Besov–Triebel–Lizorkin-type spaces with matrix A∞ weights

Publisher Copyright: © Science China Press 2025.Introduced by A. Volberg (1997), matrix Ap,∞ weights provide a suitable generalization of Muckenhoupt A∞ weights from the classical theory. In our previous work, we established new characterizations of these weights. Here, we use these results to study inhomogeneous Besov-type and Triebel–Lizorkin-type spaces with such weights. In particular, we characterize these spaces, in terms of the φ-transform, molecules, and wavelets, and obtain the boundedness of almost diagonal operators, pseudo-differential operators, trace operators, pointwise multipliers, and Calderón–Zygmund operators on these spaces. This is the first systematic study of inhomogeneous Besov–Triebel–Lizorkin-type spaces with Ap,∞-matrix weights, but some of the results are new even when specialized to the scalar unweighted case.Peer reviewe

Automating on-site object inspection with a quadruped robot and BIM

Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Deploying robots into construction sites and built environments using Building Information Modeling (BIM) is difficult due to environmental changes and inconsistencies between BIM and real-world structures. To overcome these challenges, an integrated framework is proposed for automated inspection featuring adaptive BIM-driven navigation for a quadruped robot. The framework addresses challenges of localization, mapping, and navigation in challenging environments. By leveraging BIM for initialization and planning, it dynamically verifies BIM elements through sensor data, updating the map to distinguish between fixed structures, missing elements, and dynamic obstacles. This enables robust navigation despite environmental uncertainties. The capability supports automated tasks across the building lifecycle, demonstrated through object inspection using adaptive next-best-view (NBV) planning and vision–language model (VLM) analysis without task-specific training. Both simulated experiments and real-world validation confirm strong performance despite dynamic obstacles and BIM discrepancies. The approach enhances robotic adaptability in construction and facility management contexts while reducing manual inspection requirements.Peer reviewe

A bird’s-eye view of the relationships between economic complexity, time, and the importance of HRM actors

This study adopts a contextual approach to understand the prominence of HRM department specialists, outsourced HRM service providers and line managers in the HRM function. Drawing on resource dependence theory and research on the professionalisation of HRM, we look at how national economic complexity (EC) and the passage of time shape the need for these actors in an organisation’s HRM. Our analysis is based on Cranet data from five survey rounds conducted between 2000 and 2022, covering 30,651 organisations across 54 countries. Our results show that higher levels of EC are associated with smaller HRM departments, less devolution and greater outsourcing of non-core HRM activities. Over time, HR staff ratios and outsourcing of non-core and core HRM activities increase, while devolution declines. Interestingly, we also observe that the negative effects of EC on HR staff ratios and devolution are eventually reversed. This suggests that in more complex economies, the prominence of all HR actors increases over time, which reflects a growing organisational commitment to managing people. Our findings highlight how economic and temporal contexts shape the HRM function.Peer reviewe

A novel collaborative collision avoidance decision-making methodology based on potential collision areas for intelligent navigation

Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Elsevier LtdShip navigation safety is a crucial component of intelligent navigation, and collaborative collision avoidance plays a vital role in ensuring safety and conflict resolution by enhancing decision-making efficiency in multi-ship encounters. In this paper, a collaborative collision avoidance model is proposed to connect encounter risk and decision-making in a more intuitive way. It pioneers the quantification of collision risk based on potential collision areas and differentiates encountered ships, and a collaborative mechanism is further constructed to formulate a collision avoidance decision-making model. International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs) are comprehensively considered by differentiating risk relationships among ships and specify their roles and responsibilities. A ship collaboration mechanism under action intention games is constructed based on rational thinking to form a decision-making model with game-decision cycles. The results demonstrate that the model can meet the safety requirements in case studies, providing a rational reflection, and accurately determines encounter stages. The results also indicate that ship differentiation and role assignment can adapt to abnormal actions. This research makes significant contributions to ship decision support in term of better collaboration among ships while reducing action conflicts, promoting the development of intelligent navigation technologies.Peer reviewe

Another set of eyes: The role of intermediaries in doing qualitative research in low-income settings in emerging markets

Publisher Copyright: © The Editor and Contributors Severally 2025. All rights reserved.The involvement of various intermediaries - i.e., facilitators that mediate the relationship between the researcher, the research participants, and the research site - has been acknowledged in previous work. Yet, their role is either overlooked or glossed over. Furthermore, it is often assumed that only researchers who are outsiders in relation to the site and the research participants require intermediaries. In contrast, we show that researchers who are insiders may also need intermediaries in the field and conceptualise the researcher's degree of insidership versus outsidership along a continuum. Arguing for the hidden but strategically vital role of intermediaries for access, data collection, and even knowledge production, we invite a more explicit and faithful account of the use of intermediaries in research. We present a typology of intermediaries, discuss their roles, and provide recommendations regarding their use including potential pitfalls and solutions for managing their involvement. Finally, we propose guidelines for reporting the use of intermediaries.Peer reviewe

Exploring the Impacts of Human-Robot Gender Match on Users’ Perceptions of Robots

Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2025.Numerous studies have explored human preferences for male versus female robots, producing inconsistent findings and varied explanations for the manifestation of gender bias towards robots. This study contributes to understanding how user gender and robot gender interact to influence users’ evaluations of robots by analyzing over 1100 survey responses on 23 robots, distinguished by their male and female appearances. The findings refute the existence of the same-gender or cross-gender effect. Specifically, we found a general preference for female robots over male robots. In addition, female users report the highest likeability scores for female robots compared to other human-robot gender combinations.Peer reviewe

In-situ construction of multifunctional femtosecond laser-induced graphene on arbitrary substrates

The construction of laser-induced graphene (LIG) on various substrates is important for expanding new applications. However, current LIG transfer technologies are hampered by limited substrates, complicated process, induced graphene defects, and single function. Herein, a facile laser processing method is proposed for in-situ construction of multifunctional femtosecond laser-induced graphene (FsLIG) on arbitrary substrates utilizing femtosecond laser acting on polyimide tape. Unlike previous LIG transfer research, the proposed method is applicable to any substrates without introducing additional graphene defects, while also exhibiting multifunctionality. Raman spectra results confirm successful fabrication of FsLIG on various substrates involving paper, aluminum, ceramic, and silicon. Taking paper for example, the FsLIG demonstrates multifunctional characteristics including high water contact angle (∼153.4°), large absorptance (∼98.8%), low sheet resistance (∼82.0 Ω sq−1), and reliable temperature sensing (∼−0.089% °C−1) properties. Our study provides a reliable pathway for fabricating multifunctional FsLIG on arbitrary substrates.Peer reviewe

Coordinated operation of source–station–road–network system considering traffic flow uncertainty

Promoting large-scale transportation electrification and developing new solar energy harvesting and converting technologies are effective ways to achieve ’dual carbon goals’. In this paper, a new road energy harvesting technology, solar road (SR) power generation technology, is introduced. A SR power generation model considering the variation of solar radiation intensity, traffic flow and dynamic shadows of vehicles is constructed. Secondly, considering the uncertainty of traffic network (TN) caused by users’ stochastic routing behavior, a model of TN under stochastic user equilibrium (SUE) is constructed. Then the influence of traffic flow on the electric load of charging and battery swapping stations (CBSSs) is analyzed, and the local consumption strategy of SR is established. Meanwhile, information gap decision theory (IGDT) is introduced to reduce the impact of uncertainty on the system. Finally, the coupling system of IEEE-33 node of distribution network (DN) and Nguyen–Dupuis of TN is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model and optimal management method, which improves the utilization rate of solar energy, promotes carbon emission reduction, reduces the congestion degree of DN, and ensures the safe and stable operation of the system.Peer reviewe

Review of energy efficiency and technological advancements in data center power systems

In order to support a wide range of applications and services, data centers are crucial components of contemporary computer infrastructure. Nevertheless, the rapid expansion and functioning of these entities have resulted in notable energy usage and ecological consequences. Power usage effectiveness, dependability, and operating costs are all impacted by electricity supply systems, which are crucial to the operating and energy efficiency of data centers. This review article offers a thorough summary of the state of the art in data center power supply systems research, covering case studies, best practices, developing technologies, and potential directions for future investigation. The study begins with a survey of energy-efficient data centers and an outline of power usage effectiveness design concerns. The categorization of electricity supply systems is discussed through various integration strategies with renewable sources of electricity generation. This includes identifying scenarios where data centers operate in countries with a 100% fossil fuel electricity matrix, strategies for implementing clean energy purchase contracts, and investments in both on-site and off-site renewable energy projects. The review of the literature addresses current research on data center power systems, emphasizing significant discoveries and patterns in the field while pointing out gaps and restrictions. The assessment also looks at new developments in energy storage, power management, and renewable energy integration. The research, which draws from case studies of effective energy supply systems in data centers, offers useful suggestions and best practices for planning, executing, and overseeing data center power systems. The paper ends with recommendations for further study and application.Peer reviewe

Coupling of high ion transport efficiency in hydrogel electrolytes and interfacial fusion for performance enhancement in all-solid-state paper-based self-powered electrochromic devices with low-temperature tolerance

Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Royal Society of Chemistry.Self-powered electrochromic devices (ECDs) have gained considerable attention for applications such as smart labels, displays and rechargeable batteries, thanks to their dynamic balance between color display and energy storage capabilities. The electrochemical performance of existing ECDs, however, is often constrained by the conductivity of electrolytes, the contact interface between electrodes and electrolytes, and the severe intolerance of ECDs to low temperature environments. In this study, we couple two approaches. Firstly, we harness the Hofmeister effect to modulate the concentration of an ionic compound within the hydrogel electrolyte. This modulation enhances ion solvation and ionic conductivity, thereby facilitating internal ion transport within the self-powered ECD and accelerating the device's response time. Secondly, we illustrate how it is possible to capitalize on the designable properties of the substrate. Paper offers a unique controllable substrate structure, which can be readily modified in terms of surface micro-roughness, which, in turn, can be utilized during the forming of the gravure printed electrode. This novel optimization can improve the final surface morphology of the paper-based electrode, enhancing its surface area properties. This enhancement subsequently facilitates improved integration of the electrode interface with the hydrogel electrolyte, reducing interface impedance and increasing ion transport efficiency within the ECD. Combining this morphological effect with the increased ion solvation in the hydrogel electrolyte enables an improved electrochemical performance and cyclic stability, maintaining stability even at temperatures as low as −40 °C.Peer reviewe