In today’s energy landscape, defined by the growing demand for sustainable energy generation technologies and the parallel need to advance internal combustion engine (ICE) architectures toward cleaner and more efficient solutions, the adoption of Free-Piston Linear Generator (FPLG) engines emerges as a highly promising approach. This innovative system enables the direct conversion of combustion-induced piston motion into electrical energy, eliminating the need for traditional crankshaft and connecting rod mechanisms. The FPLG concept facilitates efficient utilization of a broad spectrum of fuels—including methane, ethanol, LPG, gasoline, biodiesel, and hydrogen—by supporting variable compression ratio operation. This feature enhances operational flexibility and fuel adaptability, positioning the technology as a viable candidate for future energy transition scenarios. The absence of rotating mechanical components significantly reduces frictional losses, contributing to an overall increase in system efficiency. To accurately characterize and optimize engine performance, an extensive series of one-dimensional (1D) numerical simulations was performed under both free and controlled operating conditions. The resulting data enabled the development of semi-empirical models capable of predicting the dynamic behavior of the engine across a wide range of working scenarios. Finally, through a detailed parametric analysis, the optimal operating conditions were identified to maximize both net electric efficiency and electrical power output. These findings provide a solid ground for the design and implementation of FPLG engine systems in advanced power generation applications.

Abstract. The presence and volume of high-mountain cryospheric features are drastically affected by rising air temperatures – on global scale. In the Dry Andes, precipitation is extremely scarce, shifting the hydrological significance towards the solid water storages, glaciers and ground ice. While glaciers decrease in surface area and volume, periglacially stored waters, e.g., in rock glaciers, react more retarded to atmospheric forcing, potentially buffering future water availability. Despite rising air temperatures, recent studies suggest stable permafrost conditions in the Dry Andes based on borehole investigation and rock glacier kinematics for the last decade. This apparent stability may partly reflect the extreme aridity conditions, limit snow insulation and liquid-water input, thereby damping inter-annual variability in ground thermal conditions and associated changes in rock glacier creep. We investigate vertical surface changes of 19 glaciers, three debris-covered glaciers and 59 rock glaciers in the Rodeo basin (Dry Andes, Argentina) for the time period 2019–2025. Further, we calculate rock glacier velocities for 47 of the 59 rock glaciers for which we have data for all time periods. Photogrammetric principles are followed using (tri)stereo, panchromatic Pléiades imagery to generate projected optical imagery and DEMs in Ames Stereo Pipeline. Resulting DEMs are co-registered prior to DEM differencing for vertical surface change calculation. To derive rock glacier velocities, a feature tracking approach is applied to panchromatic Pléiades orthoimagery. We detect glacier surface lowering of up to −8.99 m (total change, 2019–2025) and dominantly annual surface lowering for all glaciers investigated. Vertical surface lowering on debris-covered glaciers falls well below the magnitude of glaciers, but is higher than for rock glaciers – the latter not exceeding a decimetre. Average rock glacier velocities fall between 0.28 and 0.82 m yr−1 (Levels of Detection, LoDs: ±0.16, ±0.61). The presence of highest magnitude of horizontal velocities is different between rock glaciers, with highest horizontal velocities partially reached in the upper or lower part of the rock glacier surface. Across the 47 rock glaciers investigated, no regional trend of increasing velocities is found. In conclusion, the declining glacial domain contrasts with unchanged rock glacier velocities which elucidate stable permafrost conditions. We infer a delayed reaction of the periglacial domain to the rising temperatures that lead to the surface lowering of glaciers and highlight the need for ongoing, long(er)-time surface change monitoring in this crucial, dynamic point in time.

Human walkers encounter diverse terrains such as sand and solid ground, which result in distinct gait locomotion and energy costs. This study aims to design and validate a knee stiffness-based model predictive control approach for knee exoskeletons to assist walking on sand. A comparative analysis of human gait, kinematics, and kinetics on sand versus solid ground is conducted. A machine learning-based estimation scheme is developed to predict ground reaction forces in real time. These predictions, combined with human joint torque estimates, are used to design a knee exoskeleton controller that employs a model predictive stiffness control strategy. The experiments demonstrate significant differences in lower limb kinematics and kinetics, as well as a 15% reduction in major muscle activation and a 3.7% (albeit insignificant) reduction in metabolic cost during exoskeleton-assisted walking on sand. These results confirm that the proposed control framework effectively improves walking efficiency on sandy terrain by reducing both muscular effort and metabolic demand.

Turkey, located on one of the world’s most active fault lines, frequently experiences major earthquakes. The 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes (Mw 7.6 and 7.7) caused significant destruction and housing shortages. Post-disaster shelters are often provided using containers, which require flat and solid ground. This typically involves pouring concrete foundations, but high demand for materials and labor hinders rapid installation. This study investigates screw piles as an alternative foundation system for container settlements. Screw piles can eliminate the need for concrete, offering a faster, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solution. Finite element analyses using Abaqus were conducted to assess the structural behavior of container foundations with screw piles under real earthquake records. Additionally, a decision-making analysis based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process compares screw piles and concrete foundations in terms of cost, time, sustainability, and safety. Results show that screw piles reduce structural responses and are a more feasible post-disaster foundation solution.

Abstract The persistent demand for compact and high‐performance UHF RFID readers presents a significant design challenge, often forcing a trade‐off between antenna gain and physical footprint. This paper presents a novel multilayer antenna that achieves simultaneous gain enhancement and miniaturization. The proposed design, operating at 867 MHz, comprises an FR‐4 substrate for the radiating element, a solid ground plane, and a pivotal middle layer fabricated from PDMS. The PDMS interlayer is placed between the FR‐4 radiator and the ground plane, where it provides dielectric loading and controls the radiator‐to‐ground spacing, enabling an approximately 30% physical dimension reduction while supporting improved boresight realized gain. To validate the design, a prototype has been fabricated and experimentally characterized. Measurement results show a strong correlation with full‐wave simulations, achieving a realized gain of 4.6 dBi and a return loss of −17.35 dB at the target frequency. Furthermore, system‐level performance was evaluated in a realistic open‐air area test, where the antenna demonstrated a maximum read range of 7.2 m with a commercial RFID reader. The proposed antenna demonstrates a compelling and well‐balanced trade‐off between high realized gain, a moderately compact form factor, and robust operational performance, presenting the PDMS interlayer as an effective design element for modern UHF RFID reader antenna implementations.

Dissociative disorders (DDs) are trauma-related conditions marked by disruptions in memory, identity, and consciousness. Despite high prevalence, DDs are underdiagnosed and undertreated. This study explores the experiences of adults with DD participating in a 31-week Finding Solid Ground psychoeducational group. Participants (N = 72) were mostly women (81%) who experienced a DD or posttraumatic stress disorder dissociative subtype, along with multiple mental health comorbidities. Eight groups (seven virtual, one in-person) completed 31 weekly 90-min sessions based on the Finding Solid Ground curriculum as adjunctive to individual psychotherapy. Thematic qualitative analysis was used to analyze participants' hopes, challenges, helpful and unhelpful aspects, and perceived changes in self during group participation. Participants noted improved self-awareness, internal system communication, self-compassion, emotion regulation, hope, and overall functioning, as well as reductions in isolation, shame and self-blame, dissociative symptoms, and trauma symptoms. These findings emphasize the potential benefits of Finding Solid Ground and suggest that trauma-informed group interventions should be further researched, as they could be a scalable method of providing treatment for this underserved population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

To evaluate intergrader variability in posterior vitreous detachment (PVD) classification in patients with epiretinal membrane and macular hole on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and identify challenges in defining a reliable ground truth for artificial intelligence-based tools. A total of 437 horizontal SD-OCT B-scans were retrospectively selected and independently annotated by six experienced ophthalmologists adopting four categories: "full PVD," "partial PVD," "no PVD," and "ungradable." Intergrader agreement was assessed using pairwise Cohen kappa scores. Consensus levels, accuracy, recall, specificity, and grading time were also analyzed using the majority vote as reference. The overall average Cohen kappa was 0.57. Agreement was highest for "partial PVD" (Cohen kappa = 0.70), followed by "full PVD" (Cohen kappa = 0.65), and lowest for "no PVD" (Cohen kappa = 0.14), indicating substantial diagnostic variability. Full consensus was achieved in only 31.1% of OCT scans, whereas 11.4% required adjudication. The sensitivity for "no PVD" was notably low (0.35 ± 0.32), and misclassified OCT scans took significantly longer to grade ( P < 0.001). Our results underscore challenges associated with reliable OCT-based classification of PVD in patients with diseases of the vitreomacular interface, especially for cases with completely attached vitreous. Improving intergrader agreement through consensus grading and advanced imaging modalities will be critical for establishing a solid ground truth to support reliable, artificial intelligence-driven PVD detection systems.

To this date, the Fifth Generation (5G) of mobile communications has been deployed and has opened a great number of opportunities by increasing transmission rates (partialy through the use of MIMO systems), decreasing latency, providing the amount of bandwidth required for video services, Virual and Augmented Reality applications, and social media and providing a solid ground for the massive implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT), which we believe is still in its initial phases of development [...]

The study, aimed to assess turnover tax compliance among SMES in informal sector as a case study of Lusaka central district. The study adopted three major specific objectives which were to analyze turnover filing and payment patterns among SMEs, to assess the effectiveness of tax awareness programs in promoting compliance and to examine the impact of the broader business environment on turnover tax compliance. Furthermore, the study was bucked by Tax Compliance Theory, which aims to ascertain the economic, psychological as well as institutional factors that influences taxpayer behavior. In this regard, the study employed a descriptive research design through use of a mixed method approach with a sample size of 50 SME’s that were selected randomly as well as ZRA officers who were purposively selected from Lusaka Central District. Data was collected through a survey using structured questionnaires and was analyzed using STATA in order to generate quantitative tabulations of statistical results, whereas qualitative data was thematically analyzed. In this regard, the study findings revealed that less than 50% of SMEs in informal sector meet their turnover tax obligations on an annual basis, as respondents identified key barriers that exist in creating this gap. Therefore, the key barriers included factors such as inadequate tax awareness, unwieldy filing procedures, unpredictable business environment which are heavily characterized by economic variations as well as limited resources. Further, officer respondents from ZRA also reported some of the challenges especially in the remitting tax payment by the SME’s in within business such as system failures and other factors including late payments tracking as well as misunderstandings surrounding tax regulations, which are a clear hindrance to the compliance efforts. Furthermore, the study recommended enhancement of tax education initiatives and well as programs that are tailored to the SMEs. Additionally, the study also recommended the simplification of tax filing processes and procedure in order to create an environment for SME’s to be compliant as well as enlightening support from the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA). Moreover, the process of fostering a more stable economic environment will not only serve as essential for reassuring compliance but a key development for a compliant market. In conclusion, this research underlined critical need for targeted intervention to improving tax compliance rates amongst SMEs, which leaves a solid and vital ground for an increased government revenue that provides support to sustainable growth of the SME sector in Zambia.

With the increasing requirements for “Green Mine” construction, Cemented Tailings Backfill (CTB) has emerged as the preferred strategy for solid waste management and ground pressure control in underground metal mines. However, full tailings, characterized by wide particle size distribution and high fine-grained content, exhibit complex physicochemical properties that lead to significant non-linear behavior in slurry rheology and strength evolution, posing challenges for accurate prediction using traditional empirical formulas. Addressing the issues of significant strength fluctuations and difficulties in mix proportion optimization in a specific lead–zinc mine, this study systematically conducted physicochemical characterizations, slurry sedimentation and transport performance evaluations, and mechanical strength tests. Through multi-factor coupling experiments, the synergistic effects of cement type, cement-to-tailings (c/t) ratio, slurry concentration, and curing age on backfill performance were elucidated. Quantitative results indicate that solids mass concentration is the critical factor determining transportability. Concentrations exceeding 68% effectively mitigate segregation and stratification during the filling process while maintaining optimal fluidity. Regarding mechanical properties, the c/t ratio and concentration show a significant positive correlation with Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS). For instance, with a 74% concentration and 1:4 c/t ratio, the 3-day strength increased by 1.4 times compared to the 68% concentration, with this increment expanding to 2.0 times by 28 days. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of four cement types revealed that 42.5# cement offers superior techno-economic indicators in terms of reducing binder consumption and enhancing early-age strength. This research not only establishes an optimized mix proportion scheme tailored to the operational requirements of the lead–zinc mine but also provides a quantitative scientific basis and theoretical framework for the material design and safe production of CTB systems incorporating high fine-grained full tailings.

Thirty years ago, starting from a new awareness of the limits of biomedical power and healthcare services to solve all population' health problems, the Ottawa Conference coined a New Public Health by defining Health Promotion (HP) as "the process of enabling people to increase control over and to improve their health and well-being". Since then and over the next 30 years, several programs have been developed all over the world to translate HP concepts into practical actions many health successe: have been achieved as well. Nowadays, even if the global health contexti strongly changed, the original principles of HP still provide a solid ground for action, being the community engagement and empowerment of women and men still at the heart of any health strategy, in a shared responsibility of all society's sectors approach. However, since now HP promotion efforts have been directed toward priority health problems in a issue- settings-based approach, but in a sustainable and ethical prospective this will be not enough now: a deeper attention on effectiveness is request and an evidence- and value-based HP approach is needed support the Public Health community and the policy-making, including the new challenges related to Public Health Genomics.

ABSTRACT The way in which soil health is helping to draw people's attention to soil science is unprecedented in history. Yet, soil scientists may find it difficult to accept that this popularized term is necessary, as similar terms already exist. In this opinion, we want to draw once more the boundaries between the different concepts. We congratulate Alewell et al. for placing this discussion on a solid ground. May it provide a basis for vivid discussion, identify knowledge gaps, and boost soil awareness on a solid scientific foundation.

The order topology has been historically defined only for totally ordered sets. Here, the order topology in partially ordered sets will be constructed. Several attempts have been provided in the recent litera-ture on partially ordered groups, rings and modules. This manuscript contains a full construction that provides solid foundational ground to the previous attempts and serves to pay tribute to the topological trajectory of Prof. Ricceri.

The rapid growth of the demand for quick and easy services in schools and universities brought about the transferring of the traditional canteen operations to virtual means. The article presents orderly eats, a food ordering application, which has been developed in order to facilitate students in their canteen ordering. The app lets students check the menu, place orders at any spot, and enter a little info such as their name and faculty and pay via a secure UPI QR code-based payment system. Once a payment is completed, the app creates a specific order token. This allows students to avoid the long queues and collect their food when it is comfortable for them. The backend consists of Firebase Firestore for real-time database and order tracking, while the Android interface is built with Java using Android Studio. The canteen personnel is equipped with an admin interface that gets new orders, manually verifies payments, and changes order statuses such as Approved and Ready for Pickup. These changes are immediately shown in the student's app, which guarantees efficient communication. The system that has been presented increases the operational efficiency, lowers the waiting time, decreases the number of people at the canteen during peak hours, and improves the user's overall experience. The app was built as a mini-project that demonstrates the practical uses of mobile development, cloud database integration, and digital payment processes. It has been shown that Namma Canteen can not only modernize the management of the canteen to a great extent but also provide a solid ground for the future improvements such as automatic payment verification and push notifications.

In the early 2020s, the close relationship between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran was signi cantly strengthened. Higher education is one of the most important areas of cooperation between two countries. Russian medical and technical universities are popular with Iranians. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the state organization responsible for attracting foreign students is currently Rossotrudnichestvo. It is therefore necessary to consider the traditions established by its predecessor, the All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (VOKS), when working with Iranian students. The present article is based on solid archival ground, relying on the unpublished documents from the VOKS les of the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF) and published documents from Iranian archives. The aim of this research is to provide a comprehensive description of VOKS’ strategy for working with potential and current students from Iran, highlighting the internal and external factors that in uence VOKS’ performance. It also sheds light on several important case studies related to the problems Iranian students faced in the USSR, including expulsions, internships, and employment. The neo-institutional approach, which emphasizes the actions of individuals within an organization, is employed to demonstrate VOKS’s place among Soviet institutions and to show how the work with Iranian students was organized and in what way this in uenced their life and the success of Soviet cultural diplomacy in Iran. Studying medicine or technical subjects was as popular with Iranians then as it is today. It is concluded that Iranian students who managed to gain support from both VOKS and diplomatic o cials from the USSR and Iran were successful. Attracting international students from Asia and Africa to Russia is relevant in the 21st century because of the “turn to the East” foreign policy strategy and the expansion and cooperation of the BRICS organization.

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a dangerous health problem, is driven by excessive and incorrect usages of the antibiotics in both clinical and farming environments. Escherichia coli is an opportunistic bacteria and a sentinel species used in AMR monitoring, and it usually contains a repertoire of acquired resistance genes and chromosomal mutations. Aim: The objective of the present work was to examine the genomic landscape of antibiotic resistance in a cache of 31 E. coli strains isolated in Iraq, Iran and Turkey and to implement a multifaceted approach based on a combination of genome-wide screening, mutational profiling and machine learning. Methods: Assemblies of genomes were retrieved in the Bacterial and Viral Bioinformatics Resource Center (BV-BRC), and resistance genes were identified with ResFinder and ABRicate. To discover high impact mutations of major genes such as gyrA, parC, ompF, and acrR, variant calling was used. We augmented phenotypic resistance in ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, and cefotaxime and used the data with the genomic data to ensure Random Forest classifiers were trained and to determine feature importance. Results: The most common acquired resistance genes included blaTEM-1B (87%), sul1 (77%), aadA1 (71%) and qnrS1 (65%). The frequency of mutations at gyrA S83L and parC S80I sites was more than 70% among isolates, testifying to their role in resistance to fluoroquinolone. The models of machine learning recognized aac(3)-IId, blaTEM-1B, and sul1 as the best predictors of phenotypic resistance. Conclusions: Interaction occurs between acquired and chromosomal resistance mechanisms in E. coli landscape construction of AMR in the Middle East. Bioinformatics and machine learning would offer solid ground of resistance prediction and surveillance, and increase the need of context-sensitive plans of AMR endeavors.

PURPOSE: This article examines how knowledge production creates and maintains colonial dominance and unequal power relations between the Global North and the Global South, with a focus on the context of international inclusive education. It questions how participatory research approaches can methodologically manage these power relations in international practice settings. Dominant Eurocentric scholarship and knowledge have created processes of Othering to justify the supposed superiority of knowledge and practices from the Global North and the assumed inferiority of knowledge from the South. Thus, it is important to understand how the production of knowledge, in the colonial past and contemporary neocolonial world, is shaped by power dynamics and relations. Inclusive education can play a significant role to help these colonial dynamics and their impact on practices that affect marginalized social groups. These power imbalances influence intercultural and international research projects, especially in the field of inclusion and disability. Despite extensive knowledge about disability in the Global South, Eurocentric and Western knowledge production is largely dominated by the Global North. METHOD: The article offers a dialogue on the extent to which participatory research can methodologically help manage these power relations in international comparative research on disability and inclusion. The paper also discusses limitations and challenges faced by inclusive education researchers navigating global power dynamics and realities. The paper offer recommendations on how to decolonize inclusive education research informed participatory research informed by postcolonial thinking and Ubuntu World views. RESULTS: The theoretical dialogue shows that participatory research, with its ontological and epistemological foundations, is able to decolonize research in the international research context on disability. CONCLUSION: The conclusion of this work is that a foundation of postcolonial theories, participatory research and disability/inclusive education provides a solid ground for initiating a paradigm shift.

A variety of bacterial species are able to spontaneously assemble into an aerotactic band, a local accumulation at a fixed distance from the air-water interface. Although the phenomenon is long known, its modeling so far is limited to mesoscopic, one-dimensional or numerical descriptions. We investigate band properties at the microscopic scale using exact solutions to the Fokker-Planck equation. First, we show that the interplay between oxygen consumption and tumbling modulation is governed by a third-order nonlinear differential equation relating the oxygen concentration to the aerotactic response. For two model aerotactic behaviors, we present analytical solutions and discuss the resulting band structure. Second, we investigate how an aerotactic band of magnetotactic bacteria in a magnetic field induces a fluid flow, as observed in experiments [Marmol et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. (2025), doi: 10.1103/qrgn-m91t]. In the low-field limit, we determine the bacterial distribution and the active stress tensor. Using the Green function of the hydrodynamic problem, we obtain a prediction for the fluid flow that is both simple and consistent with observations. Altogether, our results provide a model system of aerotactic band and solid ground for analyzing aerotaxis-driven self-organization.

Verification, validation, and cross-comparison of tritium transport codes FESTIM, MHIMS, and mHIT

Revealing the relationship between Cu valence and product selectivity in CO2 electrolysis.