Spatial Integration Research Articles

A raster-based spatial clustering method with robustness to spatial outliers

Spatial clustering is an essential method for the comprehensive understanding of a region. Spatial clustering divides all spatial units into different clusters. The attributes of each cluster of the spatial units are similar, and simultaneously, they are as continuous as spatially possible. In spatial clustering, the handling of spatial outliers is important. It is necessary to improve spatial integration so that each cluster is connected as much as possible, while protecting spatial outliers can help avoid the excessive masking of attribute differences This paper proposes a new spatial clustering method for raster data robust to spatial outliers. The method employs a sliding window to scan the entire region to determine spatial outliers. Additionally, a mechanism based on the range and standard deviation of the spatial units in each window is designed to judge whether the spatial integration should be further improved or the spatial outliers should be protected. To demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method, we applied it in two case study areas, namely, Changping District and Pinggu District in Beijing. The results show that the proposed method can retain the spatial outliers while ensuring that the clusters are roughly contiguous. This method can be used as a simple but powerful and easy-to-interpret alternative to existing geographical spatial clustering methods.

Spatial market integration analysis of plantain markets in mid Ghana

Spatial market integration analysis of plantain markets in mid Ghana

Large-scale cultural heritage conservation and utilization based on cultural ecology corridors: a case study of the Dongjiang-Hanjiang River Basin in Guangdong, China

In the field of world heritage conservation, there has been broad consensus on carrying out heritage conservation research on the basis of spatial integration and interregional and international cooperation. However, there are still many deficiencies in the integration of culture with the environment, regional economic and social development, and the regional, holistic and multimodal conservation and utilization of cultural heritage sites. In China, the Dongjiang-Hanjiang River Basin is a representative area of substantial cultural and ecological value for both Guangdong Province and the whole country. This paper uses the morphological spatial pattern analysis and the minimum cumulative resistance model to integrate cultural ecology sources and establish a cross-regional and large-scale cultural ecology network system that includes 1 main corridor, 22 important corridors and 17 secondary corridors. In addition, based on identified cultural landscape nodes and cultural ecology services, the economy of the cultural ecology corridor could be developed with large-scale co-construction, co-governance and shared working mechanisms to overcome administrative limits and realize the conservation and utilization of multimodal and large-scale heritage sites. This approach has strong theoretical and practical significance for innovative methods in cultural ecology research, as well as for new content in the research of Lingnan culture, ecosystem restoration, and the economic and social development of towns and villages. This article supplements unilateral studies of regional culture and ecology and demonstrates an in-depth application of cultural ecology theory.

Household, neighbourhood and service provider risk factors for piped drinking-water intermittency in urban and peri-urban Zambia: A cross-sectional analysis

Given nearly one third of sub-Saharan Africa’s population lack access to an improved water source that is available when needed, service continuity restricts access to safely managed services. Household surveys, water regulators, and utilities all gather data on service continuity, but few studies have integrated these disparate datasets to quantify continuity-related risk factors and inequalities. This study aimed to assess the added value of utility and regulator data for international monitoring by assessing factors affecting piped water availability in urban and peri-urban Zambia. Household ‘user’ data from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey (n = 3047) were spatially linked to provider data from an international utility database and regulator reports. Multilevel modelling quantified provider-related and socio-economic risk factors for households reporting water being unavailable for at least one day in the previous fortnight. 47% (95% CI: 45%, 49%) of urban and peri-urban households reported water being unavailable for at least one full day, ranging from 18% (95% CI: 14%, 23%) to 76% (95% CI: 70%, 81%) across providers. Controlling for provider, home ownership (odds ratio (OR) = 1.31; p <0.01), speaking Luvale, Kaonde, Lunda (OR = 2.06; p <0.05) or Tonga (OR = 1.78; p <0.1) as an ethnicity proxy, and dry season interview dates (OR = 1.91; p <0.05) were associated with household-reported interruptions. Households using a neighbour’s tap (OR = 1.33; p <0.1) and in mid-wealth neighbourhoods (OR = 4.31; p <0.1) were more likely to report interruptions. For every $1000 increase in utility-level GDP per capita, the odds of an interruption were 0.51 times less (p<0.01). Substantial inequalities in drinking-water availability were found between provider coverage areas. Spatial integration of user, provider and regulator data enriches analysis, providing a finer-scale perspective than otherwise possible. However, wider use of utility or regulator data requires investment in monitoring of small-scale community supply intermittency and utility coverage area data.

SDIGRU: Spatial and Deep Features Integration Using Multilayer Gated Recurrent Unit for Human Activity Recognition

Smart video surveillance plays a significant role in public security via storing a huge amount of continual stream data, evaluates them, and generates warns where undesirable human activities are performed. Recognition of human activities in video surveillance has faced many challenges such as optimal evaluation of human activities under growing volumes of streaming data with complex computation and huge time processing complexity. To tackle these challenges we introduce a lightweighted spatial-deep features integration using multilayer GRU (SDIGRU). First, we extract spatial and deep features from frames sequence of realistic human activity videos via utilizing a lightweight MobileNetV2 model and then integrate those spatial-deep features. Although deep features can be used for human activity recognition, they contain only the high-level appearance, which is insufficient to correctly identify the particular activity of human. Thus, we jointly apply deep information with spatial appearance to produce detailed level information. Furthermore, we select rich informative features from spatial-deep appearances. Then, we train multilayer gated recurrent unit (GRU) and feed informative features to learn the temporal dynamics of human activity frames sequence at each time step of GRU. We conduct our experiments on benchmark YouTube11, HMDB51, and UCF101 datasets of human activity recognition. The empirical results show that our method achieved significant recognition performance with low computational complexity and quick response. Finally, we compare the results with existing state-of-the-art techniques, which show the effectiveness of our method.

Effect of nonlinearity, magnetic islands on turbulence and observation of electron energization, temperature anisotropy at Earth’s magnetopause (magnetosphere)

Space missions’ observations have shown that waves such as lower hybrid waves (LHWs), whistler waves, and kinetic Alfven waves play a vital role in magnetic reconnection, turbulence, and particle acceleration. This paper studies the effect of nonlinearity and the magnetic islands on lower hybrid turbulence and current sheets in Earth’s magnetopause region. The evolution of electromagnetic LHW has been studied with numerical model using pseudo-spectral method for spatial integration and finite difference method with modified predictor-corrector approach for temporal integration. We have considered both ion and electron dynamics and included electromagnetic and warm plasma effects in our model. The study outcomes reveal that both the nonlinear effects and magnetic islands are responsible for the evolution of LHWs and current sheets to a chaotic and turbulent state. We have also used the semi-analytical model to elaborate on the physics behind the localization. Finally, the nonlinear model with field perturbations (magnetic islands) is further used to elaborate on the electron energization and temperature anisotropy near reconnection regions. We have also discussed the relevance of model predictions in the context of the MMS mission observations at Earth’s magnetopause.

Elucidating the response mechanisms of hydrological and sediment connectivity to the river network structure, vegetation, and topographic features in the Jinghe River Basin

AbstractThe management of basin water and soil resources greatly benefits from investigating the spatial changes and primary determinants of hydrological and sediment connectivity from perspectives of topographic features, vegetation characteristics, structural features of river networks. However, quantifying the effects of influencing factors and their interactions on connectivity is still a challenge in the field of studies of surface processes. To address this challenge, we applied the geographical detector model (GDM) and random forest (RF) to quantify the relative importance and explanatory power of topographic factors, vegetation features, and river network structure on the hydrological connectivity and sediment connectivity and to clarify the interaction mechanism of various factors in the Jinghe River Basin. Results indicate that from 2005 to 2020, the mean value of hydrological connectivity (ICH) witnessed a decreasing trend from −5.47 to −5.58. Similarly, the mean value of sediment connectivity (ICS) declined over the same period from −9.74 to −10.05, with high values registered in valleys and low values in plains. The river density (D) and hydrological weight factor (normalized SCS‐CN) exhibited a greater spatial explanatory power on ICH than other parameters, reaching 0.149 and 0.182, respectively. The vegetation factor (0.299) and sediment weight factor (0.410) manifested considerably more influence over ICS. Spatial integration between relevant elements can enhance our understanding of basin connectivity. Interactions between vegetation, topography, and river network structure provide more explanatory power compared to interactions among same‐type features. Ultimately, this study offers a theoretical template for understanding the management of soil and water resources in the Jinghe River Basin, as well as the spatial variability in soil erosion.

"Exact" solutions for the probability density functions of integrated Stokes parameters of partially polarized thermal light or polarization speckle.

As a continuation of a previous investigation on the temporal integration of partially polarized thermal light and/or the spatial integration of polarization speckle, we calculate more accurate probability density functions for integrated Stokes parameters. With the aid of the unitary linear transformation and the Karhunen-Loève expansion of the stochastic electric field, the light of interest has been decomposed into an infinite number of statistically independent modes and the integrated Stokes parameters have been expressed as the sums of infinite numbers of random variables known as the polarization-related mode shape. A mathematical formalism of the exact solutions for the distributions of the integrated Stokes parameters has been derived. Through some approximations to the exact solutions, we also make a comparison of the "exact" and approximate solutions to understand the entire statistics of the integrated stochastic phenomena in optics.

Preliminary Retrieval and Validation of Aerosol Optical Depths from FY-4B Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager Images

Fengyun-4B (FY-4B) is the latest Chinese next-generation geostationary meteorological satellite. The Advanced Geostationary Radiation Imager (AGRI) aboard FY-4B is equipped with 15 spectral bands, from visible to infrared, suitable for aerosol optical depth (AOD) retrieval. In this study, an overland AOD retrieval algorithm was developed for the FY-4B AGRI. Considering the large directional variation in the FY-4B AGRI reflectances, a bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) database was built, through which to estimate land surface reflectance/albedo. Seasonal aerosol models, based on four geographical regions in China, were developed between 2016 and 2022 using AERONET aerosol products, to improve their applicability to regional distribution differences and seasonal variations in aerosol types. AGRI AODs were retrieved using this new method over China from September 2022 to August 2023 and validated against ground-based measurements. The AGRI, Advanced Himawari Imager (AHI), and Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) official land aerosol products were also evaluated for comparison purposes. The results showed that the AGRI AOD retrievals were highly consistent with the AERONET AOD measurements, with a correlation coefficient (R) of 0.88, root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.14, and proportion that met an expected error (EE) of 65.04%. Intercomparisons between the AGRI AOD and other operational AOD products showed that the AGRI AOD retrievals achieved better performance results than the AGRI, AHI, and MODIS official AOD products. Moreover, the AGRI AOD retrievals showed high spatial integrity and stable performance at different times and regions, as well as under different aerosol loadings and characteristics. These results demonstrate the robustness of the new aerosol retrieval method and the potential of FY-4B AGRI measurements for the monitoring of aerosols with high accuracy and temporal resolutions.

Two Dimensional Hydrodynamics Model with Evaporation for Coastal Systems

Introduction. The use of two-dimensional (2D) hydrodynamic models is relevant, despite the development of numerical methods of marine hydrodynamics focused on the use of three-dimensional spatial models. This is due to the modelling of hydrodynamic processes in shallow and coastal systems in solving practically important problems of predicting the transport of pollutants in suspended and dissolved forms. Evaporation for the Southern of Russia marine coastal systems (the Azov Sea, the Northern Caspian, etc.), and even more so in the coastal areas of the Red Sea, is a significant factor that affects not only the balance of water masses, but also makes changes in the momentum of the system and the distribution of the velocity vector of the aquatic environment. This effect is significant for coastal currents and shallow-water systems.Materials and Methods. The traditional method of converting the terms of the Navier-Stokes equations containing differentiation by horizontal spatial variables was used, involving the rearrangement of differentiation operations by horizontal spatial coordinates and integration by vertical coordinate when constructing a spatially two-dimensional model of hydrodynamics of marine coastal systems when integrated by vertical coordinate. This made it possible to avoid the appearance of non-physical sources of energy and momentum in the spatially two-dimensional model, which can be essential in traditional 2D models with significant depth differences characteristic of coastal systems. The implementation of the analogue of the law of conservation of the total mechanical energy of the system for the constructed 2D model is investigated.Results. Using the correct transformation of the 3D model (integration of the Navier-Stokes equations and continuity along a vertical coordinate, taking into account evaporation from a free surface), spatially two-dimensional models of hydrodynamics are constructed, for which the basic conservation laws, including mass and total mechanical energy of the system, are fulfilled. The implementation of an analogue of the law of conservation of total mechanical energy for various types of boundary conditions, including at the bottom, is investigated. The evaporation from the free surface is correctly accounted for not only in the continuity equation, but also in the equations of motion taking into account wind and waves.Discussion and Conclusion. 2D model of hydrodynamics has been constructed and studied, taking into account evaporation not only in the mass balance equation (continuity), but also in the Navier-Stokes equations of motion. The proposed model can be used for predictive modelling of hydrophysical processes, including the spread of pollutants in the aquatic environment of coastal systems and shallow reservoirs in relation to marine systems such as the Sea of Azov, the Northern Caspian Sea, coastal areas of the Red Sea, etc. Spatially two-dimensional models of marine hydrodynamics, without replacing three-dimensional models, can serve as a model basis for operational forecasting of situations in coastal systems and shallow-water objects using computing systems with relatively low performance and a moderate amount of RAM (5–10 Tflops, 2–4 TB, respectively).

Atypical instantaneous spatio-temporal patterns of neural dynamics in Alzheimer’s disease

Cognitive functions produced by large-scale neural integrations are the most representative ‘emergence phenomena’ in complex systems. A novel approach focusing on the instantaneous phase difference of brain oscillations across brain regions has succeeded in detecting moment-to-moment dynamic functional connectivity. However, it is restricted to pairwise observations of two brain regions, contrary to large-scale spatial neural integration in the whole-brain. In this study, we introduce a microstate analysis to capture whole-brain instantaneous phase distributions instead of pairwise differences. Upon applying this method to electroencephalography signals of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), which is characterised by progressive cognitive decline, the AD-specific state transition among the four states defined as the leading phase location due to the loss of brain regional interactions could be promptly characterised. In conclusion, our synthetic analysis approach, focusing on the microstate and instantaneous phase, enables the capture of the instantaneous spatiotemporal neural dynamics of brain activity and characterises its pathological conditions.

An Investigation in to the Spatial Groundnut Market Integration in Ethiopia: Application of Vector Error Correction Approach 

An Investigation in to the Spatial Groundnut Market Integration in Ethiopia: Application of Vector Error Correction Approach 

Ke Rui Working Paper Series - Spatial-temporal forecasting of environmental variables using time series analysis and spatial data integration

Ke Rui Working Paper Series - Spatial-temporal forecasting of environmental variables using time series analysis and spatial data integration

Transformative Precision: Investigative Summary of PET/CT-Guided Radiation Therapy Simulation in Comprehensive Cancer Management

Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT)-guided radiation therapy simulation has transformed cancer treatment, ushering in enhanced precision and individualization. This discussion delves into clinical indications, applications, procedures, and limitations, providing a comprehensive overview across cancer types. 
 Clinical indications underscore PET/CT's role in accurate staging, target volume delineation, treatment response assessment, and post-treatment recurrence detection. Accurate staging is crucial for tailored treatment plans, while target volume delineation benefits from PET's identification of metabolic patterns. Ongoing treatment response assessment enables dynamic adjustments, and post-treatment, PET/CT aids in detecting recurrent disease. 
 Applications highlight PET/CT's treatment planning optimization by combining anatomical and functional information. Fusion of PET
 and CT images customizes radiation plans, identifying active regions for targeted delivery while sparing healthy tissues. This fusion facilitates tailored strategies, minimizing radiation exposure and enabling dynamic adaptations. 
 Procedural aspects detail imaging acquisition, image fusion, target delineation, treatment planning, and ongoing monitoring. Starting with radiotracer administration, typically fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), PET/CT captures functional and anatomical data. Image fusion aids in target delineation and optimizing plans. Ongoing monitoring allows real-time adjustments. 
 Specific clinical applications across cancers demonstrate PET/CT's versatility. In head and neck cancers, it ensures precise delineation while avoiding critical structures. In lung cancer, it improves tumor extent identification. Similar advantages apply to lymphomas, sarcomas, brain tumors, metastatic disease, and esophageal, gastrointestinal, breast, prostate, gynecological, and pediatric cancers. 
 Limitations include spatial resolution challenges, false positives, cumulative radiation exposure, lesion size, histology, and standardization issues. Ongoing research targets spatial resolution enhancement, radiomics and AI integration, novel tracers, hybrid imaging, patient-specific dosimetry, clinical trials, multimodal workflows, cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and education. 
 PET/CT-guided radiation therapy simulation is transformative. Ongoing advancements promise a more precise and individualized approach, enhancing patient outcomes in cancer management.

The Influence of Animation and Spatial Augmented Reality Integration on Audience Responses to Immersive Arts.

This research examines the integration of animation and Spatial Augmented Reality (SAR) to create immersive artworks in gallery environments. As part of exploring the unexplored domain of SAR-animation convergence, the study looks at the spectators' responses towards this innovative approach in the limited gallery spaces, focusing on viewers' engagement and acceptance. By utilising a combination of research approaches—including audience surveys and creative experiments—the study uncovers the potentials of animation-SAR-based immersive experiences. The results highlight the potential of this growing area, notwithstanding obstacles such as high costs and implementation complexity. The research indicates that immersive art engages viewers to a deeper level and can have an emotional impact; it enriches the viewers' experiences and may contribute as a tool to other significant disciplines, such as art therapy.

Pressure Stimuli and Spatiotemporal Illusions on the Forearm.

To design complex wearable haptic interfaces using pressure, we have to explore how we can use pressure stimuli to their full potential. Haptic illusions, such as apparent motion and apparent location, can be a part of this. If these illusions can be evoked with pressure, haptic patterns can increase in complexity without increasing the number of actuators or combining different types of actuators. We did two psychophysical experiments with pressure stimuli on the forearm using a pneumatic sleeve with multiple, individually controlled McKibben actuators. In Experiment 1, we found that spatial integration of two simultaneously presented stimuli occurred for distances up to 61 mm. In Experiment 2, we found that apparent motion can be elicited with distinct pressure stimuli over a range of temporal parameters. These results clearly show spatio-temporal integration in the somatosensory system for pressure stimuli. We discuss these findings in relation to effects found for vibration and the mechanoreceptors in the glabrous skin.

Analiza izazvanog dinamičkog ponašanja funkcionalno stepenovanih greda pod harmoničnim pokretnim opterećenjem na elastičnoj osnovi pomoću metode konačnih elemenata

Introduction/purpose: This paper presents a numerical study of the forced dynamic behavior of a functionally graded beam subjected to a harmonically varying transversely concentrated moving force using a higher-order shear deformation theory. Methods: The governing equations are derived using Hamilton's principle. These equations are then transformed into the weak form using the Galerkin method. The problem is solved using the finite element method by developing a three-node finite element with four degrees of freedom per node. The Newmark beta method is chosen for the time integration and the Gauss method for the spatial integration. Results: The effects of several parameters were investigated, including the slenderness ratio, the material index, foundation stiffness, velocity and the frequency of the moving load. Good agreement was observed with the results obtained from the literature. Conclusion: This study illustrates the importance of using a higher order theory in the case of short beams and clearly shows the change in the behavior of the FGM beam as a function of different parameters.

Analysis of Hail Production via Simulated Hailstone Trajectories in the 29 May 2012 Kingfisher, Oklahoma, Supercell

Abstract This study uses a new, unique dataset created by combining multi-Doppler radar wind and reflectivity analysis, diabatic Lagrangian analysis (DLA) retrievals of temperature and water substance, and a complex hail trajectory model to create millions of numerically simulated hail trajectories in the Kingfisher, Oklahoma, supercell on 29 May 2012. The DLA output variables are used to obtain a realistic, 4D depiction of the storm’s thermal and hydrometeor structure as required input to the detailed hail growth trajectory model. Hail embryos are initialized in the hail growth module every 3 min of the radar analysis period (2251–0000 UTC) to produce over 2.7 million hail trajectories. A spatial integration technique considering all trajectories is used to identify locations within the supercell where melted particles and subsevere and severe hailstones reside in their lowest and highest concentrations. It is found that hailstones are more likely to reside for longer periods closer to the downshear updraft within the midlevel mesocyclone in a region of decelerated midlevel mesocyclonic horizontal flow, termed the downshear deceleration zone (DDZ). Additionally, clusters of trajectories are analyzed using a trajectory clustering method. Trajectory clusters show there are many trajectory pathways that result in hailstones ≥ 4.5 cm, including trajectories that begin upshear of the updraft away from ideal growth conditions and trajectories that grow within the DDZ. There are also trajectory clusters with similar shapes that experience widely different environmental and hailstone characteristics along the trajectory. Significance Statement The purpose of this study is to understand how hail grew in a thunderstorm that was observed by numerous instruments. The observations were input into a hail trajectory model to simulate hail growth. We found a part of the storm near the updraft where hailstones could remain aloft longer and therefore grow larger. Most modeled severe hailstones were found in the storm in this region. However, we also found that there are many different pathways hailstones can take to become large, although there are still some common characteristics among the pathways.

SWOT analysis of the integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) in Marchica Lagoon Ecosystem, Morocco

This study consists to conduct an environmental SWOT analysis to assess Marchica lagoon and its watershed within the framework of Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM). Recognized as a Ramsar site since 2005, the lagoon is located on the eastern Mediterranean coast of Morocco and offers a variety of ecosystem services. In response to substantial anthropogenic stress, the Moroccan government initiated a restoration plan since 2010 aimed at safeguarding these ecosystem services. Our analysis reveals that, despite restoration efforts, the lagoon is still adversely impacted by its watershed, including the discharge of wastewater, sometimes untreated. A significant environmental limitation identified is the inadequate integration of the “watershed-lagoon” spatial dimension in the lagoon’s management. Consequently, we recommend for the implementation of restoration measures upstream, especially in regions that exert influence on the lagoon. These actions are crucial to ensuring compliance with the spatial integration principles of the ICZM Protocol under the Barcelona Convention, promoting a more holistic and effective approach to ecosystem management.

Optical emission spectroscopy of fiber laser sustained Xe plasma

Laser-sustained plasma (LSP), a unique method of obtaining high brightness broadband light sources, has been used for rapid optical inspection of wafer defects and has thus attracted great interest. Then Xe plasma sustained under high pressure by a continuous fiber laser was investigated using optical emission spectroscopy (OES). Emission spectra of spatial integration diagnosis have shown that with the increase of laser power and the decrease of Gaussian beam focusing number F, the electron temperature fitted by Boltzmann plot method increased from 0.45 eV to 0.85 eV, the corresponding electron density was roughly an order of magnitude of 1016-1017 cm-3, and the calculated absorption coefficient of plasma was distributed in 0.9–1.5 cm-1. To further analyze the spatial distribution of plasma parameters, the spatial resolved OES of LSP was acquired, and the two-dimensional electron temperature and electron density were determined. The non-uniform distribution of the plasma parameters was analyzed due to the existence of thermal gravity convection and forced convection. The serious self-reversal of emission lines of 881.94 nm and 823.16 nm was observed and analyzed.