Cooperative System Research Articles

External Factors Influencing the Implementation of Policy, System, and Environmental Change Strategies Within Cooperative Extension.

Introduction. Multilevel approaches are important to promote the adoption of healthier practices at the individual and community levels. Cooperative Extension pairs policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change approaches with direct education programs focused on individual and community health. This study sought to understand Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension agents' perceptions of PSE change supports, benefits for their communities, and resources and partnerships important for implementation. Method. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used to develop a survey to assess outer setting domains related to PSE work. In addition to close-ended questions, the survey included several open-ended, qualitative questions exploring the benefits, resources, and relationships required to implement PSE changes. The surveys were collected online from FCS agents in two states. Descriptive statistics were calculated, open responses were coded, and key themes were established. Results. FCS agents (n=116) indicated high levels of agreement about having necessary support from state-level specialists (71%) and the overall Extension organization (64%). The largest gaps in support were reported as grant or external funding sources, time, and county programming funds. Half of the sample agreed that PSE training was adequate, but only 38.5% reported previously participating in PSE-specific training. Open-ended question responses revealed diverse relationships and numerous benefits of PSE work, including more sustainable health behavior changes and greater local Extension visibility. Discussion. Our findings corroborate previous work and identify potential gaps that future interventions can address to better support Extension and public health professionals when implementing PSE work at the community level.

Health care disparities in complication and mortality rates following surgical management of cauda equina syndrome in New York State

Context While healthcare disparities related to race and ethnicity are well reported for non-emergent conditions, the literature on disparities in outcomes of emergent spinal conditions such as cauda equina syndrome (CES) remains sparse. Objective To evaluate racial disparities in complication, mortality, and readmission rates following surgical intervention for CES. Methods This retrospective analysis of The Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) database demonstrates that among patients surgically treated for CES in New York between 2015 and 2020. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the association of race and outcome variables after controlling for age, sex, comorbidities, length of stay, insurance, and hospital characteristics. Results Overall, 2,114 patients who underwent lumbar surgery for CES were identified. The study population was comprised of Black patients (177, 8%), White patients (79%, 1680), and Asian patients (257, 12%). Options for surgery included lumbar decompression (821, 38.8%), fusion (746, 35.3%), or both (547, 25.9%). On multivariate analysis, the odds of 30-day mortality were 2.98-fold greater in Black patients than in other patients (P = 0.029). By 180 and 360 days, the odds of mortality were 4.27 and 3.05-fold greater in Black patients than in other patients, respectively (P < 0.001 each). Thirty-day readmissions were 1.87-fold greater in Black patients than others (P = 0.004). No difference in overall complication rate was found between Black patients and all other race groups (P = 0.306). Conclusions Black patients surgically treated for CES face significantly higher rates of mortality and readmission than their non-Black counterparts.

Disparities in neurosurgical care: Using length of stay to evaluate efficiency of care in New York City hospitals

Objective: We sought to analyze public and private hospital patient cohorts in New York City (NYC) to assess differences in hospital access and outcomes from 2009-2022.Methods: Inpatient neurosurgical discharges, as determined by APR-DRG codes, from 2009-2022 were aggregated for seven NYC hospitals, four private and three public, via the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS). Statistical analyses (Z-tests) were performed in Python.Results: 325,351 patients were identified, 223,361 private and 101,990 public. Private hospitals had lower high-severity to low-severity and higher high-mortality to low-mortality risk ratios relative to public hospitals (p &lt; .001). Public hospitals treated a higher proportion of stroke and trauma (p &lt; .001). Average length of stay (LOS) was shorter at private hospitals compared to public (5.3 vs. 7.1 days, p &lt; .001). Statistical significance remained when stratifying for illness severity and elective versus non-elective surgery status. Interestingly, cranial trauma cases were associated with a longer LOS in private hospitals relative to public (7.9 vs. 5.7 days, p &lt; .001).Conclusions: While many factors influence outcomes in private versus public hospitals, LOS can mark the efficiency of care. LOS was shorter at private hospitals in all instances except with cranial trauma. Care efficiency is important for hospital reimbursement, which can directly impact available resources for patient care. These findings emphasize the need to further analyze patient accessibility to neurosurgical care at private hospitals and the resources necessary to support neurosurgical practices within public hospitals.

Empirical Mode Decomposition Based Amplify and Forward Technique for Cooperative Cognitive Radio System

The rapid growth in the mobile industry due to increase in number of users accessing diverse services causes a high demand for radio spectrum. Nonetheless, the radio spectrum allocated for different wireless communication services is restricted. Cooperative Cognitive Radio (CCR) technique with Amplify and Forward (AF) relaying protocol used to address the problem suffers from noise amplification resulting in poor reception at the destination. Hence, in this paper, Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) based AF technique for CCR system was carried out to improve the performance of the existing CCR with AF relaying protocol. The transmitted signal from Primary User (PU) was received at the Secondary User (SU) where SU superimposed its own signal using Exclusive OR (XOR) rule. The combined signal from XOR was made to pass through EMD and amplified using AF by multiplying with the relay gain. The amplified signal was radiated to PU and SU receivers during the second hop transmission. The multiple copies of the receive signal at the SU receiver at different number of path (L = 2, 4) were combined at destination using Maximal Ratio Combiner (MRC). Mathematical expression for Bit Error Rate (BER) and Throughput (TP) were derived using the Probability Density Function (PDF) of the Nakagami-m fading distribution. Extensive simulations using MATLAB R2021a were employed to assess the effectiveness of the proposed technique and evaluated using BER and TP by comparing with the existing AF CCR. The EMD based AF technique proposed gave better performance with 75.2% reduction in BER and 21.86% increase in TP over the existing AF technique for CCR. The proposed technique can be deployed to improve the performance of cooperative cognitive radio system.

US/PA/MR multimodal imaging-guided multifunctional genetically engineered bio-targeted synergistic agent for tumor therapy

Focused ultrasound ablation surgery (FUAS) is a minimally invasive treatment option that has been utilized in various tumors. However, its clinical advancement has been hindered by issues such as low safety and efficiency, single image guidance mode, and postoperative tumor residue. To address these limitations, this study aimed to develop a novel multi-functional gas-producing engineering bacteria biological targeting cooperative system. Pulse-focused ultrasound (PFUS) could adjust the ratio of thermal effect to non-thermal effect by adjusting the duty cycle, and improve the safety and effectiveness of treatment.The genetic modification of Escherichia coli (E.coli) involved the insertion of an acoustic reporter gene to encode gas vesicles (GVs), resulting in gas-producing E.coli (GVs-E.coli) capable of targeting tumor anoxia. GVs-E.coli colonized and proliferated within the tumor while the GVs facilitated ultrasound imaging and cooperative PFUS. Additionally, multifunctional cationic polyethyleneimine (PEI)-poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (PEI-PLGA/EPI/PFH@Fe3O4) containing superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO, Fe3O4), perfluorohexane (PFH), and epirubicin (EPI) were developed. These nanoparticles offered synergistic PFUS, supplementary chemotherapy, and multimodal imaging capabilities.GVs-E.coli effectively directed the PEI-PLGA/EPI/PFH@Fe3O4 to accumulate within the tumor target area by means of electrostatic adsorption, resulting in a synergistic therapeutic impact on tumor eradication.In conclusion, GVs-E.coli-mediated multi-functional nanoparticles can synergize with PFUS and chemotherapy to effectively treat tumors, overcoming the limitations of current FUAS therapy and improving safety and efficacy. This approach presents a promising new strategy for tumor therapy.Graphical

Strengthening the role of primary care for the success of the community care system

Background: Globally, population aging is a widespread phenomenon. However, Korea is experiencing this demographic shift at the fastest rate globally. As the number of older adults increases, the local primary healthcare system has become increasingly important in supporting them to maintain their lives within the community.Current Concepts: The integrated medical support project is systematic and comprehensive, focusing on services provided by primary care providers. The project requires a tailored implementation plan specific to the community for long-term operations. Therefore, providers need to explore roles and collaborative measures to establish a sustainable system of primary care-centered supportive care for elderly patients.Discussion and Conclusion: Local governments must identify patients, establish a cooperative system, manage and entrust patient information and communications technology (ICT), educate ICT users, and secure a budget to integrate and provide medical care in the community effectively. The local medical association should establish and operate a medical and healthcare support center, coordinate a consultative body between medical institutions, and implement a 24-hour patient response system. The proposed medical and healthcare support center will facilitate cooperation and comprehensive evaluation during home visits by primary care doctors. This center can also connect patients needing care by collaborating with local care-related organizations. In addition to providing home-visit services, primary care institutions must establish a system for conducting comprehensive patient evaluations with medical care support teams. Additionally, the recommendation is to incorporate elements beyond home-visit treatment fees to facilitate the systematic and intensive management of patients.

Error performance of DF cooperative SMTs with I/Q imbalance over Beckmann fading channels

The direct down-conversion principle, which has generally been used in the design of multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) schemes, including space modulation techniques (SMTs), is attractive to researchers because of its low cost, low power consumption with fewer components, flexible and simple structure. However, hardware imperfections such as in-phase (I) and quadrature-phase (Q) imbalance (IQI) negatively affect the performance of the systems with direct down-conversion in practice. On the other hand, cooperative communication is a promising technology that can be utilized in the design of future wireless networks due to its significant advantages such as increasing system reliability, extending network coverage, reducing channel degradation, and providing high quality of service. In this study, SMT-based methods are integrated into cooperative systems, and a flexible and comprehensive model is presented that is applicable to many channel structures. Specifically, the error performance analysis of space shift keying (SSK), spatial modulation (SM), and quadrature SM (QSM) systems in the presence of IQI in decode-and-forward (DF) cooperative communication is carried out by analytical derivations and computer simulations over generalized Beckmann fading channels. The obtained results show that the performance of SMT-based DF cooperative systems is superior to the conventional schemes, and the effects of receiver IQI can be eliminated by optimal detector designs.

Cooperative Advisory Residual Policies for Congestion Mitigation

Fleets of autonomous vehicles can mitigate traffic congestion through simple actions, thus improving many socioeconomic factors such as commute time and gas costs. However, these approaches are limited in practice as they assume precise control over autonomous vehicle fleets, incur extensive installation costs for a centralized sensor ecosystem, and also fail to account for uncertainty in driver behavior. To this end, we develop a class of learned residual policies that can be used in cooperative advisory systems and only require the use of a single vehicle with a human driver. Our policies advise drivers to behave in ways that mitigate traffic congestion while accounting for diverse driver behaviors, particularly drivers’ reactions to instructions, to provide an improved user experience. To realize such policies, we introduce an improved reward function that explicitly addresses congestion mitigation and driver attitudes to advice. We show that our residual policies can be personalized by conditioning them on an inferred driver trait that is learned in an unsupervised manner with a variational autoencoder. Our policies are trained in simulation with our novel instruction adherence driver model, and evaluated in simulation and through a user study (N=16) to capture the sentiments of human drivers. Our results show that our approaches successfully mitigate congestion while adapting to different driver behaviors, with up to 20% and 40% improvement as measured by a combination metric of speed and deviations in speed across time over baselines in our simulation tests and user study, respectively. Our user study further shows that our policies are human-compatible and personalize to drivers.

Weak Base-Promoted Direct Cross-Coupling of Naphthalene-1,8-diaminato-substituted Arylboron Compounds.

The indispensability of a base in Suzuki-Miyaura coupling (SMC) employing organoboronic acids/esters is well recognized, which occasionally induces competitive protodeborylation in organoboron reagents. This phenomenon is particularly pronounced in fluorine-substituted aryl and heteroaryl boron compounds. Here, we show that direct SMC of naphthalene-1,8-diaminato (dan)-substituted aryl boron compounds, Ar-B(dan), characterized by its remarkable stability toward protodeborylation due to their diminished boron-Lewis acidity, occurs utilizing a weak base in conjunction with a palladium/copper cooperative catalyst system. The approach delineated in this study enables the efficient incorporation of various perfluoroaryl- and heteroaryl-B(dan) reagents, while maintaining high functional group tolerance. Furthermore, the inherent inertness of the B(dan) moiety allowed sequential cross-coupling, where other metallic moieties chemoselectively undergo the reaction, thus leading to the concise, protection-free synthesis of oligoarenes. Our results provide a potent approach to a delicate dilemma between a protodeborylation-resistant property and SMC activity intimately linked to boron-Lewis acidity.

Optimizing the influence of refrigerant superheat on the cooperative thermal management system performance for the vehicle cabin and battery

The refrigerant superheat significantly impacts on the energy consumption of the vehicle cabin and battery collaborative thermal management system. The study investigates the problem using a genetic algorithm. Firstly, the model of collaborative thermal system is established and verified. Then, the coefficient of performance (COP) maximization is taken as the optimization target during steady-state conditions. The results show that the optimal refrigerant superheat at the evaporator outlet (SEva) is very low for different heat dissipation of the battery (HBat) as well as ambient temperature, while the optimal refrigerant superheat at the chiller outlet (SChi) is affected by the HBat as well as ambient temperature. Finally, according to conclusions under the steady state, the SEva is set to 1 K and taking the energy consumption (EC) as the response under transient condition, the SChi is determined. The results indicate that when the SChi is decided by single-point optimization, the optimal SChi is 18 K, and the EC is 1490 kJ, which is 2.3 % energy saving compared to the basic condition. When the SChi is decided by two-point optimization, the optimal two superheats are 12 K and 37 K and the EC is 1460 kJ, which is 4.3 % energy saving compared to the basic condition.

Heterogeneous radio frequency/underwater optical wireless communication relaying systems with MIMO scheme

This paper studies a cooperative relay transmission system within the framework of Multiple-Input Multiple-Output Radio Frequency/Underwater Optical Wireless Communication (MIMO-RF/UOWC), aiming to establish sea-based heterogeneous networks. In this setup, the RF links obey κ-μ fading, while the UOWC links undergo the generalized Gamma fading with the pointing error impairments. The relay operates under an Amplify-and-Forward (AF) protocol. Additionally, the attenuation caused by the Absorption and Scattering (AaS) is considered in UOWC links. The work yields precise results for the Average Channel Capacity (ACC), Outage Probability (OP), and average Bit Error Rate (BER). Furthermore, to reveal deeper insights, bounds on the ACC and asymptotic results for the OP and average BER are derived. The findings highlight the superior performance of MIMO-RF/UOWC AF systems compared to Single-Input-Single-Output (SISO)-RF/UOWC AF systems. Various factors affecting the Diversity Gain (DG) of the MIMO-RF/UOWC AF system include the number of antennas/apertures, fading parameters of both links, and pointing error parameters. Moreover, while an increase in the AaS effect can result in significant attenuation, it does not determine the achievable DG of the proposed MIMO-RF/UOWC AF relaying system.

Interest-aware joint caching, computing, and communication optimization for mobile VR delivery in MEC networks

In the upcoming B5G/6G era, Virtual Reality (VR) over wireless has become a typical application, which is an inevitable trend in the development of video. However, in immersive and interactive VR experiences, VR services typically exhibit high delay, while simultaneously posing challenges for the energy consumption of local devices. To address these issues, this paper aims to improve the performance of VR service in the edge-terminal cooperative system. Specifically, we formulate a joint Caching, Computing, and Communication (3C) VR service policy problem by optimizing the weighted sum of the total VR delivery delay and the energy consumption of local devices. To design the optimal VR service policy, the optimization problem is decoupled into three independent subproblems to be solved separately. To improve the caching efficiency within the network, a Bert-based user interest analysis method is first proposed to accurately characterize the content request behavior. Based on this, a service cost minimum-maximization problem is formulated under the consideration of performance fairness among users. Then, the joint caching and computing scheme is derived for each user with a given allocation of communication resources while a bisection-based communication scheme is acquired with the given information on the joint caching and computing policy. With alternative optimization, an optimal policy for joint 3C based on user interest can be finally obtained. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the superiority of the proposed user interest-aware caching scheme and the effectiveness of the joint 3C optimization policy while considering user fairness. Our code is available at https://github.com/mrfuqaq1108/Interest-Aware-Joint-3C-Optimization.

Post-growth agrifood systems: Towards an emancipatory politics

Abstract A world without hunger demands a post-growth rewiring of the global agrifood system predicated on emancipatory politics that enables reform of actors and institutions outside agriculture. This is necessary to shift out of the prevalent growth-hegemonic framing of agriculture and its contributions to economic growth, where the structural injustice of hunger is rendered invisible. Recent International Relations (IR) scholarship highlights the institutional arrangements underpinning global agrifood problems. This paper uses critical IR theory to understand the structural mechanisms and relations of power through which the growth-hegemonic theorisation of agriculture is produced and reproduced, sustaining hunger within an exceedingly financialised agro-industrial complex. The structural power of knowledge shaping the interlocking structures of finance, production, and security is evident in the extremely high multilevel concentration in modern agrifood systems. This structural power evident in local decentralised agroecological systems and in transnational agrarian movements reflects post-growth principles of sufficiency, shared prosperity, care, ecological and social justice.Together, they are the counter-hegemonic voices, cooperative social systems, and class interests championed by post-growth politics.

Current Status of Cooperation System Between Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics in Kyushu Dental University Hospital

Current Status of Cooperation System Between Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics in Kyushu Dental University Hospital

The Impact of Rice Tariffication Law on Rice Farmer Income and Occupational Choice: A Microsimulation Approach

Purpose: This study was conducted to provide an ex-ante analysis of the impact of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) on rice farmers' income and occupation preferences. The study aims to determine how much increased in terms of total income before and after the implementation of RTL. Moreover the research aims to determine if how many farmers will shift to any industry after the implementation of RTL. Methodology: Using microsimulation modeling and logistic regression a microdata from the 2018 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) were used to simulate changes in total income and household-level expenditures. Findings: It was found that households whose heads were involved in agricultural activities and had more years of education had the highest income in the 2018 FIES. In the microsimulation model, it was observed that the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law resulted in a noteworthy 52% increase in the total income of rice farmers who were recipients of the law, while non-recipients experienced a negative 19% change in their income. Moreover, an estimated 3,000 non-rice farmers transitioned to rice farming as income increased in rice farming activities. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This study recommends the effective allocation and implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to benefit rice farmer recipients and promote inclusive growth for our farmers. Government institutions should promote microfinancing and strengthen cooperative systems to aid in the allocation of cash disbursement. The establishment of community-based offices focusing on the RCEF program will ensure that the program is accessible to farmers. Additionally, RCEF credit assistance should be considered for future study to assess the government's efficiency in implementing the program and whether the allocated fund is sufficient for all rice farmers in the country.

Secularization: A Response from Canon Law Based on the Concept of the “Church on the Move” and Cooperation with the Civil Order in Cases of Abuse of Minors by Priests

The influence of secularization and secularism in today’s society has led to a process of privatization of religion. Faced with this reality, Pope Francis, in his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium, has promoted the need for a pastoral conversion, betting on a “Church going out” that, on the one hand, can cope with this process and, on the other hand, go out to meet all those people who suffer in the existential peripheries. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate, through a qualitative and quantitative methodology, how canon law is a reality that cannot stand aside from this call and how, in the specific area of child abuse within the Church, it must opt for a position that we call “expansion” or extra ecclesiam, capable of recognizing and dealing with the cases that have occurred, as well as operating a system of cooperation with the civil order, with the aim of promoting justice and the common good of society, in order to limit the growing process of secularization.

Pick and Place Control of a 3-DOF Robot Manipulator Based on Image and Pattern Recognition

Board games like chess serve as an excellent testbed for human–robot interactions, where advancements can lead to broader human–robot cooperation systems. This paper presents a chess-playing robotic system to demonstrate controlled pick and place operations using a 3-DoF manipulator with image and speech recognition. The system identifies chessboard square coordinates through image processing and centroid detection before mapping them onto the physical board. User voice input is processed and transcribed into a string from which the system extracts the current and destination locations of a chess piece with a word error rate of 8.64%. Using an inverse-kinematics algorithm, the system calculates the joint angles needed to position the end effector at the desired coordinates actuating the robot. The developed system was evaluated experimentally on the 3-DoF manipulator with a voice command used to direct the robot movement in grasping a chess piece. Consideration was made involving both the own pieces as well as capturing the opponent’s pieces and moving the captured piece outside the board workspace.

Transforming Indian cattle industry for building sustainable future

India is one of the 17 global mega-biodiversity hotspots and harbours a rich diversity of flora and fauna with more than 212 breeds of various livestock species registered at the national level. Livestock sector contributes immensely to the national GDP of India with appreciable annual growth in dairying sector. The cattle population in India is mainly concentrated in its northern and western regions. Raising cattle is deeply ingrained into the social, cultural, and traditional fabric of many communities in India. It forms an important source of livelihood for rural masses. India faces a twin challenge of sustainable management of its huge cattle inventory while improving the productivity of animals and profitability of farmers within the minimum possible time. It is coupled with other challenges in terms of the limited resource base and changing agro-climatic trends along with the ever-looming threat of climate change. The profitability of rearing cattle has increased gradually since independence mainly due to staunch efforts made during the White Revolution and subsequently its carry-over effect. The adult female cattle population of India has increased 1.67 times from 54.4 million in 1951 to 145.12 million in 2019. There is an utmost need for improvement of productivity of cows using modern genetic approaches coupled with improvement in different facets of breeding, feeding and healthcare management. Streamlining the marketing channels, expanding the market network, and establishing a suitable farmers’ co-operative system across the country for dairy products offer opportunities for improved income of the dairy farmers besides providing nutritional security to rural masses. The present policy paper attempts to traverse through the important milestones and programmes in the cattle sector that led India to the stage of self-sustenance, besides analyzing the current threats and challenges faced by the industry along with possible solutions

Dynamic Asymmetric Diamination of Allylic Alcohols through Borrowing Hydrogen Catalysis: Diastereo-Divergent Synthesis of Tetrahydrobenzodiazepines.

We present herein a catalytic enantioconvergent diamination of racemic allylic alcohols with the construction of two C-N bonds and 1,3-nonadjacent stereocenters. This iridium/chiral phosphoric acid cooperative catalytic system operates through an atom-economical borrowing hydrogen amination/aza-Michael cascade, and converts readily available phenylenediamines and racemic allylic alcohols to 1,5-tetrahydrobenzodiazepines in high enantioselectivity. An intriguing solvent-dependent switch of diastereoselectivity was also observed. Mechanistic studies suggested a dynamic kinetic resolution process involving racemization through a reversible Michael addition, making the last step of asymmetric imine reduction the enantiodetermining step of this cascade process.

Multi-UAV Assisted Air–Ground Collaborative MEC System: DRL-Based Joint Task Offloading and Resource Allocation and 3D UAV Trajectory Optimization

In disaster-stricken areas that were severely damaged by earthquakes, typhoons, floods, mudslides, and the like, employing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as airborne base stations for mobile edge computing (MEC) constitutes an effective solution. Concerning this, we investigate a 3D air–ground collaborative MEC scenario facilitated by multi-UAV for multiple ground devices (GDs). Specifically, we first design a 3D multi-UAV-assisted air–ground cooperative MEC system, and construct system communication, computation, and UAV flight energy consumption models. Subsequently, a cooperative resource optimization (CRO) problem is proposed by jointly optimizing task offloading, UAV flight trajectories, and edge computing resource allocation to minimize the total energy consumption of the system. Further, the CRO problem is decoupled into two sub-problems. Among them, the MATD3 deep reinforcement learning algorithm is utilized to jointly optimize the offloading decisions of GDs and the flight trajectories of UAVs; subsequently, the optimal resource allocation scheme at the edge is demonstrated through the derivation of KKT conditions. Finally, the simulation results show that the algorithm has good convergence compared with other algorithms and can effectively reduce the system energy consumption.