Search Results (6,977)

Tri-reforming of methane (TRM) has emerged as a promising pathway for low-carbon syngas production by integrating steam reforming, dry reforming, and partial oxidation within a single process. This coupling enables simultaneous CH₄ utilization and CO₂ valorization while enabling internal heat generation and flexible adjustment of the H₂/CO ratio for downstream synthesis. However, TRM performance cannot be adequately evaluated using conversion or energy efficiency alone, because the process involves complex interactions among competing reaction pathways, transport phenomena, catalyst stability, and thermodynamic irreversibility. This review provides a multiscale critical assessment of TRM from both first-law energy and second-law exergy perspectives, linking reaction-network fundamentals to reactor-level behavior and system-level performance. The literature evidence shows that although high temperatures and near-autothermal operation can enhance CH₄ conversion and reduce external heat demand, these conditions may simultaneously intensify deep oxidation, hotspot formation, carbon-forming tendencies, and exergy destruction. While equilibrium analyses help define feasible operating windows, they are insufficient without kinetic modeling and reactor-scale studies that capture spatial non-uniformities and pathway competition. Across reported TRM systems, exergy destruction is consistently concentrated within the reformer, identifying the reacting core as the dominant thermodynamic bottleneck. Accordingly, the key challenge in TRM is not simply to maximize conversion but to preserve chemical work potential while maintaining syngas quality and operational stability. Viewed from this perspective, TRM is better understood as an irreversibility-aware multiscale design problem in which optimal performance depends on the integrated optimization of catalyst functionality, reactor architecture, heat management, and system-level operation. Full article

Beamspace adaptive matrix spatial filters have been extensively studied for their superior nulling performance and mathematical elegance. However, a major drawback of current spatial filters is the high computational cost—often reaching $\mathcal{O}\left(M^{4.5}\right)$—due to their formulation as second-order cone programming (SOCP) problems that rely on iterative interior-point methods. This paper proposes a robust and efficient matrix filtering framework with adaptive nulling capabilities to suppress interference. The proposed method is formulated as a convex optimization problem that admits a non-iterative, closed-form solution, thereby reducing the complexity to $\mathcal{O}\left(M^3\right)$. Consequently, it can be efficiently implemented on resource-constrained embedded platforms. Furthermore, the algorithm incorporates an explicit passband flatness constraint, which significantly improves compatibility with downstream Direction-of-Arrival (DOA) estimation modules. To achieve even greater efficiency, we introduce a novel dual sequential rank-1 update strategy, further lowering the overall computational complexity to $\mathcal{O}\left(M^2\right)$. Full article

Improving the cultivated land use eco-efficiency (CLUE) is crucial to achieving sustainable land use and the green transformation of agriculture. This study is based on the data from 353 prefecture-level cities in China from 2013 to 2021. The slacks-based measurement (SBM)-undesirable model, the social network analysis (SNA), and the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) are adopted to measure and analyze the spatial patterns, network characteristics, and multiple driving pathways of inefficiency in the cultivated land use eco-efficiency in prefecture-level administrative units. Results show the following: (1) From 2013 to 2021, CLUE in the study areas shows spatial heterogeneity, with most efficiency values at a moderate level and showing a fluctuating downward trend over time. (2) The nine major agricultural regions have formed a complex association network, with the overall network connectivity being weak but efficiency relatively high. The hierarchical structure is gradually flattening, and inter-regional cooperation is increasing. (3) There are significant differences in influence, control, and accessibility within individual networks, and the collaborative network is developing into a “multi-core-hierarchical” structure. (4) The formation of inefficiency involves multiple concurrent mechanisms. Four typical inefficiency paths were identified, with significant heterogeneity across different agricultural regions. In the future, differentiated land use and ecological protection policies should be implemented based on the spatial network characteristics and inefficiency driving pathways of each agricultural region to promote the coordinated improvement of CLUE. Full article

This study examines how contemporary religious architecture mediates sacred meaning through the interaction of symbolic form, embodied practice, and sensory-spatial conditions, using the Namaste Dagoba at Famen Temple as a case study. Integrating architectural semiotics with exploratory empirical research, the study employs questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, supplemented by architectural field notes, to investigate how visitors perceive and interpret the space. An exploratory structural equation modeling (SEM) framework is used to examine possible relationships among Symbolism and Aesthetic Experience (SAE), Embodied Spatial-Ritual Perception (ESRP), and Perceived Sacred Meaning (PSM). The findings indicate that while symbolic and aesthetic perception provides an initial interpretive basis, perceived sacred meaning appears to be strongly associated with reported embodied spatial experience. Spatial configuration, ritual pathways, mandala-based geometry, and gradients of spatial intensity are interpreted as design conditions that may shape visitors’ reported perception, movement experience, and sense of sacred meaning. The observed mediating role of ESRP suggests that architecture may operate as an experiential interface rather than only as a static symbolic system. By integrating semiotic theory with exploratory questionnaire and interview evidence, the study proposes a tentative embodied and processual model of architectural meaning-making. Rather than suggesting a rupture from historical Buddhist spatial traditions, the study identifies one contemporary design strategy in which inherited cosmological symbolism, ritual movement, threshold experience, and sensory atmosphere are recomposed through a monumental modern architectural vocabulary. Full article

This study proposes a combination of optical and thermal methods to investigate the structural integrity of two 16th–17th centuries wooden panel paintings at the early stages of restoration. Well-established techniques, such as 3D scanning, technical photography, and active thermography, are combined with the less conventional shearography, which has recently gained increasing relevance in the diagnostics of cultural heritage materials. The proposed methodology enables the identification and spatial localization of different forms of degradation within the multilayered structure of the artworks, including physical-structural alterations, insect damage, localized hygroscopic degradation, nails, interlayer deterioration, and craquelure. This approach provides a comprehensive insight into the state of the panel painting structure and highlights potentially critical areas which were undetectable by visual inspection alone, demonstrating the ability to guide restoration interventions. Full article

Exploring the interaction relationship among multiple ecosystem services is vital for maintaining ecosystem function. However, traditional approaches are limited in their ability to: (i) characterize complex interactions and (ii) visualize the spatial connectivity of various ecosystem services delivered by social–ecological systems. To address these challenges, a framework for constructing spatial networks of multiple ecosystem services was proposed. The framework is implemented by: (i) estimating the spatial distribution of multiple ecosystem services using the InVEST model, and (ii) generating network nodes and edges with geographical attributes based on the minimum cumulative resistance model and a multiresolution segmentation method. We conducted a case study in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area and examined the topological features of the spatial networks using complex network indicators. For each network, winding and multiple edges connected adjacent nodes and formed continuous linkages across the entire study area, indicating that the proposed framework is feasible for capturing the spatial connectivity of multiple ecosystem services. The different ecosystem service networks exhibited conspicuous spatial heterogeneity and generally maintained relatively high connectivity, as evidenced by their tree-like structure with winding pathways and the distribution of multi-edge nodes, indicating that each ES was predominantly connected with multiple other ecosystem services. Meanwhile, nodes with high values of degree centrality and clustering coefficient were mainly concentrated in coastal and mountainous regions. This study advances the representation of complex interactions among multiple ecosystem services from a spatial perspective, thereby facilitating a deeper understanding of the interaction mechanisms underlying ecosystem functioning. Full article

From the perspective of process, time may be viewed as that which marks the occurrence of change, as previously proposed by this author. In contrast, spatial distinctions may be viewed as enabling the individuation and counting of events generated by processes. Following a conceptual discussion of Whitehead’s process theory, temporal distinctions, and spatial distinctions, a formal model of spacetime as history is presented based upon process actionsas generators of spacetime, and a new geometric concept of `thereness’ is introduced. Each process action propagates information to the next generation (time) and to a particular `there’ (space). This generates a mixed multigraph where the directed subgraph represents the timelike component (causal propagation of information) and the undirected subgraph represents the spacelike component (informational correlations arising from common causes). A spatial position is an equivalence class of generated events; thus, it is emergent. Each spacetime is local to its generating process, consistent with the concept of local becoming proposed by Arthur. If the set of process actions forms a commutative monoid, then the resulting spacetime takes the form of a discrete lattice. It is speculated that the intransitivity and incompleteness of the spacelike subgraph may be linked to the presence of contextuality. Full article

We review the structure of pseudoscalar mesons within an algebraic model formulated in the light-front framework. The approach provides a unified description of leading-twist parton distribution amplitudes, light-front wave functions, generalized parton distributions, parton distribution functions, elastic electromagnetic form factors, charge radii, and impact-parameter space distributions, all obtained from the same underlying Bethe–Salpeter wave-function representation. The analysis covers light mesons $(\pi ,K)$, the mixed $\eta$–${\eta }^{\prime }$ system, heavy–light states $(D,D_s,B,B_s,B_c)$, and heavy quarkonia $({\eta }_c,{\eta }_b)$, thereby enabling a systematic study of quark-mass effects, flavor-symmetry breaking, and the transition from emergent hadronic mass to heavy-quark dynamics. Where available, results are compared with experimental measurements, functional methods such as lattice-QCD calculations and Dyson–Schwinger Equation formalism, and other phenomenological approaches. The algebraic model thus offers a transparent, symmetry-preserving, and analytically tractable framework for connecting the longitudinal, transverse-momentum, and spatial structure of pseudoscalar mesons across all quark-mass regimes. Full article

This article argues that lotus and dharma wheel motifs in the Dunhuang Mogao Caves function not merely as decorative symbols but as active visual apparatuses that generate embodied religious experience through a mechanism we term “totemic mediation.” Drawing on Lévi-Strauss’s structuralist reading of totemism, Descola’s ontological framework, Gell’s theory of art as agency, Meyer’s “sensational form,” and Varela’s neurophenomenology, we define totemic mediation as a triadic mechanism encompassing material–spatial arrangement, ontological transformation of experiential states, and value structure generation. We analyze motifs from Mogao Caves 285, 329, and 361 using a five-step analytic framework: formal–visual description, reconstructed embodied viewing, doctrinal identification, mediation mechanism analysis, and evaluative assessment. The analysis demonstrates that the lotus mediates ontologically along a spatial axis, building a vertical channel between the worldly and the divine through ceiling configurations and upward gazes, while the dharma wheel mediates teleologically across the temporal axis, neutralizing linear temporality through rotational dynamics. Together, these motifs constitute “visual prajñā”—a nonconceptual, embodied cognitive effect that bypasses discursive reasoning to enable direct apprehension of śūnyatā (emptiness). This article offers a replicable analytic framework for examining how religious images operate simultaneously as visual apparatuses and ontological mediators. Full article

Roman theatres were designed to host spoken drama and musical performances, relying on typical semicircular architectural form and stone materials to achieve favourable acoustic conditions. This study investigates the acoustic behaviour of the Roman theatres of Herculaneum and Cales, two sites characterized by markedly different states of preservation and historical reconstruction challenges. The theatre of Herculaneum remains largely buried beneath volcanic deposits, requiring a hypothetical reconstruction based on archaeological documentation and historical sources, while the theatre of Cales is partially preserved and directly accessible for geometric surveys. Virtual acoustic models of both theatres were developed to analyses their sound field characteristics under unoccupied and occupied conditions. Key acoustic parameters relevant to music, including reverberation time, clarity, strength, and ITDG, were evaluated through numerical simulations. Particular attention was given to the influence of original surface materials, such as stone and wood, on sound propagation and spatial distribution. The comparative analysis highlights how differences in architectural layout, scale, and reconstruction assumptions affect the resulting acoustic performance. Despite these differences, both theatres exhibit acoustic conditions consistent with their intended use, demonstrating the effectiveness of Roman design principles. The results contribute to a better understanding of ancient performance spaces and provide insights into the acoustic restitution of Roman theatres. Full article

Non-stationary signal detection is challenging when discriminative information is not reflected in global energy, mean spectra, or a single covariance statistic, but is instead embedded in the organization of local time–frequency structures. This paper proposes an information-geometric detector defined on local symmetric positive definite (SPD) structure fields. Time–frequency patches are transformed into a spatially distributed field of second-order tensors to characterize local directional organization and anisotropy. Under a locally isotropic Riemannian Gaussian approximation on the SPD manifold, the local distance-difference evidence is monotonically related to an approximate log-likelihood ratio, providing an information-geometric interpretation without implying strict Neyman–Pearson optimality. Instead of forming a single global statistic or stacking patch-level features, the proposed method constructs a spatially distributed field of structured SPD objects and derives local distance-difference evidence, which is subsequently aggregated into a sample-level detection statistic. Experiments under a controlled SPD structure-field locality benchmark show that performance gains are primarily driven by the proposed SPD structure-field representation, with the Riemannian metric providing only secondary refinement. Full article

This paper examines the spatial integration of post-socialist churches and parish complexes within the modernist housing estates of Novi Zagreb. Constructed after 1990 in neighbourhoods originally planned without sacral programs, these buildings represent a specific form of post-socialist urban intervention. The study employs a qualitative, comparative approach, analysing five case studies through the parameters of urban context, volumetry, spatial composition, program, and public space interface. The analysis identifies a limited set of recurring typologies that define patterns of spatial integration within the existing urban fabric. The findings indicate that these complexes do not function as dominant urban elements, but instead adapt to the open, functionally organized structure of modernist planning. Their impact on public space remains limited, as they rarely generate new centres or clearly articulated urban nodes. At the same time, the results reveal a shift from singular religious buildings toward programmatically expanded parish complexes that incorporate social and community functions. However, this transformation remains largely internal and does not lead to a significant reconfiguration of the urban structure. The paper contributes to the understanding of post-socialist urban transformation by identifying typological patterns and interpreting religious architecture as a context-dependent urban actor. Full article

Research on rural thermal environments has grown rapidly in recent years. However, it still relies on urban-based paradigms and lacks a framework for rural contexts. This study uses a systematic mapping and critical analysis approach to examine key assumptions in existing research. It identifies three common biases: the direct use of urban thermal comfort models, the underestimation of passive strategies, and the limited focus on behavioral and psychological adaptation. The results show a clear high-constraint–high-adaptation feature in rural areas. Traditional spatial forms and low-tech materials can improve thermal conditions at low cost. At the same time, behavioral adjustments and psychological adaptation can widen the acceptable thermal range. Based on these findings, this study proposes a low-cost–high-adaptation framework and develops three testable hypotheses. The study reduces urban bias in current research and provides a clear direction for low-cost climate adaptation design in rural areas. Full article

The greenhouse effect poses a severe environmental challenge to global sustainable development. Carbon emissions, as a major source of greenhouse gases, make their reduction a crucial goal of urban renewal. This paper provides a systematic literature review of over 100 empirical studies published in the Web of Science over the past decade. The results show that the impact of urban form on carbon emissions exhibits spatial heterogeneity and nonlinearity, while urban compactness reduces emissions in small and medium-sized cities but may increase emissions in some large mega cities. Meanwhile, three-dimensional morphological indicators (e.g., building height, sky view factor) exhibit a U-shaped effect on operational carbon emissions, and are primarily mediated by local microclimate effects. In addition, this study also summarized the differences in carbon emissions throughout the entire life cycle of urban renewal and across different climate zones. Only a few studies adopt a full life-cycle assessment, and most of them focused on operational rather than embodied carbon. This review credits itself as the first one of its kind to examine the relationship between urban form, urban function, and carbon emissions from the perspective of urban renewal, providing both theoretical reference and practical insights for low-carbon strategies. Full article

This research proposes a conditional diffusion-based workflow for early-stage floor plan design in university research buildings, addressing complex functional organization, strict boundary constraints, and quantitative area control. The method performs denoising directly in two-dimensional grid space and coordinates building outlines and functional area proportions through dual-condition injection using boundary masks and functional area matrices. A two-stage generation mechanism first constructs horizontal circulation and then generates the complete layout, while a statistic-network-guided explicit constraint improves global area consistency. Based on 600 standard-floor samples and an independent test set of 10 real projects, the method is evaluated through model comparison, ablation, and double-blind experiments. The results show that the proposed model achieves the best overall performance, with an FID of 50.3, a building boundary IoU of 99.9%, and horizontal circulation connectivity of 89.8%. The ablation results confirm that the two-stage mechanism and explicit statistical constraint substantially improve generation success and reduce area error. The expert evaluation indicates that AI-generated floor plans approach real cases in functional spatial form and design inspiration, although spatial organization rationality still requires improvement. The generated layouts can be converted into layered DXF files, supporting subsequent editing and human–AI collaborative design. Full article