Non-central Regions Research Articles

Monitoring of damage evolution in carbon fiber reinforced polymer composites by electrical impedance tomography

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has been widely investigated as a nondestructive testing method for carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. However, the performance of EIT method on the damage process monitoring of the composites is lack of investigation. Herein, quasi-static indentation tests were utilized to introduce damage on CFRP laminates. The damage evolution process was monitored by EIT, while the potential of distinguishing the elastic deformation stage from the plastic stage was analyzed with the aid of acoustic emission. It was found that the changes in conductivity first appeared in the non-central region. With the accumulation of damage, the conductivity changes gradually extended to the center region. The reconstructed damage images were in the crossover shape, which was consist with the micro-CT results that showed the fracture of fibers in ±45° direction. This work further promotes the application of EIT in damage process monitoring of CFRP components.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of surgical resection and ablation for the treatment of early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective cohort study.

The optimal treatment strategy for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains controversial, specifically in regard to surgical resection (SR) and ablation. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of SR and ablation on recurrence and prognosis in early-stage HCC patients, to optimize treatment strategies and improve long-term survival. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 801 patients diagnosed with Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage 0/A HCC and treated with SR or ablation between January 2015 and December 2019. The effectiveness and complications of both treatments were analyzed, and patients were followed up to measure recurrence and survival. Propensity score matching (PSM) was employed to increase comparability between the two groups. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze recurrence and survival, and a Cox risk proportional hazard model was used to identify risk factors that affect recurrence and surviva. Before PSM, the overall survival (OS) rates were similar in both groups, with recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates better in the SR group than in the ablation group. After PSM, there was no significant difference in OS between the two groups. However, the RFS rates were significantly better in the SR group than in the ablation group. The ablation group exhibited superior outcomes compared to the SR group, with shorter treatment times, reduced bleeding, shorter hospital stays, and lower hospital costs. Concerning the location of the HCC within the liver, comparable efficacy was observed between SR and ablation for disease located in the noncentral region or left lobe. However, for HCCs located in the central region or right lobe of the liver, SR was more effective than ablation. This study revealed no significant difference in OS between SR and ablation for early-stage HCC, with SR providing better RFS and ablation demonstrating better safety profiles and lower hospital costs. These findings offer valuable insights for clinicians in determining optimal treatment strategies for early-stage HCC patients, particularly in terms of balancing efficacy, safety, and cost considerations.

Ultra-wideband and wide-angle RCS reduction of a concave structure based on a chessboard polarization conversion metasurfaces

In this paper, ultra-wideband and wide-angle radar cross section (RCS) reduction of a concave structure is designed and realized based on a chessboard polarization conversion metasurface (CPCM), employing an ultra-wideband polarization conversion metasurface (PCM) composed of a single layer of square split-ring resonators. The concave structure, which is equivalent to an octagonal-like prism, is divided into eight regions. To achieve perfect phase cancellation in the non-central region, it can be equivalent to oblique incidence when the central region is under normal incidence, and phase compensation of the unit cell of metasurfaces in the non-central region is considered. The simulated results demonstrate that the RCS reduction of the proposed concave structure is less than −10 dB in the frequency ranges of 8.8 GHz to 35.75 GHz with fractional bandwidths of 120.99% and exceeds −30 dB at numerous resonant frequencies such as 9.52 GHz, 13.89 GHz, 23.45 GHz, and 35.2 GHz under normal incidence. The experimental results are in good agreement with the simulations. Furthermore, the RCS reduction characteristics of the proposed concave structure at different azimuth angles are also evaluated. Numerical calculations and experiments show that the wide-angle RCS reduction from 0° to 34° is achieved. To the best of the information we have, this is the first time that the chessboard metasurfaces, which consist of several polarizing reflectors, have been employed to obtain broadband and wide-angle RCS reduction for the concave structure. This technique validates the novelty and effectiveness of wide-angle and ultra-wideband RCS reduction of the concave structure.

Examining the impact of urban-rural spatial structure on mobility networks: A case study of taxis

Urban livability and sustainability require a deeper understanding of the impact of urban spatial structure on human mobility. Here two mobility networks generated from two taxi data from two cities (Chengdu and New York City) are used to explore human intra-urban mobility. Through the network analysis, we found that many measures of two mobility networks present a two-segment feature. Combined with the map and population distribution, we demonstrate that the two segments correspond to the central and non-central regions of the city, respectively, which means hierarchical mobility related to urban-rural structure exists in both cities, although they have different levels of urbanization. We comprehensively analyze the impact of urban-rural spatial structure on the nature of mobility networks. The central and non-central regions differ significantly in the heterogeneity of human mobility and present different ranges and directions of trips, like the large degree nodes, showing a flared entry and exit pattern. We improved a gravity model by introducing flows to and from the node instead of population to predict the traffic between different nodes, and the prediction results also vary significantly between the two regions. These findings are valuable for understanding the relationship between urban-rural spatial structure and human mobility.

Regional experience in organizing the protection of minors from a destructive information environment (by the example of non-central regions)

Achievements in the field of new technologies, on which the formation of the modern information society is based, have led to the rapid development of the global computer network Internet. The Internet as a means of social communication has both a positive impact on the world community and has negative consequences. The relevance of protecting minors from destructive information is quite high, since in the modern world, where technology has taken a leading position in human life, including children. Researchers believe that a comprehensive solution to the problem of ensuring the information security of minors is impossible without coordinated actions of federal and regional authorities. The following regions were selected for the study: the Republic of Buryatia, Irkutsk Region, Khanty-Mansiysk District, Yamalo-Nenets District. This was not done by chance, since these regions have their own specifics: the first and main ones are located geographically far from the center of Russia, from the capital Moscow. They have their own special climatic and economic features. In terms of their territorial size, these regions are many times larger than the average regions in the central part of Russia. This specificity determines the relevance of the study of these regions. The study analyzes the legislative framework of the regions regulating the protection of minors from negative information, as well as law enforcement practice.

Explicit upper bounds for the Stirling numbers of the first kind

We give explicit upper bounds for the Stirling numbers of the first kind s(n,m) which are asymptotically sharp. The form of such bounds varies according to m lying in the central or non-central regions of {1,…,n}. In each case, we use a different probabilistic representation of s(n,m) in terms of well known random variables to show the corresponding upper bounds. Some applications concerning the Riemann zeta function and a certain subset of the Comtet numbers of the first kind are also provided.

Explicit estimates for Comtet numbers of the first kind

We give explicit upper and lower bounds for a large subset of Comtet numbers sα(n,m) of the first kind, including the r-Stirling numbers of the first kind, among others. In many occasions, such estimates are asymptotically sharp. The form of the bounds varies according to m lying in the central or non-central regions of {1,…,n}. Depending on this fact, we use different probabilistic representations of sα(n,m) in terms of well known random variables.

The effect of transverse ocular magnification adjustment on macular thickness profile in different refractive errors in community-based adults.

PurposeChanges in retinal thickness are common in various ocular diseases. Transverse magnification due to differing ocular biometrics, in particular axial length, affects measurement of retinal thickness in different regions. This study evaluated the effect of axial length and refractive error on measured macular thickness in two community-based cohorts of healthy young adults.MethodsA total of 2160 eyes of 1247 community-based participants (18–30 years; 23.4% myopes, mean axial length = 23.6mm) were included in this analysis. Macular thickness measurements were obtained using a spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (which assumes an axial length of 24.385mm). Using a custom program, retinal thickness data were extracted at the 9 Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) regions with and without correction for transverse magnificent effects, with the corrected measurements adjusting according to the participant’s axial length. Linear mixed models were used to analyse the effect of correction and its interaction with axial length or refractive group on retinal thickness.ResultsThe raw measures (uncorrected for axial length) underestimated the true retinal thickness at the central macula, while overestimating at most non-central macular regions. There was an axial length by correction interaction effect in all but the nasal regions (all p<0.05). For each 1mm increase in axial length, the central macular thickness is overestimated by 2.7–2.9μm while thicknesses at other regions were underestimated by 0.2–4.1μm. Based on the raw thickness measurements, myopes have thinner retinas than non-myopes at most non-central macular. However, this difference was no longer significant when the corrected data was used.ConclusionIn a community-based sample, the raw measurements underestimate the retinal thickness at the central macula and overestimate the retinal thickness at non-central regions of the ETDRS grid. The effect of axial length and refractive error on retinal thickness is reduced after correcting for transverse magnification effects resulting from axial length differences.

Land price polarization and dispersion in Tokyo: a spatial model approach

Intensifying spatial inequality in housing markets is of great concern for urban planners and policymakers. This study employed a year-on-year analysis using universal kriging to fit the official land price data in Tokyo over the period 1997–2021. By comparing estimated regression coefficients with the estimated spatial variogram parameters, we found evidence of rising spatial polarization and dispersion in land prices of Tokyo. This was confirmed via price differences between western and central Tokyo that are becoming larger with each passing year. The determinants of the land price have different impacts on prices in western and central Tokyo. As for the variogram parameter, the nugget effects of the residuals in spatial models are increasing for the non-central region and decreasing in central Tokyo, which indicates that the degree of spatial dispersion is increasing.

Музыкальное образование в регионах: кризис целей

To decentralize the music education in Russia, it is necessary to find a way to expand the job market by creating new jobs in non-central regions, which can be achieved by developing the cultural infrastructure. In many regions of Russia, young musicians do not have the possibility to do the full cycle of music education; as a result, they are constrained to leave their hometowns and study in large cultural centers, then find a job there. This process leads to cultural impoverishment in minor towns of Russia, which reduces the motivation to pursue a professional training in music arts. This situation reflects general tendencies in the development of education in times of crisis: the goals are unclear, and the potential demand for many professions may decrease in the future. A measure that could help prevent the crisis would be developing education in humanities to increase the quality of life for the entire society and grow human capital.

Radiation Oncologists' Approach to Internal Mammary Lymph Node Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer: The Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology Breast Cancer Study Group (TROD 06-005 Survey Study).

BackgroundThis study aimed to examine the practice patterns of radiation oncologists in Turkey regarding radiotherapy to the regional lymph nodes, including internal mammary lymph nodes (IMNs), and identify the factors influencing their clinical decisions in breast cancer patients.MethodsA nationwide, 19-point questionnaire was sent to the physician members of the Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology (TROD).ResultsIn total, 165 radiation oncologists completed the survey, corresponding to a 27% response rate. Regional radiotherapy was used in 64.2% of the patients with 1–3 axillary lymphatic involvement and unfavorable prognostic factors. In contrast, 61.2% of the respondents indicated that IMN should be included in the target volume for regional radiotherapy when the patient had one positive node after axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) in the inner quadrant and central region tumors. However, 71.5% of the respondents chose to include the IMN in the non-inner quadrant and non-central region tumors for patients with four or more positive nodes after ALND. The decision to offer internal mammary lymph node radiotherapy (IMNRT) varied widely and significantly among respondents, years in practice, and the rates of dedicating their clinical time to patients with breast cancer.ConclusionThe results of this survey revealed significant national variation in attitudes regarding the treatment of IMN. Thus, this study may also help document the impact of future studies on clinical practice.

Immune recovery after antiretroviral therapy initiation: a challenge for people living with HIV in Brazil.

Immune recovery reflects health conditions. Our goal was to estimate the time it takes to achieve immune recovery and its associated factors, in people living with HIV (PLHIV), after antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. A historical cohort study was performed among PLHIV (> 18 years-old) in Minas Gerais State, Brazil, using data from healthcare databases. Patients initiating ART between 2009-2018, with T-CD4+ lymphocytes and viral load recorded before and after antiretroviral therapy were included. The outcome is achievement of immune recovery, defined as the first T-CD4+ > 500 cells/µL after ART initiation. Explanatory variables were age, gender, place of residence, year of ART initiation, baseline viral load and T-CD4+, viral load status, and adherence to ART at follow-up. Descriptive analysis, cumulative, and person-time incidences of immune recovery were estimated. Median-time to immune recovery was estimated using Kaplan-Meier method. Factors associated with immune recovery were assessed by Cox regression. Among 26,430 PLHIV, 8,014 (30%) were eligible. Most were male (67%), mean age 38.7 years, resided in non-central region, median-baseline T-CD4+ = 228 cells/µL (< 200 cells/µL = 43%) and viral load median-baseline = 4.7 log10 copies/mL (detectable viral load = 99%). Follow-up time = 15,872 person-years. Cumulative and incidence rate were 58% (95%CI: 57-58) (n = 4,678) and 29.47 cases/100 person-years, respectively. Median-time to immune recovery was of 22.8 months (95%CI: 21.9-24.0). Women living with HIV, younger than 38 years of age, with T-CD4+ baseline > 200 cells/µL, detectable viral load (baseline), antiretroviral therapy-adherence and undetectable viral load (follow-up) were independently associated with immune recovery. Time to immune recovery remains long and depends on early treatment and antiretroviral therapy-adherence.

Cultural Dialogue Between Japan and Socialist Eurasia in 1960s–1970s: Visits of Novelists Yasushi Inoue and Ryotaro Shiba to the USSR and Mongolia

This article explores a narrow aspect of cultural dialogue between Japan and socialist Eurasia (the Central Asian and Siberian regions of the USSR and Mongolian People’s Republic) during Cold War in the 1960s and 1970s, using essays by Japanese writers Yasushi Inoue and Ryotaro Shiba, who visited Soviet Central Asia and the Far East and socialist Mongolia in 1965–1973; trips by Japanese writers; and the image of socialist Eurasia in Japanese public opinion. The sources for the analysis are The Tale of the Western Region by Yasushi Inoue (Seiiki Monogatari, 1968, trans. in English in 1971 as Journey beyond Samarkand and Mongolian Travel Notes by Ryotaro Shiba (Mongoru kiko:, 1974). Yasushi Inoue made two trips to Soviet Central Asia in 1965 and 1968, and Ryotaro Shiba went to Mongolian People’s Republic through the Soviet Far East (Khabarovsk and Irkutsk) in 1973. Researched texts serve as a platform for the author’s dialogue with a wide readership in Japan that helped shape the public image of the Soviet Union in non-central regions. The popularity of Inoue’s and Shiba’s image of socialist Eurasia is confirmed by the fact that Shiba’s travel notes were reprinted for several times by different publishers in Japan, although it was first published in the newspaper Asahi Shimbun in 1973–1974; a novel by Yasushi Inoue also was reprinted in several editions and served as inspiration for the modern writer Ryo Kuroki, who dedicated his novel Runway on the Great Silk Road about Japanese-Kyrgyz relations in the early 2000s.

Regional entrepreneurial ecosystems in Chile: comparative lessons

PurposeThis paper aims to deal with different experts’ perceptions of entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) from central to non-central regions to evaluate if there was any evolution (or involution), comparing the results with those of a previous similar study on Chile from 2013, and it follows to replicate and improve our knowledge of the entrepreneurial opportunities.Design/methodology/approachOne of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor surveys, the National Experts’ Survey, was applied to a sample ofN= 1,555 key informants in Chile at 11 regions. The author used non-parametric statistics to compare the differences between centrally and non-centrally located experts.FindingsThe results indicate an evolution of the Chilean entrepreneurial ecosystem in an effort to homologate the entrepreneurial opportunities at non-central regions since the last study published in 2013. The financial support and physical infrastructure conditions were perceived to be more favorable in central regions, whereas the general government policies and entrepreneurial education at primary and secondary levels were perceived to be more favorable in non-central regions.Originality/valueThis research aims to contribute to filling the gap from the regional EEs’ perspective in emerging economies by comparing the results of the study on Chile with data from the previous government (2007–2009) providing an updated study of it (2015–2018) using the entrepreneurial framework conditions. It is relevant because the government established the “StartUp Chile” program that positioned the country as an innovation hub in Latin America since 2010.

Availability of Hospital Resources and Specialty Services for Stroke Care in North Carolina.

Effective regionalization of acute stroke care requires assessment and coordination of limited hospital resources. We described the availability of stroke-specific hospital resources (neurology specialty physicians and neuro-intensive care unit [neuro-ICU] bed capacity) for North Carolina overall and by region and population density. We also assessed daily trends in hospital bed availability. This statewide descriptive study was conducted with data from the State Medical Asset Resource Tracking Tool (SMARTT), a Web-based system used by North Carolina to track available medical resources within the state. The SMARTT system was queried for stroke-specific physician and bed resources at each North Carolina hospital during a 1-year period (June 2015-May 2016), including daily availability of neuro-ICU beds. We compared hospital resources by geographic region and population density (metropolitan, urban, and rural). Data from 108 acute care hospitals located in 75 of 100 counties in North Carolina were included in the analysis. Fifty-seven percent of hospitals had no neurology specialty physicians. Western and eastern North Carolina had the lowest prevalence of these physicians. Most hospitals (88%) had general ICUs, whereas only 17 hospitals (16%) had neuro-ICUs. Neuro-ICUs were concentrated in metropolitan areas and in central North Carolina. On average, there were 276 general ICU and 27 neuro-ICU beds available statewide each day. Daily neuro-ICU bed availability was lowest in eastern and southeastern regions and during the week compared with weekends. In North Carolina, stroke-specific hospital subspecialists and resources are not distributed evenly across the state. Daily bed availability, particularly in neuro-ICUs, is lacking in rural areas and noncentral regions and appears to decrease on weekdays. Regionalization of stroke care needs to consider the geographic distribution and daily variability of hospital resources.

Multivariate asymptotic analysis of set partitions: Focus on blocks of fixed size

Using the Saddle point method and multiseries expansions, we obtain from the exponential formula and Cauchy's integral formula, asymptotic results for the number $T(n,m,k)$ of partitions of $n$ labeled objects with $m$ blocks of fixed size $k$. We analyze the central and non-central region. In the region $m=n/k-n^\al,\quad 1>\al>1/2$, we analyze the dependence of $T(n,m,k)$ on $\al$. This paper fits within the framework of Analytic Combinatorics.

Critical issues of human resource planning, performance evaluation and long-term development on the central region and non-central areas

In human resource management practices of various nations, companies have to adapt to the local specifics. This claim is strongly supported by the results of the international Central and Eastern European International Research Team research. Based on the instances of research conducted in various countries, we can clearly see that only the ‘best practice’ is not enough when used exclusively, and a ‘best fit’ perspective has to support it, which optimizes the usage of resources to the local economical–social environment. Our notes revealed that non-central areas have many more employees per human resource (HR) specialist, which may result in excess tasks. In the case of companies from Central Hungary (Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics 2 region), one HR professional usually deals with 55 employees, while in non-central regions, this number may reach up to 112 workers. This means that in non-central areas, HR employees have double the work. Also, their daily operative work may bring in a huge overload, which concerns all functions of HR. Critical issues are HR planning, training, development and keeping talented individuals (talent management), which mean serious questions and problems for companies that are not in the Central Hungarian region.

Territorial innovation systems and strategies of collective efficiency

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show the relevance of territorial innovation systems approach for non-central regions’ development strategies. The research made allowed to identify actions of collective efficiency to strengthen endogenous capacity for regional innovation, and also to detect some institutional weaknesses that inhibit the innovation dynamics in a particular rural region (Tagus Valley). Design/methodology/approach – The research followed an interpretive case study, of explanatory type. Data collecting method comprised semi-structured face-to-face interviews with business agents and local government members, direct observation of innovation activities and documentary analysis. Statistical methods to analyse the firms’ innovation behaviour, as well as owners and managers’ perceptions, were also used in order to improve the trustworthiness of the research. Findings – The results show that innovation is positively associated to a diverse set of institutional factors that shape a territorially embedded innovation system, in which the firms’ innovation activity is chiefly based on localized learning processes. Moreover, a path of smart and creative diversification area is detected, but there are substantial differences between firms belonging to agro-food supply chain. While food industries and wineries show very interesting levels of investment in innovation activities and external knowledge synergies, farmers/producers depend greatly from producers’ organizations. Research limitations/implications – Given the absence of generalizability and some speculative argumentation, further research needs to be done, especially about the critical role of higher education institutions to promote innovation. Practical implications – The paper provides empirical insights about the role of actors belonging to the governance layer inherent to the territorial innovation system in discussion. Originality/value – The paper fulfils an identified need to systematize institutional factors able to affect non-central regions innovation.

Foreign liquidity to real estate market: Ripple effect and housing price dynamics

Globalisation enables foreign liquidity to access local property markets. This paper depicts a strong connection between foreigners’ property acquisitions and regional housing price movements in Singapore. Testing structure breaks also illustrates a ripple effect of prices from the central city to suburbs. A structural vector autoregression incorporates these two observations. Impulse-response function and forecast-error variance decomposition show that central region’s foreign-liquidity shocks can greatly impact housing price growth in not only the central region but also the non-central region where foreign buyers are inactive. The ripple effect of prices plays an important role. Non-central region’s foreign-liquidity shocks, in contrast, have small effects on both regions. Impacts of foreign-liquidity shocks can reach the public-housing market, where foreigners’ participation is prohibited. The findings are useful to policy makers who consider regulations of foreign home buyers as an instrument to stabilise housing markets.

Application of a benthic index of biotic integrity for the ecosystem health assessment of Lake Taihu

依据2010年春季至2012年秋季,太湖32个样点的底栖动物和环境变量共11次的季节性调查结果,采用干扰程度最小系统法定义构建底栖动物生物完整性指数的参照系统,提出了确定参照系统的4个基本条件,进而按非湖心区和湖心区两个生态区分别构建太湖底栖动物完整性指数(LTB-IBI).通过对候选生物参数的分布范围筛选、判别能力分析、与理化因子的相关性和参数间的冗余分析,获得了非湖心区LTB-IBI的4个构成指数:总分类单元数、Simpson多样性指数、前3位优势单元%和BMWP指数,以及湖心区LTB-IBI的5个构成指数:总分类单元数、Simpson多样性指数、甲壳+软体分类单元数、前3位优势单元%和BMWP指数.采用比值法统一构成指数量纲,分别构建了非湖心区和湖心区LTBIBI指数,评价太湖水生态健康的等级.2010-2012年,太湖生态健康总体上呈现逐步提升的趋势.影响太湖底栖动物完整性的重要环境变量是水体中的氮含量.研究表明,连续观察数据可较大程度上提高太湖LTB-IBI指数的可靠性和评价结果的合理性.;In order to develop a benthic index of biotic integrity for Lake Taihu (LTB-IBI), we seasonally carried out investigation on macroinvertebrate assemblages and their environments at 32 sites in Lake Taihu from spring, 2010 to autumn, 2012. Based on the investigation, we used the method of least disturbed condition and four criteria to define reference sites. LTB-IBI was developed separately for non-central region and central region of Lake Taihu. Metrics were stepwise examined for distribution analysis, discriminating power analysis, relationship with environmental variables and redundancy analysis. The core metrics of LTB-IBI for non-central region were total taxa richness, Simpson diversity index, 3 dominant taxon% and BMWP score. One more metric, i. e. (Crustacea + Mollusca) taxa for central region. LTB-IBI value for non-central region and central region were respectively obtained by summing up core metrics, which were transformed into a uniform score by ratio score method. Health condition of Lake Taihu was found to improve gradually from 2010 to 2012. Total nitrogen was suggested as the major factor affected LTB-IBI. Our results suggest that long-term data would benefit the development of a robust LTB-IBI and its use in practice of Lake Taihu health assessment.