Detailed Design Research Articles

Feasibility Assessment of Medium-Scale Hydro-Power Plant – Case Study in Kerala, India

The power of the hydrological cycle is enormous, sometimes devastating, but when it is utilised wisely, its negative impacts on humankind can be mitigated. Catastrophic floods and droughts are boosted by the world climate change. Hence, water management programs came into effect. On the other hand, energy production plays a major role in the country’s economic development. So, studies have come up with many ideas to ameliorate disasters especially floods through building mini, small, and large hydro-power plants against the rivers. This study presents a feasibility analysis of flood management and energy production in the Madupetty River, Kerala, India. Even though there are other dams in the Madupetty River, Mudirappuzha basin, the old Headwork built for a hydroelectric project, needs capacity augmentation. This study looks at ways to optimise the Maduppetty River’s water distribution system by building a dam-toe powerhouse where flood water can be stored and utilised when needed. Detailed analysis and design of the hydro-power station is presented. Rainfall runoff equations are used to assess the inflow for power potential studies. During flooding, the projected dam can hold 20.42 MCM of water. From this study, the dam toe powerhouse and cascade powerhouses will create 7.12 Mu and 90 Mu.

The intake port of DI-engine type VIKYNO RV165 desinged using 3D-CAE software

The intake manifold profile in a marine diesel engine profoundly influences engine intake performance, which, in turn, significantly impacts the engine's power characteristics and exhaust emissions which leading to marine polution and challenging the marine sustainable development. Improving the performance of the appropriate geometric design of the intake manifold in order to optimize the study time is a key basis. This research aims to build a parametric model for the 3D profile of the VIKYNO RV165-2 engine intake line. By changing the value of parameter variables in the model through SolidWorks software, it is able to design and change the 3D profile design of the intake manifold. The 3D model of the intake line will be parameterized based on the 2D design drawings of this part provided by VIKYNO. The parameter variables used are upper inclination, lower inclination, curvature, intake valve diameter, input cross-section. Many different 3D models of intakes will be created with respect to the values of parameter variables changed by using SolidWorks software. The results of the study provided a parametric model for the 3D profile of the intake tract, linking the parametric variables of the model with Solidwork software as a basis for speeding up this detailed 3D design process. The 3D design of the intake by the parametric model compared to the 3D design of the intake manifold by direct rendering from the 2D drawing has a difference of no more than 2% in volume. This adaptability and precision are crucial for ensuring air intake efficiency for marine engines operating in diverse and challenging marine conditions.From the platform model, the change of input variables is displayed quickly on new designs, in accordance with the standard, and thereby the model is selected for the stage of researching the efficiency of air intake on the engine. Keywords: CAE, Diesel engine, intake port geometry, numerical design.

Power Flow Regulation Effect and Parameter Design Method of Phase-Shifting Transformer

In the context of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals, the integration of a large number of renewable energy sources may trigger significant tidal changes, leading to transmission congestion, wind and light abandonment, power oscillation, voltage and frequency fluctuations, etc. A phase-shifting transformer is a cost-effective and reliable power flow control equipment, but its key parameters lack systematic design methods. Based on the equivalent model of phase-shifting transformers, detailed design principles and methods have been proposed, and the configuration method of winding turns has been improved to facilitate calculation and control strategy formulation. The regulation effect of the phase-shifting transformer designed through simulation of power flow regulation in a typical 500 kV network is simulated. By adjusting the phase-shifting transformer, the power flow of heavy load lines can be transferred to light load lines, optimizing the power flow distribution and improving the transmission capacity of the cross-section.

Ambient wind conditions impact on energy requirements of an offshore direct air capture plant

This study proposes an off-grid direct air (carbon) capture (DAC) plant installed on the deck of an offshore floating wind turbine. The main objective is to understand detailed flow characteristics and CO2 dispersion around air contactors when placed in close proximity to one another. A solid sorbent DAC design is implemented using a commercially deployed air contactor configuration and sorbent. The sorbent is assumed to undergo a temperature vacuum swing adsorption cycle. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to determine the local conditions entering each unit based on varying wind speed and angle. Two-dimensional (2D) simulations were used to determine the pressure drop through a detailed air contactor design considering the sorbents APDES-NFC, Tri-PE-MCM, MIL-101(Cr)-PEI-800, and Lewatit VP OC 106. Only APDES-NFC was explored for further analysis in the three dimensional (3D) CFD dispersion model. 3D simulations were used to model flow patterns and CO2 dispersion using passive scalars. A worst case scenario is analyzed for all DAC units in adsorption mode with fans running simultaneously. 2D simulations show an under utilization of contactor length, and quantify pressure loss curves for four common sorbents. One commercially deployed sorbent is considered for further analysis; a pressure drop of 390.62 Pa is experienced for a flow velocity of 0.73 m s−1 through a 1.5m×1.5m×1.5m contactor. Using 3D simulations, fan energy demands are computed based on flow velocities and applied pressure gradients. There is found to be a decrease in overall fan power demand as wind speed increases. High wind speeds can passively drive the adsorption process with fans shut off at certain wind directions. This occurs at an average contactor inlet velocity of 17.5 m s−1, correlating to a hub height (150 m) wind speed of 24 m s−1. Thermal energy demands are computed based on inlet CO2 concentrations entering downstream units. Thermodynamic work for desorption based on an assumed second law efficiency is compared to thermal energy for desorption computed using a simplified isotherm method, taking into account the impacts of humidity on CO2 adsorption. Going from 414.72 ppm to 300 ppm CO2 inlet concentration requires an additional 63.9 kWh (t- CO2)−1 using the 2nd law thermodynamic efficiency method and 25.9 kWh (t- CO2)−1 using the isotherm method. Contactor arrangement, wind angles, and wind speeds have a significant impact on flow patterns experienced, and resulting CO2 dispersion. High wind speeds assist in CO2 dispersion, resulting in higher inlet concentrations to downstream DAC units and decreased thermal energy requirement.

High throughput application of ASTM D8332: Detailed prototype design and operating conditions for microplastic sampling of riverine systems

Microplastic sampling strategies for aquatic systems commonly employ small mesh nets to collect suspended microparticles. These methods work well for marine sampling campaigns; however, complex water systems such as freshwater rivers, effluent discharges, and stormwater ponds characterized by high total suspended solids and fast-moving water can cause the nets to clog, rip, or tear. Published in 2020, ASTM D8332 is an alternative approach to sampling complex water systems for microplastics involving pumping large volumes of water across a cascading stack of sieves to collect suspended particles. Here we show that ASTM D8332 can be applied to sample freshwater rivers for microplastic collection. A high throughput sampling prototype developed in this work is capable of pumping 1500 L of river water in 45 min to collect particles as small as 45 µm. The system is lightweight, modular, and easily transportable. It has a discrete power supply, allowing for the collection of microplastics anywhere along the river, including municipal discharges. The design minimizes the amount of plastic in the flow path and provides a practical way to measure field contamination. Finally, we outline lessons learned through extensive field trials and testing using this system sampling the North Saskatchewan River in Edmonton, Alberta.•Existing small mesh nets face limitations in freshwater rivers, encountering clogging and tearing issues from high suspended solids and fast moving water.•Using a standardized method, ASTM D8332 - a pumping-based approach is efficient for microplastic collection in freshwater rivers.•Lightweight, modular, plastic free prototype system pumps 1500 L of river water in 45 min, collecting particles as small as 45 µm. Successfully tested in the North Saskatchewan River.

Centrifugal compressor design and cycle analysis of large-scale high temperature heat pumps using hydrocarbons

Using natural refrigerants in heat pumps, including hydrocarbons, is becoming attractive because of the tightening regulations concerning synthetic refrigerants. In the literature there is lack of studies investigating detailed component design, including compressor design when using hydrocarbons. This study investigates numerically centrifugal compressor design with hydrocarbons for large-scale high-temperature heat pumps. The compressor analysis was combined with a thermodynamic analysis of a two-stage heat pump. The effect of temperature lift and flash intercooler temperature on compressor sizing, rotational speed, efficiency, axial force, and Mach number were investigated. Generally, the use of hydrocarbons with five carbon atoms resulted in higher coefficient of performance and required lower compressor rotational speeds and larger compressor dimensions when compared to the hydrocarbons with four carbon atoms. The simulated rotational speeds were ranging from 8 krpm to 30 krpm, impeller diameters from 0.15 m to over 0.7 m and compressor efficiencies from 77% to over 85%. The use of cyclic molecules, namely cyclopentane and cyclobutene resulted in the highest heat pump coefficient of performance. Also, the flash intercooler temperature had a notable effect on the compressor design and axial force which has to be taken into account in heat pump cycle design.

Research on Artificial Intelligence Algorithm System for Medical Institutions Based on Construction Engineering and E-commerce

The architectural design of artificial intelligence and clinical institutions mainly uses digital twin technology and neural network technology. We have discussed Convolutional neural network and deep neural network, and put forward cutting-edge modeling exploration for the management system of building engineering in combination with Internet of Things technology. At the same time, we have integrated knowledge in the field of microbial medicine in architecture, and carried out detailed design for building engineering in this field, And various cutting-edge strategies have been proposed in architectural design using artificial intelligence technology, and research has been conducted to analyze and report on this situation.The preliminary CNN neural network regression analysis has achieved the function of predicting microorganisms, and we have published the algorithm and code.

A rapid method for turbomachinery aerodynamic design and optimization using active subspace

Preliminary design is a crucial step in the turbomachinery aerodynamic design process, which involves the initial conceptualization and serves as the foundation for subsequent detailed design and analysis. During preliminary design, designers typically use a combination of empirical correlations, simplified flow models, and computational tools to evaluate the impact of different design parameters on the machine’s performance. This iterative process heavily relies on the designer’s experience and knowledge, and errors made during preliminary design may not be rectifiable in later design phases. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a novel optimization strategy for turbomachinery aerodynamic preliminary design using active subspace. The method utilizes active subspace techniques to reduce the dimensionality of the design space, making efficient and accurate exploration of the space possible. In addition, the open-access <italic>Multall</italic> turbomachinery design suite is employed to evaluate the aero-thermal performance of different designs. The method was then utilized to optimize the aerodynamic design of the blade profile for a ducted fan. Results show that the optimization strategy can identify the most significant directions in the design space, providing designers with a clear path to achieving an optimal design. Overall, the proposed method can be of good value to the turbomachinery design community attribute to its reduced dependence on the designer’s experience and elevated efficiency of the design process.

Critical Analysis of the Development of the Design of Lattice Tube Concrete Bridges with a Ride on Top

Purpose. The paper aims to highlight and substantiate the need to find rational design schemes for lattice tube concrete bridges with a ride on top based on the analysis of recent research and regulatory documents. Methodology. The current scientific research is analyzed to determine the current state of development of pipe concrete lattice structures. Methods for improving structures are presented. Combinations of filling the grating elements with concrete, variants of cross-sections of the grating elements, their advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. The state of building codes of Ukraine and other countries is considered in order to determine possible options for the design of pipe concrete bridge structures. Due to the lack of detailed research on this issue, the feasibility of implementing optimization studies for these structures and the steps necessary for this are determined. Findings. The optimization of pipe-concrete bridge structures is a relevant area of research, but it requires a multicomponent approach and the use of modern computer facilities. The method of linear optimization is proposed and its general steps for finding economic models are determined. It was found that the base of Ukrainian SCSs in the field of pipe and concrete structures is limited, but can be expanded by using European standards and other international regulations. Originality. The necessity of global development and improvement of pipe concrete gratings of bridge spans is highlighted. Attention is focused on the advantages of this area, which contributes to decision-making at the stage of selecting the type of bridge and detailed design of pipe-concrete lattice bridges. A methodology for finding the optimal grids is proposed, which can integrate existing methods of structural improvement and the requirements of regulatory documents. Practical value. The results of the study can be used to improve the design of pipe concrete bridges at the design stage. Optimization of gratings can help to increase the efficiency of construction and reliability of this type of bridge structure.

Professional perceptions of right-first-time and quality management in construction projects through open-ended feedback

PurposeThe construction industry has struggled to deliver schemes on time to budget and right-first-time (RFT). There have been many studies into nonconformance and rework through quantitative research over the years to understand why the industry continues to see similar issues of failure. Some scholars have reported rework figures as high as 12.6% of total contract value, highlighting major concerns of the sustainability of construction projects. Separately, however, there have been few studies that explore and detail the views of industry professions who are caught in the middle of quality issues, to understand their perceptions of where the industry is failing. As such, this paper interrogates qualitative data (open-ended questions) on the topic of nonconformance and rework in construction to understand what industry professionals believe are the causes and suggested improvement areas.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach is adopted for this research. An industry survey consisting of seven open-ended questions is presented to two professional working groups within a Tier 1 contractor, and outputs are analysed using statistic software (NVivo 12) to identify prominent themes for discussion. Inductive analysis is undertaken to gain further insight into responses to yield recurrent areas for continuous improvement.FindingsQualitative analysis of the survey reveals a persistent prioritisation of cost and programme over quality management in construction project. Furthermore, feedback from construction professionals present a number of improvement areas that must be addressed to improve quality. These include increased training and competency investment, overhauling quality behaviours, providing greater quality leadership direction and reshaping the way clients govern schemes.Research limitations/implicationsThere are limitations to this paper that require noting. Firstly, the survey was conducted within one principal contractor with varying levels of knowledge across multiple sectors. Secondly, the case study was from one major highways scheme; therefore, the generalisability of the findings is limited. It is suggested that a similar exercise is undertaken in other sectors to uncover similar improvement avenues.Practical implicationsThe implications of this study calls for quality to be re-evaluated at project, company, sector and government levels to overhaul how quality is delivered. Furthermore, the paper identifies critical learning outcomes for the construction sector to take forward, including the need to reassess projects to ensure they are appropriately equip with competent personnel under a vetted, progressive training programme, share collaborative behaviours that value quality delivery on an equal standing to safety, programme and cost and tackle the inappropriate resource dilemmas projects finding themselves in through clear tendering and accurate planning. In addition, before making erratic decisions, projects must assess the risk profiling of proceed without approved design details and include the client in the decision-making process. Moreover, the findings call for a greater collaborative environment between the construction team and quality management department, rather than being seen as obstructive (i.e. compliance based policing). All of these must be driven by leadership to overhaul the way quality is managed on schemes. The findings demonstrate the importance and impact from open-ended survey response data studies to enhance quantitative outcomes and help provide strengthened proposals of improvement.Originality/valueThis paper addresses the highly sensitive area of quality failure outcomes and interrogates them via an industry survey within a major UK contractor for feedback. Unique insights are gained into how industry professionals perceive quality in construction. From previous research, this has been largely missing and offers a valuable addition in understanding the “quality status quo” from those delivering schemes.

Hydrogen production via electrolysis: State-of-the-art and research needs in risk and reliability analysis

Water electrolysis is the primary production technology for clean hydrogen, and thus ensuring safe and reliable deployment and operation of electrolyzers is essential to global sustainability efforts. In this paper, electrolytic hydrogen production pathways and upcoming deployment capacities are briefly discussed. Then we examine the main risk and reliability challenges and analyze the state of the art in quantitative risk assessment (QRA) of electrolysis technologies. We identify gaps in electrolysis QRA studies and present recommendations to enable more robust risk and reliability analysis for these technologies. Recommendations and opportunities for research to fill these gaps include: developing and adopting a system reliability approach in electrolysis risk analysis, developing and disseminating detailed electrolysis system design documentation, developing reliability data collection and analysis methods and tools, conducting importance measures analysis, conducting uncertainty analysis and propagation, developing electrolysis QRA standards, and creating programs to develop and educate the hydrogen risk and reliability workforce.

The Intelligent Layout of the Ship Piping System Based on the Optimization Algorithm

The ship piping layout is one of the essential tasks in the detailed design stage of a ship. Traditional manual expert design has disadvantages such as low efficiency, reliance on experience, and subjective influence. Therefore, this paper systematically proposes an intelligent arrangement method for ships’ single, parallel, and branch pipelines. Firstly, the traditional genetic algorithm is improved and combined with the A* algorithm to solve the intelligent arrangement problem of a single pipeline in ships. Then, the parallel pipeline and branch pipeline are split into multiple single pipelines by combining with the connection point strategy to solve the arrangement problem of parallel pipeline and branch pipeline. Finally, the optimized A*-genetic algorithm proposed in this paper is compared with the A* algorithm, particle swarm algorithm, and the labyrinth-genetic algorithm used in previous research through simulation experiments. The results show that the A*-genetic algorithm of this paper is optimal in six indexes, including length, number of elbows, energy value, fitness value, number of optimal solutions, and average number of convergence generations, in the arrangement of the single pipeline. In solving the parallel pipeline and branch pipeline arrangement problems, the all-around performance of this paper’s algorithm is better than that of A*-genetic algorithm and maze–genetic algorithm, respectively. The A*-genetic algorithm of this paper considers the quality of pipeline arrangement and the solution’s efficiency. It verifies the adaptability and superiority of the algorithm for the intelligent arrangement of various types of pipelines in ship pipelines.

Fostering collaboration and interactions: Unveiling the design thinking process in interdisciplinary education

This research evaluated the feasibility of the design thinking process for interdisciplinary education by examining detailed interactions and design activities. Factors such as the major, personal creativity modes, interactions, and design activities were explored through the verbal protocol analysis of interdisciplinary teams comprising arts- and engineering-background students. Dual protocol analyses on the design thinking process based on the design activity and team interaction coding scheme was conducted through an investigative designing project where participants followed 5 phases of the design thinking process- empathy, define, ideate, prototype and test. The results revealed the crucial role of clarifying activities in the ‘empathy’ and ‘define’ phases to support the grounding process, which develops effective communication in interdisciplinary teams based on the common ground theory. Furthermore, composing interdisciplinary teams by diversifying the major and the personal creativity modes, and promoting positive social-emotional interactions in the ‘empathy’ and ‘ideate’ phases could support effective interdisciplinary design thinking courses. The findings could suggest effective interdisciplinary design thinking courses to improve the communication skills and attitudes of students required for addressing complex future problems.

Design and fabrication of circular sheet metal shearing machine

The growing use of sheet metal in various industries such as automotive, packaging, medical appliances, cylinder production, Apparatus construction, Tank construction, Aircraft bodies, Missile production, Satellite dishes, road building and road signs, and household appliances, is attributed to its ease of manufacturing, handling, and use. To meet customer demands, sheet metal product manufacturing industries are working towards producing circular feature products of good quality at a large scale and low cost. To this end, this research emphasis the design, analysis, and fabrication of an electric circular sheet metal shearing machine, this would replace the punching and blanking operations and reduce scrap value from the stock material. The research includes concept design, detail design and analysis, assembly, 3D modelling, and fabrication of the Machine.

Unlocking the Potential of Artificial Intelligence in Fashion Design and E-Commerce Applications: The Case of Midjourney

The fashion industry has shown increasing interest in applying artificial intelligence (AI), yet there is a significant gap in exploring the potential of emerging diffusion-modeling-based AI image-generation systems for fashion design and commerce. Therefore, this study aims to assess the effectiveness of Midjourney, one such AI system, in both fashion design and related commerce applications. We employed the action research approach with the Functional, Expressive, and Aesthetic (FEA) Consumer Needs Model as the theoretical framework. Our research comprised three stages: refining an initial idea into well-defined textual design concepts, facilitating concept development, and validating the preceding observations and reflections by creating a new line of hemp-based products that were evaluated by targeted consumers through an online survey. Findings reveal that this AI tool can assist fashion designers in creating both visually expressive attire and ready-to-wear products, meeting defined design criteria and consumer needs. Midjourney shows promise in streamlining the fashion design process by enhancing ideation and optimizing design details. Potential e-commercial applications of such AI systems were proposed, benefiting physical and digital fashion businesses. It is noted that, to date, the major limitations of using Midjourney encompass its restriction to only facilitating early fashion design stages and necessitating substantial involvement from designers.

Aspects Affecting the Quality of Masonry Buildings and Innovations in Masonry

The construction industry is undergoing another revolution, including the field of masonry construction. New materials and products for masonry are constantly being developed and construction details and implementation procedures are being resolved. Digitization and the introduction of automation in the masonry process (in prefabrication halls or on-site robotic bricklaying) are also an integral part of the development of the masonry construction industry. The topic of the following paper is a summary of problematic construction details of masonry buildings, i.e., the solution of the plinth console, the solution of the building opening, the bearing of lintels on the masonry and the bearing of the ceiling structure on the masonry wall. The results of laboratory tests are presented – the load-bearing capacity of the jamb of the building opening (accessory bricks / cut bricks in the jamb) and the load-bearing capacity of the lintel placed on the accessory edge brick. Furthermore, the paper deals with the construction of masonry buildings in the 21st century, including the first results of a compressive load test on masonry walls made of precast small-format units. The conclusion of the paper points out the importance of correct design details of masonry buildings before their application (programming) in software controlling the automated masonry process.

An analysis of published study designs in PubMed prisoner health abstracts from 1963 to 2023: a text mining study

BackgroundThe challenging nature of studies with incarcerated populations and other offender groups can impede the conduct of research, particularly that involving complex study designs such as randomised control trials and clinical interventions. Providing an overview of study designs employed in this area can offer insights into this issue and how research quality may impact on health and justice outcomes.MethodsWe used a rule-based approach to extract study designs from a sample of 34,481 PubMed abstracts related to epidemiological criminology published between 1963 and 2023. The results were compared against an accepted hierarchy of scientific evidence.ResultsWe evaluated our method in a random sample of 100 PubMed abstracts. An F1-Score of 92.2% was returned. Of 34,481 study abstracts, almost 40.0% (13,671) had an extracted study design. The most common study design was observational (37.3%; 5101) while experimental research in the form of trials (randomised, non-randomised) was present in 16.9% (2319). Mapped against the current hierarchy of scientific evidence, 13.7% (1874) of extracted study designs could not be categorised. Among the remaining studies, most were observational (17.2%; 2343) followed by systematic reviews (10.5%; 1432) with randomised controlled trials accounting for 8.7% (1196) of studies and meta-analysis for 1.4% (190) of studies.ConclusionsIt is possible to extract epidemiological study designs from a large-scale PubMed sample computationally. However, the number of trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analysis is relatively small – just 1 in 5 articles. Despite an increase over time in the total number of articles, study design details in the abstracts were missing. Epidemiological criminology still lacks the experimental evidence needed to address the health needs of the marginalized and isolated population that is prisoners and offenders.

The integrated engineering design concept of the upper limiter within the EU-DEMO LIMITER system

The EU-DEMO first wall protection relies on a system of limiters. Although they are primarily designed for facing the energy released by a limited plasma during transients, their design should safely withstand a combination of loads relevant for in-vessel components (IVCs) during steady-state operation. They are not meant to breed tritium, nor to provide plasma stability. However, sitting in place of blanket portions, they should ensure an adequate shielding function to vacuum vessel and magnets while withstanding both their dead weight and the electro-mechanical loads arising from the interaction between current induced in the conductive structure and magnetic field. During plasma disruptions they will be subjected to halo currents flowing from/to the plasma and the grounded structures, whose effects must be added to the eddy current ones. Disruption-induced electro-mechanical loads are hence IVC design-driving, despite the uncertainties in both eddy and halo currents’ magnitude and distribution, which depend on IVC design, electrical connectivity, plasma temperature and halo width.The integrated design of the limiter is made of two actively water-cooled sub-components: the Plasma-Facing Wall (PFW) directly exposed to the plasma, and the Shielding Block (SB) devoted to hold the PFW while providing neutronic shielding. The PFW design is driven by disruptive heat loads. Disruption-induced electro-magnetic loads are instead SB design drivers, meaning that the design details (i.e. geometry, electrical connections, attachments) affect the loads acting on it, which, in turn, are affected by the mechanical response of the structure.The present paper describes the design workflow and assessment of the Upper Limiter (UL), resulting from a close and iterative synergy among different fields. Built on static-structural and energy balance hand calculations based on, respectively, preliminary electro-magnetic and neutronic loads, the UL integrated design performance has then been verified against electro-magnetic, neutronic, thermal-hydraulic and structural assessment under the above-mentioned load combination. The outcome will be taken as reference for future limiter engineering designs.

Metaverse Servicescape: Emotional Response to Virtual Retail Design

The highly anticipated global Metaverse market presents a burgeoning arena, particularly in shopping and retail. While physical retail environments have long emphasized the details of exterior and interior servicescape design, the shift to online shopping raises questions about applying these traditional retail principles to the Metaverse setting. This research adopts conjoint analysis to delve into the potential of localized Metaverse retail design by merging consumer emotions, market segmentation, and innovative retail technologies. Using the Pleasure, Arousal, Dominance (PAD) model, we examine Metaverse servicescape attributes, based on real-world counterparts, application in segmenting store design based on consumer preferences. Like in physical retailing cases, music, crowding, and noise are the most influential Metaverse attributes affecting consumer emotion. However, three different clusters emerged according to their emotional responses. Our experiment reveals that Metaverse servicescape attributes may evoke emotional responses akin to their physical counterparts while offering a valuable opportunity for customization that better satisfies market segments. Insights are offered for retailers navigating the dynamic Metaverse landscape, where personalization and localization are now more affordable and where multiple store designs can coexist in digital form—reaching larger markets.

A Closed-Loop Digital Health Tool to Improve Depression Care in Multiple Sclerosis: Iterative Design and Cross-Sectional Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial and its Impact on Depression Care.

People living with multiple sclerosis (MS) face a higher likelihood of being diagnosed with a depressive disorder than the general population. Although many low-cost screening tools and evidence-based interventions exist, depression in people living with MS is underreported, underascertained by clinicians, and undertreated. This study aims to design a closed-loop tool to improve depression care for these patients. It would support regular depression screening, tie into the point of care, and support shared decision-making and comprehensive follow-up. After an initial development phase, this study involved a proof-of-concept pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) validation phase and a detailed human-centered design (HCD) phase. During the initial development phase, the technological infrastructure of a clinician-facing point-of-care clinical dashboard for MS management (BRIDGE) was leveraged to incorporate features that would support depression screening and comprehensive care (Care Technology to Ascertain, Treat, and Engage the Community to Heal Depression in people living with MS [MS CATCH]). This linked a patient survey, in-basket messages, and a clinician dashboard. During the pilot RCT phase, a convenience sample of 50 adults with MS was recruited from a single MS center with 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire scores of 5-19 (mild to moderately severe depression). During the routine MS visit, their clinicians were either asked or not to use MS CATCH to review their scores and care outcomes were collected. During the HCD phase, the MS CATCH components were iteratively modified based on feedback from stakeholders: people living with MS, MS clinicians, and interprofessional experts. MS CATCH links 3 features designed to support mood reporting and ascertainment, comprehensive evidence-based management, and clinician and patient self-management behaviors likely to lead to sustained depression relief. In the pilot RCT (n=50 visits), visits in which the clinician was randomized to use MS CATCH had more notes documenting a discussion of depressive symptoms than those in which MS CATCH was not used (75% vs 34.6%; χ21=8.2; P=.004). During the HCD phase, 45 people living with MS, clinicians, and other experts participated in the design and refinement. The final testing round included 20 people living with MS and 10 clinicians including 5 not affiliated with our health system. Most scoring targets for likeability and usability, including perceived ease of use and perceived effectiveness, were met. Net Promoter Scale was 50 for patients and 40 for clinicians. Created with extensive stakeholder feedback, MS CATCH is a closed-loop system aimed to increase communication about depression between people living with MS and their clinicians, and ultimately improve depression care. The pilot findings showed evidence of enhanced communication. Stakeholders also advised on trial design features of a full year long Department of Defense-funded feasibility and efficacy trial, which is now underway. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05865405; http://tinyurl.com/4zkvru9x.