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Found 6289 publications
Polymer and Fiber Modification of Asphalt Mixtures
Publication Name: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 1768 LNNS
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 1-15
Description:
The incorporation of various fibers into SBS-modified asphalt mixtures can markedly enhance their performance, offering a more economical approach than simply increasing the SBS content. This research investigated the effects of adding Basalt, Polyester, and Lignin fibers to a bitumen binder modified with 3% SBS and compared the results to a 7% SBS mixture without fibers. Laboratory evaluations, including indirect tensile strength and Dynamic Shear Rheometer (DSR) testing, were carried out to assess the mechanical properties of the mixtures. Additionally, finite element simulations based on the Burgers-Logit model were performed, along with microstrain analyses, to examine rutting and fatigue behavior, providing further context to the experimental findings. Results indicated that fiber-reinforced mixtures exhibited superior performance, with noticeable improvements in tensile strength and complex shear modulus. Among the fibers tested, Basalt fiber delivered the highest overall performance, surpassing the other types. Notably, the mixture containing Basalt fiber showed a 25% increase in rutting resistance and a 28% enhancement in fatigue damage resistance relative to the 7% SBS mixture.
Open Access: Yes
Structural behavior of built-up I-shaped high-strength cold-formed steel columns with edge-stiffened holes, unstiffened holes, plain webs, and batten reinforcement
Publication Name: Thin Walled Structures
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 218
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Cold-formed steel (CFS) back-to-back channel sections are widely employed as load-bearing structural components due to their high strength-to-weight ratio and ease of fabrication. These sections are often perforated to facilitate service installations; however, the presence of holes alters stress distribution, reduces axial load capacity, and increases the complexity of structural analysis. To investigate these effects, a geometrically and materially nonlinear finite element (FE) model was developed and validated against experimental data from existing literature. Specifically, the validation results demonstrated a strong correlation, with the ratios of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Direct Strength Method (DSM) predictions to experimental findings being 1.001 and 1.003, respectively. These results indicate a high level of agreement between experimental data, FE analysis, and strength predictions according to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and the Australian/New Zealand Standards (AS/NZS). Subsequently, the validated FE model was utilized to perform an extensive parametric study involving 130 simulations to examine the influence of hole geometry, edge stiffeners, and batten reinforcement plates on the axial capacity of built-up CFS columns. The results indicate that unstiffened slotted holes lead to an approximate 10.3% reduction in strength, whereas edge-stiffened square holes contribute to a 2.7% increase in axial capacity. Additionally, batten-reinforced unstiffened rectangular holes and edge-stiffened rectangular holes were found to enhance strength by approximately 7.5% and 15.5%, respectively. Moreover, incorporating batten plate reinforcements in plain columns improved axial capacity by approximately 6%. These findings provide valuable insights into the structural behavior of perforated CFS built-up columns and highlight the effectiveness of hole stiffeners and batten reinforcements in mitigating strength reductions caused by perforations.
Open Access: Yes
Comprehensive Analysis of Radial- and Axial Flux Synchronous Reluctance Machines for Electric Vehicle Applications
Publication Name: Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 1768 LNNS
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 399-420
Description:
Synchronous Reluctance Machines (SRMs) have been gaining considerable research interest recently because of the absence of the permanent magnets (no rare-earth materials), their robust construction and high partial load efficiency. Their inherently lower torque density compared to permanent magnet synchronous machines remains a challenge. However, adopting an axial flux topology could potentially improve this feature. This paper analyzes the properties of the axial flux configuration and compares them with those of the traditional radial flux topology for synchronous reluctance machines used in electric vehicles. The paper focuses on the differences in the torque-production, in the efficiency, in the torque densities and in the weight and the physical dimensions. Additionally, this paper examines the material costs for the two machine types and investigates their predicted future prices to determine the more cost-effective solution for electric vehicle applications. Simulation investigations will be carried out to examine these properties. It will be shown that the axial flux topology is an attractive alternative to the nowadays widely used radial flux one in the case of synchronous reluctance machines of electric vehicles.
Open Access: Yes
Empowering resilience: celebrating and accelerating women’s transformative contributions to plant abiotic stress research (2010–2025)
Publication Name: Frontiers in Plant Science
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 17
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The growing incidence of abiotic stresses ranging from soil salinity and prolonged drought to increasingly frequent temperature extremes continues to challenge global agriculture and jeopardize food security. As these pressures intensify under a changing climate, the demand for resilient crop systems and deeper biological understanding is greater than ever. Over the past decade and a half (2010–2025), women scientists have played a pivotal yet often under-recognized role in advancing plant abiotic stress research. Their contributions span a wide scientific spectrum, from elucidating redox-based signaling networks and stress-responsive physiological pathways to pioneering multi-omics approaches and developing innovative biotechnological tools aimed at improving crop tolerance. This review synthesizes the scientific progress achieved through research efforts led by women as first authors, corresponding authors, or principal investigators, highlighting exemplary studies and emerging themes that have shaped the field. Alongside these accomplishments, the review addresses persistent structural and institutional barriers that limit women’s participation in STEM, particularly within plant sciences, and evaluates global initiatives designed to promote equity and inclusion in research environments. By integrating scientific advances with social and institutional perspectives, the review outlines a strategic roadmap to support and amplify innovation driven by women scientists, including as leaders in research teamsin plant stress biology. Ultimately, fostering gender equity in this discipline is more than an ethical responsibility it is a necessary foundation for building sustainable, climate-resilient agricultural systems for the future.
Open Access: Yes
Exercise addiction: A review and evaluation of current research and theory
Publication Name: Journal of Behavioral Addictions
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Background and Aims: While regular physical activity provides many health benefits, exercise can cause more harm than good when done excessively to the point where a person loses control. This condition has been called various names, but the most accurate term is ‘exercise addiction’ (EA) because it reflects both compulsive behavior and dependence. EA is classified as a non-substance-related addictive disorder, or behavioral addiction, and has been the subject of research for over fifty years. However, it is not officially recognized in major diagnostic systems, mainly due to significant conceptual and measurement challenges. This paper provides an overview of current knowledge on EA, including its causes, assessment issues, epidemiology, associated conditions, negative effects, and options for treatment and prevention. Methods: An evaluation-driven narrative review was conducted which synthesized findings from empirical research and theoretical models adopted across EA research. It critically examined prevailing conceptualizations, methodological challenges, and potential treatment approaches. Results: Epidemiological findings are inconsistent and report inflated prevalence rates, partly due to reliance on self-report instruments that often fail to distinguish pathological exercise from passion. Etiological models emphasize the complex interplay between biological, psychological, and behavioral factors. Negative consequences include physical injury, emotional distress, and social strain. Evidence for effective interventions remains sparse. Discussion and Conclusions: Despite growing interest, progress remains slow. There is a need for larger, longitudinal, and experimental studies to advance understanding. Though not included in the DSM-5, greater clinical awareness is vital for early detection and prevention. EA is clinically relevant but still poorly defined, requiring robust empirical and theoretical work.
Open Access: Yes
Optimized machine learning approach for detecting TCP exhaustion attacks in modbus-TCP/IP networks
Publication Name: Journal of Intelligent Systems
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 35
Issue: 1
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
The Modbus TCP/IP protocol, widely adopted in industrial communications, lacks essential security features, making it vulnerable to cyberattacks such as TCP Connection Exhaustion. This paper proposes a machine learning-based detection framework using the Random Forest (RF) algorithm to identify malicious traffic in Operational Technology (OT) networks. A simulated testbed was created using virtual machines to emulate Modbus server-client communication under normal and attack conditions. Our model achieved F1-score of 99.83 %, precision of 99.9 %, and recall of 99.7 %, clearly demonstrating its accuracy and robustness. These results validate the proposed approach as a lightweight, real-time, and effective intrusion detection system suitable for resource-constrained industrial environments.
Open Access: Yes
Atomic Beam Probe Synthetic Diagnostic in the COMPASS Tokamak and Its Application in Fusion Plasmas
Publication Name: Fusion Science and Technology
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 82
Issue: 3
Page Range: 636-658
Description:
The atomic beam probe (ABP) is a beam diagnostic concept that opens opportunities in plasma edge measurements due to the sensitivity of the magnetic field and the high temporal resolution. The first ABP has been installed and is operating on the COMPASS tokamak. A new numerical toolset, which is the subject of this paper, was required to model the diagnostic to accurately detect the alkali beam. For further development and understanding of the diagnostic, this tool had to be designed to simulate different magnetic field configurations in a performance-efficient manner. The TAIGA synthetic diagnostic (TAIGA-SD), which was implemented with a massively parallel trajectory solver core that runs on graphic cards to support experiments, provides a better understanding of measurements and has opened opportunities for future applications. This paper presents the model concept with relevant physical processes and necessary simplifications. The submodules implemented or integrated into the synthetic diagnostic are explained and described, and their scopes of validity are highlighted. This includes the integration of RENATE-OD for the primary ionization radial distribution for lithium beams, as well as the implementation and verification of a combined electron impact and charge exchange ionization module for other alkaline beams, which is a new atomic physics solver. Calculations were performed to investigate the relation between magnetic field, electron density, and temperature perturbations. Further simulations were run to estimate beam attenuation due to secondary ionization. The utilization of the ABP synthetic diagnostic is demonstrated by comparing it with the measurements.
Open Access: Yes
A Monte carlo framework for procedural fixture fairness evaluation in league competitions
Publication Name: Annals of Operations Research
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: Unknown
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: Unknown
Description:
Fairness is a critical yet underexplored dimension of tournament scheduling, where fixture asymmetries can systematically distort competition outcomes. This paper develops a Monte Carlo simulation framework as a general decision-support tool for assessing procedural fairness in league formats, isolating distortions arising from fixture structure rather than team strength or ranking rules. The approach integrates probabilistic match outcome modelling with two complementary fairness indicators: total fairness bias, capturing the magnitude of schedule-induced distortions, and the Gini index, measuring their distribution across participants. By incorporating competition-specific importance weights, the framework enables a context-aware, two-dimensional assessment applicable to any round-robin or multi-phase format, and can be embedded as a modular component into optimization, heuristics, or machine learning–based scheduling systems. To illustrate its applicability, we apply the framework to two European football leagues with structurally asymmetric designs. The results show how corrective mechanisms – such as home/away balancing phases – can significantly reduce fairness distortions compared to uncorrected triple round-robin structures. Beyond the case studies, the contribution is methodological: the framework provides a reproducible tool for fairness assessment and a foundation for fairness-aware optimization and scheduling methods applicable across sports and competition formats. Although demonstrated on football, the methodology is domain-independent and transferable to any context where fairness and equity are of relevance.
Open Access: Yes
Uncovering network changes in the evolution of an innovation niche
Publication Name: Social Networks
Publication Date: 2026-01-01
Volume: 84
Issue: Unknown
Page Range: 87-100
Description:
The present paper aims at unravelling the networking dynamics regarding the evolution of an innovation-niche, by looking at its network configuration over time. To this end, we investigate the actors’ role within the network as well as the network architecture. We employ the social network analysis (SNA) to four different but interrelated types of networks characterising the Italian biofuel industry. Each network was investigated in both its development and maturity phase. Our findings show that, over the niche evolution, actors established new relations, increasing networks’ density and making the networks more centralized. Furthermore, while two out of four networks confirmed their small world configuration over time, one (i.e. “communication” network) increased its small-world-ness, providing a larger number of information channels and more social reinforcement chances for niche actors to innovate. Overall, results suggest that policy makers should accompany and ease the innovation-niche evolution path by fostering the participation of the laggard behind and actors' clusterization, moderating any possible lock-in risk.
Open Access: Yes
