Similar Areas Research Articles

Flood preparedness and utilization of early warning systems among households in selected flood-prone areas in Tagum City, Davao Del Norte

Flooding presents a significant threat to infrastructure, property, and lives worldwide, with Barangay San Miguel in Tagum City, Davao Del Norte, standing out as particularly vulnerable. Therefore, assessing household preparedness and early warning system effectiveness is vital. A survey sampled 99 respondents using the Slovin formula. Household preparedness was evaluated based on indicators like first aid kit readiness, evacuation plans, food supplies, and participation in seminars. Early warning systems' effectiveness was assessed through indicators such as localized flood warnings, electronic systems, flyers, and direct communication. Results showed commendable overall preparedness (mean: 3.75), but shortcomings in seminars (2.74) and flyers (2.06). Policymakers should prioritize enhancing knowledge via targeted training and allocate resources to improve warning systems. This approach aims to strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to flooding in Barangay San Miguel and similar areas.

Agroecosystem transformation and its driving factors in karst mountainous areas of Southwest China: The case of Puding County, Guizhou Province

With the rapid socioeconomic development and urbanization, global agroecosystems (AESs) have undergone varying degrees of transformation, and conducting an in-depth study on how AESs are transforming in karst mountainous areas (KMAs) is essential. To further reveal the transformation process of AESs in KMAs, we proposed a theoretical framework for the transformation of AESs in KMAs. Following a “theory construction–empirical analysis–pattern evolution–mechanism revelation” research methodology, we studied the trend of AES evolution in “typical study area—typical landforms of the study area,” summarized the transformation patterns of AESs in different karst landforms, and analyzed the influencing factors of their transformation. The study found that (1) a large amount of productive land (PL) was abandoned as ecological land (EL) on steep slopes at high altitudes in KMAs, while river valleys are dominated by the transformation of PL into ecological and economic land (EEL), and the spatial distribution structure has evolved into a coordinated distribution of EL–EEL–PL, with the dominance of the production function transformed into the dominance of ecological and eco-economic functions and the living function strengthened. (2) The transformation of AESs in different karst landscapes can be summarized into four types: eco-economic development, food supply, ecological conservation, and living service. (3) The transformation of AESs is influenced by various factors, including the region's particular natural environment and socioeconomics. This study also shows that traditional extensive agriculture is moving toward modern intensive agriculture with remarkable ecological and economic win–win benefits. Our study provides theoretical guidance for land remediation, ecological environment restoration, and agricultural transformation in KMAs and similar mountainous areas to alleviate regional human–land conflicts and promote sustainable agricultural development in KMAs.

FEA-Based Stress-Strain Barometers as Forecasters for Corneal Refractive Power Change in Orthokeratology.

To improve the effectivity of patient-specific finite element analysis (FEA) to predict refractive power change (RPC) in rigid Ortho-K contact lens fitting. Novel eyelid boundary detection is introduced to the FEA model to better model the effects of the lid on lens performance, and stress and strain outcomes are investigated to identify the most effective FEA components to use in modelling. The current study utilises fully anonymised records of 249 eyes, 132 right eyes, and 117 left eyes from subjects aged 14.1 ± 4.0 years on average (range 9 to 38 years), which were selected for secondary analysis processing. A set of custom-built MATLAB codes was built to automate the process from reading Medmont E300 height and distance files to processing and displaying FEA stress and strain outcomes. Measurements from before and after contact lens wear were handled to obtain the corneal surface change in shape and power. Tangential refractive power maps were constructed from which changes in refractive power pre- and post-Ortho-K wear were determined as the refractive power change (RPC). A total of 249 patient-specific FEA with innovative eyelid boundary detection and 3D construction analyses were automatically built and run for every anterior eye and lens combination while the lens was located in its clinically detected position. Maps of four stress components: contact pressure, Mises stress, pressure, and maximum principal stress were created in addition to maximum principal logarithmic strain maps. Stress and strain components were compared to the clinical RPC maps using the two-dimensional (2D) normalised cross-correlation and structural similarity (SSIM) index measure. On the one hand, the maximum principal logarithmic strain recorded the highest moderate 2D cross-correlation area of 8.6 ± 10.3%, and contact pressure recorded the lowest area of 6.6 ± 9%. Mises stress recorded the second highest moderate 2D cross-correlation area with 8.3 ± 10.4%. On the other hand, when the SSIM index was used to compare the areas that were most similar to the clinical RPC, maximum principal stress was the most similar, with an average strong similarity percentage area of 26.5 ± 3.3%, and contact pressure was the least strong similarity area of 10.3 ± 7.3%. Regarding the moderate similarity areas, all components were recorded at around 34.4% similarity area except the contact pressure, which was down to 32.7 ± 5.8%. FEA is an increasingly effective tool in being able to predict the refractive outcome of Ortho-K treatment. Its accuracy depends on identifying which clinical and modelling metrics contribute to the most accurate prediction of RPC with minimal ocular complications. In terms of clinical metrics, age, Intra-ocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT), surface topography, lens decentration and the 3D eyelid effect are all important for effective modelling. In terms of FEA components, maximum principal stress was found to be the best FEA barometer that can be used to predict the performance of Ortho-K lenses. In contrast, contact pressure provided the worst stress performance. In terms of strain, the maximum principal logarithmic strain was an effective strain barometer.

Evaluating the Spatial Evolution of the Eco-Economy Harmony in Anxi County, China, Based on Ecosystem Services Value

The harmonious development of the ecological environment and the economy is extremely important to achieve regional ecological construction and sustainable development. To properly assess the status of the harmonious development of the ecosystem and the economy, this study constructed an improved ecosystem services value (ESV) and eco-economic harmony (EEH) model to analyze the coordination relationships between the ecosystem and the economy in this region, based on Landsat TM/OLI data of Anxi County in 1999, 2009, and 2019. The results were as follows. (1) Significant changes in land- use occurred in Anxi County between 1999 and 2019. While grassland, cultivated land, and water bodies decreased by 22.91%, 36.82%, and 8.18%, respectively, other land-use types expanded including construction land (206.10%), garden land (56.39%), forest land (10.37%), and unutilized land (90.43%). (2) The ESV decreased by CNY 41.02 billion during this period, with the largest contribution from forest land and the most important service function being regulating services, and mountainous townships made a great contribution to the total ESV. (3) The eco-economic system of Anxi County was at an inharmonic level. The evaluation model produced more favorable results, especially at the township scale, which is highly sensitive to economic policy. This can provide scientific evidence for inter-regional ecological compensation and sustainable development while providing reference and inspiration for similar areas around the world to carry out relevant research.

Optimizing Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Planting Densities and Row Arrangements in Tomato-Basil Intercropping System

A field experiment was conducted at Wondo Genet Agricultural Research Center under irrigated conditions during 2018, to evaluate the performance of tomato yield and yield components under an intercropping system with different basil planting densities and row arrangements. it was arranged in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement in randomized complete block design with three replications each consisting of ten treatments: two basil row arrangements (one tomato row alternating with one basil row (1T:1B) or with two basil rows (1T:2B)) and four basil population densities (66666, 50000, 33333 and 16666 plants ha -1). Results of the study indicated that intercropping system significantly (p<0.05) affected the yield and yield components of tomato. Inter-cropped tomato with basil had the highest yield (36657.8 kg ha-1) as compared to sole cropped tomato (31004.3kg ha-1) and inter-cropping with basil increased its yield by 15.42%. Therefore, basil with a density of 33,333 plants ha-1and intercropped with tomato with 1T:1B row arrangement could be recommended for the wondo genet and similar agroecology area. However, the effect of tomato-basil intercropping on the incidence and severity of major tomato insects and diseases needs further study.

Automated Prefabricated Slab Splitting Design Using a Multipopulation Coevolutionary Algorithm and BIM

The prefabricated composite slab (PCS) is an essential horizontal component in a building, which is made of a precast part and a cast-in-place concrete layer. In practice, the floor should be split into many small PCSs for the convenience of manufacturing and installation. Currently, the splitting design of PCS mostly relies on sound knowledge and valuable experience of construction. While rule-based parametric design tools using building information modeling (BIM) can facilitate PCS splitting, the generated solution is suboptimal and limited. This paper presents an intelligent BIM-based framework to automatically complete the splitting design of PCSs. A collaborative optimization model is formulated to minimize the composite costs of manufacturing and installation. Individuals with similar area information are grouped into a subpopulation, and the optimization objective is to minimize the specifications and quantities of PCSs. Through the correlation information within the subpopulation and the shared information among each other, the variable correlation is eliminated to accomplish the task of collaborative optimization. The multipopulation coevolution particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is implemented for the collaborative optimization model to determine the sizes and positions of all PCSs. The proposed framework is applied in the optimized splitting design of PCSs in a standard floor to demonstrate its practicability and efficiency.

An integrated population model reveals source-sink dynamics for competitively subordinate African wild dogs linked to anthropogenic prey depletion.

Many African large carnivore populations are declining due to decline of the herbivore populations on which they depend. The densities of apex carnivores like the lion and spotted hyena correlate strongly with prey density, but competitively subordinate carnivores like the African wild dog benefit from competitive release when the density of apex carnivores is low, so the expected effect of a simultaneous decrease in resources and dominant competitors is not obvious. Wild dogs in Zambia's South Luangwa Valley Ecosystem occupy four ecologically similar areas with well-described differences in the densities of prey and dominant competitors due to spatial variation in illegal offtake. We used long-term monitoring data to fit a Bayesian integrated population model (IPM) of the demography and dynamics of wild dogs in these four regions. The IPM used Leslie projection to link a Cormack-Jolly-Seber model of area-specific survival (allowing for individual heterogeneity in detection), a zero-inflated Poisson model of area-specific fecundity and a state-space model of population size that used estimates from a closed mark-capture model as the counts from which (latent) population size was estimated. The IPM showed that both survival and reproduction were lowest in the region with the lowest density of preferred prey (puku, Kobus vardonii and impala, Aepyceros melampus), despite little use of this area by lions. Survival and reproduction were highest in the region with the highest prey density and intermediate in the two regions with intermediate prey density. The population growth rate ( ) was positive for the population as a whole, strongly positive in the region with the highest prey density and strongly negative in the region with the lowest prey density. It has long been thought that the benefits of competitive release protect African wild dogs from the costs of low prey density. Our results show that the costs of prey depletion overwhelm the benefits of competitive release and cause local population decline where anthropogenic prey depletion is strong. Because competition is important in many guilds and humans are affecting resources of many types, it is likely that similarly fundamental shifts in population limitation are arising in many systems.

Formation processes of groundwater in a non-ferrous metal mining city of China: Insights from hydrochemical and strontium isotope analyses.

Tongling is a significant non-ferrous metal mining city in China, which produces waste that negatively impacts the area's water environment. It is essential to comprehend the hydrochemical properties and formation processes of groundwater to safeguard and utilize it efficiently. We explored major ions, strontium, and its isotopes in water and river-bottom samples from the northern (i.e., A-A' section) and southern (i.e., B-B' section) areas. The hydrochemical facies show the mining activities have a greater impact on surface water than on groundwater. Groundwater hydrochemical formation results from several factors, with water-rock interaction and ion exchange being primary. Additionally, the dissolution of calcite, dolomite, and feldspar, oxidation of pyrite, and hydrolysis of carbonate minerals also impact the formation of groundwater chemistry. Our analysis of strontium and its isotopes indicates that carbonate dissolution primarily occurred in the recharge area; the runoff from the recharge to the discharge area results in the dissolution of certain silicate rocks; calcite dissolution sources account for > 70% contribution in both surface water and groundwater water-rock interactions, whereas silicate rock dissolution sources and dolomite dissolution sources account for < 30%. Due to changed order of dissolved carbonate and silicate minerals during groundwater flow, the distribution of strontium and its isotopes in the A-A' section is opposite to that in the B-B' section. The findings provide a basis for developing, utilizing, managing, and protecting groundwater resources, especially in similar mining areas.

Global renewable energy trade network: patterns and determinants.

The renewable energy product trade is critically important to global economic prospects and its rapid development, making it a key issue in international economics of much interest to scholars. Previous studies have paid attention to bilateral trade, yet we still know little about the patterns of renewable energy product trade and its evolution from the whole industry perspective. Based on bilateral trade data, complex network, as well as ERGM and TERGM, we build global renewable energy trade networks (GRETNs) during 2000-2018 and explore the patterns and determinants. The results show that (1) the GRETNs expand during 2000-2018, characterized by a small-world, reciprocity, degree disassortative, and export volume heterogeneity. (2) The GRETNs form four communities, and the community patterns greatly fluctuate over time. (3) Economies in North America, Europe, and Asia play dominant roles, while the USA, Germany, and China are the cores of the GRETNs. (4) Endogenous structure of reciprocity, structural embeddedness, and out-degree popularity are essential parts of the evolving patterns of GRETNs. Most trade relationships are developed between economies located within the same continent, participating in APEC or WTO, or having similar areas. There is heterophily in GDP and per capita income, and Matthew effects in GDP, urbanization, and industrialization rate. Countries that share a common geographic border, language, religion, or currency, being former colonies of the same colonialists, and having signed regional trade agreements are more likely to trade in renewable energy products.

Spatial and temporal groundwater dynamics in extreme arid basins

AbstractTo accurately obtain the spatial distribution characteristics of groundwater level in an extremely arid zone and its dynamic change patterns under the influence of human activities, based on the data of 55 groundwater observation wells in the middle and lower reaches of the Kriya River, spatial interpolation of regional groundwater level data were performed using the inverse distance weight, spline function, trend surface, and the ordinary kriging methods. The optimal interpolation method was selected by its accuracy to spatially interpolate the groundwater level data in the study area from 2019 to 2021. The results show that: (1) the ordinary kriging method has the highest interpolation accuracy (MAE = 7.1393, MRE = 0.0058, RMSE = 9.4314) and reflects the spatial and temporal variability and distribution characteristics of groundwater levels with great accuracy. (2)The relationship between surface water–groundwater recharge and discharge in different areas of the river channel in the desert section varies depending on geological structure, surface water seepage, and other elements. (3) Groundwater in the Taklamakan Desert has little effect on groundwater recharge in the Dariyabui Oasis, and changes in groundwater dynamics in the oasis are predominantly influenced by surface runoff. (4) Monthly changes in groundwater levels in the Yutian Oasis are continuous, with ‘V’ shaped fluctuations, a declining trend in the southern part, no significant change in the central part, and a slight increase in the northern part. These results contribute to the sustainable management of water resources in the Kriya River Basin, provide a basis for groundwater prediction, and offer a reference for studies of other, similar extreme desert area basins.

Monitoring the Extraordinary Ephemeral Emergence of Myriophyllum spicatum L. in the Coastal Lagoon Albufera of Valencia (Spain) and Assessing the Impact of Environmental Variables Using a Remote Sensing Approach

The Albufera of Valencia, a Mediterranean coastal lagoon, has been in a turbid state since 1974, with only four episodes of temporary water transparency in spring. Despite its average depth of 1 m and oligohaline waters, excessive turbidity, fish grazing, and toxic compounds have inhibited submerged macrophyte growth. In spring 2018, a significant area of Myriophyllum spicatum emerged and exhibited significant density until its complete disappearance in August 2018. Using Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8 imagery, we monitored water quality variables and vegetation density during these months. Our study revealed the first unique occurrence of M. spicatum in more than 40 years. A period of increased transparency from summer 2017 compared to previous years seems to be the cause of this appearance, while high summer temperatures caused its disappearance. While improving water quality may help restore submerged macrophyte meadows, our results suggest that summer maximum temperatures may inhibit recovery. Remote sensing, particularly the NDVI index, proved successful in monitoring aquatic vegetation and understanding species-environment relationships. This methodology can enhance future monitoring efforts for macrophyte colonization and expand knowledge of their occurrence and causes of disappearance in this and other similar areas.

Evaluation of optimal interpolation and segmentation of the optic nerves on magnetic resonance images for cross‐sectional area measurement

AbstractThis study investigated nine combination methods produced from three interpolation (Lanczos, iterative curvature based interpolation, and contrast‐guided) and three segmentation (spatial fuzzy C‐means, modified fuzzy C‐means [mFCM], and level set method) models from optic nerve magnetic resonance images (MRI). The aim was to produce sharp edges of the optic nerves for cross‐sectional area measurement. Lanczos‐mFCM was identified as the best combination in terms of: image quality; Dice similarity coefficient; a similar area compared with measurements from raw images but with higher reproducibility; and the highest signal‐to‐noise and contrast‐to‐noise ratios. It was then applied to ten normal datasets. The mean cross‐sectional areas were 12.57 ± 1.92mm2 from proton density images, 12.98 ± 2.18mm2 from T2‐weighted (T2W) images including the optic nerve sheath, and 1.68 ± 0.69mm2 from the T2W images of the optic nerve only. The Lanczos‐mFCM method is recommended for future quantitative studies on optic nerve MRI.

Antibody selection strategies and their impact in predicting clinical malaria based on multi-sera data

BackgroundNowadays, the chance of discovering the best antibody candidates for predicting clinical malaria has notably increased due to the availability of multi-sera data. The analysis of these data is typically divided into a feature selection phase followed by a predictive one where several models are constructed for predicting the outcome of interest. A key question in the analysis is to determine which antibodies should be included in the predictive stage and whether they should be included in the original or a transformed scale (i.e. binary/dichotomized).MethodsTo answer this question, we developed three approaches for antibody selection in the context of predicting clinical malaria: (i) a basic and simple approach based on selecting antibodies via the nonparametric Mann–Whitney-Wilcoxon test; (ii) an optimal dychotomizationdichotomization approach where each antibody was selected according to the optimal cut-off via maximization of the chi-squared (χ2) statistic for two-way tables; (iii) a hybrid parametric/non-parametric approach that integrates Box-Cox transformation followed by a t-test, together with the use of finite mixture models and the Mann–Whitney-Wilcoxon test as a last resort. We illustrated the application of these three approaches with published serological data of 36 Plasmodium falciparum antigens for predicting clinical malaria in 121 Kenyan children. The predictive analysis was based on a Super Learner where predictions from multiple classifiers including the Random Forest were pooled together.ResultsOur results led to almost similar areas under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curves of 0.72 (95% CI = [0.62, 0.82]), 0.80 (95% CI = [0.71, 0.89]), 0.79 (95% CI = [0.7, 0.88]) for the simple, dichotomization and hybrid approaches, respectively. These approaches were based on 6, 20, and 16 antibodies, respectively.ConclusionsThe three feature selection strategies provided a better predictive performance of the outcome when compared to the previous results relying on Random Forest including all the 36 antibodies (AUC = 0.68, 95% CI = [0.57;0.79]). Given the similar predictive performance, we recommended that the three strategies should be used in conjunction in the same data set and selected according to their complexity.

Ecological and Public Advantages of a Dual Flagship Strategy: Giant Panda and Snow Leopard

Flagship species’ conservation strategies hold significant prominence in biodiversity preservation. The giant panda, a globally recognized species, has drawn attention to its benefits and constraints as a flagship species. This study aimed to assess the potential benefits of a dual flagship strategy using both the giant panda and snow leopard, compared to an approach solely using the giant panda. We identified the number of potential beneficiary species based on their habitat overlap with the giant panda and snow leopard in Sichuan and Gansu, China. Subsequently, we examined public preferences for these two flagships and their influencing factors through questionnaire surveys within and outside China. The dual flagship strategy covered the habitats of more species and amplified existing protection for those species already benefiting from giant panda conservation efforts. The giant panda was commonly perceived as “Adorable”, “Innocent”, and “Rare”, while perceptions of the snow leopard leaned towards “Mighty”, “Mysterious”, and “Rare”. Though the giant panda is widely favored, the survey indicates a notable preference for snow leopards among a proportion of respondents. The dual flagship strategy offers expanded wildlife habitat coverage and benefits a broader range of species. Moreover, the combined appeal of the snow leopard and giant panda, each possessing unique charm and symbolism, holds the potential to garner broader societal interest and support. This study may serve as a reference for policy decisions in the Giant Panda National Park and other similar protected areas, optimizing conservation management and outreach initiatives for flagship species strategies. It may also benefit conservation strategies centered on other flagship species.

Advances in design, scale and operability of the Rotating Liquid Sheet (RLS) contactor: Pressure drop, flood-point and mass transfer – Comparison to random packing

The Rotating Liquid Sheet (RLS) contactor is a novel packing-less gas-liquid contactor where multiple continuous liquid sheets form at the outlet of helical slots in a rotating central feed tube. Each liquid sheet is auger-shaped, and the rotation of the feed tube transfers momentum from the sheets to the gas. Multiple sheets travel in parallel to arrive unbroken at the column wall. The gas travels through the space between adjacent sheets providing close contact between the gas and liquid. Careful design ensures that liquid sheets travel in parallel arcs, enabling scale-up from 150–600 mm diameter column, a size suitable for the speciality chemical or pharmaceutical industries. Pressure drop and flooding measurements using an air/water system compared the RLS contactor with 25 mm Pall Rings. Results for the Pall Rings matched expected performance, while RLS contactor pressure drop was 10% of that measured for the Pall Rings. Mass transfer experiments using an air+CO2/NaOH solution system showed measured mass transfer coefficients using the RLS contactor were comparable to a packed bed (25 mm Pall Rings) of similar specific surface area, while foaming in the packed bed did not occur in the RLS contactor using the same liquid sample. The RLS contactor also displayed minimal entrainment.

Inverse Data Envelopment Analysis Model to Improve Efficiency by Increasing Outputs

Inverse Data Envelopment Analysis (IDEA) has gained significant attention among researchers as an analytical tool for assessing efficiency. Estimating input values while ensuring cost efficiency through changes in output quantities is complex and sensitive. In contrast to conventional data envelopment analysis methods, IDEA enables the quantification of input/output variations resulting from output/input reductions or expansions while preserving the measurement efficiency level. This paper aims to introduce a novel approach for estimating input values by incrementally increasing the value of each output of decision-making units (DMUs) during the evaluation process, thereby maintaining or improving cost efficiency. By utilizing IDEA and manipulating the output values of the DMU under evaluation, the input values are estimated while ensuring constant or enhanced cost efficiency. A simple numerical example and a case study from a Turkish automotive company are presented to validate the proposed method. The obtained results demonstrate significant improvements and hold promising prospects, indicating the potential applicability of this approach to other similar problems and research areas.

Optimizing maize productivity: A sustainable approach integrating straw derivatives and film mulching in rainfed agriculture

Context or problemResource-use inefficiency, environmental degradation and food security are forcing a transformation from conventional to organic and sustainable agriculture. Objective or research questionRealizing synergistic use of light, water, and nitrogen resources for spring maize in a more circular straw utilization model, while comprehensively evaluating the sustainability of the scheme is the key to solving the above problems in rainfed areas, but there are few reports. MethodsAccording to a crop-livestock-biogas digester straw recycling model, straw can be returned to the field directly or in the form of cattle manure after fattening, or cattle manure can continue to be recycled by the digester as the only fermentation substrate, and ultimately returned to the field indirectly in the form of biogas residue. Therefore, according to different levels of straw recycling, four treatments were set up in this study: straw (S), cattle manure (M), biogas residue (BR) and control (CK) for a comparative study of water use efficiency, net solar radiation use efficiency, photosynthetic and leaf characteristics post-anthesis, annual nitrogen balance, spring maize yield, and sustainability index. ResultsThe results showed that straw and its derivatives effectively improve the utilization efficiency of light and water, potentially reducing the adverse effects of factors on yield variability. Maintaining high levels of photosynthetic activity after anthesis was mainly due to the positive effects of organic amendments on nitrogen content per unit leaf area. This led to significant increases in grain yield and harvested index by 5.95% to 13.22% and 3.41% to 6.37%, respectively. However, exogenous organic N addition promoted N2O emission and NH3 volatilization, resulting in a higher N surplus. The sustainable index of each treatment was in the following order: BR>M>CK>S. ConclusionsLong-term organic amendments, especially BR, can effectively improve the utilization and synergistic effects of critical production resources, constituting a high-yielding, efficient and sustainable spring maize population, which is consistent with our hypothesis that the sustainability index is higher in more circular straw utilization. Implications or significanceThis study provides a new plastic film cultivation strategy and evaluation perspective for sustainable spring maize production in the study area or similar areas.

Flow and Turbulence Due To Wood Contribute to Declogging of Gravel Bed

AbstractThe placement of wood in rivers is a common restoration method used to locally affect hydraulic and morphologic conditions to create habitat. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that wood placements can also promote surface declogging, that is, removal of fine sediment from a gravel bed, thereby restoring spawning grounds for fish. Logs of different size and submergence level were placed on a gravel bed clogged with fines. Surface declogging was observed in regions of elevated turbulence in the log wake and elevated velocity adjacent to the log. A criteria for declogging was identified based on a modified non‐dimensional Shields parameter combining mean and turbulent velocity at the bed. The footprint of declogged bed scaled with log dimensions. Emergent logs produced a larger declogging footprint compared to submerged logs of the same length, due to their stronger influence on the flow field. Logs were also shown to prevent clogging over similar areas.

Construction of Karst Landscape Ecological Security Pattern Based on Conflict between Human and Nature in Puzhehei

A key means of promoting the high-quality development of karst areas is the maintenance of the area’s ecological security. A full recognition of the special ecological function of karst areas, as well as their significance to the surrounding region’s ecological, economic, and social development, is crucial in strengthening the overall strategic deployment of the national ecological construction and the protection and sustainable development of karst landscapes around the globe. In this study, the karst landscape of Puzhehei, Qiubei County, Wenshan Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, was used as the research object. This study identified ecological source sites through a combination of morphological spatial pattern analysis and landscape connectivity assessment. As a result, 10 factors were selected to construct a comprehensive ecological resistance surface from the natural environment and socio-economic perspective; the resistance surface was corrected by combining the sensitivity of rocky desertification. An ecological corridor and ecological nodes were identified to construct the ecological security pattern based on the minimum cumulative resistance model and circuit theory. The results show that (1) the source areas of the Puzhehei karst landscape ecological protection comprised 11 core area patches with the landscape connectivity index of (dPC) ≥ 10, with a total area of 166.6572 km2, which constituted 46.06% of the total study area, and the ecological source area totaled 77.275 km2, or 21.36% of the total study area; (2) there were 78 potential ecological corridors in the Puzhehei karst region, with a total length of 545.186 km, including 12 key corridors and 66 general corridors; (3) a total of 51 ecological nodes were identified, including 11 “source-type ecological nodes”, 30 “ecological pinch points”, and 10 “ecological obstacles”, including 16 key ecological nodes. This study provides a theoretical basis for the integration of Puzhehei Nature Reserve, as well as a reference for the ecologically sustainable development of similar karst areas.

Communication Strategies of Transplant Hematologists in High-Risk Decision-Making Conversations.

Shared decision making (SDM) is essential to empower patients with blood cancers to make goal-concordant decisions about allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation. This study characterizes communication strategies used by hematologists to discuss treatment options and facilitate SDM with patients in this high-risk, high-reward setting. We recruited US hematologists who routinely perform allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant through email. Participants conducted up to an hour-long video-recorded encounter with an actor portraying a 67-year-old man with recently diagnosed high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome. We transcribed and qualitatively analyzed video-recorded data. The mean age of participants (N = 37) was 44 years, 65% male, and 68% White. Many hematologists included similar key points in this initial consultation, although varied in how much detail they provided. Their discussion of treatment options included transplant and chemotherapy and less commonly supportive care or clinical trials. They often emphasized transplant's potential for cure, discussed transplant chronologically from pretransplant considerations through the post-transplant course, and outlined risks, complications, and major outcomes. Hematologists referred to several elements that formed the basis of treatment decision making. The strength of their treatment recommendations ranged from strong recommendations for transplant or chemotherapy to deferrals pending more information. Hematologists also varied in the extent to which they indicated the decision was physician-driven, patient-led, or shared. The transplant decision-making discussion is complex. Identification of similar content areas used by hematologists can be used as the basis for a communication tool to help hematologists discuss allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant with patients.