Search Results (13,243)

This paper investigates the applicability of plasma transferred arc (PTA) cladding for extending the service life of biomass shredder tools. The study evaluates the possibility of replacing Hardox 500 steel with a lower-cost structural steel S355J2 whose functional surfaces are modified by PTA cladding. Three commercially available powder fillers were examined: CoCrWNi (PL1), FeCoCrSi (PL2), and NiCrMoFeCuBSi (PL3). The quality and performance of the cladded layers were assessed through hardness measurements, microstructural analysis using SEM and EDX, and tribological testing focused on abrasive and adhesive wear at room temperature. The results showed that the PL1 cladding achieved the highest surface hardness, reaching up to 602 HV0.1, due to the presence of hard carbide phases. In contrast, the PL2 cladding exhibited the best resistance to abrasive wear, demonstrating the lowest mass loss for both as-deposited and machined surfaces. The PL3 cladding showed intermediate performance in terms of wear resistance. Overall, the findings indicate that PTA cladding using an FeCoCrSi-based filler on an S355J2 substrate represents a promising and cost-effective alternative to Hardox 500 for biomass shredder applications. Full article

The Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) faces mounting pressures from urbanization and hydrological regulation, threatening the sustainability of its ecosystem services (ESs). The InVEST model, coupled with optimal parameter geographical detector (OPGD) and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR), was employed to assess spatiotemporal changes, trade-offs/synergies, and driving mechanisms of four ESs, water yield (WY), habitat quality (HQ), carbon storage (CS), and soil conservation (SC), from 2000 to 2020. Results revealed that WY and SC increased significantly by 24.54% and 5.75%, respectively, while HQ declined by 3.02% and CS remained relatively stable, with high-value ES zones mainly concentrated in the eastern and northern forest-dominated areas. Regarding interactions, strong synergies existed among HQ, CS, and SC, whereas WY exhibited persistent trade-offs with other services, particularly in the central agricultural-urban transitional zone. Furthermore, landscape diversity increased linearly, driven by forest expansion and urban growth. Mechanistically, land use type (LUT) dominated the spatial distribution of WY, HQ, and CS, while slope primarily controlled SC patterns, with all driver interactions demonstrating enhanced effects. By coupling OPGD with GTWR, this study uniquely elucidates the spatiotemporal instability of ES trade-offs/synergies and the spatial heterogeneity of their driving mechanisms, providing a novel scientific basis for implementing spatially differentiated management strategies in large-scale reservoir-impacted regions. Full article

The Yangtze River Economic Belt (YREB) is a critical region for ecological and environmental protection in China, exerting significant influence on regional and national development. However, the intensification of climate change poses severe challenges to its ecological service patterns. To address this, climate scenarios based on Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) are integrated with the Annual Water Yield (AWY) module in the InVEST model to examine changes in water yield ecosystem services from 2000 to 2060. A quantitative impact assessment model was established to analyze these changes. The research findings reveal the following: (i) From 2000 to 2020, the total water yield of the YREB was 1.68 × 10¹² m³. The average annual water yield under the four future SSP scenarios (2022–2060) is projected to range from 1.73 × 10¹² m³ to 1.82 × 10¹² m³. (ii) Among the four SSP scenarios, SSP1-2.6 exhibits the highest increase in water yield services, followed by SSP5-8.5, SSP3-7.0, and SSP2-4.5. (iii) The climate change impact index on water yield services (K) demonstrates a spatial distribution trend of high values in the east and low values in the west, with pronounced spatial variations. (iv) The comprehensive change index of water yield services (K*) across the 11 provinces and cities affected by climate change ranges from −0.0954 to 0.1005 under the four scenarios, indicating that climate change exerts both positive and negative impacts on water yield services in the YREB. (v) The quantitative impact assessment model constructed in this study offers scientific support for ecosystem restoration and water resource management optimization in the YREB. Full article

Background: Maternal overweight and obesity, which show a rising trend globally, are associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes and long-term health risks for both mother and child. Awareness and understanding of these risks among women of reproductive age are essential for effective prevention and early intervention. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 958 women planning pregnancy, currently pregnant or breastfeeding to assess their knowledge and attitudes regarding overweight and obesity in the perinatal period. The questionnaire covered lifestyle behaviors, breastfeeding practices, and knowledge related to overweight and obesity in pregnancy. Results: Overall knowledge regarding the consequences of maternal overweight and obesity was low, with notable deficits in understanding the associated health risks and frequent misconceptions about dietary recommendations during pregnancy. Awareness gaps were particularly noticeable in domains related to fetal outcomes and recommended energy requirements across pregnancy. Excessive gestational weight gain was reported in over 75% of pregnancies, including among women with normal body mass index. Participation in antenatal classes, current breastfeeding and older age were significantly associated with higher knowledge; however, these factors together explained only 6.2% of variability. Still, several key aspects were not well recognized despite high educational attainment and frequent contact with maternity care services. Conclusions: Our study highlights a clear and urgent need for better, more targeted educational strategies to improve women’s understanding of metabolic health and nutrition before and during pregnancy. The low explained variance indicates that maternal knowledge is influenced by multifactorial and not easily captured determinants, emphasizing the need for comprehensive and individualized educational approaches. Enhancing maternal awareness could support better health outcomes for both mothers and their offspring. Full article

Data exfiltration poses a major cybersecurity challenge because it involves the unauthorized transfer of sensitive information. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDSs) are vital security controls in identifying such attacks; however, their effectiveness in cloud computing environments remains limited, particularly against covert channels such as Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) and Domain Name System (DNS) tunneling. This study compares two widely used IDSs, Snort and Suricata, in a controlled cloud computing environment. The assessment focuses on their ability to detect data exfiltration techniques implemented via ICMP and DNS tunneling, using DNSCat2 and Iodine. We evaluate detection performance using standard classification metrics, including Recall, Precision, Accuracy, and F1-Score. Our experiments were conducted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instances, where IDS instances monitored simulated exfiltration traffic generated by DNSCat2, Iodine, and Metasploit. Network traffic was mirrored via AWS Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Traffic Mirroring, with the ELK Stack integrated for centralized logging and visual analysis. The findings indicate that Suricata outperformed Snort in detecting DNS-based exfiltration, underscoring the advantages of multi-threaded architectures for managing high-volume cloud traffic. For DNS tunneling, Suricata achieved 100% detection (recall) for both DNSCat2 and Iodine, whereas Snort achieved 85.7% and 66.7%, respectively. Neither IDS detected ICMP tunneling using Metasploit, with both recording 0% recall. It is worth noting that both IDSs failed to detect ICMP tunneling under default configurations, highlighting the limitations of signature-based detection in isolation. These results emphasize the need to combine signature-based and behavior-based analytics, supported by centralized logging frameworks, to strengthen cloud-based intrusion detection and enhance forensic visibility. Full article

Background: This study seeks to evaluate the 23 year experience of the İnonu University Liver Transplantation Institute from a public health perspective by examining demographic patterns, etiological factors, and transplantation trends between 2002 and 2025. Aims: This analysis aims to provide insights into the epidemiological landscape of liver transplantation in Türkiye from a public health perspective. Methods: In this retrospective cross sectional study, we analyzed 4011 liver transplant procedures performed between March 2002 and March 2025. Recipient demographics, disease etiologies, donor characteristics, and patients geographic distribution were assessed to delineate regional health needs and service utilization patterns. Results: A total of 4011 patients were included. The cohort comprised 2618 males (65.3%) and 1393 females (34.7%). Recipients were classified as adult (n = 3232, 80.9%) or pediatric (n = 779, 19.1%). Among adults, infectious etiologies were the most prevalent (35.5%), followed by cryptogenic liver cirrhosis (24.7%). In contrast, pediatric patients most commonly presented with toxic etiologies (29.4%), metabolic disorders (22.6%) and bile duct diseases (15.9%). Most liver transplantations were performed using living donors (n = 3481, 86.8%), while deceased donors accounted for 530 procedures (13.2%). Additionally, 244 living donor liver transplantations were performed via liver paired exchange (LPE). Conclusions: These findings may inform resource allocation, health policy development, and the optimization of transplantation services. This center-based model offers a useful framework for characterizing regional health needs and strengthening community health, particularly through prevention, screening, and early intervention strategies for liver diseases. Full article

Thermal and nuclear power systems require materials capable of sustaining high mechanical and thermal loads over prolonged service durations. Among these, 9Cr heat-resistant steels are particularly attractive due to their superior mechanical strength and extended creep rupture life, making them suitable for extreme environments. In this study, multiple machine learning models were explored to predict the creep rupture life of 9Cr heat-resistant steels. A comprehensive dataset of 913 samples, compiled from experimental results and literature, included eight input variables—covering chemical composition, stress, and temperature—and one output variable, the creep rupture life. The optimized artificial neural network (ANN) model achieved the highest predictive accuracy with a regularization coefficient of 0.01, 10,000 training iterations, and five hidden layers with 30 neurons per layer, attaining an R² of 0.9718 for the test dataset. Beyond accurate prediction, single- and two-variable sensitivity analyses were used to elucidate statistically meaningful trends and interactions among the input parameters governing creep rupture life. The analyses indicated that among all variables, test conditions—particularly the test temperature—exert a pronounced negative effect on creep life, significantly reducing durability at elevated temperatures. Additionally, an optimization module enables identification of input conditions to achieve desired creep life, while the Index of Relative Importance (I_RI) and quantitative effect analysis enhance interpretability. This framework represents a robust and reliable tool for long-term creep life assessment and the design of 9Cr steels for high-temperature applications. Full article

The Qinling–Bashan mountainous region and its surrounding areas in Shaanxi Province constitute a critical ecological security barrier and significant socio-economic zone within China, currently experiencing mounting ecological stress from both natural processes and anthropogenic activities. This study proposes an ecological restoration zoning framework built upon assessments of ecological vulnerability (EV) and ecosystem service value (ESV). The InVEST model was used to quantify major ecosystem services, while the Vulnerability Scoping Diagram (VSD) model evaluated ecological vulnerability. Both the ESV and EV layers were classified using the natural breaks method and aggregated at the township level to delineate restoration zones. Unlike previous studies relying on subjective judgment, this study constructs a standardized ‘vulnerability–service value’ decision matrix for the Qinling–Bashan region, providing a clear technical pathway for spatial restoration. Key findings include the following: (1) Spatial Vulnerability Pattern: The Qinling and Bashan mountain cores exhibit predominantly low vulnerability (potential and slight), while severe vulnerability is concentrated in the urbanizing Guanzhong Plain, emphasizing the need for urban ecological restoration. (2) Dominant Ecosystem Services: Carbon storage and net primary productivity (NPP) together account for 93% of the total ESV, highlighting the importance of forest conservation for national climate regulation. (3) Zoning Strategy: Four functional zones were defined, with the largest being the ecological conservation zone (44.8%), while a smaller ecological restoration zone (2.8%) in urban peripheries requires targeted intervention. Full article

Cultural ecosystem services are intangible benefits people gain from ecosystems that enhance well-being. However, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment indicates that about 70% of cultural ecosystem services are degraded or unsustainably used. To mitigate this decline, many regions and policies promote the assessment and mapping of cultural ecosystem services. Since 2005, related research and publications have increased, yet place-based cultural ecosystem services assessments remain limited. This study aims to clarify key aspects of cultural ecosystem services assessment, including categories, methods, and case study area types. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses method, this study systematically reviewed 163 articles on place-based cultural ecosystem services assessment from Web of Science and Scopus from 2010 to September 2024. The results show diverse ecosystem types, assessment categories, and methods, with urban ecosystems most frequently studied. Fourteen cultural ecosystem service categories were identified based on term definitions and relevance. Non-monetary methods, such as questionnaires and social media data, were most commonly applied. Future research trends will focus on spatial visualization and mapping of supply and demand of cultural ecosystem services, emphasizing public perception. These findings provide planners and decision-makers with more detailed and specific information to better manage, design, and develop regions in a sustainable and culturally sensitive way. Full article

Climate change brings considerable danger to India’s economic progress, with the agricultural sector and farmers’ livelihoods being particularly vulnerable. Himachal Pradesh is especially susceptible owing to its reliance on climate-sensitive economic activities and limited capacity to adapt to climate variability. Strengthening adaptation strategies in Himachal Pradesh is crucial for fortifying the resilience of communities reliant on environmental resources for their sustenance and economic well-being. This study examines the extent of adoption of Climate-Smart Agricultural Practices (CSAPs), identifies the factors influencing their uptake, and assesses their impact on the livelihood vulnerability of farm households in the temperate region of Himachal Pradesh. Using a multistage random sampling framework, data were collected from 432 farm households through primary surveys and secondary sources. The analysis employs descriptive statistics, a composite livelihood vulnerability index, and Ordinal Logistic and Multiple Linear Regression models. Results show higher adoption of low-cost practices such as composting, fruit-based agroforestry, crop–livestock integration, and mulching, while capital-intensive practices like micro-irrigation were limited due to financial constraints. Adoption is positively influenced by education, extension access, farming experience, financial resources, and climate information exposure. Importantly, CSAPs adoption is found to significantly reduce livelihood vulnerability, indicating enhanced resilience and reduced exposure to climate-induced risks among farm households. The findings highlight climate-smart agriculture as an effective adaptation strategy and underscore the need for policies that strengthen extension services, improve access to credit, and promote affordable climate-smart technologies to enhance resilience in vulnerable hill regions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Family members are the principal providers of home-based care for migrant older adults. Linguistic, cultural, and structural barriers within health systems exacerbate the caregiver burden across emotional, physical and financial domains. Although home healthcare services may alleviate this burden, variability in access, cultural safety, and care coordination can also intensify it. This scoping review maps the evidence on the burden experienced by family caregivers who deliver home-based healthcare to migrant older adults and examines how these arrangements affect caregivers’ health and well-being. It synthesizes the literature on facilitators and barriers—including access, cultural-linguistic fit, coordination with formal services, and legal/immigration constraints—and distills implications for policy and practice to strengthen equitable, culturally responsive home care. Method: The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review framework was used to conduct the review. A comprehensive search was performed across six databases (CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, MEDLINE and Sociological Abstracts) for articles published between 2000 and 2025. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria focusing on the family caregiver burden in providing home healthcare for migrant older adults. Data extraction and thematic analysis were conducted to identify key themes. Results: The review identified 20 studies across various geographical regions, highlighting four key themes: (1) Multidimensional Caregiver Burden, (2) The Influence of Gender, Family Hierarchy, and Migratory Trajectories on Caregiving, (3) Limited Access to Formal and Culturally Appropriate Support, and (4) Health Outcomes, Coping, and the Need for Community-Based Solutions. Conclusions: System-level reforms are required to advance equity in home healthcare for aging migrants. Priorities include establishing accountable cultural-safety training for providers; expanding multilingual access across intake, assessment, and follow-up; and formally recognizing and resourcing family caregivers (e.g., navigation support, respite, training, and financial relief). Investment in community-driven programs, frameworks and targeted outreach—co-designed with migrant communities—can mitigate isolation and improve uptake. While home healthcare is pivotal, structural inequities and cultural barriers continue to constrain equitable access. Addressing these gaps demands coordinated policy action, enhanced provider preparation, and culturally responsive care models. Future research should evaluate innovative frameworks that integrate community partnerships and culturally responsive practices to reduce the caregiver burden and improve outcomes for migrant families. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adults with intellectual disability (ID) experience high rates of psychiatric comorbidity but often face diagnostic challenges and treatment barriers, leading to inappropriate psychotropic medication use. This study examined the extent to which specialized psychiatric assessment and improved diagnostic accuracy had an impact on medication management and clinical outcomes in adults with ID and co-occurring psychiatric disorders. Methods: This observational retrospective study analyzed medical records from 25 adults with ID who underwent specialized psychiatric assessment at a community-based service in Italy between January 2023 and January 2024. Psychopathological diagnoses were established according to Diagnostic Manual—Intellectual Disability, Second Edition (DM-ID2) criteria, based on clinical observation and a comprehensive assessment using validated instruments. Clinical outcomes were assessed using a psychometric tool encompassing multiple psychopathological and behavioral dimensions. Data on psychotropic prescriptions and side effects were also collected. Non-parametric analyses were performed, with significance set at α = 0.05. Results: The proportion of patients with a psychiatric diagnosis increased from 32% to 96% after specialized assessment (p < 0.001), with notable rises in depressive (0% to 32%), bipolar (8% to 36%), anxiety (4% to 24%), and impulse control (0% to 16%) disorders. First-generation antipsychotic prescriptions decreased (from 36% to 8%, p = 0.023), while antidepressant use increased (from 12% to 52%, p = 0.004). The mean number of side effects per patient declined from 1.6 to 0.5 (p < 0.001), particularly the elevated prolactin level and psychomotor retardation. Significant improvements were observed in symptom intensity and frequency across multiple domains, including aggression, mood disturbances, and compulsions (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In this single-center retrospective study, specialized psychiatric assessment was associated with improved diagnostic accuracy, medication management, and clinical outcomes in adults with ID. The increase in psychiatric diagnoses likely reflects improved identification, addressing key challenges in precision diagnosis for people with neurodevelopmental disorders. Although the overall number of prescribed medications remained stable, optimization of treatment regimens reduced first-generation antipsychotic use and related adverse effects. These findings indicates that access to specialized assessment and precision diagnosis could improve psychopharmacological interventions and outcomes for this vulnerable population, but larger, multi-center and longer-term studies are needed to confirm these results. Full article

Introduction: Personality disorders are enduring, maladaptive patterns that impair social and vocational functioning. The DSM-5 Alternative Model for Personality Disorders (AMPD) distinguishes Criterion A (personality functioning: identity, self-direction, empathy, intimacy) from Criterion B (maladaptive trait domains: negative affectivity, detachment, antagonism, disinhibition, psychoticism). We frame this study within Criterion B, supporting the use of a dimensional approach that complements (rather than replaces) normative models like the Five-Factor Model (FFM) and addresses cross-cultural gaps amid Saudi Arabia’s rapid sociocultural change such as the reforms associated with Vision 2030. Given Saudi Arabia’s collectivist orientation and evolving sociocultural norms under Vision 2030, the dimensional approach of the AMPD Criterion B offers a culturally sensitive lens for capturing personality pathology beyond Western-centric diagnostic models. Aim: We aimed to examine how PID-5-BF maladaptive trait domains vary across key sociodemographic factors in Saudi adults. Subjects and Methods: This was a quantitative, cross-sectional analytical study conducted among Saudi adults using the PID-5-BF Convenience sampling was performed via the dissemination of an online survey; we aimed for 377 participants and obtained 343 completed responses (~91% of the target sample). For trait assessment, we used the PID-5-BF; analyses compared domains across sociodemographic groups. Results: Females showed a higher negative affect; participants ≤ 30 years exhibited higher psychoticism than those >40; and single individuals reported lower detachment and psychoticism than their married peers. Conclusions: Gender, age, and marital status are associated with differences in maladaptive trait expression, supporting the need for culturally tailored screening and interventions in Saudi mental health services. These findings should be interpreted with caution given the fact that WhatsApp-based convenience sampling was used, which may bias the results as the respondents were more likely to live in urban areas, be educated, and be technologically proficient. Full article

Flood factors are key parameters affecting the hydraulic characteristics at a bridge site. Clarifying the development patterns and impacts of flood factors at a bridge site is of great significance for the stability assessment and service safety of bridges. Therefore, the impact analysis of flood factors, i.e., the initial flow velocity, scour angle, scour depth, on the evolution pattern of hydraulic characteristics at a bridge site is numerically conducted in this research. The structural model and hydraulic model are first established for numerical analysis. The correctness of models is verified through the existing analytical formula and experimental result. The evolution patterns of hydraulic characteristics at a bridge site are systematically evaluated. The results show that the flow velocity at the upstream side of the bridge exhibits relatively uniform and continuous distribution in both transverse and vertical directions, primarily caused by the obstruction of bridge piers. At the downstream side of the bridge, the flow velocity presents non-uniform development, induced by the horseshoe vortex and flow disturbance near the upstream pier. The coupling effect of the lateral flow velocity component suppressing vertical vortices and complex flow separation induces the distinct flow velocity distributions. Scour depth alters the flow field patterns, thereby influencing the flow’s resistance and acceleration properties. The above development pattern of hydraulic characteristics at the bridge site holds practical significance for conducting detailed analyses of flood impacts on bridges. Full article

Crowdsensing data serves as a crucial resource for supporting spatiotemporal applications and services. However, its inherent heterogeneity and quality uncertainty present significant challenges for data usability assessment: the evaluation methods are difficult to standardize due to the diverse types of data; assessment dimensions are predominantly confined to internal quality attributes; and a comprehensive framework for data usability evaluation remains lacking. To address these challenges, this study proposes an innovative, multi-layered usability assessment framework applicable to six major categories of crowdsensing data: specialized spatial data, Internet of Things (IoT) sensing data, trajectory data, geographic semantic web, scientific literature, and web texts. Building upon a systematic review of existing research on data quality and usability, our framework conducts a comprehensive evaluation of data efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction from dual perspectives—data sources and content. We present a complete system comprising primary and secondary indicators and elaborate on their computation and aggregation methods. Indicator weights are determined through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and expert consultations, with sensitivity analysis performed to validate the robustness of the framework. The practical applicability of the framework is demonstrated through a case study of constructing a spatiotemporal knowledge graph, where we assess all six types of data. The results indicate that the framework generates distinguishable usability scores and provides actionable insights for improvement. This framework offers a universal standard for selecting high-quality data in complex decision-making scenarios and facilitates the development of reliable spatiotemporal knowledge services. Full article