Steady Shift Research Articles

The Impact of Urban Industrial Structure on Citizen Income: Evidence from China

Technology advancements and the rise of new sectors have caused a steady shift in the urban industrial structure of cities. It is crucial to adopt effective policies to ensure that the industrial structure is conducive to economic development. This study aims to investigate the specific impact of urban industrial structure on residents’ income and how it promotes economic development from the individual level to the city level. Based on data from 5900 prefecture-level cities from 2003 to 2022, the empirical results show the following: (1) Urban industrial structure can significantly benefit both urban and rural residents’ income positively, albeit with a larger marginal effect for urban residents. (2) Enhancing urban industrial structures, rationalizing industrial structures, and upgrading industrial structures can considerably close the economic disparity between urban and rural areas in the corresponding locations. In light of these findings, policymakers should prioritize optimizing urban industrial structures for broader income growth. Balancing industrial reforms between urban and rural areas is crucial for sustainable economic development.

Evaluating trends in radical prostatectomy approach and 30-day complication rate in Ontario from 2010-2019.

Radical prostatectomy (RP) for prostate cancer has changed over the years with the advent of minimally invasive (MIRP) approaches, which includes robotic-assisted RP (RARP). The MIRP approaches have been shown to reduce complication rate, but there remain barriers to adoption. The objective of this study was to quantitatively describe the trend in the RP approach in Ontario, and to assess the trend in complication rates. We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study including all men who underwent RP for prostate cancer in Ontario from 2010-2019. We used administrative data from Ontario's health databases to gather surgical outcome data. Our primary outcomes were the annualized frequency of RP by surgical approach and annualized 30-day composite complication rate. In total, 22 118 patients were included in the analysis over the study period. There was a trend away from retropubic (RRP) frequency over the study period (80.3% of cases in fiscal year [FY] 2010 to 55.6% in FY 2018) and towards RARP approach (6.8% of cases in FY 2010 and 36.7% in FY 2018). The most common complication was blood transfusion at 6.26%, which saw a downtrend over the study period (7.96% FY 2010, 3.47% FY 2018). The odds ratio for 30-day complication for open RP compared to MIRP was 1.74 (95% confidence interval 1.57-1.92, p<0.001). In Ontario, there has been a steady shift away from RRP and towards RARP. Minimally invasive approaches portend a significantly lower complication rate, likely driven by a lower blood transfusion rate.

Paleomagnetic Constraints on the Rapid Plate Shift of North China Block During the Jurassic From ∼155 Ma Dykes and Sills

AbstractA large‐scale apparent polar wander occurred during the Jurassic interval, which is interpreted as true polar wander (TPW). As the motion is nearly orthogonal to the TPW axis, the North China Block (NCB) experienced the largest latitudinal and environmental changes and provides unique constraints on Jurassic TPW. However, due to the lack and uneven quality of paleomagnetic data, TPW records in North China are controversial. Here, we report a new paleomagnetic pole (80.8°N, 13.0°E, A95 = 7.4°) from the late Jurassic sills and dykes that intrude the Nandaling and Xiahuayuan formations in the NCB. The new pole places the NCB at 36.8° ± 7.4°N at 155 ± 3.4 Ma, using Beijing as the reference site. Combined with the reliable Jurassic poles, our study reveals a large, steady southward shift of 37.3° ± 7.2° for the NCB during the Middle and Late Jurassic, and reflects a component of TPW. The position of ∼155 Ma pole also supports significant TPW prior to ∼160 Ma and agrees with proposals attributing the diachronous 165–155 Ma aridification across the Eastern Asian blocks.

Tracking Vancomycin MIC Creep: A Five Year Analysis

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a known human pathogen capable of causing community and hospital acquired infections worldwide. Treatment options available for MRSA infections are limited, with vancomycin being one of the most common drugs used. It is described in the literature that vancomycin can be ineffective against MRSA isolates with MIC values between 1-2 mg/litre. This slow and steady shift of vancomycin MIC values towards higher side over a period of time is known as “MIC creep”. The present retrospective study was carried out over five year period from January 2019 to June 2023. Staphylococcus aureus isolates from all clinical samples isolated during study period were included in the study. MIC50, MIC90, geometric mean MIC values were determined and analysed using Microsoft Excel. In the present study, the prevalence of MRSA was high (79.6%) in pus and tissue samples followed by blood sample (9.7%). Most of the MRSA isolates (55.80%) in present study exhibited vancomycin MIC of 1 µg/ml, there is no increasing trend of MIC values over a five year period. MIC creep is a slow and steady process which is multifactorial in origin. Regular monitoring of vancomycin MIC trend is advisable as vancomycin is the first-line treatment for culture proven severe infection with MRSA.

The old king is dead, long live the algorithmic king – the decline of Facebook and the rise of TikTok – comparative study of algorithmic design of social media platforms

AbstractAlmost 20 years of Facebook (FB) hegemony in the social media have lately been put in jeopardy by the newly arising Chinese platform TikTok (TT), which has taken the market by storm. This comparative study aims to analyse the divergencies in the employment of AI and algorithms in the mechanics of the two social media platforms. The ‘the networked self’ model of FB is contrasted with the ‘algorithmized self’ of TT and the implications of the latest shift in the social media approach, which has skewed from the engagement with other social media users to strict interaction with the AI‐induced algorithm. Additionally, particular elements and reasons for the declining importance and involvement in the FB platform are under scrutiny here to provide an explanation for the participation downturn of the Gen Z generation in the American social media platform. This study has revealed a steady shift from FB to other social media platforms that provide a more personalized experience and the content that is better suited to the needs of contemporary young people. Another issue that is discussed is the changing agency of social media participants, who have been switching from the traditional user model to the creator mode, which allows them to employ their creativity and become immediate producers of video content that challenges traditional approaches to social media.

Major surgical conditions of childhood and their lifelong implications: comprehensive review.

In recent decades, the survival of children with congenital anomalies and paediatric cancer has improved dramatically such that there has been a steady shift towards understanding their lifelong health outcomes. Paediatric surgeons will actively manage such conditions in childhood and adolescence, however, adult surgeons must later care for these 'grown-ups' in adulthood. This article aims to highlight some of those rare disorders encountered by paediatric surgeons requiring long-term follow-up, their management in childhood and their survivorship impact, in order that the adult specialist may be better equipped with skills and knowledge to manage these patients into adulthood. A comprehensive literature review was performed to identify relevant publications. Research studies, review articles and guidelines were sought, focusing on the paediatric management and long-term outcomes of surgical conditions of childhood. The article has been written for adult surgeon readership. This article describes the aforementioned conditions, their management in childhood and their lifelong implications, including: oesophageal atresia, tracheo-oesophageal fistula, malrotation, short bowel syndrome, duodenal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, choledochal malformations, biliary atresia, Hirschsprung disease, anorectal malformations, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, congenital lung lesions and paediatric cancer. The increasing survivorship of children affected by surgical conditions will translate into a growing population of adults with lifelong conditions and specialist healthcare needs. The importance of transition from childhood to adulthood is becoming realized. It is hoped that this timely review will enthuse the readership to offer care for such vulnerable patients, and to collaborate with paediatric surgeons in providing successful and seamless transitional care.

Why is there a gap in self-rated health among people with hypertension in Zambia? A decomposition of determinants and rural‒urban differences

BackgroundHypertension affects over one billion people globally and is one of the leading causes of premature death. Low- and middle-income countries, especially the sub-Saharan Africa region, bear a disproportionately higher share of hypertension globally. Recent evidence shows a steady shift in the burden of hypertension from more affluent and urban populations towards poorer and rural communities. Our study examined inequalities in self-rated health (SRH) among people with hypertension and whether there is a rural‒urban gap in the health of these patients. We then quantified factors driving the health gap. We also examined how much HIV accounts for differences in self-rated health among hypertension patients due to the relationship between HIV, hypertension and health in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsWe utilized the Zambia Household Health Expenditure and Utilization Survey for data on SRH and other demographic and socioeconomic controls. District HIV prevalence information was from the Zambia Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (ZAMPHIA) survey. We applied the Linear Probability Model to assess the association between self-rated health and independent variables as a preliminary step. We then used the Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition to identify self-rated health inequality between urban and rural patients and determine determinants of the health gap between the two groups.ResultsAdvanced age, lower education and low district HIV prevalence were significantly associated with poor health rating among hypertension patients. The decomposition analysis indicated that 45.5% of urban patients and 36.9% of rural patients reported good self-rated health, representing a statistically significant health gap of 8.6%. Most of the identified health gap can be attributed to endowment effects, with education (73.6%), district HIV prevalence (30.8%) and household expenditure (4.8%) being the most important determinants that explain the health gap.ConclusionsUrban hypertension patients have better SRH than rural patients in Zambia. Education, district HIV prevalence and household expenditure were the most important determinants of the health gap between rural and urban hypertension patients. Policies aimed at promoting educational interventions, improving access to financial resources and strengthening hypertension health services, especially in rural areas, can significantly improve the health of rural patients, and potentially reduce health inequalities between the two regions.

“Patchiness” in mechanical stiffness across a tumor as an early-stage marker for malignancy

Mechanical phenotyping of tumors, either at an individual cell level or tumor cell population level is gaining traction as a diagnostic tool. However, the extent of diagnostic and prognostic information that can be gained through these measurements is still unclear. In this work, we focus on the heterogeneity in mechanical properties of cells obtained from a single source such as a tissue or tumor as a potential novel biomarker. We believe that this heterogeneity is a conventionally overlooked source of information in mechanical phenotyping data. We use mechanics-based in-silico models of cell-cell interactions and cell population dynamics within 3D environments to probe how heterogeneity in cell mechanics drives tissue and tumor dynamics. Our simulations show that the initial heterogeneity in the mechanical properties of individual cells and the arrangement of these heterogenous sub-populations within the environment can dictate overall cell population dynamics and cause a shift towards the growth of malignant cell phenotypes within healthy tissue environments. The overall heterogeneity in the cellular mechanotype and their spatial distributions is quantified by a “patchiness” index, which is the ratio of the global to local heterogeneity in cell populations. We observe that there exists a threshold value of the patchiness index beyond which an overall healthy population of cells will show a steady shift towards a more malignant phenotype. Based on these results, we propose that the “patchiness” of a tumor or tissue sample, can be an early indicator for malignant transformation and cancer occurrence in benign tumors or healthy tissues. Additionally, we suggest that tissue patchiness, measured either by biochemical or biophysical markers, can become an important metric in predicting tissue health and disease likelihood just as landscape patchiness is an important metric in ecology.

The Russian war in Ukraine increased Ukrainian language use on social media

The use of language is innately political, often a vehicle of cultural identity and the basis for nation building. Here, we examine language choice and tweeting activity of Ukrainian citizens based on 4,453,341 geo-tagged tweets from 62,712 users before and during the Russian war in Ukraine, from January 2020 to October 2022. Using statistical models, we disentangle sample effects, arising from the in- and outflux of users on Twitter (now X), from behavioural effects, arising from behavioural changes of the users. We observe a steady shift from the Russian language towards Ukrainian already before the war, which drastically speeds up with its outbreak. We attribute these shifts in large part to users’ behavioural changes. Notably, our analysis shows that more than half of the Russian-tweeting users switch towards Ukrainian with the Russian invasion. We interpret these findings as users’ conscious choice towards a more Ukrainian (online) identity and self-definition of being Ukrainian.

Analysis of How the Music Curriculum Can Contribute to the Implementation of Quality Education from a Cognitive Developmental Perspective

As the demands on childrens quality development grow, music is gradually becoming a way of developing good morals. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how the music curriculum can contribute to the implementation of quality education from a cognitive developmental perspective based on existing literature and research results. With regard to music education, three aspects are analysed: humanistic, aesthetic and practical. Concerning cognitive development, it is analysed through four stages of cognitive development. The result shows that the music curriculum has largely improved the cognitive, intellectual and psychological abilities of students, and the application of cognitive development theory in education has improved teachers teaching methods, together contributing to the development of quality education. The application of theory in education has led to a steady shift in the educational paradigm towards a focus on individual differences and a greater student-centred approach. According to research, there is a direct correlation between musical quality and cognitive growth. The aesthetic foundation of the music curriculum is stressed, with a goal of encouraging qualitative growth. Teachers have a solid theoretical foundation to work from when they change lesson plans because of the theory of cognitive development.

Investigation of variation in fluorescence intensity from rhodamine 6G dye in a trapped and levitated liquid micro-drop

Variation in fluorescence intensity from rhodamine 6 G dye was investigated. A small volume of dye solution, in the form of a trapped and levitated micro-drop, was optically excited with a 400 μW, 532 nm wavelength cw-laser light. The dye was dissolved in methanol and glycerol for a concentration of 10 mg/ml or 21 mMole per liter. With the optical excitation, initially the fluorescence intensity was observed to rise with time, and then it decayed, along with a steady shift of fluorescence peak from 562 nm to 543 nm. The observation of initial enhancement in fluorescence from start to 7 min of excitation, can partly be due to the low excitation power, less dimer formation and gradual rise in molecular population to excited state therefore slower rate of change (increase) of fluorescence intensity was observed with time. Simulation studies indicate that the photo bleaching was taking place from all the energy states of the dye molecules, which is an extension of the concept that the photo bleaching takes place at the excited triplet state whereas the fluorescence takes place due to transition between excited singlet states and ground states. A steady shift in fluorescence peak position, from 562 nm to 543 nm, was observed during the fluorescence life of the dye, at a rate of 0.0113 nm/s during fluorescence enhancement and 0.026 nm/s during photo-bleaching. The steady blue shift of fluorescence indicate insignificant dimer formation.

Different approach, same focus: How China is shaping the future of its African cooperation through education

Aid, trade, and foreign direct investments remain central to burgeoning Africa and China engagements. However, a recent analysis of the Forum of China-Africa Cooperation action plan reveals a steady shift from the material to the nonmaterial spheres. This observation stems from increasing investments in education, including Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classroom projects, scholarships, professionalized training for African media and security personnel, and China's peacekeeping operations. These people-to-people encounters are expected to expand as the Belt and Road Initiatives deepen. Yet, how these educational collaborations connect to China's quest to consolidate its African presence remains undertheorized. Focusing on Ghana's recent emergence as the continent's largest “exporter” of students to China despite its relatively small population, this study explores the significance of China's growing educational investments on future relationships between China and African countries. The research draws on relational productive power framework of knowledge production and argues that China's growing educational investments in Africa comprise state-led efforts to build social capital to shape future engagements with African countries.

Studying the Optical and Structural Properties and Anticancer Activity of New PVA–Fe2O3:Cu Nanocomposite Materials

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the structure, morphology and optical properties of a newly developed hybrid structure that was generated from a Fe2O3–Cu–PVA composite matrix. Several methods, such as field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), as well as absorption and transmission spectra, were used to investigate the samples. The addition of copper was found to have no influence on the crystalline arrangement of PVA–Fe2O3, according to the findings of crystallography. In the wavelength region from 450[Formula: see text]nm to 550 nm, the produced composites exhibit significant absorption. It is essential that the region of shorter wavelengths experiences a steady shift toward the region of maximum absorption in these composites when copper is included. The transmittance of PVA–Fe2O3 is over 80% in the region of 600–800[Formula: see text]nm, making it an extremely transparent material. Following the addition of 5% by weight of copper to the nanocomposite, the transmittance of the material dropped to 50% within the same range of wavelengths. The synthesized materials were put to use as anti-cancer cells, and they demonstrated a high level of effectiveness in the process of killing tumor cells, particularly the PVA–Fe2O3–Cu combination.

NEXUS OF IMPROVING AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIALIZATION AND POVERTY ALLEVIATION IN WEST AFRICA

The desire to establish food security and alleviate poverty among the people of many West African countries has resulted in the passage of numerous pieces of legislation, including the Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP), to sustain agricultural growth and contribute to the development of a food-secure future. Many nations food security programs have prioritized agricultural automation and commercialization. Agricultural commercialization entails a steady shift from subsistence to mechanized farming, with profit maximization driving production and input decisions and deepening vertical links between input and output markets. This novel strategy aims to empower people at the grassroots level because the majority of the indigenous peoples in these nations are farmers, with the foresight that these nations would achieve their financial zenith when the people are economically secure. In this study, the authors sought to explore literature from the previous decades on expanding agricultural sector involvement and its implications for poverty reduction and food security in West Africa. Furthermore, the agricultural sectors advancement via mechanization and scientific and technological developments, the relationship between agricultural sector growth and food security, and the impact of agricultural development on poverty reduction in West Africa are discussed. Finally, agricultural commercialization and its influence on family economic development, and hence on poverty reduction and food security, are thoroughly examined. KEYWORDS: Agricultural sector, Poverty alleviation, West Africa, Food security, Commercialization

Board Diversity and Intellectual Capital Performance of Listed Non-Financial Service Firms in Nigeria

Purpose : This study examines the effect of board diversity on the intellectual capital performance of listed non-financial service firms in Nigeria. This is due to the paucity of studies in this area especially within the context of Nigeria even at the instance of the gradual and steady shift from the industrial to information/knowledge based economy.Method : The study employs correlational research design to examine the 44 sampled firms fora period of ten years (2011-2020). Quantitative data extracted from the annual reports of the firms were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation and Fixed-Effects regressions.Findings : The regression results revealed that board composition and board size have significant positive effect on intellectual capital performance. However, board ownership has insignificant effect on intellectual capital performance. Consequently, the study failed to reject the second null hypothesis. Novelty : Previous Nigerian studies concentrated on the use of traditional Value Added Intellectual Coefficients (VAIC) which is currently considered inappropriate. Given the previous studies, this study is novel because it uses the Modified Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (MVAIC).Keywords : Board Diversity; Board Composition; Board Ownership; Board Size; Intellectual Capital Performance

Whither digital agriculture in India?

Agriculture is central to the Indian economy and suffers from widespread operational inefficiencies that could be corrected by the use of digital agriculture technologies (DA). We review and synthesise available literature concerning digital agriculture in India and anticipate its transformative potential in the coming decade. Although the initial growth of DA was more conspicuous in the downstream sectors and high-value crops, reaching smallholder farmers upstream is slowly emerging despite significant obstacles such as small fragmented holdings, inadequate data infrastructure and public policy, and unequal access to digital infrastructure. Agri-tech enables innovation at many locations within value chains, and a steady shift is occurring in change from individual farms to the whole value chain. Technology in the sector is progressing from information and communication technology-based solutions to Internet of Things and artificial intelligence–machine learning-enabled services. India’s public policy shows signs of a longstanding investment and collaboration in the sector, with an explicit focus on data infrastructure development. We find smallholder predominance, diversity in production systems, the predominance of commodity crops, proximity to urban markets, and public policy as the major factors of DA’s success in India. A stocktake of the available technologies and their applications by the public sector, tech giants, information technology leaders and agri-food tech startups in India strongly indicates a digital transformation of Indian agriculture. However, given the federal structure of governance and agriculture being a state (province) subject, we need to wait to see how DA policies are rolled out and taken up across the country.

Harmonizing Tradition with Modernity: Analyzing the Evolution of Mediation in Pakistan’s Legal Landscape

Pakistan, a nation steeped in tradition, is witnessing a slow but steady transformative shift in its legal system concerning mediation and dispute resolution. The conventional dispute resolution methods deeply rooted in Pakistan's history, such as jirgas and panchayats, have long served as community-centric means of conflict resolution. However, the evolving legal landscape calls for adaptive measures that integrate these traditional approaches with formalized mediation structures. This paper aims to delve into the multifaceted evolution of mediation practices within Pakistan’s legal framework. It begins by exploring the historical roots and cultural influences shaping traditional dispute resolution methods prevalent in Pakistan. Furthermore, the paper investigates the legislative reforms and initiatives undertaken by the Pakistani government to incorporate mediation into its legal system. It assesses the impact of these reforms on the judiciary, legal practitioners, and society at large.

State-of-health estimation by virtual experiments using recurrent decoder–encoder based lithium-ion digital battery twins trained on unstructured battery data

Due to the large share of production costs, the lifespan of an electric vehicle’s (EV) lithium-ion traction battery should be as long as possible. The optimisation of the EV’s operating strategy with regard to battery life requires a regular evaluation of the battery’s state-of-health (SOH). Yet the SOH, the remaining battery capacity, cannot be measured directly through sensors but requires the elaborate conduction of special characterisation tests. Considering the limited number of test facilities as well as the rapidly growing number of EVs, time-efficient and scalable SOH estimation methods are urgently needed and are the object of investigation in this work. The developed virtual SOH experiment originates from the incremental capacity measurement and solely relies on the commonly logged battery management system (BMS) signals to train the digital battery twins. The first examined dataset with identical load profiles for new and aged battery state serves as proof of concept. The successful SOH estimation based on the second dataset that consists of varying load profiles with increased complexity constitutes a step towards the application on real driving cycles. Assuming that the load cycles contain pauses and start from the fully charged battery state, the SOH estimation succeeds either through a steady shift of the load sequences (variant one) with an average deviation of 0.36% or by random alignment of the dataset’s subsequences (variant two) with 1.04%. In contrast to continuous capacity tests, the presented framework does not impose restrictions to small currents. It is entirely independent of the prevailing and unknown ageing condition due to the application of battery models based on the novel encoder–decoder architecture and thus provides the cornerstone for a scalable and robust estimation of battery capacity on a pure data basis.

Comparison between modulations of contact and channel potential in nitrogen dioxide gas response of ambipolar carbon nanotube field-effect transistors

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising materials for gas sensing because of their large specific area and high sensitivity to charge differentiation. In CNT-based field-effect transistors (FETs) for gas sensing, both CNT potential modulation in the channels and Schottky barrier height modulation at the CNT/metal electrode contact influence the current properties. However, researchers have not used Schottky barrier height modulation for gas detection. To investigate and compare the effects of Schottky barrier height modulation and CNT channel potential modulation on NO2 gas exposure, we fabricated ambipolar CNT FETs by the dielectrophoretic assembly. We exposed CNT FET gas sensors to N2 gas containing 100-ppb NO2 and observed two different responses in the electric properties: a steady current shift in the positive direction in the hole-conduction region because of the channel potential modulation, and an abrupt decrease in transconductance in the electron-conduction region because of the Schottky barrier modulation. The CNT channels and CNT/metal contact both contributed to the sensor response, and the modulation rate of the Schottky barrier was higher than that of the CNT potential shift in the channel.

Designing optimized drug candidates with Generative Adversarial Network

Drug design is an important area of study for pharmaceutical businesses. However, low efficacy, off-target delivery, time consumption, and high cost are challenges and can create barriers that impact this process. Deep Learning models are emerging as a promising solution to perform de novo drug design, i.e., to generate drug-like molecules tailored to specific needs. However, stereochemistry was not explicitly considered in the generated molecules, which is inevitable in targeted-oriented molecules. This paper proposes a framework based on Feedback Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) that includes optimization strategy by incorporating Encoder–Decoder, GAN, and Predictor deep models interconnected with a feedback loop. The Encoder–Decoder converts the string notations of molecules into latent space vectors, effectively creating a new type of molecular representation. At the same time, the GAN can learn and replicate the training data distribution and, therefore, generate new compounds. The feedback loop is designed to incorporate and evaluate the generated molecules according to the multiobjective desired property at every epoch of training to ensure a steady shift of the generated distribution towards the space of the targeted properties. Moreover, to develop a more precise set of molecules, we also incorporate a multiobjective optimization selection technique based on a non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework can generate realistic, novel molecules that span the chemical space. The proposed Encoder–Decoder model correctly reconstructs 99% of the datasets, including stereochemical information. The model’s ability to find uncharted regions of the chemical space was successfully shown by optimizing the unbiased GAN to generate molecules with a high binding affinity to the Kappa Opioid and Adenosine A_ {2a} receptor. Furthermore, the generated compounds exhibit high internal and external diversity levels 0.88 and 0.94, respectively, and uniqueness.