Search Results (4,778)

Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) plays a vital role in occupant health and productivity. However, current Building Management Systems (BMS) often struggle in sustaining optimal IEQ levels due to limitations in data management and lack of occupant-centric feedback loops. To address these gaps, this research synthesizes the state-of-the-art methods for IEQ monitoring, assessment, and control within Building Automation Systems (BAS), identifying both technological and methodological advancements, as well as highlighting the challenges and potential opportunities for future innovations. Employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, this multi-stage literature review analyzes 176 publications from 1997 to 2024, with a focus on the decade of rapid technological evolution from 2014 to 2024. The review focuses on high-impact journals indexed in Scopus to ensure quality while acknowledging the potential bias inherent in a single-database search. The synthesis reveals a methodological shift in monitoring from sparse, zone-level sensing towards dense, multi-modal systems that incorporate physiological data via wearables and behavioral recognition through computer vision. Assessment techniques are evolving from static models such as the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) towards adaptive, personalized frameworks supported by Digital Twins and integrated simulations. Furthermore, control logic is transitioning toward Reinforcement Learning and Model Predictive Control to proactively manage occupancy surges and environmental variables. This evolution of monitoring approaches, assessment techniques, and control strategies is represented within the study’s Three-Tiered Developmental Trajectory, providing a novel Body of Knowledge (BOK) for mapping the transition of building systems from reactive tools to autonomous, occupant-centric agents. This study also introduces a Cross-Modal Interaction Matrix to systematically analyze the systemic trade-offs between IEQ domains. Furthermore, by establishing the “Implementation Frontier,” this work identifies the specific technical and ethical bottlenecks, such as “false vacancy” sensing errors, fragmented data silos, and the ethical complexities of high-resolution data collection that prevent academic innovations from becoming industry standards. To bridge these gaps, we conclude that the next generation of “cognitive buildings” must prioritize three pillars: resolving binary sensing limitations, harmonizing data via vendor-neutral APIs, and adopting privacy-preserving architectures to ensure scalable, interoperable, and occupant-centric optimization. Full article

In home-based elderly care, nursing beds play a crucial role in the daily lives of older adults. However, most existing nursing beds are designed for general patients, neglecting the specific needs of people with disabilities and their caregivers. To enhance user satisfaction with nursing beds, this study proposes a conceptual design approach based on a KANO-AHP integrated model based on behavioral design. First, the needs of caregivers and people with disabilities are identified through behavioral observations and in-depth interviews. The Fogg Behavior Model is then applied to translate these behavioral insights into extractable design elements, which are subsequently classified and prioritized systematically using the Kano model. Subsequently, the Analytic Hierarchy Process is employed to screen the most critical needs from the extracted ones and transform them into key design elements, thereby defining the structural components of the product. This integrated approach enables an accurate mapping from user requirements to design elements, thereby facilitating the development of nursing beds for people with disabilities. This study demonstrates the feasibility and effectiveness of the KANO-AHP model in design research for the aging population, offering valuable guidance and an innovative perspective for nursing bed design. Full article

Background/Objectives: Nature-inspired therapeutic strategies that promote biological regenerative mechanisms and replicate the native structural microenvironment conductive to formation of healthy tissue are increasingly recognized as a promising platform for skin tissue regeneration and wound healing. This study proposes an innovative design of novel multifunctional scaffolds composed entirely of natural components—gelatin, L-ascorbic (ASA) acid and allantoin—as a bioinspired approach for skin tissue regeneration through pro-regenerative, antimicrobial, and keratinocyte-supportive properties. Methods: The biocompatible, skin-adhesive scaffolds were prepared via a simple and environmentally friendly heat-induced crosslinking of gelatin with varying ASA contents, and by enriching the system with allantoin. The influence of ASA content on scaffold properties was investigated through characterization of their morphology, porosity, swelling behavior, skin tissue adhesion, and allantoin release potential. Biocompatibility was evaluated in vitro using human keratinocyte (HaCaT) cells, while antibacterial activity was assessed against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis. Results: The scaffolds revealed a highly porous, interconnected structure with tunable porosity (87.37–92.39%) and soft-tissue-matched mechanical properties (0.81–1.47 MPa). Incorporation of allantoin into the scaffolds enhanced their mechanical performance and swelling capacity. All scaffolds demonstrated antibacterial activity against both tested bacteria, supported keratinocyte viability and provided sustained release of allantoin for up to 76 h, confirming their multifunctional pro-regenerative potential. Conclusions: The novel gelatin/ascorbic acid scaffolds enriched with allantoin combine a porous replicated structure of native extracellular matrix, fluid absorption capacity, soft-tissue-like mechanical properties, stable skin tissue adhesion, cytocompatibility and antibacterial functionality with the pro-regenerative properties of allantoin, thereby representing a multifunctional and biologically inspired platform for advanced skin tissue regeneration and wound-healing applications. Full article

This study investigates the thermal performance of a flat-plate phase-change thermal energy storage system, focusing on two structural innovations: a cascaded arrangement of multiple phase-change materials (PCMs) with varying melting points, and the implementation of series/parallel flow configurations. A combined numerical and experimental approach is employed to analyze dynamic charging/discharging behavior. Quantitative results indicate that the cascaded configuration (three PCMs) reduces phase-change completion time by 13% and increases cooling energy storage power from 2.00 kW to 2.43 kW during charging compared to single-PCM systems. Flow configuration significantly impacts thermal response: the parallel layout delivers more stable cooling output, while the series layout achieves faster initial cooling (reaching 6.24 °C within 1200 s, 31% faster than the parallel layout). Experimental results reveal that inlet water temperature is the most critical operating parameter, with each 2 °C increase significantly prolonging charging time. This work offers practical guidance for the design and optimization of efficient cascaded PCM thermal storage systems. Full article

Background: Against the backdrop of global population aging, understanding the mechanisms of age-related cognitive decline has become crucial for improving the health and quality of life in older adults. Methods: This study employed a multimodal approach to investigate the neural modulations induced by a motor cognitive dual task and their relationship with age-related decline. By integrating behavioral assessments, electroencephalography (EEG), and body composition analysis, we comprehensively evaluated performance and neural correlates in 19 younger and 18 older adults. Specifically, EEG analyses focused on comparing pre-task and post-task resting-state recordings to investigate the immediate impact of a single acute cognitive-motor dual-task session on neural oscillations and brain network organization. Results: Key findings include: (1) older adults exhibited significantly inferior performance in task accuracy, reaction time, and composite performance score compared to younger adults (p < 0.001); (2) neural oscillatory analysis of resting-state data revealed a localized increase in gamma-band power at posterior-temporal sites (PO4/T6) in older adults following the dual-task, while younger adults exhibited widespread multi-band (delta to beta) power modulation across frontal, central, and temporal regions in younger adults; (3) brain network analysis demonstrated synergistic enhancement of multi-band (Theta, Alpha, Beta, Gamma) connectivity and optimized topological organization in younger adults post-task, contrasting with network rigidity and localized compensatory patterns in older adults; (4) correlation analyses indicated significant associations between dual-task performance and MoCA-B scores in older adults (r = 0.861, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study innovatively elucidates the neurophysiological characteristics of brain aging. The motor-cognitive dual-task paradigm proves to be a sensitive tool for capturing early cognitive changes, holding significant promise for clinical screening. Full article

In this work, for the first time, we applied and determined the mechanical characteristics of protective coatings made of high-entropy alloy (TiZrVCrAl)N with different architectures onto the surface of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with the initial coarse-grained and ultrafine-grained structure using arc physical vapor deposition. We designed and prepared three coating architectures: a monolayer nitride coating (TiZrVCrAl)N, a multilayer coating consisting of nine alternating layers of TiZrVCrAl and (TiZrVCrAl)N, and a multilayer coating consisting of 720 alternating layers of (TiZrVCrAl)N and TiN, with a total thickness not exceeding 2 microns. We evaluated their protective performances by nanoindentation and scratch tests. Importantly, the effect of the substrate microstructure on the coatings’ performance is investigated by comparing their mechanical behavior on coarse-grained and ultrafine-grained Ti-6Al-4V. Our experimental results show that the coating performance improves with increasing number of layers in the coating, and this effect is even more pronounced for the multilayer coating deposited on the ultrafine-grained titanium alloy substrate. We also find that the (TiZrVCrAl)N/TiN (720 layers) multilayer coating deposited on the UFG Ti-6Al-4V alloy substrate exhibits the highest H/E- and H³/E²-values, indicating the coating’s high innovative potential for performance in extreme conditions. The origins of this phenomenon are analyzed and discussed. Full article

This study investigates how innovative social media marketing activities influence consumer inspiration, food pleasure, and behavioral intentions in the context of hedonic food consumption and digital marketing innovation. Data collected from 425 consumers who had tried Dubai chocolate products in Türkiye were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method with SmartPLS 4 software. The results indicate that personalization, trendiness, and advertisement dimensions significantly enhance consumer inspiration, whereas entertainment and interaction dimensions show no significant effects. Consumer inspiration positively influences repurchase intention, recommendation intention, willingness to pay more, and food pleasure. Furthermore, food pleasure exerts a significant positive effect on recommendations and willingness to pay more but not on repurchase intention. Mediation analysis revealed that food pleasure partially mediates the relationships between consumer inspiration, recommendation intention, and willingness to pay more, whereas no mediating effect was found for repurchase intention. These findings contribute to innovation and knowledge literature by demonstrating how digital marketing activities foster emotional engagement, enhance consumer experiences, and promote sustainable behavioral intentions in the hedonic food sector. Full article

Distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) in pipeline safety warning systems confronts multiple challenges during technological evolution and application expansion, primarily including recognition accuracy, real-time performance, and the identification of weak signals for pipeline third-party intrusion (TPI) detection in complex environments. So, this paper proposes a Pipeline Fiber Optic Warning-Mixture of Experts (PFOW-MoE) method to address challenges in DAS systems. The proposed method is innovative in the sense that: (1) Multi-modal feature perception expert model design: Different intrusion behaviors are unique in the time, spatial, and frequency domains; (2) Efficient decision framework with dynamic gating mechanism: It evaluates input signal features in real time. (3) Robustness enhancement mechanism for weak signal perception: A weak signal detection branch is added to dynamic gating. Experimental validation on actual pipeline datasets shows PFOW-MoE achieves 98.27% accuracy on the entire sample set. On weak signal samples, it achieves 96.00%. The single-sample inference time is only 0.78 ms, meeting practical real-time engineering needs. Full article

To address challenges in complex group decision-making (GDM)—specifically preference fuzziness, intricate subgroup segmentation, and non-cooperative behavior—this study proposes an adaptive consensus model based on probabilistic linguistic term sets (PLTSs). By integrating fuzzy C-means (FCM) clustering with a Gaussian mixture model (GMM), a fuzzy Gaussian mixture model (FGMM) is constructed to achieve soft segmentation of expert preference distributions. On this basis, an adaptive consensus feedback mechanism is developed, which dynamically integrates interactive and automated adjustment strategies via multi-level consensus thresholds, thereby balancing decision efficiency and quality. To identify and control non-cooperative behaviors, a cooperation index and a three-tier management strategy, which incorporates intra-group negotiation, weight penalties and an exit-delegation mechanism, were introduced. In the case of strategic decision-making of new energy vehicles (NEV), after four rounds of feedback iterations, the group consensus level increased from the initial 0.316 to 0.804, reaching the preset threshold and verifying the effectiveness of the consensus mechanism. Compared with the existing literature methods, the framework in this paper achieves more comprehensive integration and innovation in four aspects: preference expression, clustering mechanism, consensus feedback and behavior management. Full article

Given the aggregated potential impact of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), this study analyzes the disclosure of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) among companies located in the municipality in Portugal, awarded the ‘SMEs Excellence’ certification by the Institute for the Support of Small and Medium Enterprises (IAPMEI) in 2022. Given the limited empirical evidence on SDG disclosure among high-performing, non-listed SMEs in Portugal, the study adopts a hybrid exploratory–descriptive research design to provide new empirical insights on the sustainability disclosure practices of firms holding this certification. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 51 ‘SMEs Excellence’ located in the municipality of Águeda, district of Aveiro, yielding 24 responses. The findings are interpreted through the lenses of stakeholder, legitimacy, and signaling theories. Results indicate that only 42% of the companies recognize the importance of the SDGs, prioritizing decent work, innovation, and responsible consumption (SDGs 8, 9, and 12). However, only 12.5% formally disclose their SDG engagement. The main barriers to disclosure include limited institutional support, time constraints, and insufficient knowledge. Among firms that do disclose SDG-related initiatives, the primary motivations are image enhancement and stakeholder recognition. Respondents also highlight the importance of financial incentives, examples of best practices from other companies, and targeted training as key factors in supporting and expanding SDG disclosure among SMEs. This study contributes to the literature by providing one of the first empirical analyses of SDG disclosure among financially robust SMEs in Portugal, highlighting how stakeholder pressure, legitimacy concerns, and signaling incentives shape disclosure behavior. Full article

This study employs a constructivist grounded theory approach based on 69 in-depth interviews conducted between March 2022 and December 2023 to examine socio-cognitive dynamics in Korea’s bottled water and household water purifier markets. The study addresses a gap in prior research by explaining how product meanings and stakeholder strategies co-evolve across adjacent “safe-water” markets under regulatory and sustainability pressures. Drawing on qualitative data from 69 stakeholders, including producers (n = 30), consumers (n = 19), and institutional experts (n = 20), we analyze how distrust, risk perception, and health consciousness reshape conceptual systems and market strategies. These shifts drive innovation across markets, including new technologies, service models, and branding strategies. The findings show that socio-cognitive stabilization arises through iterative interactions among institutional shocks, producer reinterpretation, and consumer adaptation. In the bottled water market, the meanings of “natural purity” became materially embedded in packaging, mineral labeling, and brand narratives. In the purifier sector, “technological reliability” was institutionalized through service-based maintenance systems and visible quality control technologies. These processes developed within asymmetric communicative environments shaped by corporate branding capacity and media amplification. This study refines socio-cognitive market theory by specifying boundary conditions under institutional distrust in developed economies. Although Republic of Korea possesses advanced drinking water infrastructure comparable to that of other developed economies, public confidence in tap water has periodically weakened following highly salient contamination incidents and regulatory transitions. This paradox provides a theoretically informative context for examining how product meanings and stakeholder behaviors mutually adapt over time. Although environmental impact metrics were not directly measured, the findings suggest that sustainability policies must address socio-cognitive trust dynamics alongside regulatory instruments such as plastic levies, certification schemes, and transparent risk communication. Full article

This study investigates the multi-scale tribo–thermo–viscoelastic performance of a sustainable bio-based FormuLITE epoxy reinforced with single and hybrid carbon nanofillers (0.1 wt.% total loading) under dry sliding up to 50 N. Pin-on-disk tests at 10, 30, and 50 N showed a consistent reduction in contact pressure and wear volume in the order: neat epoxy > 0.1 CNT > 0.1 GNP > 0.1 ND > 0.1 CNT/GNP > 0.1 CNT/ND > 0.1 GNP/ND. At 50 N and 1500 m sliding distance, neat epoxy exhibited a wear volume of 13.43 mm³ and contact pressure of 13.4 N/cm², while the GNP/ND hybrid reduced wear to 4.86 mm³ and contact pressure to 6.2 N/cm², corresponding to reductions of 64% and 54%, respectively. The accelerating wear coefficient decreased from 2.9 × 10⁻⁶ to 8.5 × 10⁻⁷, confirming slower damage accumulation in hybrid systems. Time-dependent contact pressure analysis revealed reduced asymptotic intensity and suppressed mid-cycle pressure spikes, indicating enhanced tribolayer stability. Effective surface hardness increased from 0.18 GPa (neat epoxy) to 0.30 GPa (GNP/ND), while normalized wear decreased from 1.00 to 0.36. Enhanced damping behavior and improved thermal conductivity in hybrid systems promoted stress redistribution and minimized flash-temperature localization. An interfacial energy-partition framework calibrated to experimental wear data quantitatively linked effective driving pressure, tribofilm stabilization, and surface hardness to material removal. The results demonstrate that wear mitigation in sustainable bio-epoxy systems is governed by coupled mechanical, viscoelastic, and thermal energy redistribution, with GNP/ND hybrids providing the most stable tribological interface under severe sliding. The findings contribute to the development of durable and sustainable bio-epoxy composite systems for engineering applications, supporting broader goals of responsible material utilization and sustainable industrial innovation aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 9 and SDG 12). Full article

Physical activity is today a major global problem, since it is associated with physical, psychological, and social health risks. Promoting active mobility by using walking and cycling as modes of transportation has been proposed as one of the strategies to promote physical activity in urban areas while also addressing several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. This study aimed to examine whether the adoption of active mobility behavior contributes to individual well-being and further test which constraints individuals face when adopting it. The sample of the study consisted of 294 citizens from Enterprise and Innovation a metropolitan area in Greece. The factorial analysis of the constraints active mobility scale confirmed the five dimensions: environmental, psychological, individual, social, and interest. The results indicated that citizens who reported the use of active mobility were more likely to report higher levels. Furthermore, lack of interest was not the main reason for not using active mobility. Instead, most of the reported constraints were directly or indirectly related to the inadequate, unfriendly, and unsafe urban infrastructure, which creates concerns about individual safety. The implications of these results are discussed. Full article

The evaluation of the seismic behavior of masonry aggregates, which characterize Italian historic centres, is a challenging and widely debated topic in the field of structural engineering. These constructions, composed of several adjacent structural units, tend to exhibit both global and local damage when subjected to horizontal seismic actions—loads that were not considered at the time of their original construction. Developed over centuries of unplanned urban growth, they are based on empirical construction rules and locally sourced materials. Due to their poor thermal properties, these buildings are also affected by significant heat losses, resulting in reduced indoor comfort. In this context, the present study aims to evaluate the seismic performance of a masonry aggregate and two of its constituent structural units located in Visso, in the province of Macerata, an area severely affected by the 2016 Central Italy seismic sequence, both before and after the application of an innovative integrated retrofitting solution. The proposed strengthening system combines aluminium alloy exoskeleton with insulating sandwich panels, simultaneously addressing seismic vulnerability and energy inefficiency. The assessment is carried out through numerical analyses, including nonlinear static and dynamic approaches, to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the structural response. Moreover, a comparative analysis between the masonry aggregate and the two individual structural units, modelled as isolated buildings, is performed to investigate the influence of structural interaction among adjacent units. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed retrofitting strategy, highlighting a significant improvement in global stability. Furthermore, the comparison confirms the critical role of inter-unit interaction and underscores the necessity of modelling historic masonry aggregates rather than isolated buildings to obtain a more realistic seismic performance evaluation. Full article

Present-day artificial intelligence systems (AI), virtual assistants, and devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) are playing an increasingly important role in decision-making processes in the everyday lives of individuals and daily operations of organizations. In this respect, the users’ trust is a key factor determining their acceptance and effective use. In contemporary digital ecosystems, this trust increasingly becomes a component of sustainable digital marketing, in which transparent data practices and responsible communication shape long-term consumer–technology relationships. This paper analyzes the halo effect as a psychological mechanism affecting the perception of competences, reliability, and ethics in the case of technologies based on AI. Based on the literature on behavioral economics, it was shown how positive associations with the interface, brand, or previous experience of the user may lead to excessive trust in technology. Such mechanisms also play a significant role in shaping sustainable consumption patterns, as users—guided by cognitive shortcuts—can adopt technologies in ways that either strengthen or weaken responsible digital behaviors. Moreover, the potential risks associated with this phenomenon were also indicated. The aim of this paper was to present how the utilization of the halo effect influences the generation of trust in smart systems and the formulation of implication for management practices and technology design. These implications are increasingly important in the context of sustainable digital marketing policy, where organizations must align persuasive communication with ethical standards and with rising expectations regarding sustainable digital transformation. Relationships between variables were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), making it possible to verify complex dependencies between the perceived image of technology, the halo effect, and the users’ trust. This study tested three core hypotheses regarding the halo effect’s role, the foundational importance of security, and the mediating function of trust in technology adoption. The results of these analyses indicate that the halo effect significantly affects the level of trust in each of the investigated areas, with the strongest effect observed in the case of virtual assistants, where perception of the human-like characteristics of the interface considerably strengthened trust in the competences and reliability of the system. This finding has particular relevance for AI-driven personalization mechanisms, which increasingly guide consumer decision-making and shape their long-term behavioral patterns in online environments, with direct implications for sustainable consumption. This paper provides contribution to innovation management and technical marketing, stressing the importance of cognitive and emotional factors in the acceptance of new technologies. At the same time, it highlights the theoretical need to integrate responsible AI design with sustainable digital marketing strategies The findings suggest that ensuring trust, once established, has the potential to support not only technological innovation but broader societal goals related to responsible consumption, environmental stewardship, and long-term digital well-being aligned with sustainable development principles. However, this study stops short of empirically measuring sustainable consumption behaviors, offering instead a conceptual link that requires further empirical validation. Full article