Medium-sized Areas Research Articles

The influence of boreal summer intraseasonal oscillations on precipitation extremes and their characteristics in Southeast Asia

The regional characteristics of the boreal summer intraseasonal oscillations (BSISO) over southeast Asia are presented. The northeastward transition of the BSISO is characterised by 4 phases, such that convection is enhanced over the Philippines and Indochina in phase 1 and suppressed over Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Java. The opposite is true in phase 3. The role of BSISO in modulating extreme precipitation is highlighted, showcasing how its phases impact both the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events across the region. Using a method to detect and characterise precipitation features in terms of precipitating areas and their associated object properties, this study shows distinct shifts in precipitation regimes during different phases of the BSISO. Phase 1 exhibits increased large-scale convective activity, particularly affecting regions like the South China Sea and northern Philippines, linked to increased tropical storm frequency but reduced localised extreme precipitation events. In contrast, Phase 3, with active convection over Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo and Sumatra, shows intensified extreme precipitation from smaller to medium-sized areas. BSISO phases also modify the distribution of small and large precipitation objects over land, ocean, and coastal regions. This classification of precipitation regimes provides detailed insights into how the BSISO’s large-scale envelope modifies regional precipitation extremes through various precipitation properties. This information could benefit probabilistic predictions of regional extreme precipitation events at subseasonal time scales.

Based on historical weather data to predict summer field-scale maize yield: Assimilation of remote sensing data to WOFOST model by ensemble Kalman filter algorithm

Effective support for agricultural production-management strategies relies on the accurate monitoring of crop growth and grain yield estimation at the field scale, making it an urgent need for the development of precision agriculture. Crop models are capable of simulating the growth and development of crops. In addition, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) provides high temporal and spatial resolution for remote sensing, which can quickly and accurately obtain the crop growth status of small and medium-sized areas. This research utilized multispectral remote sensing information collected via UAV, alongside the WOFOST (World Food Studies) model, to evaluate the growth of summer maize within the experimental site. By utilizing vegetation indices derived from the UAV remote sensing data, the LAI (Leaf Area Index) of summer maize was ascertained, which further revealed a robust correlation between LAI and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index). The model parameters were calibrated using crop and soil data from the Irrigation Experiment Station of Northwest A&F University. Verification indices revealed good consistency with a normalized root mean square error (nRMSE) of around 25 %, indicating that the model was suitable for simulating summer maize growth in this region. The ensemble Kalman filter algorithm was utilized to assimilate the remote sensing observation data with the WOFOST model, and the results showed that assimilation improved the accuracy of the yield simulation for each treatment. The optimal assimilation frequency should be more than three times, and assimilation during the flowering and grain-filling stages of summer maize could obtain better yield simulation results. By assimilating remote sensing observation data with 33 years of historical meteorological data from the Yangling Meteorological Station using the ensemble Kalman filter algorithm, this study predicted the yield and obtained a relative error of less than 5 %. The predicted yield value obtained on September 6 was more accurate than the predicted yield obtained at other times.

Validation of the Qualitative Study Findings using Quantitative Analyses on the Current Status of Pharmacists in Home Health Care in Medium-Sized Areas

Although the issue of home medical care and pharmacists remains widespread, much of the discussion has concentrated on its state in urban areas. We believe that it is necessary to consider the state of home health care in medium-sized regions, that is separate from its urban form, with a population of approximately 100000. Thus, we conducted a qualitative study in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture, to identify factors that impede pharmacists involved in home medical care. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey in an area of the same size to verify the generality of the concepts obtained from the qualitative study and validate the concepts using quantitative analyses. Two questionnaires on the role of community health care and home health care practice based on the concepts obtained from the qualitative study was sent to 342 pharmacies located in five regions. The number of valid responses was 170, and the data collection rate was 49.4%. We identified nine factors from the former and five from the latter. The current status of pharmacists in home health care in a medium-sized region, as identified by the quantitative study, was similar to that of the conceptual picture obtained from the qualitative study. Furthermore, the high versatility of the extracted concepts was verified.

Morphogenetic features of the soil cover structure in the Pritazovsky Arctic (West Siberia)

The aim of the study. To give a morphogenetic characterization of the soil cover structure (SCS) of the Pritazovsky Arctic. Location and time of the study. Soi geography and soil genesis studies were carried out in 2009–2011 in the southern tundra zone of West Siberia on the left-bank part of the Taz River, in its lower reaches. Laboratory work, including analyses, was carried out in 2010–2016. Methods. A large-scale and detailed soil survey was conducted at two key sites with different landscapes. The developed soil maps were digitized in the QGIS package. The obtained digital data about the areas and perimeters of soil areas and soil combinations were converted into MS Excel, where their mathematical processing was done. When classifying soil combinations, the taxonomic system of V.M. Friedland was taken as a basis, as well as the quantitative indicators for the SCS morphogenetic analysis, the indicators also proposed by V.M. Friedland. Results. The basis of the soil cover of the Pritazovsky Arctic consists of Gleysols and Сryosols, which occupy 90,9% of the area. As for the largest areas of these soils, they vary slightly in area and outer perimeter length, having a simple geometric structure. All elementary soil areas (ESA) and soil combinations belong to small and medium-sized areas (<30 ha). More than 90% of the ESA have very small size (<5 ha). The smallest elementary soil areas are occupied by Folic-Сryosols of polygonal roller bogs. Most of the soil areas (83%) of the studied territory have a rounded or elongated shape with slightly curved borders and a short outer perimeter, which determines their monolithic and poorly articulated structure (the coefficient of dissection <2,5). The main differentiating factors of the soil cover are cryogenesis, gley processes, and detritogenesis. In general, the Pritazovsky Arctic soil cover is characterized as monotonously heterogeneous for territories with broken relief and homogeneously monotonous for territories with flat relief. Conclusions. The soil cover of the Pritazovsky Arctic territories with a broken relief is more classificationally contrasting and less geometrically complex compared with the soil cover of the territories with a flat relief. The latter has a very complex geometric structure due to the large number of very small ESA. A mosaic of small soil areas, i.e. the large number of ESA and soil combinations per unit area, strongly distinguishes the tundra soil cover from the soil cover of other bioclimatic zones of West Siberia.

Long term of sea surface temperature prediction for Indonesia seas using multi time-series satellite data for upwelling dynamics projection

Global warming, which impacts global temperatures, has led to an increase in sea surface temperature (SST). This rise significantly affects marine ecological systems, especially in Indonesia. As a result, long-term forecasting of SST dynamics is essential for shaping various policies. However, most studies on SST forecasting have focused on short-term predictions in local or medium-sized areas and often overlook the dynamic upwelling that influences SST. In this paper, we propose a five-year SST prediction for the Indonesian seas, incorporating multi-time-series satellite data to project upwelling dynamics. We utilized two deep learning time series models to construct a predictive model that estimates monthly SST values. This model employs extensive multiple satellite data, encompassing 14,934 points (including SST with a resolution of 0.090, wind, ENSO, heat flux, and solar radiation) from 2003 to 2021. To enrich the training data and mitigate overfitting, we applied data augmentation for time series. Experimental results reveal that all satellite datasets correlate with SST over five years. The 1D-Convolution Neural Network outperformed the Long-Short Term Memory model, exhibiting the lowest mean absolute error of 0.39 °C compared to 0.45 °C. Our model detected a consistent upwelling dynamic over a five-year pattern in the Indonesian seas. These findings suggest that our proposed model offers accurate and efficient long-term monthly SST predictions, crucial for upwelling projections.

Multi Objective Salp Swarm based Energy Efficient Routing Protocol for Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Routing is a persistent concern in wireless sensor networks (WSNs), as getting data from sources to destinations can be a tricky task. Challenges include safeguarding the data being transferred, ensuring network longevity, and preserving energy in harsh environmental conditions. Consequently, this study delves into the suitability of using multi-objective swarm optimization to route heterogeneous WSNs in the hope of mitigating these issues while boosting the speed and accuracy of data transmission. In order to achieve better performance in terms of load balancing and reducing energy expenditure, the MOSSA-BA algorithm was developed. This algorithm combines the Multi-Objective Salp Swarm Algorithm (MOSSA) with the exploiting strategy of the artificial bee colony (BA) in the neighbourhood of Salps. Inspired by the SEP and EDEEC protocols, the integrated solutions of MOSSA-BA were used to route two and three levels of heterogeneous networks. The embedded solutions provided outstanding performance in regards to FND, HND, LND, percentage of remaining energy, and the number of packages delivered to the base station. Compared to SEP, EDEEC, and other competitors based on MOSSA and a modified multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO), the MOSSA-BA-based protocols demonstrated energy-saving percentages of more than 34% in medium-sized areas of interest and over 22% in large-sized areas of detection.

Estimation of Time-Series Forest Leaf Area Index (LAI) Based on Sentinel-2 and MODIS

The LAI is a key parameter used to describe the exchange of material and energy between soil, vegetation and the atmosphere. It has become an important driving datum in the study of carbon and water cycle mechanism models at many regional scales. In order to obtain high temporal resolution and high spatial resolution LAI products, this study proposed a method to combine the high temporal resolution of MODIS LAI products with the high spatial resolution of Sentinel-2 data. The method first used the LACC algorithm to smooth the LAI time-series data and extracted the normalized growth curve of the MODIS LAI of forest and used this curve to simulate the annual variation of the LAI. Secondly, it estimated the LAI at the period of full leaf spread based on the traditional remote sensing statistical model and Sentinel-2 remote sensing data as the maximum value of the forest LAI in the study area and used it to control the LAI growth curve. Finally, the time-series LAI data set was created by multiplying the maximum LAI by the normalized forest LAI growth curve. The results indicate that: (1) the remote sensing statistical estimation model of LAI was developed using the atmospherically resistant vegetation index ARVI (R2 = 0.494); (2) the MODIS LAI normalized growth curve keeps a good level of agreement with the actual variation. This study provides a simple and efficient method for obtaining effective time-series forest LAI data for the scope of small- and medium-sized areas.

Comparison of the application methods and effects of skin flaps in the repair of defects in different parts of the nose according to the concept of aesthetic nosesubunits

Objective: To analyze the difference of application methods and effects of local flap in small and medium-sized defects of different aesthetic subunits of nose, in order to provide reference for clinical work. Methods: A retrospective analysis was made on 59 patients with external nasal masses and scars who underwent surgical treatment in the Department of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery of the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University from July 1, 2021 to January 30, 2022, including 27 females and 32 males, aged 15 to 69 years. Using Likert scale, the repair methods and effects of local flap for nasal soft tissue defects were evaluated and summarized from three aspects of texture, flatness and scar concealment. GraphPad Prism 5.0 software was used for data statistics and analysis. Results: The use of skin flaps to repair small and medium-sized areas of the nose could achieve satisfactory results. For patients with different subunits, in terms of skin flatness and scar concealment degree in the operation area, patients' satisfaction with the dorsal and lateral nasal areas was higher than that of the alar and tip areas, respectively (F=6.40, P=0.001; F=10.57, P<0.001). For patients with different skin flap repair methods, the satisfaction of patients with Z-plasty and Dufourmentel skin flap was higher than that of other skin flap repair methods (F=4.38, P=0.002), and the satisfaction of patients with Dufourmentel skin flap was the highest in the degree of scar concealment (F=2.57, P=0.038). Conclusions: In the small and medium-sized defects of the nose, the use of multiple local flaps can achieve good cosmetic effects and functional recovery. The operator should select the appropriate flap repair method according to the characteristics of different aesthetic subunits of the nose.

Direct One-Step Seedless Hydrothermal Growth of ZnO Nanostructures on Zinc: Primary Study for Photocatalytic Roof Development for Rainwater Purification

To shift towards the greener city, photocatalytic urban infrastructures have emerged as a promising solution for pollution remediation. To reach this goal, the large bandgap semiconductors, such as nontoxic Zinc Oxide (ZnO), already proved their excellent photocatalytic performances. However, integrating and developing cost-effective and greener photocatalytic surfaces with an easily scaled-up synthesis method and without energy and chemical product overconsumption is still challenging. Therefore, this work proposes to develop a depolluting Zinc (Zn) roof covered by ZnO nanostructures (NSs) using a one-step seedless hydrothermal growth method in 2 h. The feasibility of this synthesis was firstly studied on small areas of Zn (1.25 cm2) before being scaled up to medium-sized areas (25 cm2). The efficiency of this functionalization route for ZnO NSs grown without seed layer was attributed to the presence of Zn2+ sites and the native oxide film on the Zn surface. Their photocatalytic efficiency was demonstrated by removing in less than 3 h the Methylene Blue (MB) and Acid Red 14 (AR14) in both DI water and rainwater under UV-light. Promising results were also recorded under solar light. Therefore, the photocatalytic Zn roof functionalized by ZnO NSs is a promising route for rainwater purification by photocatalysis.

RECOLTAREA MECANIZATĂ A INFLORESCENȚELOR UNOR SPECII DE PLANTE MEDICINALE ȘI AROMATICE CULTIVATE LA SCARĂ REDUSĂ

The quality of plant material obtained from cultivated medicinal and aromatic plants depends on several important factors, including harvesting, which must be carried out according to the requirements of each cultivation technology. Current producers, especially those who grow these species on small and medium-sized areas, face the high price of labour or its acute shortage, as well as limited access to specialized equipment. The paper provides a brief summary of current concerns about mechanised harvesting of inflorescences of medicinal species cultivated on a small-scale, with mechanisation generally being a guarantee of economic efficiency and quality.

Female Pattern Hair Loss: Why the Follicular Unit Transplantation Surgical Technique Remains a Good Option.

Female pattern hair loss is a common nonscarring alopecia that can present with several patterns of decreased hair density. The condition is very bothersome to affected women, and although there are multiple nonsurgical options, surgical follicular unit transplantation remains one of the most effective options. A retrospective chart review was performed of the senior author's (C.O.U.) experience and technique of follicular unit transplantation for treatment of female pattern hair loss. A total of 751 patients with female pattern hair loss underwent follicular unit transplantation over the past 31 years. Average patient age was 48 years. Patients with small areas of hair loss made up 40 percent of the group (Ludwig stage I), those with medium-sized areas constituted 45 percent (Ludwig stage II), and those with large areas constituted 15 percent (Ludwig stage III). The average operative time was 3 hours 21 minutes. One hundred thirty-five patients (18 percent) underwent a second replacement, at an average period of 4 years after the procedure, because of the progressive nature of female pattern hair loss. Complications included donor-site scar widening in six patients and folliculitis in 17 patients. Follicular unit transplantation is an excellent option for treatment of female pattern hair loss patients, as there is no need to shave the recipient sites, operative times are shorter than for follicular unit excision techniques, and the incidence of complications is very low. Therapeutic, IV.

Development of the Korean Community Health Determinants Index (K-CHDI).

This study developed and validated a Korean community health determinants index (K-CHDI), which can be used to assess the health status of the community. To develop composite indicators, we followed the guidelines of the Joint Research Centre of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. We reviewed previous studies and formed a theoretical framework to systematize our domains and indicators, which were decided through a Delphi survey of healthcare experts. Data on indicators were obtained from the Korean Statistics and Community Health Survey. We applied the Min-Max normalization method and measured weights by the analytic hierarchy process. Health outcomes were estimated using mortality, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life years by standardizing sex and age. The value of the index is between 0 and 1; higher values indicate more positive health determinants. K-CHDI for 250 subnational regions (cities, counties, and districts, or Si·Gun·Gu) were correlated with health outcomes. The correlation coefficient was stronger in large cities than in medium-sized areas and small areas, and the higher the K-CHDI group, the higher the coefficient. The K-CHDI represents a reference standard for estimating health status using health determinants as composite indicators at the subnational level.

Spatial Pattern Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Green Use Efficiency of Urban Construction Land in Jilin Province

How to explore the allocation and green utilization level of urban construction land resources has an important role in the sustainable development of the city. Taking 47 counties and cities in Jilin Province as an example, this paper evaluates the green utilization efficiency of urban construction land (GUEUCL) in 2011 and 2015 by using the unexpected output super-SBM model and explores the spatial-temporal differentiation characteristics and influencing factors of GUEUCL by using GIS and machine learning methods. The results show that (1) the GUEUCL in Jilin Province is low, mainly distributed in small- and medium-sized areas, with significant positive spatial correlation. The L-L concentration area is mainly distributed in the eastern region, but the degree of spatial concentration is small, the spatial structure characteristics of the two periods are different, and the spatial heterogeneity is large; (2) the internal factor decomposition shows the impact of pure technical efficiency on the comprehensive efficiency and the restriction ability is stronger than the scale efficiency, that is to say, the factors such as management and technology have a greater impact on the comprehensive efficiency; (3) the relative importance of external factors has always been ranked as socioeconomic factors, urban development factors, and natural science and technology factors. This paper focuses on the temporal and spatial characteristics of each county and city and the influencing factors, which provides a certain value reference for the pilot of ecological construction and the development of ecoenvironmental benefit economic system in Jilin Province.

Mapping quality prediction for RTK/PPK-equipped micro-drones operating in complex natural environment

Drone mapping with GNSS-assisted photogrammetry is a highly efficient method for surveying small- or medium-sized areas. However, the mapping quality is not intuitively predictable, particularly in complex environments (with steep and cluttered terrain), in which the quality of the real-time kinematic (RTK) or post-processed kinematic (PPK) positioning varies. We present a method to predict the mapping quality from the information that is available prior to the flight, such as the flight plan, expected flight time, approximate digital terrain model, prevailing surface texture, and embedded sensor characteristics. After detailing the important considerations, we also present the concept of global precision within the context of minimal and efficient ground control point placement in a complex terrain. Finally, we validate the proposed methodology by means of rigorous statistical testing against numerous experiments conducted under different mapping conditions.

An Empirical Study of Low-income Housing Policy in Small and Medium-sized Areas

An Empirical Study of Low-income Housing Policy in Small and Medium-sized Areas

Comparing sUAS Photogrammetrically-Derived Point Clouds with GNSS Measurements and Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Topographic Mapping

Interest in small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for topographic mapping has significantly grown in recent years, driven in part by technological advancements that have made it possible to survey small- to medium-sized areas quickly and at low cost using sUAS aerial photography and digital photogrammetry. Although this approach can produce dense point clouds of topographic measurements, they have not been tested extensively to provide insights on accuracy levels for topographic mapping. This case study examines the accuracy of a sUAS-derived point cloud of a parking lot located at the Citizens Bank Arena (CBA) in Ontario, California, by comparing it to ground control points (GCPs) measured using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) data corrected with real-time kinematic (RTK) and to data from a terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) survey. We intentionally chose a flat surface due to the prevalence of flat scenes in sUAS mapping and the challenges they pose for accurately deriving vertical measurements. When the GNSS-RTK survey was compared to the sUAS point cloud, the residuals were found to be on average 18 mm and −20 mm for the horizontal and vertical components. Furthermore, when the sUAS point cloud was compared to the TLS point cloud, the average difference observed in the vertical component was 2 mm with a standard deviation of 31 mm. These results indicate that sUAS imagery can produce point clouds comparable to traditional topographic mapping methods and support other studies showing that sUAS photogrammetry provides a cost-effective, safe, efficient, and accurate solution for topographic mapping.

Knowledge of farmers of Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu on organic farming in paddy

The present study was conducted in Orathanad block of Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu covering 90 farmers cultivating paddy. Data on the profile characteristics of farmers and their knowledge on organic farming practices in paddy were gathered and analyzed. Majority of the respondents (86.67%) were above 45 years of age; one-third (33.33%) of them were educated up to high school, majority (73.33%) had been doing farming alone and 60.00 per cent had high experience in farming of more than 20 years. They had mainly (40.00%) small size farms (2.51–5.00 acre); 42.22 per cent grew paddy on medium size area (2.51–5.00 acre). Main source of irrigation for majority of them (84.44%) was canal water. Two-third of the farmers (66.67%) possessed cows. They (46.67%) had mainly low social participation. Their mass media exposure and contact with extension agencies were also medium (61.11 and 65.56% respectively). Majority of them had medium level of risk orientation and innovativeness (77.78 and 57.78% respectively). Of the total respondents only 42.22 per cent showed their willingness to do organic farming whereas 57.78 were unwilling. Five variables viz source of irrigation, social participation, risk orientation, innovativeness and willingness to do organic farming showed positive and significant relationship with the knowledge of organic farming practices in paddy.

Does the Role of Student Factors with Adolescent Substance Use Vary by Geography?

This study assesses the association of 12th-grade student factors (e.g., grades, classroom misbehaviors) with substance use (i.e., binge drinking, cigarette smoking, marijuana) across large, medium-sized, and nonmetropolitan areas. Based on a sample of 2,189 students from the 2013 Monitoring the Future data set, logistic regression analyses showed that poor student academic and behavioral factors were associated with higher substance use after controlling for gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Interaction analyses further showed no significant differences in the influence of student factors on substance use across locales. Results suggest that prevention efforts against substance use should target student factors regardless of area of residency.

Sweden: coronary and structural heart interventions from 2010 to 2015.

Sparsely populated and with wide non-urbanised areas, Sweden faces specific challenges in providing publicly financed, high-quality and equal healthcare to all parts of the country. As a result, a decentralised organisation for acute coronary care has been developed with coronary care units and catheterisation laboratories in several small- and medium-sized city areas. In contrast, highly specialised non-emergent interventional procedures are centralised to a few high-volume centres, mainly located at university hospitals in large city areas. Nationwide quality registries with nearly complete coverage facilitate healthcare quality improvement and form a basis for clinical research. In this report, we present an overview of demographics, healthcare organisation, quality registries and procedural data for coronary and structural heart interventions in Sweden over the past six years.

Field study of thermal comfort and occupant satisfaction in Canadian condominiums

ABSTRACTIn Canada and much of the world, high-rise residential buildings with large glazing areas are increasing in popularity. These buildings are associated with lower thermal resistance envelopes and higher solar gains than more traditional construction with smaller windows. This study explores the comfort implications and usability in condominiums by performing a field study of 20 units: 10 with large window areas (LW) and 10 with medium-sized window areas. Occupant comfort was assessed in summer and winter, through two open-ended surveys, infrared thermography, and recorded interior temperature and humidity. LW occupants more often report uneven interior temperature distributions and windows as a source of discomfort in winter. One quarter of condo units experience condensation on windows, indicating window and frame improvements may benefit both groups. This exploratory study identifies key issues and occupant preferences within condominiums to guide future research on this building type.