Search Results (3,443)

An Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) is an indispensable part of image sensor systems. This paper presents a silicon-based 13-bit 100 kS/s two-step single-slope analog-to-digital converter (TS-SS ADC) for infrared image sensors with a frame rate of 100 Hz. For the charge leakage and offset voltage issues inherent in conventional TS-SS ADC, a four-terminal comparator was employed to resolve the fine ramp voltage offset caused by charge redistribution in storage and parasitic capacitors. In addition, a current-steering digital-to-analog converter (DAC) was adopted to calibrate the voltage reference of the dynamic comparator and mitigate differential nonlinearity (DNL)/integral nonlinearity (INL). To eliminate quantization dead zones, a 1-bit redundancy was incorporated into the fine quantization circuit. Finally, the quantization scheme consisted of 7-bit coarse quantization followed by 7-bit fine quantization. The ADC was implemented using an SMIC 55 nm processSemiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, Shanghai, China. The post-simulation results show that when the power supply is 3.3 V, the ADC achieves a quantization range of 1.3 V–3 V. Operating at a 100 kS/s sampling rate, the proposed ADC exhibits an effective number of bits (ENOBs) of 11.86, a spurious-free dynamic range (SFDR) of 97.45 dB, and a signal-to-noise-and-distortion ratio (SNDR) of 73.13 dB. The power consumption of the ADC was 22.18 mW. Full article

Recent years have seen frequent heavy rainfall events in Japan, often linked to Baiu fronts and typhoons. These events are exacerbated by global warming, leading to an increased frequency and intensity. As floods represent a serious threat to sustainable urban development and community resilience, this study contributes to sustainability-focused risk reduction through integrated analysis. This study focuses on the 2 June 2023 heavy rain disaster in Toyohashi City, Japan, which caused extensive damage due to flooding from the Yagyu and Umeda Rivers. Using numerical models, this study accurately reproduces flooding patterns, revealing that high tides amplified the inundation area by 1.5 times at the Yagyu River. A resident questionnaire conducted in collaboration with Toyohashi City identifies key trends in evacuation behavior and disaster information usage. Traditional media such as TV remain dominant, but younger generations leverage electronic devices for disaster updates. These insights emphasize the need for targeted information dissemination and enhanced disaster preparedness strategies, including online materials and flexible training programs. The methods and findings presented in this study can inform local and regional governments in building adaptive disaster management policies, which contribute to a more sustainable society. Full article

Background and Objectives: Preterm birth and stillbirth are primary adverse pregnancy outcomes. Research during the COVID-19 pandemic revealed reductions in preterm birth in some countries, while stillbirth rates increased or remained unchanged. These findings suggest the presence of preventable risk factors associated with changes in physical activity and lower exposure to community-acquired infections due to lockdown measures, altered social interaction patterns or reduced access to antenatal care. Assessing seasonal variation may offer insights into whether lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 lockdown period influenced preterm birth rates. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data from the electronic medical records of Bihor and Sibiu counties. Preterm deliveries (<37 weeks) and stillbirths during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 and 2021) were compared with the corresponding pre-pandemic (2018 and 2019) and post-pandemic (2022 and 2023) period. Preterm birth rates during summer and winter in the pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic years were analyzed. A comparison with rates during strict lockdown was made. Results: Out of 52,021 newborn infants, 4473 were born preterm. Preterm birth rates remained stable across all three periods (p = 0.13), and no significant seasonal pattern was identified (p = 0.65). In contrast, stillbirth rates increased notably during the strict lockdown period, with the median incidence almost doubling compared to other periods (0.87%, p = 0.05), while remaining unchanged during the rest of the pandemic (p = 0.52). Conclusions: Our study found that preterm birth rates remained unaffected by the pandemic and lockdown periods, while stillbirths increased significantly during the strict lockdown. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining access to timely antenatal care during public health emergencies to prevent adverse perinatal outcomes. Full article

Background: Emotional abuse is both prevalent and underrecognized particularly in culturally complex settings like India. Adolescents, being in a critical developmental phase, are especially vulnerable to the long-lasting psychological effects of emotional abuse. This qualitative literature review aims to synthesize findings from primary studies that explore the lived experiences of emotional abuse among Indian adolescents and identify emerging patterns across sociocultural contexts. Method: Electronic databases, including DOAJ, Google Scholar, ProQuest, JSTOR, Pubmed, PsycNet, and SCOPUS, were searched for peer-reviewed articles published in English up to March 2025. Inclusion criteria comprised qualitative or mixed-methods research focusing on emotional abuse among adolescents aged 12–20 in Indian contexts. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) was used for quality assessment. Results: Five major thematic domains were identified across the included studies: (1) Family as a primary site of emotional abuse; (2) Gendered experiences of abuse; (3) Cultural normalization and silence; (4) Psychological and emotional consequences; and (5) Coping and resilience among adolescents. These themes reflect shared experiences of emotional abuse shaped by cultural, familial, and gender-based expectations. Conclusions: This review highlights the urgent need for increased awareness and culturally sensitive interventions addressing emotional abuse in Indian adolescents. The findings suggest that parents, educators, and policymakers must recognize emotionally harmful behaviors and implement prevention-oriented strategies, particularly through non-violent communication and adolescent mental health support frameworks. Full article

Actuators and power electronics are fundamental components of modern control systems, enabling high-precision functionality, enhanced energy efficiency, and sophisticated automation. This study investigates evolving research trends and thematic developments in these areas spanning the last two decades (2005–2024). This study analyzed 1840 peer-reviewed abstracts obtained from the Web of Science database using BERTopic modeling, which integrates transformer-based sentence embeddings with UMAP for dimensionality reduction and HDBSCAN for clustering. The approach also employed class-based TF-IDF calculations, intertopic distance visualization, and hierarchical clustering to clarify topic structures. The analysis revealed a steady increase in research publications, with a marked surge post-2015. From 2005 to 2014, investigations were mainly focused on established areas including piezoelectric actuators, adaptive control, and hydraulic systems. In contrast, the 2015–2024 period saw broader diversification into new topics such as advanced materials, robotic mechanisms, resilient systems, and networked actuator control through communication protocols. The structural topic analysis indicated a shift from a unified to a more differentiated and specialized spectrum of research themes. This study offers a rigorous, data-driven outlook on the increasing complexity and diversity of actuator and power electronics research. The findings are pertinent for researchers, engineers, and policymakers aiming to advance state-of-the-art, sustainable industrial technologies. Full article

The sustainable management of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) relies heavily on community participation in separating it at the source and delivering it to collection systems. These practices are crucial for reducing pollution, protecting ecosystems, and maximizing resource recovery. However, in the Global South context, with conditions of socioeconomic vulnerability, community participation in the sustainable management of MSW remains limited, highlighting the need to generate context-specific interventions. MSW includes items such as household appliances, batteries, and electronic devices, which require specialized handling due to their size, hazardous components, or material complexity. This study implemented a Community-Based Social Marketing approach during the research and design phases of an intervention focused on promoting source separation and management of hard-to-manage MSW in five municipalities within the administrative region of Norte de Santander (Colombia), which borders Venezuela. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected data from 1775 individuals (63.83% women; M _age = 33.48 years; SD = 17.25), employing social mapping, focus groups, semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and a survey questionnaire. The results show that the source separation and delivery of hard-to-manage MSW to collection systems are limited by a set of psychosocial, structural, and institutional barriers that interact with each other, affecting communities’ willingness and capacity for action. Furthermore, a prediction model of willingness to engage in separation and delivery behaviors showed a good fit (R2 = 0.83). The strongest predictors were awareness of the negative consequences of non-participation and perceived environmental benefits, with subjective norms contributing to a lesser extent. Based on these results, we designed a context-specific intervention focused on reducing these barriers and promoting community engagement in the sustainable management of hard-to-manage MSW. Full article

Introduction: Adolescents and young adults (AYAs), especially those from underserved communities, often face barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH). This pilot study evaluated the implementation of mobile health technologies to promote SRH care, including the integration of the Rapid Adolescent Prevention Screening^TM (RAAPS) and the Health-E You/Salud iTu^TM (Health-E You) app at a School-Based Health Center (SBHC) in Los Angeles using the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework. Methods: This multi-method pilot study included the implementation of an integrated tool with two components, the RAAPS electronic health screening tool and the Health-E You app, which delivers tailored SRH education and contraceptive decision support to patients (who were sex-assigned as female at birth) and provides an electronic summary to clinicians to better prepare them for the visit with their patient. Quantitative data on tool usage were collected directly from the back-end data storage for the apps, and qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and in-clinic observations. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify implementation barriers and facilitators. Results: Between April 2024 and June 2024, 60 unique patients (14–19 years of age) had a healthcare visit. Of these, 35.00% used the integrated RAAPS/Health-E You app, and 88.33% completed the Health-E You app only. All five clinic staff were interviewed and expressed that they valued the tools for their educational impact, noting that they enhanced SRH discussions and helped uncover sensitive information that students might not disclose face-to-face. However, the tools affected clinic workflows and caused rooming delays due to the time-intensive setup process and lack of integration with the clinic’s primary electronic medical record system. In addition, they also reported that the time to complete the screener and app within the context of a 30-min appointment limited the time available for direct patient care. Additionally, staff reported that some students struggled with the two-step process and did not complete all components of the tool. Despite these challenges, clinic staff strongly supported renewing the RAAPS license and continued use of the Health-E You app, emphasizing the platform’s potential for improving SRH care and its educational value. Conclusions: The integrated RAAPS and Health-E You app platform demonstrated educational value and improved SRH care but faced operational and technical barriers in implementing the tool. These findings emphasize the potential of such tools to address SRH disparities among vulnerable AYAs while providing a framework for future implementations in SBHCs. Full article

Recently, the design and fabrication of novel electrode materials for electrochemical and electronic devices have received the widespread attention of the scientific community. In particular, electrochemical sensors and supercapacitors (SCs) involve the use of catalysts, which can enhance the electrochemical reactions at the surface of the electrode. Bismuth tungstate (Bi₂WO₆) is a cost-effective and efficient electrode material with decent optoelectronic properties and stability. The properties of Bi₂WO₆ can be improved by incorporating carbon-based materials, and the resulting composite may be a promising electrode material for electrochemical sensing and SCs. As per the available reports, Bi₂WO₆ has been combined with various nanostructured and conductive materials for electrochemical sensing and SC applications. This review discusses synthetic methods for the preparation of Bi₂WO₆. Progress in the construction of hybrid composites for electrochemical sensing and SC applications is reviewed. The Conclusion section discusses the role of electrode materials and their limitations with future perspectives for electrochemical sensing and SCs. It is believed that the present review may be useful for researchers working on Bi₂WO₆-based materials for electrochemical sensing and SC applications. Full article

Communication delay, as a key factor restricting the rapid and accurate transmission of data in the smart grid, will affect the collaborative operation of power electronic devices represented by the Distributed Power Flow Controller (DPFC), and further affect the construction and safe and stable operation of the new power system. Aiming at the problem of DPFC communication delay prediction, this paper proposes a new SAR-ARIMA-LSTM hybrid prediction model. This model introduces the spatial autoregressive model (SAR) on the basis of the traditional ARIMA-LSTM model to extract the spatial correlation between devices caused by geographical location and communication load, and then combines ARIMA-LSTM prediction. The experimental structure shows that compared with the traditional ARIMA-LSTM model, the model proposed in this paper predicts that RMSE decreases from 1.59 to 1.2791 and MAE decreases from 1.27 to 1.0811, with a reduction of more than 14%. The method proposed in this paper can effectively reduce the communication delay prediction data of DPFC at different spatial positions, has a stronger ability to handle high-delay fluctuations, and provides a new technical approach for improving the reliability of the power grid communication network. Full article

LEDs are readily controllable and demonstrate rapid switching capabilities. These attributes facilitate their efficient integration across a broad spectrum of applications. Indeed, their inherent versatility renders them ideally suited for diverse sectors, including consumer electronics, traffic signage, automotive technology, and architectural illumination. Furthermore, LEDs serve as effective light sources for applications in spectroscopy, agriculture, pest control, and wireless optical transmission. The capability to choice high-efficiency LED devices with a specified dominant wavelength renders them particularly well-suited for integration into underwater optical communication systems. In this paper, we present the state-of-the-art of Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) for use in underwater wireless optical communications (UOWC). In particular, we focus on the challenges posed by water turbidity and evaluate the optimal wavelengths for communication in coastal environments, especially in the presence of chlorophyll or suspended particulate matter. Given the growing development and applications of underwater optical communication, it is crucial that the topic becomes not only a subject of research but also part of the curricula in technical school and universities. To this end, we introduce a simple and cost-effective UOWC system designed for educational purposes. Some tests have been conducted to evaluate the system’s performance, and the results have been reported. Full article

In recent studies, public health has been considered a key stakeholder in climate mitigation and adaptation in cities since they are more exposed to the impact of climate change. Nurses represent a vast majority of public health professionals, playing a key role in health promotion that allows them to influence individuals, families, and communities in adopting healthier behaviours and decarbonized lifestyles. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to map the existing evidence on nursing interventions, which are being led or implemented to reduce the health risks related to climate change in urban areas. The present review follows the JBI methodological framework, including a search on PubMed, MEDLINE complete, CINAHL Complete, Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), BASE (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine), and RCAAP. Hand searched references were also considered, including quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies between January 2014 and October 2024, for a more contemporary perspective. A three-step search strategy and data extraction tool were used by two independent reviewers. Twenty-seven studies in English and Portuguese were eligible for inclusion, all targeting a population of professionals with nursing-related roles: two case studies, one Delphi panel, one descriptive study, one historical research paper, two using a methodological design format, four narrative reviews, one observational study, nine review articles, three scoping reviews, and three systematic reviews. Eight categories of nursing interventions that contribute to decarbonized lifestyles, reducing health risks in relation to climate change, were acknowledged. Nurses play a key role in empowering individuals, families, and communities, promoting climate awareness and literacy, supporting health policy change, advocating for the most vulnerable and engaging in environmental activism, using evidence-based research, and taking advantage of marketing strategies and social media. Full article

Reparative tertiary dentinogenesis requires the recruitment and odontogenic differentiation of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) as bioactive molecules have gained attention in regenerative medicine for their ability to mediate tissue repair through intercellular communication, influencing cell recruitment, proliferation, and differentiation. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of EVs on DPSC homing and odontogenic differentiation for dentin regeneration. DPSC-derived EVs were cultured in either growth (EV-G) or odontogenic differentiation (EV-O) conditions and isolated using a modified precipitation method. EVs were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis, scanning electron microscopy, antibody array, and cellular uptake assay. Treatment with 5 × 10⁸ EVs/mL significantly enhanced DPSC chemotaxis and proliferation compared with a no-treatment control and a lower dosage of EV (5 × 10⁷ EVs/mL). Gene expression and biochemical analyses revealed that EV-O up-regulated odontogenic markers including collagen type 1A1 (COL1A1), runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). EV-O enhanced dentin regeneration by approximately 55% over vehicle controls in a rabbit partial dentinotomy/pulpotomy model. We identified key microRNAs (miR-21-5p, miR-221-3p, and miR-708-3p) in EV-O involved in cell homing and odontogenesis. In conclusion, our EV-based cell homing and odontogenic differentiation strategy has significant therapeutic potential for dentin regeneration. Full article

With the increasing integration of renewable energy and smart technologies in residential energy systems, proactive household energy management (HEM) have become critical for reducing costs, enhancing grid stability, and achieving sustainability goals. This study proposes a ultra-short-term forecasting-driven proactive energy consumption optimization strategy that integrates advanced forecasting models with multi-objective scheduling algorithms. By leveraging deep learning techniques like Graph Attention Network (GAT) architectures, the system predicts ultra-short-term household load profiles with high accuracy, addressing the volatility of residential energy use. Then, based on the predicted data, a comprehensive consideration of electricity costs, user comfort, carbon emission pricing, and grid load balance indicators is undertaken. This study proposes an enhanced mixed-integer optimization algorithm to collaboratively optimize multiple objective functions, thereby refining appliance scheduling, energy storage utilization, and grid interaction. Case studies demonstrate that integrating photovoltaic (PV) power generation forecasting and load forecasting models into a home energy management system, and adjusting the original power usage schedule based on predicted PV output and water heater demand, can effectively reduce electricity costs and carbon emissions without compromising user engagement in optimization. This approach helps promote energy-saving and low-carbon electricity consumption habits among users. Full article

The New Space movement led to an exponential increase in the number of the smallest satellites in orbit in the last two decades. The number of required communication channels increased with that as well and revealed the limitations of classical radio frequency channels. Free-space optical communication overcomes these challenges and has been successfully demonstrated, with operational systems in orbit on large and small satellites. The next step is to miniaturize the technology of laser communication to make it usable on CubeSats. Thus, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) developed, together with Tesat-Spacecom GmbH & Co. KG in Backnang, Germany, a highly miniaturized and power-efficient laser terminal, which is based on a potential customer’s use case. OSIRIS4CubeSat uses a new patented design that combines electronics and optomechanics into a single system architecture to achieve a high compactness following the CubeSat standard. Interfaces and software protocols that follow established standards allowed for an easy transition to the industry for a commercial mass market. The successful demonstration of OSIRIS4CubeSat during the PIXL-1 mission proved its capabilities and the advantages of free-space optical communication in the final environment. This paper gives an overview of the system architecture and the development of the single subsystems. The system’s capabilities are verified by the already published in-orbit demonstration results. Full article

The increasing demand for high-speed, energy-efficient computing has propelled the development of integrated photonic logic gates, which utilize the speed of light to surpass the limitations of traditional electronic circuits. These gates enable ultrafast, parallel data processing with minimal power consumption, making them ideal for next-generation computing, telecommunications, and quantum applications. Recent advancements in nanofabrication, nonlinear optics, and phase-change materials have facilitated the seamless integration of all-optical logic gates onto compact photonic chips, significantly enhancing performance and scalability. This paper explores the latest breakthroughs in photonic logic gate design, key material innovations, and their transformative applications. While challenges such as fabrication precision and electronic–photonic integration remain, integrated photonic logic gates hold immense promise for revolutionizing optical computing, artificial intelligence, and secure communication. Full article