Search Results (7,444)

The roundabout design procedures specified in current standards and guidelines presuppose that the centrelines of the approach legs intersect at right angles at the geometric centre of the roundabout. In urban areas, this requirement cannot always be met due to fixed structural constraints along the approaches. Here, a lateral or radial offset of the approach legs from the roundabout’s geometric centre is required. This offset plays an important role in roundabout design, as it affects the roundabout’s ability to control vehicle speed. This study investigates the effects of a lateral approach leg offset on the geometric design of urban single-lane roundabouts and the driving speeds through them. Accordingly, speed analyses were conducted for numerous theoretical roundabouts with outer radii between 15 and 25 m, designed based on swept path analysis results, were conducted. The research results showed that it is possible to offset approaches laterally on roundabouts with outer radii between 15 and 25 m, depending on the design vehicle, and that the allowable offset values increase proportionally with the roundabout outer radius. The analysis results were used to create a design model for urban single-lane roundabouts with lateral approach leg offsets enabling their adaptation to spatial constraints while maintaining safe operating speeds. Full article

Galaxolide (HHCB), a synthetic polycyclic musk widely used as a fragrance ingredient in numerous personal care and household products, has raised increasing environmental concern due to its persistence, bioaccumulation potential, and widespread occurrence in aquatic environments. In this context, the need to establish a concrete ecotoxicological risk profile, defining both the toxicity levels and the mechanisms of action, is fundamental. For this reason, in the current study, we selected the freshwater leech Hirudo verbana as a suitable in vivo model to assess the HHCB ability in inducing inflammatory response and oxidative stress. By means of morphological, immunofluorescence, and molecular analyses, HHCB was shown not only to affect the leech innate immune response by modulating angiogenesis and macrophage-like cells recruitment, but also to promote the expression of enzymes involved in the antioxidant response, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT). Overall, these findings indicate that HHCB could induce significant physiological alterations, with sub-lethal concentrations able to affect immune homeostasis. Furthermore, this study supports the use of alternative invertebrate models to better understand the possible harmful effects of emerging contaminants. Full article

Background/Objectives: Accurate estimation of intraoperative blood loss in endoscopic spine surgery remains challenging because of continuous saline irrigation and blood infiltration into surrounding soft tissues and potential dead spaces. Hidden blood loss (HBL), resulting from extravasation into tissue compartments or hemolysis, may substantially increase total blood loss (TBL) and contribute to postoperative bleeding-related complications. This study aimed to compare HBL in full-endoscopic unilateral laminotomy with bilateral decompression (FE-ULBD) with that in biportal endoscopic ULBD (BE-ULBD) and open microscopic ULBD (OM-ULBD). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of patients who underwent single-level FE-ULBD, BE-ULBD, or OM-ULBD for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) at a single institution. Data on perioperative characteristics, laboratory parameters, perioperative blood loss (TBL, HBL, and visible blood loss), and clinical outcomes were collected and compared. Univariate linear regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with HBL in the FE-ULBD group. Results: A total of 93 patients were included, comprising 34 in the FE-ULBD group, 32 in the BE-ULBD group, and 27 in the OM-ULBD group. The FE-ULBD group demonstrated significantly lower TBL than both the BE-ULBD and OM-ULBD groups (493.20 ± 183.46 vs. 675.97 ± 192.02 vs. 822.94 ± 424.11 mL, p = 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). HBL in the FE-ULBD group was significantly lower than in the BE-ULBD group (390.48 [268.32–506.91] vs. 513.29 [437.96–633.36] mL, p = 0.012) and was numerically lower than in the OM-ULBD group without statistical significance (390.48 [268.32–506.91] vs. 516.38 [316.41–710.68] mL, p = 0.081). Male sex was the only variable significantly associated with increased HBL in the FE-ULBD group. Conclusions: FE-ULBD showed significantly lower TBL than BE-ULBD and OM-ULBD, and lower HBL than BE-ULBD. FE-ULBD may represent a feasible surgical option for single-level LSS, with the potential advantage of reduced perioperative blood loss while maintaining comparable clinical outcomes. Full article

Background: Trabecular-bone adaptation (TBA) continuously reshapes the trabecular-bone (TB) microstructure at the microscale in response to mechanical loading. While organ-scale adaptation has been extensively studied, the mechanisms governing the evolution of individual trabeculae remain inadequately understood. Methods: This study proposes a new remodelling model: under finite remodelling capacity, surface regions that satisfy mechanostat criteria compete for remodelling events according to the spatial non-uniformity of local mechanical stimulus. This model uses a two-criteria remodelling scheme that combines (i) a mechanostat criterion for bone formation and resorption and (ii) a distance-weighted non-uniformity criterion. The model is implemented with a 2D finite-element framework using a USDFLD subroutine in the Abaqus/Standard software package. Idealised X- and I-shaped trabecular geometries are subjected to controlled bending, compression, and shear load cases to examine loading-dependent morphology evolution. Results: Compared with the corresponding one-criterion models, the two-criteria framework produces a lower fraction of active remodelling surface and a more clearly bounded convergence process. The numerical simulations reproduce characteristic plate-like morphologies of trabeculae under bending and rod-like morphologies under compression, while additional variations in thresholds and loading conditions shift the response towards resorption-biased structures. Conclusions: The results indicate that the mechanostat criterion primarily stabilises the global bone mass, whereas the non-uniformity criterion governs where remodelling is preferentially located on the trabecular surface. The proposed framework therefore provides a microscale and mechanistically interpretable basis for analysing loading-dependent morphological adaptation of individual trabeculae. Full article

(1) Background: Effect size interpretation in physiotherapy research varies across statistical models, hindering comparability between studies using linear, logistic, and variance-based analyses. Unified, discipline-specific thresholds are needed to harmonise interpretation and support consistent sample size planning in clinical trials. The aim is to estimate physiotherapy-specific reference values for odds ratio (OR), relative risk (RR), and η²/ηp² based on empirically established thresholds for Cohen’s d (0.1, 0.4, and 0.8). (2) Methods: Cohen’s d values were transformed into corresponding effect size metrics using deterministic algebraic relationships. Specifically, OR, RR, and η² were derived from Cohen’s d under selected baseline risks (p₀ = 0.1, 0.2, and 0.5). Calculations were performed in R 4.3.1 assuming equal group sizes and homogeneity of variances. (3) Results: OR thresholds were 1.20 (small), 2.07 (medium), and 4.27 (large). For RR, at p₀ = 0.1, thresholds were 1.18, 1.95, and 3.22; at p₀ = 0.5, they were 1.09, 1.35, and 1.62. Corresponding η²/ηp² values were 0.003, 0.039, and 0.138. (4) Conclusions: The derived thresholds form a coherent, numerically anchored framework linking linear, logistic, and variance-based effect sizes. This approach standardises interpretation across statistical models and strengthens methodological consistency in physiotherapy clinical research. Full article

The structural application of Recycled Aggregate Concrete (RAC) in marine and coastal structures remains restricted by its highly variable quality and uncertain durability. Although the adhered old mortar is recognized as the most distinctive feature of RAC, its bidirectional influence on chloride transport, acting as a preferential transport pathway and a chloride-binding reservoir, has not yet been systematically elucidated. This study develops a five-phase mesoscopic numerical framework (natural aggregate, new and old mortars, new and old ITZs) to investigate the bidirectional effects on chloride ingress. The proposed model involves multi-species (K⁺, Na⁺, Cl⁻, OH⁻, Ca²⁺, SO₄²⁻) coupling and thermodynamic chloride binding on AFm and C-S-H phases, with different binding capacities in old and new mortar. This model was validated against published experimental data, demonstrating high accuracy in predicting effective diffusivity across varying replacement rates. Parametric sensitivity analyses reveal that RAC’s chloride resistance is governed by the competition between the “facilitation effect”, caused by the inherent porosity in attached old mortar, and the “retardation effect”, caused by enhanced binding capacity. This work provides new mechanistic insight into the dual effects of old mortar and establishes a robust theoretical tool for the durability design of RAC structures exposed to chloride environments. Full article

Objectives. This study evaluated the performance of three intraoral scanners with different acquisition technologies in detecting early signs of tooth wear, using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) as the reference standard. Methods and Materials. Three IOS were examined, including an active triangulation scanner, a structured-light triangulation scanner, and a parallel confocal technology scanner. Ten extracted unrestored and caries-free premolars were placed in the maxillary left second premolar position of a dental mannequin and scanned at baseline, generating quadrant digital models. Micro-CT scans were also obtained at baseline. Wear was simulated by immersion in a 1% citric acid solution followed by brushing of the buccal surfaces. All specimens were rescanned with IOS and micro-CT. Micro-CT datasets were reconstructed into stereolithography models and compared with IOS models using mesh analysis software. Statistical analysis was performed in R using linear mixed-effects models to account for repeated measurements across teeth. RMS values and absolute errors relative to the micro-CT reference were analysed with device as a fixed effect and tooth as a random effect, with Tukey-adjusted pairwise comparisons. Repeatability was additionally assessed from the repeated scans using within-tooth variability. Results. Significant differences were observed among the evaluated systems in the detection of changes related to tooth wear (p < 0.001). The micro-CT reference showed the lowest RMS value, followed by Trios 3, Primescan, and Omnicam. Model-based analyses confirmed significant differences among the evaluated systems, while the magnitude and statistical support of pairwise contrasts depended on the specific outcome considered. Repeatability analysis showed that Trios 3 had the lowest within-tooth standard deviation and repeatability coefficient (0.0215 mm and 0.0595 mm, respectively), followed by Primescan (0.0290 mm and 0.0802 mm), whereas Omnicam showed the highest within-tooth variability and repeatability coefficient (0.0624 mm and 0.173 mm). Conclusions. The parallel confocal and structured-light triangulation intraoral scanners produced RMS values numerically closer to the micro-CT reference than the active triangulation scanner. However, none of the evaluated intraoral scanners demonstrated quantitative agreement sufficient to be considered interchangeable with the reference standard. Full article

Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) are widely employed in missions conducted near the seabed, including underwater inspection, seabed mapping, and marine resource exploration. During such operating conditions, the interaction between the AUV and the bottom wall can significantly influence the surrounding flow field and the hydrodynamic characteristics of the vehicle. In this study, a numerical investigation is carried out to examine the influence of near-bottom effects on the hydrodynamic performance of an AUV using a commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver. The seabed is assumed as a flat wall, and two operating conditions are considered, including an open-water case and a near-bottom case with a clearance ratio of h/L_A = 1.93. The flow field is investigated through analyses of hydrodynamic force, pressure distribution, and wake structures. The results indicate that the wall bottom noticeably alters the pressure field and wake development around the AUV, leading to changes in total resistance and flow separation. The findings provide useful insights into the hydrodynamic mechanisms associated with near-bottom operation and offer valuable guidance for the design, control, and operation of AUVs performing missions in shallow or seabed-related missions. Full article

Endangered montane endemic species face dual threats from unresolved taxonomic controversies and climate change. The genus Abies, a keystone component of alpine and subalpine ecosystems in the Northern Hemisphere, encompasses numerous species with controversial taxonomy and inadequately understood climatic response patterns. In this study, we integrated morphological and phylogenetic evidence and ecological niche modeling approaches to fill existing knowledge gaps regarding Abies ernestii, an endemic species found in southwest China. Key results are summarized below: (1) Morphological comparisons strongly support A. ernestii as a distinct species, with significant morphological differentiation from its congeneric species; phylogenetic analyses based on plastid sequences further corroborate its close phylogenetic relationship with A. kawakamii and A. beshanzuensis, rather than A. chensiensis. (2) The natural distribution range of A. ernestii is narrower than previously documented in the literature, and a newly discovered population in northern Yunnan extends its documented southern distribution boundary southward. (3) Current suitable habitats of this species are concentrated in the eastern Hengduan Mountains, where temperature seasonality-related variables (BIO11, BIO3, BIO4) exert dominant control over its distribution. (4) Future climate projections indicate a dynamic habitat shift characterized by initial expansion followed by contraction, accompanied by severe habitat fragmentation and inadequate protected area coverage. Collectively, these lines of evidence demonstrate that A. ernestii represents an endemic Fir with underestimated vulnerability, warranting immediate conservation prioritization. Full article

Background/Objectives: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder for which MRI-based AI systems are increasingly used for diagnosis and prognosis. However, many published approaches remain misaligned with the requirements of trustworthy clinical use. Predicted risks are often poorly calibrated, explanations are frequently limited or non-actionable, guideline-aligned reporting is uncommon, and longitudinal prediction is inconsistently evaluated. In this paper, we conduct a PRISMA-guided structured review with scoping-style breadth of MRI-centric AI methods for AD diagnosis. This design supports a theme-based synthesis across heterogeneous study designs and is intended to summarize the current evidence base and derive practical design requirements for next-generation, clinically oriented pipelines that integrate calibrated staging, explainable outputs, and longitudinal risk modeling. Methods: Searches were conducted across Scopus, PubMed/PMC, and arXiv/bioRxiv (2014–2026; English; human AD/MCI imaging) and were supplemented by backward and forward snowballing. These searches yielded 2460 records. After deduplication, screening, and full-text eligibility assessment, 90 papers were included in the final synthesis. The included literature was organized into thematic streams spanning counterfactual reasoning and explainable AI (XAI), vision–language approaches for report and caption generation, longitudinal and survival-style modeling, and multimodal fusion and transformer-based methods combining MRI with clinical variables and other biomarkers. Vision–language methods were considered together with retrieval-augmented paradigms. Results: Key findings are that the field has shifted toward transformer architectures and multimodal fusion and shows increased interest in richer explanation mechanisms. Nevertheless, calibration metrics and robustness checks are inconsistently reported, external site-held-out validation and subgroup analyses remain relatively uncommon, and guideline-aligned structured reporting with explicit numeric provenance is rare. Vision–language and retrieval-augmented reporting methods are far more mature in general radiology than in AD MRI, highlighting a translational opportunity. Conclusions: Based on these findings, we recommend standardized reporting of classification calibration and longitudinal risk calibration, stronger site-held-out validation with subgroup robustness evaluation, clinically meaningful counterfactuals, and guideline-aligned reporting with reproducible numeric provenance embedded within reproducible pipelines. Full article

This paper conducts numerical simulations of nozzles with different structural parameters based on fluid mechanics, computational fluid dynamics and jet theory. The structural parameters of the nozzles were optimised by analysing flow field characteristics such as the pressure distribution within the nozzle chamber, velocity distribution, curves of the outlet cross-sectional area and external axial velocity, and velocity uniformity. Combining the results of orthogonal experiments, the optimal combination of factors was determined, and the impurity removal efficiency of the optimised nozzle was tested in the field, providing a reference for subsequent optimisation design. The results indicate that adding a fillet transition to the nozzle can mitigate sudden pressure drops and suppress the generation of vortices; when the fillet transition radius is 80 mm, the flow performance approaches the optimum; the optimal combination of the three factors was determined to be a contraction angle of 13°, λ of 0.65 (corresponding to an outlet height of 27 mm and an inlet diameter of 41 mm), and a nozzle length of 15 mm; this configuration yields the best external flow field characteristics and velocity uniformity; Analysis of the orthogonal test results indicates that the contribution of each structural parameter to velocity uniformity, in descending order, is: contraction angle (77.16%), λ (outlet height/inlet diameter) (18.25%), and nozzle length (0.73%); Field tests confirmed that the removal efficiency of foreign fibres using the optimal parameter combination remained consistently above 95%, with an overall average removal rate of 96.31%. This represents an improvement of approximately 7.5 percentage points compared to the original nozzle (88.83%). The optimised nozzle reduced the number of false rejections of cotton by 57%, demonstrating excellent and highly stable overall removal performance. The influence of the nozzle’s vertical height and its angle relative to the cotton on the removal efficiency requires further investigation. Full article

Modern Chinese traditional-style buildings (MCTBs) preserve the beam–column –construction of historical architecture, but the irregularity of joints continues to constrain their seismic performance. To enhance the energy-dissipation capacity of these joints, viscous dampers were installed at the Que-Ti braces (cantilever corbels beneath beam ends) of beam–column joints. Six 1/2.6-scale specimens were designed and tested under periodic dynamic loading. The experimental results indicate that the installation of viscous dampers significantly improved the failure modes by delaying the formation of plastic hinges at beam ends, as well as the initiation of base material cracking and weld fracture. After damper installation, the joint strength increased by 18–46%, and the improvement was more pronounced in double beam–column joints. A finite element model was established in ABAQUS to investigate the effects of axial load ratio, damping coefficient and damper length on joint strength, hysteretic energy dissipation, and damper mechanical response. The results revealed that the axial load ratio has a limited influence on the overall joint strength and damper contribution. Increasing the damping coefficient significantly enhances the joint hysteretic energy dissipation and peak damper force, exhibiting an approximately linear relationship. The damper length has a minor influence on joint strength, but a longer damper slightly increases the hysteretic energy dissipation and equivalent viscous damping, while the maximum damper displacement is mainly governed by the damper length. Similar damper contributions are observed in single beam–column and double beam–column joints, indicating stable and reliable energy-dissipation behavior. The proposed numerical approach can predict the axial deformation, velocity, and force demands of dampers under various loading conditions. In addition, preliminary design recommendations for irregular steel joints with supplemental viscous dampers in MCTBs were developed based on ancient Chinese architectural literature and refined through combined experimental observations and finite element analyses (FEA). Full article

Electric vehicles (EVs) are playing a crucial role in decarbonising the transportation industry by cutting down on toxic emissions from vehicles. Increasing the range of EVs is still a major hurdle in the widespread adoption of such vehicles, and serious efforts are underway across the globe in order to address this issue. A potential solution to this is the integration of small wind turbines with EVs to extract wind power and help charge the batteries. However, serious efforts in this regard are severely lacking in the published literature. This study aims to bridge this gap through systematic numerical investigations on a drag-based vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) installed on top of an EV. Utilising Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD)-based solvers, the flow fields associated with the turbine are analysed in detail. Instantaneous and average power produced by the turbine have been critically evaluated over its entire operational range and at different vehicle speeds. The results obtained show that the VAWT has a peak power coefficient (Cp) of 0.46 at a tip speed ratio (λ) of 0.55. The average power produced by the VAWT at 30 mph, 50 mph, and 70 mph is about 160 W, 700 W, and 2 kW, respectively. Full article

This paper addresses the important issue of the proper management and protection of subterranean monuments. It concerns the analysis and decoding of the microclimate that is created in heritage structures, which are structures located beneath the soil or carved into rock. The aim of this study is to understand the hygrothermal processes occurring in the mass of underground structural elements, such as evaporation, condensation, water content, and heat fluxes, based on the principles of building physics. The methodology used is the following: a systematic literature review on the topic, an overview of the factors affecting the microclimate, the assessment methodology, and the simulation tools used to decode and evaluate microclimate in subterranean heritage structures; a discussion of the current gaps; and finally, a proposal for future directions for research. A review of the literature reveals that researchers worldwide have employed similar methodologies to approach this complex issue. Recordings and analyses of the microclimate inside underground monuments lead to decision-making and the formulation of actions for optimal preservation. Due to the large number of parameters involved in microclimate analysis, computer software for numerical simulation has been used in many cases. Following the review of the relevant literature in the field of study, a critical discussion concludes by proposing directions for future research on this important topic. Basic results of this research identify current gaps, problems, and limitations. These include technical and practical issues or gaps concerning lack of data for material properties and weather conditions. Another significant limitation arises from the complexity of physical interactions, as well as from the human factor, which involves the proper use of the simulation program and the correct interpretation of the calculation results. This study demonstrates that the microclimate of subterranean heritage structures is the result of complex interactions between climate, geology, architectural design, material properties, and human use. Across different geographical and cultural contexts, subterranean monuments exhibit distinct microclimatic behaviors. The comparative analysis of case studies highlights that while subterranean environments generally benefit from thermal stability, they remain highly vulnerable to moisture dynamics, ventilation changes, and external climatic coupling. Hence, there is a necessity for context-specific approaches rather than generalized conservation solutions. Decoding subterranean microclimates requires a multidisciplinary framework that combines environmental monitoring, material indicators, architectural analysis, and numerical modeling. Full article

Anxiety is a multidimensional construct that influences cognitive performance in complex ways, yet its factor structure and domain-specific effects remain unclear. This study examined (1) the psychometric structure of general and specific anxiety measures, (2) their associations with cognitive performance across different domains, and (3) the predictive power of machine learning models in classifying cognitive performance based on specific anxiety in different domains. A two-stage design was employed: Stage 1 (N = 500) assessed self-reported anxiety (trait, state, generalized, social, spatial, and math anxiety) via questionnaires, while Stage 2 (N = 104) involved a set of experiments measuring cognitive performance (accuracy and reaction time) across numerical, social, spatial, and control tasks. Factor analyses revealed a correlated yet distinct structure. The model treating anxiety measures as independent factors showed the best fit among tested alternatives; however, all CFA models exhibited suboptimal absolute fit indices (TLI/CFI < 0.73). Regression analyses also demonstrated domain-specific effects: after controlling for state and generalized anxiety, trait anxiety showed small but statistically significant positive associations with performance on the social task (OR = 1.03) and spatial task (OR = 1.07). Machine learning models (Random Forest, Decision Trees, SVM) demonstrated limited predictive accuracy, with ensemble methods outperforming linear models. Prediction of reaction time in cognitive tasks, based on anxiety measures, was less powerful, suggesting that non-anxiety factors play a larger role in cognitive performance. These findings highlight the importance of distinguishing between general and domain-specific anxieties in cognitive research and demonstrate the potential of a machine learning approach in modeling anxiety–performance relationships. Full article