The administration of regional neuraxial analgesia for pain relief during labor is widely recognized as a safe and effective method involving medication delivery into the epidural or subarachnoid space in the lower back. This study proposes an innovative semantic image segmentation methodology emphasizing enhanced interpretability using convolutional Random Fourier Features and layer-wise weighted class-activation maps tailored explicitly for foot segmentation in regional analgesia monitoring. Namely, our contribution is twofold: i) a novel Random Fourier Features layer is introduced to deal with image data to enhance three well-known architectures (FCN, UNet, and ResUNet); ii) three novel quantitive measures are presented to evaluate the interpretability of a given deep learning model devoted to segmentation tasks. Our approach is rigorously evaluated on a demanding dataset of foot thermal images from pregnant women who received epidural anesthesia. Its small size and considerable variability characterize the dataset. Our validation results demonstrate that the proposed methodology not only achieves competitive foot segmentation performance but also significantly enhances the explainability of the process, rendering it well-suited for applications such as epidural insertion during labor.

This study extends the CGAN-based MODIS cloud vertical-profile (64×64-scene, about 70km width×15km height) retrieval technique developed by Leinonen et al. (2019) [1] to construct seamless 3D cloud fields for the MODIS granules [2]. Firstly, the accuracy and spatial continuity of the Leinonen et al. [1] retrievals are statistically evaluated. Then, according to the characteristics of the retrieval error, a spatially overlapping-scene ensemble generation method and a bi-directional Ensemble Binning Probability Fusion (CGAN-BEBPF) technique are developed, which improves the CGAN retrieval accuracy and support to construct seamless 3D clouds. The CGAN-BEBPF technique involves three steps: cloud masking, intensity scaling, and optimal value selection. It ensures adequate coverage of the low reflectivity areas while preserving the high reflectivity cloud cores. The technique is applied to retrieve the 3D cloud fields of Typhoon Chaba and a multi-cell convective system. The cloud structures of the CGAN-BEBPF results are highly consistent with the ground-based radar observations. It can retrieve weak clouds at the top levels of convective storms and hurricanes that were missed by ground-based radars and fill the gaps of the ground-based radar lower-level PPI scan. Overall, CGAN-BEBPF can be automated to retrieve the rich informative 3D structures of typhoons and severe convective systems over the oceans along the MODIS swath, which certainly presents great value for improving maritime and near-shore typhoons and convection prediction and other cloud-sensitive applications.

SOC stock (SOCS) changes caused by land use changes are still unclear, and understanding this response is essential for many environmental policies and land management practices. In this study, we investigated the temporal-spatial and vertical distribution characteristics of SOCS on the Western Sichuan Plateau (WSP) using the sparrow search algorithm-random forest regression (SSA-RFR) models with excellent model applicability and accuracy. The temporal-spatial varia-tions in the SOCS were modeled using 1080 soil samples and a set of nine environmental covariates. We analyzed the effect of land use changes on the SOCS on the WSP. The total SOCS increased by 18.03 Tg C from 1990 to 2020. The results of this study confirmed that the SOCS in the study area has increased significantly since 2010, with an increase of 27.88 Tg C compared to the total SOCS in 2010. We found that the spatial distribution of the SOCS increased from southeast to northwest, and the vertical distribution of the SOCS in the study area decreased with increasing soil depth. Forest and grassland are the main sources of SOCS, the total SOCS in the forest and grassland accounted for 37.53 and 59.39% of the total SOC pool in 2020, respectively. Expansion of the wetlands, forest, and grassland areas could increase SOCS in the study area.

Today's city needs more than ever methodological devices that ensure a specific urbanism, in keeping with the complexity of relationships that occur in the urban space. Networks or systems of diverse nature must be activated to achieve a certain success of the city, even more so in its fragile central fabrics. The study is focused on the historic neighborhoods of the city of Jaén (Spain), which have a high vulnerability index. The aim is to establish a strategy to revitalize their urban and social capital and improve their articulation with the rest of the urban and territorial structure. A methodological proposal for the analysis of vulnerability factors and an urban and cartographic analysis of the public space is addressed through an interweaving of a triple network: environmental, social, and urban. For this purpose, the configuration of this overlapping network of analysis and formulation of criteria is presented, which considers the urban multiplicity and promotes new dynamics for the integrated urban regeneration of the area and for the activation of public and collective urban spaces.

Introduction: maxillary hypoplasia and mandibular asymmetry may be corrected with orthognathic surgery at the completion of growth. Many patients require segmental Le Fort I osteotomies to obtain the most stable results. Unfortunately, if Invisalign is chosen for pre-surgical preparation, ClinCheck © software does not allow for prediction when these complex surgeries are planned. The objective of this paper was to show the potential of aligners beyond its software in most complex cases like multiple-piece maxillary osteotomies in cleft and non-cleft patients. Method: Thirteen patients who underwent pre-surgical treatment with clear aligners-Invisalign (study group) were matched in terms of diagnosis, surgical procedure, and orthodontic complexity with thirteen patients treated using fixed appliances (control group). A technique based on simple superimposition was devised to enhance the software for creating a suitable occlusion for segmental pre-surgical treatments. Virtual curves following the lower arch were employed to guide the correct pre-surgical positions of the upper teeth. The amount of impressions required in both groups to achieve satisfactory pre-surgical alignment of the segmented arches was compared. Results: one or no refinement phase were needed in the Invisalign group to reach an acceptable pre-surgical occlusion while the amount of pre-surgical impressions taken in order to reach adequate coordination with fixed appliance treatment was slightly higher. The average overall treatment duration did not show a statistically significant variation between the groups. Conclusions: it appears that clear aligner could serve as an effective treatment for individuals with skeletal discrepancies, including cleft and craniofacial anomalies, necessitating segmental Le Fort I osteotomies when aided by the suggested superimposition approach during digital pre-surgical movement simulations. More sophisticated softwares will certainly be implemented in the future.

Finding a good MIMO system model also major issue in Wireless Communication system. It is facing with so many problem, one of the major problem is finding good system model in terms of capacity and transmitting antenna system. In this paper, we analyze the channel capacity of various MIMO system model with some constant SNR level and outage probability. We establish a novel idea for MIMO system models as consider as 2^N- MIMO system model and find-out change in channel capacity when different transmitting antennas with constant SNR and outage probability. The channel capacity ratio CC_R is presented here on the basis of 2^N- MIMO channel capacity model. Number of transmitted antenna presented in MIMO system is increases is well-known however paper shows change in capacity in simple form.

In this study, the microbial strain was isolated from the humus soil to ferment Sophora flavescens and Eleutherococcus sessiliflorus extracts. The isolated microbial was identified as Bacillus genus by 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The fermented plant extracts exhibited the antifungal effects against four types of the plant pathogens such as P. carotorum, B. cinerea, C. fructicola Sau-3, and C. gloeosporioides according to incubation time. Especially, the fermented plant extracts showed the most active activities for Colletotrichum genus to inhibit mycelium growth. Metabolite changes in fermented S. flavescens and E. sessiliflorus extracts were confirmed through LC-Q-TOF/MS. Flavonoid and peptide derivatives were improved in fermented S. flavescens and E. sessiliflorus extracts compared to their unfermented one, respectively. This study suggested that the isolated Bacillus microbial fermentation could be a valuable tool in improving the bioactivity of S. flavescens and E. sessiliflorus extracts to have potential with more environmentally-friendly antifungal agents.

The experiences gathered during the past 30 years support the operational use of irrigation scheduling based on frequent multi-spectral image data. Currently, the operational use of dense time series of multispectral imagery at high spatial resolution makes monitoring of crop biophysical parameters feasible, capturing crop water use across the growing season, with suitable temporal and spatial resolutions. These achievements, and the availability of accurate forecasting of meteorological data, allow for precise predictions of crop water requirements with unprecedented spatial resolution. This information is greatly appreciated by the end users, i.e. professional farmers or decision-makers, and can be provided in an easy-to-use manner and in near-real-time by using the improvements achieved in web-GIS methodologies. This paper reviews the most operational and explored methods based on optical remote sensing for the assessment of crop water requirements, identifying strengths and weaknesses and proposing alternatives to advance towards full operational application of this methodology. In addition, we provide a general overview of the tools which facilitates co-creation and collaboration with stakeholders, paying special attention to these approaches based on web-GIS tools.

A simple approach was developed to predict corn yields using the MoDerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data product from two geographically separate major corn crop production regions: Illinois, USA and Heilongjiang, China. The MOD09A1 data product, which are 8-day interval surface reflectance data, were obtained from day of the year (DOY) 89 to 337 to calculate the leaf area index (LAI). The sum of the LAI from early in the season to a given date in the season [end of DOY (EOD)] was well fitted to a logistic function and represented seasonal changes in leaf area duration (LAD). A simple phenology model was derived to estimate the dates of emergence and maturity using the logistic function parameters b1 and b2, which represented the rate of increase in LAI and the date of maximum LAI, respectively. The phenology model predicted emergence and maturity dates fairly well, with root mean square error (RMSE) values of 6.3 and 4.9 days for the validation dataset, respectively. Two simple linear regression models (YP and YF) were established using LAD as the variable to predict corn yield; the yield model (YP) used LAD from predicted emergence to maturity, and the yield model (YF) used LAD for a predetermined period from DOY 89 to a particular EOD. When state/province corn yields for the validation dataset were predicted at DOY 321, near completion of the corn harvest, the YP model performed much better than the YF model, with RMSE values of 0.68 t/ha and 0.66 t/ha for Illinois and Heilongjiang, respectively. The YP model showed a similar or better performance, even for the much earlier yield prediction at DOY 257, compared to that of the YF model. In conclusion, the phenology and yield models were developed based only on logistic changes in remote sensing-derived LAD, and predicted phenological dates and corn yields with considerable accuracy and precision for the two regions selected for this study. However, these models must be examined for spatial portability in more diverse agro-climatic regions.

Introduction and Objective: Caudal block has been used in children for many years and is considered the gold standard for multimodal analgesia in the pediatric age group. Caudal block belongs to the category of central neuraxial blocks, which can provide both visceral and somatic analgesia. With the introduction of ultrasound into the clinical practice of anaesthesia, the caudal block is now performed under USG guidance. In our study, we aimed to compare the efficacy of a single caudal block in postoperative acute pain management, the need for additional analgesics, the incidence of side effects, the timing of initial analgesic administration, and the need for rescue analgesic administration (paracetamol 10 mg/kg) in circumcision surgery. Materials and Methods: 120 patients undergoing circumcision surgery were divided into 3 groups. The caudal block was performed in all cases under USG guidance. Only the caudal block was applied for cases in the Caudal group (Group C). The Caudal + paracetamol group (Group CP) received paracetamol 10 mg/kg intravenously (i.v.) and the caudal block. Patients in the Caudal + meperidine group (Group CM) received 1 mg/kg meperidine intravenously. The caudal block was performed in each case with a 0.5 ml/kg volume of 0.125% bupivacaine. Results: As a result of our study, it was found that the least postoperative pain occurred in 12.50% of the CM group (p=0.011). Significant results were obtained when weight and age variables were analyzed according to the groups (p-values p=0.011 and p=0.003, respectively). Significant differences were found between the input pulse values, 5-minute pulse values, 15-minute pulse values, and input SpO2 values (p values p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p=0.011, p=0.037, respectively). Only Wong-Baker pain scores at the 24th hour differed significantly from the periods measured after the groups (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the FLACC and Wong-Baker pain scores in the other periods. There was no difference between the groups regarding the time when postoperative analgesics were administered and the total amount of analgesics administered (rescue analgesic 10 mg/kg oral paracetamol) (p=0.408, p=0.238). Conclusion: Caudal block can be safely applied during circumcision. Ultrasound guidance increases the chances of success and reduces the complication rate. Caudal block can be safely used in pediatric surgery since it does not cause serious complications, has low postoperative pain scores, and reduces the number of postoperative analgesics.

With the integrated development of the Internet, wireless sensor technology, cloud computing, and mobile Internet, there has been a lot of attention given to research about and applications of the Internet of Things. A Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is one of the important information technologies in the Internet of Things; it integrates multi-technology to detect and gather information in a network environment by mutual cooperation, using a variety of methods to process and analyze data, implement awareness, and perform tests. This paper mainly researches the localization algorithm of sensor nodes in a wireless sensor network. Firstly, a multi-granularity region partition is proposed to divide the location region. In the range-based method, the RSSI (Received Signal Strength indicator, RSSI) is used to estimate distance. The optimal RSSI value is computed by the Gaussian fitting method. Furthermore, a Voronoi diagram is characterized by the use of dividing region. Rach anchor node is regarded as the center of each region; the whole position region is divided into several regions and the sub-region of neighboring nodes is combined into triangles while the unknown node is locked in the ultimate area. Secondly, the multi-granularity regional division and Lagrange multiplier method are used to calculate the final coordinates. Because nodes are influenced by many factors in the practical application, two kinds of positioning methods are designed: the unknown node is in the positioning unit or not. When the unknown node is on the side of the positioning unit, we use the method of vector similarity. Moreover, we use the centroid algorithm to calculate the ultimate coordinates of unknown node. When the unknown node is not on the side of the positioning unit, we establish a Lagrange equation containing the constraint condition to calculate the first coordinates. Furthermore, we use the Taylor expansion formula to correct the coordinates of the unknown node. In addition, this localization method has been validated by establishing the real environment.

In the Emergency Department (ED), pain is one of the symptoms that is most frequently reported, making it one of the most significant issues for the emergency physician, but is frequently under treated. Intravenous (IV), oral (PO), and intramuscular (IM) delivery are the standard methods for administering acute pain relief. Firstly, we compared the safety and efficacy of IN analgesia to other conventional routes of analgesia to assess if IN analgesia may be an alternative for the management of acute pain in ED. Secondary, we analyzed the incidence and severity of adverse events (AEs) and rescue analgesia required. We performed a systematic review-based keywords in Pubmed/Medline, Scopus, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library and Controlled Trials Register finding only twenty randomized Clinical trials eligible in the timeline 1992-2022. A total of 2098 patients were analyzed and compared to intravenous analgesia showing no statistical difference in adverse effects. In addition, intranasal analgesia also has a rapid onset and quick absorption. Fentanyl and ketamine are two intranasal drugs that appear promising and may be taken simply and safely while providing effective pain relief. IN is simple to administer, non-invasive, rapid onset and quick absorption; it might be a viable choice in a variety of situations to reduce patient suffering or delays in pain management. Analgesia needs to be tailored to each patient's features and type of pain: IN Fentanyl and Ketamine look promising and may be administered easily and safely while providing effective pain relief.

Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a non-protein-producing amino acid, is extensively found in microorganisms, plants and vertebrates, and is abundantly expressed in the spinal cord and brain. To date, GABA is considered to be the major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Its physiological effects are related to the regulation of synaptic transmission, the promotion of neuronal development and relaxation, and the prevention of insomnia and depres-sion. Mediated through its specific receptors, it plays a pivotal role in the control of neuronal ex-citability, which can serve as anovel target for developing analgesics for pain management. This review provides an update on the accumulating evidence of specific GABA receptors and their subtypes in the involvement of pain analgesia.

HIV early detection (CD4 counts ≥350 cells/μL) is correlated with higher life expectancy among people living with HIV (PLHIV). Several factors including physical, cultural, structural, and financial barriers have contributed to HIV late detection. This is the first-of-its-kind study on the regional differences in early detection of HIV within Tajikistan and any country in the Central Asia region. Utilizing Tajikistan Ministry of Health's national HIV data (N=10,700) spanning 2010 to 2023, we developed median regression models with median CD4 cell count as the outcome and as predictors: time (years), region, age, gender, and area (urban/rural status). Individuals younger than 19 years old are more likely to be detected early for HIV, whereas those older than 39 years are more prone to late detection. Given their active engagement in age-related and sexual activities, those older than 39 years face a higher risk of HIV transmission to others if diagnosed late. Therefore, they require further attention and targeted interventions. Females are detected earlier compared to their male counterparts, regardless of region of residence. Rural populations are detected earlier in most years compared to their urban counterparts. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated HIV early detection in 2021 but most regions have returned to near pre-pandemic levels of detection in 2022 and 2023. These fluctuations in early detection may signify a shift in attention and resource allocation, potentially affecting efforts to address access gaps during the initial year of the COVID-19 pandemic. There are significant health inequities among different demographic and geographic groups which warrant further attention.

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, particularly Machine Learning algorithms, becomes increasingly ubiquitous, our abilities to understand and interpret AI and machine learning algorithms are becoming increasingly desirable. Visualization has been used as a common tool to view and understand complex machine learning processes. In this paper, we will focus on developing a general framework for the visualization of machine learning models as a scalar valued multi-dimensional function to help users understand how the models behave over different viewing spaces. We first give a formal definition of the visualization problem. Interpolation-based morphing and subspace sampling techniques are applied to generate various renderings through projections and cross-sections of the model space as 3D surfaces or heatmap images. This method will be applied to two real-world datasets and applications: the diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) using a human brain networks dataset and a real-world benchmark dataset for predicting home credit default risks. The visualizations show that different machine learning algorithms can behave quite differently under different conditions.

This study analyses regional development in one of the poorest provinces in China, Guizhou Province, between 2000 and 2012 using a multiscale and multi-mechanism framework. In general, regional inequality has been declining since 2000. In addition, economic development in Guizhou Province presented spatial agglomeration and club convergence, which shows how the development pattern of one core area, two-wing areas and a contiguous area at the edge of the province have been developed between 2006 and 2012. Multilevel regression analysis revealed that industrialization and investment level were the primary driving forces of regional economic disparity in Guizhou Province. The influences of marketization and decentralization on regional economic disparity were relatively weak. Investment level reinforced regional economic disparity and the development of core-periphery structure in the province. However, investment level actually weakened the regional economic disparity in Guizhou Province when the variable of time was considered. In addition, both the topography and urban–rural differentiation were the two main reasons for forming a core-periphery structure in Guizhou Province.

Our aim was to determine the secondary antibody deficiency profiles of patients in a mesoregion of São Paulo state, Brazil, focusing on infectious diseases. Demographic characteristics, clinical and laboratory data were obtained from electronic files; infections were classified as organ-specific and graded as mild, moderate, life-threatening, and fatal. Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) accounted for 30% of patients, nephrotic syndrome (NS) 25%; chronic lymphocyte leukemia 20%, and multiple myeloma 15%. Patients with NS were younger than those in other groups, and hypo-γ-globulinemia was detected in 94.1%, IgG <400 mg/dL in 60.0%, IgA <40 mg/dL in 55.0%, and CD19 <20 cells/mm³ in 30.0%. One hundred and one infections were found; 82.1% were classified as mild or moderate, 7.9% as life-threatening, and 1.9% as fatal. Respiratory tract infections were more prevalent (41.5%), and pneumonia accounted for 19.8%. Lower levels of infections were found in patients with NS compared with NHL (P=0.0001). Most patients progressed to hypo-γ-globulinemia and secondary antibody deficiency after treatment with immunosuppressants, and mild and moderate infections were predominant. These therapies are increasing in patients with different diseases, therefore monitoring hypo-γ-globulinemia and infections may help to identify patients at high risk for severe complications, antibiotic prophylaxis or treatment, and immunoglobulin replacement

Nowadays, the identification and characterization of grapevine cultivars resilient to climate and water stress while preserving quality traits is crucial for the wine industry. Therefore, the objective of this work was to characterize according to their aromatic potential 9 white and 6 red minority cultivars recently recovered from Castilla-La Mancha region (Spain), subjected at two different water deficit regimes: rainfed, with subsistence irrigation, and irrigated. For this, the varietal aromatic potential index (IPAv) and the detailed aromatic composition were analyzed by HS-SBSE-GC/MS, in extracts of two different ph. For IPAv values, red varieties did not show a clear trend with respect to irrigation. However, in white minority varieties, higher values were obtained under irrigation conditions. Thus, a clear differentiation of the minority varieties in comparison to the references was observed, primarily attributed to the content of esters and acids, in both white and red varieties. A notable contrast was observed at different pH, indicating a greater extractability of certain compounds like linalool, under more acidic conditions. This suggests that some recovered minority cultivars could be promising for cultivation in semi-arid regions with limited water, contributing to the wine sector sustainability in the future.

Violence against paramedics is increasingly recognized as an important occupational health problem, but pervasive and institutionalized underreporting hinders efforts at risk mitigation. Earlier research has shown that the organizational culture within paramedicine may contribute to underreporting and researchers have recommended involving paramedics in the development of violence prevention policies, including reporting systems. Eighteen months after the launch of a new comprehensive violence reporting system in Peel Region, Ontario, Canada, we surveyed paramedics about their willingness to report violent encounters. A total of 204 (33% of eligible) paramedics chose to participate, of whom 67% (N=137) had experienced violence since the launch of the new reporting process, with 83% (N=114) reporting the incidents at least some of the time. In choosing to report, participants cited the accessibility of the new reporting process and the desire to promote accountability among perpetrators while contributing to a safer workplace as motivating factors. Their decisions to file a report, however, could be influenced by the perceived ‘volitionality’ and severity of the violent encounters, particularly in the context of (un)supportive co-workers and supervisors. Ultimately, the participants’ belief that the report would lead to meaningful change within the service was a key driver of reporting behavior.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate if tests used to assess core stability could be used to determine success in physiological tests applied to assess dynamic balance and agility for a young active population. Methods: Pearson's r correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between the core stability tests and the dynamic balance and agility tests. Evaluation of the tests was established using Cronbach's coefficient of variance as part of intra-rater reliability tests. An analysis of 18 active college aged students was conducted (males: n= 13, females: n= 5). The mean ± SD age for males was 19.2 years ± 3.22 years and for females was 19.4 years ± 1.14 years. Conclusion: The results indicate that there is no significant relationship between tests that assess core stability and tests conducted to assess dynamic balance in active young adults. With the exception of the abdominal flexion test, no significant relationship exists between the remaining core stability tests and agility T-Test. Core stability is not a determinant of balance and agility.

Long term Precipitation and temperature variations are one of the main determinants of climate variability of one’s area. The aim of this study is to determine trends variation in climatic elements of temperature and precipitation in the southern zone of Tigray regional state, Ethiopia. The station is assumed for the study of climatic records over southern zone of the region in detection for probable trends. The daily, monthly and annual precipitation totals and temperature observed at korem meteorological station were used for the period of 1981-2010 for Precipitation and 1985 – 2010 for minimum and maximum temperature. Summary of descriptive statistics and Mann Kendall test methods were employed for the observed data analysis to demonstrate any existence of possible trends. The main findings of the study indicated that the mean and maximum temperature had a general increasing trend; however, minimum temperature showed decreasing trend. In general annual temperature from 1985 – 2010 of the area showed a warming trend. Moreover analysis of the 30 years (1981-2010) annual precipitation showed a coefficient of variation ranging from 33.77 – 233 %. It indicated that the precipitation dissemination is not normal with large year to year variances.

Cameroon introduced the malaria vaccine in its routine immunization programme on 22 January 2024, in the 42 districts out of 200, among the most at risk of malaria. A cross-sectional analysis of data on vaccine key events in the introduction roadmap and vaccine uptake during the first 30 days was conducted. In addition to available gray literature related to the introduction of the malaria vaccine, data on malaria vaccine uptake by vaccination session, collected through a digital platform, were analyzed. A total of 1,893 reports were received from 22 January 2024 to 21 February 2024 from 766 health facilities (85% of overall completeness). Two regions out of 10 recorded less than 80% of completeness. As of 21 February 2024, 13,811 children have received the first dose of the malaria vaccine, including 7,124 girls (51.6%) and 6,687 boys (48.4%). Thirty six percent of children were vaccinated through outreach sessions versus 61.5% through sessions in fixed posts. The overall monthly immunization coverage with the first dose was 37%. Early results have shown positive attitudes towards and acceptance of malaria vaccines. Suboptimal completeness of data reporting and low coverage highlight persistent gaps and challenges in vaccine rollout.

The interconnection between the objectives of territorial development and the agro-ecological transition highlights the value of past knowledge in the sustainable management of resources and agro-ecological systems. However, retrospection in rural areas presents difficulties due to a lack of data. This paper contributes to the search for such knowledge from the past by developing an interactive methodology capable of combining heterogeneous sources of information and the activation of local collective memory. Its effectiveness is based on ensuring the interoperability of information and communication in an environment simultaneously shaped by geoinformatics and 3D geo-visualizations. This virtual environment fosters participation and interactivity, supported by representations of the paleo-landscape. Furthermore, synergies were achieved between information sources and their integration into local spatial systems. The application example involved identifying a rice field that existed from the 15th to the 19th century in Thessaly, Greece. It is an interesting case because the location and organization of cultivation in combination with its spatio-temporal coordination ensures the sustainable use of natural resources. It appears that the interplay between information and communication facilitates community participation and the activation of its collective memory as a source of information that enriches the search and local intelligence.

Paramedics are increasingly being subjected to violence, creating the potential for significant physical and psychological harm. Where a patient has a history of violent behavior, hazard flags - applied either to the individual, their residential address, or phone number - can alert paramedics to the possibility of violence, potentially reducing the risk of injury. Leveraging a novel violence reporting process embedded in the electronic patient care record, we reviewed violence reports filed over a thirteen-month period since its inception in February 2021to assess the effectiveness of hazard flagging as a potential risk mitigation strategy. Upon reviewing a report, paramedic-supervisors can generate a hazard flag if recurrent violent behavior from the patient is anticipated. In all, 502 violence reports were filed, for which paramedic-supervisors generated hazard flags in 20% of cases (n=99). In general, cases were not flagged either because the incident occurred at a location not amenable to flagging, or because the supervisors felt that a hazard flag was not warranted based on the details in the report. Hazard flagging was associated with an increased risk of violence during subsequent paramedic attendance (Odds Ratio [OR] 6.21, p

The identification of fetal cells in the blood and tissues of healthy mothers raised questions about the potential alloreactive origins of various diseases, such as autoimmunity, diabetes, arteriosclerosis, and cancer. However, the extent to which alloreactivity contributes to these diseases remains unverified. This study presents a basic mathematical disease model based on the genes’ origin and immunological interactions. This model, grounded in set theory, classifies these immunological interactions based on their intrinsic, extrinsic, and allogeneic nature. Therefore, this model offers an unexpected common theoretical foundation for understanding alloreactivity, genetic diseases, and infections. Furthermore, this model provides a valuable framework for scrutinizing the role of alloreactivity in health and disease.

The Circular Bioeconomy (CBE) combines the concepts of bioeconomy and circular economy. As an alternative concept to the current fossil-based, linear economy, it de-scribes an economy based on the efficient valorization of biomass. It is regional in nature and aims to improve sustainability. An analysis of the transition process, by identifying its success criteria and assessing its impacts through the modelling of technology-specific scenarios is necessary to ensure that CBE concepts are sustainable. However, a compre-hensive consideration of regional influences on both is lacking. Based on extensive literature research and an expert survey, we (i) present a compre-hensive catalog of CBE success criteria and discuss their region-specific character and (ii) develop a methodology based on evaluation matrices that enable to match CBE technolo-gies with regions. The matrices support the evaluation of technological and regional characteristics influencing the successful CBE implementation. The results show that the success criteria "biomass resources", "technological", and "social" are perceived as highly important, and that most of the success criteria are both region- and technology-specific, highlighting the relevance of developing matrices to match them. We describe such matrices indicatively for the two broadest and most im-portant success criteria clusters “social acceptance” and “biomass supply chain”. With this, we substantiate the regional nature of CBE and raise the awareness on the importance of considering regional conditions in CBE transition processes. Furthermore, we provide practical guidance on how regional conditions can be reflected in the selection of technologies, e.g. in regional CBE technology scenarios.

Abstract: Background: Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a form of non-thermal ablation that delivers pulses of high voltage electrical current between electrodes. The role of IRE in the treatment of colorectal hepatic metastases is unestablished. This study is an international ques-tionnaire survey of the use of IRE for colorectal hepatic metastases. Methods: A questionnaire addressing views on the use of IRE for colorectal liver metastases was circulated to clinicians with an interest and/or expertise in this technique. Results: 64 clinicians from 17 different countries replied to the questionnaire. Thirty-six (56%) had experience of treating patients with colorectal liver metastases with IRE. The preferred mode of delivery of IRE was percutaneous treatment under CT guidance. Thirty-three (70% respondents) used IRE exclusively for lesions in proximity to inflow or outflow structures. Twenty (43% respondents) used IRE as their sole ablative treat-ment whilst 19 (40% respondents) used IRE in combination with thermal ablation. The maximum number of lesions that could be treated by IRE was two and preferred size of lesion was

The study of precipitation amount at different time scales constitutes an important issue in climate research and risk assessment. When dealing with daily totals, a frequent but sometimes underestimated problem is at what time the observation day begins. The choice of different starting times may lead to incompatibility between stations and incorrect identification of extreme events. In this work, the problem of temporal misalignment between precipitation datasets characterized by different starting time of the observation day is analyzed. The most widely used adjustment methods (1day and uniform shift) and two methods based on reanalysis (NOAA and ERA5) are evaluated in terms of temporal alignment, precipitation statistics and percentile distributions. As test series, the precipitation amount collected from 9 a.m. local time (09 LT) on the previous day to 09 LT on the target day (9-9 datasets) of the Padua and nearby stations in the period 1993-2022 have been selected. Results show that the reanalysis-based methods, in particular ERA5, outperform the others in temporal alignment, regardless the station. But, for the periods in which reanalysis data are not available, “1day” method, which shifts the daily amount back one calendar day, and “unif” method, which distributes uniformly the daily total from a 2-day moving window surrounding the target date, can be considered valid alternatives. On the other side, concerning the precipitation statistics, the reanalysis-based methods are not the best option, as they increase the precipitation frequency and reduce the mean value over wet days, NOAA much more than ERA5. Nevertheless, the uniform method provides a larger deviation from the original daily series. The use of the series of a station nearby the target one, which is mandatory in case of missing data, gives similar or better results than applying any adjustment method to the 9-9 series. General conclusions can hardly be drawn as they depend on the method and station. For the Padua dataset, the analysis was repeated at monthly and seasonal resolution. In general, the adjustment series show the most relevant changes in the precipitation statistics in summer and less temporal alignment with the original series in summer and autumn, the two seasons mainly affected by heavy rains in Padua. Finally, the percentiles distribution, analyzed for all the methods and stations, indicates that any adjustment method underestimates the percentile values, except ERA5. Only Legnaro, the station most correlated with Padua, gives results like ERA5.

Climate change is a major development challenge to Ethiopia. Unless adaptation measures are widely implemented, climate change can set back development efforts and achievements by years. Recognizing this, the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) and civil society organizations have since recently been making considerable efforts to tackle the climate change problem. This paper documents the experience of CARE International in Ethiopia in facilitating bottom-up approaches to promote community-led disaster risk management and climate change adaptation planning through a participator scenario planning (PSP) methodology. PSP is a coordinated approach which leverages a variety of stakeholders' skills and mandates to explore potential climate change risks and their impacts, and then develop locally relevant and shared adaptation action plans that support livelihoods, social capital and ecosystem resilience. The approach has facilitated timely access to and communication of seasonal climate advisories which in turn is empowering communities to take advantage of opportunities that climate presents, which is a key part of adapting to climate change. The institutionalization of the approach by district and regional disaster prevention and food security coordination offices in the southern pastoral regions of Ethiopia encouraged integration of PSP into community livelihood adaptation and local government development planning, hence continuity of the process. Sustainability is expected to be fully achieved when local government planning processes recognize the importance of and provides resources for the participation of meteorological services and community forecasting experts to help refine plans on a seasonal basis, and for systems for dissemination of advisories. Key words: Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction, Adaptation, Pastoralism, Ethiopia,

In the present work the problem of the attenuation of longitudinal sound oscillations in a conducting medium are considered. The proposed approach is based on the dynamic interaction of electron gas with the lattice vibrations. This interaction is manifested in the modification of kinetic equation for electrons. The process is accompanied by generation of an electric field.

This study explores optimizing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite constellation scheduling for multi-imaging missions in densely targeted areas using an in-house developed Modified Dynamic Programming (MDP) algorithm. By employing Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) to define the mission planning problem, the research aims to maximize observation of high-value targets within restricted planning horizons. Numerical simulations, covering a wide range of target numbers and satellite configurations, reveal the MDP algorithm’s superior mission allocation efficiency, enhanced success rates, and reduced revisit times, compared to the Greedy algorithm. The findings underscore the MDP algorithm’s improved operational efficiency and planning robustness for complex imaging tasks, demonstrating significant advancements over traditional approaches.

The EASY-NET network program (NET-2016-02364191 - Effectiveness of Audit and Feedback (A&F) strategies to improve health practice and equity in various clinical and organizational set-tings), piloted a new and more structured A&F strategy. This study compared the effectiveness of the new strategy versus the periodic publication of indicators alone in improving the appropri-ateness and timeliness of emergency health interventions in patients with Acute Miocardial In-farction (AMI) and ischemic stroke in the Lazio Region. Efficacy was evaluated according to a prospective quasi-experimental design of pre-post (2021-2022) intervention type with control group. The exposed are hospitals in the Lazio Region where professional teams voluntarily par-ticipated in the intervention. The control group is involved only in the usual reporting activities. Effectiveness analysis was conducted at the patient level. Regional health information systems were used to calculate process and outcome indicators. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed with Difference In Difference models, comparing pre-post intervention periods between exposures and controls. Estimates were calculated in terms of the difference in percentage points (pp) between absolute risks. Sixteen facilities for the IMA pathway and 13 for the stroke pathway joined the intervention. The intervention reduced the proportion of 30-days readmissions after a hospitalization for ischemic stroke by 0.54 pp in the exposed patients with a significant difference of -3.80 pp (IC95% -6.57; -1.03; 5453 patients, 63.7% cases) in the exposed compared to controls. There were no statistically significant differences attributable to the implemented A&F interven-tion in the other indicators considered. The results show, for the first time in Italy, the impact of A&F interventions in an emergency setting using aggregated data from hospitals involved in the Lazio Region emergency network.

This work compared the performance of three methods for constructing a regional ensemble prediction system (EPS) for wind speed forecasts: dynamical downscaling, breeding of growth modes (BGM), and blending method. The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model was used to downscale the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) EPS. In addition, as the BGM method needs observation data for generating scaling factors, an alternative method for generating scaling factors was proposed to eliminate dependence on observation data. One-month tests between October 1st and October 30th, 2020, were implemented to evaluate the performance of three methods in the Gansu province of China. The results demonstrate that the blending method outperforms the other two methods. Furthermore, the difference in performance is evident mainly in early forecast lead time and becomes negligible as forecast time increases.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an intensive care unit (ICU) round checklist, FAST HUGS BID (Feeding, Analgesia, Sedation, Thromboembolic prophylaxis, Head-of-bed elevation, Ulcer prophylaxis, Glycemic control, Spontaneous breathing trial, Bowel regimen, Indwelling catheter removal, and De-escalation of antibiotics) in improving clinical outcomes for patients with severe trauma. Patients admitted to our trauma ICU between 2016 and 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. We divided the participants into two groups: before (before-FD, 2016-2017) and after (after-FD, 2019-2020) the checklist's implementation. We compared patient characteristics and clinical outcomes, including ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS) and in-hospital mortality. Survival analysis was performed using Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariable logistic regression models, and multiple linear regression analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with ICU and hospital LOS. Compared with the before-FD group, the after-FD group had significantly lower in-hospital mortality and complication rates, shorter ICU and hospital LOS, and reduced duration of mechanical ventilation. revealed that the checklist's implementation was a significant independent factor in reducing ICU and hospital LOS and in-hospital mortality. In this before/after study, we observed that the FAST HUGS BID checklist implementation was associated with decreased ICU and hospital LOS and in-hospital mortality.

The mineralogical indices, e.g., Quartz Index (QI), Carbonate Index (CI), Mafic Index (MI) for ASTER multispectral thermal infrared (TIR) data have been applied to various geological materials. The indices are proved to be robust in extracting geological information at the local scale. Considering the relatively narrow spatial coverage of each ASTER scene compared to LANDSAT, many scenes are needed when mosaicking the images to be mapped at regional scales. We develop a system to search ASTER data for a target area given the vast and expanding ASTER data archive. The data is then conditioned, prioritized, and the indices are calculated before finally mosaicking the imagery. The maps of the indices covering the very wide region of the central Tibetan Plateau are produced with this system. The characteristic features of the indices relating to their geology in the study area are analyzed and discussed. Many interesting lithological and structural information that are not currently well understood in the central Tibetan Plateau, the highest and most extensive plateau in the world, with an average elevation of over 4,500 meters above sea level, for example, distributions of the mafic-ultramafic rocks along the suture zones, the quarzitic and marine sedimentology accreted to the Eurasian continent and sulfate layers related to the Tethys and neo-Tethys geological setting can be retrieved from the processed ASTER images.

Reservoirs created by damming rivers significantly modify the environment and problems may arise: the storage of nutrients and organic matter in reservoirs often leads to decreased water quality due to eutrophication. Reservoirs built on lowland rivers are exposed to significant nutrient loads, often leading to eutrophication. In this article, the Sulejów Reservoir, in Central Poland, was the subject of the research, which focused on the use of Sentinel-2 remote sensing data to detect phytoplankton blooms, and on understanding the pattern of wind-driven surface currents using the CCHE2D model (a depth-averaged hydrodynamic model). The calculation of the total phosphorus load has shown that the reservoir mainly acts as nutrient storage. Still, during the low flow and intensive phytoplankton bloom, it can be a source of nutrients. The distribution of phytoplankton bloom on the Sulejów Reservoir was documented using eight Sentinel-2 satellite images from the vegetation season of 2020 and the Normalized Difference Chlorophyll Index (NDCl). Coupling remote sensing data and numerical modelling helps to interpret the hydrodynamic model results and understand nutrients and sediment dynamics within the reservoir. Hydrodynamic modelling combined with remote sensing data can be a valuable tool for selecting appropriate locations for water quality measurements at monitoring stations.

Purpose: The study aimed to investigate the efficacy of TXA supplemented with local infiltration analgesia (LIA) in reducing blood loss in patients undergoing total knee replacement. Materials: A retrospective study on 530 individuals with a mean age of 71,44 years after posterior stabilized total knee arthroplasty was evaluated. Patients were divided into three groups, corresponding to the method of bleeding control: I - patients without additional bleeding protocol (control group); II - patients with iV TXA administration (TXA group); III - patients with exact TXA protocol combined with intraoperative local infiltration analgesia (TXA + LIA group). Blood loss was measured as a substitute for blood loss by maximal Hb drop compared to preoperative Hb level. Results: The mean hospitalization for patients from the control group was 7.02 (SD 1.34) days, 6.08 (SD 1.06) days for the TXA group, and 5.56 (SD 0.79) for the TXA + LIA group. The most significant hemoglobin drop was found in the control group, which amounted to an average of 30.08% output value. In the TXA group, the decrease in hemoglobin was, on average, 25.17% (p<0.001), and in the TXA + LIA group, it was 23.67% (p<0.001). A decrease in the rate of allogeneic blood transfusions was observed, which was 24.4% in the control group, 9.9% in the TXA group, and 8% in TXA + LIA group (p<0.01). Conclusions: Compared to the separate administration of tranexamic acid, the combination of perioperative administration with local infiltration analgesia statistically significantly reduces blood loss in patients after total knee replacement.

The combination of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with non-opioid analgesics is common in clinical practice for the treatment of acute pain conditions like post-operative and post-traumatic pain. Besides that, and despite the very satisfactory results achieved by oral analgesics, parenteral analgesia is a key tool in the treatment of painful conditions when the enteral routes are not convenient. The parenteral ready-to-use fixed-dose combinations of NSAIDs with non-opioid analgesics like paracetamol or metamizole could play a central role in the treatment of painful conditions since they are able to gather into only one formulation the advantages of multimodal and parenteral analgesia. Surprisingly, only very recently a parenteral ready-to-use fixed-dose combination of Ibuprofen/Paracetamol was launched to the market. This review aims to review the current availability of NSAID-based Parenteral Fixed-dose combinations with paracetamol and metamizole in the European and American markets, and how the combination of such drugs could play a central role in a multimodal analgesia strategy. Also, it is explored how the parenteral formulations of NSAIDs, paracetamol, and metamizole could serve as starting elements for the development of new parenteral ready-to-use fixed-dose combinations. With this review, we concluded that, despite the well-recognized utility of combining NSAIDs with non-opioid analgesics, there are in the literature several randomized clinical trial studies unable to demonstrate clear advantages concerning their efficacy and safety. In the future, it is deemed necessary to perform clinical trials specifically designed to assess the efficacy and safety of these fixed-dose formulations to generate solid evidence of their clinical advantages.

Dirofilariosis is an infectious disease caused by species of the Dirofilaria genus. It is manifested by the appearance of a subcutaneous swelling, especially in the eye region. We present the case of a 29-year-old patient that accused facial asymmetry in the right genian region. Following clinical and paraclinical evaluations, the diagnosis of parasitic cyst was established in the context of dirofilariosis with Dirofilaria repens (D. repens). Treatment consisted of surgical excision of the formation associated with prophylactic antibiotic medication. Macroscopic analysis of the excision piece revealed a structure that contains a cystic cavity and a filamentous form with a length of approximately 10 mM and a diameter of 1 mM. This is the first case of dirofilariosis located in the genian region reported in Romania. The overview of this pathology is important to raise awareness among physicians about its presence and its clinical variations.

Neuropathic pain is initiated by a malfunction of the somatosensory cortex system. Acupuncture had been shown to have therapeutic effects for neuropathic pain, although with uncertain mechanisms. We used electroacupuncture (EA) to treat mice spared nerve injury (SNI) model and explore the underlying molecular mechanisms through novel chemogenetic techniques. Both me-chanical and thermal pain were found in SNI mice till four weeks (mechanical: 3.23 ± 0.29 g; thermal: 4.9 ± 0.14 s). Hyperalgesia was attenuated by 2 Hz EA (mechanical: 4.05 ± 0.19 g; ther-mal: 6.22 ± 0.26 s) but not with sham EA (mechanical: 3.13 ± 0.23 g; thermal: 4.58 ± 0.37 s), sug-gesting EA’s specificity. In addition, animals with transient receptor potential V1 (Trpv1) deletion showed no significant induction of neuropathic pain (mechanical: 4.43 ± 0.26 g; thermal: 6.24 ± 0.09 s). Moreover, we found increased levels of inflammatory factors such as interleukin-1 beta (IL1-β), IL-3, IL-6, IL-12, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and interferon gamma after SNI modeling, which decreased in EA and Trpv1-/- group rather than sham group. Western blot and immunofluorescence analysis showed similar tendency in the dorsal root ganglion, spinal cord dorsal horn, somatosensory cortex (SSC), and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In addition, a novel chemogenetics method was used to precisely inhibit SSC to ACC activity showed an analgesic effect through TRPV1 pathway. In summary, our findings indicate a novel mechanism underlying neuropathic pain as beneficial targets for neuropathic pain.

This article examines evolution of trans-regional Ethio-Djibouti railway corridor and its impact on urbanization. Exploratory and descriptive research methods were employed to examine the impact of this railway corridor. Case study also applied to examine eight selected intermediate cities. The article points out that, the Ethio-Djibouti railway corridor conceived different kinds of linear urban centers ranging from small towns to intermediate cities around stations. Those urban centers have been attracting industries along their fringes that leads to rural urban continuum ribbon urbanization. As the old railway line deteriorated, these linear urban centers on the railway corridor had also been declining from time to time. In 2011 new project was started to construct the Ethi-Djibouti standard gauge railway parallel to the old railway line. This new standard gauge railway infrastructure adopts ‘peripheral station’ development approach, which provides a room for width expansion for station based urban centers. It also attracts industries in a form of special economic zones, which causes for labour migration from rural and nearby small urban centers that caused rural-urban continuum of ribbon settlement; strengthen trade gate way for the landlocked Ethiopia that caused trans-regional integration.

The digital transformation of healthcare is advancing, leading to an increasing availability of clinical data for research. Perioperative big data initiatives were established to monitor treatment quality and benchmark outcomes. However, big data analyzes have long exceeded the status of pure quality surveillance instruments. Large retrospective studies nowadays often represent the first approach to new questions in clinical research and pave the way for more expensive and resource intensive prospective trials. As a consequence, utilization of big data in acute pain and regional anesthesia research considerably increased over the last decade. Multicentric clinical registries and administrative databases (e.g., healthcare claims databases) have collected millions of cases until today, on which basis several important research questions were approached. In acute pain research, big data was used to assess postoperative pain outcomes, opioid utilization, and the efficiency of multimodal pain management strategies. In regional anesthesia, adverse events and potential benefits of regional anesthesia on postoperative morbidity and mortality were evaluated. This article provides a narrative review on the growing importance of big data for research in acute postoperative pain and regional anesthesia.

Ammonium sulfate has been utilized in agriculture; however, there is a dearth of research on its application in maize cultivation subsequent to the implementation of nitrification inhibitors or coating. This study aims to analyze the impacts of various combinations of ammonium sulfate fertilizers on soil nutrients, plant nutrient uptake, yield, and fertilizer utilization efficiency in maize cultivation to ascertain the optimal and stabilized disposal method for ammonium sulfate. A completely randomized design was employed with five treatments (AU, the control using urea; AS, treatment using ammonium sulfate; ASN, treatment using ammonium sulfate with a nitrification inhibitor; ASG, treatment using oil-coated ammonium sulfate; ASD, treatment using oil-humic acid-coated ammonium sulfate). Results showed that: (1) Compared with AU and AS, ASN, ASG and ASD decreased the leaching rates of TN, NH4+-N and NO3-N to the 10-20 cm soil layer, and more residual N was obtained in 0-10 cm soil layer. The first-order kinetic equation Nt=N0(1-e-kt) can better fit the process of nitrogen accumulation and release, and the N release rate constant is AU>CK>AS>ASH>ASN>ASD; (2) Compared with AU and AS treatments, the plant dry weight, grain dry weight, spike width, spike length, and yields of maize increased by 8.85-11.08%, 12.98-14.15%, 2.95-3.52%, 5.50-5.65%, and 43.21-51.10% under ASG treatment respectively. The impact of effective spike number on maize yield was found to be significant, as demonstrated by the path analysis conducted in this study. Furthermore, the accumulation levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium within above-ground plants significantly increased under the ASG treatment compared to the AU and AS treatments. The partial productivity of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium increased by 1.43-1.51-fold under ASG treatment, while grain nitrogen balance, grain phosphorus balance, and grain potassium balance increased by 1.41-1.58-fold, 1.51-1.95-fold, and 1.15-l.96-fold respectively. The oil-coated ammonium sulfate, therefore, exhibited the optimal slow-release effect of nutrients, thereby achieving superior performance in enhancing maize production and efficiency.

Synanthropic flora (weeds, spontaneously developed plants) are plants that accompany humans, appearing as a result of anthropopressure as well as after its cessation. The potential of synanthropic flora in shaping green areas usually brings many measurable benefits that depend on land management in cities. The study aimed to determine the preferences and attitudes of adults towards synanthropic flora in settlement units. The article presents survey results from 447 city residents. The obtained results were statistically analyzed using the k-means clustering method to identify segments of respondents with similar attitudes and preferences toward synanthropic flora. Mann-Whitney U tests were employed to determine statistical differences in the demographic variables among the analyzed clusters of respondents. Additionally, multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the opinions and attitudes towards synanthropic flora, that may influence their greater acceptance in the vicinity of residential areas. The results obtained in multiple regression allow for the statement that the respondent’s evaluation of the level of support for the introduction of more synanthropic vegetation into urban greenery (Yw) grows with the increase of acceptance of synanthropic plants occurrence in surroundings. Respondents’ opinions on the subject of the presence of synanthropic plants were studied using such variables concerning: synanthropic vegetation found in turfgrasses has a positive impact on the visual attractiveness of a site (X1), synanthropic plant communities present themselves better than others (X2), presence of synanthropic vegetation in an estate improves the quality of life in that location (X3), introduction of synanthropic flora into estate arrangements is a positive (X4), support for the use of synanthropic flora for educational purposes - as elements of playgrounds or in the form of environmental workshops (X5). Residents’ acceptance of synanthropic flora in green areas is at a relatively high level.

Children and adolescents with severe burns require dressing changes, associated with pain. As immersive virtual reality (VR) gained prominence as non-pharmacological adjuvant analgesia, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis on the efficacy of full immersive VR on pain experienced during dressing changes in hospitalized children and adolescents with severe burns. This exercise included quality and risk of bias assessment. The systematic reviewsearch resulted in eight studies and 142 patients. This exercise included quality and risk of bias assessment. Due to missing data, four studies were excluded from the meta-analysis. Fixed effects meta-analysis of the four included studies (n = 104) revealed a large effect size (ES) (SMD=0.94; 95% CI=0.62, 1.27; Z=5.70; p&lt;0.00001) for adjuvant full immersive VR compared to standard care. In conclusion, adjuvant full immersive VR significantly reduces pain experienced during dressing changes in children and adolescents with burns. We therefore recommend implementing full immersive VR as an adjuvant in this specific setting and population. However, this requires further research into the hygienic use of VR appliances in health institutions. Furthermore, due to the high cost of the hardware, a cost-benefit analysis is required. Finally, research should also verify the long term physical and psychological benefits of VR.

Residual sugars (RS) in wine are the sugars that remain in a wine after fermentation is complete. In some wine styles, such as semi-dry wines, the accurate measurement of the RS concentration is critical for both qualitative and legislative reasons. Brix, measured by a simple refractometer, can give a good estimation of the RS concentration in the must, but during fermentation, the presence of alcohol leads to inaccurate sugar measurements. In order to measure the RS accurately, other more precise techniques are used, most of which are expensive or require professional skills. Therefore, novel approaches for rapid, easy, and practical measurements for estimating the sugar content were suggested over the years. However, most of these methods do not supply an actual measurement of RS but rather give brix values, and those that measure RS involve special equipment, which is less relevant for small wineries. This study suggests a novel model for predicting and controlling the wine's residual sugar. The data the model uses is the initial brix of the must before fermentation and its density during fermentation. The model was created by measuring actual residual sugars during the fermentation of natural and synthetic musts, with various degrees of initial brix levels, while simultaneously measuring their densities and correlating the two measurements. Linear regression between the residual sugar of the wine and its density was obtained for all treatments and repetitions (i.e., different values of must initial brix) with R² values above 0.97. Using the model, one can calculate (before commencing the fermentation) the density values at which the fermentation will reach a particular desired residual sugar value for a specific initial brix level; the model is applicable for the fermentation conditions used in this work, i.e., brix levels of 18-27˚Bx, Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains (fx-33 and fx-10) in common conditions of fermentation regarding temperature and aeration.

Zero-emission trucks for regional and long haul missions are an option for fossil-free freight. The viability of such powertrains and system solutions was studied conceptually in project ESCALATE for trucks with GVW of 40 tonnes and beyond through various prime mover combinations. The study covers battery and fuel cell power sources with different degrees of battery electric as well as H2 and fuel cell operation. As a design basis, two different missions with a single-charge/H2 refill were analysed. The first mission was the VECTO long haul profile repeated up to 750 km, whereas the second was a real 520 km on-road mission in Finland. Based on the simulated energy consumption on the driving cycle, on-board energy demand was estimated, and the initial single-charge operational scenarios were analysed with five different power source topologies. The traction motors of the tractor were dimensioned so that a secondary mission of GVW up to 76 tons on a shorter route can be operated. Based on the powertrain and vehicle model, various infrastructure options for charging and H2 refuelling strategy as well as various operative scenarios with indicative total cost of ownership (TCO) were analysed.

The objectives of the study were to determine the spatial rate of CO₂ flux (Net Ecosystem Exchange) and soil moisture in a wetland ecosystem applying Sentinel-1 IW (Interferometric Wide) data of VH (Vertical Transmit/Horizontal Receive—cross polarization) and VV (Vertical Transmit/Vertical Receive—like polarization) polarization. In-situ measurements of carbon flux, soil moisture, and LAI (Leaf Area Index) were carried out over the Biebrza Wetland in north-eastern Poland. The impact of soil moisture and LAI on backscattering coefficient (σ°) calculated from Sentinel-1 data showed that LAI dominates the influence on σ° when soil moisture is low. The models for soil moisture have been derived for wetland vegetation habitat types applying VH polarization (R² = 0.70 to 0.76). The vegetation habitats: reeds, sedge-moss, sedges, grass-herbs, and grass were classified using combined one Landsat 8 OLI (Operational Land Imager) and three TerraSAR-X (TSX) ScanSAR VV data. The model for the assessment of Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) has been developed based on the assumption that soil moisture and biomass represented by LAI have an influence on it. The σ° VH and σ° VV describe soil moisture and LAI, and have been the input to the NEE model. The model, created for classified habitats, is as follows: NEE = f (σ° Sentinel-1 VH, σ° Sentinel-1 VV). Reasonably good predictions of NEE have been achieved for classified habitats (R² = 0.51 to 0.58). The developed model has been used for mapping spatial and temporal distribution of NEE over Biebrza wetland habitat types. Eventually, emissions of CO₂ to the atmosphere (NEE positive) has been noted when soil moisture (SM) and biomass were low. This study demonstrates the importance of the capability of Sentinel-1 microwave data to calculate soil moisture and estimate NEE with all-weather acquisition conditions, offering an important advantage for frequent wetlands monitoring.

Extant research pays little attention to migrant workers’ skill accumulation/upgrading from the perspective of the labor supply. This paper takes China as an example to explore the factors influencing skill accumulation of rural-urban migrant workers (RUMWs), with a purpose to discover how to sustain or reshape regional competitive advantage through improving RUMWs’ skill accumulation. Structured questionnaire surveys were adopted for data collection in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province and Taizhou City, Zhejiang Province located in the Yangtze River Delta in the east of China. 900 questionnaires were issued and 491 effective questionnaires were recovered totally. This paper takes a perspective of global production networks, and gets a broad viewpoint containing intra-firm coordination, inter-firm partnership and extra-firm bargaining with non-firm actors, beyond what the extant literature on laborers’ human capital focuses on. The finding indicates that firms’ skill-oriented preference, which concerns about employees’ skills and innovation ability and stimulates them to learn initiatively, have a significant influence on RUMWs’ skill accumulation. In terms of collective efficiency based on co-competitive relationship between local firms, the more intensive interactions are, the more opportunities of skill accumulation RUMWs get. The accessibility of local institutions and favorable policies benefit RUMWs’ skill accumulation. Besides, the place itself, as a synthesized space of labor-management relations inside a firm and inter-organization relations, exerts an influence on and cause the regional differences in RUMWs’ skill accumulation.

The rehabilitation of abandoned mining sites is an increasingly pressing issue in the context of sustainable development. Recent research has emphasized the need for a holistic approach to the abandoned mining sites and their environmental rehabilitation. Based on field analysis, environmental assessments, satellite imagery processing and geographic information operations, this paper pushes forward the existing knowledge by doing a comprehensive assessment of abandoned mining sites in the Romanian Carpathians and by proposing innovative and sustainable rehabilitation solutions. Our findings highlight that abandoned mining sites and their surrounding territories in the Romanian mountains have significant ecological imbalances and complex socio-economic issues. The findings also suggest that by adopting innovative, integrated, and sustainability-oriented approaches, territories affected by mining can be transformed into valuable and sustainable spaces to meet human needs. We conclude by presenting the importance of innovation in ecological reconstruction and spatial-functional reintegration of mining sites in mountain areas as a useful tool in making fair decisions, both in the context of implementing appropriate development policies as well as for resilience and environmental sustainability of mining-affected mountain areas.

.Maize cultivation in Thailand faces challenges owing to climate change and soil organic carbon (SOC) loss. This highlights the importance of comparing maize soil with paddy soil in terms of the role of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient availability, as they influence SOC content. Soil samples from Chiang Mai province, primarily Fluvisol, were collected for the cultivation of paddy rice and maize, analysed for carbon fractions and chemical properties, and categorised into layers. Comparative analysis revealed that maize soils had lower levels of labile carbon components and organic carbon than paddy soils (P

Accurate detection and state analysis of traffic flows are essential for effectively reconstructing traffic flows and reducing the risk of severe injury and fatality. For this reason, several studies on resolving traffic problems have proposed the use of crowdsourcing, in which drivers provide real-time traffic information using mobile devices, to monitor traffic conditions. Using data collected via crowdsourcing for traffic event detection has advantages in terms of improved accuracy and reduced time cost in collecting relevant data. In this paper, we propose a technique that employs crowdsourcing to collect traffic-related data and uses these data to detect events that influence traffic. The proposed technique uses various machine-learning methods to more accurately identify events and find accurate location information. Therefore, it is able to resolve problems typically encountered with conventionally provided location information, such as broadly defined locations or inaccurate location information. The proposed technique has advantages in terms of reducing time and cost while increasing accuracy. Its validity and effectiveness were also demonstrated through various performance evaluations.

This study was conducted to investigate the status of regional linkage in tourism development in in the Midlands and Northern Mountains of Vietnam. The data was collected from a survey of 755 people, including officials from State management bodies in charge of tourism, officials and staffs at tourism resorts, tourism firms, tourism scientists and tourists. In addition, we conducted 10 group discussions, interviewed 30 State tourism agency officials and tourism firms in the Midland and Mountainous provinces of Vietnam. The results show that tourism development in Vietnam in general and the Northwest region in particular is extremely fragmented, not yet forming a regional linkage; Regional and national tourism development programs are just formalistic. The main cause of the situation is the limited regional integration policy in Vietnam, the lack of appropriate regional governance mechanisms and inactive participation of the private sector in regional integration. Based on the findings, we propose a tourism sector linkage model; besides, policy implications are given for fulfilling the linkage policy in the Midlands and Northern Mountains area.

Children with leukaemia experience difficulties adapting to medical procedures and to the chemotherapy’s adverse effects. Study’s objectives were to identify which coping strategies could be associated with the treatments’ factors and with the dosage of sedation analgesic drugs during bone marrow aspirates. 125 patients (M = 6.79 years; SD = 3.40), majority with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (90.4%) and their parents received, one month after diagnosis, the PPCI. Data on the severe treatment effects and on the dosage of drugs in sedation-analgesia were also collected. An ANCOVA model (R2=0.25) showed that, weighing the age factor (F=3.47; df=3; p=0.02), the number of episodes of fever (F=4.78; df=1; p=0.03), nausea (F=4.71; df=1; p=0.03) and mucositis (F=5.81; df=1; p=0.02) influenced the use of distraction. Cognitive self-instructions (R2=0.22) were influenced by the number of hospitalizations (F=5.14; df=1; p=0.03) and mucositis (F=8.48; df=3; p=0.004) and by child’s age (F=3.76; df=3; p=0.01). Children who sought parental support more frequently (F=9.7; df=2; p=0.0001) and who tended not to succumb to a catastrophic attitude (F=13.33; df=2; p=0.001) during the induction treatment phase required lower drug dosages, especially propofol. The clinical application of these results could be to encourage the use of cognitive self-instructions and search for social support.

In this study, data analysis methods from ecology were applied to litter surveys to evaluate patterns among urban litter items found in two types of streets in England (High Streets and Central Business Districts). Results indicate that sites characterised as a High Street (predominantly leisure activities such as shopping and dining) contained lower densities, less variety, yet featured items with higher potential for environmental contamination than sites categorised as Central Business District (identified by high numbers of professional workers and transport links). Although litter were significantly different between sites, the litter community structure was not. Our results suggest that litter typologies and associated activities can lead to specific knowledge of key influential items in a site and inform future evidence based and sustainable mitigation systems.

Air pollution knows no boundaries, which means for a city or a region to attain clean air standards, must not only look at the emission sources within its own administrative boundary, but also at sources in the immediate vicinity and those originating from long-range transport. And there is a limit to how much area can be explored to evaluate, govern, and manage as designated airsheds for cities and larger regions. This paper discusses the need from an official airshed framework for India’s air quality management, urban airsheds designated for India’s 131 non-attainment cities under the national clean air programme, and proposes climatically and geographically appropriate regional airsheds to support long-term planning. Between 28 states, eight union territories, 36 meteorological sub-regional divisions, and six regional meteorological departments, establishing the proposed 15 regional airsheds for integrated and collaborative air quality management across India is a unique opportunity.

The goal of our study was to examine the effect of regional characteristics of living environment on individual a priori and a posteriori dietary patterns of the Russian population. For the analysis, we used cross-sectional data from the Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Diseases in the Regions of the Russian Federation study of 2013-2014. The sample included 18,054 men and women 25-64 years of age from 12 regions. Based on the frequency of consumption of basic foods, four a posteriori empirical dietary patterns (EDPs), along with an a priori cardioprotective dietary pattern (CPDP) were identified. To describe the regional living environment, 5 regional indices were used. The adherence to the meat-based EDP was directly associated with deterioration of social living conditions and the more northerly location of the region of residence. The probability of CPDP increased with deterioration of social living conditions, an aggravation of demographic crisis, higher industrial development of the region, as well as with a decline in the economic development of the region, income and economic inequality of the population. We detected some gender-dependent differences in associations. The revealed patterns reflect the national dietary preferences of Russians, and regional indices characterize the effect of living environment.

The detection of seismic events at regional and teleseismic distances is critical to Nuclear Treaty Monitoring. Traditionally, detecting regional and teleseismic events has required the use of an expensive multi-instrument seismic array; however in this work, we present DeepPick, a novel seismic detection algorithm capable of array-like performance from a single trace. We achieve this directly, by training our single-trace detector against labeled events from an array catalog, and by utilizing a deep temporal convolutional neural network. The training data consists of all arrivals in the International Seismological Centre Catalog for seven seismic arrays over a five year window from 1 Jan 2010 to 1 Jan 2015, yielding a total training set of 608,362 detections. The test set consists of the same seven arrays over a one year window from 1 Jan 2015 to 1 Jan 2016. We report our results by training the algorithm on six of the arrays and testing it on the seventh, so as to demonstrate the transportability and generalization of the technique to new stations. Detection performance against this test set is outstanding. Fixing a type-I error rate of 1%, the algorithm achieves an overall recall rate of 73% on the 141,095 array beam picks in the test set, yielding 102,394 correct detections. This is more than 4 times the 23,259 detections found in the analyst-reviewed single-trace catalogs over the same period, and represents an 8dB improvement in detector sensitivity over current methods. These results demonstrate the potential of our algorithm to significantly enhance the effectiveness of the global treaty monitoring network.

This study examines the performance of the Indian Monsoon Data Assimilation and Analy-sis (IMDAA) in predicting five extremely severe cyclonic storms (ESCS) over the Bay of Bengal. The Advanced Research version of the WRF (ARW) model is utilized for this analysis over the last two decades. The initial and lateral boundary conditions are derived from the IMDAA datasets with a horizontal resolution of 0.12° × 0.12°. Five ESCSs from the past two decades are considered: Sidr 2007, Phailin 2013, Hudhud 2014, Fani 2019, and Amphan 2020. The model is integrated up to 96 hours using double nested domains of 12 km and 4 km. Model performance is evaluated using the 4 km results, compared with available observational datasets, including the best-fit data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, and Doppler Weather Radar (DWR). The results indicate that IMDAA provides accurate forecasts for ESCSs Fani, Hudhud, and Sidr in terms of track, intensity, and mean sea level pressure, aligning well with IMD observational datasets. However, Sidr's track deviates more from the observations. The calculated mean absolute maximum sustained wind speed errors range from 8.4 m/s to 10.6 m/s from day-1 to day-4, while mean track errors range from 114 km to 496 km during the same period. Statistical analysis, including bias, mean error, and standard deviation, underscores the significance of ESCS prediction. The discussion also covers rainfall prediction, maximum reflectivity, and the associated structure of the storms.

Breast cancer is the most common malignant disease in women. Preclinical studies have confirmed that the local anesthetic levobupivacaine has a cytotoxic effect on breast cancer cells. We examined whether postoperative wound infiltration with levobupivacaine influences survival in 120 patients who were operated on for breast cancer and underwent quadrantectomy or mastectomy with axillary lymph node dissection. Groups with continuous levobupivacaine wound infiltration, bolus wound infiltration, and diclofenac analgesia were compared. Long-term outcomes examined were quality of life, shoulder disability, and hand grip strength (HGS) after one year, and survival after 5 and 10 years. Groups that had infiltration analgesia had better shoulder function compared to diclofenac after one year. Levobupivacaine PCA group had the best preserved HGS after 1 year (P=0.022). The most significant predictor of the 5-year outcome was HGS (P=0.03). Although the best survival after 5 and 10 years was registered in the bolus levobupivacaine group, statistical significance was not reached (P=0.36). The extent of the disease at the time of surgery is the most important predictor of long-term survival. A larger prospective clinical study could better confirm the effect of levobupivacaine wound infiltration on outcomes after breast cancer surgery observed in this pilot study. Trial number NCT05829707

Background: Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) is a complicated disease that affects millions of people all over the world. Previous studies have shown that PASC impacts 10% of SARS-CoV-2 infected patients of which 50-70% are hospitalized. It has also been shown that 10-12% of those vaccinated against COVID-19 were affected with PASC and its complications. The severity and the later development of PASC symptoms is positively associated with the early intensity of the infection. Results: The generated health complications caused by PASC involve a vast variety of organ systems. Patients affected by PASC have been diagnosed with neuropsychiatric and neurological symptoms. Cardiovascular system also has been involved and several diseases such as myocarditis, pericarditis, and coronary artery diseases were reported. Chronic hematological problems such as thrombotic endothelialitis and hypercoagulability were described as a condition that could increase the risk of clotting disorders and coagulopathy in PASC patients. Chest pain, breathlessness, and cough in PASC patients were associated with respiratory system in long COVID-19 causing respiratory distress syndrome. The observed immune complications were notable, involving several diseases. Renal system also was impacted and result in raising the risk of diseases such as thrombotic issues, fibrosis, and sepsis. Endocrine gland malfunction can lead to diabetes, thyroiditis, and male infertility. Symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite and taste were also among reported observations due to several gastrointestinal disorders. Skin abnormalities might be an indication of infection and long-term implications such as persistent cutaneous complaints were linked to PASC. Conclusions: Long COVID is a multidimensional syndrome with considerable public health implications, affecting several physiological systems and demanding thorough medical therapy as well as more study to address its underlying causes and long-term effects.

The bioindicator potential of seagrass ecosystems in coastal trace metal monitoring is low for tropical island ecosystems. This study evaluated the bioindicator potential of six seagrass species exposed to anthropogenic trace metal pollution in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (ANI) of India. Sediment and seagrass biomass, samples were analyzed for trace metals (Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) from four locations of ANI exposed to anthropogenic contamination. Geo accumulation Index values indicated moderate trace metal contamination in seagrass sediment. Seagrass trace metal accumulation from sediment was both species-specific and location- specific for ANI. Small seagrass species such as H. ovalis, H. beccarii and H. uninervis accumulated the maximum concentration of six trace metals (Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, Zn) in their tissues compared to big seagrass species like T. hemprichii and E. acoroides of ANI. This study indicates leaves of small seagrass and roots of big seagrass species can serve as short- and long-term bioindicators respectively, of coastal trace metal contamination in tropical islands of ANI.

Historic expeditions are events that are flavored by exploratory, scientific, military or geographic characteristics. Such events are often documented in literature, journey notes or personal diaries. A typical historic expedition involves multiple site visits and their descriptions contain spatiotemporal and attributive contexts. Expeditions involve movements in space that can be represented by triplet features (location, time and description). However, such features are implicit and innate parts of textual documents. Extracting the geospatial information from these documents requires understanding the contextualized entities in the text. To this end, we developed a semi-automated framework that has multiple Information Retrieval and Natural Language Processing components to extract the spatiotemporal information from a two-volumes historic expedition gazetteer. Our framework has three basic components, namely, the Text Preprocessor, the Gazetteer Processing Machine and the JAPE (Java Annotation Pattern Engine) Transducer. We used the Brazilian Ornithological Gazetteer as an experimental dataset and extracted the spatial and temporal entities from entries that refer to three expeditioners’ site visits and mapped the trajectory of each expedition using the extracted information. Finally, one of the mapped trajectories was manually compared with a historical reference map of that expedition to assess the reliability of our framework. The reference map was manually prepared in previous research work by others.

Background: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals state that by 2030, the Global maternal mortality rate (MMR) should be lower than 70 per 100,000 live births. MMR is still one of Africa's leading causes of death among women. This research aims to study regional trends in maternal mortality in Africa. Methods: We extracted data for Maternal mortality rates per 100,000 births from the UNICE data bank from 2000 to 2017, being 2017 the last date available. Joinpoint regression was used to study the trends and estimate the annual percent change (APC). Results: Maternal mortality has decreased in Africa over the study period by an average APC of -3.0% (95% CI -2.9;-3,2%). All regions showed significant downward trends, with the sharpest decreases in the South. Only the North African region is close to the United Nations' sustainable development goals for Maternal mortality. The remaining sub-Saharan African regions are still far from achieving the goals. Conclusions: maternal mortality has decreased in Africa, especially in the South Africa region. The only region closed to the United Nations target is North Africa. The remaining sub-Saharan African regions are still far from achieving the goals. These results could be used for the development of Regional Policies.

Introduction The Pericapsular Nerve Group (PENG) block is a novel technique that allows for analgesia of the anterior hip capsule via the articular branches of the accessory obturator nerve and femoral nerve, which have a significant role in the innervation of the hip capsule. PENG blockade is effective in both adult and pediatric patients. However, there are no studies in the available literature on patients under five years of age. Herein, we describe our experience with two pediatric patients with hip dysplasia. Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the analgesic effect of the pericapsular nerves group (PENG) in small children undergoing hip surgery. Patients and methods This study included two patients, aged 2 and 4 years old, who qualified for hip surgery. General or spinal anesthesia with the addition of a PENG block was performed. During the procedure, the basic hemodynamic parameters were monitored. After the surgery, the patients received 15mg/kg-1 iv paracetamol every 6 hours to prevent rebound pain. The pain was assessed using the FALCC score. The 15mg/kg-1 metamizole was administered if the FLACC score was 3. In the FLACC score 4, the application of 0,2mg/kg-1 Nalpain was ordered. Results The patient's hemodynamic parameters were stable and within normal range. FLACC scores from all patients ranged from 0 and 3 in the first 24 h period. One patient required metamizole 12 hours after surgery. No evidence of block complications was observed. Conclusions This case series showed that PENG block provided adequate postoperative analgesia and assured opioid-free pain management. However, we are convinced that future randomized, controlled trials are needed in this field.

This study explores the geopolitical dynamics of water conflicts in Central Asia, focusing on Uzbekistan and its neighboring countries. Using a mixed methods approach within the framework of political geography, the research analyzes interactions among regional countries and the implications of population growth, agricultural industrialization, and economic competition, which heavily rely on shared irrigation systems and watersheds. It establishes research objectives, evaluates the water crisis, addresses challenges in water management, and examines contentious issues like hydropower, resource hegemony, and ethnic conflict. Also, the study uncovers historical and contemporary factors influencing water conflicts, regional power dynamics, and the complexities of water governance. The findings highlight the potential for conflict, regional instability, and disruptions to peace resulting from population growth and economic competition within shared watersheds. The study concludes with recommendations to enhance regional cooperation, sustainable water management, and peacebuilding, drawing on soft power theory and advocating for collaborative approaches. This research provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders involved in water management and regional cooperation amid evolving geopolitical challenges, contributing to informed decision-making, and promoting strategies for sustainable development in the region.

In France, the regional airport’s demand for services is facing challenges due to the continuous expansion of the high-speed train, high-speed line, and highway networks. This study focuses on the viability of regional airports in France through technical efficiency using data envelopment, principle component analysis, Malmquist productivity index, and regression analysis using bootstrapping. To face the current competitive environment, the regional airports in France adopted strategies, such as the construction of low-cost carrier (LCC) dedicated terminals (LCCTs) with lower expenses to attract more LCCs, increasing non-aeronautical revenue, and hosting regional hubs of LCCs. This is the first study that analyzes all of the French regional airports. The findings indicate that the existence of LCCTs positively affects technical efficiency on the airport’s performance, and share of LCCs at a regional airport leads to neither the efficiency nor the profit level.

Locoregional anaesthetic techniques are invaluable for providing multimodal analgesia for painful surgical procedures. This prospective, randomised study describes a nerve stimulator-guided bra-chial plexus blockade (BPB) in rabbits undergoing orthopaedic surgery in comparison to systemic lidocaine. Premedication was provided with intramuscular (IM) medetomidine, fentanyl and midazolam. Anaesthesia was induced (propofol IV) and maintained with isoflurane. Nine rabbits received a lidocaine BPB (2%; 0.3 ml kg-1), and eight received lidocaine constant rate infusion (CRI) (2 mg kg-1 IV, followed by 100 µg kg-1 minute-1). Rescue analgesia was provided with Fentanyl IV. Carprofen was administered at the end of surgery. Post-operative pain was determined using the Rabbit Grimace Scale (RGS) and a composite pain scale. Buprenorphine was administered accord-ing to pain score for two hours after extubation. Rabbits were filmed during the first two hours to measure distance travelled and behaviours. Food intake and faeces output were compared. Every rabbit in CRI required intraoperative rescue analgesia compared to no rabbits in BPB. How-ever, rabbits in both groups had similar pain scores and there was no difference in administration of postoperative analgesia. There were no significant differences in food intake or faeces produc-tion over 18 hours, and no significant differences in distance travelled, or behaviours examined during the first two hours. BPB seems superior for intraoperative analgesia. Postoperatively both groups were comparable.

This paper examines the relationship between GDP per capita and waste generated in European Union countries, highlighting the importance of this relationship for understanding the environmental consequences of economic growth and formulating waste management policies. The analysis findings demonstrate that, in most cases, higher GDP is associated with higher amounts of waste, although there are exceptions to this trend. A smaller number of countries are also found where no such relationship exists. These are primarily high-income countries in the lower part of the EKC or countries in transition. Cluster analysis reveals regional differences in the relationship between GDP and waste that the economic factors and the level of development in the regions concerned can explain. Bulgaria is among the European countries with the lowest economic growth associated with a large amount of waste. The analysis, therefore, focuses on Bulgaria. The impact of GDP per capita, Human Development Index and Population Density on municipal waste in Bulgaria is studied. The aim is to identify significant relationships and dependencies between these factors and the amount of waste. Based on the results of multiple regression analysis and the findings from municipal waste management data in Bulgaria, specific actions are proposed for municipal waste management in the country. Recommendations are made for developing sustainable waste management policies and sharing best practices between regions.

In this study, the effects of music therapy on anxiety for patients undergoing regional anaesthesia in an operating room was succinctly investigated. This investigation was largely based on the adapted Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS) and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S), of patients undergoing regional anaesthesia in an operating room. A randomized control trial was performed on 90 patients due for surgery. The selected patients for regional anaesthesia were allocated to either the music therapy group who listened to music using headphones for the entire surgery or the no-treatment control group. Based on the findings, it has been conclusively demonstrated that music can decrease the patient's anxiety level. According to the socio-demographic evaluation, elderly patients have the highest stress hormones levels when compared to young patients. Although elderly patients are more likely to choose religious songs to help them relax, cortisol analysis revealed an increase in cortisol levels among the elderly compared with younger patients. As a result, music is especially important to be delivered to elderly patients. Nonetheless, there is no restriction against administering music to elderly patients because evidence from the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Score (HADS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) has shown that music helps to shift their attention away from pain and complications and makes them feel tranquil. Similarly, the HADS and modified Spielberger STAI (STAI-S) analyses demonstrate a substantial outcome for both groups, with respondents responding positively. The study found that listening to music during regional anaesthesia might help people feel less worried.

Due to the high solar irradiance or energy price, certain regions in the U.S. may reach 100% PV penetration and experience degradation of frequency response greater than the interconnection as a whole. Therefore, in this section, the 100% PV penetration region in each interconnection is simulated to study the local high PV penetration effects. The study was performed by quantifying RoCoF, frequency nadir, and settling frequency at different regional PV penetration levels. The impact of high regional PV penetration on the compliance of grid code on frequency response is also studied.

Ionospheric delay has been a critical issue that limits the accuracy of GNSS precise positioning and navigation for single-frequency users, especially in mid- and low-latitude regions where irregularity of ionosphere is often significant. Kriging spatial interpolation techniques have been recently introduced to model the spatial correlation and variability of ionosphere, which intrinsically assume that the ionosphere field is stochastically stationary but does not take the random observational errors into account. In this paper, by treating the spatial statistical information on ionosphere as prior knowledge and based on TEC semivariogram analysis, we use Kriging techniques to spatially interpolate TEC values. By assuming that the stochastic models of both the ionospheric signals and measurement errors are only known up to some unknown factors, we propose a new Kriging spatial interpolation method with unknown variance components for both the signals of ionosphere and TEC measurements. Variance component estimation has been integrated with Kriging to reconstruct regional ionospherical delay. The method has been applied to data from the Crustal Movement Observation Network of China (CMONOC) and compared with the ordinary Kriging and polynomial interpolations with spherical cap harmonic functions, polynomial functions and low-degree spherical harmonic functions. The results have shown that the interpolation accuracy of the new proposed method is better than the ordinary Kriging and polynomial interpolation by about 1.2 TECU and 0.7 TECU, respectively. The root mean squared error of the proposed new Kriging with variance components is within 1.5 TECU and is smaller than those from other methods under comparison by about 1 TECU. When compared with ionospheric grid points, the mean squared error of the proposed method is within 6 TECU and smaller than Kriging, indicating that the proposed method can produce more accurate ionospheric delays and better estimation accuracy.

This paper uses the spatial analysis software GeoDa as a tool, takes GRP (Gross regional product) of Sichuan Province in 2012 and 2018 as the dependent variable, and takes the city (autonomous prefecture) factor-driven, investment-driven and innovation-driven indicators as the dependent variable to explore the impact of innovation activities on regional economic development and the spatial distribution characteristics of regional economy. Through the comparison of the global correlation and local correlation, this paper explores the crux of the regional economic polarization and unbalanced development, and puts forward some measures to solve the existing economic development problems, such as cultivating and improving the regional industrial dependence, accelerating the regional transportation accessibility and convenience, and constructing the regional collaborative innovation system, So as to achieve the strategic goal of the construction of innovative Province in Sichuan Province.

Levels of trace element pollution in surface soil can be estimated using soil analyses and leaching tests. These methods may reveal different results due to the effect of soil properties, such as grain size and mineral composition, on elemental availability. Therefore, this study advocates an alternative method for monitoring and assessment of trace element pollution in surface soil using terricolous fruticose lichens. Lichens growing at abandoned mine sites and unpolluted areas in southwest Japan and their substrata were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to clarify the relationships between Cu, Zn, As, and Pb concentrations in lichens and soils, including their absorption properties. Concentrations of these elements in the lichens were positively correlated with those in the soils regardless of lichen species, location, habitat, or conditions of soils. The analyzed lichens had neither competitive nor antagonistic properties in their elemental absorption, which made them good biomonitors of trace element pollution in surface soil. The distribution maps of average Cu, Zn, As, and Pb concentrations at each sampling region detected almost all of the Cu, Zn, and As pollution of the soils. Therefore, lichens could be used in practical applications to monitor Cu, Zn, and As pollution in surface soils.

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to estimate the prevalence of chlamydiosis in small ruminants. The study included 133 publications that reported the presence of Chlamydia abortus in 109 and 74 studies in sheep and goats from 45 countries. The prevalence of chlamydiosis was estimated at global, regional, and national levels using meta-analyses of proportions. Meta-regression and cumulative meta-analyses were also performed. Globally, the prevalence of chlamydiosis in sheep and goats was estimated at 20.1% (95% CI: 17.8-22.4) and 14.4% (11.6-17.4), respectively. For sheep, chlamydiosis prevalence was heterogeneous at regional and national levels. South Asia had the highest prevalence (30.6%) and East Asia and Pacific the lowest (14.0%). Nationally, chlamydiosis was more prevalent in Romania, Hungary, and Germany (range 53.3-87.0%) compared to Costa Rica, Australia, and Zimbabwe (4.7-5.2%). Among goats, chlamydiosis prevalence was similar across regions (10.4-19.7%), but varied significantly among countries, 0.0% in Romania and Australia and 91.7% in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In both species, sample size, number of diagnostic techniques, and latitude were significant covariates. Prevalence varied widely in the first decades of publications before stabilizing. Our study found a high prevalence of chlamydiosis in small ruminants, with the pathogen being distributed globally but heterogeneously across countries.

The Harmonious Protected Landscape of Ambohitr'Antsingy Montagne des Français is one of the protected area located in the extreme northern of Madagascar. An assessment of the Herpe-tofauna community were made on the eastern and western slopes regarding the forest degrada-tion level, the availability of the streams and the habitat types in the massif during the years of 2014 and 2020. This survey was done in order to updating the herpetofaunal database and re-cording the distribution ranges of the Herpetofauna community in the PA. Three methods were used, including direct observation, systematic microhabitat searching and pitfall-traps with drift fences at three sampling sites during the day and night with headlamp. Twenty species of am-phibians and 50 species of reptiles were recorded. Four species of Amphibians, and 03 species of Reptiles (snake) are potentially new to science and/or newly recorded at Montagne des Français. One snake (Langaha pseudoalluaudi) last inventoried in 2007 has reappeared during this investiga-tion. Here, we present the mapping of all species recorded. This new database can help the manager site to update the management plan to guarantee the herpetofaunal conservation facing habitat change. That is what we think also for all of the current PA in Madagascar.

Regional organisations (ROs) are important in that they can enable states in their regions to pros-per and develop for improvement. Interest here lies in the European Union (EU) and the Associa-tion of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN). Their political development involves complex process-es for collective actions involving ingroup member RO states. To explore development, we firstly examine the rise of both the EU and ASEAN. The literature gives some attention to the behaviour-alist political approach to explain developmental differences using social organisation theory, often in terms of the Gemeinschaft-Gesellschaft paradigm of Tönnies. However, here we adopt a social psychology approach that distinguishes between operative structure (which directly determines behaviour), and substructure (housing normative personality deemed to be responsible for behav-ioural imperatives). This enables a relationship to be made between the Tönnies paradigm and the Collectivism-Individualism paradigm of Triandis. The theoretical approach adopted involves a complex adaptive systems model deriving from metacybernetics, and this also delivers Mindset Agency Theory as a qualitative methodology. Consistent with the general view, it is shown that the EU is more or less a coherent rational organisation, while ASEAN is more idealistic delivering pragmatic paradox. In particular, ASEAN is frequently descried as an organisation with contra-dictions, and for this reason its pathologies are explored in some detail

The microbiota–gut–brain axis has garnered increasing attention in recent years for its role in various health conditions, including neuroinflammatory disorders like complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). CRPS is a debilitating condition characterized by chronic neuropathic pain, and its etiology and pathophysiology remain elusive. Emerging research suggests that alterations in the gut microbiota composition and function could play a significant role in CRPS development and progression. Our paper explores the implications of microbiota in CRPS and the potential therapeutic role of boron (B). Studies have demonstrated that individuals with CRPS often exhibit dysbiosis, with imbalances in beneficial and pathogenic gut bacteria. Dysbiosis can lead to increased gut permeability and systemic inflammation, contributing to the chronic pain experienced in CRPS. B, an essential trace element, has shown promise in modulating the gut microbiome positively and exerting anti-inflammatory effects. Recent preclinical and clinical studies suggest that B supplementation may alleviate neuropathic pain and improve CRPS symptoms by restoring microbiota balance and reducing inflammation. Our review highlights the complex interplay between microbiota, inflammation, and neuropathic pain in CRPS and underscores the potential of B as a novel therapeutic approach to target the microbiota–gut–brain axis, offering hope for improved management of this challenging condition.

Background: United Nations Sustainable Development Goals state that by 2030, the Global maternal mortality rate (MMR) should be lower than 70 per 100,000 live births. MMR is still one of Africa's leading causes of death among women. This research aims to study regional trends in maternal mortality in Africa. Methods: We extracted data for Maternal mortality rates per 100,000 births from the World Bank database from 1990-2015. Joinpoint regression was used to study the trends and estimate the annual percent change (APC). Results: Maternal mortality has decreased in Africa over the study period by an average APC of -2.6%. All regions showed significant downward trends, with the sharpest decreases in East Africa. Only the North African region is close to the United Nations' sustainable development goals for Maternal mortality. The remaining sub-Saharan African regions are still far from achieving the goals. Conclusions: maternal mortality has decreased in Africa, especially in East Africa. The only region closed to the United Nations target is North Africa. The remaining sub-Saharan African regions are still far from achieving the goals. These results could be used for the development of Regional Policies.

The paper aims to investigate on the determinants of the capital structure of the Italian SMEs and it is based on a large panel of Italian manufacturing SMEs observed in the years 2001-2013. The analysis achieves a comparative investigation between the capital structure of the firms belonging in the Southern region, the so-called Italian Mezzogiorno that is the slow growing area of the country, and the firms of the Center-northern region of Italy, that is the more developed area of the country. Fixed effect panel techniques applied to the several standard leverage models allows to reaffirm some distinctive features showing differences of the financial behavior of regional firms.

Estimation of the worth of continuity of electricity supply is of interest of industry, authorities and research society. There are numerous methods to calculate the Customer Interruption Costs (CICs). Each method has its advantages and disadvantages. This paper approaches the problem from Distribution System Operators’ (DSOs) point of view and adopts two existing analytical models. One model is used by the Finnish Energy Market Authority and the second one was proposed by the authors at a previous study. The model suggested by the authors as an alternative to the one used by the Finnish Energy Market Authority proposes a simple and straightforward methodology which will provide credible and objective estimations by only utilizing publicly available analytical data. We made use of cost and reliability indices data of 78 DSOs in Finland from the year 2016. In addition to cost estimations, this paper highlights regional differences in CIC estimations in different parts of Finland and critically overviews the existing standard customer compensation scheme in Finland.

South rear-edge populations of widely distributed temperate and boreal tree species such as birches (Betula pubescens and B. pendula) are considered particularly vulnerable to climate warming, and at the same time they constitute genetic reservoirs of drought-adapted ecotypes. Here, we compared radial growth patterns and responses to climate, river or dam flows and a drought index of rear-edge (southernmost) populations (Toledo Mountains, central-southern Spain) with populations located in northern Spain of B. pubescens and B. pendula. Then, we per-formed a comparative analysis across Europe of B. pendula populations. The main climatic con-straint of birch growth was high summer water deficit, although the effect of local hydrological conditions was particularly important in rear-edge populations. We found declining growth trends in rear-edge stands since the early 21st century, related to decreasing water availability and increasing aridity. Our results also suggested distinct growth patterns and climate-growth associations of B. pendula across Europe that show how populations further south and in warmer locations were more sensitive to the drought. In conclusion, drought-induced growth decline can be exacerbated by local human land uses leading to reduced river inflow, thus endangering birch populations at their southern distribution limit. Protection of endangered rear-edge birch populations requires adequate management of local water resources.

High PM10 concentrations are still a significant problem in many parts of the world. In many countries, including Poland, 50μg/m3 is the permissible threshold for a daily averaged PM10 concentration. The number of people affected by this threshold’s exceedance is challenging to estimate and requires high-resolution concentration maps. This paper presents an application of random forests for downscaling regional model air quality results. As policymakers and other end users are eager to receive a detailed resolution PM10 concentration maps, we propose a technique which utilizes the results of regional CTM (GEM-AQ, with 2.5km resolution) and local Gaussian plume model. As a result, we receive a detailed, 250-meter resolution PM10 distribution, which resembles the complex emission pattern in a foothill area in southern Poland. The random forest results are highly consistent with the GEM-AQ and observed concentration. We also discuss different strategies of data training random forest - using additional features and selecting target variables.

An increasing number of aircraft is equipped with wing tip devices, which either are installed by the aircraft manufacturer at the production line or are retrofitted after the delivery of the aircraft to its operator. Installation of wing tip devices has not been a popular choice for regional turboprop aircraft and the novelty of the current study is to investigate the feasibility of retrofitting the British Aerospace (BAe) Jetstream 31 with an appropriate wing tip device (or winglet) to increase its cruise range performance, taking also into account the aerodynamic and structural impact of the implementation. To the best of the knowledge of the authors, no previous study exists which has attempted to assess the winglet retrofit of an existing aircraft type of similar size and operating profile. The optimal winglet design achieved a 2.38% increase of the maximum range by reducing the total drag by 1.19% at a mass penalty of 3.25%, as compared with the baseline aircraft configuration. Other designs were found to be more effective in reducing the total drag, but the structural reinforcement required for their implementation outweighed the achieved performance improvements. Since successful winglet retrofit programs for typical short to medium range narrow body aircraft report even more than 3% of block fuel improvements, undertaking the project of installing an optimal winglet design to the BAe Jetstream 31, should also consider a Direct Operating Cost (DOC) assessment on top of the aerodynamic and structural aspects of the retrofit.

We review the state of dynamical downscaling with scale-constrained regional and global models. The methodology, in particular spectral nudging, has become a routine and well-researched tool for hindcasting climatologies of sub-synoptic atmospheric disturbances in coastal regions. At present, the spectrum of applications is expanding to other phenomena, but also to ocean dynamics and to extended forecasting. Also new diagnostic challenges are appearing such as spatial characteristics of small-scale phenomena such as Low Level Jets.

The variation of aerosols, especially dust aerosol, in time and space plays an important role in climate forcing studies. Aerosols can effectively reduce land surface longwave emission and re-emit energy at a colder temperature, making estimation of downwelling surface longwave radiation (DSLR) with satellite data difficult. Using the latest atmospheric radiative transfer code (MODTRAN 5.0), we simulate the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and DSLR under different land surface and atmospheric profile conditions. The results show that dust aerosol has an obvious “warming” effect to longwave radiation compared with other aerosols, that aerosol longwave radiative forcing (ALRF) increased with increasing aerosol optical depth (AOD), and that the atmospheric water vapor content (WVC) is critical to the understanding of ALRF. A method is proposed to improve the accuracy of DSLR estimation from satellite data for the skies under heavy dust aerosols. The AOD and atmospheric WVC under cloud-free conditions with a relatively simple satellite-based radiation model that yields the high accurate DSLR under heavy dust aerosol are used explicitly as model input to reduce the effects of dust aerosol on the estimation of DSLR. Validations of the proposed model with satellites data and field measurements show that it estimates the DSLR accurately under heavy dust aerosol skies. The root mean square errors (RMSEs) are 20.4 W/M² and 24.2 W/M² for Terra and Aqua satellites, respectively, at the Yingke site, and the biases are 2.7 W/M² and 9.6 W/M², respectively. For the Arvaikheer site, the RMSEs are 23.2 W/M² and 19.8 W/M² for Terra and Aqua, respectively, and the biases are 7.8 W/M² and 10.5 W/M², respectively. The proposed method is especially applicable to acquire relatively high accurate DSLR under heavy dust aerosol using MODIS data with available WVC and AOD data.

Metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MASLD) is not only associated with traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as T2DM and obesity, but it is also an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. MASLD has been shown to be independently related to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. MASLD is characterized by a chronic proinflammatory response that, in turn, may induce a prothrombotic state. Several mechanisms such as endothelial and platelet dysfunction, changes in the coagulation cascade, decreased fibrinolytic activity can contribute to induce the prothrombotic state. Platelets are players and addresses of metabolic dysregulation; obesity and insulin resistance are related to platelet hyperactivation. Furthermore, platelets can exert a direct effect on liver cells, particularly through the release of mediators from granules. Growing data in literature support the use of antiplatelet agent as a treatment for MASLD. The use of antiplatelets drugs seems to have potential clinical implication for the prevention of HCC patients with MASLD, since platelets contribute to fibrosis progression and cancer development. This review aims to summarize the main data on the role of platelets in the pathogenesis of MAFLD and its main complications such as cardiovascular events and the development of liver fibrosis. Furthermore, we will examine the role of antiplatelet therapy not only in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular events but also as a possible anti-fibrotic and anti-tumor agent.

The research paper comprehensively and consistently addresses all relevant theoretical areas related to the topic and includes an extensive empirical analysis of the absorption of EU funds and their impact on the sustainable development of Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, and Poland. The analysis aims to investigate the efficiency of the absorption of funds from the EU, the impact of these funds on regional development of countries, as well as the reasons for such impacts. The "Regional Development Model Based on EU Funds" was tested with the aim of applying the model to the Republic of Croatia, countries in the region, and other European countries to achieve a higher level of absorption of financial resources from the available EU funds. Data for the empirical analysis were collected using a highly structured survey questionnaire on a sample of 244 respondents involved in the preparation and implementation of EU-funded projects. The contribution of economic science in theoretical terms arises from the development of scientific knowledge and ideas about the importance of increasing the number of development projects that will increase the absorption of funds from the European Union, thereby increasing economic activities in Croatia and the region. The expected contribution of economic science in the applied sense is based on the formulation of the "Regional Development Model Based on EU Funds," which is based on the application of knowledge, good practices, and stakeholder experiences, considering relevant indicators from available sources. The greatest contribution is demonstrated through testing the "Regional Development Model Based on EU Funds," which is applicable to the Republic of Croatia, countries in the region, and other European countries over a longer period. Finally, research of the impact of EU funds on the regional development of recipient countries is considerably less represented and very modest, only in the "upswing" of systematic scientific research. The research aims to fill the gaps in research and encourage thinking of key stakeholders responsible for regional development, who should eventually realize the importance of defining a regional policy aimed at EU funds as a key to regional development and reducing regional disparities within countries.

The paper is devoted to the investigation of regional observability with constraints on the state of semilinear parabolic systems. The purpose is to reconstruct the initial state between two prescribed functions only on an internal subregion $\omega$ of the system evolution domain $\Omega$. The proofs use two approaches, the subdifferential and HUM approach. Finally, a numerical example is provided to verify the effectiveness of our theory results.

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission, to be launched in 2021, will provide water surface elevations, slopes, and river width measurements for rivers wider than 100 m. In this study, synthetic SWOT data are assimilated in a regional hydrometeorological model in order to improve the dynamics of continental waters over the Garonne catchment, one of the major French catchments. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate that the sequential assimilation of SWOT-like river depths allows the correction of river bed roughness coefficients and thus simulated river depths. An extended Kalman Filter is implemented and the data assimilation strategy was applied to four experiments of gradually increasing complexity regarding observation and model error over the 1995-2000 period. With respect to a “true” river state, assimilating river depths allows the proper retrieval of constant and spatially distributed roughness coefficients with a root mean square error of 1 m1/3 s-1, and the estimation of associated river depths. It was also shown that river depth differences can be assimilated, resulting in a higher root mean square error for roughness coefficients with respect to the true river state. The last study shows how one can take into account more realistic sources of SWOT error measurements, in particular the importance of the estimation of the tropospheric water content in the process.

This study explores the potential of Eisenia fetida (Savigny) in vermicompost production within vermipits during winter months in the Rampur region of Uttar Pradesh, India. The vermipits were inoculated with 0.33 kg of E. fetida per pit, against the recommended rate of inoculation for assessment of real-time potential of earthworm on seasonal and regional grounds. The results revealed a significant increase in earthworm population, with three times production (4.1 kg) of the inoculated number (1.0 kg). The productivity dynamics of compost vs E. feida revealed a notable threefold and fourfold effectiveness, respectively. This dual advantage signifies the success of composting process, with the increased worm population indicating enhanced decomposition. The study attributes the combination of regional and edaphic factors viz., sandy loam soil with high humus content and good water passage, facilitating earthworm survival, reproduction and decomposition of agricultural waste. The loose and perforated soil structure allowed easy penetration of earthworms, transforming the soil into fertile compost. The research emphasizes the importance of soil moisture of semi-arid ecosystems thus highlighting the seasonal significance governing earthworm activity. The study provides insights into the mechanical ability of earthworms, its sensitivity to soil compaction and the influence of high hydration of the region. Inoculation during the winter period indicates increased earthworm activity setting the stage for enhanced compost production in the upcoming hot periods of summer months. The findings suggest that optimizing vermicomposting practices with altered feeding stocks, could further improvise compost and earthworm production and productivity in subsequent seasons. The study contributes for sustainable utilization of E. fetida in composting, its regional and seasonal efficacy turns trash to treasure for enhanced agricultural efficacy

Cultural routes are a composite set of heritage, referring to any ancient routes of human communication. As one of the key products of cultural tourism, they providing visitors with a rich cultural experience across regions. We systematically review reports and studies related to the tourism development of 38 cultural routes cases around the world, with a special focus on their distribution, typology, planning patterns and tools for cultural tourism. We summarized eight tools, there are some differences in how often these eight tools are used by the different types of routes and different planning patterns for routes tourism. The study also made an evaluation system based on the conservation principles of cultural routes to find out how different tools of tourism affect the conservation and development of the historical region. It was found that although many efforts have been made by tourism decision-makers to protect and develop cultural routes there are still many problems and challenges in the process of tourism development along cultural routes. We close the paper by making a few recommendations for decision makers and researchers concerning future routes’ tourism planning and study.

Youth is the essential entrepreneurial force for every country's social, political, and economic development. Urban youth make up about 34.27 percent of the population in Ethiopia. The youth unemployment crisis is one of the serious challenges that Ethiopia is facing nowadays, and it should be mentioned in the nation's public discourse. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to specify the socioeconomic and demographic factors that influence urban youth unemployment in the Somali Regional State, specifically in Jigjiga, Degahbour, Kebridahar, Gode, and Dollo Ado towns. Both primary and secondary data sources were employed. A multi-stage sampling technique has been used to select 385 sample respondents from the total population of the study. This study found that almost 63% of youth in the study area were unemployed, and a large number of unemployed youths live in Jigjiga and Dollo Ado Towns as compared to other city administrations. The econometric model's findings indicate that factors like gender, education level, work experience, access to credit, access to information, time applied for job vacancy, active job seeker, social network (network with clan elders, government officials, businessmen, and other friends), and residence in Jigjiga and Gode town have a significant association with the likelihood of youth unemployment in the Somali regional state. Therefore, this study recommends that the regional government and local city administration should develop effective policies and strategies to address the underlying causes of gender inequality, improving access and quality of education, supporting freshman graduates to find jobs, providing access to credit and job vacancies, ensuring fair and free job competition, and managing youth migration for job seeking.

The COVID-19 pandemic made it harder to communicate accurate information about vaccines because of the spread of misinformation. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) tried to reas-sure the public by communicating about the development and approval of COVID-19 vaccines. They surveyed patients/consumers, healthcare professional organizations, and individual stake-holders to see if their core information materials were informative and well understood. They also asked about the public's preferred communication channels. The surveys showed that indi-vidual patients/consumers generally prefer to get information about COVID-19 vaccines from the internet or mass media. Organizations and individual healthcare professionals prefer to get in-formation from national and international health authorities' sources. This supports EMA's ap-proach of using media, stakeholder engagement, and web-based formats to communicate about COVID-19 vaccines. Both at the EU and local levels, participants had a good understanding of the key messages from regulators and found the materials useful and relevant. However, some im-provements were recommended to the visuals, texts, and dissemination formats. These recom-mendations were generally consistent in both contexts. User-testing of proactive communication materials aimed at prebunking misinformation during a public health crisis helps to ensure that users understand the development and safety safeguards of novel vaccine technologies. This in-formation can then be used as a basis for evidence-based communication activities by regulators and public health bodies in an emergency context.

Background: Intradialytic hypotension (IDH) is a critical pathological condition associated with all−cause mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). However, few studies have investigated IDH-related changes in hepatic and cerebral regional tissue oxygen saturation (rSO2). This study investigated IDH-induced changes in hepatic and cerebral rSO2. Methods: Hepatic and cerebral rSO2 during HD were measured using an INVOS 5100C oxygen saturation monitor, and their percentage (%) changes during IDH development were analyzed. Ninety-one patients undergoing HD were investigated, including 20 with IDH development. Results: In patients with IDH, % changes in hepatic and cerebral rSO2 decreased at IDH onset. Additionally, the % change in hepatic rSO2 was significantly larger than those in cerebral rSO2 (P < 0.001). In patients without IDH, no significant differences were found between the % changes in hepatic and cerebral rSO2 at time of the lowest systolic blood pressure during HD. Multivariable linear regression analysis showed that the difference between the % change in cerebral and hepatic rSO2 was significantly associated with IDH development (P < 0.001) and ultrafiltration rate (P = 0.010). Conclusion: Hepatic and cerebral rSO2 significantly decreased in IDH development and hepatic rSO2 was more largely decreased than cerebral rSO2 at IDH onset.

This paper provides an optimization strategy for flexible operation at the system level, so as to guide the real-time flexible ramping of the power grid. Firstly, the concept of regional power grid flexibility was clarified, and the ramping factor is proposed as a flexibility metric. On this basis, taking the output priority of each node as the objective function and considering constraints such as line flow, power balance, and system flexibility, a mathematical model for regional power grid transmitting flexible power externally is proposed. Compare with the traditional models, this model focuses more on flexibility rather than economy. The case analysis based on the improved IEEE 30-Bus System verifies the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategy and its advantages over the traditional models.

This study used a two-stage network data envelopment analysis model to measure the water use efficiency of 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Belt in the initial water use and wastewater treatment phases from 2009 to 2019. We used the Dagum Gini coefficient to decompose the urban water use efficiency of six major urban clusters in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. We also used σ convergence and β convergence types to test the convergence characteristics of urban water use efficiency of six major urban clusters in the Yangtze River Economic Belt. This study found that the overall low level of water use efficiency in cities in the Yangtze River Economic Zone mainly stems from the low level of water use efficiency in the wastewater treatment stage. The 108 cities in the Yangtze River Economic Zone are divided into four types based on the average values of water use efficiency in the initial use and wastewater treatment phases; the highest number of cities are in the double-low category, with low average values of water use efficiency in the initial use and wastewater treatment phases. During the study period, spatial differences in urban water use efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Zone narrowed, with the differences stemming mainly from hyperdensity, followed by intra- and inter-regional differences. Meanwhile, there is convergence in urban water use efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt; significant β convergence in the urban agglomerations of the Yangtze River Delta, Jianghuai, middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Chengdu–Chongqing, and Central Yunnan; and insignificant β convergence in the Central Qian urban agglomeration. After considering control factors, such as industrial structure, financial development level, environmental regulation, economic development level, and science and education development level, the water use efficiency of the six major urban clusters in the Yangtze River Economic Belt converges faster, but the influence of these control factors on the water use efficiency of each urban cluster is heterogeneous. Research results have reference value for the development of improvement strategies on differentiated urban water use efficiency in the Yangtze River Economic Belt.

The interaction between different regions normally is reflected by the form of the stream. For example, the interaction of the flow of people and flow of information between different regions can reflect the structure of cities’ network, and also can reflect how the cities function and connect to each other. Since big data has become increasingly popular, it is much easier to acquire flow data for various types of individuals. Currently, it is a hot research topic to apply the regional interaction model, which is based on the summary level of individual flow data mining. So far, previous research on spatial interaction methods focused on point-to-point and area-to-area interaction patterns. However, there are a few scholars who study the hotspot interaction pattern between two regional groups with some predefined neighborhood relationship by starting with two regions. In this paper, a method for identifying a similar hotspot interaction pattern between two regional groups has been proposed, and the Geo-Information-Tupu methods are applied to visualize the interaction patterns. For an example of an empirical analysis, we discuss China’s air traffic flow data, so this method can be used to find and analyze any hotspot interaction patterns between regional groups with adjoining relationships across China. Our research results indicate that this method is efficient in identifying hotspot interaction flow patterns between regional groups. Moreover, it can be applied to any analysis of flow space that is used to excavate regional group hotspot interaction patterns.

This paper proposes a new non-radial biennial Luenberger energy and environmental performance index (EEPI) to measure the EEP change in various Chinese cities. The sources of EEP change, in terms of technical efficiency change and technological change, are examined by Luenberger EEPI. The contributions from specific undesirable outputs and energy inputs to the EEP change are identified by means of the non-radial efficiency measure. The proposed approach is applied to evaluate the EEP of the industrial sector in 283 cities in China over 2010-2014. Factors influencing the emission abatement potential are investigated by employing geographically weighted regression (GWR) model. We find that 1) changes in EEP can be attributed to technological progress but that technological progress slows down across the study period; 2) the soot emission performance experiences a downtrend among four specific sub-performances in line with the truth that severe haze happened frequently in China; 3) the best performers begin to move from the coastal to inland cities with the less resource consumption and higher ecological equality; 4) cities with the strongest positive effect in regards to pollution intensity on emission abatement potential are located in the areas around the Bohai Gulf, where air pollution is particularly severe.

Widespread poverty is the most serious threat and social problem that Bangladesh faces. Regional vulnerability to climate change threatens to escalate the magnitude of this poverty. It is essential that projections of poverty be made while bearing in mind the effects of climate change. The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the agrarian sub-national regional analysis of climate change vulnerability in Bangladesh under various climate change scenarios and its potential impact on poverty. This study is relevant to socio-economic research on climate change vulnerability and agriculture risk management and has the potential to contribute new insights to the complex interactions in household income and climate change risks to agricultural communities in Bangladesh and South Asia. The current study uses analysis of variance, cluster analysis, decomposition of variance and log-normal distribution to estimate the parameters of income variability that ascertain vulnerability levels and help us to understand the poverty levels that climate change could potentially incur. It is found that the income share in income sources revealed that income category shares across the various regions of Bangladesh are far from uniform. The variance decomposition of income showed that agricultural income in Mymensingh and Rangpur is the main cause of income difference. Moreover, large variance of agricultural income in the regions is induced by gross income from rice production. Additionally, constant reduction of rice yield due to climate change in Bangladesh is not such a severe problem for farmers, however, the extreme events like flood, flash flood, drought, sea level rise, and greenhouse gas emission based on RCPs could increase the poverty rates in Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Barisal, and Khulna regions that would be highly affected by unexpected yield loss due to extreme climatic events. Therefore, research and development of adaptation measures to climate change for regions where farmers are largely dependent on agricultural income is important.