Dual-Scale Spiral Material for Balancing High Load Bearing and Sound Absorption.

Porous materials with sound absorption and load-bearing capabilities are in demand in engineering fields like aviation and rail transportation. However, achieving both properties simultaneously is challenging due to the trade-off between interconnected pores for sound absorption and mechanical strength. Inspired by quilling art, a novel design using spiral material formed by rolling planar materials into helical structures is proposed. Experimental results show high structural strength through self-locking mechanisms, while double porosities from interlayer spiral slits and aligned submillimeter pores provide excellent sound absorption. These spiral sheets surpass foam aluminum in specific strength (up to 5.1 MPa) and approach aerogels in sound absorption (average coefficient of 0.93 within 0-6400 Hz). With its adaptability to various planar materials, this spiral design allows for hybrid combinations of different materials for multi-functionality, paving the way for designing advanced, lightweight porous materials for broad applications.

A hierarchical hub location model for the integrated design of urban and rural logistics networks under demand uncertainty.

This paper contributes to the integrated design issue of urban and rural logistics networks under demand uncertainty. A hierarchical hub location model is proposed, which minimizes the expected total system cost by optimizing the locations, number and capacities of "urban-town‒village" hierarchical logistics hubs. The interactions among the logistics hubs and among the hub‒and‒spoke connections, as well as the hub capacity constraints are explicitly considered in the presence of logistics demand uncertainty. A demand scenario‒based branch‒and‒Benders‒cut algorithm is developed to solve the proposed model. A case study of Jiangling urban‒rural region in Hubei province of China is conducted for the illustration of the model and solution algorithm. The results generated by the proposed algorithm are benchmarked against those obtained by GUROBI solver and the practical scheme being currently implemented in the region. The results showed that the proposed methodology can greatly improve the efficiency of the urban‒rural logistics system in terms of expected total system cost. It is important to explicitly model the demand uncertainty, otherwise a significant decision bias may emerge. The proposed algorithm outperforms the GUROBI solver in terms of problem size solved and computational time.

Integrated Design from Microstructural Engineering to Binder Optimization Enabling a Practical Carbon Anode with Ultrahigh ICE and Efficient Potassium Storage.

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) are emerging as a powerful alternative to lithium-ion battery systems in large-scale energy storage owing to plentiful resources. Nevertheless, pursuing high-yield anode materials with high initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE) and superior rate capability is still one of the most critical challenges in practical application. Herein, an integrated electrode (PC-x) derived from a petroleum coke precursor (carbon residue rate as high as 89%) is regulated from microstructural engineering to binder optimization devoting to high ICE and efficient potassium storage. Excitingly, with a strong assist from a sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) binder, the PC-900 anode displays an ultrahigh ICE of 80.5%, one of the highest values reported for PIB carbon anodes. Simultaneously, the PC-900 anode submits a high capacity (304.3 mAh g-1), superb rate (138.2 mAh g-1 at 10C), and excellent stability. Furthermore, the full cell exhibits an outstanding rate and cycling performance (210.7 mAh g-1 at 0.5C), confirming its large-scale application prospects. The ultrahigh ICE and excellent performance are mainly attributable to the beneficial microstructures (low surface area, functional group content, and larger interlayer spacing) created by microstructural engineering. Meanwhile, binder optimization also plays a crucial role in reducing the irreversible capacity and interface impedance, further improving the ICE and rate capability. Importantly, mechanism analysis confirms two-stage K+ storage behavior: reversible adsorption at edges and defects (>0.25 V) and intercalation into crystalline layers (<0.25 V). This work provides an efficient and easily scalable electrode design strategy for future practical applications of PIBs.

Sustainable green roofs: a comprehensive review of influential factors.

Green roofs have gained much attention as a modern roofing surface due to their potential to deliver many environmental and social benefits. Studies have indicated that different GR designs deliver different ecosystem services, and there are important factors that affect GR performance. This article reviewed significant factors that influence GR performance and sustainability. Substrate and drainage layer material choice significantly affects stormwater retention potential, leachate quality, plant survival, and determines GR environmental footprints. Subsequently, type of plants, their form, and kinds used on GRs impact GR ecosystem function. Leaf area is the most studied trait due to its influence on the cooling potential and energy performance. In order to achieve a sustainable GR, it is essential to select the type of plants that have a high survival rate. Perennial herbs, particularly forbs and grass as dominant groups, are heat and drought tolerant, which make them suitable in GR experiment. Furthermore, selecting a suitable irrigation system is as important as two other factors for having a sustainable GR. Irrigation is essential for plant survival, and due to the current pressure on valuable water sources, it is important to select a sustainable irrigation system. This review presents three sustainable irrigation methods: (i) employing alternative water sources such as rainwater, greywater, and atmospheric water; (ii) smart irrigation and monitoring; and (iii) using adaptive materials and additives that improve GR water use. This review sheds new insights on the design of high-performance, sustainable GRs and provides guidance for the legislation of sustainable GR.

Integrated Design of Financial Self-Service Terminal Based on Artificial Intelligence Voice Interaction.

Integrated design of financial self-service terminal based on artificial intelligence voice interaction with the rapid development of science and technology, artificial intelligence technology is deepening in the field of intelligence and automation. The financial industry is the lifeblood of a country's economy, with great growth potential and high growth rate. The integrated design of intelligent financial self-service terminal has become an important topic in the field of rapid development of social economy and science and technology. Therefore, this paper designs the integration of financial self-service terminal based on artificial intelligence voice interaction. First, this paper introduces the meaning and composition of financial self-service terminal integration, then studies the voice interaction principle based on artificial intelligence technology, and designs the integrated structure of financial self-service terminal with voice interaction. After that, this paper makes a series of tests on voice interaction technology, user experience, and the performance of financial self-service terminal. Finally, the test results of voice interaction are as follows: the delay estimation results of voice interaction of the terminal are relatively accurate, and the error points are basically within five sampling points, which indicate that the delay estimation algorithm is practical. The endpoint detection method based on CO complexity can effectively overcome the impact of noise environment on speech endpoint detection system and is suitable for the requirements of robust speech recognition system. Considering that the actual application scenario of voice positioning can judge the speaker's position and turn to the speaker's direction during human-computer interaction, the azimuth error is acceptable within a few degrees to meet the application requirements. The direction angle error is acceptable within a few degrees to meet the application requirements. The accuracy of the improved algorithm is improved in intercepting effective speech signals. The terminal has short running time and delay time, small memory, and central processing unit (CPU) occupation and can meet the needs of users. The speech recognition accuracy of the financial self-service terminal basically reaches more than 80%, which can basically meet the daily needs.

High-Performance-Integrated Stretchable Supercapacitors Based on a Polyurethane Organo/Hydrogel Electrolyte.

Stretchable supercapacitors (SSCs) are promising energy storage devices for emerging wearable electronics. However, the low-energy density and poor deformation performance are still a challenge. Herein, an amphiphilic polyurethane-based organo/hydrogel electrolyte (APUGE) with a H2O/AN-in-salt (H2O/AN-NaClO4) is prepared for the first time. The as-prepared APUGE shows a wide voltage window (∼2.3 V), good adhesion, and excellent resilience. In addition, the intrinsically stretchable electrodes are prepared by coating the activated carbon slurry onto the PU/carbon black/MWCNT conductive elastic substrate. Based on the strong interface adhesion of the PU matrix, the as-assembled SSC delivers high-energy density (5.65 mW h cm-3 when the power density is 0.0256 W cm-3) and excellent deformation stability with 94.5% capacitance retention after 500 stretching cycles at 100% strain. This fully integrated construction concept is expected to be extended to multisystem stretchable metal ion batteries, stretchable lithium-sulfur batteries, and other stretchable energy storage devices.

Material-structure integrated design for ultra-broadband all-dielectric metamaterial absorber.

Material and structure are the essential elements of all-dielectric metamaterials. Structure design for specific dielectric materials has been studied while the contribution of material and synergistic effect of material and structure have been overlooked in the past years. Herein, we propose a material-structure integrated design (MSID) methodology for all-dielectric metamaterials, increasing the degree of freedom in the metamaterial design, to comprehensively optimize microwave absorption performance and further investigate the contribution of material and structure to absorption. A dielectric metamaterial absorber with an ultra-broadband absorption from 5.3 to 18.0 GHz is realized. Theoretical calculation and numerical simulation demonstrate that the symphony of material and structure excites multiple resonance modes encompassing quarter-wavelength interference cancellation, spoof surface plasmon polariton mode, dielectric resonance mode and grating mode, which is essential to afford the desirable absorption performance. This work highlights the superiority of coupling of material and structure and provides an effective design and optimization strategy for all-dielectric metamaterial absorbers.

From Research to Practice: Is Rethinking Architectural Education the Remedy?

OBJECTIVES: Our aim is to investigate how a new master studies course "Architecture, Health, and Well-being" (AHW) supports development of students' skills in understanding and assessing health-related research as well as applying research-based knowledge through unfolding of user perspectives in their design projects. BACKGROUND: With the growing focus on health-related research in Danish design practice, knowing how to translate research findings into research-informed design strategies becomes a preferable, if not (yet) a critical, skill. This calls for architecture educations to reconsider their graduate profiles and teaching curricula, thereby addressing research-to-practice gap. METHOD: Based on design project hand-ins, we evaluate whether students participating in the AHW course demonstrate greater sensibility toward user experiences and research-based design (RBD) in their master thesis projects, compared to students attending a more traditional architectural tectonic track. Evaluation relates to the use of scientific literature and theoretical frameworks on topics like "healing architecture" and applied user-oriented methods (interviews, personas, demographics). RESULTS: Our explorative analysis indicates that students have the skills to make a detailed user analysis when it comes to well-defined user groups in a highly specialized building (e.g., hospice patients and staff). The extent to which health-related research and user perspectives are applied in the design process seems to be primarily driven by thematic focus of the project (welfare buildings in contrast to housing). CONCLUSION: Despite the challenges in teaching students to assess and apply academic literature, a RBD paradigm in architectural education can help bridge emerging research knowledge with design skills and professional competencies.

Design and analysis of hybrid stepping motors with integrated planetary gear trains.

This work presents a novel integrated device that combines a hybrid stepping motor (HSM) and a planetary gear train (PGT) reducer as a compact structural assembly. In this study, a systematic design process was developed to efficiently implement the integrated device. By applying the gear profile on the rotor and the stator, a 9:1 two stages PGT reducer is integrated with a standard 42 type 2-pole stepping motor. The quadratic interpolation method was applied to derive the optimal design of the geometric configurations of the HSM. The electromagnetic characteristics and output performance of the integrated device, including flux linkage, back-emf constant, holding torque, and output torque, were analysed. Finally, the output performance between an existing design and the novel integrated design were compared. The two designs had similar output and holding torque, but the torque ripple was approximately 44.7% lower in the integrated device from 30% to 16.6%. In addition, the axial space arrangement was reduced by 5.2% from 67.7mm to 64.1 5mm, and the torque density was improved by 4.4%.

Investigations on system integration method and dynamic performance of electromechanical actuator.

A highly integrated electromechanical actuator was developed in this article, which aims at fulfilling the requirements of high power-to-weight ratio, high efficiency, high integration and low volume in military equipment. Three different transmission schemes were proposed for the integrated electromechanical actuator according to the differences in integration methods. Comparative analysis was conducted on the specific structures of the integrated electromechanical actuator and the categories and performance of the planetary roller screw, which is the key unit of the integrated electromechanical actuator. An integrated electromechanical actuator was designed based on the project requirements. A mathematical model was established and the system transfer function was derived. Based on this, a simulation model of the position loop system was established using the AMESim software and the effects of some related parameters, such as friction, backlash and stiffness, on the dynamic performance of the system were investigated. The related theory and simulation results were experimentally validated by a self-developed integrated electromechanical actuator research prototype combined with the related test system. The data obtained from the step response tests, sinusoidal response tests and repeat locating accuracy tests indicated that the developed integrated electromechanical actuator prototype is of rapid, accurate and stable position tracking capability.

Design of an Integrated Remote and Ground Sensing Monitor System for Assessing Farmland Quality.

Quality monitoring is important for farmland protection. Here, high-resolution remote sensing data obtained by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and long-term ground sensing data, obtained by wireless sensor networks (WSNs), are uniquely suited for assessing spatial and temporal changes in farmland quality. However, existing UAV-WSN systems are unable to fully integrate the data obtained from these two monitoring systems. This work addresses this problem by designing an improved UAV-WSN monitoring system that can collect both high-resolution UAV images and long-term WSN data during a single-flight mission. This is facilitated by a newly proposed data transmission optimization routing protocol (DTORP) that selects the communication node within a cluster of the WSN to maximize the quantity of data that can be efficiently transmitted, additionally combining individual scheduling algorithms and routing algorithms appropriate for three different distance scales to reduce the energy consumption incurred during data transmission between the nodes in a cluster. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated based on Monte Carlo simulations by comparisons with that obtained by a conventional system using the low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) protocol. The results demonstrate that the proposed system provides a greater total volume of transmitted data, greater energy utilization efficiency, and a larger maximum revisit period than the conventional system. This implies that the proposed UAV-WSN monitoring system offers better overall performance and enhanced potential for conducting long-term farmland quality data collection over large areas in comparison to existing systems.

Design and Performance Evaluation of a Low-Cost Autonomous Sensor Interface for a Smart IoT-Based Irrigation Monitoring and Control System.

Irrigation systems are becoming increasingly important, owing to the increase in human population, global warming, and food demand. This study aims to design a low-cost autonomous sensor interface to automate the monitoring and control of irrigation systems in remote locations, and to optimize water use for irrigation farming. An internet of things-based irrigation monitoring and control system, employing sensors and actuators, is designed to facilitate the autonomous supply of adequate water from a reservoir to domestic crops in a smart irrigation systems. System development lifecycle and waterfall model design methodologies have been employed in the development paradigm. The Proteus 8.5 design suite, Arduino integrated design environment, and embedded C programming language are commonly used to develop and implement a real working prototype. A pumping mechanism has been used to supply the water required by the soil. The prototype provides power supply, sensing, monitoring and control, and internet connectivity capabilities. Experimental and simulation results demonstrate the flexibility and practical applicability of the proposed system, and are of paramount importance, not only to farmers, but also for the expansion of economic activity. Furthermore, this system reduces the high level of supervision required to supply irrigation water, enabling remote monitoring and control.

Integrated Design Approaches for 3D Printed Tissue Scaffolds: Review and Outlook.

Emerging 3D printing technologies are enabling the fabrication of complex scaffold structures for diverse medical applications. 3D printing allows controlled material placement for configuring porous tissue scaffolds with tailored properties for desired mechanical stiffness, nutrient transport, and biological growth. However, tuning tissue scaffold functionality requires navigation of a complex design space with numerous trade-offs that require multidisciplinary assessment. Integrated design approaches that encourage iteration and consideration of diverse processes including design configuration, material selection, and simulation models provide a basis for improving design performance. In this review, recent advances in design, fabrication, and assessment of 3D printed tissue scaffolds are investigated with a focus on bone tissue engineering. Bone healing and fusion are examples that demonstrate the needs of integrated design approaches in leveraging new materials and 3D printing processes for specified clinical applications. Current challenges for integrated design are outlined and emphasize directions where new research may lead to significant improvements in personalized medicine and emerging areas in healthcare.

Integrated Surface Functionalization of Li-Rich Cathode Materials for Li-Ion Batteries.

As candidates for high-energy density cathodes, lithium-rich (Li-rich) layered materials have attracted wide interest for next-generation Li-ion batteries. In this work, surface functionalization of a typical Li-rich material Li1.2Mn0.56Ni0.17Co0.07O2 is optimized by fluorine (F)-doped Li2SnO3 coating layer and electrochemical performances are also enhanced accordingly. The results demonstrate that F-doped Li2SnO3-modified material exhibits the highest capacity retention (73% after 200 cycles), with approximately 1.2, 1.4, and 1.5 times of discharge capacity for Li2SnO3 surface-modified, F-doped, and pristine electrodes, respectively. To reveal the fundamental enhancement mechanism, intensive surface Li+ diffusion kinetics, postmortem structural characteristics, and aging tests are performed for four sample systems. The results show that the integrated coating layer plays an important role in addressing interface compatibility, not only limited in stabilizing the bulk structure and suppressing side reactions, synergistically contributing to the performance enhancement for the active electrodes. These findings not only pave the way to commercial application of the Li-rich material but also shed new light on surface modification in batteries and other energy storage fields.

Extending the Rational Method for assessing and developing sustainable urban drainage systems.

Onsite runoff control is considered an important part of sustainable urban drainage schemes, but estimating the maximum runoff flow rate from a catchment with onsite runoff controls remains controversial. Runoff controls complicate the issue by dividing the catchment into several subcatchments that feed into individual runoff controls, which dynamically regulate the catchment imperviousness. Rational Method (RM) is the most-employed technique to determine maximum flow rates for designing urban drainage infrastructures, but it cannot handle such conditions. Nonetheless, it has advantages over alternative methods in terms of principle from the urban drainage design perspective. This work develops Rational Method Prime (RMP) that follows the basic principle of RM but instead recalculates catchment variables by taking into account runoff control effects and evaluates runoff control efficiencies by using two indices. RMP has three merits: (1) providing an integrated response of the whole catchment with runoff controls; (2) interpreting runoff control effects by plotting runoff flow rate-rainfall duration curves; (3) connecting the design of runoff controls and storm sewers that are based on different design principles and rainfall statistics. Case study results showed that runoff controls reduced peak flow rates by 5.83-91.6%, corresponding to reduction factors for return period of maximum flow rate from 0.04 to 0.76. Indeed, the original RM is based on four assumptions, which also cause its weakness, and there have been current methods to address 3 of them. RMP contributes to addressing the last assumption (i.e. constant catchment imperviousness), which finally allowing the evolution from RM 1.0 to 2.0.

A hierarchical Bayesian design for randomized Phase II clinical trials with multiple groups.

Enhanced knowledge of the biological and genetic basis of cancer is re-defining the target population for new treatments. In oncology, potential targets for a new therapeutic agent often include various solid and hematologic malignancies that share common signaling pathways. New agents are often tested in multiple tumor types across which information can be borrowed. We propose a hierarchical Bayesian design (HBD) to simultaneously test a novel agent in multiple groups for randomized Phase II clinical trials with binary endpoints. Compared to parallel design for individual tumor groups, the HBD has greatly reduced sample size. Therefore, this improves efficiency and decreases the financial cost of conducting randomized Phase II clinical trials. An R package hbdct has been developed to implement the HBD and streamline the sample size calibration.

Integrated design workflow and a new tool for urban rainwater management.

Low Impact Development (LID) practices provide more sustainable solutions than traditional piping and storm ponds in stormwater management. However, architects are not equipped with the knowledge to perform runoff calculations at early design stage. In response to this dilemma, we have developed an open-source stormwater runoff evaluation and management tool, Rainwater+. It is seamlessly integrated into computer-aided design (CAD) software to receive instant estimate on the stormwater runoff volume of architecture and landscape designs. Designers can thereby develop appropriate rainwater management strategies based on local precipitation data, specific standards, site conditions and economic considerations. We employed Rainwater+ to conduct two case studies illustrating the importance of considering stormwater runoff in the early design stage. The first case study showed that integrating rainwater management into design modeling is critical for determining LID practice at any specific site. The second case study demonstrated the need of visualizing runoff flow direction in assisting the placement of LID practices at proper locations when the terrain is of great complexity.