Search Results (25)

With rapid advances in nanotechnology and synthetic biology, biological nanonetworks are emerging for biomedical and environmental applications within the Internet of Bio-NanoThings. While they rely on molecular communication, experimental validation remains limited, especially for non-ideal effects such as molecular accumulation. In this work, we present a novel table-top experimental system that emulates the core functionalities of a biological nanonetwork and is straightforward to reproduce in standard laboratory environments, also making it suitable for educational demonstrations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first experimental platform that incorporates two end nodes capable of acting interchangeably as transmitter and receiver, thereby enabling true bidirectional molecular communication. Information transfer is realized through controlled release, advection and diffusion of molecules, using molecular concentration coding analogous to concentration shift keying, while the receiver decodes messages by comparing measured concentrations against predefined thresholds. Based on the measurements reported herein, the drop-based algorithm substantially outperforms the threshold-based scheme. Specifically, it reduces first-message latency by more than 2.5× across the tested volumes and reduces latest-message latency by up to 71%, providing approximately 3.7× better message delivery. A key experimental outcome is the observation of channel saturation: beyond a certain operating period, residual molecules accumulate and effectively saturate the medium, inhibiting reliable further message exchange until sufficient clearance occurs. This saturation-induced “channel memory” emerges as a fundamental practical constraint on sustained communication and achievable data rates. Overall, the proposed platform provides a scalable, controllable, and experimentally accessible testbed for systematically studying signal degradation, saturation, clearance dynamics, and throughput limits, thereby bridging the gap between theoretical models and practical implementations in the Internet of Bio-NanoThings era. Full article

Magnetic confinement nuclear fusion offers a promising solution to the world’s growing energy demands. The DEMO reactor presented here aims to bridge the gap between laboratory fusion experiments and practical electricity generation, posing unique challenges for magnetic plasma diagnostics due to limited space for diagnostic equipment. This study employs Bayesian inference and Gaussian process modeling to integrate data from pick-up coils, flux loops, and saddle coils, enabling a qualitative estimation of the plasma current density distribution relying on only external magnetic measurements. The methodology successfully infers total plasma current, plasma centroid position, and six plasma–wall gap positions, while adhering to DEMO’s stringent accuracy standards. Additionally, the interchangeability between normal pick-up coils and saddle coils was assessed, revealing a clear preference for saddle coils. Initial steps were taken to utilize Bayesian experimental design for optimizing the orientation (normal or tangential) of pick-up coils within DEMO’s design constraints to improve the diagnostic setup’s inference precision. Our approach indicates the feasibility of Bayesian integrated data analysis in achieving precise and accurate probability distributions of plasma parameter crucial for the successful operation of DEMO. Full article

Urban mobility in Bangkok is constrained by congestion, modal fragmentation, and gaps in First and Last Mile (FLM) access. This study develops a GIS-based framework that combines maximal-coverage location allocation with post-optimization accessibility diagnostics to inform intermodal hub siting. The network model compares one-, three-, and five-hub configurations using a 20 min coverage standard, and we conduct sensitivity tests at 15 and 25 min to assess robustness. Cumulative isochrones and qualitative overlays on BTS, MRT, SRT, Airport Rail Link, and principal water routes are used to interpret spatial balance, peripheral reach, and multimodal alignment. In the one-hub scenario, the model selects Pathum Wan as the optimal central node. Transitioning to a small multi-hub network improves geographic balance and reduces reliance on the urban core. The three-hub arrangement strengthens north–south accessibility but leaves the west bank comparatively underserved. The five-hub configuration is the most spatially balanced and network-consistent option, bridging the west bank and reinforcing rail interchange corridors while aligning proposed hubs with existing high-capacity lines and waterway anchors. Methodologically, the contribution is a transparent workflow that pairs coverage-based optimization with isochrone interpretation; substantively, the findings support decentralized, polycentric hub development as a practical pathway to enhance FLM connectivity within Bangkok’s current network structure. Key limitations include reliance on resident population weights that exclude floating or temporary populations, use of typical network conditions for travel times, a finite pre-screened candidate set, and the absence of explicit route choice and land-use intensity in the present phase. Full article

Accurate cost estimation during the conceptual and feasibility phase of highway projects is essential for informed decision making by public contracting authorities. Existing approaches often rely on pavement cross-section descriptors, general project classifications, or quantity estimates of major work categories that are not reliably available at the early planning stage, while focusing on one or more key asset categories such as roadworks, bridges or tunnels. This study makes a novel contribution to both scientific literature and practice by proposing the first early-stage highway construction cost estimation model that explicitly incorporates roadworks, interchanges, tunnels and bridges, using only readily available or easily derived geometric characteristics. A comprehensive and practical approach was adopted by developing and comparing models across multiple machine learning (ML) methods, including Multilayer Perceptron-Artificial Neural Network (MLP-ANN), Radial Basis Function-Artificial Neural Network (RBF-ANN), Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), Random Forests (RF), Support Vector Regression (SVR), XGBoost Technique, and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN). Results demonstrate that the MLR model based on six independent variables—mainline length, service road length, number of interchanges, total area of structures, tunnel length, and number of culverts—consistently outperformed more complex alternatives. The full MLR model, including its coefficients and standardized parameters, is provided, enabling direct replication and immediate use by contracting authorities, hence supporting more informed decisions on project funding and procurement. Full article

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive technique—used for the local eradication of neoplastic cells—that exploits the interaction of light, oxygen, and a photo-responsive drug called photosensitizer (PS) for the local generation of lethal ROS. Push-pull chromophores, that bear electron donor (D) and acceptor (A) groups linked through a π-electron bridge, are characterized by a non-homogeneous charge distribution in their excited state, with charge transfer from one extremity of the chain to the other one (Internal Charge Transfer—ICT). This phenomenon has a direct impact on the photophysical features of the push-pull compounds, as the bathochromic shift of the emission maxima and intersystem crossing (ISC) of the excited state are directly connected with the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In continuing our research regarding the synthesis and use of oligophenylene ethynylenes (OPEs) in PDT, two new push-pull glycosyl OPE-NOF and OPE-ONF—featuring electron-donor N,N-dimethylamino (N) and dimetoxyaryl (O) and acceptor tetrafluoroaryl (F) moieties on the OPE chain—have been efficiently prepared. The interchanged position of the D groups onto the conjugated skeleton was aimed to tune and optimize the push-pull effect, while the introduction of glucoside terminations was directed to give biocompatibility and bioaffinity to the chromophores. OPE-NOF, OPE-ONF, and the synthetic intermediates were fully characterized, and their photophysical properties were investigated by using UV-Vis absorption and emission spectroscopy. OPE-NOF showed a strong charge-transfer character and high PDT effect on HeLa cancer cells when irradiated with non-harmful blue light, causing massive cancer cell death. Full article

Sparse road networks in high-risk geological disaster areas, characterized by long segments, few nodes, and limited alternative routes, face significant vulnerabilities to geological hazards such as landslides, rockfalls, and collapses. These disruptions hinder emergency response and resource delivery, highlighting the need for enhanced resilience strategies. This study develops a dynamic resilience assessment framework using a two-layer topological model to analyze and optimize the resilience of such networks. The model incorporates trunk and local layers to capture dynamic changes during disasters, and it is validated using the road network in Tibet. The findings demonstrate that critical nodes, including tunnels, bridges, and interchanges, play a decisive role in maintaining network performance. Resilience is influenced by disaster type, duration, and traffic capacity, with collapse events showing moderate resilience and debris flows exhibiting rapid recovery but low survivability. Notably, half-width traffic interruptions achieve the highest overall resilience (0.7294), emphasizing the importance of partial traffic restoration. This study concludes that protecting critical nodes, optimizing resource allocation, and implementing adaptive management strategies are essential for mitigating disaster impacts and enhancing recovery. The proposed framework offers a practical tool for decision-makers to improve transportation resilience in high-risk geological disaster areas. Full article

An interchange is a pivotal traffic facility that connects highways and controls access. It is necessary to study their dynamic response characteristics to analyze the operational safety of ramp bridges on interchanges. Based on the numerical simulation results of the finite element model of the Fuxing Interchange Bridge, non-destructive measurement techniques were used to conduct field dynamic load tests on the bridge, including ramp strain testing and acceleration testing. These tests aimed to study the dynamic response characteristics of the ramp bridge under moving loads. Due to the design speed limitation of the ramp bridge, the grey prediction GM(1, 1) model was used to predict the maximum dynamic deflection, maximum dynamic strain, and vibration acceleration when the vehicle speed was 60 km/h. Subsequently, finite element software was used to simulate the dynamic deflection under vehicle speeds ranging from 30 to 60 km/h. The simulated value was compared with the predicted value, and the difference between the simulated value and the predicted value was slight. This model can evaluate the operational safety performance of off-ramps at different speeds. Full article

Currently, existing iontronic systems are limited and struggle to process electronic-to-multi-ionic transport, resulting in interchange inefficiencies and incompatibilities between artificial ion devices and biological tissue interfaces. The development of heterogating gel iontronics offers a significant advancement in bridging this gap, drawing inspiration from the complex ionic transmission mechanisms found in biological synapses within neural networks. These heterogating gels utilize a biphasic architecture, where the heterointerface effect constructs ionic transfer energy barriers, enabling distinct signal transmission among different ions. In systems with multiple ion species, heterogating gel iontronics allow for precise control of ion transmission, realizing hierarchical and selective cross-stage signal transmission as a neuromorphic function. This perspective highlights the vast potential of heterogating iontronics in applications such as biosensing, neuroprosthetics, and ion separation technologies. Meanwhile, it also addresses the current challenges, including scaling production, ensuring biocompatibility, and integrating with existing technologies, which are crucial for future development. The advancement of heterogating gels is expected to promote the integration between abiotic and biotic systems, with broad implications for smart sensors, bioneural devices, and beyond. Full article

Effective thermal management and electromagnetic shielding have emerged as critical goals in contemporary electronic device development. However, effectively improving the thermal conductivity and electromagnetic shielding performance of polymer composites in multiple directions continues to pose significant challenges. In this work, inspired by the efficiency of interchange bridges in enabling vehicles to pass quickly in multiple directions, we employed a straightforward method to fabricate bidirectionally oriented carbon fiber (CF)/silicone rubber composites with an interchange-bridge-like structure. The high aspect ratio of CFs and their bidirectional orientation structure play a pivotal role in facilitating the formation of thermal and electrical pathways within the composites. Meanwhile, the bidirectionally oriented CF/silicone rubber composites showed a significant enhancement in tensile strength in both the vertical and horizontal directions, attributed to the cross-arrangement of CF arrays within the composites. At a filler content of 62.3 wt%, the bidirectionally oriented CF/silicone rubber composites had a high tensile strength of 6.18 MPa. The composites also exhibited an excellent thermal conductivity of 25.3 W/(m·K) and a remarkable electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness of 61.6 dB. The bidirectionally oriented CF/silicone rubber composites show potential for addressing thermal management and electromagnetic shielding issues in electronic devices. Full article

Curved bridges are commonly used for logistics and emergencies in urban areas such as highway interchange bridges. These types of bridges have complicated dynamic behaviors and also are vulnerable to earthquakes, so their functionality is a critical parameter for decision makers. For this purpose, this study aims to evaluate the bridge seismic resilience under the effects of changes in deck radius (50, 100, 150 m, and infinity), pier height irregularity (Regular and Irregular), and incident seismic wave angle (0°, 45°, and 90°) under short- and long-period records. In the first step, fragility curves are calculated based on the incremental dynamic analysis and probabilistic seismic demand models. Finally, seismic resilience curves/surfaces are constructed and their interpolated values of the log-normal distribution function presented for assessing system resilience. It is found that when long-period records are applied in one given direction, the angle of incidence has the most significant effect on seismic resilience, and bridges are most vulnerable when the angle of incidence tends to 0°. The effect of deck radius on seismic resilience became more remarkable as the angle of incidence increased. Additionally, results indicate that the bridge vulnerability in long-period records is more significant than that under short-period records. Full article

The rigid-backbone bidentate ligands Indoline-2-carboxylic acid (IndoliH) and Indole-2-carboxylic acid (IndolH) were evaluated for rhodium(I). IndoliH formed [Rh(Indoli)(CO)(PPh₃)] (A2), while IndolH yielded the novel dinuclear [Rh¹(Indol’)(CO)(PPh₃)Rh²(CO)(PPh₃)₂] (B2) complex (Indol’ = Indol²⁻), which were characterized by SCXRD. In B2, the Rh¹(I) fragment [Rh¹(Indol’)(CO)(PPh₃)] (bidentate N,O-Indol) exhibits a square-planar geometry, while Rh²(I) shows a ‘Vaska’-type trans-[O-Rh²(PPh₃)₂(CO)] configuration (bridging the carboxylate ‘oxo’ O atom of Indol²⁻). The oxidative addition of MeI to A2 and B2 via time-resolved FT-IR, NMR, and UV/Vis analyses indicated only Rh(III)-alkyl species (A3/B3) as products (no migratory insertion). Variable temperature kinetics confirmed an associative mechanism for A2 via an equilibrium-based pathway (ΔH^≠ = (21 ± 1) kJ mol⁻¹; ΔS^≠ = (−209 ± 4) J K⁻¹mol⁻¹), with a smaller contribution from a reverse reductive elimination/solvent pathway. The dinuclear complex B2 showed the oxidative addition of MeI only at Rh¹(I), which formed a Rh(III)-alkyl, but cleaved the bridged Rh²(I) site, yielding trans-[Rh^I(PPh₃)₂(I)(CO)] (5B) as a secondary product. A significantly smaller negative activation entropy [ΔH^≠ = (73.0 ± 1.2) kJ mol⁻¹; ΔS^≠ = (−21 ± 4) J K⁻¹mol⁻¹] via a more complex/potential interchange mechanism (the contribution of ΔS^≠ to the Gibbs free energy of activation, ΔG^≠, only ±10%) was inferred, contrary to the entropy-driven oxidative addition of MeI to A2 (the contribution of ΔS^≠ to ΔG^≠ ± 75%). Full article

Perception and vehicle control remain major challenges in the autonomous driving domain. To find a proper system configuration, thorough testing is needed. Recent advances in graphics and physics simulation allow researchers to build highly realistic simulations that can be used for testing in safety-critical domains and inaccessible environments. Despite the high complexity of urban environments, it is the non-urban areas that are more challenging. Nevertheless, the existing simulators focus mainly on urban driving. Therefore, in this work, we describe our approach to building a flexible real-time testing platform for unmanned ground vehicles for indoor and off-road environments. Our platform consists of our original simulator, robotic operating system (ROS), and a bridge between them. To enable compatibility and real-time communication with ROS, we generate data interchangeable with real-life readings and propose our original communication solution, UDP Bridge, that enables up to 9.5 times faster communication than the existing solution, ROS#. As a result, all of the autonomy algorithms can be run in real-time directly in ROS, which is how we obtained our experimental results. We provide detailed descriptions of the components used to build our integrated platform. Full article

Research on the standardization of interchange BIM components is required to encourage the use of BIM technology in interchange and quicken the development and improvement of relevant standards and specifications. The depth level of the model, classification, and coding of interchange BIM components, and the design and administration of the component library are the main topics of this work. First, the concept and main research content on the standardization of interchange BIM components were proposed. Second, the common forms of interchange were summarized. The basic components of interchanges include through lanes, ramps, connections, overpass bridges, and traffic safety facilities, and can be divided into 14 second-level components, such as the main line, the minor cross highway, the speed-change lane, etc. On this basis, a method for interchange BIM components classification based on faceted classification and a coding method based on a combination code was proposed. The model depth grading of the BIM component of the interchange was studied, and grading was carried out considering three aspects: the level of detail (LOD), geometric accuracy, and information level. Finally, the process of creating interchange BIM component libraries was proposed. The results showed that the interchange BIM components can adopt a three-level coding method, namely “the overall spatial code–classification code–instance code”, and the LOD, geometric accuracy, and information level of the interchange BIM components can be divided into four levels. Additionally, interchange BIM component libraries can be created using five steps: an overall plan of component resources, standard determination, component creation, component audit, component storage, and application. Full article

An expressway interchange bridge was completed in 2016 in China. In 2019, disease phenomenon, including pier inclination, excessive support slip, and expansion joint damage, were found in the ramp bridge, which influenced the bridge safety and operation. This article conducts a forensic engineering field investigation and uses finite element modeling, revealing the process of disease occurrence according to the displacement cooperation relations in the pier–support–girder region. This research concludes that the main technical causes of the bridge’s disease include: (1) eccentric compression on the pier during construction and operation due to an improper design change and the asynchronous construction process; (2) asymmetric foundation settlement caused by the temporary load during construction and the weight of the filling soil during operation. Finally, the ethical factors leading to the disease are summarized based on technical causes, which can alert professional engineers to problems that should be considered in the design and construction of high-pier bridges with a soft foundation. Full article

When a large-diameter shield crosses through bridge piles, stress and deformation of the bridge piles caused by tunnel excavation occurs. This is a an exciting topic of engineering research into the construction of subways. We considered an 15.8 m large-diameter shield machine made in China to excavate the Chunfeng tunnel as the background of our research. First, based on the previous engineering experience, reinforcement measures of the shield crossing the bridge piles were investigated. PLAXIS 3D finite element software was used to simulate the process of shield tunnelling through the piles of Hongling Interchange No. 1 Bridge. We analyzed the mechanical characteristics of the piles in the process of shield tunnelling through the bridge piles and evaluated the reliability of the reinforcement measures. Finally, combined with field monitoring data, the accuracy of the model and the rationality of the treatment measures were verified. This research considered a successful case of 15.8 m large-diameter adjacent shield tunnelling bridge piles. Analysis of the stratum and the mechanical behavior of bridge piles in the process of crossing provides a theoretical reference for engineering measures on similar projects in the future. Full article