Artiles
Open Access
Article
24 March 2026Integrated GIS–MCDA (AHP) Framework for Groundwater Potential Mapping in Humid, Structurally Complex Watersheds
Mapping the potential of groundwater is important for managing water resources in a way that will last, especially when the climate changes, land use changes, and water demand rise. This study examines the integration of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodologies, focusing on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), and illustrates their implementation in the Fork Fish Creek watershed, a humid Appalachian headwater basin in West Virginia, USA. Although GIS–AHP methodologies are extensively utilized in semi-arid areas, their efficacy in humid, structurally intricate mountainous environments is still inadequately investigated. Using expert-based AHP weighting and GIS-based weighted overlay analysis, six thematic parameters were combined: rainfall, geology and soil characteristics, slope, drainage density, land use and land cover (LULC), and lineament density. The appropriate AHP consistency ratio (<0.1) showed that the weights were reliable. The resulting groundwater potential map divided the watershed into three zones: Good (6.7%), Moderate (76.5%), and Low (16.8%). The prevalence of Moderate potential indicates the impact of fragmented topography and drainage configuration, which limit groundwater storage despite sufficient precipitation. Validation encompassed an evaluation of hydrogeomorphic consistency and an additional comparison with USGS monitoring-well depth data, so offering empirical corroboration for the Moderate-dominated distribution. The results show that groundwater potential patterns vary greatly from one place to the next. They also show how useful GIS–MCDA frameworks may be for assessing groundwater in humid, data-poor mountainous areas.
Open Access
Article
24 March 2026From Adolescence to Older Adulthood: Lifespan Pathways Linking AI Companion Chatbots to Mental Health
AI-based conversational agents are increasingly used for emotional support, companionship, and day-to-day coping. These systems can provide immediate reassurance, reduce distress in the moment, and offer a low-barrier channel for reflection. At the same time, concerns are growing that frequent reliance on AI companions may displace human relationships and narrow users’ exposure to the interpersonal friction that supports psychological growth. This narrative review synthesizes conceptual and empirical themes to explain how AI companion chatbot use may relate to loneliness and depressive symptoms across the lifespan. We propose a developmental framework distinguishing supportive pathways (e.g., perceived availability, emotion regulation scaffolding, and social activation) from risk pathways (e.g., social displacement, dependency, avoidance coping, and affirmation-biased feedback loops). A central contribution is a lifespan account of how positive-only or preference-aligned feedback may undermine constructive stress appraisal, frustration tolerance, resilience, and grit—capacities that are built through repeated experiences of manageable challenge, honest feedback, and relationship repair. We conclude with implications for practice, education, and design, emphasizing developmental tailoring, safeguards against over-reliance, and research priorities needed to clarify causal mechanisms and long-term outcomes.
Open Access
Article
24 March 2026Comparing Drone and Satellite DEMs for Hydrodynamic Flood Modeling in a Rural Brazilian Catchment
The rural region of the municipality of Bananal (SP, Brazil) experiences recurrent flooding events associated with rising water levels in tributaries of the Bananal River, especially during periods of intense rainfall. This study aimed to compare the performance of different Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), one derived from NASA orbital data and another generated from drone-based aerophotogrammetric surveys, in identifying and mapping flood-prone areas. The objective was to assess whether drone field campaigns are essential for this type of analysis or whether orbital DEMs are sufficient for the hydrodynamic characterization of the area. Hydrodynamic models were developed using the software QGIS, HidroFlu—for watershed parametrization and inflow estimation, and MODCEL—for hydrodynamic simulation, with spatial resolutions of 10 m, 30 m, and 50 m, in order to analyze the impact of topographic detail on simulation results. Two approaches were tested for defining boundary conditions: one based on precipitation data with a 25-year return period, and another based on the Bananal River discharge estimated from the watershed. The results indicated that the model based on the drone-derived DEM, with 10 m resolution and boundary conditions defined by river discharge, showed the best performance in representing floodable areas. However, the findings also highlight that high-resolution DEMs entail higher operational costs, due to the need for field activities and greater computational capacity to run the simulations.
Open Access
Review
23 March 2026Review on Preparation Strategies and Performance Control of High Solid Loading Ceramic Slurries for Photocurable 3D Printing
Stereolithography 3D printing technology is widely used in aerospace, automotive, medical, weapons, and other fields because of its high processing accuracy, low cost, simple operation, and flexible manufacturing. The photocuring 3D printing ceramic slurry is a key part of the photocuring 3D printing ceramic technology. The preparation techniques of photocurable 3D printing ceramic slurry mainly include the mechanical mixing method, sol-gel method, ultrasonic dispersion method, and in-situ polymerization method. This paper summarizes the preparation methods and research progress of photocuring 3D printing ceramic slurry, expounds the essence of photocuring and the composition and function of ceramic slurry, and analyzes the influence of various properties of photocuring 3D printing ceramic slurry on the properties of final products, such as rheological properties, solid content, curing thickness, and stability. Finally, the existing problems and future development potential of photocuring 3D printing ceramic slurry preparation technology are summarized.
Open Access
Article
23 March 2026Preparation of MgAl2O4 Porous Ceramics for High-Temperature Flue Gas Filtration Application by In-Situ Decomposition Method
Porous ceramic filters exhibit excellent prospects for application in the field of high-temperature flue gas filtration. In this study, the MgAl2O4 porous ceramics were prepared using α-Al2O3, MgO, and EDTA-MgNa2 as raw materials by the in-situ decomposition method. The effect of the introduction of EDTA-MgNa2 on phase composition and microstructure, as well as the correlation between the content of EDTA-MgNa2 and ceramic properties, was investigated using XRD, SEM, and EDS. The results revealed that the introduction of EDTA-MgNa2 formed pores, thereby improving gas permeability. Additionally, the addition of EDTA-MgNa2 was beneficial for the formation of a transitional liquid and promoted sintering, thereby slowing the decrease in compressive strength. The optimal specimen is the ceramic with 10 wt% EDTA-MgNa2, which exhibits a high porosity of 56.28%, a compressive strength of 10.93 MPa, and a high gas permeability coefficient (8.84 × 10−9 m2).
Open Access
Review
23 March 2026Roles of Astrocytes in Radiation-Induced Brain Injury: Pathophysiological Mechanisms and Therapeutic Strategies
Radiation-induced brain injury (RIBI), a common adverse effect of cranial radiotherapy for head malignancies, causes severe complications, including blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, neuroinflammation, cognitive decline, and radiation necrosis (RN) that impair patients’ quality of life. The pathophysiology of RIBI involves intricate crosstalk between various central nervous system (CNS) cell types, with astrocytes, the principal CNS glial cells, serving as key mediators. Under physiological conditions, they sustain brain homeostasis, but their transition to reactive phenotypes and subsequent dysfunction propel RIBI development. This review summarizes recent advances in astrocytes’ pathophysiological roles in RIBI, focusing on mechanisms like reactive astrocyte polarization, neuroinflammation, BBB impairment, radiation-induced senescence, astrocyte-mediated RN progression, and pathological crosstalk with other CNS cells. It also outlines astrocyte-targeted therapeutic strategies with preclinical efficacy, including anti-inflammatory therapies, anti-vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) interventions, TSPO ligands, RAS blockers, apolipoprotein E (ApoE) regulation, Δ133p53, and microRNAs (miRNAs), which alleviate RIBI by targeting these pathological processes. A comprehensive understanding of astrocyte-mediated mechanisms and preclinical evidence will lay the foundation for developing targeted, low-toxicity therapies to mitigate RIBI in cranial radiotherapy patients.
Open Access
Article
23 March 2026Integrating Copernicus Earth Observation and Artificial Intelligence for Habitat Suitability Modeling of Pinctada radiata in Semi-Enclosed Coastal Watersheds of Central Greece
Semi-enclosed coastal systems are highly dynamic environments where benthic organisms are exposed to strong hydrographic gradients and increasing anthropogenic pressures. This study assessed the habitat suitability of the pearl oyster Pinctada radiata in two contrasting Mediterranean gulfs of Central Greece, the Maliakos and the South Evoikos, by integrating Copernicus Earth Observation (EO) products with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) modeling framework. Environmental variables, including sea surface temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a concentration, current velocity, and dissolved oxygen, were derived from satellite and marine datasets and used to train a multi-algorithm ensemble combining Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt), Extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). The ensemble model showed strong predictive skill (AUC = 0.94; TSS = 0.80) and identified temperature, dissolved oxygen, and substrate type as the main drivers of habitat suitability. Spatial projections indicated that roughly two-thirds of the study area currently supports favorable conditions for P. radiata, particularly in shallow, low-energy, mesotrophic zones. Under a simulated +2 °C warming scenario, highly suitable habitats declined by about 20%, highlighting the species’ sensitivity to future thermal stress and subsequent oxygen depletion, demonstrating the value of EO-driven AI approaches for anticipating ecological change in vulnerable coastal systems.
Open Access
Perspective
20 March 2026Water Does Not Negotiate: Hydrologic Legitimacy and the Institutional Future of Rural and Regional Development
Rural and regional development is often framed as an economic or service-delivery challenge, whereas water is treated as infrastructure or compliance. That separation is analytically convenient but operationally false. Hydrologic regime reality and water quality dynamics are non-negotiable physical constraints that quietly determine what rural communities can credibly promise, finance, permit, and defend over time. At the same time, many rural water systems and watershed programs operate within institutional arrangements that were not designed for slow hydrologic lags, cross-boundary pollutant legacies, or the legitimacy demands created by uneven exposure to risk. This perspective, therefore, suggests that rural development should be recentered on water governance: the coupled system of hydrologic processes, water-quality legacies, and organizational capabilities that together produce reliability, safety, and trust. Recent primary research is synthesized showing that (1) legacy nutrients and ecosystem memory create multi-decade time lags that can invalidate short political or funding cycles, (2) rural and small system compliance and exposure burdens remain structurally unequal, and (3) adaptive governance capacity depends on institutional fit, partnerships, and policy and planning choices that are themselves socially patterned. A practical agenda for scholars and practitioners is proposed: build hydrologic legitimacy by aligning project claims with hydrologic time, making governance fit explicit across scales, and treating organizational change capacity as core water and rural development infrastructure. The resulting framework provides decision-makers with operational guidance for aligning development claims, governance structures, and investments with hydrologic constraints that ultimately determine long-term feasibility and trust. Rather than presenting new empirical results, this Perspective synthesizes evidence from hydrology, water quality, governance, and organizational change to conceptually reframe rural and regional development around hydrologic legitimacy as a governing constraint.
Open Access
Communication
19 March 2026Synthesis and Properties of Fully Biobased Plastics from Biuret and Diamines
In this work, fully biobased polybiurets (PBUs) were prepared from the polymerizations of biuret, a green and environmentally friendly chemical derived from urea, with 1,10-decanediamine and 1,6-hexanediamine. No solvent and no catalyst is needed in such polymerizations. Both biuret and urea functions can be observed in the obtained products. The PBUs possess higher glass transition temperature than the corresponding polyureas (~40 °C higher). The strength at break achieves as high as 77 MPa. The mechanical and thermal properties of the PBUs can be feasibly tuned by altering the proportions of the two diamines. It is provided in this work a new strategy in the construction of biobased polymers with high performance.
Open Access
Article
19 March 2026Intelligent Real-Time Kanban Automation Using Ultra-Wideband Positioning: Methodologies and Performance Evaluation
Traditional electronic Kanban (eKanban) systems depend on manual scans and offer only discrete material visibility, limiting responsiveness and automation in lean manufacturing environments. These operational bottlenecks are magnified in high-mix contexts, where delayed replenishment signals degrade flow stability, increase work-in-progress, and hinder sustainable material handling. Furthermore, vendor-specific systems lack interoperability for scalable automation, constraining the development of intelligent manufacturing solutions. This work investigates whether zone-based replenishment automation can be enabled through real-time locating systems (RTLS) using open interoperability standards, addressing a gap in empirical validation of such approaches. A middleware architecture was developed that integrates ultra-wideband (UWB) positioning, an Omlox-compliant location middleware (DeepHub), and a cloud-based eKanban system to replace manual triggers with geofence-driven order creation. The novelty of this study lies in demonstrating a fully automated Kanban signaling loop built on the open Omlox standard, providing vendor-independent RTLS interoperability and eliminating human intervention in replenishment signaling. This contributes new knowledge on how continuous location data can be converted into actionable replenishment events in a standards-based, modular manner, enabling more intelligent and autonomous material-flow control. A controlled proof-of-concept experiment simulating shop-floor conditions showed that the system achieved a 100% detection success rate, zero duplicate orders, and an average trigger-to-action latency of 2.7 s, while automatically recovering from authentication and WebSocket failures. These results provide the first empirical evidence that Omlox-compliant RTLS middleware can reliably support zone-based eKanban automation. The findings have direct implications for intelligent and sustainable manufacturing by demonstrating a scalable pathway toward interoperable, real-time material-flow systems that reduce manual intervention, avoid unnecessary handling, and lower work-in-progress. More broadly, the work addresses the current lack of empirical validation of open-standard RTLS integration within lean and sustainable production environments.
