a propensity for collaborative consumption (PCC), with key motivators being convenience (90%), the need for social connections (70%), and environmental awareness (68%). Individuals inclined toward resource sharing tend to exhibit greater openness, loyalty, and innovativeness. However, the lack of significant differences in their broader sustainable consumption behaviors suggests that collaborative consumption is perceived primarily as a practical solution rather than a consciously pro-environmental strategy. These findings have important practical implications—companies should focus on building trust in sharing platforms, offering flexible pricing models, and emphasizing both financial savings and environmental benefits. Meanwhile, policymakers can support the growth of the sharing economy through regulations that foster innovation and educational campaigns promoting sustainable consumer behavior. Full article

Using ArcGIS software to conduct spatial autocorrelation analysis, it was found that the price distribution of rural homestays in Suzhou is not random but shows apparent spatial clustering. Among the 81 rural homestays were 9 high-high clusters, 25 low-low clusters, 1 high-low outlier, and 5 low-high outliers. The hedonic price model is an economic model that breaks down goods or services into multiple attributes to estimate their prices. Based on this model, this paper further investigates the differentiated impacts and interactions between internal accommodation characteristics and external environmental attributes in the pricing mechanism of rural homestays in Suzhou. The results show that (1) the high-priced rural homestays in Suzhou are concentrated in the lake island resort with good natural environment and perfect infrastructure; (2) the location, facility quality, and network score of rural homestays have a positive impact on housing prices; (3) the parking lot of rural homestays hurts housing prices; (4) the quality of rural residential buildings and facilities has the most significant positive impact on housing prices. By comparing the hedonic price model of rural homestay and the heterogeneous preferences of consumers, this study provides rural homestay operators with effective room pricing strategies and marketing implications, provides policymakers with reference factors to promote the development of rural homestay industry, and has specific guiding significance for the sustainable development of the homestay industry. Full article

Trust remains fundamental to an audience’s engagement with digital journalism, yet research has predominantly focused on Western contexts, overlooking trust dynamics in diverse digital environments. This study examines news media trust and civic engagement in Egypt’s evolving digital landscape, comparing Western and national digital news consumption patterns. Using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling with data from 426 Egyptian digital news consumers, we apply a four-factor trust model to analyze (1) the relationship between trust propensity and trust in digital news content and (2) how journalist assessment relates to both content trust and civic engagement across platforms. Our results reveal significant differences in trust formation, whereby trust propensity strongly predicts content trust for Western digital media (β = 0.440) but weakly for national digital media (β = 0.191), while journalist assessment consistently influences both content trust and civic outcomes across platforms. Our findings contribute to digital journalism theory by illuminating how journalist credibility functions as a trust anchor across platforms. For digital journalism practice, we identify platform-specific trust-building strategies for Western and national digital news organizations operating in complex media environments. This study extends digital journalism research beyond Western-centric models, demonstrating how cultural context, educational factors, and platform characteristics shape digital trust pathways. Full article

Social innovations responding to the local needs of farmers and consumers are the subject of recent studies, and their results indicate effectiveness in mitigating the effects of crises and, in the long run, in building the resilience of local communities to future challenges. One of the social innovations is the Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. This article presents the current status of active CSA groups in Poland. The paper’s main objective is to identify active CSA farms in Poland and then analyse the individual farms’ CSA offers, the number of people they reach, and their members’ characteristics, motivation, and degree of involvement. As of 2023/2024, when the study was conducted, 13 food-producing farmers were inventoried for 35 groups, reaching an estimated 1200 people. Taking into account the Polish context and referring to the experience and examples of CSA communities in Europe and the world, the following conclusions were drawn: the need to establish an umbrella organisation to network the current CSA community in Poland and to support the already active farmers through, among other things, advocacy, education and coordination of CSA model development at the national level. Full article

The world is facing the issue of managing a huge amount of plastic waste. To prevent uncontrolled and unproductive disposal, various valorization strategies have been developed. Recycling plastic waste into valuable composites for construction offers a promising pathway toward sustainable waste management. Given that the construction industry is a major consumer of energy and natural resources, it presents a key opportunity for integrating recycled materials. This review examines diverse strategies and applications for plastic waste recycling, with a particular focus on sustainable construction solutions, while also evaluating the advantages and limitations of this approach. Within this context, recycled plastic waste can be used as a filler to replace non-renewable natural resources. Studies have shown that incorporating plastic waste as a filler improves diverse properties of composites, including thermal and sound insulation. In particular, thermoset plastic waste exhibits desirable characteristics such as rigidity, heat and chemical resistance, strength and durability, making it suitable as a filler for non-structural applications. Alternatively, melting recycled plastic waste can produce binder materials that combine with other inorganic materials to form building and construction composites. Using melted thermoplastic waste as a binder enhances ductility, reduces water absorption, and improves overall durability. Additionally, the hot-pressing technique has been shown to be more effective in addressing poor bonding issues commonly encountered with conventional methods. Full article

With the development of pulse technology, reinforced concrete buildings are exposed to increasingly complex high-power electromagnetic pulse (EMP) environments, posing risks of functional degradation or destruction of indoor electronic equipment and systems. Therefore, it is imperative to assess the internal fields of buildings under EMP irradiation. The challenge lies in the multi-scale characteristics of reinforced concrete buildings, where fine grids are required for the accurate modelling of rebar, thereby consuming substantial computing resources. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a fast calculation method of the time–domain coupling characteristics between buildings and EMPs based on the electromagnetic parameter equivalence of reinforced concrete walls. The method first calculates the equivalent electromagnetic parameters from the S-parameters of the walls, which are then fitted into polynomial rational functions. Then, the auxiliary differential equation finite-difference time–domain (ADE-FDTD) method is used to analyze the time–domain coupling characteristics of reinforced concrete walls and buildings under EMP irradiation. The results show that the proposed method significantly enhances computational efficiency while maintaining high accuracy. Specifically, for a large two-story reinforced concrete building, the method achieves a 3.2-fold increase in computational speed and a 4.3-fold reduction in memory usage compared to conventional commercial software (CST Studio Suite 2022). This approach provides an effective solution for simulating the coupling characteristics between large reinforced concrete buildings and external EMPs. Full article

Wood is a natural and high-quality material for green and low-carbon buildings, and it is increasingly winning the favor of architects and consumers against the background of “dual carbon”. Exploring the current characteristics and trends of wood consumption in the construction industry (WCCI) and identifying its influencing factors are of great value for the scientific management of WCCI and the improvement of the comprehensive utilization efficiency of wood in the construction industry. In this study, the Boston Consulting Group Matrix and Geodetector were used in combination for empirical analysis of WCCI in China from 2000 to 2021. It is found that the changes in WCCI in China present a diversified trend with significant regional differences. The WCCI market at the provincial scale in China is divided into star, lost, potential, and marginal spaces. WCCI in China has very complex influencing factors and their mechanisms of action, and the interaction of its factor pairs is manifested as bifactor enhancement and nonlinear enhancement. This study provides a great application value for rational planning of wood resource utilization and pushing buildings into a low-carbon and green future, and it inspires the government to pay more attention to the design of spatial policies rather than industry policies and more attention to the design of policy combinations rather than individual policies. In addition, in the management of WCCI under the background of ecological civilization, it is necessary to escape the set pattern of the wood industry and force more use of wood in buildings in the design of constraint policies for non-wood building materials (such as glass, aluminum, steel, cement, and other high-carbon and energy-intensive building materials). Full article

Rapid urbanisation and industrialisation have intensified the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect, significantly increasing energy demand for thermal comfort. Urban buildings consume considerable energy throughout the year, which can be reduced by incorporating Phase Change Materials (PCMs) into building materials. PCMs effectively regulate temperature by storing and releasing heat as latent heat during phase transitions. However, to prevent leakage, PCMs can be encapsulated in co-axial polymeric Phase Change Fibres (PCFs), representing an innovative approach in scientific research. This study optimised the coagulation bath and produced PCFs using commercial cellulose acetate as the sheath and polyethylene glycol (PEG 600 and 1000) as the core via the wet-spinning method. The first part of this work investigated the coagulation bath using Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analyses of the characteristic peak areas. In contrast, the second part examined the PCFs’ morphological, chemical and thermal properties using Bright-field microscopy, ATR-FTIR, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) techniques. The results demonstrated the successful production of PCFs with an optimised coagulation bath. Bright-field microscopy and ATR-FTIR confirmed the well-defined morphology and the presence of PEG in the fibre core. TGA analysis showed high thermal stability in the PCFs, with mass loss observed at high degradation temperatures, ranging from ~264 °C to 397 °C for the PCFs with PEG 600 and from ~273 °C to 413 °C for the PCFs with PEG 1000. Meanwhile, DSC analysis revealed melting points of ~12.64 °C and 11.04 °C, with endothermic enthalpy of ~39.24 °C and 30.59 °C and exothermic enthalpy of ~50.17 °C and 40.93 °C, respectively, for PCFs with PEG 600, and melting points of ~40.32 °C and 41.13 °C, with endothermic enthalpy of ~83.47 °C and 98.88 °C and exothermic enthalpy of ~84.66 °C and 88.79 °C, respectively, for PCFs with PEG 1000. These results validate the potential of PCFs for applications in building materials for civil engineering, promoting thermal efficiency and structural stability. Full article

In a media-saturated online ecosystem, educational technology that fosters virtual interactions and learning opportunities, unlike those taking place face-to-face, has to bear special characteristics that facilitate the way we build our connection with others or access, consume, and produce new information. The present study focuses on the design and implementation of a rubric for the peer assessment of collaborative educational Virtual Reality (VR) environments that were built with the aim to provide immersive-triggered meaningful learning instances. It presents the methodology employed to create the tool, its use in peer evaluation processes, and the implementation findings. The stages of the methodology employed involve the review of existing tools, the rationale lying in the creation of the certain tool, and the recruitment of educators and/or trainers to pilot test it. To this end, there was a purposeful recruitment of participants of a postgraduate program in immersive technologies, with diverse demographics and from different disciplines, who were invited to work collaboratively, in pairs or groups of three, with the intent to design and develop an educational intervention of their choice in Spatial.io software. The stages of the methodology further involved microteaching sessions with other groups, peer evaluation based on the quality criteria provided, and self-reflection and evaluation of their educational interventions. The study outcomes revealed (i) the key evaluation criteria that proved to be critical for the design of quality immersive experiences, (ii) the usefulness of the rubric created to facilitate the pilot testing of the prototypes, and (iii) challenges and benefits that arise from peer evaluation practices. In the context of interdisciplinary, diverse age and professional experience demographics peer evaluation, digital, content, and pedagogical concerns arose providing fruitful feedback to their peers for the refinement of the design of their VR environments. Challenges and recommendations of the peer review processes are also discussed. Full article

HVAC systems are major energy consumers in buildings, accounting for 30% to 50% of total energy usage. Supply outlets, as the terminal devices of HVAC systems, significantly influence the system’s operational performance, energy consumption, and indoor environmental quality. However, current designs and performance optimizations of supply outlets still encounter challenges such as high resistance and low energy efficiency, posing substantial obstacles to building energy conservation, indoor air quality, and fan energy consumption. To address the optimization of resistance reduction and efficiency enhancement for local components (specifically the supply outlets) in HVAC systems, this study focuses on the commonly used disk diffusers. Utilizing a combined research methodology that integrates theoretical analysis, numerical simulation, full-scale experiments, surrogate model prediction, and multi-island genetic algorithm optimization, this study investigates both fluid flow and resistance distribution characteristics. The ADEI comprehensive evaluation index is employed to assess the operational energy efficiency of the disk diffusers. Based on an optimized Latin hypercube sampling method and incorporating RBF surrogate models, surrogate models relating the structural parameters of disk diffusers to their resistance and range are developed. A multi-island genetic algorithm is then applied to optimize the RBF surrogate models. The optimization results demonstrate that the new type of disk diffuser achieves a 33.07% reduction in ADEI compared to traditional disk diffusers, while resistance decreases by 23.10% and jet length increases by 7.19%. Full article

Biodegradable materials are emerging as a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastics across packaging, sanitation, and agriculture sectors. These materials naturally decompose into harmless substances within a specified period, completing an eco-friendly lifecycle. However, the widespread adoption of biodegradable plastics depends on building confidence among consumers, manufacturers, and regulators regarding their effectiveness. This study employed a mixed-methods approach to investigate the key factors influencing biodegradable plastics’ sustainability, integrating theoretical frameworks with survey data collected from Malaysian plastic users aged 15 and above. Results revealed that individual characteristics, particularly environmental self-identity, significantly influence behavioural intentions toward sustainable practices, such as choosing eco-friendly packaging. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of biodegradable plastics adoption in developing markets while providing actionable insights for government and corporate stakeholders. This study recommends targeted awareness campaigns emphasising environmental self-identity to reduce conventional packaging use and promote biodegradable alternatives. By incorporating these identity-focused messages into marketing communications, organisations can enhance public awareness and market perception of biodegradable products. Full article