Local Variations Research Articles

Mapping property redevelopment via GeoAI: Integrating computer vision and socioenvironmental patterns and processes

Domain knowledge of social and environmental sciences is generally derived from less structured small data and/or small models. The integration of deep learning with socioenvironmental and geographical patterns and processes is still in an early phase. This study proposes a flexible framework that synthesizes computer vision with patterns and processes of geographical phenomena (e.g., urban redevelopment) via deep convolutional neural networks and spatiotemporal neighborhoods, respectively. Meanwhile, undesirable visual cues (e.g., temporary objects such as cars) cause false alarms in urban change detection. Thus, a masked deep pyramid similarity model (i.e., the computer vision model) is proposed to minimize the negative impact of nonbuilding changes. This pipeline has robustness against obfuscation of undesirable street scene changes and elasticity of geographical knowledge representations in mapping property redevelopment. This model is reproducible and adaptable due to the wide availability of SVI and flexibility of the framework. The results suggest that the domain-driven rules and nonbuilding change masking mechanism can significantly increase the accuracy of a computer vision model. We also find that urban redevelopment should be understood as a locally tuned back-to-the-city process with weak replicability. Hybrid gentrification (i.e., the combination of “seesaw” gentrification and continuous gentrification) is observed globally with local variations. Takeaway for practiceFirst, the population of those affected should be carefully identified and the benefits of gentrification need to be redistributed on a larger scale. For Auckland, decision-makers should not divert attention away from low-income tenants in outer suburbs that slipped below the radar of local government and scholars. Second, more attention should be given to less resourcing neighborhoods in constantly gentrifying neighborhoods when governments formulate and implement housing subsidy policies. Locally, incessant redevelopment in Auckland CBD, New Market and Remuera, etc., should be contained.

Understanding the effects of inhaler resistance on particle deposition behaviour – A computational modelling study

Background and objectiveUnderstanding the impact of inhaler resistance on particle transport and deposition in the human upper airway is essential for optimizing inhaler designs, thereby contributing to the enhancement of the therapeutic efficacy of inhaled drug delivery. This study demonstrates the potential effects of inhaler resistance on particle deposition characteristics in an anatomically realistic human oropharynx and the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) throat using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). MethodMagnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed on a healthy volunteer biting on a small mockup inhaler mouthpiece. Three-dimensional geometry of the oropharynx and mouthpiece were reconstructed from the MR images. CFD simulations coupled with discrete phase modelling were conducted. Inhaled polydisperse particles under two different transient flow profiles with peak inspiratory flow rates (PIFR) of 30 L/min and 60 L/min were investigated. The effect of inhaler mouthpiece resistance was modelled as a porous medium by varying the initial resistance (Ri) and viscous resistance (Rv). Three resistance values, 0.02 kPa0.5minL−1, 0.035 kPa0.5minL−1 and 0.05 kPa0.5 minL−1, were simulated. The inhaler outlet velocity was set to be consistent across all models for both flow rate conditions to enable a meaningful comparison of models with different inhaler resistances. ResultThe results from this study demonstrate that investigating the effect of inhaler resistance by solely relying on the USP throat model may yield misleading results. For the geometrically realistic oropharyngeal model, both the pressure and kinetic energy profiles at the mid-sagittal plane of the airway change dramatically when connected to a higher-resistance inhaler. In addition, the geometrically realistic oropharyngeal model appears to have a resistance threshold. When this threshold is surpassed, significant changes in flow dynamics become evident, which is not observed in the USP throat model. Furthermore, this study also reveals that the impact of inhaler resistance in a geometrically realistic throat model extends beyond the oral cavity and affects particle deposition downstream of the oral cavity, including the oropharynx region. ConclusionResults from this study suggest that key mechanisms underpinning the working principles of inhaler resistance are intricately connected to their complex interaction with the pharynx geometry, which affects the local pressure, local variation in velocity and kinetic energy profile in the airway.

Mechanism and Quantitative Characterization of Wettability on Shale Surfaces: An Experimental Study Based on Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM)

Wettability, as a vital tool for analyzing and describing oil flow, plays a significant role in determining oil/water relative permeability, residual oil distribution, and on–site recovery efficiency. Although the contact angle method is widely used for measuring wetting behavior, it is susceptible to the effects of surface roughness, oil–water saturation, and the distribution of mixed wetting within the range of droplet sizes. Additionally, millimeter–scale droplets fail to accurately represent the wetting distribution and the influencing factors at the micro/nano–scale. Therefore, this study presents a comprehensive investigation of the microstructure and wettability of shale samples. The characterization of the samples was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques to gain insights into their microscopic features, surface properties, and wettability. Results demonstrate the following: (1) Quartz and clay minerals tended to exhibit rough surface topography, appearing as darker areas (DA) under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). It is worth noting that plagioclase minerals exhibited brighter areas (BA) under SEM. (2) An increase in the content of minerals such as quartz and clay minerals was observed to decrease the surface oil wetting behavior. In contrast, plagioclase feldspar exhibited an opposite trend. (3) Based on the adhesive forces of the samples towards oil or water, a wetting index, I, was established to evaluate the wettability of shale at a microscale. The dimensionless contact angle W, obtained by normalizing the contact angle measurement, also consistently indicated oil wetting behavior. (4) By comparing the differences between I and W, it was observed that surface roughness significantly affected the behavior of water droplets. The presence of roughness impeded the contact between the solid and liquid phases, thus influencing the accuracy of the wetting results. Organic matter also plays a significant role in influencing surface wettability, and its distribution within the shale samples can lead to localized variations in wettability.

Crystal plasticity model for creep and relaxation deformation of OFP copper

ABSTRACT We demonstrate a dislocation density-based crystal plasticity (CP) model approach for simulating mesoscale deformation and damage. The existing CP framework is extended to be compatible with the oxygen-free phosphorous copper microstructure that is the focus of this study. The key aim is to introduce relevant plastic deformation mechanisms and to develop a failure model capable of depicting creep damage in the material. The effect of local variations in material is evaluated, and the model response is compared with experiments and characterisation. The basis of this work is CP material modelling, including grain orientation and size, obtained using electron backscatter diffraction and experimental test data of real relaxation test specimens. This will yield a realistic description of texture and grain shape and, ultimately, accurate stress–strain response at the microstructural level for further evaluation of performance with respect to material creep(−fatigue) damage.

Climatic effects on the synchrony and stability of temperate headwater invertebrates over four decades.

Important clues about the ecological effects of climate change can arise from understanding the influence of other Earth-system processes on ecosystem dynamics but few studies span the inter-decadal timescales required. We, therefore, examined how variation in annual weather patterns associated with the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) over four decades was linked to synchrony and stability in a metacommunity of stream invertebrates across multiple, contrasting headwaters in central Wales (UK). Prolonged warmer and wetter conditions during positive NAO winters appeared to synchronize variations in population and community composition among and within streams thereby reducing stability across levels of ecological organization. This climatically mediated synchronization occurred in all streams irrespective of acid-base status and land use, but was weaker where invertebrate communities were more functionally diverse. Wavelet linear models indicated that variation in the NAO explained up to 50% of overall synchrony in species abundances at a timescale of 4-6 years. The NAO appeared to affect ecological dynamics through local variations in temperature, precipitation and discharge, but increasing hydrochemical variability within sites during wetter winters might have contributed. Our findings illustrate how large-scale climatic fluctuations generated over the North Atlantic can affect population persistence and dynamics in inland freshwater ecosystems in ways that transcend local catchment character. Protecting and restoring functional diversity in stream communities might increase their stability against warmer, wetter conditions that are analogues of ongoing climate change. Catchment management could also dampen impacts and provide options for climate change adaptation.

Mosquitoes and Potatoes: How Local Climatic Conditions Impede Development

The historical diffusion of the potato in the Old World serves as an example of the contribution of technological innovations to socio-economic growth and development (Nunn and Qian in Q J Econ 126(2):593–650, 2011). Climate-related diseases, on the other hand, might offset some of these benefits. Here we examine the long-term impact of malaria on the potato-driven growth of the population and urbanization in the Old World during the 18th and 19th centuries. We exploit local variations in environmental suitability both for potato and for malaria transmission to estimate and compare the impact of potato cultivation on population and urbanization in highly endemic to non-endemic areas at a high level of spatial disaggregation. We show that local climate conditions ideal for malaria transmission counteracted the potential benefits of introducing the potato to the Old World, which are conversely found to be strong and positive in non-endemic regions. These results highlight the interplay between technological change, public health, and development outcomes.

Abstract 14675: The Role of Biomechanics in Diagnosis and Evaluation of Coronary Artery Disease

While there is a strong need to assess the safety and efficacy of novel therapies prior to evaluation in human patients, the ability to accurately model the complexities of coronary disease in-vitro and/or animal models is somewhat limited. Animal models, even those with genetic predispositions toward coronary disease do not exhibit high grade stenoses, similar to those that require treatment in human patients. At the same time, most in-vitro models and simulations of fluid-structure interactions cannot simultaneously capture the complex geometries, hemodynamics, and biomechanical response of human coronary disease. Here, we introduce a robust workflow to replicate an in-vitro platform incorporating compliant, realistic diseased coronary arteries in a flow loop under physiological conditions. Through ex-vivo imaging of cadaveric specimens, coupled with co-registered measurements of coronary biomechanics, we developed protocols that allow for fabrication and testing of highly realistic 3D printed models. The anatomical and biomechanical features of the coronary arteries, including local variations associated with the observed disease burdens were extracted and 3D printed, in high spatial resolution, using commercially available printers, making this methodology conveniently reproducible. Subsequently, the models were incorporated in a testing platform made of flow loops and valve resistance to mimic circulation and microvascular resistance respectively. Under physiological boundary conditions, we successfully collected measurements along the length of the vessels that exhibit a range of biomechanical characteristics from low to high values of modulus and assessed the impact of biomechanics on gold standard diagnostic and prognostic measures such as Fractional Flow Reserve. We demonstrated that incorporating the effects of local biomechanics significantly improves the predicted hemodynamics metrics with respect to ex-vivo coronaries.

Genomic signatures of selection, local adaptation and production type characterisation of East Adriatic sheep breeds

BackgroundThe importance of sheep breeding in the Mediterranean part of the eastern Adriatic has a long tradition since its arrival during the Neolithic migrations. Sheep production system is extensive and generally carried out in traditional systems without intensive systematic breeding programmes for high uniform trait production (carcass, wool and milk yield). Therefore, eight indigenous Croatian sheep breeds from eastern Adriatic treated here as metapopulation (EAS), are generally considered as multipurpose breeds (milk, meat and wool), not specialised for a particular type of production, but known for their robustness and resistance to certain environmental conditions. Our objective was to identify genomic regions and genes that exhibit patterns of positive selection signatures, decipher their biological and productive functionality, and provide a "genomic" characterization of EAS adaptation and determine its production type.ResultsWe identified positive selection signatures in EAS using several methods based on reduced local variation, linkage disequilibrium and site frequency spectrum (eROHi, iHS, nSL and CLR). Our analyses identified numerous genomic regions and genes (e.g., desmosomal cadherin and desmoglein gene families) associated with environmental adaptation and economically important traits. Most candidate genes were related to meat/production and health/immune response traits, while some of the candidate genes discovered were important for domestication and evolutionary processes (e.g., HOXa gene family and FSIP2). These results were also confirmed by GO and QTL enrichment analysis.ConclusionsOur results contribute to a better understanding of the unique adaptive genetic architecture of EAS and define its productive type, ultimately providing a new opportunity for future breeding programmes. At the same time, the numerous genes identified will improve our understanding of ruminant (sheep) robustness and resistance in the harsh and specific Mediterranean environment.

Evolutionary science in denominational colleges at Australian universities, 1907–2020

ABSTRACT This article examines the place of evolutionary science in protestant and Catholic residential colleges associated with Australian public universities across the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Although faith-based universities are a relatively recent phenomenon in Australia, a quasi-federal model of secular teaching and accrediting universities linked to church-run non-teaching residential colleges developed with the founding of the first Australian university, the University of Sydney, in the 1850s. The model was subsequently replicated, with local variations, across the first generation of Australian public universities. This interface between mainstream secular and more selective religious spaces makes the colleges an instructive setting in which to examine science-and-religion ideas in institutional context. As principally pastoral, residential institutions the colleges did not have curricula or significant research programmes of their own, but student publications produced within them shed light on the attitudes and beliefs of students and some staff regarding evolutionary science, and science more generally, in relation to religion. The article analyses a corpus of more than 700 student publications published between 1907 and 2020 and associated with the Universities of Sydney, Melbourne and Queensland, the three institutions with the most developed collegiate systems. The analysis shows the complexity of ways in which evolutionary science was understood within the denominational colleges, and the limits set to those understandings by college authors’ plural institutional contexts.

Nanoscale chemical characterization of secondary protein structure of F-Actin using mid-infrared photoinduced force microscopy (PiF-IR)

The recently developed photoinduced force microscopy for mid-infrared (PiF-IR) offers high spectral resolution in combination with surface sensitivity and a spatial resolution in the range of a few nanometers. Although PiF-IR has primarily been applied to polymer materials, this technology presents significant potential for the chemical characterization of cellular structures approaching single-molecule sensitivity. We applied PiF-IR to differently polymerized F-Actin samples finding general agreement with FTIR spectra from the same samples. Single PiF-IR spectra of F-Actin show variations in the amide I band spectral region, which is related to secondary protein structure. Local variations are also seen in PiF-IR hyperspectra in this region. Such high sensitivity is a necessary requirement for discriminating Actin organization into bundles and other networks in cells and tissue. We applied PiF-IR to mouse liver tissue ex vivo. Single-frequency PiF-IR scans at three different IR frequencies show significant variations in local contrast. However, the presence of other proteins and the unique spatial resolution of PiF-IR pose a challenge to interpreting and validating such data. Careful design of model systems and further theoretical understanding of PiF-IR data far from bulk averages are needed to fully unfold the potential of PiF-IR for high-resolution chemical investigation in the Life Sciences.

No Response of Surface-Level Atmospheric Electrical Parameters in Israel to Severe Space Weather Events

We report ground-based measurements of the atmospheric electric field (Ez = −potential gradient (PG)) and current density (Jz) that were conducted at two locations in Israel. One is at the Emilio Segre cosmic ray station located on Mt. Hermon (34.45° N, 2020 m AMSL) in northern Israel near the Syrian-Lebanon border, and the other is at the Wise astronomical observatory in the Negev desert highland plateau of southern Israel (31.18° N, 870 m AMSL). We searched for possible effects of strong, short-term solar events on the potential gradient and the vertical current density, as disruptions to the global electric circuit are often observed following strong solar events. The first case study (St. Patrick’s Day, 17 March 2015) was classified as the strongest event of 2015. The second case study (8 September 2017) was categorized as the strongest event of 2017 and one of the twenty strongest events on record to date. The results show that the electrical parameters measured at ground level at both stations were not affected during the two massive proton events and the ensuing geomagnetic storms. The magnetospheric shielding in lower latitudes is strong enough to shield against the flux of energetic particles from solar events, obscuring any impact that may be noticeable above the local daily variations induced by local meteorological conditions (aerosol concentrations, clouds, high humidity, and wind speed), which were investigated as well.

Bunching behaviour in housed dairy cows at higher ambient temperatures

Bunching behavior in cattle may occur for several reasons including enabling social interactions, a response to stress or danger, or due to shared interest in resources such as feeding or watering areas. There is evidence in pasture grazed cattle that bunching may occur more frequently at higher ambient temperatures, possibly due to sharing of fly-load or to seek shade from the direct sun under heat stress conditions. Here we demonstrate how bunching behavior is associated with higher ambient temperatures in a barn-housed UK dairy herd. A real-time local positioning system was used, as part of a precision livestock farming (PLF) approach, to track the spatial position and activity of a commercial dairy herd (∼100 cows) in a freestall barn continuously at high temporal resolution for 4 mo between August and November 2014. Bunching was determined using 4 different spatial measures determined on an hourly basis: herd full and core range size, mean herd intercow distance (ICD), and mean herd nearest-neighbor distance (NND). For hourly mean ambient temperatures above 20°C, the herd showed higher bunching behavior with increasing ambient temperature (i.e., reduced full and core range size, ICD, and NND). Aggregated space-use intensity was found to positively correlate with localized variations in temperature across the barn (as measured by animal-mounted sensors), but the level of correlation decreased at higher ambient barn temperatures. Bunching behavior may increase localized temperatures experienced by individuals and hence may be a maladaptive behavioral response in housed dairy cattle, which are known to suffer heat stress at higher temperatures. Our study is the first to use high-resolution positional data to provide evidence of associations between bunching behavior and higher ambient temperatures for a barn-housed dairy herd in a temperate region (UK). Further studies are needed to explore the exact mechanisms for this response to inform both welfare and production management.

Combined cluster and discriminant analysis based on hydrochemical and isotopic evidence: A case study of the Yellow River Delta in China

Groundwater serves as an indispensable resource, fundamental for both sustaining life and underpinning various human endeavors. However, escalating demands, coupled with climate change, have given rise to significant water scarcity in numerous areas, including the Yellow River Delta (YRD) in China. This study aims to characterize the hydrochemical composition and stable isotopes (δ2H and δ18O) of groundwater in YRD and identify spatial clustering patterns using combined Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Discriminant Analysis (DA). Comprehensive analyses were conducted on the major ions (i.e., K+, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42-, and HCO3-), water quality indicators (i.e., pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and oxidation-reduction potential (ORP)) and isotopic composition of groundwater samples. Applying HCA on a collection of 38 water samples, the study delineated six distinct clusters, each bearing unique hydrochemical characteristics. DA was used to establish a discriminant model, achieving a classification accuracy of 80% for new groundwater samples. The study underscores that there are localized variations in the hydrochemical characteristics of groundwater in YRD, attributed to different geological conditions and anthropogenic influences. Such insights are instrumental in crafting effective strategies for water resource management, environmental conservation, and sustainable development in YRD and other analogous regions confronted with groundwater challenges.

The effect of water absorption distribution of recycled coarse aggregate on the compressive strength distribution of high-performance concrete

High water absorption is a typical characteristic of recycled coarse aggregate and is often used to explain the loss of performance of concrete when replacing natural coarse aggregate with recycled coarse aggregate. Extensive attention has been paid to the mean value of the water absorption of recycled coarse aggregate, but not to the standard deviation. This paper aims to assess whether recycled coarse aggregates with the same mean water absorption but different standard deviations will perform equally in high-performance concrete (HPC). The resulting HPC mixtures exhibited very similar compressive strength. Even so, it was hypothesised that as the standard deviation of the water absorption of recycled coarse aggregate increases over a wide range, the compressive strength of HPC will first increase due to local variations in the water/cement ratio, then decrease due to the presence of weak particles, and finally remain constant due to the role of the surrounding new mortar.

A no-reference underwater image quality evaluator via quality-aware features

In this paper, we propose a novel no-reference evaluator based on quality-aware features, called QA-UIQE, for underwater image quality assessment. QA-UIQE extracts and fuses a set of quality-aware features including naturalness, color, contrast, sharpness, and structure. Technically, we first present a new color-cast weighted colorfulness measurement as well as color consistency measurement to characterize color, and design a saliency-weighted contrast measurement to improve the distinguishing ability of measuring contrast. Also, the locally mean subtracted and contrast normalized, maximum local variation, and local entropy are incorporated to measure naturalness, sharpness and structure, respectively. Afterward, we integrate the feature vectors extracted from the training set into Gaussian process regression to predict the image quality. Moreover, we collect a real-world underwater image dataset for testing the generalization ability of our method. The experimental results illustrate that our QA-UIQE has a superior prediction accuracy and is highly consistent with human visual perception.

Satire and the Diffusion of Spa Culture in the Long Eighteenth Century

The eighteenth-century spa was an important heterotopic social space and functioned as a centre for the diffusion of the culture of sociability generally, as well as its own local variations and expressions. This took place both in the physical space of the spa, but also in the world of print through personal correspondence, a proliferating number of guidebooks, as well as a wide range of writing. These created a literary existence of the spa outside of its physical existence that contributed to the diffusion of spa culture and sociability from its centres into peripheral locations. In addition to guides, descriptions and journalistic reports, satires of the spa experience enjoyed considerable popularity. Perhaps the best known and studied of these is Astley's New Bath Guide, but less known works provided satirical commentary on the peculiar environment and practices of sociability in spaces located more on the periphery of the spa world. Through a close reading of two such works– Meine viertägigen Leiden im Bade zu Pyrmont [My Four-Day Sufferings in the Spa of Pyrmont] (first edition, 1809) by G.C. Sponagel, and Admonitory Epistles to Visitors to Ballston Spa, by Simeon Senex, Esquire (1808), a little known work from New York whose authorship remains disputed, but may have been written by Washington Irving – this article seeks to identify elements of commonality across different spa environments removed from what might be seen as the foundational tradition of Bath, as well as to seek out distinctive peculiarities that may be German in the case of Pyrmont, or colonial-peripheral in the case of Ballston Spa. It is hoped that in doing so, some insights might be drawn regarding the diffusion of spa culture.

Stochastic Simulations of Bed Topography Constrain Geothermal Heat Flow and Subglacial Drainage Near Dome Fuji, East Antarctica

AbstractTopographic variability beneath ice sheets regulates ice flow, basal melting, refreezing processes, and meltwater drainage. The preservation of old ice layers and basal ice stratigraphy is sensitive to these subglacial processes, and Dome Fuji, inland East Antarctica, is one of the few regions where 1.5‐Ma old ice can be preserved for investigating a major climatic change that occurred in the mid‐Pleistocene. We used stochastic simulation methods and radar data to generate an ensemble of simulated bed topography with the continuous and realistic roughness necessary to assess basal conditions. Ensemble analysis reveals the magnitude and spatial distribution of topographic uncertainty, facilitating uncertainty‐constrained assessments of subglacial drainage and topographic adjustments to geothermal heat flow (GHF). We find that topographic variability can lead to widespread local GHF variations of ±20% of the background value, which aggregate to raise the regional value and suggest previously underestimated distributions and rates of basal melting. We also find that survey profile spacing has an increasing influence on topographic uncertainty for rougher bed, deriving an empirical relationship that could guide future survey planning based on uncertainty tolerance.

Organizational Facilitation of Latino Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Impact of COVID-19.

Continued high opioid overdose death rates in the United States and increasing New York State (NYS) Latino opioid overdoses make the facilitation of Latino access to NYS substance use disorder (SUD) treatment essential. SUD treatment facilities in NYS sustained an estimated 37% decrease in Latino enrollment during phase one of the pandemic. This study invited NYS SUD service providers to describe ways in which SUD organizations facilitated Latino SUD treatment prior to and during phase one of the pandemic. Using an individual and community interaction framework of vulnerability and a description of organizational enabling resources in four domains, this study used a cross-sectional descriptive design to investigate the levels of organizational facilitators for Latino SUD treatment access and the impact of the pandemic on these organizational facilitators. A convenience sample of 470 NYS SUD clinicians participated in the study. The outcomes suggest an overall erosion of organizational enabling resources during the pandemic. Erosion was greatest in areas with a higher Latino population density in the domains of insured/immigration/legal information and culture. A pattern of strengthening resources in areas with lower Latino population density in the domains of language and telehealth access has defied the overall pattern of deterioration. The increase in telehealth did not cross the digital divide to stop the decrease in Latino enrollment and did not compensate for the overall erosion of access facilitators. The overall outcomes suggest opportunities to explore local variations in resource health. Recommendations to improve health equity include the use of participatory research to assess community needs and the implementation of community partnerships to address systemic barriers and rebuild equitable addiction services.

Satellite unravels recent changes in atmospheric nitrogen oxides emissions from global ocean shipping

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the lower marine atmosphere, mainly emitted by maritime shipping, plays a crucial role in air pollution formation and global human health. However, few measurements of marine atmospheric NO2 hinder knowledge of trace gas trends and atmospheric chemistry evolution due to shipping emissions. In this study, we use long-term satellite observations of tropospheric NO2 column from the European TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) and the Chinese Environmental trace gases Monitoring Instrument (EMI) to analyze marine atmospheric NO2 variations, especially during the global COVID-19 pandemic and escalating geopolitical crises. First, we demonstrate the detection of NO2 enhancements along shipping routes, including the North Atlantic route, the North Pacific route, and the Cape route, indicating significant emissions of atmospheric NO2 from on-ocean shipping. Second, we observe and quantify the response of marine atmospheric NO2 concentrations to major shipping events, such as the Suez Canal blockage, the Los Angeles-Long Beach port congestion, and the Russia-Ukraine war, resulting in local NO2 concentration variations of approximately 40% decrease to 70% increase. Long-term analysis reveals reduced NO2 concentrations in most coastal ports and maritime shipping routes during the COVID-19 lockdown, with reductions exceeding 50% or durations lasting up to 200 days. However, some rapidly developing ports, such as Beibu Gulf (China) and Dakar (Senegal), did not experience a decrease in NO2 concentrations, suggesting that local authorities need to pay more attention to these fast-growing yet underestimated emission sources. In addition, by excluding the impact of meteorology using statistical models, we find that the current Emission Control Area (ECA) policies have effectively reduced NO2 concentrations in Chinese coastal ports. These results contribute to understanding spatiotemporal characteristics of marine atmospheric NO2, including ports and open-sea shipping routes, and guide further ECA policies to control marine NO2 pollution.

An Intelligent Framework for Fault Diagnosis of Centrifugal Pump Leveraging Wavelet Coherence Analysis and Deep Learning.

This paper proposes an intelligent framework for the fault diagnosis of centrifugal pumps (CPs) based on wavelet coherence analysis (WCA) and deep learning (DL). The fault-related impulses in the CP vibration signal are often attenuated due to the background interference noises, thus affecting the sensitivity of the traditional statistical features towards faults. Furthermore, extracting health-sensitive information from the vibration signal needs human expertise and background knowledge. To extract CP health-sensitive features autonomously from the vibration signals, the proposed approach initially selects a healthy baseline signal. The wavelet coherence analysis is then computed between the healthy baseline signal and the signal obtained from a CP under different operating conditions, yielding coherograms. WCA is a signal processing technique that is used to measure the degree of linear correlation between two signals as a function of frequency. The coherograms carry information about the CP vulnerability towards the faults as the color intensity in the coherograms changes according to the change in CP health conditions. To utilize the changes in the coherograms due to the health conditions of the CP, they are provided to a Convolution Neural Network (CNN) and a Convolution Autoencoder (CAE) for the extraction of discriminant CP health-sensitive information autonomously. The CAE extracts global variations from the coherograms, and the CNN extracts local variations related to CP health. This information is combined into a single latent space vector. To identify the health conditions of the CP, the latent space vector is classified using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The proposed method identifies faults in the CP with higher accuracy as compared to already existing methods when it is tested on the vibration signals acquired from real-world industrial CPs.