Fragmented Areas Research Articles

Multifragmentary patellar fracture has a distinct fracture pattern which makes coronal split, inferior pole, or satellite fragments

The present study aimed to map the location and frequency of fracture lines on the coronal articular and sagittal planes in multifragmentary patellar fractures. 66 multifragmentary patellar fractures were digitally reconstructed using the 3D CT mapping technique. The coronal articular surface and midsagittal fracture maps were produced by superimposing each case over a single template. Each fracture line was classified based on the initial displacement and orientation. We evaluated the frequency and direction of the fracture line, coronal split fragment area, and satellite and inferior pole fragment presence. Coronal articular surface fracture mapping identified primary horizontal fracture lines between the middle and inferior one-third of the articular surface in 63 patients (95.4%). Secondary horizontal fracture lines running on the inferior border of the articular facet were confirmed (83.3%). Secondary vertical fracture lines creating satellite fragments were mostly located on the periphery of the bilateral facet. Midsagittal fracture mapping of primary and secondary horizontal fracture lines with the main coronal fracture line revealed a predominantly X-shaped fracture map. The consequent coronal split fragment and inferior pole fracture were combined in most cases. In conclusion, the multifragmentary patellar fracture has a distinct pattern which makes coronal split, inferior pole, or satellite fragments.

Neighbourhood characteristics and social isolation of people with psychosis: a multi-site cross-sectional study

PurposePeople with psychosis are vulnerable to social isolation, which is associated with worse clinical outcomes. In general populations, people living in areas with higher population density have more social contacts, while those living in more socially deprived and fragmented areas are less satisfied with their relationships. We assessed whether and how neighbourhood factors are associated with social contacts and satisfaction with friendships for people with psychosis.MethodsWe carried out a cross-sectional study including people with psychosis aged 18–65 years in urban and rural sites in England. Population density and social deprivation and fragmentation indexes were described within Lower Level Super Output Areas (LSOA). Their associations with participants’ social contacts and satisfaction with friendships were tested with negative binomial and ordinal regression models, respectively.ResultsWe surveyed 511 participants with psychotic disorders. They had a median of two social contacts in the previous week (interquartile range [IQR] = 1–4), and rated satisfaction with friendships as 5 out of 7 (Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life; IQR = 4–6). Higher population density was associated with fewer social contacts (Z-standardised relative risk [RR] = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.79–0.99, p = 0.03), but not with satisfaction with friendships (RR = 1.08; 95% CI = 0.93–1.26, p = 0.31). No associations were found for social contacts or satisfaction with friendships with social deprivation or fragmentation indexes.ConclusionsClinicians in urban areas should be aware that their patients with psychosis are more socially isolated when more people live around them, and this could impact their clinical outcomes. These findings may inform housing programmes.

Habitat quality and edge area of fragments determine insect diversity in a heavily used landscape: Implications for forest landscape restoration

AbstractWorldwide, forest fragmentation and degradation have affected the flora and fauna, and are threatening the livelihood of people depending upon forest resources. It is essential to understand the underlying ecological processes to better manage such landscapes. In ecological assessments, insects are useful tools to assess the effects of human interventions such as restoration, as insects are vital for several ecosystem processes. Therefore, we studied the ecological processes that determined the distributions of the epigeic insect communities among the degraded forest fragments of the Attappady Hills (Western Ghats, India), which are being restored. Our objectives were to determine the spatial variations in the epigeic insect communities and their responses to habitat quantity and quality of the forest fragments, along with an assessment of the invasive ants’ responses to fragmentation and degradation, and their effects on the native insect communities. We used pitfall traps in several forest fragments representing varying disturbance levels along an east–west gradient. The diversity of various insect taxonomic groups and functional feeding guilds were higher in smaller fragments than compared to larger fragments due to edge effects. The variations in the distributions of insect communities were explained by the habitat features that were spatially correlated. Invasive ants, Anoplolepis gracilipes, infested the smaller fragments where the vegetation quality had degraded. We conclude that an understanding of the effects of fragmentation and degradation on insect communities is vital to restoration managers as ecological restoration becomes an important strategy to reverse degradation and to revive ecological processes of fragmented forests.Abstract in Malayalam is available with online material.

First assessment of ectoparasite prevalence in Apennine populations of Eurasian red squirrel: does habitat fragmentation affect parasite presence?

Although habitat fragmentation is widely reported to affect species survival and distribution, its effect in terms of host-parasite interactions in small mammal communities is poorly studied yet. Using information collected from carcasses of 34 road-kill and two preyed-upon individuals, we present the first comprehensive study dealing with the relationship between habitat fragmentation and the presence of different ectoparasite species infecting a small Sciurus vulgaris population inhabiting the Apennine ridge. We predicted that the probability to find individuals infested by parasites would be lower in highly fragmented areas because of the trade-off effects over both mammal and ectoparasite communities. Our findings showed that the most frequent ectoparasites were the squirrel fleas Ceratophyllus sciurorum and hard ticks Ixodes ricinus. Males showed higher presence of ectoparasites than females, probably because of different behaviour in space use and higher hormone levels, which may compromise host’s resistance to infection. As to the relationship with habitat fragmentation, we did not find support that individuals in highly fragmented areas would be less susceptible to C. sciurorum infestation because of lower red squirrel relative density. The presence of highly suitable habitat patches in fragmented habitats may have favoured the presence of squirrels, hence promoting C. sciurorum transmission among specimens. Similarly, we did not find support that habitat fragmentation would have reduced the likelihood of generalist ectoparasites transmission among squirrels. This finding may be explained by the increasing tolerance of generalist ectoparasites towards habitat fragmentation because of the presence of species (e.g., roe deer Capreolus capreolus) able to better exploit ecotonal areas. We believe that our research provides interesting preliminary results on ectoparasites infesting red squirrels in the Apennine area, and of the potential impact which habitat fragmentation may have on them. Nevertheless, the effect of habitat fragmentation over parasite communities is still poorly considered, and further researches are needed.

A Comparison of Size, Shape, and Fractal Diversity Between Coral Rubble Sampled From Natural and Artificial Coastlines Around Okinawa Island, Japan

Substrate surface area and fractal complexity have been reported to influence the abundance and diversity of mobile cryptic animal communities. Surfaces with higher fractal dimensions not only offer additional space for colonization, but bias space availability toward smaller size ranges, increasing the number of available niches. Conversely, smaller surface areas tend to be associated with a decrease in abundances while reduced fractal complexities may support less diversity in the benthic community. In this study, we compared morphological parameters between rubble sampled from rubble mounds accumulated at the seaward side of artificial breakwaters and rubble sampled from a nearby location with no breakwaters (=control site). The purpose of this work was to establish a methodology for comparing the surface area and fractal complexity of coral rubble fragments using easily available equipment that could be efficiently utilized during field work. Rubble fragments were individually weighed and photographed in controlled light conditions. Each photograph was then analyzed using ImageJ software. Rubble pieces from each photograph went through segmentation, the separation of sample outlines from the picture background, before being measured and analyzed for surface area, width, and length (size estimators), and circularity, aspect ratio, roundness, solidity, and Feret properties (shape estimators). Surface fractal complexity was also measured, using the box counting method on segmented rubble surfaces. We observed lowered surface areas, weight, and fractal complexity for rubble fragments sampled at the breakwater. We demonstrate how this method could be used to compare coral rubble from a variety of environmental conditions, thus becoming a useful aid in environmental monitoring, in addition to adding important information to the collection and analyses of biological data.

Monitoring Metropolitan Growth Dynamics for Achieving Sustainable Urbanization (SDG 11.3) in Kolkata Metropolitan Area, India

The mass accumulation of population in the larger cities of India has led to accelerated and unprecedented peripheral urban expansion over the last few decades. This rapid peripheral growth is characterized by an uncontrolled, low density, fragmented and haphazard patchwork of development popularly known as urban sprawl. The Kolkata Metropolitan Area (KMA) has been one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in India and is experiencing rampant suburbanization and peripheral expansion. Hence, understanding urban growth and its dynamics in these rapidly changing environments is critical for city planners and resource managers. Furthermore, understanding urban expansion and urban growth patterns are essential for achieving inclusive and sustainable urbanization as defined by the United Nations in the Sustainable Development Goals (e.g., SDGs, 11.3). The present research attempts to quantify and model the urban growth dynamics of large and diverse metropolitan areas with a distinct methodology considering the case of KMA. In the study, land use and land cover (LULC) maps of KMA were prepared for three different years (i.e., for 1996, 2006, and 2016) through the classification of Landsat imagery using a support vector machine (SVM) classification approach. Then, change detection analysis, landscape metrics, a concentric zone approach, and Shannon’s entropy approach were applied for spatiotemporal assessment and quantification of urban growth in KMA. The achieved classification accuracies were found to be 89.75%, 92.00%, and 92.75%, with corresponding Kappa values of 0.879, 0.904, and 0.912 for 1996, 2006, and 2016, respectively. It is concluded that KMA has been experiencing typical urban sprawl. The peri-urban areas (i.e., KMA-rural) are growing rapidly, and are characterized by leapfrogging and fragmented built-up area development, compared to the central KMA (i.e., KMA-urban), which has become more compact in recent years.

Fragmented urban areas: Can plants encourage birds in Jambi City urban space?

This study aims to estimate the extent to which vegetation can encourage the presence of birds in the urban city area. Forest area, urban plantation, grove area, and residential area are The Muhammad Sabki Urban Forest location for bird and plant observed in some circular plots (r=25 m) in the morning and afternoon. Bird directly and identified using a field guide and marked plant species immediately identified using the Plantamor website. The data were analyzed using the Shannon-Wiener Index (H’), The Margalef Index (Dmg), and some using Correlative and regression analysis with IBM SPSS Statistics 28. The results obtained 23 species and a total of 534 individual birds from all observed urban space habitats. All Shannon-Wiener Index (H’) values in each studied habitat type showed a moderate diversity level and low species richness (Dmg). There are 22 plant species that have been identified as places of bird activity. Correlation analysis of the number of plant species on bird species and the number of bird species on bird individuals shows a strong relationship. However, regression analysis shows that the partially analyzed variables have no significant effect, so additional values are needed from other factors.

Morphological study of CT image of posterior pilon variant fracture and its possible clinical significance.

The incidence of posterior pilon variant fractures has been underestimated. The purpose was to study the characteristics of posteromedial (PM) and posterolateral (PL) fragments in CT imaging of posterior pilon variant fractures, and to provide help for clinical diagnosis and treatment. CT imaging data of 109 cases of posterior pilon variant fractures in our hospital from January 2013 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to Mason and Molloy classification, PM fragments were further divided into pilon subtypes and avulsed subtypes. The largest actual area of fragments in axial and sagittal were selected as the study plane, and the maximum axial lengths of X, Y and Z, α angle, β angle, fragment area (S1-7) and fragment area ratio (FAR1-4), interfragmentary (IF) angle, and back of tibia (BT) angle were measured. A total of 109 cases were included in this study, 61 of whom were pilon subtypes [90.16% were supination-external rotation (SER) injuries]. 48 cases were avulsed subtypes [81.25% were pronation-external rotation (PER) injuries]. Pilon subtypes were larger than avulsed subtypes in X, Y, Z, α2 Angle, β2 Angle, fragment area and ratio, and IF and BT angle (P < 0.05). There was no difference between α1 and β1 angle (P > 0.05). The morphology of pilon subtype was larger than that of avulsion subtype. According to fragment size, morphology, and injury mechanism, two fragments of pilon subtype should be anatomic reduction and fixation. However, the PL fragment of avulsion subtype should to be fixed, while PM fragment may only need conservative treatment.

Biodiversity and Transportation Infrastructure in the Republic of Korea: A Review on Impacts and Mitigation in Developing the Country

The construction and continued use of transportation infrastructure, specifically roads, has had a significant global impact on biodiversity and the environment. The Republic of Korea, or South Korea, has a road density of 1.13 km/km2. So far, three nationwide studies about vertebrate road-killed species have been reported, showing bias towards medium to large mammals, the most common victims being the Korean water deer (Hydropotes inermis), Korean hare (Lepus coreanus), Siberian roe deer (Capreolus pygargus), and the common raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides). Road-kills, or wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVCs), tend to occur in or near preferred habitat types or in highly fragmented areas, with roads additionally being linked to habitat fragmentation and loss. Alongside WVCs and habitat effects, information about other adverse effects on biodiversity is scant, although there are reports that heavy metals and other pollutants from road runoff impact marine biodiversity, vegetation, soil, and groundwater. Furthermore, roads have been linked to a prevalence of invasive plant species. To mitigate road impacts, the South Korean government has constructed, with mixed results, 530 wildlife crossing structures, mainly including overpasses and tunnels. To mitigate road impacts more effectively, the country will need more construction, monitoring, and consistent management of wildlife crossing structures. Further, incorporating plans for wildlife crossing structures in early stages of road development will be required.

Influence of historical changes in tropical reef habitat on the diversification of coral reef fishes

Past environmental changes are expected to have profoundly impacted diversity dynamics through time. While some previous studies showed an association between past climate changes or tectonic events and important shifts in lineage diversification, it is only recently that past environmental changes have been explicitly integrated in diversification models to test their influence on diversification rates. Here, we used a global reconstruction of tropical reef habitat dynamics during the Cenozoic and phylogenetic diversification models to test the influence of (i) major geological events, (ii) reef habitat fragmentation and (iii) reef area on the diversification of 9 major clades of tropical reef fish (Acanthuridae, Balistoidea, Carangoidea, Chaetodontidae, Haemulinae, Holocentridae, Labridae, Pomacentridae and Sparidae). The diversification models revealed a weak association between paleo-habitat changes and diversification dynamics. Specifically, the fragmentation of tropical reef habitats over the Cenozoic was found to be a driver of tropical reef fish diversification for 2 clades. However, overall, our approach did not allow the identification of striking associations between diversification dynamics and paleo-habitat fragmentation in contrast with theoretical model’s predictions.

Optimising sampling designs for habitat fragmentation studies

Abstract Habitat fragmentation has become one of the largest areas of research in conservation biology. Empirical studies into habitat fragmentation impacts typically measure ecological responses to metrics describing fragmentation processes, for example ‘distance to the nearest forest edge’, ‘forest fragment area’ and ‘landscape habitat amount’. However, these studies often fail to sample across representative ranges of fragmentation metrics characterising the study region. They therefore lack the data to account for correlation among multiple fragmentation metrics and for spatial autocorrelation among sample sites, which reduces the strength of derived predictive models. Here, we draw on approaches used in the mining and soil science industry to develop standardised and repeatable protocols for designing optimised sampling schemes of biodiversity in fragmented landscapes that meet three criteria: the distance between sample sites is maximised to reduce spatial autocorrelation, the full range of values of the metrics of interest are sampled and the confounding effects of correlated metrics are minimised. We show that our computational methods can optimise the placement of sample sites in fragmented landscapes to minimise, and in some cases to entirely avoid, over‐ or under‐sampling of fragmentation metrics. Our method is flexible enough to cater for any continuous (e.g. maps of percentage tree cover) or categorical (e.g. habitat and land use types) fragmentation metric, and to simultaneously handle combinations of multiple fragmentation metrics and habitat types. We implement our methods as open‐source code which includes options to mask invalid or inaccessible regions, update designs to adapt to unforeseen constraints in the field and suggest optimal numbers of sample sites for given design criteria. Using a case study landscape, we demonstrate how the approach improves on manually generated sampling designs. We also show that the methods are flexible enough to be applied to landscape studies beyond the field of habitat fragmentation. We introduce our package as a novel research tool that is able to streamline the experimental design process for biodiversity sampling and monitoring at landscape scales, leading to improved data quality and representativeness.

Spatio-Temporal Simulation of Mangrove Forests under Different Scenarios: A Case Study of Mangrove Protected Areas, Hainan Island, China

Mangrove forests are important woody plant communities that grow in the intertidal zone between land and sea. They provide important social, ecological and economic services to coastal areas. In recent years, the growth environment of mangrove forests has been threatened. Mangrove forests have become one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. To better protect mangrove forests, effective monitoring methods are essential. In this study, a spatio-temporal simulation method for mangrove forests was proposed in the mangrove protected areas of Hainan Island, China. This method compared the simulation accuracy of different models in terms of spatial characteristics, evaluated the applicability of driving factors in mangrove simulation and predicted the future spatio-temporal distribution and change trends of mangrove forests under different scenarios. The simulation results of different models showed that AutoRF (random forest with spatial autocorrelation) performs best in spatial characteristic simulation. Driving factors such as the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), various location indices and the spatial autocorrelation factor can significantly improve the accuracy of mangrove simulations. The prediction results for Hainan Island showed that the mangrove area increased slowly under a natural growth scenario (NGS), decreased significantly under an economic development scenario (EDS) and increased significantly under a mangrove protection scenario (MPS) with 4460, 2704 and 5456 ha respectively by 2037. The contraction of mangrove forests is closely related to the expansion of aquaculture ponds, building land and cultivated land. Mangrove contraction is more severe in marginal or fragmented areas. The expansion of mangrove forests is due to the contraction of aquaculture ponds, cultivated land and other forests. The areas around existing mangrove forests and on both sides of the riverbank are typical areas prone to mangrove expansion. The MPS should be the most suitable development direction for the future, as it can reasonably balance economic development with mangrove protection.

Voice and Touch Based Error-tolerant Multimodal Text Editing and Correction for Smartphones.

Editing operations such as cut, copy, paste, and correcting errors in typed text are often tedious and challenging to perform on smartphones. In this paper, we present VT, a voice and touch-based multi-modal text editing and correction method for smartphones. To edit text with VT, the user glides over a text fragment with a finger and dictates a command, such as “bold” to change the format of the fragment, or the user can tap inside a text area and speak a command such as “highlight this paragraph” to edit the text. For text correcting, the user taps approximately at the area of erroneous text fragment and dictates the new content for substitution or insertion. VT combines touch and voice inputs with language context such as language model and phrase similarity to infer a user’s editing intention, which can handle ambiguities and noisy input signals. It is a great advantage over the existing error correction methods (e.g., iOS’s Voice Control) which require precise cursor control or text selection. Our evaluation shows that VT significantly improves the efficiency of text editing and text correcting on smartphones over the touch-only method and the iOS’s Voice Control method. Our user studies showed that VT reduced the text editing time by 30.80%, and text correcting time by 29.97% over the touch-only method. VT reduced the text editing time by 30.81%, and text correcting time by 47.96% over the iOS’s Voice Control method.

Лечение чрезвертельных переломов у пожилых пациентов – насколько важна динамическая фиксация?

Abstract. Introduction The problem of complications after surgical treatment of pertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients is relevant and far from a solution. Materials and methods The retrospective study was based on the analysis of the results of treatment of 129 patients with pertrochanteric femoral fractures (average age 76 years). All fractures in the early time from trauma were fixed with two types of cephalomedullary nails, either dynamic or static. All patients could not limit the load on the operated limb after surgery because of different reasons. Results The results of treatment were evaluated in 109 patients after one year. In dynamic cephalomedullary fixator group (59 patients), there were 7 orthopedic complications with a functional Harris scale result of 68 points (range, 26 to 94 points). In static cephalomedullary fixator group (50 patients), there were 14 orthopedic complications with a functional Harris score of 56.5 points (range, 15 to 92 points). Discussion Higher results of treatment in the group of dynamic fixator in the condition of full-weight bearing on the operated limb may be associated with the possibility of dynamization of the part of fixator in response to bone resorption in the contact area of bone fragments. The use of dynamic cephalomedullary fixators instead of static ones for treatment of pertrochanteric femoral fractures in elderly patients exercising full weight-bearing leads to a decrease in orthopedic complications (from 28 to 11.9 %) and improves the functional results of treatment.

Mapping and Monitoring of Land Cover/Land Use (LCLU) Changes in the Crozon Peninsula (Brittany, France) from 2007 to 2018 by Machine Learning Algorithms (Support Vector Machine, Random Forest, and Convolutional Neural Network) and by Post-classification Comparison (PCC)

Land cover/land use (LCLU) is currently a very important topic, especially for coastal areas that connect the land and the coast and tend to change frequently. LCLU plays a crucial role in land and territory planning and management tasks. This study aims to complement information on the types and rates of LCLU multiannual changes with the distributions, rates, and consequences of these changes in the Crozon Peninsula, a highly fragmented coastal area. To evaluate the multiannual change detection (CD) capabilities using high-resolution (HR) satellite imagery, we implemented three remote sensing algorithms: a support vector machine (SVM), a random forest (RF) combined with geographic object-based image analysis techniques (GEOBIA), and a convolutional neural network (CNN), with SPOT 5 and Sentinel 2 data from 2007 and 2018. Accurate and timely CD is the most important aspect of this process. Although all algorithms were indicated as efficient in our study, with accuracy indices between 70% and 90%, the CNN had significantly higher accuracy than the SVM and RF, up to 90%. The inclusion of the CNN significantly improved the classification performance (5–10% increase in the overall accuracy) compared with the SVM and RF classifiers applied in our study. The CNN eliminated some of the confusion that characterizes a coastal area. Through the study of CD results by post-classification comparison (PCC), multiple changes in LCLU could be observed between 2007 and 2018: both the cultivated and non-vegetated areas increased, accompanied by high deforestation, which could be explained by the high rate of urbanization in the peninsula.

Deep Learning to Decipher the Progression and Morphology of Axonal Degeneration.

Axonal degeneration (AxD) is a pathological hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases. Deciphering the morphological patterns of AxD will help to understand the underlying mechanisms and develop effective therapies. Here, we evaluated the progression of AxD in cortical neurons using a novel microfluidic device together with a deep learning tool that we developed for the enhanced-throughput analysis of AxD on microscopic images. The trained convolutional neural network (CNN) sensitively and specifically segmented the features of AxD including axons, axonal swellings, and axonal fragments. Its performance exceeded that of the human evaluators. In an in vitro model of AxD in hemorrhagic stroke induced by the hemolysis product hemin, we detected a time-dependent degeneration of axons leading to a decrease in axon area, while axonal swelling and fragment areas increased. Axonal swellings preceded axon fragmentation, suggesting that swellings may be reliable predictors of AxD. Using a recurrent neural network (RNN), we identified four morphological patterns of AxD (granular, retraction, swelling, and transport degeneration). These findings indicate a morphological heterogeneity of AxD in hemorrhagic stroke. Our EntireAxon platform enables the systematic analysis of axons and AxD in time-lapse microscopy and unravels a so-far unknown intricacy in which AxD can occur in a disease context.

Fragmentation and Connectivity of Island Forests in Agricultural Mediterranean Environments: A Comparative Study between the Guadalquivir Valley (Spain) and the Apulia Region (Italy)

Habitat loss and fragmentation are considered some the main threats to biodiversity. Original forests have suffered an accentuated fragmentation and agricultural homogenization, leaving only some areas of natural vegetation, relegated to strongly anthropized disconnected patches (island forests, IFs) in a hostile matrix. These patches of original vegetation could be the key for the design and management of ecological corridors to promote species migration, an essential strategy for meeting the consequences of Global Change. This study proposes a comparative analysis of the fragmentation and connectivity of IFs of Quercus in two typically Mediterranean areas of predominantly agricultural use: the Guadalquivir valley (Spain) and the Apulia region (Italy). A retrospective comparison is also carried out in the Guadalquivir valley. The aim is to develop an objective new methodology to locate the patches of most interest using quantitative and qualitative data. Reference cartography of current island forests of Quercus species was developed from several digital sources and validated with orthoimages and field observations. Fragmentation analysis was based on graph structures using the software Conefor 2.6, a reliable tool for assessment of the role of patches in the landscape. Area and distance were used as node and connector values. Dispersion distance was established as 500 m, based on the maximum dispersion of acorns. Results indicate that the Guadalquivir valley has suffered an intensive fragmentation in recent decades. Both the Guadalquivir and Apulia regions host some IFs with the relevant potential to contribute as core habitats in the creation of connections to other natural protected sites. Many residual IFs in the landscape could contribute as stepping stones in the design and management of ecological corridors. Our methodology highlights the value of IFs to develop assessment strategies using homogenized available digital cartography and common criteria for the dispersion distances in graph theory analysis. The application of this new methodology could help in the management of protected sites using highly fragmented areas to allow the species movement through inhospitable landscapes in a unique opportunity to connect the different protected areas.

The geography of financial condition in the Mexico City metropolitan area

There has been academic and policy concern about the financial capacity of administratively fragmented metropolitan areas to implement inclusive development measures and provide public services. Metropolitan public financing is problematic because there is a geographical mismatch between extended functional urban regions and administrative units. While local governments are responsible for implementing policies, spending, and raising revenues, financial capacity tends to differ across jurisdictions in response to economic, social and political factors, resulting in manifold disparities. Such variations can be particularly acute depending on the complexity and size of the metropolitan area, and can lead to major spatial disparities in the life standards of residents. This paper focuses on the local financial condition in Mexico City Metropolitan Area, which is often used to exemplify a fragmented metropolitan area. Official statistics from 1989 to 2018 are used to identify major intra-metropolitan variations in the financial condition of local governments. A novel methodology is used to classify municipalities according to their financial health, and discriminant analysis is used to explore the factors shaping the geography of financial performance. The economic and demographic size of municipalities appear to play a significant role.

Répartition des traits de fracture malléolaire postérieure dans les fractures en supination et rotation externe

IntroductionSupination-external rotation ankle fracture is one of the most common fractures. Studies on the fracture line distribution of this fracture type are limited. The purpose of this study is to explore the distribution characteristics of intra-articular posterior malleolus fracture lines in supination-external rotation. HypothesisMost of the fracture lines are concentrated in a particular area. Material and methodsComputed tomography scans of a consecutive series of 70 ankle fractures of supination-external rotation were used for this study. The DICOM files were loaded into Mimics 16.0 for 3D reconstruction of the distal tibial articular surface. The intra-articular posterior malleolus fracture lines were identified after virtual fracture reduction. All the fracture lines were drawn on one picture of the distal tibial articular surface after standardization before a heat map was created based on the frequency of fracture lines. ResultsAlthough the distribution of posterior malleolus intra-articular fracture lines varied, most of them were concentrated in an arcuate zone. The ratios of the area of posterior fracture fragment to the total area of articular surface averaged 14.96 % (range, from 2.23 % to 38.45 %). They were most likely to enter the articular surface at 20.4 % of the tangent of the posterior edge in a standardized image and exit at 58.7 % of the tangent of the lateral edge. ConclusionsIn ankle fractures of supination-external rotation, most intra-articular posterior malleolus fracture lines may be distributed regularly in an arcuate zone of the articular surface. Level of proofV; descriptive research.

Nestedness theory suggests wetland fragments with large areas and macrophyte diversity benefit waterbirds.

Many artificial wetland constructions are currently underway worldwide to compensate for the degradation of natural wetland systems. Researchers face the responsibility of proposing wetland management and species protection strategies to ensure that constructed wetlands positively impact waterbird diversity. Nestedness is a commonly occurring pattern for biotas in fragmented habitats with important implications for conservation; however, only a few studies have focused on seasonal waterbird communities in current artificial wetlands. In this study, we used the nestedness theory for analyzing the annual and seasonal community structures of waterbirds in artificial wetlands at Lake Dianchi (China) to suggest artificial wetland management and waterbird conservation strategies. We carried out three waterbird surveys per month for one year to observe the annual, spring, summer, autumn, and winter waterbird assemblages in 27 lakeside artificial wetland fragments. We used the NeD program to quantify nestedness patterns of waterbirds at the annual and seasonal levels. We also determined Spearman partial correlations to examine the associations of nestedness rank and habitat variables to explore the factors underlying nestedness patterns. We found that annual and all four seasonal waterbird compositions were nested, and selective extinction and habitat nestedness were the main factors governing nestedness. Further, selective colonization was the key driver of nestedness in autumn and winter waterbirds. We suggest that the area of wetland fragments should be as large as possible and that habitat heterogeneity should be maximized to fulfill the conservation needs of different seasonal waterbirds. Furthermore, we suggest that future studies should focus on the least area criterion and that vegetation management of artificial wetland construction should be based on the notion of sustainable development for humans and wildlife.