Search Results (72)

The robotic exploration of space began only five decades ago, and yet in the intervening years, a wide and diverse ecosystem of robotic explorers has been developed for this purpose. Such devices have greatly benefited from miniaturization trends and the increased availability of high-quality commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components. This review outlines the specific taxonomic distinction between planetary surface rovers and other robotic space exploration vehicles, such as orbiters and landers. Additionally, arguments are made to standardize the classification of planetary rovers by mass into categories similar to those used for orbital satellites. Discussions about recent noteworthy trends toward the miniaturization of planetary rovers are also included, as well as a compilation of previous planetary rovers. This analysis compiles relevant metrics such as the mass, the distance traveled, and the locomotion or actuation technique for previous planetary rovers. Additional details are also examined about archetypal rovers that were chosen as representatives of specific small-scale rover classes. Finally, potential future trends for miniature planetary surface rovers are examined by way of comparison to similar miniaturized orbital robotic explorers known as CubeSats. Based on the existing relationship between CubeSats and their Earth-based simulation equivalents, CanSats, the importance of a potential Earth-based analog for miniature rovers is identified. This research establishes such a device, coining the new term ‘CanBot’ to refer to pathfinding systems that are deployed terrestrially to help develop future planetary surface exploration robots. Establishing this explicit genre of robotic vehicle is intended to provide a unified means for categorizing and encouraging the development of future small-scale rovers. Full article

This study examines the identity of nanostores—micro, independent grocery retailers—through a systemic, stakeholder-informed lens to promote their survivability and competitiveness. Moving beyond traditional operational descriptions, it introduces a multidimensional framework that examines what nanostores do (X), how they do it (Y), and why they matter (Z), which is complemented by the use of the TASCOI tool to produce identity statements. Based on survey data collection and a thematic analysis of nanostore stakeholder responses in Mexico City, the research categorises identity statements into six 2 × 2 matrices across four dimensions: operational, functional, relational, and adaptive. This analysis yields twenty-four archetypes that capture the diversity, complexity, and adaptability of nanostores. The findings reveal that nanostores are not a homogeneous category. They simultaneously exhibit characteristics of multiple archetypes, blending retail function, social embeddedness, and entrepreneurial adaptation. This study contributes to the nanostore and micro-enterprise literature by operationalising identity description and offers practical insights for supporting diverse shop types through context-sensitive policy and business strategies. While this study ensures internal validity and reliability through systematic coding and stakeholder feedback, it acknowledges limitations in its generalisability. Future research may build on this work through comparative studies, longitudinal tracking, and direct engagement with nanostore owners and their communities to further understand the dynamics of their identity and their resilience in evolving retail landscapes. Full article

Bioinspired morphing offers a powerful route to higher aerodynamic and hydrodynamic efficiency. Birds reposition feathers, bats extend compliant membrane wings, and fish modulate fin stiffness, tailoring lift, drag, and thrust in real time. To capture these advantages, engineers are developing airfoils, rotor blades, and hydrofoils that actively change shape, reducing drag, improving maneuverability, and harvesting energy from unsteady flows. This review surveys over 296 studies, with primary emphasis on literature published between 2015 and 2025, distilling four biological archetypes—avian wing morphing, bat-wing elasticity, fish-fin compliance, and tubercled marine flippers—and tracing their translation into morphing aircraft, ornithopters, rotorcraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, and tidal or wave-energy converters. We compare experimental demonstrations and numerical simulations, identify consensus performance gains (up to 30% increase in lift-to-drag ratio, 4 dB noise reduction, and 15% boost in propulsive or power-capture efficiency), and analyze materials, actuation, control strategies, certification, and durability as the main barriers to deployment. Advances in multifunctional composites, electroactive polymers, and model-based adaptive control have moved prototypes from laboratory proof-of-concept toward field testing. Continued collaboration among biology, materials science, control engineering, and fluid dynamics is essential to unlock robust, scalable morphing technologies that meet future efficiency and sustainability targets. Full article

The renovation of buildings impacts various factors; one of them is the economic aspect, which has a significant influence on the decision-making process in building refurbishment, especially in social housing. An often-neglected aspect of renovation is the influence of climate change. Typically, historical climate data are used to estimate the building’s future energy needs. However, due to climate change, this approach may fail to accurately represent future environmental conditions, resulting in miscalculations in energy consumption and costs. This study analyzed a building archetype obtained from the TABULA webtool with the characteristics of a social house building located in Trieste. Dynamic simulations were performed using DesignBuilder and EnergyPlus software and future climate models (the GERICS_CNRM-CM5 and GERICS_IPSL-CM5A-MR models obtained from the EURO-CORDEX database). The projected energy needs of the renovated building and its economic effects were compared with current scenarios, and due to the uncertainties in economic parameters, the outcome is expressed in terms of percentiles of the Net Present Value (NPV). The results of this study show that since temperature increases in the future, the need for energy in the heating period reduces, while the need for cooling increases, directly affecting the statistical distribution of the NPV. Full article

It is believed that the deployment of autonomous vehicles in Europe has the potential to achieve safer, more sustainable and more equitable mobility. This study provides new insight into the hopes and expectations of citizens across five European countries for autonomous transport systems via a qualitative co-creation activity. A diverse and inclusive sample of 147 citizens was invited to generate their own ideas about how self-driving transport could be usefully deployed. Participants were asked to describe, in detail, what the vehicle would be like, what kind of mobility service it would provide, and who the target users would be. Structured qualitative analysis of the answers identified 337 distinct scenarios for autonomous vehicles across seven archetypes. In this paper, we describe a number of features of autonomous services that citizens expect and analyze the differences between demographic groups. We found that citizens across all five countries share a vision of autonomous mobility as electric- or hydrogen-powered, with a much greater use of shared mobility than is currently the case. This understanding of the expectations of a diverse group of citizens offers valuable insights for industry and policymaker actors to implement regarding future technology and transport investment and policy and service development. Full article

Generative AI (GenAI), particularly text-to-image (TTI) models, is reshaping landscape representation by transforming textual descriptions into visual outputs. However, these models often reinforce biases embedded in their training datasets, shaping how landscapes are perceived and represented. This research examines the biases in GenAI-generated landscape imagery through the lens of Edward Said’s “imaginative geographies”, focusing on how geographic references, cultural archetypes, and methodological factors influence AI outputs. We employed a structured approach to create prompts based on the Global Ecosystem Typology (GET), using Midjourney V6.1 as the primary tool for image generation. We extracted landscape descriptors from GET classifications and structured them into both simple and detailed prompts. The analysis involved comparing AI-generated images to ecological classifications and reference images to assess biases. The findings reveal the following three key types of biases: (1) geographic biases, where certain locations act as semantic triggers, leading to culturally stereotypical portrayals; (2) representation biases, where landscapes frequently depicted in AI training datasets appear with greater accuracy, while underrepresented landscapes are simplified into essentialized visual tropes; and (3) methodological biases, where prompt complexity influences representational accuracy but does not eliminate pre-existing cultural hierarchies. To address the bias challenges, the research presents the following four key recommendations for future research and practice: (1) incorporating finer-scale ecosystem classifications; (2) diversifying training datasets; (3) engaging local communities in participatory data collection; and (4) refining prompt-writing methodologies. These insights contribute to broader discussions on AI bias, emphasizing the necessity of critically evaluating the role of generative models in shaping landscape imaginaries. Full article

The problem of maximizing energy efficiency in Algerian residential structures in Mediterranean climates is discussed in this article. The primary issue with North Africa’s residential building stock is the dearth of benchmark models that describe thermal comfort and energy use, which is made worse by high cooling needs and energy poverty. The principal aim of this study is to create a benchmark model that will aid in evaluating the energy performance of the existing system and to suggest a series of actions to improve efficiency and thermal comfort in the future. The technique builds a calibrated model based on a database of 284 Algiers apartments by combining modeling and empirical observations. Based on the observed U-Value wall of 0.43 W/(m²K), the average annual energy use for Archetype A is 3.70 kWh/m², and the average annual heating energy use is 13.20 kWh/m². The significance of this model in advancing energy efficiency and sustainability in Mediterranean climates is emphasized in the Conclusion Section. These results contribute to our understanding of the dynamics of building energy in similar global environments and evaluate the thermal comfort and the measurement of CO₂ emissions in this type of building. Full article

Background/Objectives: Qualitative research suggests there may be identifiable characteristics that form a health professional (HCP) archetype associated with habitual seasonal influenza vaccination (SIV). However, the validity of this archetype requires further investigation, ideally within a theoretical framework that can elucidate this association and its generalisability to other vaccines. This study aims to confirm key HCP archetype characteristics associated with SIV, as informed by prior qualitative research findings, and test the generalisability of the association between this archetype and SIV to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Method: A cross-sectional survey was designed and distributed to an Australian HCP sample consisting of practicing nurses, midwives, pharmacists, and medical practitioners. The anonymous online survey measured key characteristics that predict vaccination behaviour and intention. Results: Most participants (n = 173) demonstrated habitual SIV behaviour (77.91%) associated with the intention to vaccinate in the future. Survey findings supported the HCP archetype, as key constructs were associated with vaccination intention and behaviour, including heightened professional responsibility, vaccine confidence, and protection of self and patients. Furthermore, results suggested progressing vaccination intention to behaviour, overcoming vaccine complacency, is possible through the provision of free, accessible vaccination services. These critical factors were broadly generalisable to the COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusions: A vaccination-positive HCP archetype, supported by access to free, convenient vaccination services, was associated with the likelihood of future vaccination behaviour, including in future pandemic response scenarios. However, it will be important to ensure that HCP vaccine knowledge gaps are minimised to enhance trust in this cohort to enable broad success. Full article

This paper addresses the need to improve the understanding of how integrated water resources management (IWRM) can be more effective in addressing diverse water challenges globally. The emphasis is on the use of systems methods to clarify IWRM and create support for it among the academic community for emphasis after the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) expire in 2030. The importance of using IWRM is apparent in frequent reports about challenges like access to water supply and sanitation, water-related disasters, water stresses, water pollution, and ecosystem losses. These affect the SDGs, especially Goal 6 for implementation of IWRM. Among competing paradigms for water resources management practice, IWRM has a more organized advocacy base than others, and sustaining it can support all of them. However, IWRM has been supported for more than 20 years and is still difficult to understand and criticized. Despite this, sustained support for it indicates that it meets an important need. Systems concepts of problem archetypes, skeletonization, and the concept of emergence were used to create a model to explain IWRM as a framework of institutional arrangements and a cooperative problem-solving process. A set of four synthesized problem archetypes was developed, and stakeholder analysis was used to identify key disciplines for its implementation and to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed among them. These point the way for academics to develop clear explanations while retaining comprehensive perspectives of IWRM. Building and sustaining a viable academic community to support IWRM will face barriers because academics focus mainly on their disciplines where they are rewarded and recognized. This is also evident in the smaller membership bases of interdisciplinary water associations compared to disciplinary or sector-based water associations. IWRM as an organizing platform for cross-sector water resources management has a long-term future if academics focus on it and its support by international partners continues. By explaining IWRM better and marshalling greater support for it among the academic community, the same approach of clarifying ambiguous concepts and providing better ways to engage academia may help other SDG areas. Full article

Global climate change is significantly altering the energy consumption patterns and outdoor environments of buildings. The current meteorological data utilized for building design exhibit numerous deficiencies. To effectively address the needs of future building usage in design, it is crucial to establish more refined meteorological parameters that accurately reflect the climate of specific geographical locations. Utilizing 60 years of meteorological data from Guangzhou, this study employs the cumulative distribution functions (CDFs) method to define four archetypal meteorological years, providing a robust foundation for subsequent analysis. The findings indicate a significant increase in the frequency of high temperatures and temperature values during the summer months, with an increase of nearly 20% in the cumulative degree hours (CDHs) used for calculating a typical meteorological year (TMY4) over the past 30 years. Additionally, there has been an increase of 0.4–0.7 °C in the air conditioning design daily temperature. The statistics on outdoor calculation parameters for different geographical locations, as well as outdoor design parameters for varying guaranteed rate levels in the Pearl River Delta, reveal a substantial impact on outdoor calculation parameters. The maximum difference in cooling load is approximately 9.3%, with a generally high cooling demand in summer and a relatively low heating demand in winter. Furthermore, the calculation values for different non-guaranteed rates can be applied flexibly to meet the needs of engineering applications. This study provides a valuable reference for updating meteorological parameters in building design. By refining meteorological parameters, this study enables more accurate predictions of energy needs, leading to optimized building designs that reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It supports the development of resilient buildings capable of adapting to changing climatic conditions, thus contributing to long-term environmental sustainability. Full article

As the world pivots to a greener paradigm, Shanghai emerges as an archetype in the sustainable urban transit narrative, particularly through the aggressive expansion and refinement of its electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. This scholarly article provides a comprehensive examination of the current state of charging infrastructure in Shanghai, highlighting the challenges that the existing infrastructure may face in light of the burgeoning electric vehicle market. This paper delves into the strategic development approaches adopted by Shanghai to address these challenges, particularly emphasizing the expansion of high-power charging infrastructure to meet the anticipated increase in future electric vehicle charging demands. It also discusses the implementation of co-construction and sharing models, the enhancement of interconnectivity and standardized management of charging facilities, and the continuous improvement and strengthening of infrastructure construction and operations. Furthermore, this article explores the implementation of time-of-use electricity pricing policies and the ongoing conduct of demand response activities, which are instrumental in creating conditions for vehicle-to-grid interaction. The aim of our presentation is to foster a keen understanding among policymakers, industry stakeholders, and urban planners of the mechanisms necessary to effectively navigate the emerging electric vehicle market, thereby encouraging harmonious development between metropolises and transportation systems. Future research endeavors should delve into the realms of fast-charging technologies, intelligent operation and maintenance of charging infrastructure, and vehicle-to-grid interaction technologies. These areas of study are pivotal in fostering the harmonious development of electric vehicles (EVs) and their charging infrastructure, thereby aligning with the dual objectives of advancing urban transportation systems and sustainable green city development. The findings presented herein offer valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and industry leaders, guiding them in crafting informed strategies that not only address the immediate needs of the EV market but also lay the groundwork for a scalable and resilient charging infrastructure, poised to support the long-term vision of sustainable urban mobility. Full article

Spin-crossover (SCO) and single-ion magnets (SIMs), or their mixed SCO-SIM derivatives, are a convenient solution in the evolution from molecular magnetism toward molecular spintronics and quantum computing. Herein, we report on the current trends and future directions on the use of mononuclear six-coordinate Co^II SCO-SIM complexes with potential opto-, electro-, or chemo-active 2,6-pyridinediimine (PDI)- and 2,2′:6′,2′-terpyridine (TERPY)-type ligands as archetypical examples of multifunctional and multiresponsive magnetic devices for applications in molecular spintronics and quantum computing technologies. This unique class of spin-crossover cobalt(II) molecular nanomagnets is particularly well suited for addressing and scaling on different supports, like metal molecular junctions or carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) and metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) or metal-covalent organic frameworks (MCOFs), in order to measure the single-molecule electron transport and quantum coherence properties, which are two major challenges in single-molecule spintronics (SMS) and quantum information processing (QIP). Full article

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has traditionally been considered the archetype of progressive fibrotic interstitial lung diseases (f-ILDs), but several other f-ILDs can also manifest a progressive phenotype. Integrating genomic signatures into clinical practice for f-ILD patients may help to identify patients predisposed to a progressive phenotype. In addition to the risk of progressive pulmonary fibrosis, there is a growing body of literature examining how pharmacogenomics influences treatment response, particularly regarding the efficacy and safety profiles of antifibrotic and immunomodulatory agents. In this narrative review, we discuss current studies in IPF and other forms of pulmonary fibrosis, including systemic autoimmune disorders associated ILDs, sarcoidosis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. We also provide insights into the future direction of research in this complex field. Full article

Megacities boost peri-urban socioeconomic development but fulfill their high natural resource demands by overexploitation, yielding irreversible environmental damage in surroundings that turn into sacrifice zones. This study reports the effects on the Cuautitlán-Pachuca Valley, the Mexico City main expansion zone at the northeast of the metropolitan area on the Central Mexico plateau, the trend scenarios from 2020 to 2050, and the actions to mitigate the growing water demand that will worsen its aquifer overexploitation. We designed a conceptual archetype to apply the Water Evaluation and Planning System (W.E.A.P.) mathematical model calibrated with 2013–2014 data to calculate groundwater volume demand in future scenarios. The demand output for the international airport and agriculture was less than 5%. The local climate change effect up to 2050 will slightly reduce the infiltration. The most crucial water demand increase (195% in 2050) is due to the population and industrial growth of the Mexico City northern municipalities (89% of the total groundwater extraction volume), and the aquifer will have a notable −2192.3 hm³ accumulated deficit in 2050, while urban sprawl will decrease water infiltration by 2.3%. Mitigation scenarios such as rainwater harvesting may reduce the urban water supply only by 9%, and a leak cutback will do so by 24%, which is still insufficient to achieve sustainable water management in the future. These outcomes emphasize the need to consider other actions, such as importing water from near aquifers and treating wastewater reuse to meet the future water demand. Full article

The Quintuple Aim seeks to improve healthcare by addressing social determinants of health (SDOHs), which are responsible for 70–80% of medical outcomes. SDOH-related concerns have traditionally been addressed through referrals to social workers and community-based organizations (CBOs), but these pathways have had limited success in connecting patients with resources. Given that health inequity is expected to cost the United States nearly USD 300 billion by 2050, new artificial intelligence (AI) technology may aid providers in addressing SDOH. In this commentary, we present our experience with using ChatGPT to obtain SDOH management recommendations for archetypal patients in Philadelphia, PA. ChatGPT identified relevant SDOH resources and provided contact information for local organizations. Future exploration could improve AI prompts and integrate AI into electronic medical records to provide healthcare providers with real-time SDOH recommendations during appointments. Full article