Integrated Design Research Articles

The Integrative Single-Case Design as a Biosemiotic-Systemic Research Tool in Psychoneuroimmunology.

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) is a field of research that deals with the interactions between psyche, nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Investigating these complex PNI relationships under asecologically validas possible conditions ("life as it is lived") necessitates a paradigm change in research. This shift placesfactors such as "time" and "subjective meaning" of personal experiences at the center of the research methodology. For this purpose, the biosemiotic-systemic research design "Integrative Single-Case Study" was developed. Initial results from healthy individuals as well as patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), breast cancer, and rheumatoid arthritis(RA) support the validity of the research approach. Specifically, in connection with the occurrence ofemotionally meaningful everyday incidents, we repeatedlyobserved stress system reactions, which were(1) delayed over several days, (2) cyclically patterned, (3) anticipatory, and (4) opposing, depending on a)whether participants experienced emotionally positive or negative everyday incidents, b)whether they were healthy or ill, and c)which stress system parameter was investigated. In this chapter, the Integrative Single-Case Study design is introduced as a holistic research option, presented in detail in its methodology, and critically discussed in terms of its limitations.

Human-Centered Systems Thinking in Technology-Enhanced Sustainable and Inclusive Architectural Design

Human-centered systems thinking (HCST) can be seen as a promising enabler of effective Industry 5.0. This study primarily examined whether architecture students consider themselves systems thinkers and how this affects their design thinking, digital competency, and engagement in sustainable and inclusive design practices. Next, this study also examined the students’ HCST profiles, their stability, and the roles of digital competency, design thinking, motivation, and risk propensity in human-centered design. Using a person-oriented approach and cluster analysis, a sample of Polish architecture students from three universities (n = 208) was classified based on their self-perceived HCST ability. Three profiles were identified, namely high, average, and low HCST. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) revealed that the HCST profiles differed significantly in terms of design thinking and digital competencies, while multinomial logistic regression (MLR) analysis revealed that perceived intrinsic motivation predicted that students would be more likely to have a high HCST profile. MLR also revealed an undefined role of risk propensity in the context of HCST in inclusive and sustainable architecture design education. The findings indicate that it is essential to recognize and support students with low HCST throughout their education. It is also suggested to change the focus of architecture study programs to promote students’ systems thinking, and to encourage course designers to create novel and tailored technology-enhanced integrated human-centered design and systems thinking.

Strength, Durability, and Aesthetics of Corner Joints and Edge Banding in Furniture Design: A Review

Corner joints and edge banding are essential components that significantly impact the strength, durability, and aesthetic appeal of particleboard furniture. This review examines the critical role of edge banding in enhancing the performance of corner joints, which are fundamental to the overall quality of panel furniture. A targeted literature search was conducted across key databases, including the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS CC), Scopus, and Google Scholar, focusing on scientific resources in the technical and biotechnical sciences. The selection of joint types, materials, and construction methods can substantially influence both the structural integrity and visual design of the furniture. Well-designed corner joints improve durability and longevity by ensuring that furniture can withstand various forces and loads without failure or deformation. These joints enhance the aesthetics of furniture by providing seamless and visually appealing connections between different elements. Edge banding is vital for reinforcing corner joint strength, as different materials exhibit varying degrees of resistance to impact, scratches, and abrasion, thereby safeguarding furniture surfaces. Also, edge banding contributes to the furniture’s longevity, ensuring durability during use as well as through disassembly and transport during remodeling or relocation. This review aims to consolidate existing knowledge and establish parameters for future research on the quality and performance of corner joints and edge bands in particleboard furniture.

Digital Transformation in Healthcare : Leveraging Technology to Enhance Patient Care

This article examines the successful implementation of Pega's Healthcare Customer Service and Care Management solutions at a major healthcare provider, demonstrating how digital transformation can revolutionize patient care delivery while optimizing operational efficiency. The implementation, which focused on integrated care coordination, patient case management, and compliance frameworks, resulted in significant improvements, including a 20% reduction in hospital readmissions, a 30% reduction in administrative costs, and a 25-35% reduction in operational costs. The organization achieved enhanced patient outcomes, streamlined operations, and improved regulatory compliance through comprehensive data integration, automated workflows, and user-centric design. The article highlights how strategic digital transformation initiatives, aligned with industry best practices and supported by robust change management, can successfully address healthcare's complex challenges while positioning organizations for future innovation in care delivery.

Frequency-locked Si3N4 microring for Doppler frequency shift detection

In this paper, we propose to use a homemade all-fiber Si3N4 microring as the frequency discriminator for Doppler frequency shift detection. The full width at half maximum of the microring is 361.83 MHz, which covers the dynamic range of ± 70 m/s for wind measurement applications. By introducing a time-division multiplexing method, we have achieved the frequency locking of the microring to the central frequency of the laser source, which effectively stabilizes the measurement accuracy against perturbations such as temperature fluctuations. By alternatively upshifting and downshifting the pulses, a dual-frequency lasing scheme has been designed to realize the double-edge technique for frequency shift detection. A commercial single-photon detector with 25% quantum efficiency and approximately 1300 Hz dark count rate is used to detect the backscattered signals, which circumvents the need for bulky and expensive superconducting single-photon detectors. The proposed system is validated through an outdoor wind speed detection experiment using a reference anemometer. The experiment results demonstrate the feasibility of using microring as the frequency discriminator and that the precise frequency locking control is able to improve the measurement accuracy to the state-of-the-art level under the influence of perturbations, which highlights the potential for highly integrated direct detection Doppler wind lidar design.

Development and Design of an Online Quality Inspection System for Electric Car Seats.

As the market share of electric vehicles continues to rise, consumer demands for comfort within the vehicle interior have also increased. The noise generated by electric seats during operation has become one of the primary sources of in-cabin noise. However, the offline detection methods for electric seat noise severely limit production capacity. To address this issue, this paper presents an online quality inspection system for automotive electric seats, developed using LabVIEW. This system is capable of simultaneously detecting both the noise and electrical functions of electric seats, thereby resolving problems associated with multiple detection processes and low integration levels that affect production efficiency on the assembly line. The system employs NI boards (9250 + 9182) to collect noise data, while communication between LabVIEW and the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) allows for programmed control of the seat motor to gather motor current. Additionally, a supervisory computer was developed to process the collected data, which includes generating frequency and time-domain graphs, conducting data analysis and evaluation, and performing database queries. By being co-located with the production line, the system features a highly integrated hardware and software design that facilitates the online synchronous detection of noise performance and electrical functions in automotive electric seats, effectively streamlining the detection process and enhancing overall integration. Practical verification results indicate that the system improves the production line cycle time by 34.84%, enabling rapid and accurate identification of non-conforming items in the seat motor, with a detection time of less than 86 s, thereby meeting the quality inspection needs for automotive electric seats.

The effect of scanning strategies on the defect distribution and mechanical properties of additive manufactured 316L stainless steel components

The effect of scanning strategies on defect distribution and mechanical properties of additive-manufactured (AM) 316L stainless steel components was investigated. Three scanning strategies (A1-stripe, A2-loop, A3-chessboard) were applied to study the defect characteristics using X-ray microscopy (XRM) and evaluate the resulting mechanical behavior through tensile tests. The results indicate that the chessboard strategy produces fewer, smaller, and more uniform defects, contributing to superior tensile strength and reduced anisotropy. In contrast, the loop strategy results in a higher density of elongated defects near the surface, leading to increased stress concentrations and lower tensile performance. This study provides insights into optimizing scanning strategies to enhance defect control, thereby improving the overall mechanical properties of 316L stainless steel in additive manufacturing. These findings are instrumental in advancing the process design for defect mitigation and structural integrity in AM components.

Mechanistic Model Advancements for Optimal Calcium Removal in Water Treatment: Integral Operation Improvements and Reactor Design Strategies

Drinking water softening has primarily prioritized public health, environmental benefits, social costs and enhanced client comfort. Annually, over 35 Gm3 of water is softened worldwide, often utilizing three main techniques: nanofiltration, ion exchange and seeded crystallization by pellet softening. However, recent modifications in pellet softening, including changes in seeding materials and acid conditioning used post-softening, have not fully achieved desired flexibility and optimization. This highlights the need of an integral approach, as drinking water softening is just one step in the drinking water treatment chain, which includes ozonation, softening, biological active carbon filtration (BACF) and sand filtration among others. In addition, pellet softening is often practiced based on operator knowledge, lacking practical key reactor performance indicators (KPIs) for efficient control. For that reason, we propose a newly and improved integral mechanistic model designed to accurately predict (1) calcite removal rates in drinking water through seeded crystallization in pellet softening reactors, (2) the saturation of the filter bed in the subsequent treatment step, (3) values for the KPIs steering the softening efficiency. Our new mechanistic model integrates insights from hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, mass transfer kinetics, nucleation and reactor engineering, focussing on critical variables such as temperature, linear velocity, pellet particle size and saturation index with respect to calcite. Our model was validated with data from the Waternet Weesperkarspel drinking water treatment plant in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, but implies universal applicability for addressing industrial challenges beyond drinking water softening. The implementation of our model proposes five effective KPIs to optimize the softening process, chemical usage, and reactor design. The advantage of this model is that it eliminates the application of numerical methods and fills a significant gap in the field by providing predictions of the carry-over (i.e., the produced CaCO3 fines leaving the fluidized bed) from water softening practices. With our model, the calcium removal rate is predicted with an average standard deviation (SD) of 40% and the consequential clogging prediction of the BACF bed with an average SD of 130%. Ultimately, our model provides crucial insights for operational management and decision-making in drinking water treatment plants, steering towards a more circular and environmentally sustainable process.

Solar-driven collaborative thermochemical energy storage and fuel production via integrating calcium looping and redox cycle

To better utilize solar energy and reduce CO2 emissions, this study proposes a novel idea of solar-driven thermochemical energy storage and fuel production via integrating calcium looping and redox cycle. Such integrated system design not only can realize solar energy storage and CO2 capture based on thermochemical reversible reaction of CaO/CaCO3, but also can achieve fuel production through thermochemical conversion of captured CO2 into CO based on redox cycle. More interestingly, the temperature required for CaCO3 calcination of calcium looping matches the temperature for the oxidation reaction of redox cycle, which means a good connection between calcium looping and redox cycle. Additionally, a solar-driven thermochemical reactor system and its comprehensive thermodynamic model of calcium looping and redox cycle are developed to present the performance of integrated system. Results indicate that such integrated system can achieve a 43.54 % of solar energy converted into chemical energy (40.53 % obtained by calcium looping and 3.01 % obtained by redox cycle) even after 100 cycles. Moreover, the solar-to-chemical efficiency can reach 57.69 % and solar-to-fuel efficiency can reach 32.76 % after 100 cycles, when the heat recovery is considered (heat recovery effectiveness is assumed to be ηrecovery = 70 % in this work). This study presents a promising path to simultaneously achieve solar energy storage, CO2 capture and renewable fuel production.

Defense of Integrative Pluralism in the Cognitive Sciences

This article considers the opposition between the pluralist and unificationist stances in the philosophy of cognitive sciences. The choice between pluralism and unificationism is important both in terms of discussing the current methodological practices and with respect to the debates about the future of the cognitive studies. As a starting point, the author takes his own idea of theoretical complexes. One of its most significant normative consequences is theoretical pluralism. There have been a number of skeptical arguments against pluralism, including the fear of generating many useless theories and dissipating of efforts, as well as the doubts about the differences between pluralism and relativism. One of the most recent objections states that integrative pluralism implies a tension, an instability, if one prioritizes the epistemic quality of explanatory depth. The author addresses each of these objections in turn. The constructive variety of pluralism is distinguished from unbridled pluralism and relativism by its commitment to the idea of improving explanatory, predictive, and other characteristics of a theory through the presence of alternatives and their collisions, mutual criticisms. Integrative pluralism does not entail instability, since the values of unification and explanatory depth cannot be prescribed to the cognitive sciences ex cathedra, without taking into account the character of the cognitive process revealed in empirical studies. The pluralist stance appears to be incompatible with radical projects of unification of the cognitive studies, though there are many opportunities for more moderate integrative initiatives. One such initiative is the recent idea of integrative experiment design, which involves constructing a space of experiments for a particular problem. Testing theories by selectively sampling points in this space and then updating them accordingly may be a key to the integration of experimental observations.

Design of Integrator and Comparator based on Digital Integrated

This article discusses the design method of integrator and comparator based on digital integrated circuits and circuit simulation using multisim is used to prove the functionality and performance of the circuits. By studying the advantages of digital circuits a circuit module has been designed which can realize integrator and comparator. This paper describes in detail the functioning and designing steps of the circuit and shows the results after simulation. The advantages, disadvantages and application cases of the design are analyzed through the simulation results. The simulation results show that it can fulfill the needs of various scenarios well.

Enhancing Urban Connectivity and Regeneration of Historic Areas: Case Study of Heart of Sharjah

This study employs the integrative design process of sustainable urban regeneration of the historical district in Sharjah city in UAE by It also improves physical and visual connectivity and integration within the neighbourhood and among the surrounding areas to encourage walkability in the district provides a liveable community, and increase accessibility and social interaction. Applying comprehensive design strategies to promote connectivity and revitalize the public places in historical district. The study employs a combination of field studies and parametric simulation tools to investigate the district and identify opportunities for improvement. By optimizing the master plan, the research aims to enhance integration and connectivity within the neighbourhood. The study yielded several significant findings; most notable was the increment of the integration value of the optimized master plan by approximately 41% in comparison with Shurooq proposed master plan 2025, as a result of improving the urban configuration, the street network enhances the connection between the old district and the waterfront, and introducing a central plaza to be connected with Al Rola park to achieve the holistic desired approach. The study's outcomes offer practical implications for urban planners and policymakers in the Gulf Region, highlighting the importance of integrative design strategies in fostering sustainable urban regeneration and improving social interactions within historical districts. The study contributes to the promotion of sustainable urban development methods in the Gulf Region by providing insights into how to improve social interactions, promote a holistic approach to urban regeneration in historical districts, and enhance urban sustainability.

Innovative design and process simulation of aviation bracket based on topology optimization and additive manufacturing

Abstract In this paper, topology optimization(TO) and laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology were combined to explore the key technology of parts integration design and manufacturing oriented to performance, structure and manufacturing process. With the help of topology optimization(TO), the lightweight design of the aviation bracket achieved the weight loss goal of 87.69% in this work. The thermophysical properties of TC4 were calculated by thermodynamic calculation, and the temperatue interval of Laser Powder Bed Fusion for TC4 is 1800 ℃- 3000 ℃ was determined . Additionally, the LPBF macro-scale simulation was carried out. The results showed that the maximum temperature in the printing process is lower than 2500℃, and the maximum displacement is 4.87 mm, which only appears in the non-design space. Finally, the safety factor and maximum displacement of aviation bracket are 1.3 and 0.8 mm, and the maximum Mises stress is 654 MPa, all of which meet the design requirements.

The integration and transformative design research of plant dyeing techniques in Dong brocade with sustainable materials

Dong brocade, a fabric renowned for its intricate patterns and ethnic symbolism, has been woven by the Dong people for generations, showcasing their cultural significance. Traditional plant dyeing technology is one of the main aspects of Dong brocade but the documentation and understanding of this is still rather limited. With regard to the use of plant dye in Dong brocade, it is not as well explored as it should be since it has a traditional aspect. The main purpose is to investigate and apply the traditional plant dyeing technique to Dong brocade for the improvement of that sustainable concept and the preservation of cultural assets. Therefore, 121 Dong villagers were interviewed to elicit their awareness regarding prehistoric plant dyeing. By observing the dyeing conditions, this study provided accurate perception and learned how to differentiate between natural and synthetic mordants through ethnobotanical perception. The strategy is intended to integrate sustainable products into Dong brocade, employing orthogonal array development to find the right dyeing conditions for corresponding plant dyes. Research revealed that 8 genera of plants which include 7 species are used in dyeing Dong brocade. The findings presented in this work prove the effectiveness of the use of plant dyes in Dong brocade, showing its advantages with 30% of frequency and CI (Color Index) indices, 8% of them being cultural. 5 for ethnic cultural sustainment, developmental and bio-diversity reasons respectively. The unique integration between the traditional dyeing technique in Dong brocade and the utilization of sustainable resources is very promising for the improvement of identity enhancement and embodiment, and the preservation of the environment.

Effectiveness of an integrative model of vocational life design for young rehabilitated drug abusers

ABSTRACT Background The effectiveness of an integrative life design model in preventing drug relapses among rehabilitated youth was evaluated. This model combined Savickas’ narrative life design in vocational counseling, expressive arts groups, and motivational interviewing. Its objective was to enhance life satisfaction and foster long-term resilience against relapse among young individuals recovering from drug abuse. Methods The study involved 70 rehabilitated drug abusers, equally divided into intervention and control groups. After four waves of data collection, 62 participants completed various assessments to monitor drug use behaviors and psychosocial changes. Results The intervention group showed continuous improvement in their self-efficacy to refuse drug use, whereas the control group’s self-efficacy to refuse drugs decreased by T4. The intervention group also had a lower relapse rate than the control group. Participants in both groups demonstrated improvements on various psychometric scales. However, those in the intervention group exhibited more substantial progress over time. Conclusions The study demonstrates the effectiveness of the integrative vocational life design model in preventing relapse among rehabilitated drug abusers. It emphasizes the importance of establishing future expectations and promoting life satisfaction for rehabilitated drug abusers. The study concludes with recommendations for future research and practice.

A frequency domain fractional order tilted integral derivative controller design for fractional order time delay processes

AbstractIn real‐time processes, time delays are inherent due to various factors, such as delays in volume, mass, and information transfer, leading to a deterioration in process performance and stability. Therefore, this paper proposes a fractional‐order tilted integral derivative (TID) controller design for stable and unstable fractional‐order processes with time delay, where the optimal controller parameters are designed using a deterministic approach. An inner loop controller is designed using stability analysis and a graphical approach for unstable fractional‐order time delay processes. The proposed approach offers flexibility and fine‐tuning in designing the controller for a specific application. A systematic reference to the disturbance ratio is carried out to assess the disturbance handling capacity of the proposed controller. It shows the sensitivity of the designed controller against disturbances in the frequency spectrum graphically. Numerous performance indices and time‐domain parameters are computed and compared with state‐of‐the‐art techniques to analyze the efficacy. Furthermore, it is validated on the experimental setup of a four‐tank system. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms recent techniques in terms of process control and disturbance rejection.

Exploration of STEM Education Curriculum Construction in Normal Universities

To fully meet the societal demands for future teachers, this paper comprehensively designs the STEM education curriculum for science education students from multiple dimensions including teaching content, teaching models, and instructional design. Through the designed instructional process, student teachers are effectively trained to develop their capabilities in delivering STEM education. The integrative curriculum design enables student teachers not only to impart knowledge but also to stimulate students' innovative thinking and problem-solving skills, laying the foundation for nurturing future innovative talents.

Multibarrier Collaborative Modulation Devices with Ultra-High Logic Operation Density.

The demands for highly miniaturized and multifunctional electronics are rapidly increasing. As scaling-down processes of transistors are restricted by physical limits, reconfigurable electronics with switchable operation functions for different tasks are developed for higher function integration based on split- or vertical-dual-gate structures. To promote the present reconfigurable electronics and exceed the function integration limit, the critical issue is to integrate complex operations into simple circuit forms by establishing more control dimensions. This work proposes a multibarrier collaborative (MBC) modulation architecture to increase the control dimension by multiple forms of potential barriers and achieves combinational and reconfigurable logic operations by a single MBC device. The MBC architecture exhibits ultrahigh logic operation density, including 58.8% area reduction for multiplexer operations and 71.4% area reduction for 4-logic reconfigurable operations. Besides, a hardware security module composed of 4 MBC devices implementing 8 types of logic operations is demonstrated. This work reveals an effective design of function integration for next-generation electronics.

A Design Study on Commercial Cleaning Robots Based on Kano–QFD

In the post-pandemic era, public space safety has emerged as a central public concern. As global public health awareness rose, traditional manual cleaning methods were increasingly inadequate for large-scale and high-standard cleaning requirements. Therefore, the design of a commercial cleaning robot that combined cleaning efficiency, environmental performance, and sustainability was essential to meet evolving societal demands. This paper systematically gathered and analyzed commercial cleaning robot functional requirements through a comprehensive investigation. According to the Kano model, functional requirements were categorized by attributes and their importance was quantified. Subsequently, using the QFD model, the design requirements for commercial cleaning robots were determined, and their significance weights were established. This identified the key design requirements. The results of this study indicated that the integration of the Kano and QFD models provided a novel perspective for the design of functional integration in commercial cleaning robots. Furthermore, it provided a practical methodological framework for addressing similar issues in the future.

Advancements in Optical Resonator Stability: Principles, Technologies, and Applications

This paper provides an overview of the study of optical resonant cavity stability, focusing on the relevant principles, key technological advances, and applications of optical resonant cavities in a variety of high-precision measurement techniques and modern science and technology. Firstly, the vibration characteristics, thermal noise, and temperature characteristics of the reference cavity are presented. Subsequently, the report extensively discusses the advances in key technologies such as mechanical vibration isolation, thermal noise control, and resistance to temperature fluctuations. These advances not only contribute to the development of theory but also provide innovative solutions for practical applications. Typical applications of optical cavities in areas such as laser gyroscopes, high-precision measurements, and gravitational wave detection are also discussed. Future research directions are envisioned, emphasising the importance of novel material applications, advanced vibration isolation technologies, intelligent temperature control systems, multifunctional integrated optical resonator design, and deepening theoretical models and numerical simulations.