Search Results (326)

Road networks providing access to forest stands, including integral parts such as timber yards, are subjected to significant loads from timber-transporting vehicles. These loads act on the road surfaces, causing them to deform. This study measured and compared the extent of deformation at two timber yards in the mountain forests of southern Poland in the Western Carpathians. These surfaces were constructed as: crushed stone (timber yard in the Ustroń Forest District) and earth (Forest Experimental Station of the University of Agriculture in Kraków). The measurements were carried out using photogrammetric techniques based on aerial surveys by an unmanned aerial vehicle. The measurements were based on networks of reference points with coordinates in local coordinate systems. During the period between the flights, timber was being stored, handled and transported at both sites. The forest administration provided data on the volume of timber delivered to and removed from the storage yard, as well as basic information on the transport vehicles. Soil samples were taken from the surface of both storage yards for laboratory analysis to illustrate working conditions—the soil type, current moisture content, organic matter content and filtration coefficient (from the soil particle size distribution curve) were determined. Digital terrestrial model (DTM) rasters obtained from both aerial surveys at each storage yard were used to calculate differential rasters, which were analysed by plotting cross-sections at selected locations and directions and by calculating the volume of changes in surface geometry between the survey dates. The observed depths of ruts reach 0.4 m at the Ustroń storage yard and 0.5 m at the LZD storage yard, whilst changes involving the displacement of soil from the ruts above the previous surface level are 0.3 m at the Ustroń storage yard and 0.4 m at the LZD storage yard. Greater deformation was observed on the earth surface (with a high organic content and poorer drainage) than on the crushed stone surface, even though the latter was covered by an uncleared layer of mud and waste left over from timber handling. Given the two-site, single-cycle design of this study, this pattern is consistent with—but cannot on its own confirm—a stabilising effect of surface reinforcement; differences in soil moisture, organic content and observation period between the two sites may also have contributed and could not be separated from the effect of surface type alone. Full article

This paper presents a pilot educational workflow that couples 3D remote sensing with heritage-driven pedagogy by engaging architecture master’s students in the documentation and digital archiving of Transylvanian cultural sites. Using terrestrial and mobile 3D scanning, students documented multiple typologies—wooden churches (Târgușor, Tioltiur), historical ensembles (Mociu, Coplean), industrial sites (1 Mai–Luduș, Vânătorilor–Luduș), and an urban street segment (Potaissa)—to generate dense point clouds that served as the basis for geometric reconstruction, semantic interpretation, and condition assessment. The study describes how the characteristics of different construction systems (timber, brick, stone, mixed structures) relate to point-cloud quality, survey coverage, and subsequent CAD/BIM drafting, with attention to the qualitative reading of minor deformations in wooden churches and of degradation patterns in masonry and industrial buildings. We also consider how artefacts in the data (noise, occlusions, registration errors) affect scene understanding and the interpretation of derived observations relevant to condition assessment and, prospectively, to monitoring. For the Tioltiur dual-sensor case, the TLS and SLAM datasets were compared through an internal CloudCompare registration check (final RMS 0.1121 on 50,000 points, fixed scale 1.0 and theoretical overlap 100%), surface-density displays (r = 0.005 for the Z+F dataset and for the GeoSLAM dataset), fitted-wall-plane readings (dip values around 89 deg. and 85 deg.) and a longitudinal section documenting roof/vault deformation. Beyond technical performance, the paper examines the self-reported formative impact on students’ digital skills and their understanding of cultural values, arguing that participation in 3D data acquisition, processing, and interpretation positions them as co-creators of a living digital archive. Pre- and post-workshop questionnaires (n = 13 each) are analysed descriptively—counts, percentages and medians with interquartile ranges—because the two instruments are unmatched and carry no shared identifier, so no paired test is applied; post-workshop self-ratings of technical competence, heritage understanding, archival awareness and collaboration were consistently high (medians 4–5), with uneven access to VR the main gap. By connecting point-cloud-based documentation workflows with heritage education, the project outlines a transferable, monitoring-ready baseline model in which 3D remote sensing supports both careful documentation and the transmission of regional identity and cultural meaning in architectural training. As an exploratory pilot with a small, self-reported sample, the study reports descriptive and qualitative findings rather than validated metric or statistical results. Full article

Background/Objectives: Double-J stents (DJS) cause clinically significant lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in 58–80% of patients following ureteroscopy (URS). The distal vesical coil is regarded as the primary anatomical source of trigonal irritation and detrusor instability. The single-J stent (SJS) eliminates this element while preserving the proximal renal pigtail for anti-migration anchorage. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and patient-reported symptom outcomes of a modified SJS compared with standard DJS following elective URS for ureteric stone disease. Methods: A prospective, single-arm, within-patient feasibility study was conducted in 28 adults undergoing elective URS at Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia (Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC)/25658/Austin-2025; NCT07535580). A modified SJS was fashioned from a commercially available 7Fr Bander™ ureteral diversion stent (Cook Medical, G14780) by trimming the shaft to 28 cm and affixing a 7 cm Prolene retrieval suture (Ethicon NW807) to the blunt distal end. The primary outcome was a cystoscopically confirmed SJS migration rate at removal (pre-specified feasibility threshold ≤5%). Secondary outcomes included change in Ureteral Stent Discomfort Test (USDT) total and domain scores (paired analysis, n = 24), adverse events, and patient preference. Results: The clinically significant migration rate was 0% (0/28); 27/28 stent tips were freely floating within the bladder, with one asymptomatic tip at the ureteric orifice at the scheduled removal visit. Mean total USDT score decreased from 39.92 ± 2.00 (DJS) to 30.42 ± 1.73 (SJS)—a mean absolute reduction of 9.50 points (23.8%; p < 0.001), a magnitude consistent with clinically relevant change, although a USDT-specific minimum clinically important difference has not been independently validated. All six USDT domains improved significantly (all p ≤ 0.014). No adverse events were recorded. All 28 patients (100%) reported they would choose the SJS again. Conclusions: The modified SJS demonstrated a favourable safety profile and was associated with lower patient-reported symptom scores than the preceding DJS across all USDT domains in this uncontrolled within-patient comparison. Because stent design, stone burden, and dwell time differed between the two assessment phases, these differences should be regarded as hypothesis-generating and provide a feasibility basis for a prospective randomised controlled trial evaluating the SJS following URS. Full article

Han stone reliefs contain rich historical and artistic information, but their images often exhibit severe weathering, rubbing noise, and complex carving textures, making fine-grained classification challenging. To address the strong coupling between global semantic structures and local material textures, this paper proposes Frequency-Guided Collaborative ConvNeXt (FGC-ConvNeXt), a dual-branch spatial–frequency classification framework. The spatial branch extracts multi-scale semantic features using ConvNeXt-Tiny, while the frequency branch applies Fast Fourier Transform to model complementary structural and texture-sensitive information. A fixed frequency threshold of τ = 0.22 is used for frequency decomposition, and both branches are projected into a 512-dimensional feature space. The Spatial–Frequency Gated Fusion module dynamically adjusts their contributions at the sample level, while frequency-domain auxiliary supervision with a loss weight of λ = 0.4 prevents branch degradation during joint optimization. Experiments were conducted on a self-constructed four-class dataset containing 6368 Han stone relief images with an input resolution of 224 × 224 pixels. Over three independent runs, FGC-ConvNeXt achieved an accuracy of 97.6 ± 0.2%, a precision of 97.8 ± 0.2%, a recall of 97.4 ± 0.3%, and an F1-score of 97.6 ± 0.2%, outperforming the ConvNeXt-Tiny baseline by 4.1 percentage points in accuracy. The proposed model contains 29.8 M parameters. Visualization analyses provide qualitative support for more separated feature distributions and more concentrated activation patterns, while the robustness experiments indicate improved classification stability under the evaluated conditions. Full article

This article proposes a formal epistemological and methodological framework for the analysis of lithic technology, moving beyond traditional optimization-oriented models and normative typologies. Grounded in Mario Bunge’s socio-natural science and Herbert Simon’s theory of bounded rationality, we introduce the concept of legaliform (law-like) principles. These principles are defined as stable, necessary relationships between technical procedures and morphological outcomes, dictated by the physics of brittle fracture and enacted through procedural memory. To enhance analytical precision and cross-cultural comparability, we develop a semi-formal symbolic notation that identifies the core “techno-scientific” operators underlying lithic reduction. We argue that stone tool morphology is not a static reflection of a “mental template,” but a dynamic sequence of technically adequate states achieved through satisficing behavior. By framing these legaliform regularities as epistemological meta-standards, this article establishes a standardized framework for data reproducibility, verification, and quality control in technological analysis. The framework identifies eight primary legaliform principles—including bifacial reduction (PBR), thermal alteration (PTT), and maintenance and reactivation (PMR)—illustrating how they structure technical action under material and cognitive constraints. The utility of this approach is demonstrated through a case study of Paleoindian Fell projectile points in South America. By operationalizing the Maintenance and Reactivation Principle (PMR), we explain the high morphological variability of these points as a predictable result of life-history and functional restoration rather than cultural “drift” or failed design. This perspective provides a rigorous basis for identifying Guided Convergence in the archaeological record, offering a scientific alternative to diffusionist explanations and purely morphological comparisons that often overlook the underlying techno-scientific regularities of lithic practice. Full article

To address the limitations of traditional BP neural networks in predicting manufactured sand concrete strength, specifically their susceptibility to local optima and “black-box” opacity, this study developed an integrated framework combining improved optimization algorithms with the Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) method. Using a dataset of 375 data points, genetic algorithm-back propagation (GA-BP) and GOOSE-BP prediction models were developed, with AutoFeat employed for explicit model construction based on a SHAP feature analysis. The results demonstrate that the GOOSE-BP model significantly outperformed traditional methods, achieving an R² of 0.916 and reducing prediction errors by 47.5%. The SHAP analysis identified paste thickness and stone powder content as the primary determinants of strength. Key thresholds were established, including a water-to-binder ratio sensitivity range of 0.35–0.50, an optimal stone powder content of 80–110 kg/m³, and a recommended sand ratio of 0.38–0.45. By converting complex nonlinear mappings into interpretable explicit expressions, this study provides a robust scientific basis and a practical computational tool for predicting concrete strength, facilitating the deep integration of machine learning with civil engineering practice. Full article

Three-dimensional (3D) technologies are increasingly used to digitize rocks, minerals, fossils, landforms, and other geological objects, but classroom evidence for their instructional value in mineral and resource geoscience remains limited. This quasi-experimental study examined whether tangible 3D-printed models were associated with higher immediate post-instruction performance than image-based instruction, and how their value varies with the representational demands of different geoscience tasks. The sample included 135 secondary students. The 3D-printing Group (n = 54) used tangible models, whereas the Traditional Group (n = 81) received image-based instruction across four topics: Cradle Stone, the Jiaodong-type Mineral System, Anchiornis huxleyi, and Detached Cave Dwellings. Baseline-adjusted analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used as the primary inferential test. The 3D-printing Group showed higher immediate post-test performance (adjusted means: 79.46% vs. 71.51%; difference = 7.95 percentage points; HC3 95% CI: 2.10–13.80; p = 0.008). The largest topic-specific advantage occurred for Anchiornis huxleyi, consistent with a task-dependent interpretation in which printed models are more useful when learning requires three-dimensional morphological interpretation. Questionnaire responses also favored 3D printing, especially for perceived spatial understanding. These preliminary classroom-based findings suggest that 3D-printed models are most useful when they preserve task-relevant spatial, structural, or morphological information. Full article

European plum (Prunus domestica L.) breeding for competitive production increasingly requires donor parents that combine attractive, market-oriented fruit quality with stable trait expression. This study evaluated a set of 36 phenotypically highly different cultivars from the germplasm collection maintained at the Research and Breeding Institute of Pomology Holovousy Ltd. (the Czech Republic). First, genetic analyses based on SSR marker data were performed to assess the diversity and kinship relationships within the selected collection of plum varieties. Several parentage combinations were successfully identified for cultivars with previously undocumented origins. Population-level analyses confirmed broad genetic diversity and separated the collection into four genetically distinct groups. Phenotypes were obtained on fruits ripened on trees from a non-irrigated orchard on myrobalan rootstock over five consecutive years (2019–2023). Pomological and related quality traits were recorded using nine-point UPOV-based rating scales together with instrumental measurements. The dataset included fruit size and shape descriptors, skin and flesh color, wax bloom, soluble solids (°Brix), firmness, bruising resistance, stone separability, and sensory attributes (flavor, aroma, juiciness, texture, and acidity). Interannual variability was quantified using coefficients of variation, and relationships among traits were explored using Pearson correlations. The results revealed broad phenotypic diversity among the individual varieties and also their genetic groups. Finally, phenotypes were associated with genotypes, and the most genetically determined traits were identified. Multi-year stability profiling supported the identification of candidate elite donor cultivars that combine favorable attributes for the fresh market and/or traits relevant to processing. These findings provide a practical pre-breeding shortlist and quantitative trait targets to support crossing design and selection under central European conditions. Full article

Steel bridge deck pavements in coastal hot–humid regions are often exposed to the combined effects of moisture, salt, and temperature, which can accelerate material deterioration and shorten service life. To clarify the durability behavior of typical paving materials under such conditions, a comparative study was conducted on three asphalt mixtures used for steel bridge deck pavements: epoxy asphalt mixture (EA-10), dense-graded asphalt mixture (AC-13), and stone mastic asphalt mixture (SMA-10). The mixtures were subjected to hygrothermal salt-water cycling using a mixed chloride-sulfate solution, and their durability was evaluated through air void content, indirect tensile strength, and four-point bending fatigue tests. The results showed varying degrees of deterioration. The air void content of AC-13 increased by about 41.4% after 28 d at 60 °C, suggesting greater susceptibility to internal void damage under severe conditioning. The indirect tensile strength also decreased with wet–dry cycling; at 60 °C and 28 d, the strength retention of EA-10 remained 76.9%, higher than those of AC-13 and SMA-10. After conditioning at 60 °C, the fitted slope of fatigue life for SMA-10 reached −0.0052, compared with −0.0044 for AC-13 and 0.0027 for EA-10, indicating that SMA-10 was the most sensitive to hygrothermal salt attack, whereas EA-10 was the least affected. Overall, the resistance to hygrothermal salt-water damage followed the order EA-10 > AC-13 > SMA-10. The findings help clarify the durability behavior of steel bridge deck paving materials in coastal environments and provide support for durability-oriented material selection. Full article

Background: Renal colic is a common emergency department (ED) presentation requiring rapid and accurate diagnosis. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is a fast, radiation-free alternative to CT. The Copetti sign—a rhythmic anteroposterior oscillation of the affected kidney—has been proposed as a dynamic sonographic marker of distal ureteral stones. Methods: In this prospective observational study (June–September 2025), 44 adult patients with suspected renal colic were enrolled at a single-center ED in Baggiovara, Modena, Italy. All underwent standardized POCUS to detect the Copetti sign prior to confirmatory imaging. Clinical, laboratory, and sonographic variables were collected. Associations between the Copetti sign, stone location, stone size, hydronephrosis, urinoma, and management strategy were explored. Associations with conservative management were considered exploratory. Results: The Copetti sign was identified in 70.5% of patients and was significantly associated with distal ureteral stones (74.2% vs. 25.8%, p = 0.005). Copetti-positive patients were more often managed conservatively (77.4% vs. 38.5%, p = 0.019), although this likely reflects the underlying clinical-imaging phenotype and local treatment decisions rather than a validated prognostic endpoint. Conclusions: In this prospective pilot cohort, the Copetti sign was frequently observed and was strongly associated with distal ureteral stone location. Copetti-positive patients were also more often managed conservatively, although this should be interpreted as an exploratory association reflecting clinical decision-making rather than a validated prognostic endpoint. Full article

Background: Pancreatic stone protein (PSP) has recently emerged as a novel biomarker with diagnostic and prognostic potential in sepsis. The present study aimed to investigate its role as an early prognosticator in patients presenting to the Emergency Department (ED) with various types of infection. Methods: Point-of-care PSP was measured in 102 consecutive patients (59.8% male) with mean age of 62.7 (±23.4) years, presenting to the ED with suspected or confirmed infection. We examined the utility of PSP to predict adverse events including death, development of septic shock or need for repeated medical evaluation due to persistence or worsening of initial symptoms during a 10-day follow-up period. Results: Respiratory tract infections were the most common (50%) followed by urinary tract infections (17.6%), sepsis of unknown origin (4.9%) and other infections (27.5%). PSP exhibited intermediate performance in predicting short-term adverse outcomes with an AUC of 0.734 (p < 0.001). In contrast, other inflammatory biomarkers such as procalcitonin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and White Blood Cells (WBCs) did not predict adverse outcomes (procalcitonin: AUC 0.680, p = 0.059; CRP: AUC 0.593, p = 0.072; WBC: AUC 0.635, p = 0.074). Conclusions: PSP appears to be a promising biomarker reflecting the severity of infection. Point-of-care PSP evaluation may serve as an early predictor of adverse events in patients presenting with infection to the ED. Full article

The core volume ratio (CVR) is a key indicator for evaluating the proportion of edible fraction in stone fruits. Traditionally, CVR is determined through destructive sampling by separately measuring the masses of the core and entire fruit. Recently, low-field nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (LF-NMRI) has been introduced as a non-destructive alternative, but its sparse sampling limits the ability to achieve accurate spatial and volumetric quantification of fruit quality. To address this limitation, we propose a novel method for high-precision three-dimensional (3D) modeling of stone fruits. The method acquires tomographic LF-NMRI sequences along three orthogonal axes. Each sequence is segmented into pulp and core regions using a SwinUNet deep learning model and converted into point clouds for each view. Point clouds from the three orthogonal views are registered via a genetic algorithm to align structural information from complementary perspectives and fused into a unified 3D model through Poisson surface reconstruction. Using prunes as a representative case, the method enables accurate quantification of core and entire fruit volumes, achieving a CVR estimation with a mean absolute error of 0.13% compared to manual measurements. The proposed three-view reconstruction strategy yields a volumetric error of only 0.73%, significantly outperforming single-view (4.57%) and dual-view (3.73%) approaches. This technology provides a robust and accurate non-destructive solution for 3D internal quality analysis of fruits. Full article

Background: Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) that transform competencies into distinct, assessable clinical tasks have not yet been developed for US nephrology fellowships. We created and achieved consensus on a set of nephrology-specific EPAs and aligned them with Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) competency standards. Methods: This study was conducted within the University of New Mexico nephrology fellowship program. An initial EPA list was generated by the study team using program objectives, a literature review, and clinician insight. Study participants included eight faculty nephrologists and one nephrology fellow, who completed an online-based three-round modified Delphi consensus-building processes. Each EPA was rated on a five-point Likert scale with consensus requiring strict criteria. Finalized EPAs were independently mapped to ACGME nephrology program requirements. Results: Nine study participants (100% response rate) completed all survey rounds. Through iterative consensus, utilizing strict criteria, a final list of 22 distinct EPAs was created, covering 10 core domains of practice including dialysis management, acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, electrolyte abnormalities, hypertension, kidney stones, glomerular disease, pregnancy, transplant care, and education. Finalized EPAs were mapped to 38 different ACGME-required sub-competencies, showcasing diversity and applicability to national expectations. Conclusions: We developed the first consensus-based set of EPAs geared for US nephrology fellowship programs, providing a foundation for standardized assessment and curriculum development that could be implemented across nephrology fellowship programs nationally. Full article

Traditional Chinese brick-and-stone archways are not merely architectural products shaped by geographical constraints; they also embody a highly rational structural logic. Drawing on the unique earthen environment of the Loess Plateau and the region’s traditions of brick-and-stone construction, the Jinzhong region of China has developed a distinct system of archways. Consequently, to deconstruct the mechanical wisdom inherent in the traditional building techniques of the Jinzhong region, this study selected residential buildings in Qi County and Pingyao, as well as Qing Dynasty (1636–1912 AD) official architecture, as case studies. Through field investigations into the masonry techniques of three typical vault forms—the single-centre arch, the double-centre arch, and the four-centre arch—the study revealed their evolutionary characteristics in terms of geometric form. Static numerical simulation analysis was conducted using the Abaqus CAE 2025 (Dassault Systèmes, Vélizy-Villacoublay, France) platform. The study found that, under a simulated surface load of 0.027 N/mm², different arch profiles exhibited significant quantitative mechanical differences, and their stress distributions and deformation thresholds showed distinct scenario-specific tendencies. The results show that, compared to a semicircular arch, the official double-centred arch reduces maximum displacement by approximately 20%, and the maximum principal stress decreased from 1.35 MPa to 1.215 MPa, effectively mitigating the risk of cracking at the arch crown. With this high sectional stiffness and displacement-constraining capability, it supports the high load requirements of defensive city fortifications. Compared to the Pingyao gentle-type four-centre arch, its maximum displacement increased by only about 10%, and the maximum principal stress rose by only about 8%. Therefore, given similar mechanical performance but considering construction feasibility, the official double-centred arch was selected for the construction of defensive city fortifications. Furthermore, although the stress concentration at the corners (arch feet) of the Pingyao gentle-curved four-centred arch is approximately 4.8% higher than that of the pointed four-centred arch, its spatial utilization is improved by 15–20%; This geometric trade-off achieved through composite curvature maximizes interior clear space while maintaining structural stability, aligning with the functional requirements of guyao architecture for large-span living spaces. Meanwhile, the semicircular vaults of Qi County demonstrate universal value in low-load residential door and window components due to their low construction threshold. These quantitative data and qualitative observations indicate that the evolution of traditional forms is not merely an esthetic pursuit, but rather a precise optimization of structural performance within the constraints of material strength. This coupled relationship between “geometric form, load-bearing mechanism and usage context” confirms the inherent principles of resource efficiency and performance balance within traditional building systems. The quantitative assessment framework established in this study provides scientific guidance, grounded in construction logic, for the preventive conservation and precise reinforcement strategies of historic masonry structures. Full article

The growing demand for sustainable solutions in civil construction has driven the use of industrial waste in the formulation of new materials. This study evaluated the alterability of artificial stone slabs produced with 87% ornamental stone waste (Dumont Quartzite and Preto São Gabriel Granite) and 13% epoxy matrix, using the vacuum vibro-thermo-compression technique. Alterability was tested against staining agents, chemical attack, wetting and drying cycles, UV radiation, salt crystallization, three-point flexural strength test after freeze–thaw cycles, and natural weathering. Quantitative results revealed high physical stability, with mass loss varying only between 0.11% and 0.23% in wetting and drying cycles. In salt crystallization, mass loss ranged from 0.38% to 0.47%, lower than the rates of 0.87% and 1.36% reported in the literature for similar materials. Regarding mechanical performance, freeze–thaw cycles caused reductions in flexural strength between 11.66% and 31.59%; however, the stones maintained final strength values above 20 MPa, classifying them as very high-strength materials. The results indicated good physical and chemical stability of the materials, with low mass loss and preservation of mechanical properties, except under UV radiation and natural weathering, which caused significant chromatic alterations. The data obtained demonstrate the viability of applying these stones in indoor environments, promoting the valorization of waste and contributing to the circular economy. Full article