Hussain H. Al-Kayiem^1,*, Raed A. Jessam², Sinan S. Hamdi³, Ali M. Tukkee^4,5

Energy Engineering, Vol.122, No.4, pp. 1311-1335, 2025, DOI:10.32604/ee.2025.061709 - 31 March 2025

Abstract Size reduction of the gas turbines (GT) by reducing the inlet S-shaped diffuser length increases the power-to-weight ratio. It improves the techno-economic features of the GT by lesser fuel consumption. However, this Length reduction of a bare S-shaped diffuser to an aggressive S-shaped diffuser would risk flow separation and performance reduction of the diffuser and the air intake of the GT. The objective of this research is to propose and assess fitted energy promoters (EPs) to enhance the S-shaped diffuser performance by controlling and modifying the flow in the high bending zone of the diffuser.… More >

Haoran Li^1,2, Yayou Xu³, Zihan Zhang^1,2, Feng Han^1,2, Ye-Tang Pan^2,*, Rongjie Yang²

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.42, No.1, pp. 33-55, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2025.062352 - 27 March 2025

Abstract The thermal stability of lithium-ion battery separators is a critical determinant of battery safety and performance, especially in the context of rapidly expanding applications in electric vehicles and energy storage systems. While traditional polyolefin separators (PP/PE) dominate the market due to their cost-effectiveness and mechanical robustness, their inherent poor thermal stability poses significant safety risks under high-temperature conditions. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of recent advancements in enhancing separator thermal stability through coating materials (metal, ceramic, inorganic) and novel high-temperature-resistant polymers (e.g., PVDF copolymers, PI, PAN). Notably, we critically evaluate the trade-offs between thermal… More >

Baoping Zou^1,2, Jiahao Yin^1,2, Chunhui Cao^1,2,*, Xu Long^3,*

Journal of Polymer Materials, Vol.42, No.1, pp. 255-275, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jpm.2025.062081 - 27 March 2025

Abstract The ongoing operation of subway systems makes existing tunnels vulnerable to deformations and structural damage caused by adjacent foundation pit construction. Such deformations-manifesting as horizontal displacement, heightened lateral convergence, and internal force redistribution-may significantly compromise subway operational safety. Grouting remediation has become a widely adopted solution for tunnel deformation control and structural reinforcement. Developing optimized grouting materials is crucial for improving remediation effectiveness, ensuring structural integrity, and maintaining uninterrupted subway operations. This investigation explores the substitution of fine mortar aggregates with 0.1 mm discarded rubber particles at varying concentrations (0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, 12%, and More >

Tien-Wen Sung¹, Wei Li¹, Chao-Yang Lee^2,*, Yuzhen Chen¹, Qingjun Fang¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.83, No.1, pp. 407-434, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.061694 - 26 March 2025

Abstract To transmit customer power data collected by smart meters (SMs) to utility companies, data must first be transmitted to the corresponding data aggregation point (DAP) of the SM. The number of DAPs installed and the installation location greatly impact the whole network. For the traditional DAP placement algorithm, the number of DAPs must be set in advance, but determining the best number of DAPs is difficult, which undoubtedly reduces the overall performance of the network. Moreover, the excessive gap between the loads of different DAPs is also an important factor affecting the quality of the… More >

Stellar Choi¹, HeeAe Ko², KyungRok Bae³, HyunSook Lee², HaeJong Joo⁴, Woong Choi^5,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.83, No.1, pp. 335-355, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.061243 - 26 March 2025

Abstract Previous research utilizing Cartoon Generative Adversarial Network (CartoonGAN) has encountered limitations in managing intricate outlines and accurately representing lighting effects, particularly in complex scenes requiring detailed shading and contrast. This paper presents a novel Enhanced Pixel Integration (EPI) technique designed to improve the visual quality of images generated by CartoonGAN. Rather than modifying the core model, the EPI approach employs post-processing adjustments that enhance images without significant computational overhead. In this method, images produced by CartoonGAN are converted from Red-Green-Blue (RGB) to Hue-Saturation-Value (HSV) format, allowing for precise adjustments in hue, saturation, and brightness, thereby… More >

Qinglei Zhang, Bai Hu^*, Jiyun Qin, Jianguo Duan, Ying Zhou

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.83, No.1, pp. 1257-1273, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.059955 - 26 March 2025

Abstract Grasping is one of the most fundamental operations in modern robotics applications. While deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has demonstrated strong potential in robotics, there is too much emphasis on maximizing the cumulative reward in executing tasks, and the potential safety risks are often ignored. In this paper, an optimization method based on safe reinforcement learning (Safe RL) is proposed to address the robotic grasping problem under safety constraints. Specifically, considering the obstacle avoidance constraints of the system, the grasping problem of the manipulator is modeled as a Constrained Markov Decision Process (CMDP). The Lagrange multiplier… More >

Lijuan Zhang^1,2, Xiaoyu Wang^1,2, Songtao Zhang³, Yutong Jiang^4,*, Dongming Li¹, Weichen Sun⁴

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.83, No.1, pp. 1219-1237, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.059856 - 26 March 2025

Abstract In this paper, a reasoning enhancement method based on RGCN (Relational Graph Convolutional Network) is proposed to improve the detection capability of UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) on fast-moving military targets in urban battlefield environments. By combining military images with the publicly available VisDrone2019 dataset, a new dataset called VisMilitary was built and multiple YOLO (You Only Look Once) models were tested on it. Due to the low confidence problem caused by fuzzy targets, the performance of traditional YOLO models on real battlefield images decreases significantly. Therefore, we propose an improved RGCN inference model, which improves More >

Ulla Milbreta^1,2, Laura Andze¹, Juris Zoldners¹, Ilze Irbe¹, Marite Skute¹, Inese Filipova^1,*

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.13, No.3, pp. 583-597, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.057663 - 20 March 2025

Abstract This study investigated the potential of locally sourced mushrooms as a sustainable alternative to marine-derived chitosan in papermaking. Chitosan was extracted from four local (Boletus edulis, Suillus luteus, Leccinum aurantiacum, Suillus variegatus), one commercially available (Agaricus bisporus) and one laboratory-grown (Phanerochaete chrysosporium) fungal species. Paper handsheets were prepared using either 100% regenerated paper or a 50/50 blend of regenerated paper and hemp fibres. 2.5% chitosan (based on dry mass) was incorporated into the paper mass, using chitosan sourced from B. edulis, A. bisporus, P. chrysosporium, and crustacean chitosan. Fungal chitosan sources were selected based on multiple factors. B. edulis exhibited the highest chitosan yield… More >

Mohamad Firdaus Omar¹, Fathilah Ali^1,*, Mohammed Saedi Jami¹, Azlin Suhaida Azmi¹, Farah Ahmad¹, Mohd Zahid Marzuki², Shantha Kumari Muniyandi³, Zuraidah Zainudin⁴, Minsoo P. Kim⁵

Journal of Renewable Materials, Vol.13, No.3, pp. 497-538, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jrm.2024.057248 - 20 March 2025

Abstract This review provides a comprehensive overview of natural rubber (NR) composites, focusing on their properties, compounding aspects, and renewable practices involving natural fibre reinforcement. The properties of NR are influenced by the compounding process, which incorporates ingredients such as elastomers, vulcanizing agents, accelerators, activators, and fillers like carbon black and silica. While effective in enhancing properties, these fillers lack biodegradability, prompting the exploration of sustainable alternatives. The potential of natural fibres as renewable reinforcements in NR composites is thoroughly covered in this review, highlighting both their advantages, such as improved sustainability, and the challenges they More > Graphic Abstract

Zheng Zhang, Hengyang Wu^*, Na Wang

Journal on Artificial Intelligence, Vol.7, pp. 17-37, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jai.2025.059607 - 19 March 2025

Abstract This paper proposes a knowledge-enhanced disease diagnosis method based on a prompt learning framework. Addressing challenges such as the complexity of medical terminology, the difficulty of constructing medical knowledge graphs, and the scarcity of medical data, the method retrieves structured knowledge from clinical cases via external knowledge graphs. The method retrieves structured knowledge from external knowledge graphs related to clinical cases, encodes it, and injects it into the prompt templates to enhance the language model’s understanding and reasoning capabilities for the task. We conducted experiments on three public datasets: CHIP-CTC, IMCS-V2-NER, and KUAKE-QTR. The results More >