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The paper highlights how significant characteristics of liver can be modeled in tissue-engineered constructs using unconventional scaffolds. Hepatic lobular organization and metabolic zonation can be mimicked with decellularized plant structures with vasculature resembling a native-hepatic lobule vascular arrangement or silk blend scaffolds meticulously designed for guided cellular arrangement as hepatic patches or metabolic activities. The functionality of hepatocytes can be enhanced and maintained for long periods in naturally fibrous structures paving way for bioartificial liver development. The phase I enzymatic activity in hepatic models can be raised exploiting the microfibrillar structure of paper to allow cellular stacking creating hypoxic conditions to induce in vivo-like xenobiotic metabolism. Lastly, the paper introduces amalgamation of carbon-based nanomaterials into existing scaffolds in liver tissue engineering. Plain Language Summary Unconventional scaffolds have the potential to meet the current challenges in liver tissue engineering- loss of hepatic morphology and functions over long-term culture, absence of native-like cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, organization of hepatocytes into lobular structures exhibiting metabolic variations-which hinder pharmaceutical analysis, regenerative therapies and artificial organ development. Paper with cellulose microfibril network develops cellular aggregates with hypoxic conditions that influence enzymes of xenobiotic metabolism proving to be a better scaffold for hepatotoxicity testing compared with conventional monolayers in tissue culture plates. Decellularized plant stems provide already-built vasculature to be exploited for the development of intricate vessel networks that exist in hepatic lobules aiding in regenerative medicine for hepatic pathologies. Fibrous plant structures are excellent materials for the immobilization of hepatocytes and improve albumin secretion enabling their use in bioartificial liver development. Biomimicry of metabolic zonation in hepatic lobules can be achieved with perfusion culture using silk blend scaffolds with varying proportions of the liver matrix that orchestrate cellular function. The mechanical properties of silk allow the fabrication of structures that resemble liver anatomy to generate native-like hepatic lobules. Nanomaterials have immense potential as a component of composite material development for scaffolds to achieve improved predictive ability in pharmacokinetics. Most of these unconventional scaffolds have the added advantage of being readily available, accessible, affordable and sustainable for liver tissue engineering applications. Conclusively, the shift of attention away from conventional scaffolds poses a promising future in the field of tissue engineering. Graphical Abstract Article highlights Limitations of 2D culture: Current 2D culture practices cannot achieve the complexity of hepatic tissue including metabolic zonation, lobular organization, extensive vasculature, existence of multiple cell types. Splenic scaffold: Spleen proves to be the excellent choice of decellularized organ for liver tissue regeneration, however, this cross-organ recellularization procedure is not ideal for clinical translation. Plant-based scaffold: Selecting plant material that matches hepatic tissue mechanical properties and anatomical features including the channel arrangements (central vein and portal triad) help hepatic regeneration and pathological modeling. Naturally fibrous plant materials have the potential to be excellent platforms for bioartificial liver development based on high hepatocyte adherence and function. Paper-based scaffold: Hepatocyte culture on functionalized filter paper forms a physiologically more relevant model for hepatotoxicity assessment particularly because of higher activity of drug metabolizing enzymes. Silk-based scaffold: Hepatic lobular organization that supports metabolic zonation can be mimicked by varying ECM content in silk blend scaffolds to create native-like oxygen and nutrient gradient. CNT-based scaffold: Exceptional properties of carbon nanotubes make them ideal to mimic liver ECM allowing formation of hepatic spheroids with in vivo like characteristics- bile canaliculi, polarity and drug clearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Decolonizing Geography: An Introduction" by Sarah A. Radcliffe explores the decolonization of Anglophone geographical curricula. The book emphasizes the importance of approaching fieldwork with humility, respecting local knowledge, and avoiding the imposition of Western paradigms. It calls for action to avoid blinders, respect counternarratives, question official histories, acknowledge privilege, employ collaborative research, and entertain alternative epistemologies. The book also highlights the significance of indigenous environmental knowledge in physical geography and addresses the lack of diversity in the discipline. Overall, "Decolonizing Geography" offers a comprehensive exploration of decolonial approaches in geography and provides practical examples and suggestions for further research. [Extracted from the article]

"Settler Colonial City: Racism and Inequity in Postwar Minneapolis" by David Hugill examines the history of racism, inequity, and settler-colonial structures in Minneapolis, particularly focusing on the post-World War II era. The book explores the impact of urban change, racialized policing, and American imperialism on marginalized communities, with a particular emphasis on Indigenous peoples. Hugill highlights the structural barriers faced by marginalized groups and the need to dismantle white supremacist and settler-colonial structures. While the book primarily focuses on the violent aspects of settler-colonial urban policy, it also touches on the need to examine more subtle elements such as access to education, healthcare, and legal services. Overall, the book provides a critical perspective on the history of Minneapolis and challenges the perception of the city as progressive and inclusive. [Extracted from the article]

The Continental Congress foray into printed money during the American Revolution was so disastrous that the United States printed no more money for nearly a century, the one exception being a brief period during the War of 1812. After that Congress chartered and unchartered its national bank twice. The American economy henceforth (1816–1836) was often structurally short of coins, and without any national coinage Americans had to find substitute forms of currency to finance the burgeoning economy. The Supreme Court ruled that sovereign States and individuals could authorize both State and private banks to issue their own notes. In consequence, nearly all paper money in circulation was either State or private banknotes based on a limited reserve of gold. This generally proved insufficient to adequately fund major infrastructure projects. The federal government also had no institution for raising or transferring large amounts of money to fund these national improvements. Nonetheless, Hamilton's U.S. Bank, without the help of a national currency, was an institutional precursor for what would not take final form until 1913. There would be no Federal Reserve today without the Whig-Republican agenda institutionally incarnated in the First and Second U.S. Bank. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential owned solar panels mounted on roof-tops generated 1.4% of the U.S. electricity supply in 2022. Utilities compensate residential customers using a net metering system by which each kilowatt-hour generated by the customer reduces the customer's bill by the amount the utility charges for one kilowatt. Despite the small impact of roof-top solar on the total market, in 2022, thirty-two states conducted ninety-four proceedings investigating whether to change the net metering system. In these proceedings, utilities advocated changing the rates to discourage residential investment in solar panels. Utilities argue that net metering provides a subsidy to solar customers because the rate the utility pays is greater than the avoided cost of energy. That excess payment allows solar customers to avoid paying for the distribution network. The cost of the distribution network is shifted to non-solar customers. This article will evaluate these claims. It will show that if the social cost of carbon were in the calculation, it would generate a Kapp cost shift from solar customers to non-solar customers. The size of the Kapp cost shift is greater than the cost of distribution networks, reversing any private cost shift that utilities have estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In cotton yarn bundles and fabric layers, wicking and rate are accounted as crucial indigenous liquid transportation properties, playing a significant role in temperature reduction on their surfaces and being used to extend the food and agricultural storage life. In this article, manual test methods are described to measure water wickability and wicking rate of cotton yarn bundles and plain weave fabric layers. These methods described the water flow through the in-plane surface of yarn bundles and fabric layers oriented in either vertical or horizontal lines without external force. The wicking lengths and wicking growth rates in both untreated and treated cotton yarn bundles and fabric samples in either in-plane vertical or horizontal orientations were compared. The highest to lowest wicking length and rate were found in the treated yarn bundles, treated fabric layers, untreated yarn bundles, and untreated fabric strips, respectively. The wicking height and length obtained in untreated yarn bundles and untreated fabric layers was lower than the Kraft paper. The higher wicking and rate values indicate a considerable potential for liquid water migration. The results indicated that treated yarn bundles and fabric layers that are oriented horizontal direction are the best options for constructing capillary evaporative cooling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Near Woods: A Year in an Allegheny Forest" by Kevin Patrick is a book that explores the natural and cultural phenomena of White's Woods, a 500-acre stand of mixed hardwood forest near Indiana, Pennsylvania. The author, who has lived in the area for three decades, highlights the beauty and richness of this local sylvan gem, emphasizing the importance of appreciating and exploring the forests in our own backyards. The book combines geomorphological, natural historical, and physical and cultural geographic background to provide a comprehensive understanding of the area. Through vivid prose and stunning photography, Patrick invites readers to stop, listen, and interpret the wonders of nature. [Extracted from the article]

Quantitative geographical methods have played an important role in COVID-19 research. To complement and extend previous review studies, we conduct a scoping review of COVID-19 studies employing quantitative geographical approaches by focusing on 331 papers published in 45 journals in geography, urban studies, and planning. We identify four major research themes (clusters): (1) how SARS-CoV-2 viruses spread in cities, (2) the COVID-19 mortality (death) rates and their association with socioeconomic variables, (3) how the COVID-19 pandemic changed people's mobilities, and (4) how the COVID-19 pandemic affects air pollution. We conclude that spatial models play a key role in COVID-19 quantitative geographical approaches, and human mobility is an important and widely studied topic. We also reveal a lack of research focusing on environmental pollution (other than air pollution) that potentially worsened during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article sets out the findings of a systematic review on research into career guidance policy in the Nordic countries between 2008 and 2022. In total 60 papers were reviewed from across the Nordic region. They focused on national career guidance systems, career guidance systems for young people, the adult guidance system and career guidance for migrants. The corpus proved to be methodologically diverse with studies utilizing a wide range of different research strategies, although important differences were found between academic and grey literature. Most of the papers reviewed were atheoretical, with the remaining, mainly academic, literature drawing heavily on critical theory. The thematic analysis identified four major themes in the corpus: the context for career guidance policy; career guidance provision and practice; technologies of governance; and beneficiaries and outcomes of career guidance policies. The findings are discussed in relation to the strengths and weakness of the corpus and used to propose a research programme for the next 15 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the importance of the peer-review process in contributing to the field of research. The author shares a positive experience with an author who received constructive feedback on their declined paper and expressed gratitude for the opportunity to improve their work. The article also explains the peer-review process used by the journal, which involves a desk review, gatekeeper review, and full peer-review. The goal of the process is to ensure that published papers contribute to the body of knowledge in the field. The article acknowledges that the peer-review process may have imperfections but emphasizes the volunteer efforts of the community in sharing research and providing expertise. [Extracted from the article]

The Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Location-Based Service is receiving more and more attention due to its high ranging accuracy and good time resolution. However, the None-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) propagation may reduce the ranging accuracy for UWB localization system in indoor environment. So it is important to identify LOS and NLOS propagations before taking proper measures to improve the UWB localization accuracy. In this paper, a deep learning-based UWB NLOS/LOS classification algorithm called FCN-Attention is proposed. The proposed FCN-Attention algorithm utilizes a Fully Convolution Network (FCN) for improving feature extraction ability and a self-attention mechanism for enhancing feature description from the data to improve the classification accuracy. The proposed algorithm is evaluated using an open-source dataset, a local collected dataset and a mixed dataset created from these two datasets. The experiment result shows that the proposed FCN-Attention algorithm achieves classification accuracy of 88.24% on the open-source dataset, 100% on the local collected dataset and 92.01% on the mixed dataset, which is better than the results from other evaluated NLOS/LOS classification algorithms in most scenarios in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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With the maturity of information and communication technology (ICT), numerous innovative applications are proposed in different arenas including smart living environments. Technology-enabled smart living has transformed the traditional living system to an enhanced user satisfaction model by providing a balanced environment, thus, securing the residents from disruptions and risks. Besides these magnified advantages, it is found almost full of faints in emergency situations. The researchers and architects put their full potential towards the development of new applications, but no significant attention is paid to analyze the existing designs to identify flaws and suggest enhanced solutions accordingly. To bridge this gap in the literature, this paper presents a comprehensive review to evaluate the capabilities of available smart home designs to counter any emergency situations. Along with highlighting safety, healthcare, and many other unwanted challenges, we also discussed the key problems that obfuscate the trustworthiness of smart homes for its residents. Moreover, the design limitations to present an early alarming and automatic evacuation mechanism especially for deaf, blind, and other visually impaired people is another big challenge to tackle. Finally, we elaborate on the limitations of available smart home solutions and suggest various open research problems that require further development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The market of courier, express and parcel services (CEP) is characterized by the presence of requests for the transfer of goods and documents. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the global postal and CEP infrastructure played a key role in enabling governments to respond to the emerging challenges. In this paper, the competitiveness and the rank of four observed CEP service providers are analyzed using ratio indicators, the Ordinal Priority Approach method (OPA) and the Weighted Sum Method (WSM). We use the OPA method because there is no need for a pairwise comparison matrix and no need for normalization. The paper aims to examine the liquidity, economy and profitability of CEP service providers to get a true picture of the situation in the market of postal and CEP services in the Serbia. In the analysis of business performance and the implementation of the OPA method, the opinions of experts were taken into account. This paper yields a key insight: the identification of the top-performing provider within the group of service providers is accomplished through the utilization of both the OPA and WSM methods. Sensitivity analysis is shedding light on the varying impact of the provider's rank on the final ranking of the CEP providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pakistan has suffered from pervasive corruption since its foundation. It deals with an unstable political atmosphere and unsustainable economic development due to its fragile institutional setting. The predominance of military power that does not hesitate to overrule any government when it faces a potential threat to its economic-profit channels plays an important role in institutional fragility. Moreover, incompetent civilian rules and the British heritage comprise a vicious cycle that is hard to break. An anemic institutional environment struggles within an embedded cultural structure exacerbated by corruption. This paper discusses corruption in Pakistan from historical, institutional, and economic standpoints. It provides a historical background of corruption. Then, it analyzes the negative economic reverberations of the corruption phenomenon. As an institutional case study, the paper concentrates on National Accountability Bureau (NAB), suggesting that institutional quality can be accomplished through bureaucratic accountability and determination, not through political victimization and abuse of institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock discontinuity information plays a key role in engineering activities. In severely fragmented and discontinuous samples, the identification accuracy of rock discontinuities can be improved with the help of geologic knowledge with identified spatial features and geoscience interaction mechanisms. Therefore, we proposed a new method – a knowledge-based intelligent recognition method for rock discontinuities that used point cloud data – to correct inaccurate identification by considering the spatial relationships of rock discontinuities. This paper integrated the geologic knowledge bases in rock discontinuity information extraction rules and combined the generative rule inference model with the region growing method for intelligent extraction. In the case study, we developed four typical rule sets as examples based on the constructed rule system to group rock discontinuities and subsume the fractured rock discontinuities. Results show that this new method is effective in identifying and classifying rock discontinuities of complex areas with a greater reduction in manual intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the estimation of global karst carbon sink, a few conventional methods usually require the parameters that are difficult to measure, resulting in the big cost. Moreover, under the constraints of incomplete and timeliness issues in the collection of data over a large region, it has remained a challenge for these methods to study global karst carbon sink. Therefore, this paper proposes estimating the global karst carbon sink, and analyzing the suitability of the response surface methodology and the fluctuating variation of karst carbon sink in global karst regions from 1951 to 2050. This paper shows that the proposed method can reduce the time of numerical calculation and is suitable for application in global weathering models; The global karst carbon sink in the future changes not only displays an upward trend but also exposures its fluctuating trend largely. This fluctuation is probably due to global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, an increasing number of crises worldwide, triggered by climate extremes, natural and human-made hazards, the coronavirus pandemic, and more, pose a high pressure on crisis, emergency, and disaster management. Spatial data and Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) are key issues in the successful and immediate response to crises. This paper aims to explore the use of VGI in crisis management, including emergency and disaster management, based on a scoping review of existing literature in English for five years (2016–2020). Specifically, the research intends to answer Scoping Review Questions (SRQ) regarding the use of VGI in crisis, emergency, and disaster management, and the verified cases' spatial distribution, the VGI sources utilized (e.g. OpenStreetMap – OSM, Crowdsourcing, Twitter), the types of hazards (e.g. natural and human-made hazards, pandemic), the specific tasks in crisis, emergency or disaster management and VGI use in the management of actual crisis events, e.g. COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Katrina, etc. Eligible papers on VGI use in crisis, emergency, and disaster management are geolocated based on first-author affiliation, and as a result, a spatial bibliography is provided. Thus, the term Spatial Scoping Review is introduced. Scoping Review Questions are answered, and the results are analyzed and discussed. Finally, implementing the "VGICED Atlas", a web atlas, permits the publication of the research results to a broad audience and the visualization of the analysis with several interactive maps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty has always been a global concern that has restricted human development. The first goal (SDG 1) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to eliminate all forms of poverty all over the world. The establishment of a scientific and effective localized SDG 1 evaluation and monitoring method is the key to achieving SDG 1. This paper proposes SDG 1 China district and county-level localization evaluation method based on multi-source remote sensing data for the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework. The temporal and spatial distribution characteristics of China's poverty areas and their SDG 1 evaluation values in 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 have been analyzed. Based on the SDGs global indicator framework, this paper first constructed SDG 1 China's district and county localization indicator system and then extracted multidimensional feature factors from nighttime light images, land cover data, and digital elevation model data. Secondly, we establish SDG 1 China's localized partial least squares estimation model and SDG 1 China's localized machine learning estimation model. Finally, we analyze and verify the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of China's poverty areas and counties and their SDG 1 evaluation values. The results show that SDG 1 China's district and county localization indicator system proposed in this study and SDG 1 China's localized partial least squares estimation model can better reflect the poverty level of China's districts and counties. The estimated model R2 is 0.65, which can identify 72.77% of China's national poverty counties. From 2012 to 2018, the spatial distribution pattern of SDG evaluation values in China's districts and counties is that the SDG evaluation values gradually increase from western China to eastern China. In addition, the average SDG 1 evaluation value of China's districts and counties increased by 23% from 2012 to 2018. This paper is oriented to the United Nations SDGs framework, explores the SDG 1 localized evaluation method of China's districts and counties based on multisource remote sensing data, and provides a scientific and rapid regional poverty monitoring and evaluation program for the implementation of the 2030 agenda poverty alleviation goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the education sector, forcing institutions, instructors, students, and parents to adapt to online or hybrid learning models. The Journal of Statistics & Data Science Education has published fifteen papers that describe approaches to addressing the challenges of the pandemic, with a focus on improving inclusive and flexible learning environments. The current issue of the journal features ten papers on various topics, including emergency online teaching, technology-enhanced instruction, and engaging students with COVID-19 journal articles. The journal also explores other timely topics such as causal inference, personalized education, and case studies using data from the U.S. Geological Survey. The collection of papers is available for free online and can provide valuable insights for the community to learn from this challenging time. [Extracted from the article]

Aim: This paper investigates the conditions for inclusive design of regenerative medicine interventions from a bioethical perspective, taking regenerative valve implants as a showcase. Methods: A value hierarchy is construed to translate the value of justice into norms and design requirements for inclusive design of regenerative valve implants. Results: Three norms are proposed and translated into design requirements: regenerative valve implants should be designed to promote equal opportunity to good health for all potential users; equal respect for all potential users should be shown; and the implants should be designed to be accessible to everyone in need. Conclusion: The norms and design requirements help to design regenerative valve implants that are appropriate, respectful and available for everyone in need. Plain Language Summary Scientists in the field of regenerative medicine are developing a new type of heart valve implant. After implantation, the synthetic implant slowly breaks down and is replaced by a new living heart valve. These so-called regenerative implants promise a complete cure. However, they also raise ethical questions. For example, questions related to justice and inclusion. In this paper, we explore how regenerative implants can be designed to be inclusive, meaning suitable, respectful and available for everyone. We argue that the design of regenerative implants should be adapted to relevant differences between users. The implants should be affordable in the short and long term. The implants should be suitable for use worldwide. The implants should be designed by teams of diverse age, gender and ethnicity. Users should be engaged in the design. And the communication about the implants to researchers and users should be inclusive. Overall, this paper provides ethical guidance to researchers and clinicians developing regenerative implants. Article highlights Health research and care should be inclusive to address inequities in health. Inclusion also deserves attention within the rapidly evolving field of regenerative medicine. However, what inclusion means and what inclusive design should entail in the context of regenerative medicine is not clear. This paper investigates the conditions for inclusive design of regenerative medicine interventions, taking regenerative valve implants (i.e., in situ tissue-engineered heart valves) as a showcase. The aim of inclusive design relates to the value of justice. Justice is concerned with recognition (claims about equal respect for marginalized groups and undervalued social identities) and redistribution (the equitable distribution of goods and resources). A values hierarchy is a deliberative tool to translate a value into norms and design requirements in the context of technology design. The value of justice can be translated into three norms: regenerative valve implants should be designed to promote equal opportunity to good health for all potential users; in the design process, equal respect for all potential users should be shown; and the implants should be designed to be accessible to everyone in need. Based on these norms, the following design requirements can be formulated: regenerative valve implants should be designed to account for relevant user differences, be affordable and cost-effective and be suitable for global distribution, and the design process should involve diverse design teams, engage users and use inclusive communication. Together, the norms and design requirements shape the conditions for inclusive design of regenerative valve implants. This paper aids the design of implants that are appropriate, respectful and available for everyone in need. More generally, by exemplifying an ethically proactive approach to the design of regenerative medicine technology, it contributes to responsible development of regenerative medicine interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The launch of large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT in late 2022 and the anticipated arrival of future GPT-x iterations have marked the beginning of the generative artificial intelligence (GAI) era. We conducted a systematic review of how to integrate LLMs including GPT and other GAI models into geospatial science, based on 293 papers obtained from four databases of academic publications -- Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, SSRN and arXiv -- 26 papers were eventually included for analysis. We statistically outlined the share of domains where LLMs and other GAI models, the type of data that have been used for these models, and the modelling tasks and roles that they play. We also pointed out the challenges and future directions for the next research agenda -- along with which we could better position ourselves in the mainstream of science and the cutting-edge research paradigm as others leverage insights from the growing data deluge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generally, Cryptococcus initially infects the respiratory tract, but can spread, eventually crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and causing meningitis or meningoencephalitis. Specifically, Cryptococcus invades the vascular endothelial cells of the BBB, from which it enters the brain. The main mechanisms through which Cryptococcus crosses the BBB are transcellular traversal, the paracellular pathway, and via Trojan horse. In this paper, the mechanisms by which Cryptococcus crosses the BBB were explained in detail. In addition to pathways of entry to the brain, this paper presents a discussion on some rare cryptococcal infections and provides some insights for future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing a school as a learning community is a complex process necessitating active engagement from the entire school community. This paper reports on a study from Finland that focused on exploring learning community development grounded in a shared vision. We sought to investigate the development of a school community with a separate primary and lower secondary school as it progressed towards becoming a unified comprehensive school. The research involved close school-university collaboration to support the community's transformative journey. Our particular interest in this paper is the relationship between the shared vision and learning community development. At the conclusion of the development project, seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with members of the school management team. Thematic analysis of the interview data was undertaken to identify their perceptions of how the shared vision was linked to learning community development. The in-depth analysis revealed five major themes: (1) communication of the shared vision and transparency; (2) present and absent themes in the shared vision; (3) tradition and innovation; (4) the long-term nature of school development; and (5) the role of the vision in everyday school life. The analysis drew attention to how a school's past and present influence a shared vision and school development. This study provides insights into how the preconditions of a school community contribute to the implementation of a shared vision as a catalyst for change. Recognising the distinct needs and starting points of schools is crucial, emphasising the importance of understanding the pre-existing context in school development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes a 2-stage tactic for achieving an odd-order variable-bandwidth (OO-VBW) filter with absolutely guaranteed stability. The design methodology aims to minimize the p-norm amplitude-response error while maintaining the OO-VBW-filter's stability. In order to tune OO-VBW filter's amplitude response, we utilize a kind of functions of the bandwidth (BW)-tuning parameter to express the filter's coefficients. Because those functions have changeable function values, the designed OO-VBW-filter's amplitude response possesses variability. Another important concern in this paper is the stability issue. When the filter coefficient values expressed as function values are changed, the OO-VBW filter that has feedback structures may become unstable. This necessitates that the OO-VBW-filter's stability must always be preserved during real-time tuning. In order to stabilize such an OO-VBW filter that has feedback structures, a coefficient-conversion (CC) algorithm is adopted, and it is incorporated into the 2-stage methodology for obtaining the OO-VBW filter. To illustrate both the stability and high approximation accuracy, the design of an OO-VBW bandpass filter is simulated. The simulation details verify that both stability and high accuracy can be successfully achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relocation experiences of sixteen women and men who moved with their children to Aotearoa New Zealand when their partners took up career positions in that country. It analyses the relative weight they gave to their careers and their relationships with their partners as they responded to the challenges posed by these transitions. Attention to the interests of children is also identified as significant in their career decisions. Interviews with similar numbers of women and men whose partners were globally mobile employees enables analysis of the diverse ways in which gender shapes career pathways during a period of transition. The findings contribute to a complex analysis of the situation of those previously referred as a 'trailing' or 'accompanying' spouse when a dual career couple engages in international relocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Co-designed health initiatives are gaining popularity in Aotearoa (New Zealand). However, emerging research identifies potential pitfalls for Indigenous populations, particularly Māori (Indigenous Peoples of Aotearoa), when Kaupapa Māori principles are ignored. Using the Indigenous He Pikinga Waiora Implementation (HPW) framework as a guide, this paper provides an autoethnographic reflective account of the co-design process that led to the development and implementation of the Whirihia holistic assessment tool for the Kaupapa Māori antenatal wānanga (workshop) Whirihia Te Korowai Aroha. The co-design process resulted in a culturally appropriate and responsive holistic assessment tool that provided a quality health needs assessment pathway for māmā hapū (pregnant women) and their whānau (family). This reflective account provides examples of key considerations that align to the HPW framework in the hope that it will afford some guidance for fellow emerging researchers who wish to undertake ethical co-designed health research with Māori (and non-Māori) communities and organisations. Glossary of Māori words: Aotearoa: New Zealand; hapū: sub-tribes; hapūtanga: pregnancy; hui: meeting; ipu: clay pot; iwi: tribe; Kaupapa Māori: Māori ideology incorporating the knowledge, skills, attitudes and values of Māori society; māmā: mothers; māmā hapū: pregnant women; Māori: Indigenous people of Aotearoa; Pākehā: non-Māori (most often New Zealand European); pēpi: infant; pono: true, valid, honest, genuine; pōwhiri: welcome ceremony; te ao Māori: Māori world view; te reo Māori: Māori language; tika: correct, accurate, appropriate; tikanga: values and beliefs; wahakura: woven flax basket that can be used in the parental bed; waiata: song; wānanga: workshop; whakawhānau: birth; whakawhanaungatanga: relationship/connections; whānau family; whenua: afterbirth; land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road traffic crashes are becoming thorny issues being faced worldwide. Traffic crashes are spatiotemporal events and the research on the spatiotemporal patterns and variation trends of traffic crashes has been carried out. However, the impact of built environment on traffic crash spatiotemporal trends has not received much attention. Moreover, the spatial non-stationarity between the variation trends of traffic crashes and their influencing factors is usually neglected. To make up for the lack of analysis of built environment factors influencing spatiotemporal hotspot trends in traffic crashes, this paper proposed a method of "ST-GWLR" for analyzing the influence of built environment factors on spatiotemporal hotspot trends of traffic crashes by combining the spatiotemporal hotspot trend analysis and Geographically Weighted Logistic Regression (GWLR) modeling methods. Firstly, the traffic crash spatiotemporal hotspot trends were explored using the space-time cube model, hotspot analysis, and Mann-Kendall trend test. Then, the GWLR was introduced to capture the spatial non-stationarity neglected by the classic Global Logistic Regression (GLR) model, to improve the accuracy of the model estimation. GWLR model is used for the first time to analyze the significant local correlation between the traffic crash spatiotemporal hotspot trends and the built environment factors, to accurately and effectively identify the built environment factors that have significant influences on the hotspot trends of traffic crashes. The performance of the GWLR models and GLR models was examined and compared sufficiently. The results showed that the proposed ST-GWLR, which captured spatial non-stationarity, performed better than the classic GLR combined with spatiotemporal analysis, and improved the prediction accuracy of the models by 14.9%, 13.9%, and 15.1%, respectively. There were significant local correlations between intensifying hotspots and persistent hotspots of traffic crashes and the built environment factors. The findings of this paper have positive implications for traffic safety management and urban built environment planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of remote sensing technology and computing science, remote sensing data present typical big data characteristics. The rapid development of remote sensing big data has brought a large number of data processing tasks, which bring huge challenges to computing. Distributed computing is the primary means to process remote sensing big data, and task scheduling plays a key role in this process. This study analyzes the characteristics of batch processing of remote sensing big data. This paper uses the Hungarian algorithm as a basis for proposing a novel strategy for task assignment optimization of remote sensing big data batch workflow, called optimal sequence dynamic assignment algorithm, which is applicable to heterogeneously distributed computing environments. This strategy has two core contents: the improved Hungarian algorithm model and the multi-level optimal assignment task queue mechanism. Moreover, the strategy solves the dependency, mismatch, and computational resource idleness problems in the optimal scheduling of remote sensing batch processing tasks. The proposed strategy likewise effectively improves data processing efficiency without increasing computer hardware resources and without optimizing the computational algorithm. We experimented with the aerosol optical depth retrieval algorithm workflow using this strategy. Compared with the processing before optimization, the makespan of the proposed method was shortened by at least 20%. Compared with popular scheduling algorithm, the proposed method has evident competitiveness in acceleration effect and large-scale task scheduling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual Attention Prediction (VAP) is widely applied in GIS research, such as navigation task identification and driver assistance systems. Previous studies commonly took color information to detect the visual saliency of natural scene images. However, these studies rarely considered adaptively feature integration to different geospatial scenes in specific tasks. To better predict visual attention while driving tasks, in this paper, we firstly propose an Adaptive Feature Integration Fully Convolutional Network (AdaFI-FCN) using Scene-Adaptive Weights (SAW) to integrate RGB-D, motion and semantic features. The quantitative comparison results on the DR(eye)VE dataset show that the proposed framework achieved the best accuracy and robustness performance compared with state-of-the-art models (AUC-Judd = 0.971, CC = 0.767, KL = 1.046, SIM = 0.579). In addition, the experimental results of the ablation study demonstrated the positive effect of the SAW method on the prediction robustness in response to scene changes. The proposed model has the potential to benefit adaptive VAP research in universal geospatial scenes, such as AR-aided navigation, indoor navigation, and street-view image reading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scarcity of public resources and environmental pollution caused by rapid urbanization highlight the practical significance of parks in ensuring the sustainable development of a city. Therefore, the social equity of parks warrants further study. This paper proposes a fine-grained comprehensive evaluation framework that combines geographic accessibility models, geo-statistical analysis, and machine learning algorithms to explore social inequity in Taiyuan, China. In this framework, gini coefficient and lorentz curve express spatial equality, accessibility shows spatial equity, and ridge regression model handles the interdependence of variables with different dimensions to quantify the relative effects of local participants on changes in park accessibility. On this basis, the imbalance between vulnerable groups and park supply is analyzed to further understand the core concept of social equity. Results highlight serious spatial inequality in all three types of parks allocation of six urban areas, especially in community parks. The actual access level of people to parks is also stratified by their demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, revealing the social inequity in access to parks. Park distribution is indeed not conducive to some social vulnerable groups, whose contradiction between supply and demand is highly prominent in urban – rural junctions and new urban areas. This paper also confirms the unfair layout of public facilities can be observed in second-tier cities of China by highlighting the social inequity of parks in Taiyuan. The findings of this work have profound implications for urban planning and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The OECD is an inevitable force in contemporary education. This paper illustrates how the OECD affects recent education policy-making in Iceland with a particular focus on recent documents establishing the new Education Policy 2030 in Iceland and on OECD reports that directly relate to this policy. We illustrate the relationship between these documents both topically and chronologically and use Marilyn Strathern's (2006) reasoning about policy making by bullet-points to understand these policy products. Our conclusions are that education policy 2030 is a clear step into a more Nordic tradition of policymaking, in terms of basing policy in previous works and official reports as well as increasing involvement by stakeholders. However, they are characterized by politically admirable, albeit lofty, formulations of ambitions and focus areas, rather than measurable, actionable and implementable policies. The OECD is given a great influence not only as a referential point and a tool to legitimate particular policies, but also a post-hoc policy-implementation adviser and auditor of the policy. Even though the OECD is asked for evaluation of the visionary policy and seems to be the solution to the perceived lack of professional procedure in Icelandic governance, the time-frame seems not to have allowed a thorough use of their advice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet-based psychological treatments for depression have been around for more than 20 years. There has been a continuous line of research with new research questions being asked and studies conducted. In this paper, the author reviews studies with a focus on papers published from 2020 and onwards based on a Medline and Scopus search. Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT) programs have been developed and tested for adolescents, older adults, immigrant groups and to handle a societal crisis (e.g. COVID-19). ICBT works in regular clinical settings and long-term effects can be obtained. Studies on different treatment orientations and approaches such as acceptance commitment therapy, unified protocol, and tailored treatments have been conducted. Effects on quality-of-life measures, knowledge acquisition and ecological momentary assessment as a research tool have been reported. Factorial design trials and individual patient data meta-analysis are increasingly used in association with internet intervention research. Finally, prediction studies and recent advances in artificial intelligence are mentioned. Internet-delivered treatments are effective, in particular if therapist guidance is provided. More target groups have been covered but there are many remaining challenges including how new tools like artificial intelligence will be used when treating depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-level modeling technology of Building Information Modeling (BIM), combined with Three-dimensional Geographic Information System (3DGIS) macro-scene visualization technology and location information, can realize the transmission of decentralized information from various disciplines to multi-disciplinary collaborative information sharing services. It can be applied independently for the whole life cycle, which plays a positive role in reducing the cost and improving the efficiency of engineering planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance. In this paper, the data integration and function integration methods of 3DGIS and BIM are designed. In order to avoid the breaking problems caused by attribute information loss and excessive simplification in the process of BIM data integration, the attribute mapping between 3DGIS and BIM based on Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and City Geography Markup Language (CityGML) and the data simplification method considering the geometric characteristics of BIM are designed. By setting the relevant preconditions and thresholds of patch merging, on the premise of maintaining the structural characteristics of BIM data surface, reduce the amount of model data to improve the efficiency of BIM data loading, rendering and display effect in 3D geospatial scene. Through the data and function integration of 3DGIS and BIM, we can effectively manage the data of large-scale model, and calculate and obtain the geospatial location and direction of key parts of buildings through the coordinate transformation of BIM, which can effectively assist the rapid and accurate positioning of BIM in virtual 3D scene and expand the visualization ability of 3DGIS. By effectively integrating 3DGIS and BIM, this paper gives full play to the spatial management advantages of 3DGIS and the component management advantages of BIM. The rationality and operability of the method are verified by its application in the operation and maintenance management project of concealed facilities in actual buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document discusses the importance of understanding the physicochemical properties of aerosol particles in order to comprehend aerosol dynamics and transformations. It highlights the need for new laboratory, theoretical, and modeling studies to address barriers in our understanding of aerosol physical chemistry. The document mentions two conferences that focused on aerosol physical chemistry and microphysics, which provided a platform for interdisciplinary discussions and the exchange of ideas. The document also introduces a special issue that collects papers on topics such as particle surfaces, particle phase, and particle acidity, which address complex aspects of aerosol physical chemistry. Several papers in the special issue explore how different physical properties of aerosols can influence heterogeneous reaction rates involving atmospheric organics. Other papers examine the limitations of experimental techniques and propose improvements, while some highlight the applications of aerosol microphysics in areas such as ice nucleation, cloud activation, and bioaerosols. The document concludes by expressing gratitude to the authors and hopes that the collection stimulates further discussion on these important topics. [Extracted from the article]

Zero watermarking constructs the watermark information according to the characteristics of the original data, without changing the data structure and data accuracy. Maintaining high data accuracy is the premise of building information modelling (BIM) usability, so zero watermarking is a hotspot in the research of BIM data security protection. BIM model is a type of 3D model, however, most of the existing zero watermarking algorithms for 3D models are difficult to be better applied to BIM data due to data structure differences. To solve this problem, a zero-watermarking algorithm for BIM data based on distance partitioning and skewness measure is proposed. Firstly, after spatial partitioning based on element paradigm value, the mapping relationship between different partitions and watermarking bits is established. Then, the skewness of elements is calculated, and the skewness measure sign is used as the feature to obtain the binary sequence. Finally, the dissimilarity operation is performed on the binary sequence and the original watermarking sequence which was disordered to construct the zero watermark of the BIM data. The experimental results show that the zero watermarks constructed from different BIM data are unique and robust to translation, rotation, element deletion, element addition, and format conversion attacks. In addition, the superiority of this paper's algorithm over the comparison algorithm in terms of robustness is compared. Therefore, the proposed algorithm can effectively provide technical support for BIM data copyright protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My paper explores the question of when it is wrong for a state's immigration criteria to discriminate against people with disabilities, focusing on the idea that discrimination is wrong when it demeans a group, rather than when it disadvantages them. I argue that selecting against people with disabilities often demeans them but might not always do so even when immigration criteria explicitly exclude people on the basis of having disabilities – that is, in cases of direct discrimination. Moreover, I demonstrate that certain cases of less direct forms of discrimination that select against people with disabilities – in particular, when states apply health-cost limits on admissions – can function as proxies designed to exclude people with disabilities and thereby demean them. Finally, I explain why my analysis of discrimination's wrong does not typically apply to health conditions in general, such as heart, liver, or lung disease or cancer, setting my view apart from a prominent view in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central bank communication plays a crucial role in the conduct of monetary policy, yet the research on central bank communication, while growing, is still scarce. In this paper, we analyze the communication reaction function of the European Central Bank (ECB) through topic-based indices derived from the bank's speeches. These indices are used as dependent variables in policy and communication reaction function models, as suggested by recent literature. The topics are extracted using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), a popular text mining algorithm for topic extraction. The ECB has recently reviewed its monetary policy strategy, which led to an increase in studies incorporating the new methods offered by text mining for analyzing the policy reaction function of the bank. We show how indices built through topic modelling can be used to study the communication reaction function of a central bank, and we examine which variables are significant for every topic communicated by the ECB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike existing flexible display technologies such as foldable, rollable, or slidable displays, stretchable displays can change the size of surface areas. Furthermore, they can be transformed into a multi-curvature shape in any direction. These may be the reasons they are often called freeform displays. Stretchability, the extent displays can be stretched, is one of the most important performance factors of stretchable displays. The length ratio before and after stretching is widely utilized to represent one- or two-dimensional stretchability. However, the length ratio cannot be directly applied to three-dimensional stretching. Hence, this paper introduces new measures of three-dimensional stretchability. The pros and cons of the proposed measures are explained. In addition, experimental results to evaluate the proposed measures' performance are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The task of change detection (CD) in optical and SAR images is an ever-evolving and demanding subject within the realm of remote sensing (RS). It holds great significance to identify the target areas by using complementary information between the two. Due to the distinct imaging mechanisms employed by optical and SAR sensors, effectively and accurately identifying changing regions can be challenging. To this end, a novel heterogeneous RS images CD network (Twin-Depthwise Separable Convolution Connect Network, TDSCCNet) is proposed in this paper. Image domain transformation is a front-end task, while the back-end employs a single-branch bilayer depthwise separable convolutionconnected encoder-decoder to accomplish CD work. Specifically, first, the cycle-consistent adversarial network (CycleGAN) serves to integrate the optical and SAR visual domains, and a consistent feature expression is obtained. Second, the single-branch encoder structure of bilayer depthwise separable convolution is employed to realize change feature extraction. Finally, the multiscale connected decoder reconstructed by change map is utilized to reconstruct the original images and solve the local discontinuities and holes in the binary change map. Multiscale loss is designated for optimizing the global and local effects to alleviate the class imbalance problem. It was tested on four representative datasets from Gloucester, Shuguang Village, Italy and WV-3 datasets with an overall accuracy of 97.36%, 97.01%, 97.62%, and 98.01% respectively. By comparing the existing methods, experimental results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite natural image super-resolution (SR) methods have achieved great success, super-resolution methods for hyperspectral image (HSI) with rich spectral features are still a very challenging task. Furthermore, due to the diversity of HSI captured by different cameras, their degradation conditions vary. Currently available HSI SR methods are mainly based on fixed degradation models, and their performance is severely affected when the actual degradation does not match the assumed degradation model. To address this issue, this paper proposes a single-band hyperspectral image super-resolution (SBHSR) method for HSI. This method assumes that the degradation Gaussian blur kernel parameters of the HSI are unknown, and adapts to various degradation conditions by conducting blind super-resolution on the image. It also combines another band with better spatial structure as an auxiliary band for feature fusion. To address the spectral differences between the super-resolution band and the auxiliary band, we use the Spatial Adaptation Module (SAM) to map the feature distribution, ensuring consistent spectral brightness between the auxiliary band and the super-resolution band. Due to the use of blind degradation super-resolution method, our method is more robust compared to previous HSI SR methods. Additionally, as it is specifically designed for single-band hyperspectral image super-resolution, it has the advantage of being faster and more efficient. Experimental validation on two hyperspectral datasets demonstrates the superiority of our method, as it improves the spatial resolution of the image while preserving the spectral features, and performs better than existing blind super-resolution methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing deep learning-based change detection networks encounter challenges related to the temporal dependency inherent in dual-temporal images. In this study, a weight-shared dual-difference change detection network (DDCDNet) model is proposed based on feature extraction networks. The model employs feature discrimination modules fused with spatial and channel attention mechanisms at different hierarchical levels of the backbone network. In the encoding phase, the tiny version of the Swin Transformer is utilized as the backbone network, with a weightsharing strategy applied to extract feature information from bitemporal remote sensing images. The proposed model in this paper is experimented on the LEVIR-CDþand DSIFN datasets, achieving F1-scores (F1) of 87.71% and 85.79%, recalls of 83.87% and 81.17%, and IoU (Intersection over Union) scores of 78.11% and 75.12%, respectively. These results indicate that the proposed model significantly outperforms other comparative models, demonstrating a better capability of identifying temporal changes in buildings, excellent generalization capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows a 2-step procedure for obtaining a variable-bandwidth recursive digital filter whose structure contains cascaded second-order (2nd-order) sections. Such a cascade-form structure is insensitive to the round-off noises that come from filter-coefficient quantizations in hardware implementations. This paper also shows how to utilize a 2-step procedure to get a variable-bandwidth recursive filter that is absolutely stable. The first step (Step-1) of the 2-step procedure designs a series of constant-bandwidth filters for approximating a series of evenly discretized variable specifications, and the second step (Step-2) fits the coefficient values obtained from Step-1 by employing individual polynomials. To ensure the stability of the resultant constant-bandwidth filters in Step-1, coefficient transformations are first executed on the 2nd-order transfer function's denominator-coefficients, and then each coefficient of both numerator and transformed denominator is found as an individual polynomial. Once all the polynomials are obtained, the polynomials corresponding to the transformed denominator are further converted to composite functions for ensuring the stability. Hence, the 2-step procedure not only produces a cascade-form variable-bandwidth filter that has low quantization errors, but also ensures the stability. A lowpass example is included for verifying the achieved stability and showing the high approximation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is intended to summarize the research conducted during the first 2 years of the Dragon 5 project 59,332 (geophysical and atmospheric retrieval from Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data stacks over natural scenarios). Monitoring atmospheric phenomena, encompassing both tropospheric and ionospheric conditions, holds pivotal significance for various scientific and practical applications. In this paper, we present an exploration of advanced techniques for estimating tropospheric and ionospheric phase screens using stacks of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Our study delves into the current state-of-the-art in atmospheric monitoring with a focus on spaceborne SAR systems, shedding light on their evolving capabilities. For tropospheric phase screen estimation, we propose a novel approach that jointly estimates the tropospheric component from all the images. We discuss the methodology in detail, highlighting its ability to recover accurate tropospheric maps. Through a series of quantitative case studies using real Sentinel-1 satellite data, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique in capturing tropospheric variability over different geographical regions. Concurrently, we delve into the estimation of ionospheric phase screens utilizing SAR image stacks. The intricacies of ionospheric disturbances pose unique challenges, necessitating specialized techniques. We dissect our approach, showcasing its capacity to mitigate ionospheric noise and recover precise phase information. Real data from the Sentinel-1 satellite are employed to showcase the efficacy of our method, unraveling ionospheric perturbations with improved accuracy. The integration of our techniques, though presented separately for clarity, collectively contributes to a comprehensive framework for atmospheric monitoring. Our findings emphasize the potential of SAR-based approaches in advancing our knowledge of atmospheric processes, thus fostering advancements in weather prediction, geophysics, and environmental management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the Multi-Temporal Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (MT-InSAR) technology is adopted to monitor the Line of Sight (LOS) displacement of Fushun West Opencast Coal Mine (FWOCM) and its surrounding areas in northeast China using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images acquired from 2018 to 2022. The spatial-temporal evolution of urban subsidence and the south-slope landslide are both analyzed in detail. Comparison with ground measurements and cross-correlation analysis via cross wavelet transform with monthly precipitation data are also conducted, to analyze the influence factors of displacements in FWOCM. The monitoring results show that a subsidence basin appeared in the urban area near the eastern part of the north slope in 2018, with settlement center located at the intersection of E3000 and fault F1. The Qian Tai Shan (QTS) landslide on the south slope, which experienced rapid sliding during 2014 to 2016, presents seasonal deceleration and acceleration with precipitation, with the maximum displacement in vicinity of the Liushan paleochannel. The results of this paper have fully taken in account for the complications of large topographic relief, geological conditions, spatial distribution and temporal evolution characteristics of surface displacements in opencast mining area. The wide range and long time series dynamic monitoring of opencast mine are of great significance to ensure mine safety production and geological disaster prevention in the investigated mining area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doing co-design and co-production is challenging, resource intensive, and outcomes do not always translate into action. Evaluations of processes are needed to identify what enables and constrains 'co' efforts. This paper draws on the findings of an evaluation of a co-design process undertaken by Aotearoa New Zealand's Biological Heritage National Science Challenge, Ngā Koiora Tuku Iho (BHNSC) in 2019. The independent evaluation, commissioned by the BHNSC, draws on process observations and 25 semi-structured interviews with BHNSC leaders and process participants. In this paper, we present key insights from the evaluation through the application of co-production quality assessment principles and a knowledge governance conceptual framework. Our analysis identifies the BHNSC's values as a critical factor in its journey to conduct a process that would foster collaboration between mātauranga Māori and Western science knowledge systems and deliver impact-focused biodiversity and biosecurity research. We propose an additional principle for assessing the quality of co-production processes: values-inspired. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new testing method, phased array ultrasonic testing, for the internal defects of gear teeth, which can be used to inspect the teeth of final products, breaking the limitations of incomplete volume coverage of conventional ultrasonic testing. This paper mainly discusses the inspection process of phased array ultrasonic testing, and verifies the feasibility of phased array ultrasonic testing for gear teeth defects of finished products by using physical and chemical inspection technology. The practical application results show that the phased array ultrasonic testing technology uses sector scanning mode to scan the area comprehensively between the pitch circle and the base circle, and the inspection image displayed by the equipment is intuitive, which can clearly identify defects. The number of defects inspected by phased array ultrasonic testing is consistent with the results of the physical and chemical inspection technology. The above summary shows that phased array ultrasonic testing is feasible, and the test results are reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper revisits a classical problem in linkage mechanism design, specifically the design of centric crank-rocker mechanisms for a specified rocker stroke with unit time ratio. Beyond the traditional objective of minimizing the transmission angle's deviation from 90 degrees, this paper uses another objective: maximizing the shortest-to-longest link-length ratio in the linkage. The former objective ensures motion transmission quality in the mechanism, while the latter aims to make the mechanism less sensitive to variations in link lengths. It is shown that these two objectives are inherently conflicting, necessitating a trade-off solution. To address this, a Pareto front is developed by analyzing the governing design equations. The front is further normalized by relating each objective to its limit value. A design example using the normalized front is provided that showcases different optimization options. The TOPSIS method is used to illustrate the selection of a preferred design alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent times, there has been a growing focus on multi-micro-grids (MMGs) system, owing to its well-suited structures for efficiently accommodating large-scale integration of distributed energy resources (DER). This attention is driven by the system's cost-effectiveness, enhanced efficiency, stability, and reliability performance, achieved through the collaborative exchange of power flow among individual micro-grids (MGs) and the main grid. Fundamental strategies for attaining optimal energy flow and sharing involve the optimal sizing of MGs and the implementation of an Energy Management System (EMS). These strategies play a crucial role in addressing uncertainties associated with intermittent generation, load fluctuations and energy market dynamics. This paper offers a review of grid-connected MMG topologies, EMS structures, coordination methods and current optimization approaches designed to meet EMS objectives. To address the inherent volatilities, the paper introduces various uncertainty quantification techniques along with current challenges. Additionally, it suggests future directions, emphasizing intelligent and predictive modeling to handle uncertainties, as well as recommending the incorporation of energy storage systems (ESSs) to align with emerging trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]