Search Results (1,125)

Conventional evaluations of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in office spaces are typically disproportionately influenced by expert experience, often overlooking the cognitive gap between decision makers (experts) and users (employees). To quantify and explain this discrepancy, this study develops a comprehensive evaluation framework including 20 IEQ indicators, grounded in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Using the Shenzhen Science Park as a case study, evaluation data were collected from 13 experts and 432 employees. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and the Kano model were applied to calculate expert weights and employees’ nonlinear sensitivities, respectively, followed by the construction of an optimization matrix via Importance–Performance Analysis (IPA). The results reveal a notable cognitive gap: experts prioritize foundational physical elements regarding spatial technology, whereas employees place greater emphasis on factors such as privacy protection and flexible layouts. Both groups concur that “noise interference” and “lack of privacy” are the primary shortcomings of open-plan offices. Prospective assessments indicate that embodied AI-enabled robots currently remain in a “early adoption phase,” with employees showing no functional dependency on them. This study confirms that merely improving building physical performance does not proportionally translate to increased employee satisfaction. Spatial optimization should adopt a human-centric approach, emphasizing acoustic control and the reconfiguration of privacy boundaries to enhance the scientific allocation of resources. Full article

Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a collaborative roleplaying game that is associated with social and emotional benefits for young adults (YAs). Research has not addressed how YAs’ understanding of identity and mental health is explored through D&D. This research explored the impact that playing D&D has on YAs’ understanding of their identity and how this relates to their mental health. Eleven YAs (aged 18–25) were interviewed about their experiences of playing D&D. Their interviews were analysed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis. Four main themes were identified: D&D as a safer space; D&D for coping; D&D for exploration; and D&D for growth. The findings demonstrate that YAs use D&D to navigate experiences such as social and emotional difficulties and their evolving sense of self. D&D helped YAs to manage their current circumstances as well as to look to the future. These findings highlight the positive impact D&D has on identity exploration and mental health for YAs. Playing D&D was perceived by participants as improving their wellbeing, relationships, and occupations at a critical time developmentally when they are developing their sense of self. Consideration of how D&D may be incorporated into existing intervention approaches is discussed, including implications for further research. Full article

In the LoRa (long-range) wide area network (LoRaWAN), Class A devices employ a pure ALOHA random access mechanism. Under large-scale access and bursty traffic conditions, severe packet collisions are likely, which reduces throughput and increases the packet loss rate. To address these issues, herein, we propose a collision mitigation scheme integrating the extended Kalman filter (EKF) with nonorthogonal multiple access (NOMA). First, a nonlinear state-space model is constructed to capture the dynamic evolution of backlog nodes and the uncertainty of traffic arrivals. The backlog node number is modeled as the hidden state, while newly arrived and successfully decoded packets are incorporated into the state-transition equation. At the gateway, decoded packet counts and channel occupancy are treated as observations based on which a nonlinear mapping between system state and observable features is established. The EKF is then applied to recursively predict and correct, enabling real-time estimation of the backlog state. Accordingly, an adaptive backoff strategy is designed to adjust transmission probability based on the estimated optimal load. Furthermore, to mitigate packet loss caused by collisions, a power-domain NOMA scheme with successive interference cancelation (SIC) is introduced. Signals transmitted with different spreading factors (SFs) are decoupled into approximately independent processing branches by exploiting inter-SF quasi-orthogonality. To account for imperfect inter-SF orthogonality, cross-SF residual coupling coefficients are introduced to characterize leakage interference. For transmissions sharing the same SF, overlapping packets are successively decoded and recovered through a NOMA-SIC mechanism jointly constrained by the SINR-based decoding threshold, the power-domain separation requirement, the maximum number of resolvable SIC layers, and residual SIC interference. Accordingly, the proposed receiver architecture enhances the decoding and recovery capability for collided LoRa packets. Simulation results demonstrate that, under medium-to-high traffic loads, the proposed scheme significantly improves throughput and access success rate while effectively reducing collision probability and packet loss, thereby enhancing the overall robustness and efficiency of the LoRa network. Full article

Indoor air quality (IAQ) plays a critical role in the health and cognitive performance of students, making its assessment essential for sustainable building design in educational environments. This study evaluates whether the ventilation flow rates prescribed by the Spanish Regulation for Thermal Installations in Buildings (RTIB), together with the occupancy densities defined by the Technical Building Code (TBC), are sufficient to maintain CO₂ concentrations within regulatory limits in classrooms and library reading rooms. A validated three-dimensional CFD model was developed to simulate airflow patterns and CO₂ distribution under typical operating conditions. The model was experimentally validated using measurements from a dedicated test room in the KUBIK experimental building of Tecnalia, demonstrating high predictive accuracy with average relative errors between 14% and 20%. Results indicate that, under current RTIB and TBC design criteria, (modelled for a 36 m² classroom with 24 occupants and a fresh air supply of 1080 m³/h), CO₂ levels frequently exceed the 910 ppm regulatory thresholds established by the RTIB’s direct method, highlighting potential shortcomings in existing standards for educational spaces. Additionally, two mechanical ventilation configurations were analyzed, revealing that floor-supply ventilation promotes more homogeneous pollutant dispersion and lower concentration peaks compared with ceiling-mounted systems. These findings underline the need to reconsider ventilation design strategies in educational buildings and demonstrate the value of CFD modelling as a tool to support evidence-based decisions toward healthier and more sustainable indoor environments. Full article

University common spaces are increasingly recognized as critical environments for social interaction and informal learning; yet empirical frameworks that integrate biophilic design, placemaking, and affective post-occupancy evaluation remain limited in educational contexts. This research adopts a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) design to assess how spatial configuration and biophilic placemaking strategies influence emotional experience, social interaction, and perceived inclusion in a redesigned university lobby serving five colleges. A structured questionnaire was administered to 212 users using the Pleasure–Arousal–Dominance (PAD) model, triangulated with systematic behavioral observations and spatial analysis. The results demonstrate that integrating biophilic elements, improving spatial organization, and introducing student-led activity areas yielded high perceived comfort (M = 3.75), balanced stimulation (M = 3.10), and a stronger sense of spatial control (M = 3.16), with significant positive correlations between biophilic integration scores and all three PAD dimensions. These findings introduce and empirically validate the concept of Socio-Biophilic Synergy and propose the Biophilic Placemaking Framework (BPF) as a unified evaluative structure, demonstrating that the intentional spatial design of the university spaces can meaningfully enhance social sustainability and emotional well-being in university environments. Full article

The Easterlin paradox and recent distributional reassessments suggest that average effects obscure how subjective disadvantage is generated and reproduced over time. We propose the Social Comparison System (SCS), a framework that represents subjective well-being (SWB) as an internal state and relative income rank as an external conditioning variable within a feedback structure, with three structural properties: threshold activation, state-dependent gain, and rank-conditioned attractor displacement. The properties are recovered through a sample-isolated three-stage framework integrating tree-based machine learning, forest-based heterogeneity estimation, panel-data estimation, and hierarchical Bayesian Markov modeling on a balanced four-wave panel of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS; 8099 individuals; 32,396 person-wave observations). Stage 1 locates a discrete predictive discontinuity in relative income rank between rank 2 and rank 3 (SHAP jump = 0.383, permutation p < 0.001). Stage 2 carries this boundary into a disjoint validation panel and recovers a negative rank-by-prior-SWB interaction (β = −0.036) and a 2.30-fold larger conditional effect in low- than in high-prior-SWB strata. Stage 3 recovers a 22.6-percentage-point gap in the rank-conditioned occupancy of the lowest within-wave SWB quartile between low- and high-rank subsystems, which under a first-order Markov approximation corresponds to a long-run stationary gap, robust to alternative state-space discretizations. Throughout this paper, relative income rank is treated as a conditioning variable, and the rank-conditioned patterns are interpreted as associational; the long-run quantities are reported under a first-order dynamical approximation rather than as identified causal or fully validated long-run effects. Persistent subjective disadvantage is therefore characterized by unequal dynamics of activation, amplification, and escape, rather than by unequal resources alone. This reframing provides a methodological template for identifying rank-conditioned feedback structures in social-systems data. Full article

Polyurethane synthetic leather is a widely used covering material in automotive interiors, and its surface coating characteristics directly determine the occupant experience. However, the underlying mechanisms by which these characteristics influence visuo-tactile perception in the context of new energy vehicles (NEVs) require further investigation. In this study, a composite experimental matrix was constructed by combining surface textures with distinct roughness gradients and representative colors extracted via data mining within the HSV color space. Targeting these two surface coating characteristics—color and texture—systematic evaluations were conducted across three independent perception stages: purely visual, purely tactile, and combined visuo-tactile. Eye-tracking metrics, specifically pupil diameter and total fixation duration, were extracted and cross-analyzed alongside multidimensional subjective evaluations. The results indicate that surface texture exerts a significant main effect on both perceived tactile softness and pleasantness, whereas the impact of color variation is remarkably weak. Furthermore, highly complex surface textures lead to prolonged fixation durations, reflecting increased exploratory interest and the high perceptual salience of intricate details rather than mere cognitive workload. Moreover, significant differences in pupil diameter were observed across texture conditions, potentially reflecting the combined influence of low-level image properties and higher-order texture perception. Concurrently, an interference effect of visual features on tactile perception was observed; specifically, the introduction of visual cues (encompassing color and texture) significantly diminished the pleasantness experienced during tactile interaction. These findings elucidate the intrinsic connections between surface coating characteristics and users’ visuo-tactile perception, offering important theoretical guidance and practical implications for optimizing the surface design of automotive polyurethane synthetic leather and enhancing the overall occupant experience. Full article

Conventional full-space heating systems waste massive fossil-derived energy on unoccupied indoor areas and cause uncomfortable “warm head, cold feet” issues against sustainable building targets. To fill this gap and advance low-carbon indoor heating solutions for sustainable office development, this study proposes an innovative localized heating terminal combining radiant panels and downward laminar air supply. An experimental platform was established, with twelve testing cases covering varied supply air velocity, supply air temperature and radiant panel temperature to explore its thermal comfort and energy-saving sustainability performance. Experimental results demonstrate that, under the optimal operating condition (0.55 m/s airflow, 23.5 °C supply air, 36 °C radiant panel), the vertical head–foot temperature difference reduces to merely 1.2 °C, far below the 3–5 °C threshold of conventional heating equipment; the draught rate approaches zero to eliminate cold draft discomfort. Critically, 65–75% of total supplied heat concentrates within human-occupied zones, drastically cutting redundant heat loss and advancing building heating sustainability. The terminal features dual working modes: convection contributes 78.7–94.4% of total heat for rapid warm-up while radiant heat maintains stable long-term comfortable surroundings. Such flexible dual-mode design supports sustainable part-load operation matching intermittent office occupancy, making this terminal a feasible low-carbon option for modern sustainable office buildings prioritizing energy efficiency and a healthy indoor environment. Full article

Land capitalization has become one of the central issues in contemporary China’s economic development and land system reform. Existing scholarship has predominantly approached this topic from the perspectives of effects, governance, and property rights, while a spatial analytical lens remains conspicuously absent. This study draws on the theoretical perspective of the production of space (spatial politics) and selects Xunliao Bay, a coastal tourism destination currently undergoing rapid land capitalization, as a typical case. Based on qualitative methods, including three-phase, five-time interviews and non-participatory observation conducted in Xunliao Bay, it investigates the spatial logic and restructuring processes of land capitalization in coastal tourism areas. The findings reveal that: (1) Land capitalization in coastal tourism destinations is essentially a process of the spatialization of capital, following a logical sequence of “spatial occupation–spatial planning–spatial production.” (2) In Xunliao Bay, land capitalization has generated multifaceted spatial consequences, leading to the reconfiguration of land property rights, land functional attributes, and land morphology. (3) Far from being a purely economic value-adding endeavor, land capitalization in coastal tourism destinations constitutes a spatial political process fraught with power struggles, interest negotiations, and conflicts. In this process, capital forges “growth coalitions” with local governments to complete land consolidation and property rights restructuring, subsequently redefines land attributes through planning mechanisms to safeguard its own interests, and ultimately engages in selective land use to carry out landscape construction and spatial production, thereby profoundly reshaping the local socio-spatial fabric. This study extends the spatial perspective and tourism context within land capitalization research and deepens the theoretical understanding of land capitalization as a socio-spatial and political process. Full article

Hybrid carbon nanotube–fullerene architectures provide a controllable setting in which to study irreversibility and information flow in strongly structured quantum environments. We analyze entropy generation in a platform where paramagnetic endohedral fullerenes (PEFs), such as N@C₆₀ and P@C₆₀, are encapsulated inside a suspended carbon nanotube (CNT) resonator, such that selected multi-level PEF spin states define an effective qubit coupled to quantized CNT flexural modes. Motivated by prior work on fullerene-filled CNTs, on spin–phonon manipulation in suspended nanotubes, and on exact phase-space propagators for damped driven oscillators, we formulate a hybrid open-system description that combines a driven quantum Brownian description of the CNT resonator with an effective Jaynes–Cummings type spin–vibrational interaction. The resonator dynamics are represented in phase space through the Wigner function, whose time evolution can be written analytically in terms of the initial Wigner distribution and a Gaussian propagator. This representation makes it possible to separate drive-induced phase space displacement, diffusion, and damping, and to connect these features directly to entropy flow. The coupled spin–mechanical dynamics are then embedded in a Lindblad quantum master equation that includes mechanical damping, spin relaxation, pure dephasing, and thermally activated excitation channels. Within this framework we derive the entropy balance equation—identifying entropy flux and non-negative entropy production—and examine how hybridization between the molecular spin and the nanotube vibration redistributes irreversibility between coherent exchange and dissipative channels. We show that spin–phonon coupling enhanced by a magnetic field gradient, resonant driving, and moderate thermal occupation can produce identifiable crossovers between entropy–production regimes dominated by the oscillator and those dominated by the spin. The resulting framework provides a quantitative basis for using CNT–PEF hybrids as nanoscale platforms for studying nonequilibrium quantum thermodynamics, decoherence, and information loss in structured vibrational environments. Full article

This paper develops a finite-state mathematical framework for structural stability and regime classification in discrete-time state–event–response systems whose effective transition structure is generated endogenously by state-dependent response rules. Unlike classical structural stability theory, which focuses on qualitative persistence in smooth dynamical systems, and unlike Markov-chain analysis, which typically assumes a fixed transition kernel, the proposed framework treats the transition graph as an induced object. The model specifies a finite state space, an event-generation law, an elasticity-dependent attenuation function, and a deterministic transition mapping. Structural regimes are classified by adjacency relations, communicating components, absorbing organization, and long-run occupancy support. A Monte Carlo verification layer is used only to examine whether the analytically defined topological regimes are visible in finite-sample occupancy signatures. The results indicate that, within the finite-state setting considered here, admissible disturbance scaling changes traversal frequency without changing graph identity, whereas elasticity variation can activate or deactivate effective edges and thereby generate structurally distinct regimes. Full article

Confined space operations are characterized by environmental complexity and latent hazards, where failures in human risk perception represent a primary precursor to industrial accidents, posing a significant challenge to sustainable occupational health and safety (OHS) management. This study investigates the mechanism by which individual traits (risk propensity) influence risk perception performance through cognitive processes (inattentional blindness). Utilizing psychological scales and eye-tracking technology, we quantitatively analyzed the visual search behaviors of participants with varying risk propensities across typical confined space hazard scenarios. The results indicate that individuals with high risk propensity tend to adopt a “random-exploratory superficial scanning strategy,” characterized by significantly delayed Time to First Fixation (TFF) and lower Fixation Count (FC) within critical hazard areas compared to the low-risk propensity group. Statistical analysis reveals that inattentional blindness exerts a full mediating effect between risk propensity and risk perception performance, accounting for 72.56% of perception failures. This research confirms that an imbalance in attentional resource allocation leads to higher cognitive omission of salient hazards among high-risk propensity individuals. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for cognitive reliability assessment and the design of sustainable safety training programs in high-risk industries, ultimately contributing to the social sustainability and well-being of industrial workforces. Full article

Fire safety in university laboratories has become an increasingly important issue due to the high evacuation risk associated with complex indoor layouts, dense occupancy, and hazardous environments. To improve evacuation efficiency and support safer laboratory space design, this study investigates fire emergency evacuation in a university logistics laboratory through a field-of-view-based modeling approach. First, key evacuation data were collected from organized student evacuation drills under normal and limited field-of-view conditions. Then, by integrating the measured data with the spatial characteristics of the laboratory, a fire evacuation model considering occupants’ field of view was developed and validated. Based on the validated model, simulation experiments were conducted to examine the effects of field of view, exit number, exit width, and indoor spatial layout on evacuation performance. The results show that, without affecting the normal use of the laboratory, improving its internal spatial layout can increase evacuation efficiency by approximately 24.7%. The findings provide practical guidance for fire evacuation planning and spatial layout improvement in university laboratory buildings. Full article

Currently, improving runway utilization under operational safety constraints has become a critical concern for small and medium airports. Existing research focuses primarily on landing-phase runway occupation time, while predictive studies on the takeoff phase remain limited. Analysis of 1749 Quick Access Recorder (QAR) records from ten airports reveals that departure runway occupation time is strongly correlated with ground speed at liftoff (0.72) and airport elevation (0.67) but weakly correlated with aircraft weight and meteorological conditions, providing guidance for feature engineering. To address the prediction of departure runway occupation time, this study proposes a TCN-FEP hybrid model. The model employs an enhanced Temporal Convolutional Network (TCN) module with multi-scale convolutions (kernel sizes 3, 5, 7) and dilated convolutions (rates 2, 4, 8) to capture multi-scale feature interactions, alongside a Feature Enhancement Projection (FEP) module that maps local features into a high-dimensional latent space for implicit relationship mining and global information integration. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed TCN-FEP model achieves an MSE of 90.20, RMSE of 9.49, MAE of 5.84 s, MAPE of 3.80%, and R² of 0.97, outperforming Informer (MSE 117.95), Longformer (MSE 132.11), XGBoost (MSE 92.30), and LightGBM (MSE 91.45). Under 5% outlier injection, MSE increases by 7.9%, compared to 24.3% for LSTM and 18.4% for Informer. With 94% of prediction errors within ±5 s, the model’s accuracy may offer a useful reference for runway resource optimization at small and medium airports. Full article

This study presents the design and performance evaluation of a hybrid solar-driven system (SOLIVE) that integrates tubular daylighting and buoyancy-driven natural ventilation within a single architectural component for industrial and large-scale buildings. While solar tubes and solar chimneys have been widely studied as independent passive technologies, their combined use in a unified system capable of delivering both daylight and ventilation remains largely unexplored. The proposed system utilizes solar tubes not only for transmitting natural daylight but also as thermal drivers that induce airflow through the stack effect generated by solar heating along the tube surface. A mathematical framework combining photometric daylight modeling and buoyancy-driven airflow analysis was developed to evaluate the system performance. Numerical simulations were conducted for three representative solar reference days (Equinox, Summer Solstice, and Winter Solstice). The influence of the key design parameters, including illuminated surface area (5–15 m²), solar tube diameter (0.1–0.3 m), and ventilated space volume (20–60 m³), was systematically analyzed. The results show that, under the adopted modelling assumptions, the system provides peak illuminance between 376 and 502 lux and ventilation rates up to 20.5 air changes per hour (ACH). These values are discussed as indicative benchmarks with respect to ISO 8995-1 and ASHRAE 62.1, rather than as proof of full real-building compliance, since glare, illuminance uniformity, thermal comfort, occupancy, wind effects and HVAC integration were not fully modelled. These findings demonstrate the potential of the proposed system as an effective passive solution for improving indoor environmental quality and reducing building energy demand in sunny climates. Full article