Search Results (95,266)

Contemporary post-war cities increasingly require adaptive urban systems capable of addressing climate vulnerability, infrastructural instability, environmental degradation, and human well-being simultaneously. This study develops an interdisciplinary framework for adaptive biophilic infrastructure and resource governance within the context of sustainable post-war reconstruction in Ukraine. The research combines literature analysis, comparative urban assessment, and experimental evaluation of eco-modified construction materials. Particular attention is given to vertical greening systems, adaptive underground infrastructure, daylight-integrated public environments, multifunctional urban systems, and environmentally responsive concrete composites incorporating porous minerals and plant-based biomass. Comparative examples from Montreal, New York, Seoul, and Singapore are examined alongside differentiated Ukrainian urban contexts, including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Kherson, Lviv, and Uzhhorod. The findings demonstrate that adaptive biophilic infrastructure may improve urban microclimates, strengthen thermal and acoustic regulation, enhance infrastructural adaptability, and support psycho-emotional comfort within dense and post-conflict urban environments. The study further indicates that underground and layered urban systems increasingly function as multifunctional socio-ecological infrastructures integrating mobility continuity, environmental regulation, public accessibility, emergency protection, and human-centered spatial resilience. The experimental assessment demonstrates that eco-modified materials contribute to moisture stabilization, thermal buffering, acoustic moderation, and passive environmental regulation within adaptive urban systems. The incorporation of porous mineral additives and plant biomass improved the environmental responsiveness of the investigated composites while supporting more resource-efficient construction approaches. The study concludes that sustainable post-war reconstruction requires a transition from fragmented technological interventions toward integrated socio-ecological urban frameworks capable of combining environmental regulation, infrastructural resilience, resource efficiency, adaptive governance, and human-centered spatial design within long-term urban sustainability strategies. Full article

This study examines how physical, cognitive, social, and environmental dimensions are integrated within 22 playground design proposals developed by undergraduate students in a design engineering programme. Using a qualitative, document-based analysis approach grounded in Research through Design, we propose the Systemic Integration Index (SII). This replicable analytical framework not only evaluates the presence of key sustainability dimensions but also the relational articulation between them. Results show that while most projects (68%) achieved high SII values, a substantial proportion (32%) remained at a medium level of integration, indicating partial rather than fully coherent systemic articulation. The physical and social dimensions were the most consistently developed, whereas environmental integration showed the greatest variability and the weakest inter-dimensional connections across the dataset. The primary limitation lies not in identifying relevant design variables but in structuring their relationships into a coherent system. Findings are based on conceptual project documentation rather than on implemented designs and reflect the specific pedagogical context of the analyzed programme. The SII offers a structured and replicable tool for formative assessment in sustainability-oriented design education. Full article

Railway transportation networks increasingly share constrained corridors with transmission lines, buried pipelines, and other linear infrastructure. Electromagnetic interference in these corridors is important for safe railway planning and operation, particularly when nearby high-voltage lines cross oil and gas pipelines. This paper investigates transmission-line-induced pipeline potential under crossing conditions in the Zhangbei region. The CDEGS moment-method framework is applied with locally refined segmentation in the crossing regions, and an electromagnetic coupling model for multiple-crossing transmission line-oil and gas pipeline systems is established. The qualitative effects of crossing angle and parallel length on pipeline potential were obtained under both normal operating conditions and single-phase ground fault transient conditions. The results show that induced voltage decreases nonlinearly as the crossing angle increases and rises markedly with crossing length. The contribution of ground potential rise during transient processes to pipeline potential is significantly greater than that during steady-state processes. Installing zinc ribbons as a drainage measure can reduce the pipeline-to-ground voltage. However, supplementary mitigation measures may still be required under severe interference conditions. These findings are relevant to railway transportation because railway corridors often coexist with transmission lines and buried pipelines, making coordinated electromagnetic compatibility assessment essential for infrastructure safety and operational reliability. The proposed framework supports corridor planning, risk assessment, and protective design for railway-related infrastructure in complex shared corridors. Full article

A comprehensive analysis of the microcin J25 (MccJ25) biosynthetic gene cluster revealed a previously uncharacterized 96-base pair overlapping gene, designated mcjX. This gene features a +1 reading frame shift relative to the primary sequence and encodes a 31-amino acid peptide. Notably, 53 nucleotides overlap with the 3′ terminus of the structural gene mcjA. Such significant overlaps are rare features in the Escherichia coli genome, highlighting the hidden complexity of microbial operon architectures. In this study, we demonstrate that mcjX is actively translated. Functional assays, including green fluorescent protein reporter systems, suggest that McjX acts as a negative regulator of the mcjA promoter, modulating MccJ25 expression. This discovery represents the first report of a regulatory mechanism mediated by an overlapping gene within a lasso peptide operon, providing new perspectives on how microbial genomes fine-tune the production of antimicrobial peptides through compact genetic organization. Full article

For the trajectory tracking control problem of a 7-DOF redundant hydraulic manipulator, an adaptive fuzzy sliding mode control method based on a novel fast reaching law is proposed. Based on the kinematic analysis of the manipulator, its dynamic equation is constructed using the Lagrange dynamic equation. A trajectory planning method for the manipulator, integrating seventh-order polynomial interpolation and genetic algorithm optimization, is proposed. Taking the planned trajectory as the expected trajectory, a sliding mode controller is designed to achieve trajectory tracking control of the manipulator. A sliding mode disturbance observer is used to observe the system uncertainties, and an adaptive fuzzy logic system is designed to estimate the observation error of the disturbance observer. The sliding mode control law is deduced based on the fast reaching law, which can achieve global fast convergence of the sliding mode function while reducing the chattering of the controller. The simulation results show that the proposed control method has good tracking performance and strong robustness. Full article

This study, through a hybrid approach to post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of four types of high-energy-efficiency housing in rural Scotland, explores the manifestation, formation mechanism, and mitigation pathways of energy risks in high-energy-efficiency housing from environmental and socioeconomic dimensions. The findings reveal a “high-efficiency paradox”: better fabric performance and lower heating demand do not guarantee reduced carbon emissions, fuel poverty alleviation, or energy resilience. Actual energy risks are formed by the combined effects of multiple factors, including building size, energy infrastructure, resident characteristics, energy prices, and policy, exhibiting a clear systemic coupling characteristic. The study further verifies that, in the context of rural Scotland, relying solely on indicators such as EPC may lead to misjudgements of housing sustainability. Heating demand, total energy consumption, carbon emissions, and energy expenditure exhibit a partially decoupled relationship. Thus, rural housing sustainability should shift from a technically efficient approach to a comprehensive strategy integrating design, infrastructure, affordability, and social equity. The study proposes context-specific mitigation pathways including multi-source energy systems, place-sensitive policies, socio-economic support, and a multi-criteria assessment framework, providing empirical references for rural housing energy transition and energy risk governance. Full article

Hidden hunger and grassland degradation represent interconnected governance challenges in northern China’s pastoral areas. Nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) has been conceptualised largely around crop-based systems, with limited attention to grassland grazing systems, where nutritional value is shaped by ecology, feeding practices, seasonality, local knowledge, and market institutions. Drawing on five rounds of fieldwork (2019–2025) across meadow, typical, and desert steppes in Inner Mongolia, this study employs a multi-case comparative design involving 92 semi-structured interviews, 58 policy documents, and long-term observations. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we develop an ecology–nutrition synergy framework to explain local practices and institutional constraints in nutrition-sensitive livestock farming. Three pathways are identified: grass–livestock nutritional balancing, scientific valorisation of native forage, and market experimentation linking ecological origin to nutritional quality. These pathways operate through three mechanisms: ecological mediation of nutritional quality, endogenous quality fluctuation as an inherent feature, and scientific codification of traditional pastoral knowledge. Four structural dilemmas constrain scaling: incompatibility between natural quality fluctuation and industrial standardisation; absence of institutional trust in nutritional premiums; short-term trade-offs between stocking control and nutritional enhancement; and fragmented cross-sectoral governance. The study extends NSA to grassland systems and offers a framework for integrating ecological protection, livestock quality, and nutrition-oriented governance in arid and semi-arid rangelands. Three theoretical contributions are advanced: (i) extending NSA’s conceptual boundary from cropping systems to natural grassland pastoral systems; (ii) embedding a nutrition-output dimension within Ostrom’s SES framework, thereby creating a triple-nested ecology–nutrition synergy framework; and (iii) specifying three grazing-system-specific mechanisms that distinguish grassland livestock systems from both crop-based and confined animal production systems. Full article

Flywheel energy storage systems (FESSs) offer millisecond-level response speed, making them highly suitable for providing system inertia/frequency support in emergency grid scenarios. However, the FESSs often have limited energy capacity due to their high capacity cost, which necessitates a comprehensive consideration between remaining stored energy and sustained support capability. Thus, this paper proposes a virtual synchronous generator (VSG) control strategy based on a multi-time-step model predictive control (MPC) that considering flywheel’s state of charge (SOC), which provides both emergency frequency support and autonomous flywheel energy recovery within a single integrated framework. First, a multi-time-step MPC with the objective function aiming for both fast frequency response and smooth power output is introduced to compensate the reference power generated by the VSG strategy. Second, an SOC-adaptive frequency weight function is designed and incorporated into the objective function to balance the frequency deviation and the inertia/frequency support duration. Furthermore, an SOC self-recovery strategy is developed, allowing the flywheel to autonomously adjust its SOC to the desired range when the FESS is not participating in frequency regulation. Finally, the proposed strategy is verified through comprehensive simulations on various scenarios, demonstrating that it can efficiently and rapidly meet the frequency regulation demands when the SOC is sufficient, as well as achieve the balances between the frequency regulation performance and the support continuity when the SOC is insufficient. Full article

High-speed railway embankments constructed over karst-prone ground conditions are often challenged by weak soils and subsurface cavities, which can lead to instability and excessive settlement. This study presents a full-scale field investigation conducted in the El-Gharbaniyat area, west of Alexandria, Egypt, where a pile–cap ground improvement system was implemented to support a high-speed railway embankment founded on clayey and silty soils overlying fractured limestone. A comprehensive site investigation program was performed, including 28 boreholes and integrated geophysical surveys using Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Seismic Tomography (ST), enabling improved identification of weak zones and cavity-prone formations. Based on these findings, a pile–cap system was designed using reinforced concrete piles of 0.60 m diameter and an average length of 29 m, arranged in a 4 × 4 m grid and capped with reinforced concrete footings to ensure efficient load transfer to deeper competent strata. The system performance was validated through laboratory testing and full-scale in situ pile load tests. The average 28-day compressive strength of 122 tested piles reached approximately 50 MPa, exceeding the design value by approximately 30%. Load test results showed settlements ranging from 1.08 to 2.76 mm at the working load (2200 kN) and 2.16 to 5.10 mm at the maximum load (3300 kN), all well below allowable limits. Comparative evaluation indicated that the proposed system achieves significant material savings (>90%), lower treatment cost (150 USD/m²), reduced carbon emission (5.7 t per pile), and shorter construction duration (7 h per pile). These findings confirm that the pile–cap system provides a robust, cost-effective, and environmentally efficient solution for ground improvement in karst environments. Full article

This study investigates the mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of a Co-free Fe₄₀Ni₃₀Cr₂₀V₈Mo₂ (at.%) multi-principal elements alloy (MPEA) designed for potential applications in aggressive environments. The alloy exhibits a balanced combination of strength and ductility, with a yield strength of approximately 258 MPa, an ultimate tensile strength of about 647 MPa, and a fracture elongation of around 52%, of which deformation is primarily governed by dislocation-mediated plasticity. In terms of corrosion performance, the alloy demonstrates excellent resistance in chloride-containing environments. Potentiodynamic polarization tests reveal a wide and stable passive region of approximately 1.28 V_SCE and a high pitting potential of about 0.975 V_SCE, indicating exceptional stability of the passive film. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) further confirms the high impedance and protective nature of the surface layer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis reveals that the superior anti-corrosion property is attributed to the formation of a passive film enriched with protective Cr₂O₃ and V, Mo oxides, which collectively construct an effective barrier against chloride-induced attack by reducing donor density. This work provides valuable insights for the development of alternative alloys to replace Co-containing systems in demanding corrosive applications. Full article

Natural lacquer, a bio-based polymer derived from Toxicodendron vernicifluum, has attracted renewed scientific interest as a sustainable coating material with exceptional mechanical durability, chemical resistance, and aesthetic qualities. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the chemical composition, enzymatic curing mechanisms, and structure–property relationships of lacquer-based polymer systems, with particular focus on recent advances in functional modification and processing technology. Key findings indicate that laccase-catalyzed oxidative polymerization, operating optimally at pH 6.0–7.5 and 20–30 °C, governs the formation of a highly cross-linked urushiol network whose properties are fundamentally determined by side-chain unsaturation and emulsion stability. Mechanistic analysis reveals that polyurethane hybridization improves weathering resistance by introducing flexible aliphatic segments and additional hydrogen-bonding cross-links, while graphene oxide incorporation enhances anticorrosion performance through a physical barrier mechanism that prolongs ionic diffusion pathways. UV-curable LPEA derivatives achieve an 83% reduction in curing time relative to ambient-cured lacquer, enabling integration with industrial spray-coating lines. Despite these advances, several critical limitations remain inadequately resolved. Allergen reduction strategies have not yet achieved sufficient quantitative efficiency for large-scale commercial deployment, and the long-term stability of nanocomposite lacquer films under sustained UV exposure and hydrothermal conditions is not well established. Furthermore, most high-performance modification systems reported in the literature are demonstrated only on laboratory scale, with scalability, substrate compatibility, and lifecycle performance remaining largely unvalidated. The review identifies the absence of standardized performance evaluation protocols and the fragmentation of structure–property data across studies as key barriers to systematic progress, and proposes that future work prioritize the development of integrated processing–modification–performance frameworks to guide the rational design of next-generation lacquer-based functional materials. Full article

Against the backdrop of the advancing Transportation Power Strategy, long and large tunnels face critical challenges in ensuring the safety and efficiency of transportation scheduling due to their harsh environment, complex traffic network, and the need for coordination among multiple types of vehicles. Addressing the shortcomings of existing research—such as the disconnection between path planning and dynamic environments, insufficient coordination between timetables and paths, and incomplete conflict management—this paper constructs a comprehensive optimization model for the scheduling of construction vehicles in tunnel traffic networks. Firstly, integrating the improved social force model with the BPR function, an adaptive social force-BPR path planning model with a collision compensation mechanism is proposed, and the weights of sub-items are optimized using the improved AHP algorithm. Secondly, a constraint system covering paths, spatio-temporal logic, and three types of conflicts (crossing conflicts, head-on conflicts, and congestion conflicts) is established, and a bi-objective function of “minimum total scheduling time” and “minimum number of conflicts” is designed. Combined with the improved NSGA-II algorithm, the collaborative optimization of departure intervals and paths is realized. In particular, a conflict entropy repair operator is introduced to quantify the conflict chaos through node conflict entropy and vehicle conflict entropy, and the scheduling strategy is accurately adjusted based on the logic of “priority ranking-dynamic delay” to balance conflict resolution and efficiency loss. Finally, a case verification is carried out relying on a tunnel topological network with 30 nodes and 41 edges. The experimental results show that the optimal repulsion coefficient k_f of the social force model is 20, and the maximum departure interval of 8 min is the best configuration after introducing the repair operator. At this time, the total scheduling time is 136 min, and the total number of conflicts is only 2, completely avoiding high-risk head-on conflicts and congestion conflicts. The research outputs a vehicle scheduling scheme, enriches the theory of tunnel traffic scheduling, and provides scientific and feasible technical support for the coordinated scheduling of construction vehicles in long and large tunnels. Full article

This study investigates the aerodynamic performance of a two-building ensemble as an integrated architectural–aerodynamic system, with a focus on airflow conditions relevant to building-integrated wind turbines. The research addresses the question of whether newly designed development can actively improve, rather than deteriorate, airflow conditions above existing buildings. A parametric CFD analysis based on steady-state RANS (SST k–ω) simulations was conducted for multiple geometric configurations of a reference building (A) and a neighboring building (B), varying roof pitch (22–40°) and height. Airflow was evaluated using mean longitudinal velocity (Vy), coefficient of variation (CV), and vector components across three architectural scenarios corresponding to different turbine-integration strategies. The results demonstrate that properly designed geometries can significantly enhance flow quality. In the near-roof scenario (Arch1), the optimal configuration achieved a 24.28% increase in Vy and a 94.53% reduction in CV, indicating strong flow stabilization. In the façade-integration scenario (Arch2), improvements reached +10.40% in Vy and −23.16% in CV, reflecting vertical homogenization of the flow field. In the point-based scenario (Arch3), a local velocity increase of 4.29% was obtained while maintaining directional stability. The findings indicate that building geometry acts as an active design parameter that controls flow intensity, homogeneity, and direction. The study proposes a CFD-based decision framework and demonstrates that architectural form can be deliberately shaped to enhance wind conditions, supporting the integration of wind turbines into coherent building design. Full article

This study presents the design and implementation of a single-institution intelligent diagnostic system to identify low mid-period academic performance, aimed at activating proactive and preventive tutoring before a final assessment. The system features an integrated analytical architecture comprising an inferential framework, a predictive framework, an explainability framework, a validation framework, and a Streamlit-based web prototype. The sample uses 18,604 longitudinal academic records from 1264 unique students enrolled across 7 consecutive academic periods (2017–2020) at an Ecuadorian university. Results indicate that curricular level is the structural predictor with the greatest independent contribution (semi-partial R² = 0.044), followed by academic period (semi-partial R² = 0.026). Random Forest achieved the best overall performance (MAE = 1.267 ± 0.04; RMSE = 1.714 ± 0.05; R² = 0.551 ± 0.02), outperforming other algorithms. SHAP explainability confirms the primacy of curricular level and academic period as individual-level risk-associated factors, enabling the generation of interpretable alerts for tutors. The equity analysis revealed that students aged 30–50 years (ratio = 1.375) and the province with code 18 (ratio = 1.395) constitute priority subgroups for data enrichment prior to institutional deployment. External validation with real users is identified as the next research stage. Full article

Single-photon detection is a promising approach for low–slow–small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) detection, holding great value in urban air defense and security monitoring. In complex urban environments, intense non-uniform building clutter and multi-echo aliasing easily submerge weak target signals, severely limiting traditional single-photon systems under low signal-to-background ratios. To address this, this paper proposes an urban-oriented detection strategy based on a free-running single-photon array, and designs a dual-optimized pulse position modulation laser detection and range image enhancement algorithm. By establishing temporal correlations via pulse sequence convolution, the algorithm effectively isolates weak UAV echoes from strong background clutter to break through detection limitations. Compared with the popular Markov correction method that often suppresses overlapping weak targets under strong reflections, the proposed method significantly improves small-target feature retention, successfully balancing background elimination and detection sensitivity. Field tests and quantitative evaluations demonstrate that the system reliably eliminates building clutter and achieves stable continuous tracking of weak UAV signals within 1.5 km, providing a highly robust and effective technical solution for urban low-altitude surveillance. Full article