Current legislative frameworks reflect a societal consensus to prioritize sustainability, incentivizing industries to integrate environmental goals into strategic objectives. Embedding sustainability into product development requires appropriate methods and tools. Technological advancements enable the utilization and analysis of operational machine data to support the development of new generations of sustainable systems and the conduction of Life-Cycle-Assessments. This research presents a method to support data-driven product development to reduce the environmental impact of new product generations of complex mechatronic systems during operation, addressing key factors such as the technical system, organizational infrastructure, and regulations. The application of the method resulted in multiple proposed design changes able to enhance machine sustainability and operational efficiency.

Gene expression can be quantified using the sensitive technique of quantitative reverse transcription real-time polymerase chain reaction. Inter-sample variances can be minimised through normalisation with an appropriate reference gene. Bemisia tabaci, a significant insect vector of the Begomovirus family, transmits the Tomato Leaf Curl Bangalore Virus, for which there is a dearth of information regarding appropriate reference genes for autophagy. The viral load surpasses the vector’s capacity when autophagy is activated, which is also detrimental to whiteflies, particularly concerning virus translocation. To mitigate this vector using a double-stranded RNA approach, a precise measurement of gene silencing is required. For this investigation, normalisation of housekeeping or internal control genes is necessary. The present work utilised software tools such as geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper to assess the suitability of five reference genes, namely, α-tubulin, β-tubulin, elongation factor, actin, and sucrose synthase, for gene expression studies in viruliferous and non-viruliferous B. tabaci. The analysis of the data showed that β-tubulin, which exhibits more stable expression, is the best-ranked reference gene. Furthermore, the reference genes were verified using the target gene expression of atg3 (an autophagy gene). The current findings enable precise measurement of gene expression in begomovirus-induced autophagy conditions of B. tabaci.

Rapid pace of change and increasing complexity in today’s world demand innovative approaches to product development. Foresight methods enable the anticipation of future scenarios and the derivation of product properties. However, current approaches lack mechanisms to continuously align product development with evolving environment and customer requirements, often resulting in late changes and high costs. Early detection of deviations is needed. This paper presents an approach for continuous monitoring, bridging strategic foresight and the product engineering process (PEP). By analyzing prior work and literature, a process model was developed to identify tipping points where product adaptations are necessary using indications and indicators. Initial evaluation through a case study using coffee machines showed the approach’s usability but improvement potential was also identified.

This study explores the design of a compatibility evaluation framework for integrating 3PL warehouse clients into semi-automated warehouse setups. Using Action Design Research (ADR), an artifact was developed that combines data-driven decision-making (DDD) and multi-criteria decision analysis. The framework, implemented in Microsoft Power BI, enables the evaluation of client compatibility based on configurable criteria and relevant metrics. It was co-created with stakeholders and tested using data from 33 warehouse clients, demonstrating its practical value in identifying operational fit while facilitating data-driven discussions. The study highlights the potential of structured decision frameworks in environments with limited data, offering generalizable insights for 3PL warehouses and similar contexts.

Biodegradability is often framed as an intrinsic material property. By integrating industrial design and soil science, this research examines how material design can actively support ecological reintegration. Through a case study of Polylactic Acid (PLA)—marketed as sustainable yet resistant to breakdown in everyday soil—we challenge how biodegradability claims misalign with real-world decomposition. To address this, we designed and tested 3D printing filaments, using compost respiration analysis to show that microbial engagement depends on material composition and environmental factors. We then introduce decayability as a novel affordance that supports microbial activity. By extending affordance theory beyond human perception, this study establishes a framework for designing materials that mediate interactions between human fabrication needs and nonhuman decomposition processes.

The study investigates the cognitive aspects of aesthetic taste, which is a subjective quality linked to individuals’ ability to make superior aesthetic judgments. It explores how evaluation modes during product choice decision-making relate to aesthetic taste. We defined taste through two dimensions: expertise (professional experience) and acumen (consumption experiences). By comparing research participants in a consumer study across these dimensions, we analyzed decision-making patterns using both quantitative and qualitative methods. Our results show that participants with low aesthetic taste (across both dimensions) express their product choice in terms of product attributes they dislike. We also find that the expression of personal preferences is associated with low aesthetic taste for the expertise dimension but is associated with high aesthetic taste for the acumen dimension.

According to Jerome Wakefield’s harmful dysfunction account, a mental disorder must involve an objective dysfunction couched in evolutionary terms. However, selected effects functions are indeterminate, because (i) the same trait can be both selectively advantageous and disadvantageous and (ii) the functional activity of a trait can be assessed according to conflicting norms, given the trait’s place in a hierarchy of functions. Therefore, there may be a dysfunction that can be described in multiple empirically adequate ways. The choices involved in these cases are value-laden. Some cases of addiction may fit this mold, involving indeterminacy that invites opposing value judgments.

Subject to techniques of perturbative renormalization, the Standard Model makes empirical predictions that are stupendously successful. But also deeply mysterious. Not every quantum field theory (qft) is renormalizable. Indeed, most aren’t. The mystery is: why should we be so lucky, that we live in a world governed by a renormalizable qft? I explicate this Renormalizability Puzzle, and explain why Renormalization Group (RG) approaches are widely thought to resolve it. Looking under the hood of the RG resolution, I identify a load-bearing element that might not be adequate to the explanatory burden the RG resolution places upon it.

How well a team can design something depends on how well their collective understanding comes together. In the design of modern complex systems this involves multiple conceptualisations of the system undergoing design. These perspectives become instantiated in a large volume of design description that is deep, wide and diverse. This must carry shared meaning reliably, which is impossible to assure if the ontology in which every statement is nested is left implicit and unmanaged. This paper outlines a technical approach to assure ontological harmony without necessarily or only employing formal semantically rigorous knowledge representations. It empowers an incremental investment in description coverage and ontological coherence, better supporting the spectrum of thinking styles and description needs that design teams encounter when taking on complex systems development today.

In this paper, two case studies are presented to validate a process model for the future robust advancement of product portfolios. In the first case study, the process model is implemented for a supplier in the automotive industry and evaluated by two company experts. In the second case study, the process model is implemented in a medical equipment company for 6 months. The evaluation shows that the investigated model can be applied and supports the process. The success evaluation is only assessed as expected added value, as the added value can only be observed when realizing the product portfolio. The evaluation in two case studies confirms the applicability and support potential of the model in corporate practice. At the same time, the need for improvement and multi-year implementation in the companies is identified.

This study aimed to perform a cross-country validation of the Arabic version of the World Health Organization 5-item (WHO-5) Well-Being Index, in terms of factor structure, composite reliability, cross-gender measurement invariance and concurrent validity. We carried out a cross-sectional, web-based study on a total of 3,247 young adults (aged 18–35 years) from six Arab countries (Tunisia, Lebanon, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Kuwait). Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed that the one-factor model demonstrated acceptable fit across all six countries. In addition, the Arabic WHO-5 Well-Being Index yielded high reliability coefficients in samples from each country (McDonald’s ω and Cronbach’s α = .92–.96), across genders (ω = .95 in men and .94 in women) and age groups (ω = .94/α = .94 in participants aged ≤25 years and ω =.96/α =.96 in those aged ≥26 years). Multi-group analyses demonstrated that configural, metric and scalar invariance were supported across gender, countries and age groups. Regarding concurrent validity, WHO-5 Well-being scores were strongly and significantly inversely correlated with depression, anxiety, stress, suicidal ideation and insomnia severity. This study provides a brief, valid and reliable Arabic version of the WHO-5 Well-Being Index that can be applied cross-nationally among Arabic-speaking young adult populations for screening and research purposes.

The dragons of early modern German alchemy are inheritors of a unique cultural blend of folklore, religious custom and natural philosophy that is unrivalled in Western Europe. Whether inspired by the artwork of the Lutheran Reformation, like Stefan Michelspacher’s ‘Anfang. Exaltation’, or informed by the legends of dragon’s hoards, such as the shapes suggested by Anna Maria Zieglerin for the philosophers’ stone, serpentine monsters found within alchemical works possess more than their figurative chemical meanings. This article explores the range of cultural connotations these dragons held that served to expound their alchemical significance to an early modern German audience, as well as the ways in which alchemy brought these monsters to life through chemistry.

Digital transformation has reshaped the manufacturing sector, driving innovation and new business models. Simultaneously, sustainability pressures and stricter regulations push companies to adopt circular economy (CE) principles, focusing on reducing, reusing, and recycling materials. This transition requires adapting business models, product design, and management while integrating processes such as reverse logistics. Digital technologies play a crucial role by enabling data generation, processing, and analysis, optimizing production, and reducing resource use. However, many companies face knowledge gaps regarding how to implement these technologies effectively for CE. This study addresses these challenges through a systematic literature review, offering a framework that links digital technologies to CE principles, focusing on slowing, narrowing, and closing material loops.

Humans, with their various social identities, form an important part of engineering design. Therefore, designers must reflect on the implications of social identity when designing products. However, little research has examined the quality and content of student designers’ reflections on the importance of social identity in design, and we aim to explore this research gap. The results of our study revealed higher frequencies of responses related to personal experiences and design/action among designers with minoritized social identities. Designers with minoritized identities also provided higher-quality reflections than those in the majority group. These results suggest that designers with different social identities may vary in their ability to critically reflect on the impact of social identity in design and call for the need for new reflective design tools and educational approaches.

Structured reflection can initiate learning, increase team performance and support engineering teams in adapting their engineering design activities or methods. Engineering teams with limited reflection experience use reflection often not effectively. Therefore, additional support in the implementation of reflection, guiding and structuring reflection and in providing goal-related reflection guiding questions is needed. To improve the quality of reflection and enable engineering teams to reflect, a chatbot-supported reflection concept to assist engineers is proposed in this contribution. For this purpose, the potential and challenges of existing chatbot approaches are analyzed and classified. Based on the reflection process and tools from preliminary work, use cases and an initial architectural reflection chatbot concept are developed and presented in this paper.

Product Line Engineering (PLE) and Systems Engineering (SE) are critical for developing complex systems, yet current methodologies inadequately address the integration of variability across multiple layers of system design. This study introduces an integrated variability modeling framework based on FODA and aligned with ARCADIA’s MBSE method, addressing operational, functional, and constructional viewpoints. Validation using Renault’s Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) showcased reduced design time and enhanced configuration adaptability. Key challenges, such as aligning feature models and managing dependencies, were addressed through a modular, layered strategy. The proposed approach ensures flexibility, scalability, and system integrity, offering a robust framework for diverse domains.

Long-term projections are the bedrock of any analysis looking at the sustainability of public finances. This paper computes the changes in economic growth in individual European Union countries needed for government debt-to-GDP ratios to stay on their baseline trajectories (taken from the European Commission’s Debt Sustainability Monitor 2023) under high life expectancy, low-fertility, low-migration, and high-migration scenarios. These scenarios are provided in the Commission’s Ageing Report (2024). We find that deviations of migration from the baseline entail the largest effect on the required rate of economic growth. The effects of the low-fertility scenario are most pronounced in the very long run and sometimes exceed those of low migration. Our findings inform policymakers about the potential role of higher productivity growth in alleviating the public finance consequences of demographic shocks. The importance of higher productivity growth is increased by the fact that in some countries demographic projections tend to be optimistic.

In the 1980s and 1990s, many Latin American countries transitioned from dictatorships to democracies, paving the way for the structural redesign of their foreign policies. In response to sustained feminist mobilization in civil society, by the 2000s several of these countries had established gender divisions in their Ministries of Foreign Affairs. These divisions prioritized the incorporation of gender equality norms in their national and international legal obligations and established protocols to implement gender equality measures. As part of this process, there was also a push for increased participation of women in the foreign policy arena, especially in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Uruguay (Fuentes-Julio et al. 2022).