ABSTRACT The integration of urban dwellings and the forest proposed by Alvar Aalto is regaining attention, especially in relation to unbridled global urbanization and its impacts on the socio-ecological environment. Aalto’s approach fosters a deeper connection with nature in everyday life and is credited with significant physiological and psychological benefits for residents. Various scholarly works have explored Aalto’s forest-inspired methods in architecture and design, but there has been a distinct lack of research on the quantitative spatial integration of dwellings and forests within his planning concepts. This study aims to bridge that gap through a detailed four-level spatial analysis of how dwellings are integrated with forests in Aalto’s General Town Plan of Imatra (1947-53), a key project from his mature period. Based on the findings, the plan has a significant level of spatial integration, characterized by factors such as mixing degree, adjacency, proximity, and accessibility between residential areas and surrounding forests. These outcomes illuminate Aalto’s consistent application of his forest-centric philosophy across different design fields. The lessons learned from Aalto can inspire new urban development patterns that favour residents’ access to and interaction with urban forests, ultimately enhancing residents’ connection to the natural environment.

Approaches to strengthen Data-to-Care (D2C) models are needed. We tested an insurance-based D2C prescription model (D2C-Rx), which used antiretroviral therapy (ART) prescription claims to identify people with HIV who fail to fill ART prescriptions in a timely manner and to provide ART adherence support. The Antiretroviral Improvement among Medicaid EnrolleeS (AIMS) study was the first trial of an insurance-based D2C-Rx program. We describe AIMS study enrollment, focusing on patient-participants in the AIMS program arm. Virginia, United States. AIMS used Virginia Medicaid claims and HIV surveillance data to identify Medicaid enrollees with HIV who were without an ART prescription and their providers; study staff then provided targeted adherence support. The target patient-participant sample size was 1000. The outcome of interest was HIV viral suppression. The study encountered difficulty recruiting patient-participants. Low enrollment prompted major changes to the protocol, including revisions to study design, eligibility criteria, and recruitment methods. These changes were unsuccessful. The trial was terminated because of low patient-participant enrollment (n = 4). Reasons for low patient-participant enrollment may include phone-based recruitment approach, lengthy identity verification and consent procedures, and lack of participant compensation. Although we aimed to identify people with HIV without a current ART prescription refill, several participants reported having their medications available; this discrepancy suggests issues with unexpected participant behavior (eg, stockpiling) or timeliness and accuracy of prescription claims data. Future insurance-based D2C-Rx interventions should account for these challenges, be tailored to context, and be nimble enough to pivot to alternative recruitment methods when needed.

Soft robots enable compliant interaction with humans and the environment. However, their widespread deployment is constrained by significant challenges, including limited mobility and the inherent complexity of incorporating power and control systems into their bodies. In this paper, we present a fully integrated electrohydraulic soft robotic fish that achieves three-dimensional maneuverability and autonomous control. To achieve effective underwater locomotion, the robot is actuated by two flapping wings, each independently controlled and powered by electrohydraulic actuators. Theoretical modeling and finite element simulation of the electrohydraulic actuator are conducted and validated through experimental results. Furthermore, the robot's electronic system integrates a range of miniaturized components—including a control board, voltage amplifiers, and sensors. This autonomous soft robot enables depth control and directional navigation. The design and control methods of this work can inspire the design of fully autonomous and intelligent soft robots for complex tasks and environments.

• Local and local–flexural interactive buckling behaviour of ferritic built-up I-section columns was studied. • Tests were conducted on ten ferritic stainless steel built-up I-section column specimens. • FE models were validated against test results and then used for parametric studies. • Accuracy and reliability of the codified design rules were assessed based on test and FE data. Cold-formed steel built-up section members have attracted increasing interest due to their potential to provide higher load-carrying capacities than conventional single-section members. Ferritic stainless steels, characterised by their low nickel content, offer a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to austenitic grades, while maintaining adequate mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. This paper investigates the structural behaviour and capacity of ferritic stainless steel built-up I-section columns failing by local buckling and local–flexural interactive buckling. An experimental programme was first conducted, including tensile coupon tests, measurements of initial global and local geometric imperfections, and axial compression tests on ten built-up I-section column specimens. Each specimen comprised two identical press-braked ferritic stainless steel channel sections connected using self-drilling screws. Subsequently, finite element models were developed and validated against experimental results. Parametric studies were carried out to discuss the effects of key design parameters. The accuracy and reliability of the codified Effective Width Method and Direct Strength Method in predicting the capacities of ferritic stainless steel built-up I-section columns were evaluated, indicating that: (i) the Effective Width Method offers consistently conservative predictions, underestimating column failure loads by 10% on average; (ii) the Direct Strength method yields greater scatter but improved accuracy, underestimating load-carrying capacities by an average of 1%; (iii) the Effective Width Method provides accurate and consistent predictions for columns failing by local buckling, while its predictions for local–flexural interactive buckling are more scattered and conservative; (iv) both methods exhibit increasingly conservative and scattered predictions as the column slenderness increases. In summary, the existing codified design methods specified in AISI S100 can be extended to the design of ferritic stainless steel built-up I-section columns.

Complex, dynamic, and diverse phenotypes of stress/antibiotics-induced and natural subpopulations of Mycobacteriumtuberculosis.

To explore barriers and facilitators in implementing the Safety Climate Thermometer (SCT), a new tool designed to support team-level safety culture improvement in surgical settings. The SCT acts through visual insights into safety culture themes, acting as a conversation starter, and interdisciplinary team meetings about this topic. It aims to facilitate daily practice changes. The SCT has previously been developed using user-centered design methods, which consisted of a scoping literature review and international survey. A qualitative implementation study using semi-structured interviews and observational data, guided by the implementation outcomes framework. Three surgical teams from Dutch hospitals of varying size participated between 2021 and 2023 and used the SCT's visual input and interdisciplinary team meeting structure for 7 months. Seventeen healthcare professionals, including nurses, surgeons, and managers, took part in the SCT process and subsequent interviews. The SCT facilitated an anonymous, online assessment followed by structured interprofessional discussions and goal-setting for safety improvement. Participants reported high usability and acceptability due to the tool's intuitive design and anonymity. The SCT was adaptable to different surgical contexts, though smaller teams with motivated champions and in-person facilitation appeared most suitable. Key barriers included high turnover and work pressure, competing priorities, lack of trust, and survey fatigue. Facilitators include in-person external facilitation and "protected time." Reported positive effects included strengthened team cohesion and a greater sense of being heard. The SCT is a practice-oriented, user-friendly tool for improving safety culture through team-based reflection and dialogue. Future use should prioritize exploration of contextual factors.

Several bearing capacity calculation methods have been used to design working platforms over soft soils, yet their predictive performance remains largely unvalidated. This lack of validation leaves engineers with doubts and uncertainties about the accuracy and use of these methods in their applications. This study assessed the predictive performance of widely used approaches for working platforms, including those in recent industry guides and literature. A dataset of 85 cases, comprising small-scale, centrifuge, field, and numerical studies, was compiled to evaluate the accuracy of these approaches. Key parameters, including granular layer thickness, subgrade soil undrained shear strength, and footing type and dimensions were systematically investigated. While the BR470 and Lawton-Han methods generally demonstrated closer agreement with observed bearing capacities, traditional approaches such as Load Distribution and Punching Shear showed varying degrees of bias, either over- or underestimating the ultimate bearing capacity. No single method consistently captured the influence of granular layer thickness across all test conditions. Under very soft subgrade conditions, all approaches showed diminished estimation accuracy, as evidenced by increased scatter and deviation from a unity bearing capacity ratio, even after modifications, while most methods produced conservative results for stiffer subgrades. A practical relationship was developed to estimate the critical granular layer thickness in layered systems, reflecting a nonlinear relationship with the bearing capacity ratio between the lower and upper layers. These findings are expected to contribute to the informed use and further development of design methods for more accurate and reliable bearing capacity predictions in unreinforced working platforms over soft subgrade and provide justifications for updating the current design guides and practices.

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as versatile materials for wastewater treatment owing to their high surface area, tunable porosity, and multifunctional active sites. However, the instability of pristine MOFs in aqueous environments and the leaching of metal or ligand species remain critical barriers to their practical application. This review focuses on advanced hybrid MOF composites designed for the removal of organic dyes and heavy metal ions, highlighting their structural features, removal mechanisms, and performance. The focus is made on the recent developments in composite design and functionalization approaches that improve water stability and reusability. The article also examines isotherm and kinetic models, as well as adsorption mechanisms, that govern MOF performance. Special focus is placed on the degradation processes of MOFs in water and the effects that can be reduced by hybridisation. Integrating the state-of-the-art results, this review presents a critical framework that connects synthesis, structure, performance, and reusability, providing guidelines for the rational construction of robust MOF-based adsorbents and photocatalysts to showcase an integrated approach to wastewater remediation. • Recent advances in MOF-based composites in wastewater treatment were reviewed. • MOFs and MOF-based composites design methods were summarized. • MOF-based composites are powerful adsorbents for dyes and metal ions removal. • Possible interaction mechanisms were summarized. • MOF-based composites are cost-effective with recycling and reuse potential. • The challenges and recommendations for future research hotspots were proposed.

The field of earthquake engineering has evolved significantly from conventional Force-Based Design (FBD) towards Performance-Based Design (PBD), aimed at ensuring predictable structural performance under seismic events. While PBD offers flexibility in addressing multiple performance objectives, early Displacement-Based Design (DBD) methods, particularly Direct Displacement-Based Design (DDBD), often focused solely on inter-story drift, neglecting explicit member-level performance criteria such as plastic rotation. Additionally, DDBD required iterative sizing procedures, increasing computational effort. The Unified Performance-Based Design (UPBD) method was developed to overcome these limitations by simultaneously integrating drift and performance level criteria, providing non-iterative member sizing from the outset. This review examines the evolution from FBD to PBD and the emergence of UPBD, critically evaluates comparative studies, and highlights applications across RC frames, dual systems, high-rise buildings, and bridge piers

Despite their excellent torsional and bending strength, the economical production of hypotrochoidal profiles (H-profiles) remains an obstacle to their use. Due to the tool clearance angle, the commercially available twin-spindle turning process has limited ability to manufacture many of the profiles standardized according to DIN 3689 (Deutsches Institut für Normung). On the other hand, the manufacturing of cycloidal as a non-involute special geometry using generating processes (hobbing or continuous generating grinding) depends critically on the accuracy of the tool geometry—whether a hobbing cutter or a grinding worm. Conventional tool design methods—based on approximations, involute-derived profiles, or iterative trial-and-error corrections—face fundamental limitations: unpredictable cutting force variations, elevated surface roughness, and limited process capability. However, if the exact tool geometry has been determined analytically, the same machine achieves significantly better performance. In this work, the exact tool geometry conjugated to the H-profile for profile manufacturing is determined based on the gearing law. This provides modular H-profile manufacturing without deviations. Consequently, a design concept that enables the implementation of all existing rolling processes—including gear hobbing, gear shaping, gear planning, and other variants such as gear grinding—is presented. For profile shaping of hollow contours, the transfer ratio is considered and a curve conjugated to the profile contour is determined for the tool. A CAD-based simulation shows very good consistency with the analytically determined tool geometry.

This paper investigates the emergence of design management as a professional practice through historical analysis of Michael Farr (Design Integration), founded in 1961 as Europe’s first independent design management consultancy. Drawing on materials from the V&A Archive of Art & Design, supported by secondary sources, it examines how MFDI occupied a jurisdictional gap between design practice and business management in post-war Britain. Using Abbott’s theory of professional jurisdiction, the study shows how Farr sought to define and legitimise this new professional role. A key influence was Bruce Archer and the emerging Design Methods movement, whose systematic approaches shaped MFDI’s organizational model and operational philosophy. Archer’s frameworks guided the coordination of remote freelance designers and the structuring of design processes. By analysing these early experiments, the paper sheds light on the challenges of professionalising design management, establishing legitimacy, and coordinating knowledge-intensive work – issues that still resonate in contemporary design practice and consultancy.

This research focuses on the need to clearly define the lateral design force distribution shape for the seismic design of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings. It specifically looks at the effects of soil-structure interaction (SSI) and inelastic structural behavior. Traditional seismic design methods usually assume fixed-base conditions and overlook SSI. This can result in inaccurate predictions of how much the structure will deform. To create a more reliable, data-driven seismic design framework, the study conducted extensive nonlinear time-history analyses on various regular RC buildings using OpenSeesPy both for generating a building database based on current code provisions and for assessing their dynamic response. These models vary across important factors, including fundamental periods, slenderness ratios, , and soil conditions. The spectral acceleration at the first mode period served as the measure of ground motion intensity (IM). The collected data were used to derive classical regression equations and to train machine learning models, including Neural Network Regression and Gradient-Boosting Regression Trees, to predict the optimal lateral force profile shape. These methods are essential for understanding the complex, nonlinear relationships between seismic input factors and the dynamic characteristics of a building, as well as engineering demand parameters (EDPs) such as storey drift. The study found that the key factors affecting nonlinear lateral displacement and force-shape profile include the structure's slenderness ratio , the fixed-base and flexible-base fundamental periods, and , and the IM, . By providing a probabilistic assessment, this methodology seeks to improve the outcomes of seismic design codes and enhance performance-based design for RC buildings.

Optimal Design and Analysis for Equivalence Tests in Randomized Controlled Trials

Acoustic requirement of wind turbines can be efficiently meted using optimal design methods, which balance aerodynamic and acoustic goals. Yet, considering an additional discipline in optimization drastically increases the total cost. This paper proposes a cost-effective design optimization approach based on enhanced methods for both formulation and solution. Therefore, the problem is formulated using the MASSOUD deformation-based method, and then solved based on the cost-effective meta-models. The latter are constructed using an improved radial basis function (RBF) and an adaptive sampling, which is generated starting with a Latin hypercube database and enriched iteratively based on an exploration/exploitation criterion. The evaluation of the database is achieved by the validated aero-acoustics (CFD-CAA) simulations. The trained meta-model is coupled with the multi-objective algorithm NSGA-II in order to maximize the power coefficient and reduce the generated noise. The results show a maximum increase of 22% in the power coefficient at a tip speed ratio of 3.2. A consistent attenuation of higher-order tonal components is observed for all optimized configurations, with significant reductions at the second and third harmonics Moreover, the acoustic outcomes exhibit strong directional dependency. Noise reduction is observed in the upstream rotor region, accompanied by increased noise levels in the downstream zone. These findings are supported by detailed flow field analyses, which reveal the mechanisms governing aero-acoustics behavior.

ÖZ Düşük güçlü ve düşük gerilimli sistemler, taşınabilir elektronik cihazlardan otomotiv sektörüne kadar birçok alanda karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu nedenle bu konu üzerinde birçok çalışma yapılmaktadır. MOSFET’lerin, veriminin yüksek, anahtarlama hızının yüksek ve boyutlarının küçük olmasından dolayı analog devre tasarımında kullanılan bir yapıdır. Fakat düşük gerilim düşük güçlü sistemlerde eşik geriliminin oransal olarak düşük olmaması karşılaşılan problemlerden biridir. Eşik gerilimi probleminin üstesinden gelmek amacıyla geliştirilen yöntemler bu çalışmada kapsamlı bir literatür çalışması yapılarak incelenmektedir. Geliştirilen yöntemler detaylı olarak incelenmekte ve devre yapılarına sunduğu avantajlar ve dezavantajlar hakkında bilgiler de verilmektedir.

The integration of digital tools and environmental design methods is widely recognised as essential for sustainable architectural practice. However, their influence on early design decisions and lifecycle continuity remains limited. This study introduces the concept of integration readiness and operationalises it through the Integrated Environmental Design Framework (ILPP+), which links environmental methods to project phases, decision leverage, and organisational conditions. An exploratory survey of 37 architectural design offices in the Lower Silesian region of Poland was conducted to examine how BIM, life cycle assessment (LCA), passive strategies, performance-based analysis, and monitoring practices are embedded in design workflows. The analysis combines descriptive statistics with exploratory correlation analysis to identify relationships between selected integration dimensions. The results indicate uneven patterns of integration. Passive strategies and simulations show moderate coupling (ρ = 0.60), while weaker relationships between simulations and structured decision processes (ρ = 0.40) suggest that analytical tools are not consistently used as decision-support mechanisms. Similarly, BIM shows only partial integration with LCA (ρ = 0.41) and post-occupancy evaluation (ρ = 0.46), indicating limited lifecycle continuity within the analysed sample. These findings suggest that environmental integration may be constrained not by the availability of tools but by their positioning within decision processes and across project phases. The study highlights the importance of aligning analytical methods with high-leverage design stages and strengthening feedback loops between design and operation.

In this paper, possibilities for iterative tuning of the decoupler for TITO (two inputs and two outputs) process are investigated.The developed algorithm is based on getting decouplers terms iteratively, taking into account previously defined limits of response quality indicators.The effectiveness of the designed new method has been presented in four examples using simulations.It enables similar performances as computational methods for decoupler design from the literature, but without knowing of process mathematical model.So, that is a less complicated and less time-consuming method, which can be used for adding a decoupler to an already controlled process during its functioning and also for improving terms of an existing decoupler.

Since 1989, the German Oral Health Studies (DMS) have collected nationally representative socio-epidemiologic data on oral health in Germany. For the first time, the 6th study in this series (DMS • 6) was designed as a combined cross-sectional and cohort study. The DMS • 6 cohort comprised participants from the preceding study (DMS V) who were reexamined after approximately 9 years. The primary aims of this longitudinal component of DMS • 6 were to analyze incident diseases and individual disease trajectories across the observation period and to identify antecedent risk factors. All DMS V participants from the target population served as the sampling base for the follow-up examination in the DMS • 6 cohort (baseline; n = 3,476). After excluding individuals who declined consent to participate or were lost to follow-up or quality-neutral and systematic attrition, the final sample for the DMS • 6 cohort comprised 1,089 participants, with a retention rate of 31.3%. These participants were reassessed approximately 9 years after the baseline examination and were categorized into three age groups: adolescents (12-year-olds at baseline; 20-year-olds at follow-up), adults (35- to 44-year-olds at baseline; 43- to 52-year-olds at follow-up), and seniors (65- to 74-year-olds at baseline; 73- to 82-year-olds at follow-up). Baseline data were collected from October 2013 to June 2014. The mean interval between baseline and follow-up was 9.1 (± 0.3) years. Fieldwork and data collection for the follow-up were conducted from October 2022 to September 2023. In both study waves, data on oral health, oral-health behaviors, and sociopsychological characteristics were obtained through clinical examinations and social-science surveys conducted at temporarily established study centers. Data processing and statistical analyses: Longitudinal statistical analyses comprised an epidemiologic description of changes in disease patterns over time based on a dataset weighted using calibrated attrition weights. The prevalence, distribution, and means of the relevant characteristics at baseline and follow-up were compared. Subsequently, the incidence (new onset) and progression (worsening) of each condition of interest were estimated. Cumulative incidence/progression and incidence/progression rates were reported. To quantify the magnitude of change, the mean difference between baseline and follow-up measurements and the annual rate of change were calculated. In addition, longitudinal association analyses were performed to evaluate the influence of participant characteristics on the changes in oral diseases. (Quintessence Int 2026;57 (Suppl):S4-S13; doi: 10.3290/j.qi.b6955464).

In the context of the internationalization of higher education and the increasing diversity of learners, inclusive and multicultural education has become an inevitable trend in university training. This paper aims to propose a method for designing multicultural lectures combined with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) model to meet the diverse learning needs of students in a university environment. This study utilizes document analysis, theoretical synthesis, and proposes a lesson design model. The research results suggest a six-step lesson design process: analyzing diverse learners, identifying learning outcomes, designing multicultural content, designing learning activities using UDL (Universal Learning Design), designing diverse assessments, and adjusting through feedback. The proposed model contributes to improving the quality of university teaching, promoting equality in access to education, and developing intercultural competence for students. The paper also offers some recommendations for lecturers and higher education institutions in implementing inclusive course design.

In this article, a prescribed-time output feedback controller is proposed for a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with unknown control coefficients and mismatched nonvanishing disturbances. Both unknown control coefficients and mismatched disturbances are tricky to address by the existing prescribed-time output feedback control frameworks. Differently, a novel prescribed-time control criterion in conjunction with Nussbaum functions is proposed, and prescribed-time stability is achieved. Furthermore, design methods for a state observer and a prescribed-time output feedback controller are developed. With the proposed control design, both the system output and observer errors are rigorously proved to converge to zero within a prescribed time. Moreover, the unified prescribed performance (UPP) of the system output and the satisfaction of output constraints are simultaneously achieved. Numerical simulations and experiments are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed control design.