Urban Locations Research Articles

An inductive method for classifying building form in a city with implications for orientation

The utilization of deep learning for form analysis facilitates the classification of an extensive number of forms based on their morphological features. A critical consideration for implementing such analysis methods in architectural or urban forms is whether building orientation should be embedded within the data. Orientation functions as a form variable significantly influenced by environmental, social, and cultural contexts within a city. In contrast to other domains where forms are extrapolated in relation to their context, in the city, domain orientation uniquely characterizes building form. In this paper, we introduce a pipeline for constructing an extensive building form dataset and scrutinizing the morphological identity of building forms, with a particular focus on the implications of building orientation as a manifestation of urban locality. Through a case study situated in Montreal, we engage in a comparative analysis employing two distinct datasets—those with orientation-embedded forms and those with orientation-normalized forms. Our research aims to investigate the typo-morphological characteristics of the building forms of the city and to examine how building orientation contributes to the identification of these traits and mirrors urban locality.

Development of Multi-Analysis By Operando Spectroscopy / Elemental Measurement in Oxide-Type All-Solid-State Na Batteries

Introduction Oxide-type all-solid-state Na batteries (ASSBs) are attracted attention owing to their high safety, resource abundant and intrinsic chemical stability, toward electric storage system for renewable energies, such as photovoltaics and wind generations, using electrochemical devices in urban locations. Although the ASSBs shows low output performances and high internal resistances due to their low sinter density in general, the improvement of these properties have been strenuously studied by using the spark-plasma-sintering (SPS) and sintering additives of low melting point material such as B2O3. However, charge-discharge process is complex reactions extremely, which includes redox reactions of electrode, ionic transport of solid electrolyte at macro / micro-scales every component material. Therefore, to perspective understanding of charge-discharge reactions in the ASSBs, the construction of analysis technique is strongly desired by combination of evaluation methods with suitable selection for each scale. Herein, the multi-scale analysis was demonstrated by using Operando scanning electron microscopy / energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM / EDS) (µm-scale) and Raman spectroscopy (atomic-order) for observing changes of Na concentration, bonding states during charge-discharge processes, respectively, in addition evaluation of elemental distributions through the time-of-fright secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) (nm-scale). Experimental The ASSBs were fabricated by multi-step-sintering method using SPS1 from Na3V2(PO4)3 (NVP) as positive (PE) and negative electrode (NE) active materials, Na3Zr2Si2PO12 (NZSP) as solid electrolyte (SE), B2O3 as adhesive between PE/SE and SE/NE layers. The electrode composition were NVP : NZSP : carbon = 25 : 60 : 15 by weight ratio. The sintered ASSB was physically split for arbitrary size, and then obtained piece loaded into a sample holder of Ar-ion milling system in Ar atmosphere to prepare smooth surface of cross-sectional direction. After the Ar-ion milled sample was transferred to holder enabled to apply voltage, Operando SEM-EDS was performed by cyclic voltammetry (CV) with 0.2 mV s-1 of scan rate, 0.5 - 2.5 V of voltage range at room temperature, and acquired elemental mapping images every 0.5 V for 3 min of recording time. As evaluation at 2, 3 cycle, Operando Raman spectroscopy using the same sample was performed by CV with same conditions at room temperature (at 2 cycle) and 60oC (at 3 cycle), using electrochemical measurement cell having observation window of quartz glass. After 3 cycles, the TOF-SIMS mappings were acquired from all area of the cross-sectional ASSB by using plus mode. Results & Discussion From the Operando SEM / EDS, the distributions of Na element clear changed in PE and NE layers under charge-discharge processes, the 2D-dimensional profile on Na counts normalized by P, which is estimated to be not contribute electrochemical reactions, is shown Figure 1 (a). The Na concentration were confirmed decrease / increase trends at charge process, even though there were decreased / increased at discharge process in the PE and NE layers, respectively. These behaviors of concentration change mean to Na transport between the PE and NE layers with deintercalation and intercalation reactions of NVP during charge-discharge processes. On other hand, Figure 1 (b), (c) shows the Raman spectra changes for PE and NE layers at 2 cycle. Although the D- (1380 cm-1) and G- (1520 cm-1) bands related to carbon material did not change, the integrated intensities at about 780 cm-1 clear increased / decreased at PE layer in charge-discharge processes, respectively. These peaks were assigned to PO4 bonding of NVP, and suggested to reversible structural change owing to intercalation and deintercalation reactions of Na. In addition, the calculation result of Na pathway in the NVP was reported by migration between PO4 tetrahedral along the x direction with low activation energy, and should affect bonding states owing to change of backbone structure during charge-discharge processes.2 Therefore, the peak of PO4 bonding is considered as estimation index on the state-of-charge with electrode redox reactions in ASSBs. In other words, intercalation / deintercalation of Na affects not only structural change of NVP, but also concentration change in all areas of PE and NE layers and these reactions could be directly observed by combination of Operando SEM / EDS and Ram.an spectroscopy. In this presentation, we will also report the results of elemental distributions after 3 cycles by acquired from the TOF-SIMS analysis and correlationship between each evaluation technique for ASSB. D. Kutsuzawa, et al., ACS Appl. Energy Mater., 5, 4025–4028 (2022)W. Song et al., J. Mater. Chem. A, 2, 5358 (2014). Figure 1

Persistent Organic Pollutants and Suspended Particulate Matter in Snow of Eastern Siberia in 2009-2023: Temporal Trends and Effects of Meteorological Factors and Recultivation Activities at Former Industrial Area.

Suspended particulate matter (SPM), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and organochlorine pesticides (OCP) were studied in the snow cover at urban and suburban localities in the Irkutsk region, Eastern Siberia for their temporal variations in 2009-2023, daily deposition fluxes (DDFs), and effects of some meteorological factors, as well as the effects of different technogenic activities in the industrial area of the former organochlorine enterprises of Usol'ekhimprom. SPM loads at both stations were found to be at a low level of pollution. The levels of HCB, α + γ-HCH, and ∑p,p'-DDX were lower than Russian maximum permissible levels (MPLs) in drinking water, groundwater, and surface water for household drinking and cultural purposes. The sums of all organochlorine compounds studied in snow were higher than the MPL in freshwater water bodies for fishery purposes. The levels of the DDFs of HCHs, DDTs, and heptachlorinated PCB decreased, di- and trichlorinated PCB levels increased, and HCB levels changed at a polynomial line during 2009-2023. The change in the relative composition of PCBs was found as a result of recultivation activities at the industrial area of the former organochlorine enterprise of Usol'ekhimprom. The air humidity and temperature are the key meteorological factors affecting the DDFs of PCBs and OCPs.

DO OLDER ADULTS BELIEVE THEY ARE AGING SUCCESSFULLY IN THE CIRCUMPOLAR NORTH?

Abstract People’s perspectives on successful aging may impact their own aging outcomes. To gain more insight, we surveyed a convenience sample of 58 adults aged 55+ years in urban Alaska about their perceptions of their own aging using Fowler’s successful aging scale. Overall, older adults rated their aging in the middle of the 1-7 scale across all three questions: how well they are aging, how “successfully” they have aged up to now, and how they rate their lives these days (M=4.17, SD=1.16, range=1-7 where 1 = not at all successful and 7 = extremely successful). Correlational analyses indicated that as perceptions of successful aging increase, self-reported good general health (M=2.90, SD=1.00, range=1=5) increases, r(56)=.499, p<.001, and self-reported disability (M=0.71, SD=0.92, range=0-3) decreases, r(56)=-.27, p<.05. Despite a small sample size, these findings that perceptions of successful aging increased as general heath increased and self-reported disability decreased, suggest that participants may perceive successful aging and good general health to be positively correlated. Perceptions of successful aging were not related to age in this sample (M=71.98, SD=8.74), r(56)=.125, p=.349. This is promising, as it may indicate that older adults recognize good health and absence of disability as integral components for successful aging regardless of chronological age providing opportunities for targeted messaging in future interventions. Future work will explore opportunities to promote successful aging and overcome some of the challenges related to healthy aging in this urban location, including the Circumpolar environment, historical trauma of Indigenous peoples, and a lack of accessible healthcare across Alaska.

Passengers Flow Analysis of Public Transit Service in Pokhara

The motive of the study is to evaluate the existing public transportation system and propose recommendations for Pokhara public transportation to enhance its efficiency and effectiveness. In urban locations, a well-managed public transportation system is unquestionably required. According to the previous study, passengers faced various issues on their journey, such as delays in reaching their destination, bus congestion, an inappropriate time of departure, lane stoppage, and more. (Duwadi, et al., 2019) The primary and secondary data collected from fieldwork and the Yatayat Bibhag, respectively, were used in the research for the analysis. The volumes of passenger flows on ten different routes were analyzed. Mapping and modeling were done using GIS and CAD. Results show that the service frequency did not match the actual swings in consumer demand, resulting in increased time delays. It is recommended that well-managed loading areas be needed in areas with the highest person capacity of more than 3000 per stop per hour, such as Chipledhunga, Mahendrapool, Srijanachowk, and more. A practical operation schedule and service frequency, including 10% for backup and maintenance, were recommended. Demand for passengers on various routes and the number of years the capacity can fulfill the demand is calculated.

Decreasing trend in SO2 concentrations over Durban: 2004 - 2014

The climatology of ambient SO2 air pollution was investigated in Durban, South Africa using data collected by seven air quality monitoring stations (Ferndale, Grosvenor, Jacobs, Wentworth, Settlers School, Southern Works and Prospecton) operated by eThekwini municipality (2004–2014, 2018-2019). These sites constitute a mix of urban and industrial locations. Yearly average trends indicated that no site exceeded the yearly average national guideline (19ppbv) 2004-2014, 2018-2019. Southern Works, Wentworth and Jacobs, recorded highest yearly averages, a consequence of situation within Durban South Industrial Basin (DSIB) while Ferndale recorded lowest yearly averages, a reflection of location in an urban environment. Results of linear fitting to yearly average data (2004-2014) indicated negative trends (all sites). The largest trend was recorded at Jacobs (-0.48ppbv yr-1) and smallest trends observed at Prospecton (-0.12ppbv yr-1), Ferndale (-0.084ppbv yr-1) and Grosvenor (-0.024ppbv yr-1). Using these linear trends, projected SO2 levels were calculated and compared to actual data where it existed (2019 - Wentworth, Settlers, Prospecton), (2018, 2019 Southern Works). Comparison of actual with projected data indicated that except for Prospecton, projected yearly averages are lower than actual yearly averages for these sites. The largest difference between projected and actual data occurred for Southern Works in 2019 (4.10 ppbv). Monthly averages displayed periodic behaviour with maxima recorded in winter and minima in summer. Highest monthly averages were consistently recorded at Wentworth, Jacobs or Southern Works. Maximum monthly average (2004- 2019) was reported at Jacobs, June 2009 (21.71± 2.82ppbv) while minimum monthly average (2004–2019) was reported at Ferndale, December 2012 (0.32±0.04ppbv). Previous Durban SO2 studies are considerably older or of shorter duration than the analysis presented here and are limited as they principally focus on yearly average trends. The determination of SO2 levels over additional averaging periods (monthly average, seasonal variation, seasonal average) coupled with a larger data set and the comparison across sites (industrial vs urban) provides a more detailed exposure profile as experienced by individuals living and working in the eThekwini municipality and thereby expands on previous investigations.

Risk of stroke within 3, 7, 14, 21 and 30 days after influenza vaccination in Alberta, Canada: A population-based study.

Influenza vaccination is associated with a longer-term protective effect against stroke; however, it has a short-term inflammatory response which may increase short-term risk of stroke. The aim was to investigate the association between influenza vaccination and short-term risk of stroke in adults. Administrative data were obtained from the Alberta Health Care Insurance Plan for all adults in Alberta, Canada, from September 2009 to December 2018. The hazard of any stroke (acute ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage and transient ischaemic attack) within 3, 7, 14, 21 and 30 days of influenza vaccination compared to unexposed time was analysed using Andersen-Gill Cox models, with adjustment for age, sex, anticoagulant use, atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, hypertension, income quintile, and rural or urban home location. In the entire cohort consisting of 4,141,209 adults (29,687,899 person-years), 1,769,565 (42.7%) individuals received at least one vaccination. In total 38,126 stroke events were recorded with 1309 occurring within 30 days of a vaccination event. Influenza vaccination was associated with a significantly reduced hazard of stroke within 3 days (hazard ratio [HR] 0.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73-0.93), 7 days (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.80-0.95), 14 days (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81-0.93), 21 days (HR 0.85, 95% CI 0.80-0.91) and 30 days (HR 0.66, 95% CI 0.65-0.68). An increased early risk associated with vaccination was not observed. The risk of stroke was reduced at all time points within 30 days after influenza vaccination.

The interplay between air pollution, built environment, and physical activity: Perceptions of children and youth in rural and urban India

The role of physical inactivity as a contributor to non-communicable disease risk in children and youth is widely recognized. Air pollution and the built environment can limit participation in physical activity and exacerbate non-communicable disease risk; however, the relationships between perceptions of air pollution, built environment, and health behaviours are not fully understood, particularly among children and youth in low and middle-income countries. Currently, there are no studies capturing how child and youth perceptions of air pollution and built environment are associated with physical activity in India, thus, this study investigated the association between perceived air pollution and built environment on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels of Indian children and youth. Online surveys captured MVPA, perception of air pollution as a problem, built environment factors, as well as relevant sociodemographic characteristics from parents and children aged 5–17 years in partnership with 41 schools across 28 urban and rural locations during the Coronavirus disease lockdowns in 2021. After adjusting for age, gender, and location, a significant association was found between the perception of air pollution as a problem and MVPA levels (β = −18.365, p < 0.001). Similarly, the perception of a high crime rate was associated with lower MVPA levels (β = −23.383, p = 0.002). Reporting the presence of zebra crossings, pedestrian signals, or attractive natural sightings were associated with higher MVPA levels; however, this association varied across sociodemographic groups. These findings emphasize the importance of addressing air pollution and improving the built environment to facilitate outdoor active living, including active transportation, among children and youth – solutions that are particularly relevant not only for preventing non-communicable disease risk but also for climate change mitigation.

Dry stone walling. Rural artisan enterprise in the urban economy

Usually, dry stone walls are a feature of rural locations but this paper presents a case story of how two experienced dry stone Wallers were commissioned to build a dry stone wall in an urban location. Through narrative story telling using photographs, this work charts the progress of the construction of the Wall from the commissioning process in December 2021 from visiting stone quarries to search for appropriate stone in January 2022, to the building of the wall itself in May–June 2022.The paper demonstrates how engaging in simple artisanal tasks, such as building a dry stone wall, is a source of fascination to the observer and also a process of discovery. Methodologically, it uses a Dramaturgical lens (Goffman, 1959) to capture the experience of both the construction of the wall itself and the lenses which the casual observer uses to understand the process of walling.The paper explores the significance of what are perceived to be ‘rural’ ‘creative enterprise’ and artisanship but transported to an urban environment. It expands an earlier work of a case study of two dry stone wallers, based in North Yorkshire, a region of the UK (McElwee, 2022).By so doing, it demonstrates how creative enterprise skills in the rural economy can be transported into the urban environment. By this simple process the paradox is that more actors are able to enjoy and appreciate a rural skill, than they would in a more ‘traditional’ environment. One further consequence of this is that urban-based actors are able to appreciate at first hand, the beauty of a well-constructed dry stone wall.Importantly it points to the significance of the dry stone wall for the continued sustainability of rural regions. In the UK, the dry stone wall is perceived to be a ‘Public good’. Indeed, the UK Domestic Agricultural Policy (DAP) is centred around the idea of ‘public money for public goods’, which incentivises farmers for providing services that the public can benefit from i.e., countryside access, sustainable farming practices and increasing biodiversity (Defra, 2021).

Impact of noise to the environment in Republic of Srpska

Harmful effect of noise to the human health are various, begining from psihological to the irreversible damage of hearing. In order to prevent negative impact to the living and working environment, especially at the urban and industrial places where noise influence is the largest, at the specific location noise estimation must be performed before sources are build. Action of protection as well as reduction of the noise based on law and technical regulations, followed by detailed investigation are mostly applied in Banja Luka, the largest city of Republic of Srpska with huge dense of population and intensive traffic jam. Beside traffic noise, which has strongest effect to the human health, theoretical predictions are also performed for directional speakers, mostly temporary active in urban location during cultural manifestation. Theoretically obtained results from simulations are projected to the map of noise, where are further defined borders between places with enlarged noise in comparatione with referent levels, given by international standards but in agreement with national legislative. Review of data and their analysis in order to determine degree of the environment contamination in the Republic of Srpska with noise is the primary goal of this study. The measurement methods and theoretical assessment tools used for detection and prediction of these physical pollutants, which tend to grow permanently due to lifestyle, are also presented.

Evaluation of bicyclist physiological response and visual attention in commercial vehicle loading zones

IntroductionWith growing freight operations throughout the world, there is a push for transportation systems to accommodate trucks during loading and unloading operations. Currently, many urban locations do not provide loading and unloading zones, which results in trucks parking in places that obstruct bicyclist’s roadway infrastructure (e.g., bicycle lanes). MethodTo understand the implications of these truck operations, a bicycle simulation experiment was designed to evaluate the impact of commercial vehicle loading and unloading activities on safe and efficient bicycle operations in a shared urban roadway environment. A fully counterbalanced, partially randomized, factorial design was chosen to explore three independent variables: commercial vehicle loading zone (CVLZ) sizes with three levels (i.e., no CVLZ, Min CVLZ, and Max CVLZ), courier position with three levels (i.e., no courier, behind the truck, beside the truck), and with and without loading accessories. Bicyclist’s physiological response and eye tracking were used as performance measures. Data were obtained from 48 participants, resulting in 864 observations in 18 experimental scenarios using linear mixed-effects models (LMM). ResultsResults from the LMMs suggest that loading zone size and courier position had the greatest effect on bicyclist’s physiological responses. Bicyclists had approximately two peaks-per-minute higher when riding in the condition that included no CVLZ and courier on the side compared to the base conditions (i.e., Max CVLZ and no courier). Additionally, when the courier was beside the truck, bicyclist’s eye fixation durations (sec) were one (s) greater than when the courier was located behind the truck, indicating that bicyclists were more alert as they passed by the courier. The presence of accessories had the lowest influence on both bicyclists’ physiological response and eye tracking measures. Practical ApplicationsThese findings could support better roadway and CVLZ design guidelines, which will allow our urban street system to operate more efficiently, safely, and reliable for all users.

Physicochemical, Rheological, and Thermal Properties of Pot-Honey from the Stingless Bee Melipona beecheii

The availability of data on physicochemical properties is crucial to direct efforts towards identifying the quality standards of the Neotropical stingless bee Melipona beecheii’s pot-honey. In this vein, other properties apart from those typically considered for Apis mellifera could also be relevant in characterizing the honey of this stingless bee. The physicochemical, rheological, and thermal properties of pot-honey from Melipona beecheii (Yucatán, México) were analyzed. Samples were collected from two annual harvests (2018 and 2019) and from a rural and an urban location. Free acidity, moisture, total reducing sugars, diastase activity, hydroxymethylfurfural content, and electrical conductivity were measured using standard techniques. The rheological and thermal behaviors were determined via Couette rheometry and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively. The physicochemical properties of Melipona beecheii pot-honey can be incorporated into a general quality specification for honey of the Neotropical Melipona genus, or as the basis for a regional (Mesoamerican) standardization of honey from this particular bee species. The rheological analyses indicated the Newtonian behavior of Melipona honey in the full studied range of 10-40 °C (7,545-244 cp), showing dynamic viscosities significantly lower than those expected for Apis mellifera honey, primarily due to its high water content. Two main endothermic transitions were detected via differential scanning calorimetry: at 96-162 °C and at 169-230 °C. The Apis mellifera honey samples showed the same thermal transitions but differed from Melipona beecheii honey in their peak temperatures and enthalpies.

Role of winds and air masses in the transport of non-local Pinus sp. pollen at an urban location in North India: A statistical perspective

Airborne pollen is not uniformly spread in the urban environment. They are influenced by vegetation, weather parameters (mainly wind speed and direction) and the built environment. Pinus sp. Pollen was reported in the aerobiological load of Chandigarh, a non-native species. Therefore, the study investigates Pinus sp. Pollen potential source and origin. The current study examined the effect of local wind direction and the transboundary air mass movement on the temporal distribution pattern of Pinus sp., which was recorded in a city located in Indo-Gangetic Plains, India. An integrated platform having HYSPLIT, GIS and statistical analysis were used to explain the aerobiological load of Pinus sp. Pollen based on spatial and temporal variability in an urban environment. The comprehensive circular statistical analysis was found to be complementary to cluster trajectories at 10 m height, contrary to regional trajectories. This revealed that Pinus sp. Pollen originated from potential sources close to Chandigarh and were unrelated to the regional air mass transmission scale. One possible source area for Pinus sp. Pollen might be Kasauli and Solan, which is well-documented in the literature. There are also evidence that suggests that long-range transport of allergic pollen sp. Could enhance the exposure and public health risk. Hence, there is a need to understand the dispersal pattern of long-range transport of Pinus sp. Pollen and other allergic pollen sp. Under varying urban meteorological conditions.

First-line Palliative Chemotherapy for Colorectal Cancer: a Population-based Analysis of Delivery and Outcomes in a Single-payer Health System

AimsClinical practice guidelines recommend palliative chemotherapy for most patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. However, outcomes observed in the real world compared with patients enrolled in clinical trials have not been sufficiently described. The objective of this study was to evaluate the delivery and outcomes of first-line palliative chemotherapy administered to patients with colorectal cancer in routine clinical practice compared with clinical trials. Materials and methodsUsing linked health administrative data, we carried out a retrospective population-level cohort study on patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer in Ontario, Canada from 2010 to 2019. Patient, disease and treatment characteristics were summarised. The primary outcome was median overall survival, stratified by treatment prescribed and age. Demographics and outcomes in this real-world population were compared with those from pivotal clinical trials. A multivariable Cox regression model reporting hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals was used to determine factors associated with survival in patients receiving systemic treatment. ResultsWe identified 70 987 patients with a new diagnosis of colorectal cancer, of which 4613 received first-line chemotherapy for unresectable locally advanced or metastatic disease and formed the study cohort. Fifty-eight per cent were male and the mean age was 63 years. Most had colon cancer (69%), at least one comorbidity (73%) and lived in an urban location (79%). Less than half (47%) had surgery after diagnosis. The most common regimen prescribed was folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil and irinotecan (FOLFIRI) with bevacizumab or epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRi; n = 2784, 60%). Among all treated patients, the median overall survival was 17.1 months, with survival difference by regimen [median overall survival 18.3 for FOLFIRI with bevacizumab or EGFRi, 19.6 for folinic acid, 5-fluorouracil and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX)/capecitabine, oxaliplatin (XELOX) with bevacizumab or EGFRi, 13.6 for FOLFIRI alone and 7.8 for 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine]. Patients aged >80 years were most likely to have received single-agent 5-fluorouracil or capecitabine, and had inferior overall survival compared with their younger counterparts. Compared with pivotal clinical trials, patients in the real world had inferior overall survival outcomes despite similar demographic characteristics (including age and sex). ConclusionsIn this real-world population-based analysis of patients receiving first-line chemotherapy for unresectable locally advanced or metastatic colorectal cancer, survival outcomes were inferior to those reported in randomised trials despite similarities in age and sex. This information can be used when counselling patients in routine practice about expected outcomes.

Hospital Volume and Quality of Care for Emergency Gynecologic Care.

To evaluate the association between hospital volume and the quality of gynecologic emergency care for tubal ectopic pregnancies, ovarian torsion, and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). In this cross-sectional analysis, we analyzed patients who presented for emergency care for tubal ectopic pregnancies, ovarian torsion, and PID using the Premier Healthcare Database from 2006 to 2020. We measured the following outcomes: methotrexate use for ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cystectomy for torsion, and guideline-based antibiotic use for PID. For each condition, we measured outlier hospitals that performed the above interventions at below the 10th percentile. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to analyze associations between outlier care and hospital factors such as annualized mean case volume, urban or rural location, teaching status, bed capacity, and geographic region, as well as hospital-level patient population factors, including age, insurance status, and race. A total of 602 hospitals treated patients with tubal ectopic pregnancies, of which 21.9% were outliers, with no cases managed with methotrexate. Of 512 hospitals treating patients with ovarian torsion, 17.4% were outliers, with no cases managed with cystectomy. Of 929 hospitals that treated patients with PID, 9.9% were deemed outliers with low rates of guideline-adherent antibiotic administration. Low-volume hospitals were more likely to be outliers with low rates of use of methotrexate for ectopic pregnancy (6.7% of high-volume hospitals vs 49.7% of low-volume hospitals were outliers; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.13, 95% CI, 0.05-0.31 for high-volume hospitals) and cystectomy for torsion (34.9% of low-volume vs 2.4% of high-volume hospitals were outliers; aOR 0.05, 95% CI, 0.01-0.18 for high-volume hospitals). There was no association between hospital volume and lower rates of guideline-based antibiotic use for PID. Higher hospital volume is associated with use of conservative, fertility-preserving treatment of emergency gynecologic conditions, including ectopic pregnancy and ovarian torsion.

Comparative study on physicochemical characteristics of atmospheric microplastics in winter in inland and coastal megacities: A case of Beijing and Shanghai, China

Atmospheric microplastics (MPs) have received global attention across various sectors of society due to their potential negative impacts. This study aims to understand the physicochemical characteristics of MPs in inland and coastal megacities for raising awareness about the urgent need to reduce plastic pollution. Laser Direct Infrared Imaging (LDIR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX) techniques were employed to characterize atmospheric MPs in megacities (inland megacity Beijing and coastal megacity Shanghai) in China, focusing on their physicochemical characteristics, including compositional types, number concentration, morphology, size, possible sources, and potential health risks. The LDIR analysis identified sixteen different types of MPs present in the atmospheres of Beijing and Shanghai. The number concentration of atmospheric MPs in Beijing (3.0 items/m3) is 1.8 times that of Shanghai (1.7 items/m3). The study found that the variations in MP pollution between Beijing and Shanghai are influenced by the urban industrial structure and geographical location. Morphological analysis indicates that fragment MPs have the highest relative abundance in Beijing, while fibrous MPs dominate the atmosphere of Shanghai. Additionally, the study assessed the potential health risks of atmospheric MPs to urban residents. The results suggest that residents of Beijing face more severe health risks from atmospheric MPs compared to those in Shanghai. These findings underscore the urgency to address the issue of atmospheric MPs and provide crucial evidence for the formulation of relevant environmental and health policies.

TOWARDS LARGE-SCALE BUILDING ATTRIBUTE MAPPING USING CROWDSOURCED IMAGES: SCENE TEXT RECOGNITION ON FLICKR AND PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED

Abstract. Crowdsourced platforms provide huge amounts of street-view images that contain valuable building information. This work addresses the challenges in applying Scene Text Recognition (STR) in crowdsourced street-view images for building attribute mapping. We use Flickr images, particularly examining texts on building facades. A Berlin Flickr dataset is created, and pre-trained STR models are used for text detection and recognition. Manual checking on a subset of STR-recognized images demonstrates high accuracy. We examined the correlation between STR results and building functions, and analysed instances where texts were recognized on residential buildings but not on commercial ones. Further investigation revealed significant challenges associated with this task, including small text regions in street-view images, the absence of ground truth labels, and mismatches in buildings in Flickr images and building footprints in OpenStreetMap (OSM). To develop city-wide mapping beyond urban hotspot locations, we suggest differentiating the scenarios where STR proves effective while developing appropriate algorithms or bringing in additional data for handling other cases. Furthermore, interdisciplinary collaboration should be undertaken to understand the motivation behind building photography and labeling. The STR-on-Flickr results are publicly available at https://github.com/ya0-sun/STR-Berlin.

Stability of social jetlag and sleep timing into the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic: Results from a longitudinal study of a nationally representative adult sample in Ireland

ABSTRACT The early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic has previously been associated with marked changes in sleep/wake timing arising from the imposition of society-wide infection mitigation measures. Such observations are considered of broader significance as they reveal the social pressures that sleep timing normally operates under. In order to assess how persistent such changes were as the COVID-19 pandemic developed, we assessed sleep timing and quality in a longitudinal study of a nationally-representative sample of Irish adults with data collected at two time-points (December 2021 and March 2021). Data on social jetlag and chronotype was derived from the micro Munich Chronotype Questionnaire from 830 and 843 participants who provided data in December 2020 and March 2021 respectively, of which 338 contributed data to both timepoints. Demographics and measures of insomnia symptoms, anxiety, depression and loneliness were also collected, and data was analysed both within-subjects and cross-sectionally within data waves. Social jetlag (the mismatch between sleep timing on “work” and “free” days) and other measures of sleep timing were stable across the two time-points, although insomnia symptoms improved slightly from December 2020 to March 2021. The mean social jetlag at both timepoints was ~ 30 minutes, considerably lesser than reported pre-pandemic levels in similar populations. Multiple regression analysis of cross-sectional data reveals that the timing of midsleep on “free” days was only a weak-to-moderate predictor of social jetlag, whilst hours worked per week was the strongest predictor of social jetlag. Requirement for “face-to-face” contact with the public at work and urban location of residence also emerged as predictors of social jetlag, although insomnia, anxiety and depression symptoms and loneliness rating did not. We conclude that sleep timing changes that occurred during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic persisted into the second year of the pandemic, and these results further illustrate the key roles working practices and other social factors have in shaping social jetlag.

VOC source apportionment: How monitoring characteristics influence positive matrix factorization (PMF) solutions

Positive matrix factorization (PMF) can be used to develop more targeted air quality mitigation strategies by identifying major sources of a pollutant in an area. This technique is dependent, however, on the ability of PMF to resolve factors that accurately represent all sources of that pollutant in an area. We investigated how the accuracy of PMF solutions might be influenced by monitoring data characteristics, such as temporal resolution, monitoring location, and species composition, to better inform the use of PMF in VOC mitigation strategies. We applied PMF to five VOC monitoring programs collected within a four-year period in Colorado and found generally consistent factors, which we identified as oil extraction, processing, and evaporation; natural gas; vehicle exhaust; and liquid gasoline/short-lived oil and gas. The main determinant influencing whether or not a dataset resolved each of these sources was whether the dataset had a comprehensive list of VOC species covering key species of each source. Pollution spikes were not well-modeled in any of the solutions. Hyperlocal and volatile chemical product factors expected to be resolved in the industrialized, urban location were also missing, highlighting three limitations of PMF analysis. Wind direction dependence and diurnal trends aided in source identification, suggesting that high-time resolution data is important for developing actionable PMF results. Based on these findings, we recommend that air monitoring for PMF-informed VOC mitigation efforts include high temporal resolution and a comprehensive array of VOC species.

Spatiotemporal distribution of community-acquired phenotypic extended-spectrum beta-lactamase Escherichia coli in United States counties, 2010-2019.

Using data from the Veterans' Health Administration from 2010 to 2019, we examined the distribution and prevalence of community-acquired phenotypic extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) E. coli in the United States. ESBL prevalence slowly increased during the study period, and cluster analysis showed clustering in both urban and rural locations.