Search Results (1,458)

The use of invasive plant species for papermaking presents both environmental and economic opportunities, particularly for companies seeking to introduce sustainable materials. This study examined whether paper made from cellulose fibres of Japanese knotweed is suitable for printing business elements such as logos in specific red colours. The physical, mechanical, and optical properties of the paper were compared with those of standard office and commercial Xerox paper. Two printing techniques—electrophotography and inkjet printing—were tested, and the colour differences (CIE colour difference, ΔE) between the reference logo and the prints, with and without the International Colour Consortium (ICC) colour profile, were evaluated. The results showed that the low whiteness and high porosity of the knotweed paper negatively affected colour reproduction, especially in inkjet printing, where even manually optimised profiles did not yield satisfactory results (minimum ΔE > 23). Electrophotography performed better but still had limitations. It was concluded that Japanese knotweed paper is not suitable for professional reproduction of demanding colour elements without additional processing, although it has potential for sustainable applications with lower visual requirements. Full article

The Officer on Watch (OOW) is critical to ensuring the safety of the vessel, cargo, and crew during navigation. To reduce maritime accidents caused by unsafe behaviors or fatigue, this paper proposes a dual-branch detection system based on Spatial–Temporal Graph Convolutional Networks (ST-GCN): BODY-ST-GCN for pose-based behavior recognition and FACE-ST-GCN for facial state analysis. For spatial modeling, a Triple Graph Fusion (TGF) strategy is introduced to integrate static, adaptive, and attention graphs, enhancing the representation of skeletal and facial keypoints. For temporal modeling, BODY-ST-GCN incorporates a Three-Scale Parallel Temporal Convolutional Network (TSP-TCN) to capture multi-scale motion dynamics, while FACE-ST-GCN uses a Temporal Adaptive Module (TAM) to extract stable facial state features. Furthermore, a joint risk classification mechanism categorizes OOW duty states into four hierarchical levels: Safe, Early Fatigue Warning, High Fatigue Risk, and Emergency. This mechanism enables continuous, real-time monitoring and dynamic assessment. Experiments demonstrate that BODY-ST-GCN and FACE-ST-GCN achieve macro average precisions of 0.969 and 0.947, respectively, outperforming the baseline ST-GCN by 6.4% and 14.9%, providing reliable technical support for onboard safety management. Full article

This paper proposes a human-centric digital twin (DT) framework balancing energy efficiency with occupant well-being in existing buildings, addressing the lack of actionable insights in data-driven facility management and comfort issues common in fully automated systems. A “Human-in-the-loop” approach using dual-KPIs integrates real-time IoT data and visualization to evaluate sustainable energy use via Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). A novel occupancy-inference method tracks efficiency in legacy buildings without granular metering, implemented through a case study of 26 office rooms. Results indicate that the framework successfully identifies significant energy wastage and comfort anomalies without compromising well-being. Integrating real-time analytics with human oversight enables more resilient management than fully automated alternatives, particularly for detecting non-operational heating waste. The occupancy inference method was validated against ground truth, achieving 81% accuracy, with limitations regarding decay lag discussed. This research offers a cost-effective diagnostic tool for legacy buildings lacking sub-metering, lowering DT adoption barriers, and shifting maintenance from reactive to data-driven strategies. The framework leverages human expertise and infers occupancy-normalized energy metrics from standard IEQ sensors, proposing a human-centric DT framework to bridge the gap between raw sensor data and actionable facility management insights. Full article

Hybrid metal–polymer components are used in many industries, such as in aerospace, automotives, and electronics, due to the possibility of reducing the weight of the final part while maintaining mechanical properties comparable to components made entirely of metal. Conventional 3D printing processes do not enable the direct fabrication of hybrid structures consisting of solid metal and polymer parts due to the significant differences in the processing temperatures of both materials. A solution to this problem is the integration of two processes, electrodeposition and photopolymerization, which allow fabrication to be carried out at room temperature. This paper presents preparatory studies aimed at developing a new 3D printing technology that uses the simultaneous application of electrodeposition and photopolymerization to manufacture hybrid metal–polymer elements in a single, integrated 3D printing process. Here, a hybrid metal–polymer element is defined as a component composed of at least two bonded parts, including at least one metal part fabricated by electrodeposition and at least one polymer part produced by photopolymerization. Thus, it is not a polymer component merely coated with an electrodeposited metal layer, but a true hybrid structure consisting of functional metallic and polymeric parts. Such components can be manufactured using the world’s first hybrid 3D printer, which integrates electrodeposition and photopolymerization to produce metal–polymer hybrid parts within a single 3D printing process (the device has been submitted to the Polish Patent Office). However, its design and operating principle are beyond the scope of this paper. The presented research focuses on initial study of selected feedstock materials for this printer, namely photocurable resins and electroplating baths. Since the entire hybrid printing process occurs in an electroplating bath environment, studies of these materials for 3D printing under such conditions were essential. This work includes a screening study of photocurable formulations with respect to rheological properties, 3D printing tests in a model copper electroplating bath, and selection of a suitable bath brightener to maximize the quality (fine grain size, homogeneous grain distribution) of additively deposited copper layers. The study was conducted using copper electrodeposition and acrylate resin photopolymerization as model processes for evaluating the proposed hybrid metal–polymer 3D printing technology. Finally, the most suitable feedstock materials for producing metal–polymer hybrid parts via the proposed 3D printing method were selected. Full article

Tor is an anonymization network that enables access to hidden services and protects user identity through layered encryption. While its core technology offers strong privacy, users can still be exposed through indirect attack methods or configuration mistakes. This research not only explores de-anonymization techniques but also provides a practical guide for constructing a fully functional experimental Tor environment using virtual machines. The custom-built testbed allows for safe simulation of attacks without impacting the public Tor network. Within this environment, three key information-gathering approaches were evaluated: (1) malware-based reverse shells that establish external communication, (2) malicious PDF and Office files used to trigger outbound connections, and (3) analysis of service misconfigurations that may reveal the IP address of hidden services. The results confirm that although the Tor network itself is resilient, user behavior, improper configurations, and insecure content handling can lead to significant privacy risks. By combining practical environment setup with real-world attack scenarios, this paper serves both as a reference for building experimental Tor networks and as a security-oriented analysis of known de-anonymization vectors. The findings emphasize the critical need for user awareness and precise configuration in privacy-focused technologies. Full article

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) significantly impacts people’s comfort, health, and productivity in buildings, and modern green rating systems are primarily focused on energy efficiency rather than the direct user experience. This paper analyses the relationship between IEQ and the perceived quality of life (QoL) of certified and conventional office buildings in Malaysia using a mixed-methods design. The questionnaires were completed by 162 employees working in four open-plan offices: two were certified under the Green Building Index (GBI) established in Malaysia, and two were traditional. This was supplemented by 14 semi-structured interviews and 2 focus groups. The factors of IEQ were divided into ambient, designed, and behavioral environments. It was statistically determined that behavioral factors, such as visual privacy, personalization, ergonomics, and control, exhibited the strongest correlations with overall QoL, compared to ambient factors such as air quality or thermal comfort. Green buildings performed better in terms of daylighting and esthetics than conventional buildings, though they did not always deliver higher occupant satisfaction. The results indicate that current green certification frameworks pay insufficient attention to occupant-centered aspects. The proposed research adds a validated IEQ-QoL framework that predicts the incorporation of subjective user experience into building performance indicators, which can be important for certification reform, post-occupancy evaluation (POE), and human-centered sustainable design approaches. Full article

On the basis of data from ten semi-structured interviews and selected secondary data from surveys conducted by the Office for National Statistics in Great Britain, this paper explores how young men and women articulate attitudes and experiences related to sustainable transport, using gender as an analytical lens. The study is exploratory and qualitative. Both traffic safety and personal safety appear to have a much more limiting influence on women’s travel mode choices than on men’s. Perceptions of safety, comfort, distance, convenience and accessibility are defined and shaped by the surrounding urban environment and transport infrastructure, and emerge as important considerations in the narratives of the study participants. The use of the car by men and women is somewhat linked to barriers to sustainable transport, such as infrequent and unreliable public transport, and, in the case of women, safety concerns. Concern for the environment is largely similar across male and female participants. Full article

Reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has emerged as a promising technique to enhance spectral efficiency and coverage in fifth- and sixth-generation wireless networks. However, asymmetric indoor propagation conditions characterized by heterogeneous line-of-sight (LoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) links often degrade user fairness. This paper investigates a downlink RIS-assisted NOMA system under the standardized 3GPP indoor office (InH) channel model to address fairness-oriented design under realistic link-budget constraints. We formulate an optimization problem for max–min fairness that jointly considers discrete RIS element partitioning and NOMA power allocation to achieve a symmetrical allocation of quality of service (QoS). To enable efficient computation, the non-convex problem is transformed into an epigraph form and solved using a low-complexity, bisection-based quasi-convex optimization framework combined with enumeration over RIS partitions. Numerical results demonstrate significant fairness gains; for instance, doubling the RIS array size yields a substantial improvement in the ergodic max–min rate, corresponding to approximately a 66% gain at moderate transmit power levels. Furthermore, by accounting for practical impairments such as imperfect successive interference cancellation (iSIC), imperfect channel state information (iCSI), and RIS implementation losses, the results reveal that fairness-optimal operation consistently prioritizes the far user to overcome severe indoor NLoS attenuation. The proposed framework is also compared with alternating optimization (AO)-based RIS-NOMA, conventional RIS beamforming without partition and RIS-assisted orthogonal multiple access (OMA) schemes. Simulation results confirm that the proposed framework achieves low computational complexity, making it suitable for practical indoor wireless environments. Full article

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from hardwood papers are associated with cellulose fibers, paper fillers, and the manufacturing process used. Volatiles emitted from samples of office (printing and writing) papers from various brands and countries were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and an electronic nose (e-nose) based on piezoelectric quartz crystals. Dodecanoic acid 1-methylethyl ester (isopropyl dodecanoate) and nonanal have shown to be the dominant compounds in most of the samples analyzed, regardless of the pulpwood used in paper manufacturing: Eucalyptus globulus, acacia, and birch. 3-Hydroxybutanone was detected only in Spanish papers, suggesting it as a potential marker. Additionally, the content in acetic acid enables the identification of recycled paper. Full article

Workspace digitalisation presents a transformative shift from traditional, physically bounded offices to virtual, technology-enabled environments. Digital technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things enable remote collaboration, data accessibility, and operational efficiency, thereby accelerating this transformation. Digital workspaces transcend geographical limitations, enabling a more flexible, inclusive, and adaptive work culture. They offer better work–life balance, with flexible options, reduced commuting time, and increased personal autonomy and control over commitments, compared to traditional workspaces. Despite these benefits, digitalisation creates cybersecurity, data privacy, and digital divide issues, where unequal access to digital tools and skills can exacerbate social and economic inequalities. The lack of physical interaction affects team cohesion and company culture. Hence, this paper explores these phenomena to uncover their implications and consider possible strategies to optimise workspace digitalisation, providing a comprehensive systematic review of extant literature within the study context, offering pragmatic insights and recommendations for workspaces. This study has found workspace digitalisation to be a complex, multifaceted phenomenon that provides flexibility, efficiency, and innovation, but also poses challenges that must be carefully managed. It postulates that as technology and work progress, a hybrid model that blends digital and traditional workspaces would be suited to each organisation’s needs and goals. Full article

Digital Twin (DT) technologies are widely discussed in the context of Industry 4.0 and advanced manufacturing; however, their role in supporting the sustainability and survival of academic spin-offs remains underexplored. This paper argues that, particularly in peripheral and resource-constrained innovation ecosystems, Digital Twins should be understood not merely as optional technological enhancements but as strategic capabilities that support sustainable technology commercialization in early-stage, research-driven ventures. Building on literature on academic entrepreneurship, technology commercialization, digital innovation, and regional innovation systems, the study develops a conceptual framework that positions Digital Twins as entrepreneurial infrastructures linking scientific outputs to market readiness through three interrelated mechanisms: the reduction in technological uncertainty, the acceleration of market validation, and the enhancement of organizational learning and strategic adaptability. Extending beyond conceptual development, the paper proposes a staged Digital Twin adoption roadmap aligned with Technology Readiness Levels, offering a practical pathway for integrating DT capabilities across venture maturation phases while strengthening investor readiness and commercialization outcomes. The analysis further connects DT-enabled experimentation with sustainability objectives by demonstrating how virtual testing, digital validation, and data-driven learning support capital-efficient, resource-conscious, and resilient innovation processes. By integrating theoretical insights with operational guidance, this conceptual study contributes to research on technology transfer, deep-tech entrepreneurship, and sustainability-oriented innovation by proposing a framework that may guide future empirical investigations of Digital Twin adoption in academic spin-offs. The framework also offers actionable implications for spin-off founders, university technology transfer offices, and policymakers seeking to foster resilient and inclusive innovation ecosystems. Full article

The integration of outdoor camera images with three-dimensional (3D) geographic information on the observed scene is of interest for many video acquisition applications. To solve this data fusion problem, camera images have to be matched with the 3D geometry provided by a geographic information system (GIS). Considering a camera with a known geographical position, this paper proposes the use of a dense local azimuth–elevation map (LAEM) derived from a gridded digital elevation model (DEM) to represent the data and thus facilitate the matching of GIS and image data. To each regularly sampled azimuth and elevation angle pair, this map assigns the geographic point derived from the DEM viewed in this direction. The problem of computing the LAEM from the DEM is closely related to that of surface rendering, for which solutions exist in computer graphics. However, rendering software cannot be used directly in this case, since their view directions are constrained by the pinhole camera model and the apparent colour, rather than the position of the viewed point, is assigned to the viewing direction. Therefore, this paper also proposes a specific algorithm for the computation of the LAEM from the DEM. A MATLAB^® implementation of the algorithm is also provided, which is tailored to process the DEM dataset swissALTI3D from the Swiss Federal Office of Topography swisstopo. Full article

This paper provides a comprehensive survey of Human–Robot Interaction (HRI) for indoor mobile robots operating in human-centered environments such as hospitals, laboratories, offices, and homes. We review interaction modalities—including speech, gesture, touch, visual, and multimodal interfaces—and examine key user experience factors such as usability, trust, and social acceptance. Implementation challenges are discussed, encompassing safety, privacy, and regulatory considerations. Representative case studies, including healthcare and domestic platforms, highlight design trade-offs and integration lessons. We identify critical technical challenges, including robust perception, reliable multimodal fusion, navigation in dynamic spaces, and constraints on computation and power. Finally, we outline future directions, including embodied AI, adaptive context-aware interactions, and standards for safety and data protection. This survey aims to guide the development of indoor mobile robots capable of collaborating with humans naturally, safely, and effectively. Full article

Sudden disruptions can destabilize everyday routines and open the door to pro-environmental behavioral change. This paper examines whether exogenous Moments of Change (MoC) with different temporal profiles—an acute nationwide power outage in Spain and the prolonged COVID-19 disruption—reshape employees’ workplace pro-environmental behavior (PEB) by weakening the relationship between habits and PEB. Study 1 surveyed 226 Spanish office workers 38 days after a brief blackout, while Study 2 followed 135 employees in Spain and the Netherlands longitudinally across the COVID-19 period. We found that, while reported PEB increased after both disruptions, the short-term blackout was insufficient to weaken the relationship between habits and behavior significantly, or to strengthen individual and organizational drivers of behavior. In contrast, the more prolonged COVID-19 disruption significantly weakened the influence of habits on PEB and strengthened the relationship between perceived corporate environmental responsibility and behavior. These findings suggest that the duration of a disruption is a critical factor. Specifically, brief shocks may elicit specific new behaviors; only prolonged disruptions appear sufficient to break established habits and enhance the influence of organizational factors on employees’ pro-environmental actions. Full article

With the increasing use of modern technologies in interior design, numerous recent studies have made the effects of kinetic-based design techniques on users’ perceptions a crucial topic, and sustainable performance has emerged as essential. From this standpoint, this study uses a space syntax approach to investigate how human behavioral performance in workspaces is affected by kinetic interiors. Three kinetic-based design strategies were employed to evaluate changes in spatial configuration characteristics, and the relevant terminology was adapted to account for the use of kinetic technology. The paper adopts a comparative analysis model to follow these changes using four syntactic measures: integration, choice, connectivity, and clustering coefficient. The proposed evaluation approach is applied to a traditional office building in Port Said, Egypt, showcasing various aspects of kinetic technology in workspaces. The study’s findings elucidate the correlations between design strategies and the resulting spatial characteristics, guiding designers in evaluating the features of each system and facilitating comparisons between them. Finally, the study’s main aim is to propose a three-step design process as a guideline for creating an integrated kinetic technology design, involving the evaluation of the proposed alternatives to achieve the desired spatial characteristics. Full article