City Region Research Articles

THE PRACTICALITY, EFFICIENCY, POSITIVE IMPACT AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE "MIDWIFERY MANAGER" MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM IN IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF MIDWIFERY SERVICES AT THE MIDWIFERY'S INDEPENDENT PRACTICE PLACE BANDUNG

Introduction. Health transformation in the digital era has brought fundamental changes in health services, including midwifery. About 80% of Midwife Independent Practices in Bandung City still use manual records. The management information system for Midwife Independent Practices, named "Midwifery Manager", is one of the innovations in the health sector. This study aims to analyze the increase in practicality, efficiency, positive impact, and effectiveness of the "Midwifery Manager" Management Information System in improving the quality of midwifery services at the place of practice of independent midwives. Method. The research was quantitative, with a pre-experimental design in the form of a pre-test and post-test design. The target population in this study were all midwives who had independent practice places in the Bandung City Region, which were 300 TPMB. The sampling technique in this study used proportionate random sampling, which amounted to 40 respondents. The data analysis techniques used are normality test, Wilcoxon test, and chi-square test. Result & Analysis. The results showed an increase in practicality, efficiency, positive impact, and effectiveness of the quality of midwifery services after the use of "Midwifery Manager", respectively with a value of p 0.000; p 0.000; p 0.00; and p 0.001 (<0.05) in the independent practice of midwives. Discussion. Using the Management Information System "Midwifery Manager" increases the practicality, efficiency, positive impact, and effectiveness of midwifery service quality, and effectiveness of midwifery service quality in the independent practice of midwives in the Bandung City area.

Assessment of Demographic Characteristics Among CAD Patients by Ethnicity

Background: This study was carried out to assess the demographic characteristics among CAD by ethnicity. Methods: Retrospective study was performed in (SGNHC) Shahid Gangalal National Heart Centre, Kathmandu, Nepal. Hospital Database of 837 patients were used to gather the information about the disease during one year period. SPSS version 20 was used for statistical analysis. Results: As the hospital lies in the Capital city and Central Region of the country, most of the population 604 (72.2%) had come from Central region, 126 (15.4%) from Western region, 62(7.6%) from Eastern region, 15(1.8%) from Far-western region and 11(1.3%) from Midwestern region. Conclusion: The study examined 837 CAD patients, primarily Brahmin/Chhetris (44.7%), with an average age of 58.6 years and 71.9% being male. Most patients were from Nepal's Central Region.Acute STEMI was the most common diagnosis, particularly among Newars, while NSTEMI and Angina Pectoris were more prevalent in Dalits. Single vessel disease was frequent in Muslims, with Dalits showing higher rates of triple vessel disease, highlighting demographic and regional variations in CAD severity.CAD has been identified as public health priority in Nepal given the current and predicted burden of all forms of heart disease within the country. This study found that there was a diverse distribution in its well-known traditional risk factors among major Nepalese ethnic groups and demographic characteristics.

Enhancement of the impacts 2050 model to enable a whole system sustainability assessment of rideshare

Emerging concepts, such as Mobility as a Service (MaaS), could evolve to provide sustainable mobility, especially in densely populated urban areas. However, recent studies highlight the challenge of evaluating how the complex interactions of user demographics, mode choice, vehicle automation, governance, and efficiency will impact the sustainability of future mobility. Given this challenge, this research identifies a whole system (STEEP - social, technical, economic, environmental, and political) framework as essential to assess the overall sustainability of emergent urban mobility systems such as rideshare. The need is a single tool that can rapidly explore the long-range sustainability impact of such alternative future mobility scenarios for a given city region. This paper documents enhancements made to Impacts 2050, a strategic-level model of urban mobility, to address this need, including updates to the statistical travel behavior model and the addition of rideshare including trip occupancy. Results obtained with the enhanced Impacts 2050 showed that, while rideshare use increased significantly for some scenarios, its overall mode share remained limited. In addition, though rideshare enabled users to shed car ownership, the overall percentage increase of “no car ownership” was low. An urban mobility sustainability scorecard based on STEEP and generated by output from the enhanced Impacts 2050 is presented.

Crime regions in Lithuanian major cities and their suburbs

Crime regions in Lithuanian major cities and their suburbs

PROPOSAL FOR AN EMBRYONIC MODEL TO PROMOTE SMART CITIES, IMPLEMENTED IN A BOTTOM-UP FORMAT, APPLIED TO THE AMAZON REGION

Environmental changes, many of which result from human negligence, have driven managers to adopt sustainable practices that adhere to the concept of Smart Cities, a concept that is becoming popular among administrators of Brazilian metropolises. This movement has been corroborated by ABNT standards and the federal government. However, in less developed regions such as Northern Brazil, where challenges are greater and resources are limited, traditional top-down urban development strategies such as BRTs have proven inefficient as initial solutions. This article investigates the feasibility of implementing projects for Smart Cities in the Amazon region given the scarcity of resources. It proposes an alternative bottom-up model titled Smart Launch, which is shown to be more viable for sustainable development in regions with these characteristics. The model recommends starting with smaller and more manageable projects that can be easily implemented without extensive bureaucracy or significant investments. Once established, the model can be quickly replicated and adapted in other locations. The case of the UsiPaz (Peace Plants) in Pará exemplifies the success of this approach and has been taken as a case study, showing significant reduction in violence rates and an increase in the sense of community belonging, as evidenced by qualitative research through semi-structured interviews with managers from three plants in different neighborhoods of the metropolitan region of Belém.

Unravelling the impacts of stratospheric intrusions on near-surface ozone during the springtime ozone pollution episodes in Lhasa, China

While air pollution due to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been effectively controlled in China; the photochemical pollution characterized by elevated ozone (O3) has emerged as a major concern for air quality improvement. Except for ozone, Lhasa is one of the cleanest cities in China with the lowest annual PM2.5 concentration in 2017. The levels of major air pollutants in Lhasa are much lower than those of other cities in the eastern region of China, especially in May, when the O3 concentration peaks. This study was based on multi-source observations in combination with the Goddard Earth Observing System coupled with chemistry (GEOS-Chem) and the Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) models to explore the causes of O3 pollution in Lhasa in May 2023. The results indicated that during the high O3 episodes, the concentrations of O3 precursors were low in Lhasa. Surrounding cities in other parts of the Tibetan Plateau also experienced high ozone concentrations despite being in different airsheds, suggesting that the O3 pollution in Lhasa was caused by regional transport rather than purely local emissions. Stratospheric intrusion events modulated by the westerly jet led to elevated ozone in the troposphere above Lhasa City. The results of the GEOS-Chem model indicated that horizontal advection, turbulence, diffusion, and other effects led to high concentrations of ozone in the near-surface above Lhasa. Vertical transport was the dominant factor leading to ozone concentration increases during high ozone days, with a contribution of 6.33 Gg/day. In addition, high-altitude air masses with a maximum altitude of over 8000 m, were observed arriving in Lhasa during the high ozone days. This study revealed that stratospheric intrusions have a greater contribution to the high O3 concentration in Lhasa in spring and provided a scientific basis for mitigating O3 pollution in the plateau cities.

Distinct features of topsoil carbon fractions across urban forests in eastern China

AbstractRapid urbanization has increased the areas of urban forests that store considerable soil carbon (C). Different soil C fractions may show distinctive contents and spatial patterns in view of their contrasting sensitivities to various drivers. However, current studies on soil C fractions are mostly limited to natural ecosystems and little is known about the large‐scale patterns and drivers of soil C fractions in urban forests. Based on a field survey of urban forests across a north–south transect in eastern China, we analysed the spatial variations and main drivers of topsoil (surface layer, 0–10 cm; subsurface layer, 10–20 cm) C fractions (i.e., soil organic C, SOC; soil inorganic C, SIC; particulate organic C, POC; mineral‐associated organic C, MAOC). Our results showed that topsoil contents of POC, MAOC and SOC changed non‐linearly with latitude, with lowest values occurring in the cities in the warm temperate region. In contrast, SIC content showed the highest values in the warm temperate region. POC instead of MAOC was found to be a major fraction of SOC in urban forests. The spatial variation in topsoil POC content was mainly explained by mean annual temperature, soil clay and silt content, and park age. The spatial variation in MAOC content was mainly explained by soil clay and silt content, mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature and park age. In contrast, the spatial variation in SIC content was mainly explained by mean annual precipitation and soil pH. These findings demonstrate distinct features of different soil C fractions in urban forests and provide useful implications for urban soil carbon management.

Exploring factors associated with increased suicides during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: A study using data from postmortem examinations conducted in an urban area.

The purpose of this study is to examine factors associated with increased suicide deaths during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Japan using primary data from postmortem examinations. We explored factors associated with suicides that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic (February 2020 to December 2021) using data from 115 postmortem examinations of suicides that occurred in one city in the Kanto region between January 2017 and December 2021. Multivariate analysis using graphical modelling and logistic regression analysis showed that both female sex (adjusted odds ratio: 3.732; 95% confidence interval: 1.044-13.345) and multiple mental disorders (adjusted odds ratio: 7.344; 95% confidence interval: 1.316-40.987) were significantly associated with suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic among the young age group (39 years or under). The study results suggest that in addition to the factor of female sex previously identified, morbidity due to multiple mental disorders may be associated with the increased suicides in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, this study presented the new methodological possibility of analyzing background factors of suicide using postmortem examination data. In preparation for similar emergencies in the future, it is necessary to establish a system that provides care for multiple mental disorders and a continuous suicide-monitoring system that combines methods such as psychological autopsies with other methods.

Estimation of 137Cs in some surface Soil samples from different localities in Zintan City and Awiniya Region, (Al-Jabal Al-Gharbi ) Mountain, Libya.

Estimation of 137Cs in some surface Soil samples from different localities in Zintan City and Awiniya Region, (Al-Jabal Al-Gharbi ) Mountain, Libya.

Spatial correlations and risk transmission of virtual water flow at city scale: A case study of the Yellow River Basin

By introducing virtual water (VW) flow correlation coefficients and risk indicators, this study examines the VW transmission relationship between urban agglomerations and cities in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) and its impact on regional water resources pressure. The results show that: except for the Shandong Peninsula Urban Agglomeration (SPUA) and Central Plains Urban Agglomeration (CPUA), the other urban agglomerations primarily act as VW exporting regions, while virtual water-importing cities are concentrated in the eastern regions. Notably, the Ningxia Urban Agglomeration (NUA) demonstrates significantly higher values in VW impact and sensitivity coefficients than the remaining six urban agglomerations. First-tier cities generally display lower virtual water impact and sensitivity coefficients, whereas emerging cities exhibit the opposite trend. Additionally, we observe uneven risk variations between VW importing and exporting regions. Taking NUA as an example, the risk increase resulting from VW exports significantly exceeds the risk reduction associated with VW imports in the corresponding regions. It's important to highlight that first-tier cities consistently decrease water resource risk through VW imports in both study years. However, among second and third-tier cities, only 38.9% experience reduced water resource risk through VW imports. Therefore, we recommend a focused examination of VW imports and exports in western region urban agglomerations, cities, and second and third-tier cities within the watershed. Leveraging virtual water's asymmetric and high-value transfer can alleviate water resource pressure and scarcity risks in high-pressure regions by shifting them to lower-pressure regions, thus mitigating water resource stress across regions.

Response of legal and illegal cigarette prices to a tax increase in Ethiopia

BackgroundIn 2020, Ethiopia passed a landmark tax proclamation implementing an evidence-based mixed excise system aimed at curbing tobacco use. This study evaluates the impact of the tax increase of more...

카자흐스탄 남부지역 거점 도시의 문화 정체성: 쉼켄트, 투르키스탄의 문화적 특성과 발전 정책 분석을 중심으로

This study focuses on the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan, and the scope of the research space includes Shymkent and Turkistan, cities of the southern region. There are a number of reasons why this region was chosen as the scope of the study, including the lack of existing domestic research. Administrative changes in the southern region took place in 2018. In the case of Shymkent, the ethnic composition and forms of economic trade are unique in relation to Uzbekistan. In the case of Turkistan, the city has recently established itself as a new tourism-specialised city, based on its perception as a spiritual city. In this context, this researcher aims to analyze the current status and cultural characteristics of these cities based on his own experience of visiting them, and to derive their cultural identities. In addition, I will discuss the urban development policies and future prospects that the Kazakh government is pursuing in both cities.

Room-temperature flexible phase change material with high emissivity and high enthalpy for building energy saving

Summer heatwave events become more and more frequent, building cooling load continues to rise, and the traditional cooling method using air conditioning consumes a lot of energy. New technologies and materials with high efficiency, energy saving and low cost are urgently needed to solve the problem of high energy consumption in buildings. In this paper, by combining phase change storage technology with passive cooling technology of sky radiation, a new type of high-emission flexible composite phase change material (CPCM) was prepared using polypropylene hollow fiber (PP hollow fiber), Styrene-Ethylene-Butylene-Styrene (SEBS) and paraffin wax (PA). The prepared CPCM with excellent thermophysical properties, including a latent heat of 175.19 J/g, room temperature flexibility, the contact angle of the hydrophobic test of 129.15°, and the infrared emissivity of the atmospheric window of 0.942. The cooling experiment results show that the maximum temperature difference between CPCM and the environment is 2.6 °C lower than the ambient temperature. In addition, the simulation results show that the external surface temperature of the CPCM roof can be reduced by 23.15 K at the highest compared with a common roof, and the maximum energy saving can reach 13.24 W/m2. Compared with the high emissivity roof without CPCM, the external surface temperature is further reduced by 0.47K, the delay time is 50min, and the maximum energy saving can reach 0.76 W/m2. It's worth getting excited that CPCM can delay the opening time of air conditioning for 10 days. In addition, the application efficiency of cities in typical climate regions is simulated, and outstanding energy-saving efficiency is obtained, among which the maximum saving energy in Guangzhou is as high as 20.16 W/m2. The successful preparation of the novel CPCM material provides a new direction for the development of radiation-cooling technology.

"DIGITAL" TEACHER: NEW ROLES, FUNCTIONS AND COMPETENCES

Background. The development of digital technologies is one of the priority tasks of modern education, a crucial step in improving the quality of learning and teaching and transforming the role of the teacher in the conditions of digitalisation of education. The purpose of the research presented in the article is to describe the qualitative changes in the professional activity of teachers and to consider the "digital" roles and digital competence of teachers based on the data of questionnaire survey of teachers working in profile psycho-pedagogical classes in the city of Tula and Tula region. Materials and methods. The methodological basis of the empirical study is the competence approach, in particular, digital competence. The main conceptual documents regulating the development of digital education are the national programme "Digital Economy of the Russian Federation" and the priority project "Modern Digital Educational Environment in the Russian Federation". In the course of the empirical study, the questionnaire method was applied. Results. Theoretical analysis allowed us to state that in modern conditions the professional activity of a teacher undergoes qualitative changes. In the conditions of digitalisation of education, the school needs a multi-profile professional with digital literacy and competence. The questionnaire survey of teachers working in psycho-pedagogical classes conducted in the course of the empirical study revealed the teachers' adherence to the traditional roles of a mentor and an organiser of the learning process and the formation of competencies in the field of integrative activity (a teacher is an integrator of students' knowledge, skills and abilities). The presented analytical and empirical data are based on modern Russian and foreign experience and take into account the specifics of the Tula region.

Determination of contamination, source, and risk of potentially toxic metals in fine road dust in a karst region of Southwest China.

Understanding the pollution situation of potentially toxic metals (PTMs) in fine road dust (FRD) in emerging industrialized cities and identifying priority control factors is crucial for urban environmental management, resident health protection, and pollution control. This study conducted a comprehensive investigation on PTMs pollution in FRD in Zunyi, a representative emerging industrialized city in the karst region of southwestern China. The average contents of Ni, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ba, Pb, V, and Co in the FRD were 43.2, 127.0, 1232.1, 134.4, 506.6, 597.8, 76.1, 86.8, and 16.2mgkg-1, respectively, which were obviously higher than the corresponding background levels of the local soil except for V and Co. The comprehensive pollution level of the determined PTMs in the FRD was very high, primarily caused by Zn and Cu. The sources of PTMs in Zunyi FRD were traffic, industrial, construction, and natural sources, accounting for 38.0, 23.7, 21.9, and 16.4% of the total PTMs content, respectively. The PTMs in Zunyi FRD exhibited a low to moderate overall ecological risk level, mainly contributed by Cu and traffic source. The cancer risks of PTMs in Zunyi FRD were high for all populations. The non-carcinogenic risk of PTMs in Zunyi FRD was acceptable for adults, but cannot be ignored for children. According to the source-specific probabilistic health risk estimation results, the priority control source is industrial source and the priority control PTM is Cr. Local governments need to give more attention to the carcinogenic risks and health hazards posed by PTMs in the FRD.

Problems of Desertification and Dustiness of Atmospheric Air in Arid Cities of the Aral Sea Region

Problems of Desertification and Dustiness of Atmospheric Air in Arid Cities of the Aral Sea Region

Methodological proposal for measuring economic efficiency in regional transportation networks

This article seeks to improve the understanding and efficiency of transportation within and between metropolitan areas. Efficient transportation infrastructure and services are essential for achieving sustainable development, fostering economic growth, and minimizing environmental impacts. In metropolitan regions, where urbanization and population growth are concentrated, the significance of transportation efficiency becomes even more critical. To address this issue, the study proposes a methodology that combines graph theory and centrality measures to analyze regional hierarchies and their influence on transportation efficiency. By representing the regional road network, cities, and toll plazas as a graph with attributes linked to quantitative data of urban economies, this approach provides a concise and replicable method for examining network hierarchy in urban economies.

Risks and sources of atmospheric particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (AP-PAHs) in seven regions of China: A review

Many studies have shown that atmospheric particulate-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (AP-PAHs) pose carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks to human health. However, few studies have investigated the health risks of AP-PAHs across regional or national cities. Therefore, in this literature review, >6971 individual atmospheric samples from 89 cities in seven regions of China were obtained. The PAH contents in these samples were measured in accordance with national standards (HJ 784, 2016). AP-PAH contents (0.5–1.2 × 103 ng/m3) significantly increased in Chinese cities during 2002–2017. The contamination levels based on toxic equivalent quantities (0.6–1.4 × 102 ng/m3) were lower in the four southern regions than in the three northern regions. The health risks associated with AP-PAH exposure in different age group followed the following order: infants < kindergarten students < primary school students < middle school students < adults. This study revealed that AP-PAHs pose potential ecological risks and have adverse biological effects, and the mean effect range median quotient in 73 cities (82.0% of 89 cities) indicated moderate or high risk. Clustering analysis revealed that the primary sources of AP-PAHs are coal, petroleum, and biomass combustion. These results can be used to achieve AP-PAH pollution control in Chinese cities and worldwide.

Predicting the number of road accidents involving personal mobility aids on the example of Krasnodar krai

Introduction. Nowadays personal mobility aids (SIMs) are in active demand. According to the data of the mass media, the considered means of mobility are particularly popular in southern cities, such as the cities of Krasnoyarsk region, in which 190 accidents involving SIMs occurred during the period of 2018–2023. In order to assess the changing situation in the field of accidents involving SIMs in the scale of southern cities, a model for predicting the number of accidents involving the considered means of transportation within the framework of this study using the example of Krasnodar Krai was developed.Methods and Materials. In order to predict the number of traffic accidents, mathematical modelling methods have been used as a research method, in particular the science of econometrics has been applied, which is quite often used to evaluate statistical indicators from a mathematical point of view.Results. The authors have developed a model for predicting the number of accidents involving SIM for Krasnodar region with a reliability of 67%.Conclusion. It was found that the increasing nature of change in the considered quantities can be described using a multiplicative model consisting of three components – seasonal, trend and random. The calculation of all components enables to determine the type of model (), which can calculate the number of accidents involving SIM for the subject (Krasnodar Krai) under consideration.

Peri-urbanisation in Surakarta City and Economic Transformation in the Fast-Growing Region of Sukoharjo Regency

The massive development of Surakarta City, a city with a strategic location, has caused a butterfly effect on its surrounding area. This research explores the economic transformation of Sukoharjo’s peri-urban, specifically in five districts, namely Mojolaban, Gatak, Grogol, Kartasura, and Baki, as the area adjacent to Surakarta City. A quantitative approach is employed with descriptive quantitative analysis techniques and scoring analysis. Primary data collection is based on the results of stakeholder’s interviews and field observations and secondary data gathered from government documents and literature review. The study results show that in the period 2000 – 2020, there has been economic transformation in Sukoharjo’s peri-urban area, especially the changes from rural to urban characteristics. The transformation can be indicated by the changes in population, livelihoods, agricultural land use, regional investment, and the number of emerging small and medium industries (SMIs) in each peri-urban region in the northern part of Sukoharjo. This research contributes a perspective on the unique characteristics of the diverse economic transformation driven by different patterns of land-use changes. It recommends that policymakers foster the roles of peri-urban areas in creating mutual development and sustainable urbanisation.