Search Results (59,448)

In this study, the passive acoustic performance of Necmettin Erbakan University Köyceğiz Campus Masjid was investigated. Designed as the largest masjid of the city with a capacity of 15,000 people and a volume of 43,200 m³, the masjid, which has traces of Seljuk, Ottoman and Modern architecture. is built as a complex at a location overlooking the city in the Meram District of Konya City, Turkiye. The aim of the study is to determine the acoustic comfort conditions by considering all the activities in the masjids as a whole. Within the scope of the study, the acoustic performance of the masjid was evaluated by determining different source and receiver points for each mode of activity. As a method, the chosen masjid was simulated with ODEON Room Acoustics Software Ver. 14.04 software. Objective room acoustic parameters were analysed in three groups. These are sound energy ratio parameters (reverberation time (RT), early decay time (EDT), clarity (C50, C80), lateral fraction (LF80)), speech intelligibility parameters (definition (D50), speech transmission index (STI)) and sound strength parameters (strength (G)). The results obtained were compared with precedent studies in the literature. In comparison with the acoustic values obtained in other masjid/mosque buildings, it was reported that, while the speech intelligibility of other masjids/mosques was at a satisfactory level, the masjid under consideration was at a poor level in both fully occupied and unoccupied conditions. In the analysis made for reverberation time, it was seen that the masjid discussed in this study showed similar characteristics to other masjids/mosques globally. As a result, it was determined that the dimensions of the surfaces forming the mihrab, the minbar design and the depths of the mahfil overhangs are effective regarding the acoustics of the masjid, and the design of curved surfaces should be carried out in a way that does not cause focusing problems. In addition, suggestions that can give guidelines to modern masjid designs have been put forward. Full article

Against the backdrop of globalization and ecological civilization, this study aims to analyze the patterns of system coupling coordination development in the Yangtze River Basin under the interacting influences of population growth, ecological conservation, energy utilization, and digital economic development. Using a multisource model, this paper explores the state of coordinated development, spatial–temporal evolution characteristics, and influencing factors in the Yangtze River Basin from 2011 to 2020. The results indicate the following: (1) The overall degree of coupling coordination in the Yangtze River Basin shows better performances in the eastern coastal areas compared to the central and western regions. Over time, the spatial autocorrelation of coupling and coordination increases, exhibiting a significant spatial clustering trend. (2) The Moran’s I index increased from 0.327 to 0.370, with high–high clusters primarily distributed in economically developed coastal provinces, while low–low clusters were observed in remote provinces in the central and western regions, revealing regional development imbalance issues. (3) The driving force analysis shows that green coverage and GDP are the core factors influencing the spatial differentiation of coupling coordinated development. Factors such as the urbanization rate, nighttime light index, and energy consumption had significant impacts in certain years but are generally considered minor factors. The results of this study not only contribute to understanding the dynamic mechanisms of regional coupling and development but also provide a scientific basis for formulating regional coordinated development policies, promoting the achievement of win–win goals of economic growth and ecological civilization in the Yangtze River Basin and similar regions. Full article

With the rapid growth of Internet of Things (IoT) systems, ensuring robust security measures has become paramount. Microservices Architecture (MSA) has emerged as a promising approach for enhancing IoT systems security, yet its adoption in this context lacks comprehensive analysis. This systematic review addresses this research gap by examining the incorporation of MSA in IoT systems from 2010 to 2024. From an initial pool of 4388 studies, selected articles underwent thorough quality assessment with weighted critical appraisal questions and a defined inclusion threshold. This study represents the first comprehensive systematic review to investigate the potential of microservices in IoT, with a particular focus on security aspects. The review explores the merits of MSA, highlighting twelve benefits, eight key challenges, and eight security risks. Additionally, the eight best practices for implementing MSA in IoT systems are extracted. The findings underscore MSA’s utility in fortifying IoT security while also acknowledging complexities and potential vulnerabilities. Moreover, the study calls attention to the importance of incorporating complementary technologies including blockchain and machine learning to address identified gaps effectively. Finally, we propose a taxonomic classification for Microservice-based IoT security patterns, facilitating the categorization and organization of security measures in this context. Such a review can help researchers and practitioners identify existing gaps, highlight potential research directions, and provide guidelines for designing secure and efficient microservice-based IoT systems. Full article

Short-term rental (STR) platforms like Airbnb have significantly impacted urban housing sustainability, particularly in cities like New York City. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the STR market, raising questions about its resilience and effects on sustainable urban housing. This study addresses the following research questions: (1) How did unit and neighborhood characteristics influence the survival of Airbnb listings during the pandemic? (2) What changes occurred in the factors determining the emergence of new listings during the pandemic? Using data from Inside Airbnb, we applied Cox proportional hazard models and negative binomial regression to analyze changes before and after the pandemic. We found that during the pandemic, price discounts became crucial for listing survival, while traditional quality indicators like superhost status and high ratings lost significance. The importance of subway accessibility decreased, reflecting shifts in traveler preferences. Additionally, new listings were less likely to emerge in high-density Airbnb areas and more likely in neighborhoods with higher crime rates. These findings highlight the need for sustainable regulatory approaches that balance the benefits of STR platforms with protecting housing affordability and community well-being. Our study provides insights for policymakers aiming to promote sustainable urban housing during global crises. Full article

The agronomic benefits of pesticides combined with amino acid application to increase rice production have been recognized, but they are still not well-known for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation in irrigated paddy fields. Thus, this study was conducted to investigate the combined effects of pesticide and amino acid application on rice yield and methane (CH₄) emissions in a Korean rice paddy. A field experiment was conducted with five levels: none (no pesticide application, T1), different conventional practices (combined application of insecticides and fungicide, T2 and T3), and GroMore^® programs (combined application of insecticides, fungicides, and amino acids, T4 and T5). Rice grain yield and yield components were obtained using agronomic measurements. To determine the greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) of each treatment, CH₄ emissions were measured throughout the rice growing period. Results showed that the chemical applications in combination with amino acids in T4 obtained a higher grain yield and number of panicles per plant compared to T1, T2, and T3, while T4 and T5 showed no difference on filled spikelets except for T2. T3 and T5 showed lower respective cumulative CH₄ emissions by 30% and 32% during the entire rice growing season, compared to no chemical application (T1). Meanwhile, N₂O emissions were negligible in all treatments because the paddy field was flooded most of the growing season. The results of the impact of GroMore^® programs on relatively higher grain yield and lower GHG emissions are presented. In conclusion, the application of pesticides combined with amino acids obtained lower GHGI values. Full article

Background: Protein secondary structure prediction (PSSP) is a critical task in computational biology, pivotal for understanding protein function and advancing medical diagnostics. Recently, approaches that integrate multiple amino acid sequence features have gained significant attention in PSSP research. Objectives: We aim to automatically extract additional features represented by evolutionary information from a large number of sequences while simultaneously incorporating positional information for more comprehensive sequence features. Additionally, we consider the interdependence between secondary structures during the prediction stage. Methods: To this end, we propose a deep neural network model, ILMCNet, which utilizes a language model and Conditional Random Field (CRF). Protein language models (PLMs) pre-trained on sequences from multiple large databases can provide sequence features that incorporate evolutionary information. ILMCNet uses positional encoding to ensure that the input features include positional information. To better utilize these features, we propose a hybrid network architecture that employs a Transformer Encoder to enhance features and integrates a feature extraction module combining a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) with a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory Network (BiLSTM). This design enables deep extraction of localized features while capturing global bidirectional information. In the prediction stage, ILMCNet employs CRF to capture the interdependencies between secondary structures. Results: Experimental results on benchmark datasets such as CB513, TS115, NEW364, CASP11, and CASP12 demonstrate that the prediction performance of our method surpasses that of comparable approaches. Conclusions: This study proposes a new approach to PSSP research and is expected to play an important role in other protein-related research fields, such as protein tertiary structure prediction. Full article

Blockchain technology, as an emerging distributed ledger technology, has gradually shown great potential in the field of information traceability due to its characteristics of decentralization, non-tamperability, and transparency. Through blockchain technology, the production, circulation, and consumption of products can be recorded and verified to ensure the authenticity and credibility of the data. This article reviews the application of blockchain in information traceability, focusing on analyzing its practice and effects in food safety, drug traceability, supply chain management, and energy industry traceability. Through a systematic review of existing literature, this article summarizes the research status, main results, and technical challenges of blockchain information traceability, points out its significant advantages in improving transparency and trust, and also discusses the implementation complexity, limitations in terms of cost, and performance. Finally, this article proposes future development trends, including multi-chain integration and the combination of blockchain with other technologies. The research in this article provides important reference and guidance for the further development of blockchain technology in information traceability. Full article

The aim of this research project is the investigation of the forgotten landscape of transhumance in mainland Greece, focusing on areas that have been abandoned by modern society and their historical significance. The goal is to make these lands functional again by preserving their cultural heritage and developing a sustainable community that meets the needs of people, livestock, and the environment. The investigation employs a dual approach: examining transhumance as a cultural and natural practice while analyzing vernacular architecture to preserve collective memory. This involves extensive historical research and a simultaneous analysis of spatial, social, symbolic, and architectural elements. This study identifies points of convergence between cultural practices and architectural heritage, applying these insights to contemporary redevelopment scenarios. Findings reveal a significant interplay between transhumance practices and the region’s anonymous architecture. Key characteristics of the landscape and its spatial identity are documented, providing insights into effective preservation and redevelopment strategies. Specific case studies validate these strategies, demonstrating their relevance to current and future efforts. This study concludes that understanding the historical context and spatial identity of transhumance landscapes is crucial for sustainable redevelopment. By preserving cultural practices and architectural heritage, this project provides a framework for revitalizing these landscapes, ensuring a balanced coexistence of people, livestock, and the environment. Full article

Close-proximity operations play a crucial role in emerging mission concepts, such as Active Debris Removal or small celestial bodies exploration. When approaching a non-cooperative target, the increased risk of collisions and reduced reliance on ground intervention necessitate autonomous on-board relative pose (position and attitude) estimation. Although navigation strategies relying on monocular cameras which operate in the visible (VIS) spectrum have been extensively studied and tested in flight for navigation applications, their accuracy is heavily related to the target’s illumination conditions, thus limiting their applicability range. The novelty of the paper is the introduction of a thermal-infrared (TIR) camera to complement the VIS one to mitigate the aforementioned issues. The primary goal of this work is to evaluate the enhancement in navigation accuracy and robustness by performing VIS-TIR data fusion within an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and to assess the performance of such navigation strategy in challenging illumination scenarios. The proposed navigation architecture is tightly coupled, leveraging correspondences between a known uncooperative target and feature points extracted from multispectral images. Furthermore, handover from one camera to the other is introduced to enable seamlessly operations across both spectra while prioritizing the most significant measurement sources. The pipeline is tested on Tango spacecraft synthetically generated VIS and TIR images. A performance assessment is carried out through numerical simulations considering different illumination conditions. Our results demonstrate that a combined VIS-TIR navigation strategy effectively enhances operational robustness and flexibility compared to traditional VIS-only navigation chains. Full article

In the post-pandemic era, following the recent global crisis, it is essential to recognize the heritagization pathways of built environments associated with epidemic events. By tracing the evolution of heritage linked to these events, analyzing the characteristics of epidemic-related built environments, and exploring methods of heritagization, this study proposes a foundational conservation principle. The establishment of concepts and components of built heritage during and after epidemic periods can serve as a guide for more effective societal management. These efforts offer valuable insights for addressing major public events and enhancing urban resilience. Full article

Hybrid systems offer optimal solutions for unmanned aerial platforms, showcasing their technological development in parallel and series configurations and providing alternatives for future aircraft concepts. However, the limited energetic benefit of these configurations is primarily due to their weight, constituting one of the main constraints. Solar PV technology can provide an interesting enhancement to the autonomy of these systems. However, to create efficient propulsion architectures tailored for specific missions, a flexible framework is required. This work presents a methodology to assess hybrid solar-powered UAVs in distributed propulsion configurations through a two-level modeling scheme. The first stage consists of determining operational and design constraints through parametric models that estimate the baseline energetic requirements of flight. The second phase executes a nonlinear optimization algorithm tuned to find optimal propulsion configurations in terms of the degree of hybridization, number of propellers, different wing loadings, and the setup of electric distributed propulsion (eDP) considering fuel consumption as a key metric. The results of the study indicate that solar-hybrid configurations can theoretically achieve fuel savings of up to 80% compared to conventional configurations. This leads to a significant reduction in emissions during long-endurance flights where current battery technology is not yet capable of providing sustained flight. Full article

This article addresses the development of a human-centered shelter design tailored to meet the specific needs of refugees in the Al-Sahel Region. It focuses on five essential aspects of humanitarian-centered design. The goal is to create a livable unit that accommodates the three distinct phases of an emergency, transitional, and durable situation. We have adopted a non-linear design approach to develop the refugee shelter unit. We engage in discussions with team experts following each data collection phase. The conceptual design of the shelter unit is intended to align with the refugee settlement’s natural growth while maintaining a degree of control over its evolution. We have outlined a spatial configuration for a residential unit designed for three to six individuals and various patio options. Additionally, we have devised plans for an education and healthcare facility, all designed with the same structure to bring a more organized approach to the organic growth of the camp. The design proposal adopts a process-oriented approach, incorporating refugees indirectly in the design and construction of their shelters. While we do not assert that the framework of a ‘refugee camp’ can be sustainable, our goal is to show that its planning, in the absence of alternatives, should adhere to sustainability criteria. Full article

By integrating laboratory tests and three-dimensional discrete element methods, this research extensively explores the macroscopic and microscopic mechanisms of static pile penetration in standard sand. Initially, the mesoscopic parameters of standard sand were established via flexible triaxial compression tests, and a three-dimensional discrete element model was created using the particle size magnification technique. The study results confirm the rationality of parameter selection and numerical modeling by comparing penetration resistance and displacement obtained from laboratory model tests and discrete element simulations. Initially, penetration resistance swiftly increases, then stabilizes progressively with increasing depth. The lateral friction resistance grows with penetration depth, especially peaking near the cone tip. Moreover, horizontal stress quickly rises during pile penetration, mainly caused by the pile foundation compressing the adjacent soil particles. Displacement of the foundation particles is primarily focused around the pile side and cone tip, affecting an area roughly twice the pile diameter. Soil particle displacement exhibits a pronounced vertical downward movement, primarily driven by lateral friction. The distribution of force chains among foundation particles indicates that the primary stressed areas are at the pile ends, highlighting stress concentration features. This research offers significant insights into the mechanical behaviors and soil responses during pile foundation penetration. Full article

Short-term fertilization may provide limited improvements in tree growth and demonstrate suboptimal fertilizer efficiency; however, its benefits often fall short of expectations. Unfortunately, research addressing the sustained impacts of prolonged fertilization (e.g., beyond five years) on trees’ developmental dynamics and productivity remains relatively scarce. This study focused on a 7-year-old Catalpa bungei plantation located in Jinan City, Shandong Province, China. The study employed two fertilization techniques: hole fertilization (HF) and integrated water and fertilizer application (WF), with a no-fertilization treatment serving as the control (CK). The findings revealed that the WF significantly enhanced stand productivity. When comparing the different treatments, the productivity of WF stands demonstrated a remarkable increase of 39.7% compared to HF stands and 55.1% compared to CK stands. After five years of fertilization, the stands treated with WF exhibited a significant increase in volume accumulation, reaching 112.36 m³·hm⁻². Additionally, the productivity of these WF-fertilized stands achieved an impressive 41.75 m³·hm⁻²·a⁻¹. Fertilization notably enhanced the nitrogen content in the leaves and fine roots of C. bungei, as well as the potassium content in the coarse roots. These nutrients were found to be more concentrated in the corresponding organs within the WF stands. Over the entire growth cycle, there was a substantial consumption of key nutrients, with leaf nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents decreasing by 30.5%, 18.8%, and 47.3%, respectively. Similarly, the coarse root potassium and fine root phosphorus content decreased by 24.7% and 24.4%, respectively. The enhancement in leaf nitrogen content following fertilization significantly contributed to increases in tree height, breast height diameter (DBH), and individual tree volume. Similarly, the enrichment of potassium in the branches and coarse roots was associated with improvements in DBH and tree volume. To maximize forest stand productivity, the WF fertilization method demonstrated superior results compared to HF. Therefore, WF should be prioritized in future fertilization experiments for C. bungei. Full article

The transition towards sustainable construction is crucial, and demountable building elements are frequently advocated for achieving this goal. While these elements offer relocatability during refurbishments, their adoption may increase initial environmental impact due to higher material use and steel connections. To address this, a quantitative assessment of demountable building elements in refurbishment scenarios at the building level is needed, filling a gap in the existing literature. This study bridges the gap by comparing the total environmental impact of demountable and traditional space-dividing walls in refurbishment scenarios for a semi-detached dwelling. Using a life cycle assessment, seven space-dividing wall types, including metal studs, wood structures, and masonry walls, are evaluated under four refurbishment scenarios spanning a 60-year building lifespan. The results reveal that traditional metal stud walls have a lower environmental impact in scenarios with limited refurbishments. In contrast, demountable walls become more environmentally beneficial only when refurbishing at least 60% of the wall area with three or more refurbishments. This conclusion was further validated through sensitivity analysis on the refurbishment rate, refurbished area, and impact assessment method. In this study, the assumed environmental benefits of demountable walls are challenged, providing a robust evaluation in a specific building typology and offering insights for policymakers and industry professionals on the environmental implications of incorporating demountable building elements. Full article