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Search Results (762)

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Keywords = sound and space

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20 pages, 25581 KiB  
Article
Phase Synchronisation for Tonal Noise Reduction in a Multi-Rotor UAV
by Burak Buda Turhan, Djamel Rezgui and Mahdi Azarpeyvand
Drones 2025, 9(8), 544; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones9080544 (registering DOI) - 1 Aug 2025
Viewed by 157
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the effects of phase synchronisation on tonal noise reduction in a multi-rotor UAV using an electronic phase-locking system. Experiments at the University of Bristol explored the impact of relative phase angle, propeller spacing, and blade geometry on acoustic [...] Read more.
This study aims to investigate the effects of phase synchronisation on tonal noise reduction in a multi-rotor UAV using an electronic phase-locking system. Experiments at the University of Bristol explored the impact of relative phase angle, propeller spacing, and blade geometry on acoustic performance, including psychoacoustic annoyance. Results show that increasing the phase angle consistently reduces the sound pressure level (SPL) due to destructive interference. For the two-bladed configuration, the highest noise reduction occurred at relative phase angle Δψ=90, with a 19 dB decrease at the first blade-passing frequency (BPF). Propeller spacing had minimal impact when phase synchronisation was applied. The pitch-to-diameter (P/D) ratio also influenced results: for P/D=0.55, reductions ranged from 13–18 dB; and for P/D=1.0, reductions ranged from 10–20 dB. Maximum psychoacoustic annoyance was observed when propellers were in phase (Δψ=0), while annoyance decreased with increasing phase angle, confirming the effectiveness of phase control for noise mitigation. For the five-bladed configuration, the highest reduction of 15 dB occurred at Δψ=36, with annoyance levels also decreasing with phase offset. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Air Mobility Solutions: UAVs for Smarter Cities)
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19 pages, 6870 KiB  
Article
Impact of Urban Elevated Complex Roads on Acoustic Environment Quality in Adjacent Areas: A Field Measurement Study
by Guangrui Yang, Lingshan He, Yimin Wang and Qilin Liu
Buildings 2025, 15(15), 2662; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15152662 - 28 Jul 2025
Viewed by 143
Abstract
The current focus of urban environmental governance is on the traffic noise pollution caused by road transportation. Elevated complex roads, defined as transportation systems comprising elevated roads and underlying ground-level roads, exhibit unique traffic noise distribution characteristics due to the presence of double-decked [...] Read more.
The current focus of urban environmental governance is on the traffic noise pollution caused by road transportation. Elevated complex roads, defined as transportation systems comprising elevated roads and underlying ground-level roads, exhibit unique traffic noise distribution characteristics due to the presence of double-decked roads and viaducts. This study conducted noise measurements at two sections of elevated complex roads in Guangzhou, including assessing noise levels at the road boundaries and examining noise distribution at different distances from roads and building heights. The results show that the horizontal distance attenuation of noise in adjacent areas exhibits no significant difference from that of ground-level roads, but substantial discrepancies exist in vertical height distribution. The under-viaduct space experiences more severe noise pollution than areas above the viaduct height, and the installation of sound barriers alters the spatial distribution trend of traffic noise. Given that installing sound barriers solely on elevated roads is insufficient to improve the acoustic environment, systematic noise mitigation strategies should be developed for elevated composite road systems. Additionally, the study reveals that nighttime noise fluctuations are significantly greater than those during the day, further exacerbating residents’ noise annoyance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vibration Prediction and Noise Assessment of Building Structures)
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24 pages, 1784 KiB  
Article
Indoor Soundscape Perception and Soundscape Appropriateness Assessment While Working at Home: A Comparative Study with Relaxing Activities
by Jiaxin Li, Yong Huang, Rumei Han, Yuan Zhang and Jian Kang
Buildings 2025, 15(15), 2642; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15152642 - 26 Jul 2025
Viewed by 254
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic’s rapid shift to working from home has fundamentally challenged residential acoustic design, which traditionally prioritises rest and relaxation rather than sustained concentration. However, a clear gap exists in understanding how acoustic needs and the subjective evaluation of soundscape appropriateness ( [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic’s rapid shift to working from home has fundamentally challenged residential acoustic design, which traditionally prioritises rest and relaxation rather than sustained concentration. However, a clear gap exists in understanding how acoustic needs and the subjective evaluation of soundscape appropriateness (SA) differ between these conflicting activities within the same domestic space. Addressing this gap, this study reveals critical differences in how people experience and evaluate home soundscapes during work versus relaxation activities in the same residential spaces. Through an online survey of 247 Chinese participants during lockdown, we assessed soundscape perception attributes, the perceived saliencies of various sound types, and soundscape appropriateness (SA) ratings while working and relaxing at home. Our findings demonstrate that working at home creates a more demanding acoustic context: participants perceived indoor soundscapes as significantly less comfortable and less full of content when working compared to relaxing (p < 0.001), with natural sounds becoming less noticeable (−13.3%) and distracting household sounds more prominent (+7.5%). Structural equation modelling revealed distinct influence mechanisms: while comfort significantly mediates SA enhancement in both activities, the effect is stronger during relaxation (R2 = 0.18). Critically, outdoor man-made noise, building-service noise, and neighbour sounds all negatively impact SA during work, with neighbour sounds showing the largest detrimental effect (total effect size = −0.17), whereas only neighbour sounds and outdoor man-made noise significantly disrupt relaxation activities. Additionally, natural sounds act as a positive factor during relaxation. These results expose a fundamental mismatch: existing residential acoustic environments, designed primarily for rest, fail to support the cognitive demands of work activities. This study provides evidence-based insights for acoustic design interventions, emphasising the need for activity-specific soundscape considerations in residential spaces. As hybrid work arrangements become the norm post-pandemic, our findings highlight the urgency of reimagining residential acoustic design to accommodate both focused work and restorative relaxation within the same home. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate)
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20 pages, 2114 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Acoustic and Perceptual Variables in Three Heritage Churches in Quito Using Structural Equation Modeling
by Fausto Espinoza, Luis Bravo-Moncayo, Luis Garzón, Víctor Poblete and Jorge P. Arenas
Buildings 2025, 15(15), 2639; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15152639 - 26 Jul 2025
Viewed by 411
Abstract
Acoustic quality is one of the aspects that contribute to the heritage of cultural and religious spaces. It is increasingly common to find scientific literature detailing the sound characteristics of places of worship, especially those with cultural and historical significance. This article presents [...] Read more.
Acoustic quality is one of the aspects that contribute to the heritage of cultural and religious spaces. It is increasingly common to find scientific literature detailing the sound characteristics of places of worship, especially those with cultural and historical significance. This article presents a comprehensive acoustic characterization of three colonial heritage churches in Quito. It examines the relationship between objective and subjective parameters that influence the valuation of a space or sound environment. To analyze this relationship, we employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to evaluate three latent variables using perceptual acoustic indicators. The SEM results highlighted significant associations between physical acoustic parameters, emotional responses, and evaluative judgments, underscoring that traditional intelligibility metrics alone may not fully capture acoustic quality in these contexts. These findings provide a robust interdisciplinary framework that spans objective measures and human perception, offering valuable guidance for future heritage conservation efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Improvement of the Indoor Acoustic Environment)
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25 pages, 2486 KiB  
Article
Influence of Intense Internal Waves Traveling Along an Acoustic Path on Source Holographic Reconstruction in Shallow Water
by Sergey Pereselkov, Venedikt Kuz’kin, Matthias Ehrhardt, Sergey Tkachenko, Alexey Pereselkov and Nikolay Ladykin
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13(8), 1409; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse13081409 - 24 Jul 2025
Viewed by 293
Abstract
This paper studies how intense internal waves (IIWs) affect the holographic reconstruction of the sound field generated by a moving source in a shallow-water environment. It is assumed that the IIWs propagate along the acoustic path between the source and the receiver. The [...] Read more.
This paper studies how intense internal waves (IIWs) affect the holographic reconstruction of the sound field generated by a moving source in a shallow-water environment. It is assumed that the IIWs propagate along the acoustic path between the source and the receiver. The presence of IIWs introduces inhomogeneities into the waveguide and causes significant mode coupling, which perturbs the received sound field. This paper proposes the use of holographic signal processing (HSP) to eliminate perturbations in the received signal caused by mode coupling due to IIWs. Within the HSP framework, we examine the interferogram (the received sound intensity distribution in the frequency–time domain) and the hologram (the two-dimensional Fourier transform of the interferogram) of a moving source in the presence of space–time inhomogeneities caused by IIWs. A key finding is that under the influence of IIWs, the hologram is divided into two regions that correspond to the unperturbed and perturbed components of the sound field. This hologram structure enables the extraction and reconstruction of the interferogram corresponding to the unperturbed field as it would appear in a shallow-water waveguide without IIWs. Numerical simulations of HSP application under the realistic conditions of the SWARM’95 experiment were carried out for stationary and moving sources. The results demonstrate the high efficiency of holographic reconstruction of the unperturbed sound field. Unlike matched field processing (MFP), HSP does not require prior knowledge of the propagation environment. These research results advance signal processing methods in underwater acoustics by introducing efficient HSP methods for environments with spatiotemporal inhomogeneities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Physical Oceanography)
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21 pages, 915 KiB  
Article
A High-Order Proper Orthogonal Decomposition Dimensionality Reduction Compact Finite-Difference Method for Diffusion Problems
by Wenqian Zhang and Hong Li
Math. Comput. Appl. 2025, 30(4), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/mca30040077 - 23 Jul 2025
Viewed by 120
Abstract
An innovative high-order dimensionality reduction approach, which integrates a condensed finite-difference scheme with proper orthogonal decomposition techniques, has been explored for solving diffusion equations. The difference scheme with forth order accurate in both space and time is introduced through the idea of interpolation [...] Read more.
An innovative high-order dimensionality reduction approach, which integrates a condensed finite-difference scheme with proper orthogonal decomposition techniques, has been explored for solving diffusion equations. The difference scheme with forth order accurate in both space and time is introduced through the idea of interpolation approximation. The quartic spline function and (2,2) Padé approximation were utilized in space and time discretization, respectively. The stability and convergence were proven. Moreover, the dimensionality reduction formulas were derived using the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method, which is based on the matrix representation of the compact finite-difference scheme. The bases of the POD method were established by cumulative contribution rate of the eigenvalues of snapshot matrix that is different from the traditional ways in which the bases were established by the first eigenvalues. The method of cumulative contribution rate can optimize the degree of freedom. The error analysis of the reduced bases high-order POD finite-difference scheme was provided. Numerical experiments are conducted to validate the soundness and dependability of the reduced-order algorithm. The comparisons between the (2,2) finite-difference method, the traditional POD method, and reduced dimensional method with cumulative contribution rate were discussed. Full article
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27 pages, 5788 KiB  
Article
A Novel Artificial Eagle-Inspired Optimization Algorithm for Trade Hub Location and Allocation Method
by Shuhan Hu, Gang Hu, Bo Du and Abdelazim G. Hussien
Biomimetics 2025, 10(8), 481; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomimetics10080481 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 276
Abstract
Aiming for convenience and the low cost of goods transfer between towns, this paper proposes a trade hub location and allocation method based on a novel artificial eagle-inspired optimization algorithm. Firstly, the trade hub location and allocation model is established, taking the total [...] Read more.
Aiming for convenience and the low cost of goods transfer between towns, this paper proposes a trade hub location and allocation method based on a novel artificial eagle-inspired optimization algorithm. Firstly, the trade hub location and allocation model is established, taking the total cost consisting of construction and transportation costs as the objective function. Then, to solve the nonlinear model, a novel artificial eagle optimization algorithm (AEOA) is proposed by simulating the collective migration behaviors of artificial eagles when facing a severe living environment. Three main strategies are designed to help the algorithm effectively explore the decision space: the situational awareness and analysis stage, the free exploration stage, and the flight formation integration stage. In the first stage, artificial eagles are endowed with intelligent thinking, thus generating new positions closer to the optimum by perceiving the current situation and updating their positions. In the free exploration stage, artificial eagles update their positions by drawing on the current optimal position, ensuring more suitable habitats can be found. Meanwhile, inspired by the consciousness of teamwork, a formation flying method based on distance information is introduced in the last stage to improve stability and success rate. Test results from the CEC2022 suite indicate that the AEOA can obtain better solutions for 11 functions out of all 12 functions compared with 8 other popular algorithms. Faster convergence speed and stronger stability of the AEOA are also proved by quantitative analysis. Finally, the trade hub location and allocation method is proposed by combining the optimization model and the AEOA. By solving two typical simulated cases, this method can select suitable hubs with lower construction costs and achieve reasonable allocation between hubs and the rest of the towns to reduce transportation costs. Thus, it is used to solve the trade hub location and allocation problem of Henan province in China to help the government make sound decisions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature-Inspired Metaheuristic Optimization Algorithms 2025)
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22 pages, 6378 KiB  
Article
Cross-Modal Insights into Urban Green Spaces Preferences
by Jiayi Yan, Fan Zhang and Bing Qiu
Buildings 2025, 15(14), 2563; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings15142563 - 20 Jul 2025
Viewed by 236
Abstract
Urban green spaces (UGSs) and forests play a vital role in shaping sustainable and livable cities, offering not only ecological benefits but also spaces that are essential for human well-being, social interactions, and everyday life. Understanding the landscape features that resonate most with [...] Read more.
Urban green spaces (UGSs) and forests play a vital role in shaping sustainable and livable cities, offering not only ecological benefits but also spaces that are essential for human well-being, social interactions, and everyday life. Understanding the landscape features that resonate most with public preferences is essential for enhancing the appeal, accessibility, and functionality of these environments. However, traditional approaches—such as surveys or single-data analyses—often lack the nuance needed to capture the complex and multisensory nature of human responses to green spaces. This study explores a cross-modal methodology that integrates natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning techniques to analyze text and image data collected from public reviews of 19 urban parks in Nanjing. By capturing both subjective emotional expressions and objective visual impressions, this study reveals a consistent public preference for natural landscapes, particularly those featuring evergreen trees, shrubs, and floral elements. Text-based data reflect users’ lived experiences and nuanced perceptions, while image data offers insights into visual appeal and spatial composition. By bridging human-centered insights with data-driven analysis, this research provides a robust framework for evaluating landscape preferences. It also underscores the importance of designing green spaces that are not only ecologically sound but also emotionally resonant and socially inclusive. The findings offer valuable guidance for the planning, design, and adaptive management of urban green infrastructure in ways that support healthier, more responsive, and smarter urban environments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate)
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19 pages, 5180 KiB  
Article
In-Flight Calibration of Geostationary Meteorological Imagers Using Alternative Methods: MTG-I1 FCI Case Study
by Ali Mousivand, Christoph Straif, Alessandro Burini, Mounir Lekouara, Vincent Debaecker, Tim Hewison, Stephan Stock and Bojan Bojkov
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(14), 2369; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17142369 - 10 Jul 2025
Viewed by 458
Abstract
The Flexible Combined Imager (FCI), developed as the next-generation imager for the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite series, represents a significant advancement over its predecessor, SEVIRI, on the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites. FCI [...] Read more.
The Flexible Combined Imager (FCI), developed as the next-generation imager for the European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT) Meteosat Third Generation (MTG) satellite series, represents a significant advancement over its predecessor, SEVIRI, on the Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellites. FCI offers more spectral bands, higher spatial resolution, and faster imaging capabilities, supporting a wide range of applications in weather forecasting, climate monitoring, and environmental analysis. On 13 January 2024, the FCI onboard MTG-I1 (renamed Meteosat-12 in December 2024) experienced a critical anomaly involving the failure of its onboard Calibration and Obturation Mechanism (COM). As a result, the use of the COM was discontinued to preserve operational safety, leaving the instrument dependent on alternative calibration methods. This loss of onboard calibration presents immediate challenges, particularly for the infrared channels, including image artifacts (e.g., striping), reduced radiometric accuracy, and diminished stability. To address these issues, EUMETSAT implemented an external calibration approach leveraging algorithms from the Global Space-based Inter-Calibration System (GSICS). The inter-calibration algorithm transfers stable and accurate calibration from the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) hyperspectral instrument aboard Metop-B and Metop-C satellites to FCI’s infrared channels daily, ensuring continued data quality. Comparisons with Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) data from NOAA-20 and NOAA-21 satellites using a similar algorithm is then used to validate the radiometric performance of the calibration. This confirms that the external calibration method effectively compensates for the absence of onboard blackbody calibration for the infrared channels. For the visible and near-infrared channels, slower degradation rates and pre-anomaly calibration ensure continued accuracy, with vicarious calibration expected to become the primary source. This adaptive calibration strategy introduces a novel paradigm for in-flight calibration of geostationary instruments and offers valuable insights for satellite missions lacking onboard calibration devices. This paper details the COM anomaly, the external calibration process, and the broader implications for future geostationary satellite missions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Atmospheric Remote Sensing)
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19 pages, 3044 KiB  
Review
Deep Learning-Based Sound Source Localization: A Review
by Kunbo Xu, Zekai Zong, Dongjun Liu, Ran Wang and Liang Yu
Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(13), 7419; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15137419 - 2 Jul 2025
Viewed by 605
Abstract
As a fundamental technology in environmental perception, sound source localization (SSL) plays a critical role in public safety, marine exploration, and smart home systems. However, traditional methods such as beamforming and time-delay estimation rely on manually designed physical models and idealized assumptions, which [...] Read more.
As a fundamental technology in environmental perception, sound source localization (SSL) plays a critical role in public safety, marine exploration, and smart home systems. However, traditional methods such as beamforming and time-delay estimation rely on manually designed physical models and idealized assumptions, which struggle to meet practical demands in dynamic and complex scenarios. Recent advancements in deep learning have revolutionized SSL by leveraging its end-to-end feature adaptability, cross-scenario generalization capabilities, and data-driven modeling, significantly enhancing localization robustness and accuracy in challenging environments. This review systematically examines the progress of deep learning-based SSL across three critical domains: marine environments, indoor reverberant spaces, and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) monitoring. In marine scenarios, complex-valued convolutional networks combined with adversarial transfer learning mitigate environmental mismatch and multipath interference through phase information fusion and domain adaptation strategies. For indoor high-reverberation conditions, attention mechanisms and multimodal fusion architectures achieve precise localization under low signal-to-noise ratios by adaptively weighting critical acoustic features. In UAV surveillance, lightweight models integrated with spatiotemporal Transformers address dynamic modeling of non-stationary noise spectra and edge computing efficiency constraints. Despite these advancements, current approaches face three core challenges: the insufficient integration of physical principles, prohibitive data annotation costs, and the trade-off between real-time performance and accuracy. Future research should prioritize physics-informed modeling to embed acoustic propagation mechanisms, unsupervised domain adaptation to reduce reliance on labeled data, and sensor-algorithm co-design to optimize hardware-software synergy. These directions aim to propel SSL toward intelligent systems characterized by high precision, strong robustness, and low power consumption. This work provides both theoretical foundations and technical references for algorithm selection and practical implementation in complex real-world scenarios. Full article
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27 pages, 318 KiB  
Article
Urban Problems—Diagnosis and Solutions
by Agnieszka Brzosko-Sermak and Anna Winiarczyk-Raźniak
Sustainability 2025, 17(13), 6014; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17136014 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 289
Abstract
The observation and analysis of reality have been a human activity for many centuries. Indeed, since the earliest of human cultures, people have been trying to understand their world and to improve its functioning. In the process, they have developed a number of [...] Read more.
The observation and analysis of reality have been a human activity for many centuries. Indeed, since the earliest of human cultures, people have been trying to understand their world and to improve its functioning. In the process, they have developed a number of different visions for the future. Urban space is characterized by its dynamism, exhibiting a fascinating blend of heterogeneity and susceptibility to rapid transformation. The primary objective of the present article is to present the urban problems and proposals for their solutions in a historical and global perspective. This work will demonstrate the historical context of diagnosing urban problems, drawing upon the literature from the past century. Depending on the geographical location, the potential exists for the sounding of an alarm or the drawing of attention to aspects that, for some, represent a reality that is difficult to overcome and for others, only a barely noticeable trend. It is asserted that this will ensure that, in the future, cities will function efficiently and be pleasant places to live. In conclusion, the development visions of cities will be presented and discussed. Visions of the future, as a reaction to the world around us, were and are a fundamental category of expectations and considerations, hopes and fears, and science and practice. Full article
10 pages, 2159 KiB  
Communication
Beyond Green’s Functions: Inverse Helmholtz and “Om” -Potential Methods for Macroscopic Electromagnetism in Isotropy-Broken Media
by Maxim Durach
Photonics 2025, 12(7), 660; https://doi.org/10.3390/photonics12070660 - 30 Jun 2025
Viewed by 256
Abstract
The applicability ranges of macroscopic and microscopic electromagnetism are contrasting. While microscopic electromagnetism deals with point sources, singular fields, and discrete atomistic materials, macroscopic electromagnetism concerns smooth average distributions of sources, fields, and homogenized effective metamaterials. Green’s function method (GFM) involves finding fields [...] Read more.
The applicability ranges of macroscopic and microscopic electromagnetism are contrasting. While microscopic electromagnetism deals with point sources, singular fields, and discrete atomistic materials, macroscopic electromagnetism concerns smooth average distributions of sources, fields, and homogenized effective metamaterials. Green’s function method (GFM) involves finding fields of point sources and applying the superposition principle to find fields of distributed sources. When utilized to solve microscopic problems, GFM is well within the applicability range. Extension of GFM to simple macroscopic problems is convenient, but not fully logically sound, since point sources and singular fields are technically not a subject of macroscopic electromagnetism. This explains the difficulty of both finding the Green’s functions and applying the superposition principle in complex isotropy-broken media, which are very different from microscopic environments. In this manuscript, we lay out a path to the solution of macroscopic Maxwell’s equations for distributed sources, bypassing GFM by introducing an inverse approach and a method based on “Om” -potential, which we describe here. To the researchers of electromagnetism, this provides access to powerful analytical tools and a broad new space of solutions for Maxwell’s equations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Photonics Metamaterials: Processing and Applications)
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24 pages, 12568 KiB  
Article
Geospatial Explainable AI Uncovers Eco-Environmental Effects and Its Driving Mechanisms—Evidence from the Poyang Lake Region, China
by Mingfei Li, Zehong Zhu, Junye Deng, Jiaxin Zhang and Yunqin Li
Land 2025, 14(7), 1361; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14071361 - 27 Jun 2025
Viewed by 409
Abstract
Intensified human activities and changes in land-use patterns have led to numerous eco-environmental challenges. A comprehensive understanding of the eco-environmental effects of land-use transitions and their driving mechanisms is essential for developing scientifically sound and sustainable environmental management strategies. However, existing studies often [...] Read more.
Intensified human activities and changes in land-use patterns have led to numerous eco-environmental challenges. A comprehensive understanding of the eco-environmental effects of land-use transitions and their driving mechanisms is essential for developing scientifically sound and sustainable environmental management strategies. However, existing studies often lack a comprehensive analysis of these mechanisms due to methodological limitations. This study investigates the eco-environmental effects of land-use transitions in the Poyang Lake Region over the past 30 years from the perspective of the production-living-ecological space (PLES) framework. Additionally, a geographically explainable artificial intelligence (GeoXAI) framework is introduced to further explore the mechanisms underlying these eco-environmental effects. The GeoXAI framework effectively addresses the challenges of integrating nonlinear relationships and spatial effects, which are often not adequately captured by traditional models. The results indicate that (1) the conversion of agricultural space to forest and lake spaces is the primary factor contributing to eco-environmental improvement. Conversely, the occupation of forest and lake spaces by agricultural and residential uses constitutes the main driver of eco-environmental degradation. (2) The GeoXAI demonstrated excellent performance by incorporating geographic variables to address the absence of spatial causality in traditional machine learning. (3) High-altitude and protected water areas are more sensitive to human activities. In contrast, geographic factors have a greater impact on densely populated urban areas. The results and methodology presented here can serve as a reference for eco-environmental assessment and decision-making in other areas facing similar land-use transformation challenges. Full article
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19 pages, 2825 KiB  
Article
A Modified Nonlocal Macro–Micro-Scale Damage Model for the Simulation of Hydraulic Fracturing
by Changgen Liu and Xiaozhou Xia
Modelling 2025, 6(3), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling6030058 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 471
Abstract
The nonlocal macro–meso-scale damage (NMMD) model, implemented in the framework of the finite element method, has been demonstrated to be a promising numerical approach in simulating crack initiation and propagation with reliable efficacy and high accuracy. In this study, the NMMD model was [...] Read more.
The nonlocal macro–meso-scale damage (NMMD) model, implemented in the framework of the finite element method, has been demonstrated to be a promising numerical approach in simulating crack initiation and propagation with reliable efficacy and high accuracy. In this study, the NMMD model was further enhanced by employing an identical degradation mechanism for both the tensile and shear components of shear stiffness, thereby overcoming the limitation of equal degradation in shear and tensile stiffness inherent in the original model. Additionally, a more refined and physically sound seepage evolution function was introduced to characterize the variation in permeability in porous media with geometric damage, leading to the development of an improved NMMD model suitable for simulating coupled seepage–stress problems. The reliability of the enhanced NMMD model was verified by the semi-analytical solutions of the classical KGD problem. Finally, based on the modified NMMD model, the effects of preset fracture spacing and natural voids on hydraulic fracture propagation were investigated. Full article
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20 pages, 1120 KiB  
Article
Safe and Sound: Governance for Planning Public Space in a Security-by-Design Paradigm
by Martina Massari, Danila Longo and Sara Branchini
Urban Sci. 2025, 9(7), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9070241 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 435
Abstract
Security in public spaces has long been the subject of debate and extensive experimentation. With the exponential growth in risks (both expected and unexpected) that public spaces are exposed to, further exacerbated by the pandemic crisis, urban security management increasingly conflicts with the [...] Read more.
Security in public spaces has long been the subject of debate and extensive experimentation. With the exponential growth in risks (both expected and unexpected) that public spaces are exposed to, further exacerbated by the pandemic crisis, urban security management increasingly conflicts with the right to social interaction in space. To avoid creating overly controlled spaces that are unsuitable for generating sociality and spontaneous interactions, and which often reproduce discriminatory social dynamics, while at the same time ensuring users’ awareness of being in a safe environment, it is necessary for all three dimensions of public space security—policy, design, and governance—to converge. This study focuses on governance, exploring how security management shapes public life and how it can align with planning that supports vibrant, spontaneous interaction. Using a multi-method qualitative approach, including a critical literature review, EU policy analysis, and empirical research from the Horizon Europe SAFE CITIES project, the study introduces two tools: the Security and Vulnerability Assessment (SVA) framework and the Atlas for Safe Public Spaces Design. These were tested in pilot sites, including the Gorizia-Nova Gorica cross-border square. Results support a governance model integrating “security by design,” which aligns with Foucault’s view of governance as adaptable to uncertainty and flow. This mixed-method approach allowed for a comprehensive examination of the governance dynamics shaping urban security, ensuring that the study’s conclusions are grounded in theoretical insights and practical implementation, though necessarily limited in generalizability. By framing security as a process of negotiated governance rather than a set of technical constraints, the study offers a conceptual contribution to urban security discourse and practical guidance for planning secure, inclusive public spaces. Full article
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