University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland

Radiocarbon dating of mortars: A case study from ancient village Dūré

Abstract The absolute chronology of historical structures in regions with limited documentary evidence or organic remains presents a significant challenge for archaeologists and historians. Radiocarbon dating of anthropogenic carbonates, such as mortar binders, offers a potential...

Provenance and competence for CHIKV and DENV of Aedes albopictus populations

Aedes albopictus is one of the world’s most hazardous invasive species, increasingly implicated in the autochthonous transmission of Chikungunya (CHIKV) and Dengue (DENV) viruses in newly colonized areas. Since invading the Mediterranean Basin several in the early 1980s, recurren...

Occupational heat strain among home health care workers: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Extreme heat events affect workers’ health. Home health care workers face physically strenuous tasks, mobility demands, and increased workloads during heat events. Yet little is known about the extent of heat strain and the specific symptoms they experience. T...

Stream biodiversity and function benefit from forest fragments in agricultural landscapes

Abstract Riparian forests buffer stream ecosystems from intensive land use. However, with ongoing land-use changes, riparian forests often remain as isolated fragments. Despite this, the relevance of isolated forest fragments in deforested landscapes remains unclear. We evaluated...

A PTAS for triangle-free 2-matching

Abstract In the Triangle-Free (Simple) 2-Matching problem we are given an undirected graph $$G=(V,E)$$ G = ( V , E ) . Our goal is to compute a maximum-cardinality $$M\subseteq E$$ M ⊆ E satisfying the following properties: (1) at most two edges of M are incident on each node (i....

Simulation-guided predictive machine learning framework for optimizing directed energy deposition of Fe-Mn alloys

This study proposes a hybrid Finite Element Modeling (FEM) and Machine Learning (ML) framework for predicting melt pool geometry in the Directed Energy Deposition (DED) of Fe-Mn alloys. A thermal FEM model based on the Goldak double-ellipsoidal heat source was developed and valid...

Beyond full fine-tuning: towards enhanced generalizability in downstream ECG foundation model adaptation

Abstract Foundation models (FMs) are large-scale models pretrained on extensive datasets to learn general representations that can be adapted to multiple tasks through fine-tuning. FMs are gaining traction in the electrocardiogram (ECG) analysis field, also thanks to their abilit...

Long-term temperature, oxygen and water clarity trends in Swiss lakes

Abstract. Water temperature, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen concentration, and water clarity are key variables routinely measured in Swiss lakes by lake monitoring programs run by cantonal environmental offices and international lake commissions. In most lakes, data is...

Mapping therapeutic exercise interventions in temporomandibular disorders: A scoping review

OBJECTIVE: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are musculoskeletal conditions causing pain and functional limitations. This scoping review aimed to map therapeutic exercise interventions described in clinical studies on TMDs. METHODS: Following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology,...

Sleep-stage dynamics predict current sleep-disordered breathing and future cardiovascular risk

ABSTRACT Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is a major contributor to cardiovascular morbidity and disrupts both the macrostructure and dynamics of sleep stages (W, N1, N2, N3, REM). While specific alterations in sleep macrostructure, such as reduced durations of N3 and REM, have b...

Institutionalizing Transdisciplinarity in Higher Education: Strategic Areas and Reflexive Governance

This article proposes a practice-informed institutional design framework for embedding transdisciplinarity (TD) as an operational orientation in higher education. Building on the Reflexive and Situated Model for Institutionalizing Transdisciplinarity, the study examines how TD ca...

The Zooplankton International Geospatial dataset: A global repository of spatiotemporal freshwater zooplankton community composition data from lakes and reservoirs to support ecological research

Abstract Zooplankton transfer substantial energy in aquatic food webs and are used as indicators of environmental change. Syntheses of zooplankton community dynamics globally require datasets that span a wide range of environmental gradients; however, these datasets are limited d...