Abstract: This preliminary computational assessment examines an electromechanical carbody tilting concept (Kazakhstan Patent No. 37405): the carbody rotates on bogie-mounted rollers about a roll centre above its centre of gravity, driven by a servo pinion and an arc-shaped rack. A quasi-static model links seven design variables and ten vehicle, track and gear-load parameters, from 1520 mm rules, published data or assumptions, to the model speed limit, gauge clearance, actuator demand and ISO 6336 safety factors. Morris and Sobol' analyses, a two-stage design (NSGA-II layout, reliability-constrained gear sizing), Monte Carlo, drive-failure, wheel-unloading and rack-fastening estimates and a finite element cross-check were performed. In a first-order gauge check, a full-width coach can tilt at most 2.95°. A candidate layout with a 3.00 m carbody and a 2.8 m rack radius reaches a model-limited 130 km/h (conventional 101 km/h), or 116 km/h with a 100 mm lateral gauge allowance. Its conditional gear failure probabilities stay below 1% under the assumed uniform distributions but not under assumed correlations, wider load-factor ranges or model-error factors. After a drive failure the undamped carbody exceeds the gauge; an end stop, damper and brake are required. All speeds are model-limited, not operational limits, and require experimental validation.

Abstract: This paper studies how recursive training on synthetic data affects the pricing of tail risk. Financial institutions and insurers commonly use risk models to estimate the probability of rare events, such as hurricanes or earthquakes. Given the lack of real observations of these events, these models have increasingly incorporated synthetic draws in recent years, including those produced by previous versions of the same model. Because the models tend to under-sample rare events, each round of training understates the tail slightly, and recursive training compounds these understatements. As a result, the estimated tail probability settles below the truth, with the largest proportional bias for the safest issuers. I also consider what happens when the number of defaults, and hence the amount of real data, depends in turn on the estimated tail probability. Since a lower estimate tightens spreads and reduces defaults, a long period of calm during which tail risks do not materialize can raise the share of synthetic data and tip the market into a persistent low-information state, which I call tail amnesia. Finally, I show that a policy requiring a minimum share of real data in training rules out this state and caps the bias.

Abstract: High-speed rail (HSR) could improve community connectivity and reshape intercity mobility in Canada. This study evaluates the proposed Québec City–Toronto HSR corridor through a scenario-based cost–benefit analysis of construction and operating costs, vehicle operating cost savings, travel-time savings, indicative carbon-reduction benefits, and accident reductions. Tourism spending and property-value appreciation are examined separately and excluded from societal benefit–cost ratios (BCRs) and net present values (NPVs). Using an 80-year operating horizon and a 3% discount rate, an immediate-operation diagnostic calculation yields conventional BCRs of 1.14–1.77 and positive NPVs of approximately $9.8–$92.9 billion under the retained ridership and travel-time assumptions. An illustrative phased appraisal incorporating ten years of construction and periodic capital renewals produces BCRs of 0.94–1.49 and NPVs of −$3.8 billion to $52.4 billion. Travel-time savings constitute the largest quantified benefit. Sensitivity tests show that lower demand, reduced time benefits, higher capital costs, and higher discount rates can substantially weaken economic performance, with several tests producing BCRs below unity. The findings indicate that positive net benefits depend on the assumptions used and do not hold across all tested scenarios. The study highlights the need for verified demand forecasts, consistent valuation inputs, and comprehensive lifecycle costing when assessing Canadian HSR investment.

Abstract: Traditional seismic excitation sources often perform poorly in complex urban settings. In this study, an innovative portable electromagnetic impact source is introduced. The design and manufacturing principles are detailed, and the performance is verified through comprehensive simulations. Furthermore, field experiments are conducted to assess the device's energy output, frequency range, and imaging accuracy in real-world engineering surveys. Experimental results show that compared with the traditional sledgehammer source, the electromagnetic impact seismic source has stronger excitation energy (the impact kinetic energy is about 1218 J, which is about 5 times that of the 24-pound sledgehammer source), and a wider frequency band (the widest range is 0.1–1200 Hz), which is critical for detection depth and accuracy. The obtained seismic data have a wider frequency band and a higher reflected wave signal-to-noise ratio, which effectively improves the resolution and detection depth of underground anomalies. The spatial distribution of air-raid shelters can be clearly identified based on the transient amplitude profile, which verifies the applicability and reliability of the electromagnetic impact source in seismic engineering surveys and demonstrates its good application prospects in the field of underground space detection. It is especially suitable for accurately detecting caves and air-raid shelters that are prone to collapse in urban road environments.

Abstract: The conjunctival lymphatic network is critical for ocular surface immunity, aqueous humor drainage after glauco-ma surgery, and subconjunctival drug delivery, yet its in vivo architecture in humans remains incompletely char-acterized. This study aimed to visualize and describe the in vivo architecture and functional dynamics of conjunc-tival lymphatic vessels using a modified trypan blue injection technique. Ninety eyes of 78 patients undergoing rou-tine cataract surgery were enrolled. A modified intratissue injection technique using a 34 gauge needle, a silicone tube adapter, and 0.08 % trypan blue was applied at standardized locations (limbus, 4 mm, 7 mm, and fornix), with real time video recording under the operating microscope in all cases. A total of 249 investigations were performed, with successful lymphatic visualization in 143 (57.4 %). Three distinct lymphatic plexuses were identified: superfi-cial, intermediate, and deep. The superficial plexus showed a valve like “pearl beads” morphology with blind ending segments; the intermediate plexus consisted of larger collectors draining toward the fornix; and the deep plexus—previously undescribed—comprised flat, interconnected vessels without visible valves, filled exclu-sively via inter plexus lymphatic bridges. Limbal lymphatic capillaries originated only from the intermediate and deep plexuses. Drainage followed a consistent nasal to temporal and posterior to fornix pattern, and blood ele-ments were observed replacing trypan blue within lymphatic vessels during and after surgical manipulation. This study provides the first in vivo description of a three plexus conjunctival lymphatic architecture in humans and identifies inter plexus bridges as a novel anatomical feature. The modified trypan blue technique proved effective for mapping both structure and dynamics, even when subconjunctival dye depots formed, confirming its utility for in vivo lymphatic visualization.

Abstract: Long-term energy forecasting in a dynamically changing environment requires combining information contained in historical data with expert knowledge about structural, technological and policy changes. However, expert scenarios often disagree, and their relative credibility is difficult to assess. We propose a framework for combining a statistical forecast with expert scenarios while explicitly retaining uncertainty about both scenario outcomes and their relative importance. We examine this problem using gas demand in Poland up to 2040. A statistical forecast based on historical data provides a transparent reference, while expert scenarios developed by three organizations represent alternative structural developments that may not be captured by historical extrapolation alone. Uncertainty around the statistical forecast is represented by a probability distribution, while expert deviations from it are represented by triangular fuzzy numbers. We fix the total weight assigned to expert alternatives but leave its allocation among them unspecified. The combined result is a probability box, which gives lower and upper probability bounds. In the current case study, all expert scenarios imply higher demand than the statistical reference in 2030, while their demand levels differ strongly in 2040. In 2035, the midpoint of the combined expected-value interval remains close to the statistical reference despite disagreement among scenarios. Giving more weight to expert alternatives raises this midpoint in 2030 but lowers it in 2040. The results show that combining statistical forecasts with expert knowledge can reveal the dependence of long-term conclusions on structural assumptions and scenario credibility, particularly when historical relationships may not remain stable. The proposed framework therefore supports a transparent synthesis of statistical evidence and expert judgement without requiring a single precise weighting of alternative future scenarios.

Abstract: Gastrointestinal filling and contraction expose the gut wall to changing mechanical loads. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) respond to these loads, but the channels that couple force to pacemaker activity remain incompletely defined. This narrative review examines direct recordings from ICC, proposed channel mechanisms and the epithelial, neural and muscular pathways that shape the motor response. Perfusion shear enhances NaV1.5 current in human jejunal ICC, whereas hypotonic swelling activates a Cl⁻ current in cultured murine ICC whose molecular identity remains unresolved. ANO1 converts intracellular Ca²⁺ signals into depolarization; evidence for its direct mechanical gating is lacking. Piezo1 and TRPM7 are candidate upstream mechanisms in ICC. Piezo2 instead has established functions in epithelial mechanosensing and extrinsic sensory pathways, with effects that depend on the cells and circuits involved. Within the electrically coupled smooth muscle–ICC–PDGFRα⁺ cell network, these inputs alter excitability, propagation and the timing of contraction. Increased local slow-wave frequency can therefore disrupt coordination rather than improve propulsion. Human genetics and tissue studies link channel dysfunction and ICC abnormalities to gastrointestinal motor disorders, but do not yet establish an ICC-specific mechanosensory lesion. Progress toward treatment will require experiments that connect defined mechanical stimuli, currents in identified cells and organ-level motor function.

Abstract: Dense in-shoe pressure arrays (e.g., 99 sensors) are costly and cumbersome, limiting gait monitoring during dynamic activities. This study evaluated the agreement between the center of pressure (CoP) and pressure-derived vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) estimated from minimal 11-sensor configurations and a full Pedar-X array in individuals with flatfoot during walking and running. Twelve adults with flatfoot performed walking (5 and 7 km/h) and running (11 and 13 km/h) trials with simultaneous Pedar-X recording. Four 11-sensor configurations were compared against the 99-sensor gold standard using Pearson correlation, root mean square error (RMSE), two-way random-effects intraclass correlation coefficients ICC(A,1), and Bland–Altman analysis. All configurations correlated significantly with the gold standard for CoP (r = 0.859–0.971) and vGRF (r = 0.867–0.990). CoP RMSE ranged from 5.23 to 8.13 mm (medial–lateral) and 14.26 to 28.20 mm (anterior–posterior), with ICCs of 0.66–0.74 and 0.84–0.92, respectively. Raw vGRF showed moderate agreement (ICC = 0.46–0.56) with systematic underestimation, whereas per-user proportional calibration improved agreement to ICC = 0.90–0.98. Carefully placed minimal sensor configurations can accurately track CoP and the vGRF waveform in flatfoot, supporting low-cost wearable gait monitoring with brief user calibration.

Abstract: Growing dissatisfaction with symbolic ESG compliance has exposed a governance gap in sustainable finance: ethical commitments are expanding faster than mechanisms capable of converting them into measurable environmental and social outcomes. This study examines how ESG governance can function as an institutional bridge between sustainable finance and Islamic finance, with relevance to Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Following PRISMA 2020, 29 records identified through Web of Science, Scopus and Emerald Insight were screened, yielding 15 peer-reviewed studies published between 2024 and 2026 for qualitative thematic analysis. Five interconnected themes emerged: normative convergence between ESG and Islamic ethical finance; governance and institutional accountability; Islamic social finance and inclusive sustainability; disclosure, transparency and legitimacy; and digital transformation and impact measurement. The findings show that ethical compatibility alone does not generate credible sustainability outcomes. Strong internal governance, including sustainability committees, Shariah supervisory boards, ESG oversight and integrated reporting, emerges as the critical mechanism separating substantive sustainability from symbolic compliance. Islamic social finance remains notably under-integrated into formal ESG architectures, while existing disclosures are frequently governance-heavy but metric-light. Digital technologies can strengthen traceability and impact measurement, but only when embedded within robust governance systems. This study develops an integrated ESG–Islamic governance framework that translates Maqasid al-Shariah principles into measurable accountability, impact verification and scalable green-development mechanisms. It reframes ESG from a reporting regime into governance infrastructure for ethical, inclusive and resilient finance, offering actionable implications for regulators, financial institutions and sustainability standard-setters.

Abstract: Background and objectives: Systemic inflammation has been implicated in diabetic kidney disease; however, the relationship between composite inflammatory indices and high-normal albuminuria remains unclear. This study investigated the associations of the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) with albuminuria across its spectrum, particularly within the high-normal range, in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study included 619 patients with T2DM and available urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) measurements. Patients were categorized into four groups according to ACR: <15, 15–<30, 30–<300, and ≥300 mg/g. Associations between inflammatory indices and albuminuria were assessed using group comparisons, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses, and multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, HbA1c, diabetes duration, and C-reactive protein (CRP). Sensitivity analyses excluding CRP were also performed. Results: Of the 619 patients, 355 had ACR <15 mg/g, 93 had high-normal albuminuria, 126 had ACR 30–<300 mg/g, and 45 had ACR ≥300 mg/g. SII, SIRI, and PIV did not differ significantly across albuminuria groups (p=0.243, p=0.472, and p=0.604, respectively). Their discriminatory performance for high-normal albuminuria was poor (AUCs: 0.469, 0.522, and 0.490, respectively). Similarly, discrimination of ACR ≥30 mg/g was limited (AUCs: 0.485, 0.534, and 0.497, respectively). None of the indices was independently associated with increased albuminuria in adjusted models or sensitivity analyses. In contrast, HbA1c and CRP showed significant associations in the primary models. Conclusions: SII, SIRI, and PIV showed limited discriminatory value for high-normal or increased albuminuria in patients with T2DM. Conventional metabolic and inflammatory parameters may provide more relevant information than these composite indices in this setting.

Abstract: Gaussian root moments determine perturbative integrated correlators and occur as the leading affine-level coefficients of contracted adjoint traces. We prove that, for each root orbit of every simple Lie algebra, their generating function is a Gaussian factor times a positive linear combination of odd Laguerre polynomials. The weights are Fischer norms obtained from the highest-root factorization of the Weyl discriminant. This decomposition establishes kernel inversion symmetry and, in the simply laced case, expresses the lattice completion as a polynomial in the modular Laplacian applied to the SU(2) correlator. A degree bound and Chinese remainder certificates determine the complete E₇ and E₈ moment polynomials, yielding exact kernels and adjoint Wilson loops. The same decomposition reduces the sign-corrected one-instanton root formula to one-dimensional integrals. We prove their equality with the lattice prediction for every odd level, and hence for all simply laced algebras and for G₂ and F₄. For SU(N), a direct comparison with the ADHM formula establishes the physical one-instanton equality at every rank. The exceptional interpretation remains conditional on the root formula.

Abstract: Critical thinking is a central aim of secondary education, yet sustaining dialogic and participatory classroom practices remains challenging. This study examines the pedagogical, institutional and emotional conditions that enable or constrain dialogue, argumentation and critical reflection in secondary schools in Spain and Chile. A comparative qualitative design drew on 29 classroom observations, 11 semi-structured teacher interviews and five student focus groups. Data were analysed through iterative coding, progressive analytical saturation and triangulation across sources. Teachers consistently associated critical thinking with argumentation, reflection, intellectual autonomy and dialogic participation. However, classroom observations and students’ perceptions revealed that opportunities for open dialogue coexist with pedagogical mediation and recentralisation shaped by curriculum pressure, assessment demands, time and classroom management, and students’ need for validation and perceived safety. The findings suggest hybrid pedagogical ecologies: face-to-face configurations in which dialogic interaction, teacher mediation, institutional regulation and emotional conditions operate simultaneously. Promoting sustained critical thinking therefore requires attention to teaching strategies and to the pedagogical and organisational conditions shaping everyday classroom interaction.

Abstract: Large language model (LLM) agents can plan, use tools, and recover from errors within a task, yet many carry little from one task to the next and repeat mistakes they have already resolved. The root cause is a lack of experience accumulation: trajectories record what failed and how the agent recovered, but this information is seldom turned into guidance for later tasks. Research on this capability spans reflection, agent memory, workflow learning, and skill acquisition, but these lines describe similar content in different terms and lack a common account of experience itself, leaving basic questions open: what counts as experience, how it should be accumulated, used, and revised, and how to tell whether it improves later behavior. This survey addresses these questions with a unified framework. We define agent experience as action-guiding information grounded in task trajectories and retained to guide later episodes where it applies, whether as a trajectory precedent, a semantic lesson, or a reusable procedure. We focus on explicitly accessible experience, including its use as a training signal for internalization into model parameters. We describe each unit of experience by its guidance, applicability conditions, execution evidence, and reliability evaluation, so that memory entries, workflows, and skills become directly comparable, and follow experience through four lifecycle functions---formation, organization, utilization, and maintenance---that determine how it is accumulated, used, and revised. To judge reported gains, we distinguish three improvement claims---fixed experience reuse, feedback-driven sustained improvement, and improvement of the learning mechanism---by the evidence each requires. Current studies most clearly support fixed experience reuse, chiefly on tasks with tests or reference answers; evidence for the other two claims remains partial. Our analysis yields recommendations for seven application settings and a central design principle: keep guidance connected to its applicability conditions and to the evidence that supports or challenges it. Finally, we outline eight open problems, from learning with human expert records to testing whether gains accumulate, toward agents whose improvement is cumulative, transferable, and correctable.

Abstract: We introduce a Hausdorff-type fuzzy partial metric in the family of compact nonempty subsets of a fuzzy partial metric space (FPMS) and investigate its basic properties. The construction allows the usual set-valued Hausdorff approach to be formulated in a setting in which both fuzziness and nonzero self-distances are present. Using this structure, we establish a FP theorem for multivalued fuzzy (η)-contractive mappings on 1-complete FPMSs. The proof is based on the construction of an iterative sequence, the derivation of a geometric estimate through the function (η), and the completeness of the underlying space. An example is provided to verify the hypotheses of the main FP theorem and to illustrate the resulting FP. We further study a parameterized multivalued mapping and prove a homotopy FP theorem under suitable contractive, parameter-continuity, boundary, and local stability conditions. The result shows that the existence of a FP is preserved between the two endpoints of the parameter interval. These results extend the study of multivalued FP problems from partial metric and fuzzy metric settings to the combined framework of FPMSs.

Abstract: This paper presents a compact coupled-line Marchand balun with symmetric inductive compensation for high-impedance transformation. The proposed circuit transforms a 50-Ω unbalanced input into a 300-Ω differential balanced output for S-band RF applications. The structure consists of two coupled-line sections, an input reactive matching network, and two identical compensation inductors placed symmetrically at the balanced output paths. The input matching network is used to support the impedance transformation at the unbalanced port, while the symmetric inductive compensation is introduced to adjust the effective modal response of the coupled-line paths and improve the output balance. The design is analyzed using even- and odd-mode circuit representation and optimized using ADS circuit-level simulation. A prototype was fabricated and measured, and its performance was compared with that of a conventional coupled-line Marchand balun under the same port-reference condition. At the design frequency of 2.25 GHz, the proposed balun achieved a measured input reflection coefficient of |S₁₁|=−28.05 dB. The measured transmission magnitudes were |S₂₁|=−3.11 dB and |S₃₁|=−3.05 dB, corresponding to an amplitude imbalance of 0.052 dB. The measured output phase difference was 180.52^∘, giving a phase error of 0.52^∘. Compared with the conventional prototype, the proposed balun provides improved input matching, smaller amplitude imbalance, and an output phase response closer to the ideal 180^∘ balanced condition. The measured results indicate that symmetric inductive compensation is a practical approach for improving compact high-impedance coupled-line Marchand baluns.

Abstract: Background/Objectives: Familial resilience is essential for the well-being of households raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), yet its determinants remain insufficiently understood in Greece. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 517 mothers used validated self-report measures, including the Family Resilience Scale. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and multivariate linear regression models were applied to identify factors associated with Family Pride and Family Cohesion. Results: Families reported high Family Pride and average Family Cohesion. Family composition, maternal age, and birth order predicted Family Pride, while paternal family history and child functional level predicted Family Cohesion. Conclusions: Findings show that resilience in ASD families is multidimensional and shaped by structural and child-related factors, highlighting the need for targeted family-centered supports.

Abstract: Multi-UAV emergency monitoring can enlarge spatial coverage, but overlapping fields of view create dependent detections that violate the conditional-independence assumption of conventional Bayesian accumulation. This study presents a correlation-aware method that converts georeferenced neural-detector outputs from multiple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) into a calibrated probabilistic emergency map. Detector likelihoods are empirically calibrated, projected detections are distributed over a spatial grid, and repeated observations are down-weighted through an effective sample size derived from viewpoint and temporal similarity. The method is evaluated with a geometrically exact camera simulation and a detector emulator calibrated from 10,463 real annotated frames. In a synthetic model with an exactly computable posterior, correlation-aware fusion reduces the median excess Brier score from 23.4% for naive fusion to 3.9%, and the worst case from 91.5% to 8.2%. In the flight simulation, expected calibration error decreases from 0.046 to 0.013 for tightly clustered viewpoints. A weighted Voronoi coordination layer additionally reduces coverage time by a factor of 3.47 and duplicated imaging from 100% to 10.0% over 1 km² with five UAVs. The results show that explicitly accounting for dependence is important for probabilistic multi-UAV situational awareness.

Abstract: The Physiology Of the Weight Reduced State (POWERS) study is the most comprehensive empirical investigation of energy balance in weight-reduced humans ever designed. Its measurement battery – doubly labeled water, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, whole-room calorimetry, ventilated-hood indirect calorimetry, actigraphy, and multi-pass dietary recall – represents the state of the art. This commentary makes a single observation about one analytical choice. POWERS measures fat mass and fat-free mass directly with DXA in grams. It then converts these mass measurements to energy using fixed coefficients (9.3 and 1.1 kcal/g) and uses energy as the primary analytical variable. The conversion is not required by the data. The mass measurements are already in the units the body handles. The coefficients are literature values, not measurements within POWERS. The measurement chain is mass-based from the beginning: DLW measures CO₂ production, which is a mass flux. This commentary suggests that POWERS report both mass-based and energy-based analyses side by side. POWERS is in a rare position: it has the data – or will have the data – to test whether the two frameworks give the same conclusions. If they agree, the energy framework is validated. If they diverge, the divergence is itself informative. Either outcome would strengthen the paper. The suggestion is a refinement, not a correction.

Abstract: This contribution offers a transdisciplinary examination of West Nile virus (WNV) infection, articulating bio‐epidemiological data through the lens of the hermeneutics of care and embodied cognition. Through an analysis of seroprevalence rates among blood, organ, cell, and tissue donors—with particular reference to the endemic Italian context—we highlight the critical issues surrounding iatrogenic transmission and the imperative for stringent molecular biosurveillance protocols. Furthermore, we dissect the mechanisms of immune evasion, susceptibility markers derived from systems immunology, and therapeutic perspectives offered by neutralizing human monoclonal antibodies isolated from convalescent patients. Finally, the investigation extends to the clinical spectrum—from the diagnostic ICD‐10 code A92.3 to atypical manifestations such as acute flaccid paralysis, myocarditis, and bullous dermatoses with keratinocyte tropism—interpreting the clinical trajectory from comatose states to functional recovery as a path of generative teleology and somatic proprioception.

Abstract: International leave indicators can describe weeks of entitlement without establishing whether the same worker can obtain protected absence, income replacement and job continuity during a newborn’s hospitalization. This Policy Analysis operationalizes a Same-Claimant Protection Test as a reproducible comparative legal-policy audit that traces claimant eligibility, clinical trigger, protected time, payment, employment continuity and administrative access as distinct but interacting gateways. It applies the method to three purposively selected mechanism tests—Great Britain, France and Illinois—using operative legal texts as of October 2026. The cases expose different forms of institutional fragmentation: separate leave and pay conditions; a narrowly triggered hospitalization extension embedded in paternity leave; and employer-size-conditioned unpaid neonatal intensive-care leave. They do not estimate global prevalence or real-world benefit take-up. The paper links administrative-burden theory to observable legal information and compliance requirements and proposes a transferable rights-pathway schedule for legislators, statistical agencies and international data producers. The central policy implication is that entitlement duration should be accompanied by dated, claimant-specific metadata and explicit uncertainty codes rather than treated as a sufficient proxy for usable protection.