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Search Results (1,201)

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21 pages, 1800 KiB  
Article
GAPSO: Cloud-Edge-End Collaborative Task Offloading Based on Genetic Particle Swarm Optimization
by Wu Wen, Yibin Huang, Zhong Xiao, Lizhuang Tan and Peiying Zhang
Symmetry 2025, 17(8), 1225; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym17081225 - 3 Aug 2025
Abstract
In the 6G era, the proliferation of smart devices has led to explosive growth in data volume. The traditional cloud computing can no longer meet the demand for efficient processing of large amounts of data. Edge computing can solve the energy loss problems [...] Read more.
In the 6G era, the proliferation of smart devices has led to explosive growth in data volume. The traditional cloud computing can no longer meet the demand for efficient processing of large amounts of data. Edge computing can solve the energy loss problems caused by transmission delay and multi-level forwarding in cloud computing by processing data close to the data source. In this paper, we propose a cloud–edge–end collaborative task offloading strategy with task response time and execution energy consumption as the optimization targets under a limited resource environment. The tasks generated by smart devices can be processed using three kinds of computing nodes, including user devices, edge servers, and cloud servers. The computing nodes are constrained by bandwidth and computing resources. For the target optimization problem, a genetic particle swarm optimization algorithm considering three layers of computing nodes is designed. The task offloading optimization is performed by introducing (1) opposition-based learning algorithm, (2) adaptive inertia weights, and (3) adjustive acceleration coefficients. All metaheuristic algorithms adopt a symmetric training method to ensure fairness and consistency in evaluation. Through experimental simulation, compared with the classic evolutionary algorithm, our algorithm reduces the objective function value by about 6–12% and has higher algorithm convergence speed, accuracy, and stability. Full article
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21 pages, 875 KiB  
Article
Comprehensive Analysis of Neural Network Inference on Embedded Systems: Response Time, Calibration, and Model Optimisation
by Patrick Huber, Ulrich Göhner, Mario Trapp, Jonathan Zender and Rabea Lichtenberg
Sensors 2025, 25(15), 4769; https://doi.org/10.3390/s25154769 (registering DOI) - 2 Aug 2025
Viewed by 48
Abstract
The response time of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) inference is critical in embedded systems processing sensor data close to the source. This is particularly important in applications such as predictive maintenance, which rely on timely state change predictions. This study enables estimation of [...] Read more.
The response time of Artificial Neural Network (ANN) inference is critical in embedded systems processing sensor data close to the source. This is particularly important in applications such as predictive maintenance, which rely on timely state change predictions. This study enables estimation of model response times based on the underlying platform, highlighting the importance of benchmarking generic ANN applications on edge devices. We analyze the impact of network parameters, activation functions, and single- versus multi-threading on response times. Additionally, potential hardware-related influences, such as clock rate variances, are discussed. The results underline the complexity of task partitioning and scheduling strategies, stressing the need for precise parameter coordination to optimise performance across platforms. This study shows that cutting-edge frameworks do not necessarily perform the required operations automatically for all configurations, which may negatively impact performance. This paper further investigates the influence of network structure on model calibration, quantified using the Expected Calibration Error (ECE), and the limits of potential optimisation opportunities. It also examines the effects of model conversion to Tensorflow Lite (TFLite), highlighting the necessity of considering both performance and calibration when deploying models on embedded systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Fault Diagnosis & Sensors)
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13 pages, 1700 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Cup Position and Perioperative Characteristics in Total Hip Arthroplasty Following Three Types of Pelvic Osteotomy
by Ryuichi Kanabuchi, Yu Mori, Kazuyoshi Baba, Hidetatsu Tanaka, Hiroaki Kurishima, Yasuaki Kuriyama, Hideki Fukuchi, Hiroki Kawamata and Toshimi Aizawa
Medicina 2025, 61(8), 1407; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina61081407 - 2 Aug 2025
Viewed by 103
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) following pelvic osteotomy for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is technically challenging due to altered acetabular morphology. This study aimed to compare radiographic cup position and perioperative characteristics of THA after three common pelvic [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) following pelvic osteotomy for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is technically challenging due to altered acetabular morphology. This study aimed to compare radiographic cup position and perioperative characteristics of THA after three common pelvic osteotomies—periacetabular osteotomy (PAO), shelf procedure, and Chiari osteotomy—with primary THA in Crowe type I DDH. Methods: A retrospective review identified 25 hips that underwent conversion THA after pelvic osteotomy (PAO = 12, shelf = 8, Chiari = 5) and 25 primary THAs without prior osteotomy. One-to-one matching was performed based on sex (exact match), age (within 5 years), and BMI (within 2 kg/m2) without the use of propensity scores. Cup inclination, radiographic anteversion, center-edge (CE) angle, and cup height were measured on standardized anteroposterior radiographs (ICC = 0.91). Operative time, estimated blood loss, and use of bulk bone grafts or reinforcement rings were reviewed. One-way ANOVA with Dunnett’s post hoc test and chi-square test were used for statistical comparison. Results: Cup inclination, anteversion, and CE angle did not differ significantly among groups. Cup height was significantly greater in the PAO group than in controls (29.0 mm vs. 21.8 mm; p = 0.0075), indicating a more proximal hip center. The Chiari and shelf groups showed upward trends, though not significant. Mean operative time tended to be longer after PAO (123 min vs. 93 min; p = 0.078). Bulk bone grafts and reinforcement rings were more frequently required in the PAO group (17%; p = 0.036 vs. control), and occasionally in Chiari cases, but not in shelf or control groups. Conclusions: THA after PAO is associated with higher cup placement and greater need for reconstructive devices, indicating increased technical complexity. In contrast, shelf and Chiari conversions more closely resemble primary THA. Preoperative planning should consider hip center translation and bone-stock restoration in post-osteotomy THA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Orthopedics)
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19 pages, 2359 KiB  
Article
Research on Concrete Crack Damage Assessment Method Based on Pseudo-Label Semi-Supervised Learning
by Ming Xie, Zhangdong Wang and Li’e Yin
Buildings 2025, 15(15), 2726; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15152726 - 1 Aug 2025
Viewed by 152
Abstract
To address the inefficiency of traditional concrete crack detection methods and the heavy reliance of supervised learning on extensive labeled data, in this study, an intelligent assessment method of concrete damage based on pseudo-label semi-supervised learning and fractal geometry theory is proposed to [...] Read more.
To address the inefficiency of traditional concrete crack detection methods and the heavy reliance of supervised learning on extensive labeled data, in this study, an intelligent assessment method of concrete damage based on pseudo-label semi-supervised learning and fractal geometry theory is proposed to solve two core tasks: one is binary classification of pixel-level cracks, and the other is multi-category assessment of damage state based on crack morphology. Using three-channel RGB images as input, a dual-path collaborative training framework based on U-Net encoder–decoder architecture is constructed, and a binary segmentation mask of the same size is output to achieve the accurate segmentation of cracks at the pixel level. By constructing a dual-path collaborative training framework and employing a dynamic pseudo-label refinement mechanism, the model achieves an F1-score of 0.883 using only 50% labeled data—a mere 1.3% decrease compared to the fully supervised benchmark DeepCrack (F1 = 0.896)—while reducing manual annotation costs by over 60%. Furthermore, a quantitative correlation model between crack fractal characteristics and structural damage severity is established by combining a U-Net segmentation network with the differential box-counting algorithm. The experimental results demonstrate that under a cyclic loading of 147.6–221.4 kN, the fractal dimension monotonically increases from 1.073 (moderate damage) to 1.189 (failure), with 100% accuracy in damage state identification, closely aligning with the degradation trend of macroscopic mechanical properties. In complex crack scenarios, the model attains a recall rate (Re = 0.882), surpassing U-Net by 13.9%, with significantly enhanced edge reconstruction precision. Compared with the mainstream models, this method effectively alleviates the problem of data annotation dependence through a semi-supervised strategy while maintaining high accuracy. It provides an efficient structural health monitoring solution for engineering practice, which is of great value to promote the application of intelligent detection technology in infrastructure operation and maintenance. Full article
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21 pages, 5706 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Drilling Parameters on Drilling Temperature in High-Strength Steel Thin-Walled Parts
by Yupu Zhang, Ruyu Li, Yihan Liu, Chengwei Liu, Shutao Huang, Lifu Xu and Haicheng Shi
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(15), 8568; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15158568 (registering DOI) - 1 Aug 2025
Viewed by 74
Abstract
High-strength steel has high strength and low thermal conductivity, and its thin-walled parts are very susceptible to residual stress and deformation caused by cutting heat during the drilling process, which affects the machining accuracy and quality. High-strength steel thin-walled components are widely used [...] Read more.
High-strength steel has high strength and low thermal conductivity, and its thin-walled parts are very susceptible to residual stress and deformation caused by cutting heat during the drilling process, which affects the machining accuracy and quality. High-strength steel thin-walled components are widely used in aerospace and other high-end sectors; however, systematic investigations into their temperature fields during drilling remain scarce, particularly regarding the evolution characteristics of the temperature field in thin-wall drilling and the quantitative relationship between drilling parameters and these temperature variations. This paper takes the thin-walled parts of AF1410 high-strength steel as the research object, designs a special fixture, and applies infrared thermography to measure the bottom surface temperature in the thin-walled drilling process in real time; this is carried out in order to study the characteristics of the temperature field during the thin-walled drilling process of high-strength steel, as well as the influence of the drilling dosage on the temperature field of the bottom surface. The experimental findings are as follows: in the process of thin-wall drilling of high-strength steel, the temperature field of the bottom surface of the workpiece shows an obvious temperature gradient distribution; before the formation of the drill cap, the highest temperature of the bottom surface of the workpiece is distributed in the central circular area corresponding to the extrusion of the transverse edge during the drilling process, and the highest temperature of the bottom surface can be approximated as the temperature of the extrusion friction zone between the top edge of the drill and the workpiece when the top edge of the drill bit drills to a position close to the bottom surface of the workpiece and increases with the increase in the drilling speed and the feed volume; during the process of drilling, the highest temperature of the bottom surface of the workpiece is approximated as the temperature of the top edge of the drill bit and the workpiece. The maximum temperature of the bottom surface of the workpiece in the drilling process increases nearly linearly with the drilling of the drill, and the slope of the maximum temperature increases nearly linearly with the increase in the drilling speed and feed, in which the influence of the feed on the slope of the maximum temperature increases is larger than that of the drilling speed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)
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28 pages, 10224 KiB  
Article
A Vulnerability Identification Method for Distribution Networks Integrating Fuzzy Local Dimension and Topological Structure
by Kangzheng Huang, Weichuan Zhang, Yongsheng Xu, Chenkai Wu and Weibo Li
Processes 2025, 13(8), 2438; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13082438 - 1 Aug 2025
Viewed by 165
Abstract
As the scale of shipboard power systems expands, their vulnerability becomes increasingly prominent. Identifying vulnerable points in ship power grids is essential for enhancing system stability, optimizing overall performance, and ensuring safe navigation. To address this issue, this paper proposes an algorithm based [...] Read more.
As the scale of shipboard power systems expands, their vulnerability becomes increasingly prominent. Identifying vulnerable points in ship power grids is essential for enhancing system stability, optimizing overall performance, and ensuring safe navigation. To address this issue, this paper proposes an algorithm based on fuzzy local dimension and topology (FLDT). The algorithm distinguishes contributions from nodes at different radii and within the same radius to a central node using fuzzy sets, and then derives the final importance value of each node by combining the local dimension and topology. Experimental results on nine datasets demonstrate that the FLDT algorithm outperforms degree centrality (DC), closeness centrality (CC), local dimension (LD), fuzzy local dimension (FLD), local link similarity (LLS), and mixed degree decomposition (MDD) algorithms in three metrics: network efficiency (NE), largest connected component (LCC), and monotonicity. Furthermore, in a ship power grid experiment, when 40% of the most important nodes were removed, FLDT caused a network efficiency drop of 99.78% and reduced the LCC to 2.17%, significantly outperforming traditional methods. Additional experiments under topological perturbations—including edge addition, removal, and rewiring—also show that FLDT maintains superior performance, highlighting its robustness to structural changes. This indicates that the FLDT algorithm is more effective in identifying and evaluating vulnerable points and distinguishing nodes with varying levels of importance. Full article
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34 pages, 9289 KiB  
Article
Structure of the Secretory Compartments in Goblet Cells in the Colon and Small Intestine
by Alexander A. Mironov, Irina S. Sesorova, Pavel S. Vavilov, Roberto Longoni, Paola Briata, Roberto Gherzi and Galina V. Beznoussenko
Cells 2025, 14(15), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14151185 - 31 Jul 2025
Viewed by 129
Abstract
The Golgi of goblet cells represents a specialized machine for mucin glycosylation. This process occurs in a specialized form of the secretory pathway, which remains poorly examined. Here, using high-resolution three-dimensional electron microscopy (EM), EM tomography, serial block face scanning EM (SBF-SEM) and [...] Read more.
The Golgi of goblet cells represents a specialized machine for mucin glycosylation. This process occurs in a specialized form of the secretory pathway, which remains poorly examined. Here, using high-resolution three-dimensional electron microscopy (EM), EM tomography, serial block face scanning EM (SBF-SEM) and immune EM we analyzed the secretory pathway in goblet cells and revealed that COPII-coated buds on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) are extremely rare. The ERES vesicles with dimensions typical for the COPII-dependent vesicles were not found. The Golgi is formed by a single cisterna organized in a spiral with characteristics of the cycloid surface. This ribbon has a shape of a cup with irregular perforations. The Golgi cup is filled with secretory granules (SGs) containing glycosylated mucins. Their diameter is close to 1 µm. The cup is connected with ER exit sites (ERESs) with temporal bead-like connections, which are observed mostly near the craters observed at the externally located cis surface of the cup. The craters represent conus-like cavities formed by aligned holes of gradually decreasing diameters through the first three Golgi cisternae. These craters are localized directly opposite the ERES. Clusters of the 52 nm vesicles are visible between Golgi cisternae and between SGs. The accumulation of mucin, started in the fourth cisternal layer, induces distensions of the cisternal lumen. The thickness of these distensions gradually increases in size through the next cisternal layers. The spherical distensions are observed at the edges of the Golgi cup, where they fuse with SGs and detach from the cisternae. After the fusion of SGs located just below the apical plasma membrane (APM) with APM, mucus is secreted. The content of this SG becomes less osmiophilic and the excessive surface area of the APM is formed. This membrane is eliminated through the detachment of bubbles filled with another SG and surrounded with a double membrane or by collapse of the empty SG and transformation of the double membrane lacking a visible lumen into multilayered organelles, which move to the cell basis and are secreted into the intercellular space where the processes of dendritic cells are localized. These data are evaluated from the point of view of existing models of intracellular transport. Full article
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23 pages, 1734 KiB  
Article
Design and Implementation of a Cost-Effective Failover Mechanism for Containerized UPF
by Kiem Nguyen Trung and Younghan Kim
Electronics 2025, 14(15), 2991; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics14152991 - 27 Jul 2025
Viewed by 251
Abstract
Private 5G networks offer exclusive, secure wireless communication with full control deployments for many clients, such as enterprises and campuses. In these networks, edge computing plays a critical role by hosting both application services and the User Plane Functions (UPFs) as containerized workloads [...] Read more.
Private 5G networks offer exclusive, secure wireless communication with full control deployments for many clients, such as enterprises and campuses. In these networks, edge computing plays a critical role by hosting both application services and the User Plane Functions (UPFs) as containerized workloads close to end devices, reducing latency and ensuring stringent Quality of Service (QoS). However, edge environments often face resource constraints and unpredictable failures such as network disruptions or hardware malfunctions, which can severely affect the reliability of the network. In addition, existing redundancy-based UPF resilience strategies, which maintain standby instances, incur substantial overheads and degrade resource efficiency and scalability for the applications. To address this issue, this study introduces a novel design that enables quick detection of UPF failures and two failover mechanisms to restore failed UPF instances either within the cluster hosting the failed UPF or across multiple clusters, depending on that cluster’s resource availability and health. We implemented and evaluated our proposed approach on a Kubernetes-based testbed, and the results demonstrate that our approach reduces UPF redeployment time by up to 37% compared to baseline methods and lowers system cost by up to 50% under high-reliability requirements compared to traditional redundancy-based failover methods. These findings demonstrate that our design can serve as a complementary solution alongside traditional resilience strategies, offering a particularly cost-effective and resource-efficient alternative for edge computing and other constrained environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Intelligent Systems and Networks, 2nd Edition)
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23 pages, 12169 KiB  
Article
Effect of Quasi-Static Door Operation on Shear Layer Bifurcations in Supersonic Cavities
by Skyler Baugher, Datta Gaitonde, Bryce Outten, Rajan Kumar, Rachelle Speth and Scott Sherer
Aerospace 2025, 12(8), 668; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12080668 - 26 Jul 2025
Viewed by 190
Abstract
Span-wise homogeneous supersonic cavity flows display complicated structures due to shear layer breakdown, flow acoustic resonance, and even non-linear hydrodynamic-acoustic interactions. In practical applications, such as aircraft bays, the cavity is of finite width and has doors, both of which introduce distinctive phenomena [...] Read more.
Span-wise homogeneous supersonic cavity flows display complicated structures due to shear layer breakdown, flow acoustic resonance, and even non-linear hydrodynamic-acoustic interactions. In practical applications, such as aircraft bays, the cavity is of finite width and has doors, both of which introduce distinctive phenomena that couple with the shear layer at the cavity lip, further modulating shear layer bifurcations and tonal mechanisms. In particular, asymmetric states manifest as ‘tornado’ vortices with significant practical consequences on the design and operation. Both inward- and outward-facing leading-wedge doors, resulting in leading edge shocks directed into and away from the cavity, are examined at select opening angles ranging from 22.5° to 90° (fully open) at Mach 1.6. The computational approach utilizes the Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations with a one-equation model and is augmented by experimental observations of cavity floor pressure and surface oil-flow patterns. For the no-doors configuration, the asymmetric results are consistent with a long-time series DDES simulation, previously validated with two experimental databases. When fully open, outer wedge doors (OWD) yield an asymmetric flow, while inner wedge doors (IWD) display only mildly asymmetric behavior. At lower door angles (partially closed cavity), both types of doors display a successive bifurcation of the shear layer, ultimately resulting in a symmetric flow. IWD tend to promote symmetry for all angles observed, with the shear layer experiencing a pitchfork bifurcation at the ‘critical angle’ (67.5°). This is also true for the OWD at the ‘critical angle’ (45°), though an entirely different symmetric flow field is established. The first observation of pitchfork bifurcations (‘critical angle’) for the IWD is at 67.5° and for the OWD, 45°, complementing experimental observations. The back wall signature of the bifurcated shear layer (impingement preference) was found to be indicative of the 3D cavity dynamics and may be used to establish a correspondence between 3D cavity dynamics and the shear layer. Below the critical angle, the symmetric flow field is comprised of counter-rotating vortex pairs at the front and back wall corners. The existence of a critical angle and the process of door opening versus closing indicate the possibility of hysteresis, a preliminary discussion of which is presented. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
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29 pages, 8280 KiB  
Article
Constructing an Ecological Spatial Network Optimization Framework from the Pattern–Process–Function Perspective: A Case Study in Wuhan
by An Tong, Yan Zhou, Tao Chen and Zihan Qu
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(15), 2548; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17152548 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 398
Abstract
Under the continuous disturbance of ecosystems driven by urbanization, landscape fragmentation and the disruption of ecological processes and functions are key challenges in optimizing ecological networks (EN). This study aims to examine the spatiotemporal evolution of topological patterns, ecological processes, and ecosystem services [...] Read more.
Under the continuous disturbance of ecosystems driven by urbanization, landscape fragmentation and the disruption of ecological processes and functions are key challenges in optimizing ecological networks (EN). This study aims to examine the spatiotemporal evolution of topological patterns, ecological processes, and ecosystem services (ES) in Wuhan from the “pattern–process–function” perspective. To overcome the lag in research concerning the coupling of ecological processes, functions, and spatial patterns, we explore the long-term dynamic evolution of ecosystem structure, process, and function by integrating multi-source data, including remote sensing, enabling comprehensive spatiotemporal analysis from 2000 to 2020. Addressing limitations in current EN optimization approaches, we integrate morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA), use circuit theory to identify EN components, and conduct spatial optimization accurately. We further assess the effectiveness of two scenario types: “pattern–function” and “pattern–process”. The results reveal a distinct “increase-then-decrease” trend in EN structural attributes: from 2000 to 2020, source areas declined from 39 (900 km2) to 37 (725 km2), while corridor numbers fluctuated before stabilizing at 89. Ecological processes and functions exhibited phased fluctuations. Among water-related indicators, water conservation (as a core function), and modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI, as a key process) predominantly drive positive correlations under the “pattern–function” and “pattern–process” scenarios, respectively. The “pattern–function” scenario strengthens core area connectivity (24% and 4% slower degradation under targeted/random attacks, respectively), enhancing resistance to general disturbances, whereas the “pattern–process” scenario increases redundancy in edge transition zones (21% slower degradation under targeted attacks), improving resilience to targeted disruptions. This complementary design results in a gradient EN structure characterized by core stability and peripheral resilience. This study pioneers an EN optimization framework that systematically integrates identification, assessment, optimization, and validation into a closed-loop workflow. Notably, it establishes a quantifiable, multi-objective decision basis for EN optimization, offering transferable guidance for green infrastructure planning and ecological restoration from a pattern–process–function perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Remote Sensing in Landscape Ecology)
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40 pages, 16352 KiB  
Review
Surface Protection Technologies for Earthen Sites in the 21st Century: Hotspots, Evolution, and Future Trends in Digitalization, Intelligence, and Sustainability
by Yingzhi Xiao, Yi Chen, Yuhao Huang and Yu Yan
Coatings 2025, 15(7), 855; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15070855 - 20 Jul 2025
Viewed by 678
Abstract
As vital material carriers of human civilization, earthen sites are experiencing continuous surface deterioration under the combined effects of weathering and anthropogenic damage. Traditional surface conservation techniques, due to their poor compatibility and limited reversibility, struggle to address the compound challenges of micro-scale [...] Read more.
As vital material carriers of human civilization, earthen sites are experiencing continuous surface deterioration under the combined effects of weathering and anthropogenic damage. Traditional surface conservation techniques, due to their poor compatibility and limited reversibility, struggle to address the compound challenges of micro-scale degradation and macro-scale deformation. With the deep integration of digital twin technology, spatial information technologies, intelligent systems, and sustainable concepts, earthen site surface conservation technologies are transitioning from single-point applications to multidimensional integration. However, challenges remain in terms of the insufficient systematization of technology integration and the absence of a comprehensive interdisciplinary theoretical framework. Based on the dual-core databases of Web of Science and Scopus, this study systematically reviews the technological evolution of surface conservation for earthen sites between 2000 and 2025. CiteSpace 6.2 R4 and VOSviewer 1.6 were used for bibliometric visualization analysis, which was innovatively combined with manual close reading of the key literature and GPT-assisted semantic mining (error rate < 5%) to efficiently identify core research themes and infer deeper trends. The results reveal the following: (1) technological evolution follows a three-stage trajectory—from early point-based monitoring technologies, such as remote sensing (RS) and the Global Positioning System (GPS), to spatial modeling technologies, such as light detection and ranging (LiDAR) and geographic information systems (GIS), and, finally, to today’s integrated intelligent monitoring systems based on multi-source fusion; (2) the key surface technology system comprises GIS-based spatial data management, high-precision modeling via LiDAR, 3D reconstruction using oblique photogrammetry, and building information modeling (BIM) for structural protection, while cutting-edge areas focus on digital twin (DT) and the Internet of Things (IoT) for intelligent monitoring, augmented reality (AR) for immersive visualization, and blockchain technologies for digital authentication; (3) future research is expected to integrate big data and cloud computing to enable multidimensional prediction of surface deterioration, while virtual reality (VR) will overcome spatial–temporal limitations and push conservation paradigms toward automation, intelligence, and sustainability. This study, grounded in the technological evolution of surface protection for earthen sites, constructs a triadic framework of “intelligent monitoring–technological integration–collaborative application,” revealing the integration needs between DT and VR for surface technologies. It provides methodological support for addressing current technical bottlenecks and lays the foundation for dynamic surface protection, solution optimization, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Full article
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25 pages, 4682 KiB  
Article
Visual Active SLAM Method Considering Measurement and State Uncertainty for Space Exploration
by Yao Zhao, Zhi Xiong, Jingqi Wang, Lin Zhang and Pascual Campoy
Aerospace 2025, 12(7), 642; https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12070642 - 20 Jul 2025
Viewed by 288
Abstract
This paper presents a visual active SLAM method considering measurement and state uncertainty for space exploration in urban search and rescue environments. An uncertainty evaluation method based on the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) is studied from the perspective of evaluating the localization uncertainty [...] Read more.
This paper presents a visual active SLAM method considering measurement and state uncertainty for space exploration in urban search and rescue environments. An uncertainty evaluation method based on the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) is studied from the perspective of evaluating the localization uncertainty of SLAM systems. With the aid of the Fisher Information Matrix, the Cramér–Rao Lower Bound (CRLB) of the pose uncertainty in the stereo visual SLAM system is derived to describe the boundary of the pose uncertainty. Optimality criteria are introduced to quantitatively evaluate the localization uncertainty. The odometry information selection method and the local bundle adjustment information selection method based on Fisher Information are proposed to find out the measurements with low uncertainty for localization and mapping in the search and rescue process. By adopting the method above, the computing efficiency of the system is improved while the localization accuracy is equivalent to the classical ORB-SLAM2. Moreover, by the quantified uncertainty of local poses and map points, the generalized unary node and generalized unary edge are defined to improve the computational efficiency in computing local state uncertainty. In addition, an active loop closing planner considering local state uncertainty is proposed to make use of uncertainty in assisting the space exploration and decision-making of MAV, which is beneficial to the improvement of MAV localization performance in search and rescue environments. Simulations and field tests in different challenging scenarios are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Aeronautics)
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23 pages, 2695 KiB  
Article
Estimation of Subtropical Forest Aboveground Biomass Using Active and Passive Sentinel Data with Canopy Height
by Yi Wu, Yu Chen, Chunhong Tian, Ting Yun and Mingyang Li
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(14), 2509; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17142509 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 366
Abstract
Forest biomass is closely related to carbon sequestration capacity and can reflect the level of forest management. This study utilizes four machine learning algorithms, namely Multivariate Stepwise Regression (MSR), K-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Random Forest (RF), to estimate forest [...] Read more.
Forest biomass is closely related to carbon sequestration capacity and can reflect the level of forest management. This study utilizes four machine learning algorithms, namely Multivariate Stepwise Regression (MSR), K-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), and Random Forest (RF), to estimate forest aboveground biomass (AGB) in Chenzhou City, Hunan Province, China. In addition, a canopy height model, constructed from a digital surface model (DSM) derived from Sentinel-1 Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and an ICESat-2-corrected SRTM DEM, is incorporated to quantify its impact on the accuracy of AGB estimation. The results indicate the following: (1) The incorporation of multi-source remote sensing data significantly improves the accuracy of AGB estimation, among which the RF model performs the best (R2 = 0.69, RMSE = 24.26 t·ha−1) compared with the single-source model. (2) The canopy height model (CHM) obtained from InSAR-LiDAR effectively alleviates the signal saturation effect of optical and SAR data in high-biomass areas (>200 t·ha−1). When FCH is added to the RF model combined with multi-source remote sensing data, the R2 of the AGB estimation model is improved to 0.74. (3) In 2018, AGB in Chenzhou City shows clear spatial heterogeneity, with a mean of 51.87 t·ha−1. Biomass increases from the western hilly part (32.15–68.43 t·ha−1) to the eastern mountainous area (89.72–256.41 t·ha−1), peaking in Dongjiang Lake National Forest Park (256.41 t·ha−1). This study proposes a comprehensive feature integration framework that combines red-edge spectral indices for capturing vegetation physiological status, SAR-derived texture metrics for assessing canopy structural heterogeneity, and canopy height metrics to characterize forest three-dimensional structure. This integrated approach enables the robust and accurate monitoring of carbon storage in subtropical forests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Collection Feature Paper Special Issue on Forest Remote Sensing)
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18 pages, 821 KiB  
Article
Joint Iterative Decoding Design of Cooperative Downlink SCMA Systems
by Hao Cheng, Min Zhang and Ruoyu Su
Entropy 2025, 27(7), 762; https://doi.org/10.3390/e27070762 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 223
Abstract
Sparse code multiple access (SCMA) has been a competitive multiple access candidate for future communication networks due to its superiority in spectrum efficiency and providing massive connectivity. However, cell edge users may suffer from great performance degradations due to signal attenuation. Therefore, a [...] Read more.
Sparse code multiple access (SCMA) has been a competitive multiple access candidate for future communication networks due to its superiority in spectrum efficiency and providing massive connectivity. However, cell edge users may suffer from great performance degradations due to signal attenuation. Therefore, a cooperative downlink SCMA system is proposed to improve transmission reliability. To the best of our knowledge, multiuser detection is still an open issue for this cooperative downlink SCMA system. To this end, we propose a joint iterative decoding design of the cooperative downlink SCMA system by using the joint factor graph stemming from direct and relay transmission. The closed form bit-error rate (BER) performance of the cooperative downlink SCMA system is also derived. Simulation results verify that the proposed cooperative downlink SCMA system performs better than the non-cooperative one. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wireless Communications: Signal Processing Perspectives, 2nd Edition)
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16 pages, 1420 KiB  
Article
Light-Driven Quantum Dot Dialogues: Oscillatory Photoluminescence in Langmuir–Blodgett Films
by Tefera Entele Tesema
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(14), 1113; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15141113 - 18 Jul 2025
Viewed by 301
Abstract
This study explores the optical properties of a close-packed monolayer composed of core/shell-alloyed CdSeS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) of two different sizes and compositions. The monolayers were self-assembled in a stacked configuration at the water/air interface using Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) techniques. Under continuous 532 nm [...] Read more.
This study explores the optical properties of a close-packed monolayer composed of core/shell-alloyed CdSeS/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) of two different sizes and compositions. The monolayers were self-assembled in a stacked configuration at the water/air interface using Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) techniques. Under continuous 532 nm laser illumination on the red absorption edge of the blue-emitting smaller QDs (QD450), the red-emitting larger QDs (QD645) exhibited oscillatory temporal dynamics in their photoluminescence (PL), characterized by a pronounced blueshift in the emission peak wavelength and an abrupt decrease in peak intensity. Conversely, excitation by a 405 nm laser on the blue absorption edge induced a drastic redshift in the emission wavelength over time. These significant shifts in emission spectra are attributed to photon- and anisotropic-strain-assisted interlayer atom transfer. The findings provide new insights into strain-driven atomic rearrangements and their impact on the photophysical behavior of QD systems. Full article
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