Search Results (378)

High-resolution range profile (HRRP) reconstruction is essential for extracting range-direction scattering characteristics in wideband radar remote sensing, particularly in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR) imaging. Coded interrupted sampling (CIS) can improve radar low probability of intercept (LPI) performance by controlling signal transmission with a binary sequence. However, the reduced number of valid echo samples may degrade HRRP reconstruction, especially under low-duty-ratio and low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) conditions. Conventional orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) processes each frame independently and ignores the inter-frame continuity of scattering-center positions, which may lead to false selections and missed detections. To address this problem, this paper proposes a candidate-interval-assisted orthogonal matching pursuit (CI-OMP) algorithm based on multi-frame sequential priors. Stable scattering-center positions are extracted from historical reconstruction results and expanded into candidate intervals to guide atom matching in the current frame. Simulation results show that CI-OMP outperforms standard OMP in terms of normalized mean squared error (NMSE), tolerant support recovery rate (Tol-SRR), and peak-to-sidelobe ratio (PSLR). At a duty ratio of 0.20, CI-OMP reduces the NMSE by 1.71 dB and improves the PSLR by 7.56 dB compared with OMP. In addition, the candidate-interval strategy reduces the atom-search range by approximately 54–75% under different duty ratios and by approximately 50–83% under different SNRs, demonstrating improved search efficiency. These results demonstrate that CI-OMP improves the accuracy, robustness, and search efficiency of HRRP reconstruction for CIS radar echoes, particularly under low-duty-ratio and low-to-medium-SNR conditions. Full article

AIS trajectories in and around ports are often incomplete because of transmission interruptions, reception failures, and infrastructure outages. In this paper, we investigate whether the Data-driven AIS Trajectory Interpolation method (DAISTIN), which reconstructs missing trajectory segments using a graph derived from historical AIS observations, can be improved by retaining local directional information that is otherwise discarded when observations are sampled to form the graph. To this end, we introduce two extensions, xDAISTIN and xDAISTOUT. The originality of the proposed approach lies in extending DAISTIN by enriching each sampled graph node with neighbourhood-level directional information from nearby historical AIS observations. Specifically, local vessel headings are encoded cyclically and modelled using kernel density estimators, allowing candidate graph transitions to be evaluated using local movement probabilities rather than only the heading of the sampled point. The methods are evaluated on real-world AIS data from the Port of Antwerp by introducing synthetic gaps into held-out trajectories and measuring how well they are reconstructed by the methods. Using 36,748 moving sub-trajectories from 5488 vessel trips, we compare the proposed methods against DAISTIN, linear interpolation, and several directed, undirected, probabilistic, and shortest-path graph variants. Across graph sizes from 100 k to 180 k nodes, DAISTIN and its undirected variant reconstructed $48.48$–$84.61\%$ and $72.35$–$91.23\%$ of missing segments, respectively, compared to $88.02$–$96.42\%$ and $91.36$–$99.13\%$ for xDAISTIN and its variants, and $65.75$–$85.17\%$ and $72.12$–$97.80\%$ for xDAISTOUT and its variants. Compared with undirected DAISTIN at 180 k nodes, undirected xDAISTIN at 180 k nodes achieved significantly lower mean SPD, DFD, and HD (all Holm-adjusted, $p<0.001$), by approximately $14\%$, $43\%$, and $36\%$, respectively. These findings demonstrate that preserving neighbourhood-level directional behaviour during graph construction can substantially improve the interpolation completion rate and reconstruction accuracy in complex port environments. Full article

Metals are widely used in various types of structural applications such as the automotive, aerospace and construction industries. However, their service life is limited due to the various loads they experience during operation. Specifically, cyclic loading can lead to the early fatigue failure of these structures. Therefore, early detection of fatigue deformation is essential to prevent catastrophic failures. In this study, an automated electrical resistance data acquisition system was developed using LabVIEW to obtain measurements from a Keithley 6221 current source for fatigue damage detection. The results showed an increase in electrical resistivity after the application of cyclic loading. It was observed that electrical resistivity increased after each set of loading cycles, with an average increase of 7.38%, a stress level of 260 MPa (high-cycle fatigue), and a 6.5% increase after the application of 25,000 cycles at 165 MPa (low-cycle fatigue). Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (S/TEM) was used for microstructural investigation as a proof of concept for the high-cycle fatigue sample interrupted after 25,000 cycles to analyse the modification in dislocation structures as well as a qualitative increment in the dislocation density with respect to the initial microstructural state of the as-machined sample. Such a modification in dislocation structures as well as an increment in dislocation density corroborates the findings proposed by electrical resistivity measurement. The results demonstrated that electrical resistivity measurement provides a promising non-destructive approach for the early detection of fatigue damage in metallic materials. Full article

Healthcare-associated infections remain a major public health challenge, and primary health care (PHC) plays a critical role in preventing and interrupting transmission within communities. This study assessed knowledge and self-reported adherence to Standard Precautions and Transmission-Based Precautions among nursing professionals working in PHC. The findings were subsequently interpreted through the conceptual perspective of Infection Containment Readiness (ICR). A cross-sectional census study was conducted in 16 PHC units in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, including 75 eligible nursing professionals. Knowledge was assessed using a validated instrument comprising 47 items distributed across five domains, while adherence was evaluated through 12 self-reported practice indicators. Overall knowledge was satisfactory, with a mean accuracy rate of 78.9%. Higher performance was observed in medication safety and sharps disposal (92.0%), glove use (81.8%), and hand hygiene (77.0%), whereas lower scores were identified in risk recognition (75.6%) and respiratory precautions and cough etiquette (68.2%). Important misconceptions were identified regarding tuberculosis transmission and respiratory infection control. Self-reported adherence was heterogeneous, particularly for respiratory protection measures, tuberculosis-related practices, glove use during capillary blood glucose testing, and participation in continuing education activities. Based on the observed findings and current infection prevention literature, we propose a hypothesis-generating conceptual framework for interpreting ICR in PHC. These findings suggest that strengthening infection prevention in PHC requires strategies that address not only knowledge acquisition but also risk recognition, contextual decision-making, and organizational support for preventive practices. Full article

In DC microgrid (DC-MG) clusters, distributed generation units rely on electronic communication networks to exchange voltage measurements, current information, and coordination signals for voltage recovery and current sharing. As the degree of system clustering and communication coupling increases, nodal denial-of-service (DoS) attacks may interrupt the information exchange of leaders and followers, resulting in communication topology switching and degraded cooperative control performance. Accordingly, this paper proposes an event-triggered (ET) resilient control scheme with high communication efficiency for networked DC-MG clusters under nodal DoS attacks. First, a distributed secondary control model with a cross-layer communication mechanism is constructed in accordance with the requirements of the system’s overall power distribution, which incorporates the two-layer node architecture of leaders and followers in DC-MG clusters. Second, a statistical multimode nodal DoS attack model is developed to characterize heterogeneous communication interruptions through topology-dependent attack modes and their occurrence probabilities. Finally, an exponential threshold ET mechanism based on bus-voltage recovery errors is designed within the distributed secondary control framework to reduce redundant information transmission while preserving resilience against nodal communication attacks. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method can maintain accurate voltage recovery and current sharing in networked DC-MG clusters under large-scale DoS attacks, while improving communication efficiency through ET updates. Full article

Understanding the non-linear dynamic interaction between tracks and bridge structures is essential for maintaining the safety of continuous rigid-frame bridges. To accurately capture these beam–rail interactions, this study develops a detailed 3D finite element model based on the principle of stationary total potential energy. This framework fully integrates the track, main girders, and piers into a single system. Based on a 4 × 40 m continuous rigid-frame viaduct in an urban transit network, the numerical model accounts for the bilinear mechanical behavior of the rail fasteners. The study compares the transmission of longitudinal forces along the continuously welded rail (CWR) under two fastening layouts. The baseline case uses uniform constant-resistance fasteners across the entire bridge, while the optimized scheme places small-resistance fasteners at the final 20% of each structural segment. Analysis shows that placing low-resistance fasteners in the high-displacement areas near the girder ends creates an effective longitudinal “release zone.” This design effectively interrupts the buildup of longitudinal forces, resulting in a much smoother force distribution along the rails. Quantitative results indicate that this optimized fastener layout has only a minor effect on structural deflection and braking-induced rail stresses, keeping deviations below 11%. At the same time, it significantly reduces the peak expansion stress and broken-rail stress by 43.4% and 22.2%, respectively. By shifting the stress regulation philosophy from “rigid resistance” to dynamic “force channeling,” these findings demonstrate that local low-resistance fastener deployment improves the overall mechanical compatibility of the track–bridge infrastructure. Ultimately, this work offers a solid theoretical basis for the design and maintenance of CWR systems on long-span rigid-frame bridges. Full article

(1) Background: Dog-mediated human rabies remains a serious public health problem in Cambodia, partially due to the high abundance of dogs. As most dogs are free-roaming and cannot easily be handled and restrained, the rabies vaccination coverage is very low. Oral rabies vaccination (ORV) could increase the vaccination coverage to levels required for interrupting the transmission cycle. (2) Methods: In this study, the bait acceptance and immunogenicity of a commercially available vaccine bait were tested in local free-roaming dogs in the northern part of Takeo province in Cambodia. (3) Results: In total, 75.4% (515/683) of dogs initially showed interest when offered an egg-flavored bait containing the SPBN GASGAS rabies virus vaccine. Subsequently, 89.9% of these dogs consumed the bait, and almost all of them (98.3%) were considered successfully vaccinated. Blood samples were collected from 50 dogs prior to vaccination. Eight of these fifty dogs tested sero-positive for rabies antibodies (ELISA) and were excluded from follow-up samples. Thirty and ninety days post-vaccination, 91.4% and 68.2% of the relocated vaccinated dogs tested sero-positive, respectively. (4) Conclusions: Bait acceptance and immunogenicity showed similar results as observed in studies with the same vaccine bait conducted in other countries. Hence, ORV seems to be a very promising tool for dog rabies control in Cambodia, which has a large owned but free-roaming dog population. Full article

The Philippines achieved World Health Organization (WHO) certification for the elimination of leprosy as a public health problem in 1998. Despite this milestone, new cases continue to be reported each year, highlighting the need for sustained surveillance and interventions to achieve zero transmission. This paper provides an update on the country’s progress toward interruption of leprosy transmission using national surveillance data and programmatic reports from 2020–2024. Quantitative data were obtained from the Department of Health (DOH) Field Health Services Information System (FHSIS), while policy and programmatic information were drawn from national reports, WHO guidance, and implementation reviews. Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine trends in prevalence, case detection rates (CDRs), and age-sex distribution patterns to identify high-risk groups. Leprosy prevalence declined from 0.41 per 10,000 population in 2020 to 0.11 in 2024, remaining below the WHO elimination threshold. The CDR increased from 0.45 in 2022 to 1.17 per 100,000 in 2024, indicating recovery of active surveillance after COVID-19-related disruptions. Most newly detected cases occurred among adults aged 20–59 years (72%), although continued detection among children aged 0–14 years (6–7%) suggests ongoing transmission in selected endemic areas. Key program strengths include policy integration and WHO-supported surveillance initiatives, while major barriers include stigma, uneven local implementation, and limited access to rehabilitation. The Philippines has maintained low national prevalence while strengthening efforts toward transmission interruption. Continued investment in surveillance, contact tracing, stigma reduction, and integrated neglected tropical disease (NTD) services will be essential to achieving zero transmission, zero disability, and zero discrimination by 2030. Full article

This study develops a cooperative multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (MARL) framework for simulation-based cost-overrun mitigation in smart grid construction projects under dynamic engineering uncertainty. Modern smart grid construction involves digital substations, renewable-energy-connected facilities, flexible transmission assets, intelligent monitoring systems, and geographically distributed contractors; therefore, cost escalation is driven by sequential interactions among procurement, schedule execution, equipment deployment, supervision, weather, logistics, and price volatility. The proposed framework models procurement management, construction scheduling, equipment allocation, and supervision-control units as decentralized agents embedded in a calibrated construction simulation environment. The environment is parameterized from 42 smart grid construction projects in Henan Province, China and generates disturbance scenarios involving weather efficiency loss, transportation delay, market-price volatility, labor shortage, and supply-chain interruption. A hybrid DQN–PPO mechanism represents mixed decision structures: value-based DQN modules handle discrete managerial choices such as task acceleration, supplier switching, and procurement timing, whereas PPO modules adjust continuous resource-allocation and recovery-intensity decisions. A hierarchical reward function combines local departmental objectives with project-level penalties for cost overrun, schedule delay, idle resources, recovery expenditure, safety risk, and environmental impact. The experimental protocol uses 30 paired random seeds, nonparametric bootstrap confidence intervals, Holm-adjusted Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and comparison with deterministic optimization, rolling-horizon MPC, stochastic/robust optimization, single-agent DRL, MAPPO, MADDPG/MATD3, QMIX, and HAPPO baselines. The proposed framework achieves a mean cost-overrun rate of 6.83% and a mean schedule deviation of 16.82 days, reducing cost overrun by 18.7% and schedule deviation by 21.4% relative to rule-based construction management under the reported disturbance settings. The calibrated simulation evidence establishes a statistically evaluated decision-support framework for coordinated construction cost control and provides an artifact-level reproducibility pathway through configuration files, random-seed lists, anonymized synthetic benchmarks, and aggregated logs. Full article

Objective: This study evaluated hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) uptake, associated influencing factors, and post-vaccination immune responses among preterm infants residing in Fujian Province. The findings can support targeted improvements in hepatitis B prevention and control strategies tailored for this high-risk neonatal population. Methods: We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional study combined with short-term prospective serological follow-up across five counties, cities and districts of Fujian Province between 2022 and 2023. A total of 779 eligible preterm infants were enrolled in this study. We collected demographic information of participating mothers and infants, as well as complete HepB vaccination records throughout the study period. For 363 enrolled infants, we performed serological tests to detect hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb) at 1–2 months after they completed the full HepB vaccination series. To explore factors linked to timely administration of the first HepB dose (HepB1), completion of the full vaccination course and HBsAb serostatus, we adopted a set of statistical approaches including descriptive statistics, the chi-square test (Fisher’s exact test was used for groups with small sample sizes) and binary logistic regression. Results: The timely HepB1 vaccination rate among all preterm infants was 78.18%, while 63.80% completed the full vaccination schedule as required. In the serology cohort, the HBsAb positive rate was 90.91%, and 8.82% of infants showed double-negative HBsAg and HBsAb results, indicating susceptibility to HBV infection. Multivariate analysis identified multiple risk factors for delayed vaccination. Preterm infants were more likely to receive vaccinations late if their mothers tested HBsAg-negative (HepB1: OR = 25.231, 95%CI: 4.997–127.406; full-course HepB: OR = 2.440, 95%CI: 1.395–4.269), were delivered in county-level or lower-tier medical facilities (HepB1: OR = 3.724, 95%CI: 2.107–6.580), or were born via cesarean section (HepB1: OR = 3.460, 95%CI: 2.169–5.520; full-course HepB: OR = 1.954, 95%CI: 1.411–2.704). Additional risk factors included a gestational age below 34 weeks (HepB1: OR = 4.369, 95%CI: 1.894–10.081; full-course HepB: OR = 2.237, 95%CI: 1.148–4.359) and a birth weight less than 2500 g (HepB1: OR = 2.251, 95%CI: 1.397–3.629; full-course HepB: OR = 1.513, 95%CI: 1.065–2.150). Conclusions: Preterm infants enrolled from five regions in Fujian Province achieved robust immune protection following standard HepB vaccination. However, timely first-dose coverage and on-schedule full-course vaccination remain suboptimal in this cohort. Observed gaps in routine vaccination management at primary care settings highlight a key area for improvement in local hepatitis B prevention. Targeted standardized training for maternity care staff at county-level facilities, paired with a full-cycle follow-up system for preterm infant vaccination, may further strengthen hepatitis B mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) interruption in the study regions. Full article

With the development of space-based cloud computing and on-orbit intelligent processing, higher requirements have been imposed on standardized network interconnection for spaceborne platforms. However, constrained by size, power consumption, thermal design, and structural layout, some spaceborne platforms lack physical Ethernet interfaces and therefore cannot directly support standard Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) communications. In addition, harsh spaceborne operating conditions, including thermal-vacuum stress and potential radiation-induced disturbances, increase the risk of link anomalies, state inconsistency, and service interruption. To address these issues, this paper proposes a reliability-enhanced IPv6 access and transmission method for spaceborne platforms without physical Ethernet interfaces. On the processor side, a network TAP interface is established to reconstruct the semantics of a standard Layer-2 network device. Combined with a cooperative central processing unit–field-programmable gate array (CPU–FPGA) link-carrying mechanism, the proposed method enables transparent IPv6 access without modifying the native Linux protocol stack. To satisfy both standard spacecraft onboard network services and high-throughput engineering data transmission, a dual-channel architecture is designed, in which the service network channel is separated from the engineering data channel. In addition, a hierarchical reliability-oriented mechanism is constructed, consisting of hardware-level fault-tolerance design, reliable link interaction, status monitoring, and redundancy takeover. Experimental validation is conducted on a CPU-FPGA prototype platform under a thermal-vacuum environment and representative abnormal operating scenarios. The results show that the proposed method can stably support IPv6 address configuration, neighbor discovery, and end-to-end communication. Under zero-packet-loss conditions, the service network channel achieves an average stable throughput of 173.8 Mb/s, while the engineering data channel achieves a stable throughput of approximately 3.4 Gb/s. The system also demonstrates good service continuity during long-duration operation and under typical abnormal scenarios. The proposed method provides a verifiable system-level solution for realizing standardized IPv6 network access and reliability-enhanced data transmission on interface-constrained spaceborne platforms. Full article

Background: Long-term care facility (LTCF) residents are highly susceptible to healthcare-associated infections, and prevention is challenging given frailty, dementia, communal living, and resource constraints. Environmental surface and air contamination contribute to transmission. Novel no-touch automated disinfection technologies have been studied in hospitals, but evidence specific to LTCFs is scarce. This scoping review summarizes recent LTCF-focused interventions, their effectiveness, and implementation considerations. Methods: This scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) Checklist. We searched PubMed, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus for observational or experimental studies evaluating environmental disinfection in LTCFs/nursing homes, excluding body decolonization, non-LTCF settings, and reviews/protocols. Two reviewers independently screened and extracted data via Covidence. This review has been registered on OSF (Open Science Framework). Results: Of 1491 records, 7 studies met the inclusion criteria (6 from the USA, 1 from Australia): one cluster randomized trial, one interrupted time series studies, three prospective observational studies, and two pre–post designs. Interventions included physical methods (HVAC-integrated UV/UVGI, continuous UVGI) and chemical approaches (dry hydrogen peroxide, room fogging plus chlorine dioxide wipes, hydrogen peroxide wipes). Outcomes were heterogeneous (surface SARS-CoV-2 RNA, COVID-19 attack/case rates, airborne/surface microbial loads, and one clinical endpoint—acute respiratory illness). Several studies reported reductions in environmental or airborne bioburden; however, UV-based studies did not demonstrate statistically significant reductions in clinical infections. Certainty was limited by small numbers, non-randomized designs, and diverse outcome measures. Conclusions: No-touch automated disinfection methods appear promising as supplements to standard infection prevention control bundles for reducing environmental contamination in LTCFs. Nevertheless, consistent clinical benefits are unproven. Rigorous, LTCF-tailored, adequately powered trials with standardized clinical and environmental outcomes, plus implementation and cost-effectiveness evaluations, are needed. Full article

Background/Objectives: Emerging viral zoonoses represent a growing threat to global public health, with most newly emerging infectious diseases originating from animal reservoirs. Recent outbreaks of monkeypox, Ebola virus disease, Marburg virus disease, Rift Valley fever, and avian influenza highlight the capacity of zoonotic viruses to cross species barriers, spread internationally, and generate substantial health, social, and economic consequences. This review examines the ecological, epidemiological, and biological determinants of viral zoonotic emergence and transmission, with particular emphasis on vaccination and outbreak prevention strategies. Methods: A structured narrative review was conducted using a predefined literature search strategy across major scientific databases. Peer-reviewed epidemiological, clinical, and public health publications published between January 2000 and February 2026 were screened and selected according to predefined relevance criteria. Results: The emergence of viral zoonoses is driven by complex interactions among animal reservoirs, environmental and climatic changes, human behavior, and viral adaptation. Although transmission pathways and clinical outcomes differ among pathogens, common determinants of spillover and outbreak amplification were identified. Current evidence supports the importance of integrated surveillance, genomic monitoring, vaccination strategies, and community engagement as key components of preparedness and response. Emerging preventive approaches targeting pathogen transmission, including transmission-blocking strategies and vector-associated microbiota interventions, may provide additional opportunities for disease control. Conclusions: Strengthening preparedness for emerging viral zoonoses requires coordinated One Health approaches integrating human, animal, and environmental health. Future priorities include the development of next-generation vaccines, expansion of digital and genomic surveillance systems, improved equitable access to vaccines, and innovative interventions aimed at reducing zoonotic spillover and interrupting pathogen transmission. Full article

Evaluating resource and environmental carrying capacity (RECC) serves as a fundamental approach for assessing regional environmental baselines and is widely applied in territorial spatial planning. Focusing on Daye City—a characteristic resource-exhausted city in Hubei Province—this study developed a comprehensive RECC evaluation system. By integrating the obstacle degree model, hotspot analysis, and Geodetector, we investigated the spatial differentiation mechanisms of RECC and the resulting production–living–ecological (PLE) spatial conflicts, ultimately proposing targeted optimization pathways. The core findings are as follows: (1) The RECC of Daye City exhibits pronounced spatial polarization and a distinct north–south gradient. (2) The spatial stress of industrial/mining land emerges as the primary obstacle (36.47%). Together with geological hazard risk and soil erosion sensitivity, it forms a core constraint chain. The highly significant hotspots of these factors strongly overlap in the north-central mining districts. (3) Geodetector analysis reveals robust bivariate and nonlinear enhancement effects among these core obstacle factors. This indicates that the cascading vicious cycle of mining disturbance, ecological degradation, and declining carrying capacity fundamentally underlies the constrained RECC in mining regions. (4) PLE spatial conflicts across the study area are dominated by production–ecological conflicts (47.73%), presenting a spatial pattern that heavily couples with the polarized obstacle zones. Based on these findings, this study proposes differentiated regulation strategies centered on mitigating mining-induced stress and interrupting the cascading transmission of disaster risks. These strategies aim to restructure and optimize the territorial spatial pattern, providing robust quantitative decision support for the sustainable transformation of similar resource-exhausted cities. Full article

Digital small and medium-sized enterprises (digital SMEs) in emerging market economies operate in disruption-biased environments where interruptions can quickly deteriorate operational reliability and long-term performance. Existing studies insufficiently integrate business continuity management (BCM) into capability-based performance models in the digital SME context, especially when focusing on operational rather than strategic perspectives in emerging market economies. Moreover, empirical evidence on how multiple organisational capabilities interact under disruption remains fragmented. This study therefore aims to prioritise the most influential capability-based determinants of sustainable performance in Thai digital SMEs using expert consensuses analysed via Fuzzy TOPSIS. This study adopted the following two-stage research design. Stage 1: A three-round e-Delphi panel (n = 21) refined and prioritised the most influential determinant; the expert group included SME business owners (with more than 20 years of SME management experience) and relevant specialists. The consensuses were then analysed using Fuzzy TOPSIS to rank the determinants by relative importance. Stage 2: Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using survey data from 817 Thai digital SMEs was utilised to validate the proposed capability transmission pathways, and a strong fit was demonstrated (χ²/df = 1.672, CFI = 0.984, RMSEA = 0.029). The study findings highlight continuity-oriented routines as a practical leverage point for SME leaders and policymakers seeking resilient and sustainable performance in digital markets, and positions BCM as an actionable strategy toward achieving these goals. Full article