Search Results (4,678)

Future planetary exploration missions will rely heavily on efficient human–robot interaction to ensure astronaut safety and maximize scientific return. In this context, digital twins offer a promising tool for planning, simulating, and optimizing extravehicular activities. This study presents the development and evaluation of a digital twin for the AMADEE-24 analog Mars mission, organized by the Austrian Space Forum and conducted in Armenia in March 2024. Alternative local positioning methods were evaluated to enhance the system’s utility in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-denied environments. The digital twin integrates telemetry from the Aouda space suit simulators, inertial measurement unit motion capture (IMU-MoCap), and sensor data from the Intuitive Rover Operation and Collecting Samples (iROCS) rover. All nine experiment runs were reconstructed successfully by the developed digital twin. A comparative analysis of localization methods found that Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM)-based rover positioning and IMU-MoCap localization of the astronaut matched Global Positioning System (GPS) performance. Adaptive Cluster Detection showed significantly higher deviations compared to the previous GNSS alternatives. However, the IMU-MoCap method was limited by discontinuous segment-wise measurements, which required intermittent GPS recalibration. Despite these limitations, the results highlight the potential of alternative localization techniques for digital twin integration. Full article

This study examined the impact of entrepreneurship education in sustainability on entrepreneurial intention using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). The MEMORE macro was used to analyze within-subject mediation and enabled us to examine how entrepreneurial intention is affected by changes in the factors of the theory of planned behavior (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control). The survey follows a questionnaire-based, pre-test-post-test design (the research involved 271 business administration students in Athens). A paired sample t-test was used to analyze changes in attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and entrepreneurial intention before and after education. The results indicated that after the entrepreneurship course in sustainability, students indicated a significant positive change in entrepreneurial intention, attitude, and perceived behavioral control. MEMORE macro indicated that only the change in perceived behavioral control positively influenced the increase in entrepreneurial intention levels. Based on these findings, entrepreneurship education in sustainability enhances students’ entrepreneurial intentions by increasing their perceived behavioral control. As a result, students’ confidence and knowledge regarding sustainable entrepreneurship are fundamental to the development of sustainable entrepreneurial mindsets. This study emphasizes the importance of integrating targeted pedagogical approaches that enhance perceived behavioral control in sustainable entrepreneurship education by equipping students with practical knowledge and skills to overcome psychological barriers. The use of the MEMORE macro highlights this study’s innovation, uncovering new relationships between the examined variables. Full article

Street view imagery has become a vital tool for assessing urban street greenery, with the Green View Index (GVI) serving as the predominant metric. However, while GVI effectively quantifies overall greenery, it fails to capture the nuanced, human-scale experience of urban greenery. This study introduces the Front-Facing Green View Index (FFGVI), a metric designed to reflect the perspective of pedestrians traversing urban streets. The FFGVI computation involves three key steps: (1) calculating azimuths for road points, (2) retrieving front-facing street view images, and (3) applying semantic segmentation to identify green pixels in street view imagery. Building on this, this study proposes the Street Canyon Green View Index (SCGVI), a novel approach for identifying boulevards that evoke perceptions of comfort, spaciousness, and aesthetic quality akin to room-like streetscapes. Applying these indices to a case study in Nanjing, China, this study shows that (1) FFGVI exhibited a strong correlation with GVI (R = 0.88), whereas the association between SCGVI and GVI was marginally weaker (R = 0.78). GVI tends to overestimate perceived greenery due to the influence of lateral views dominated by side-facing vegetation; (2) FFGVI provides a more human-centered perspective, mitigating biases introduced by sampling point locations and obstructions such as large vehicles; and (3) SCGVI effectively identifies prominent boulevards that contribute to a positive urban experience. These findings suggest that FFGVI and SCGVI are valuable metrics for informing urban planning, enhancing urban tourism, and supporting greening strategies at the street level. Full article

Background/Objectives: Miscarriage is an increasingly common event worldwide arising from various factors, and identifying its etiology is important for planning and managing any future pregnancies. It is estimated that about half of early pregnancy loss cases are caused by genetic abnormalities, while a significantly lower rate is found in late pregnancy loss. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) can detect small changes within a gene with precise breakpoints at the level of a single exon. The aim of our study was to identify the rate of copy number variations (CNVs) in spontaneous pregnancy loss samples after having previously tested them via quantitative fluorescence PCR (QF-PCR), with no abnormal findings. Methods: DNA was extracted from product-of-conception tissue samples, followed by the use of an MLPA kit for the detection of 31 microdeletion/microduplication syndromes (SALSA^® MLPA^® Probemix P245 Microdeletion Syndromes-1A, MRC-Holland, Amsterdam, The Netherlands). Results: A total of 11 (13.1%) out of the 84 successfully tested samples showed CNVs. Duplications accounted for 9.5% of the analyzed samples (eight cases), while heterozygous or hemizygous deletions were present in three cases (3.6%). Among all the detected CNVs, only three were certainly pathogenic (3.6%), with two deletions associated with DiGeorge-2 syndrome and Rett syndrome, respectively, and a 2q23.1 microduplication syndrome, all detected in early pregnancy loss samples. For the remaining cases, additional genetic tests (e.g., aCGH/SNP microarray) are required to establish CNV size and gene content and therefore their pathogenicity. Conclusions: MLPA assays seem to have limited value in detecting supplementary chromosomal abnormalities in miscarriages. Full article

The performance of the UAVs while executing various mission profiles greatly depends on the selection of planning algorithms. Reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms can effectively be utilized for robot path planning. Due to random action selection in case of action ties, the traditional Q-learning algorithm and its other variants face the issues of slow convergence and suboptimal path planning in high-dimensional navigational environments. To solve these problems, we propose an improved deep Q-network (DQN), incorporating an efficient tie-breaking mechanism, prioritized experience replay (PER), and L2-regularization. The adopted tie-breaking mechanism improves the action selection and ultimately helps in generating an optimal trajectory for the UAV in a 3D cluttered environment. To improve the convergence speed of the traditional Q-algorithm, prioritized experience replay is used, which learns from experiences with high temporal difference (TD) error and avoids uniform sampling of stored transitions during training. This also allows the prioritization of high-reward experiences (e.g., reaching a goal), which helps the agent to rediscover these valuable states and improve learning. Moreover, L2-regularization is adopted that encourages smaller weights for more stable and smoother Q-values to reduce the erratic action selections and promote smoother UAV flight paths. Finally, the performance of the proposed method is presented and thoroughly compared against the traditional DQN, demonstrating its superior effectiveness. Full article

A novel unified progressive hybrid censoring is introduced to combine both progressive and hybrid censoring plans to allow flexible test termination either after a prespecified number of failures or at a fixed time. This work develops both frequentist and Bayesian inferential procedures for estimating the parameters, reliability, and hazard rates of the inverted Nadarajah–Haghighi lifespan model when a sample is produced from such a censoring plan. Maximum likelihood estimators are obtained through the Newton–Raphson iterative technique. The delta method, based on the Fisher information matrix, is utilized to build the asymptotic confidence intervals for each unknown quantity. In the Bayesian methodology, Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques with independent gamma priors are implemented to generate posterior summaries and credible intervals, addressing computational intractability through the Metropolis—Hastings algorithm. Extensive Monte Carlo simulations compare the efficiency and utility of frequentist and Bayesian estimates across multiple censoring designs, highlighting the superiority of Bayesian inference using informative prior information. Two real-world applications utilizing rare minerals from gold and diamond durability studies are examined to demonstrate the adaptability of the proposed estimators to the analysis of rare events in precious materials science. By applying four different optimality criteria to multiple competing plans, an analysis of various progressive censoring strategies that yield the best performance is conducted. The proposed censoring framework is effectively applied to real-world datasets involving diamonds and gold, demonstrating its practical utility in modeling the reliability and failure behavior of rare and high-value minerals. Full article

To address the technical bottlenecks of low path planning efficiency and insufficient point cloud coverage in the automated 3D scanning of complex structural components, this study proposes an offline method for the generation and optimization of scanning paths based on CAD models. Discrete sampling of the model’s surface is achieved through the construction of an oriented bounding box (OBB) and a linear object–triangular mesh intersection algorithm, thereby obtaining a discrete point set of the model. Incorporating a standard vector analysis of the discrete points and the kinematic constraints of the scanning system, a scanner pose parameter calculation model is established. An improved nearest neighbor search algorithm is employed to generate a globally optimized scanning path, and an adaptive B-spline interpolation algorithm is applied to path smoothing. A joint MATLAB (R2023b)—RobotStudio (6.08) simulation platform is developed to facilitate the entire process, from model pre-processing and path planning to path verification. The experimental results demonstrate that compared with the traditional manual teaching methods, the proposed approach achieves a 25.4% improvement in scanning efficiency and an 18.6% increase in point cloud coverage when measuring typical complex structural components. This study offers an intelligent solution for the efficient and accurate measurement of large-scale complex parts and holds significant potential for broad engineering applications. Full article

The global shift towards the use of renewable energy is essential to ensure sustainable development, and geothermal energy stands out as a suitable option that can support various cascading projects. Spent geothermal water (SGW) requires proper treatment to ensure that it does not become an environmental burden. Typically, companies often face the dilemma of choosing between discharging spent geothermal water (SGW) into surface waters or injecting it into rock masses, and the economic and environmental impacts of the decision made determines the feasibility of geothermal plant development. In this study, we aimed to comprehensively assess the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of SGW injection into rock masses. To this end, we employed a comprehensive analytical approach using the Chochołów GT-1 geothermal injection borehole in Poland as a reference case. We also performed drilling and hydrogeological testing, characterized rock samples in the laboratory, and corrected hydrodynamic parameters for thermal lift effects to ensure accurate aquifer characterization. The results obtained highlight the importance of correcting hydrogeological parameters for thermal effects, which if neglected can lead to a significant overestimation of the calculated hydrogeological parameters. Based on our analysis, we developed a framework for assessing SGW injection feasibility that integrates detailed hydrogeological and geotechnical analyses with environmental risk assessment to ensure sustainable geothermal resource exploitation. This framework should be mandatory for planning new geothermal power plants or complexes worldwide. Our results also emphasize the need for adequate SGW management so as to ensure that the benefits of using a renewable and zero-emission resource, such as geothermal energy, are not compromised by the low absorption capacity of rock masses or adverse environmental effects. Full article

Increasing soil carbon storage is an important strategy for achieving sustainable development. Enhancing soil carbon sequestration capacity can effectively reduce the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide, which not only contributes to the carbon neutrality goal but also helps maintain ecosystem stability. Based on 146 soil samples collected at plot locations selected across Beijing, we examined relationships between soil organic carbon (SOC) and key characteristics of urban forests, including their spatial structure and species complexity. The results showed that SOC in the topsoil with a depth of 20 cm was highest over forested plots (6.384 g/kg–20.349 g/kg) and lowest in soils without any vegetation cover (5.586 g/kg–6.783 g/kg). The plots with herbaceous/shrub vegetation but no tree cover had SOC values in between (5.586 g/kg–15.162 g/kg). The plot data revealed that SOC was better correlated with the physical structure than the species diversity of Beijing’s urban trees. The correlation coefficients (r) between SOC and five physical structure indicators, including average diameter at breast height (DBH), average tree height, basal area density, and the diversity of DBH and tree height, ranged from 0.32 to 0.52, whereas the r values for four species diversity indicators ranged from 0.10 to 0.25, two of which were not statistically different from 0. Stepwise linear regression analyses revealed that the species diversity indicators were not very sensitive to SOC variations among a large portion of the plots and were about half as effective as the physical structure indicators for explaining the total variance of SOC. These results suggest that urban planning and greenspace management policies could be tailored to maximize the carbon co-benefits of urban land. Specifically, trees should be planted in urban areas wherever possible, preferably as densely as what can be allowed given other urban planning considerations. Protection of large, old trees should be encouraged, as these trees will continue to sequester and store large quantities of carbon in above- and belowground biomass as well as in soil. Such policies will enhance the contribution of urban land, especially urban forests and other greenspaces, to nature-based solutions (NBS) to climate change. Full article

Mining waste presents significant environmental and public health risks due to the potential release of toxic substances when improperly managed. In this study, four tailings samples were taken to evaluate the environmental risks in the Ponce Enríquez mining area in Ecuador. Chemical characterization and X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) were used to analyze the content of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) of interest (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn), and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) for mineralogical characterization. The contamination index (IC) was calculated to assess the potential hazard associated with the content of PTEs in the mining wastes. To assess environmental risks, leaching tests were carried out to evaluate the potential release of PTEs, and Acid-Base Accounting (ABA) tests were conducted to determine the likelihood of acid mine drainage formation. The results revealed that the PETs concentration exceeded the maximum permissible limits in all samples, according to Ecuadorian regulations: As, Pb, and Cd were identified as critical contaminants. Mineralogically, quartz was the dominant phase, followed by carbonates (calcite, dolomite and magnesite), phyllosilicates (chlorite and illite), and minor amounts of pyrite and talc. The IC indicated high to very high contamination risk levels, with As being the predominant contributor. Although leaching tests met the established limits for non-hazardous mining waste, the ABA test showed that all samples had a high potential for long-term acid generation. These results underscore the need for implementing management strategies to mitigate the environmental impacts and the development of plans to protect local ecosystems and communities from the adverse effects of mining activities. Full article

Reward processing is a vital function for health and survival and is impaired in various psychiatric and neurological disorders. Using a monetary gambling task, the current study aims to elucidate neural substrates in the reward network underlying the evaluation of win versus loss outcomes and their association with behavioral characteristics, such as impulsivity and task performance, and neuropsychological functioning. Functional MRI was recorded in thirty healthy, male community volunteers (mean age = 27.4 years) while they performed a monetary gambling task in which they bet with either 10 or 50 tokens and received feedback on whether they won or lost the bet amount. Results showed that a set of key brain structures in the reward network, including the putamen, caudate nucleus, superior and inferior parietal lobule, angular gyrus, and Rolandic operculum, had greater blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signals during win relative to loss trials, and the BOLD signals in most of these regions were highly correlated with one another. Furthermore, exploratory bivariate analyses between these reward-related regions and behavioral and neuropsychological domains showed significant correlations with moderate effect sizes, including (i) negative correlations between non-planning impulsivity and activations in the putamen and caudate regions, (ii) positive correlations between risky bets and right putamen activation, (iii) negative correlations between safer bets and right putamen activation, (iv) a negative correlation between short-term memory capacity and right putamen activity, and (v) a negative correlation between poor planning skills and left inferior occipital cortex activation. These findings contribute to our understanding of the neural underpinnings of monetary reward processing and their relationships to aspects of behavior and cognitive function. Future studies may confirm these findings with larger samples of healthy controls and extend these findings by investigating various clinical groups with impaired reward processing. Full article

The shortage of skilled professionals in technical fields is further compounded by a lack of qualified teachers in STEM subjects, particularly in craft education, which is vital for developing technical competencies at the elementary level. The present study investigates the professionalisation of teachers in craft education and explores the prevalence and reasons for out-of-field teaching across three German federal states. The data presented herein were collected through an online survey administered in 2023 among teaching professionals in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Sachsen, and Thüringen. The questionnaire was disseminated via head teachers to 1467 elementary schools, yielding a self-selection sample of 284 craft education teachers. The survey incorporated both closed- and open-ended questions, encompassing inquiries into teacher qualifications, subject-specific competence, and lesson planning. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively. The evaluation of open-ended responses employed a content-structuring content analysis approach, utilising categories that were inductively developed. The findings indicate that a considerable proportion of craft education is taught by educators who lack formal qualifications, thereby giving rise to concerns regarding the quality of instruction. The underlying factors contributing to this phenomenon include teacher shortages, personal interests, prior experience, and limited professional development opportunities. The findings emphasise the pressing necessity for enhanced teacher education and targeted training programmes to bolster instructional quality in technically oriented subjects. Full article

Background/Objectives: Schizophrenia has been associated with increased inflammatory and metabolic disturbances. Perceived family support potentially affects inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers. The aim of this study was to determine the interrelations between family support, C-reactive protein (CRP) and Body Mass Index (BMI) in a sample of outpatients with schizophrenia. Importantly, this study sought to elucidate the effect of perceived family support on inflammatory processes among patients with schizophrenia. Methods: In this cross-sectional correlation study, 206 outpatients with schizophrenia in clinical remission completed a standardized self-report questionnaire that assessed family support (Family Support Scale—FSS). Sociodemographic, clinical and laboratory data were also recorded. Results: Among the participants, 49.5% had detectable CRP values (≥0.11 mg/dL), whereas 14.6% had positive CRP levels (>0.6 mg/dL). There was a significant difference in CRP levels among the different BMI groups (normal weight/overweight vs. obese). For obese patients, the crude odds ratios (ORs) for detectable and positive CRP values were 1.980 (95% confidence interval (CI) [1.056, 3.713]) and 27.818 (95% CI [6.300, 122.838]), respectively. Significant positive correlations were observed among CRP, BMI and illness duration, while scores on the FSS were negatively associated with these variables. The results of binary logistic regression analysis indicated that both BMI and family support were significant factors in determining the likelihood of having positive CRP levels, with each unit increase in the BMI associated with a 17% (95% CI [0.025, 0.337]) increase in the odds, and with each unit increase in family support leading to an 8.6% (95% CI [0.018, 0.15]) decrease. A moderation analysis revealed that the association between family support and the probability of having positive CRP levels depends on the BMI value, but only for obese patients did the protective effect of family support significantly decrease the magnitude of the risk of having positive CRP (b = −0.1972, SE = 0.053, OR = 0.821, p = 0.000, 95% CI [−0.3010, −0.0934]). Conclusions: The effect of perceived family support on inflammatory responses becomes evident in cases where beyond metabolic complications, inflammatory processes have already been established. Increased perceived family support seems to protect against inflammation and, notably, the association between low perceived family support and increased inflammation is even stronger. Establishing the role of family involvement during the treatment of patients with schizophrenia through inflammatory processes is a novelty of this study, emphasizing the need to incorporate family therapy into psychiatric treatment plans. However, primary interventions are considered necessary for patients with schizophrenia in order to maintain their BMI within normal limits and avoid the subsequent nosological sequelae. Full article

The colonization of Legionella spp. in engineered water systems constitutes a major public health threat. In this study, a six-year environmental surveillance (2020–2025) of Legionella colonization in five different types of facilities in Crete, Greece is presented, including hotels, passenger ships, primary healthcare facilities, public hospitals, and private clinics. A total of 1081 water samples were collected and analyzed, and the overall positivity was calculated using culture-based methods. Only 16.46% of the samples exceeded the regulatory limit (>10³ CFU/L) in the total sample, with 44.59% overall Legionella positivity. Colonization by facility category showed the highest rates in primary healthcare facilities with 85.96%, followed by public hospitals (46.36%), passenger ships with 36.93%, hotels with 38.08%, and finally private clinics (21.42%). The association of environmental risk factors with Legionella positivity revealed a strong effect at hot water temperatures < 50 °C (RR = 2.05) and free chlorine residuals < 0.2 mg/L (RR = 2.22) (p < 0.0001). Serotyping analysis revealed the overall dominance of Serogroups 2–15 of L. pneumophila; nevertheless, Serogroup 1 was particularly prevalent in hospitals, passenger ships, and hotels. Based on these findings, the requirement for continuous environmental monitoring and risk management plans with preventive thermochemical controls tailored to each facility is highlighted. Finally, operational disruptions, such as those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in primary care facilities and marine systems, require special attention. Full article

The wind energy resources in the northwestern desert and semi-desert grassland regions of China are abundant. However, the ramifications of large-scale centralized wind farm operations on terrestrial rodents remain incompletely understood. In May and September 2024, we employed a grid sampling method combined with burrow counting and kernel density analysis to investigate the spatial distribution of Alashan ground squirrel (Spermophilus alashanicus) burrows in different wind turbine power zones (control, 750 kW, 1500 kW, 2000 kW, and 2500 kW) at the Taiyangshan wind farm in China. Using generalized additive models and structural equation models, we analysed the relationship between burrow spatial distribution and environmental factors. The results revealed no significant linear correlation between burrow density and turbine layout density, but was significantly positively correlated with turbine power (p < 0.05). The highest burrow density was observed in the 2500 kW zone, with values of 24.43 ± 7.18 burrows/hm² in May and 21.29 ± 3.38 burrows/hm² in September (p < 0.05). The squirrels exhibited a tendency to avoid constructing burrows within the rotor sweeping areas of the turbines. The burrow density distribution exhibited a multinuclear clustering pattern in both May and September, with a northwest–southeast spatial orientation. Turbine power, aspect, and plan convexity had significant positive effects on burrow density, whereas vegetation height had a significant negative effect. Moreover, vegetation height indirectly influenced burrow density through its interactions with turbine power and relief degree. Under the combined influence of turbine power, topography, and vegetation, Alashan ground squirrels preferred habitats in low-density, high-power turbine zones with shorter vegetation, sunny slopes, convex landforms, and minimal disturbance. Full article