The DIRECT algorithm is a deterministic global optimization method known for its versatility and balanced exploration-exploitation strategy. However, DIRECT-type algorithms are primarily effective for low-dimensional problems and often exhibit slow convergence as dimensionality increases, limiting their applicability to more complex optimization tasks. To address this limitation, this paper introduces X-DTC-GL, a novel DIRECT-type al gorithm that incorporates dynamic partitioning and hybridization techniques. The dynamic partitioning approach adaptively refines the search space based on local one-dimensional surrogate models, enabling rapid subdivision of promising hyper-rectangles. The hybridization strategy selectively employs a hill-climbing method to exploit promising regions identified by the surrogate models. Extensive experiments on four diverse benchmark suites demonstrate that X-DTC-GL significantly outperforms existing DIRECT-type baselines, achieving improvements of similar to 12% in solvability and similar to 27% in solution quality. Performance-profile analyses indicate the fastest convergence on up to similar to 40% of instances, the best runtime performance on similar to 17% of problems, and competitive overall exe cution times. By improving performance within the partition-based framework, these advances strengthen the algorithm's competitiveness in state-of-the-art black-box optimization.
We study the limit distribution of the volume fraction estimator p(lambda,A) defined as the Lebesgue measure of the intersection chi boolean AND (lambda A) of a random set X with a large observation set lambda A, divided by the Lebesgue measure of lambda A, as lambda -> infinity, for a Boolean set X formed by uniformly scattered random grains Xi subset of R-nu . We obtain general conditions on the generic grain set Xi under which p (lambda,A) has an alpha-stable limit distribution with index 1 < alpha <= 2. A large class of Boolean models with randomly homothetic grains satisfying these conditions is introduced. We also discuss the limit distribution of the sample volume fraction of a Boolean set observed on a large subset of a nu(0) -dimensional hyperplane of R-nu (1 <= nu(0) <= nu - 1). Similar results are also obtained for more general excursion sets of Boolean models.
We demonstrate, for the first time, the low-temperature densification of whitlockite (WH), which thermally decomposes at approximately 700 degrees C, using a cold sintering process (CSP) with simulated body fluid (SBF). Under uniaxial pressure of 800MPa at 180 degrees C, WH was densified to 96.4% without undergoing thermal decomposition and exhibited a dense and fine microstructure. In addition, the cold-sintered WH exhibited a Vickers hardness of 2.69 f 0.06 GPa, a fracture toughness of 0.77 f 0.01 MPa & sdot;m1/2, and a Young's modulus of 67.7 f 1.4 GPa. These values are comparable to or even higher than those of WH conventionally sintered at 600 degrees C or 1000 degrees C, representing the first report on the mechanical properties of WH ceramics in a single phase. These results establish CSP with SBF as an efficient low-temperature processing route for fabricating highly dense thermally unstable bioactive ceramics with great potential for biomedical applications.
This study examines the relationship between sustainability expenditures and Environmental, Social, and Governance performance, emphasizing the moderating role of Financial Reporting Quality, proxied by value relevance and income smoothing. Using a panel of 1770 firm-year observations from 177 industrial, energy, and basic materials firms in the United Kingdom over the period 2014-2023, the study employs Fixed Effects regressions as the main estimation strategy, complemented by Heckman correction for sample selection bias and GMM to address potential endogeneity. The results indicate that Environmental Expenditure, Environmental Expenditure Investments, and Research and Development expenditures have a positive and significant impact on ESG performance. This effect is significantly moderated by FRQ; value relevance amplifies the impact of sustainability expenditures, while income smoothing supports long-term strategic consistency. These findings highlight the importance of transparent, informative reporting to enhance the effectiveness of sustainability investments. The study contributes to the ESG literature by showing that sustainability expenditures function as strategic investments rather than mere costs. From a practical perspective, the results suggest that managers should align sustainability strategies with high-quality financial reporting practices, while policymakers should promote clearer disclosure standards to improve ESG outcomes.
The in vitro organoid concept is a significant technical advancement that has proven to be a valuable tool in a variety of fundamental biology and therapeutic applications. This physiologically relevant 3D model enables the study of key in vivo biochemical processes such as tissue regeneration, stem cell/niche activities, and tissue response to medicines, mutations and injury. Organoids bridge conventional 2D cultures, in vivo human and murine systems because they provide greater physiological relevance than monolayer models while remaining more experimentally accessible than animal models. This innovative platform and its multiorgan incorporation, which recapitulates organ-level function and structure, enables a wide range of applications such as human disease models, which may help reduce reliance on animal testing. This review explores the concepts of organoids and organ-on-a-chip as well as current advances that lead to the development of in vitro disease models and novel therapeutic options.
