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This study examines the impact of stadium locations on attendance in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). We develop a match-level attendance model incorporating control variables such as market factors and consumer preferences to assess attendance for NWSL games. Our results indicate that attendance drops the further an NWSL stadium is from the city center. Specifically, the coefficients suggest an inverse relationship between attendance at NWSL matches and the distance to the city center, indicating that for every mile further an NWSL team was from the city center, attendance declined by about 6.6%. Our findings show that some of the perceived differences in demand for women's soccer may be due to infrastructural inequalities such as stadium locations. Therefore, one way to boost demand and attendance in professional women's sport, specifically soccer, is to move away from suburban stadiums and toward downtown locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rail operators worldwide are seeing an increase in demand for services, driven by expanding global trade and the use of export commodities. Punctual service in a train stopped on the railroad is extremely important since the delay in service significantly impacts performance, asset utilization, and railroad productivity. The present work addresses the development and the solution of an optimization model for locating railway service teams that serve locomotives that need emergency maintenance on a Brazilian railway. Additionally, a hypercube model was solved to estimate several performance measures that assist in decision‐making. From the result analysis of different scenarios, it was found that the optimized maintenance teams' location provides superior results to the current ones considering the same resources. Also, it was possible to increase the coverage with double attendance in the studied system, monitoring different indicators such as attendance teams' average system travel time and workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The commonly used baseline-free Lamb wave damage identification methods often require a large amount of sensor data to eliminate the dependence on baseline signals. To improve the efficiency of damage localization, this paper proposes a new Lamb wave damage location method, namely the probabilistic exchanging-element time-reversal method (PEX-TRM), which is based on the exchanging-element time-reversal method (EX-TRM) and the probabilistic damage identification method. In this method, the influence of the damage wave packet migration on the correlation coefficient between the reconstructed signals of each sensing path and the initial excitation signal is analyzed, and the structure is divided into multiple regional units corresponding to the damage to locate damage. In addition, the influence of the number of sensing paths on the location accuracy is also analyzed. A method of damage probability imaging based on structural symmetry is proposed to enhance location accuracy in the case of sparse sensing paths. The experimental and simulation results verify that the method can achieve damage location with fewer excitation times. Moreover, this method can avoid the problem that the damage wave packet is difficult to extract, improve the efficiency of damage location, and promote the engineering application of the Lamb wave damage location method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although several reports have compared the outcomes of self-expandable metallic stent (SEMSs) and transanal decompression tube (TDT) placement for malignant colorectal obstruction (MCO), few studies have compared the radiation exposure (RE) associated with these two procedures. Consequently, we aimed to compare the RE of SEMS and TDT placements for MCO using propensity score matching (PSM) in a multi-center, prospective observational study. Methods: This study investigated the clinical data of 236 patients who underwent SEMS or TDT placement. The air kerma at the patient entrance reference point (Ka,r: mGy) and air kerma–area product (PKA; Gycm2) were measured and compared between SEMS and TDT groups after PSM. Results: After PSM, 61 patients were identified in each group. The median Ka,r in the SEMS group was significantly greater than that in the TDT group (77.4 vs. 55.6 mGy; p = 0.025) across the entire cohort. With respect to subgroup analyses by location, in the rectum, the median Ka, r and PKA were significantly greater in the SEMS group than in the TDT group (172.9 vs. 34.6 mGy; p = 0.001; and 46.0 vs. 18.1 Gycm2; p = 0.006, respectively). However, in the colon, the RE parameters did not significantly differ between the two groups. Conclusions: TDT might be a more suitable option for decompression in patients with malignant rectal obstruction due to its lower RE and technical advantages. Conversely, SEMS placement is recommended as the first decompression method to treat malignant colonic obstruction, in line with the current guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gesture recognition using surface electromyography (sEMG) has garnered significant attention due to its potential for intuitive and natural control in wearable human–machine interfaces. However, ensuring robustness remains essential and is currently the primary challenge for practical applications. Methods: This study investigates the impact of limb conditions and analyzes the influence of electrode placement. Both static and dynamic limb conditions were examined using electrodes positioned on the wrist, elbow, and the midpoint between them. Initially, we compared classification performance across various training conditions at these three electrode locations. Subsequently, a feature space analysis was conducted to quantify the effects of limb conditions. Finally, strategies for group training and feature selection were explored to mitigate these effects. Results: The results indicate that with the state-of-the-art method, classification performance at the wrist was comparable to that at the middle position, both of which outperformed the elbow, consistent with the findings from the feature space analysis. In inter-condition classification, training under dynamic limb conditions yielded better results than training under static conditions, especially at the positions covered by dynamic training. Additionally, fast and slow movement speeds produced similar performance outcomes. To mitigate the effects of limb conditions, adding more training conditions reduced classification errors; however, this reduction plateaued after four conditions, resulting in classification errors of 22.72%, 22.65%, and 26.58% for the wrist, middle, and elbow, respectively. Feature selection further improved classification performance, reducing errors to 19.98%, 19.75%, and 27.14% at the respective electrode locations, using three optimal features derived from single-condition training. Conclusions: The study demonstrated that the impact of limb conditions was mitigated when electrodes were placed near the wrist. Dynamic limb condition training, combined with feature optimization, proved to be an effective strategy for reducing this effect. This work contributes to enhancing the robustness of myoelectric-controlled interfaces, thereby advancing the development of wearable intelligent devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs the MATSim agent-based simulation model to analyse bike-sharing station locations by examining dynamic trip flows and individual behavioural changes. It explores demand on a microscopic scale, capturing the behaviour of multi-segment trips. A protocol was established to evaluate different station configurations' impact on profitability and demand. Findings suggest that optimising the station count from 219 to 66 strategic locations can significantly enhance both revenue and operational efficiency. The simulation produces data on the number of users arriving and departing from each station in different configurations, indicating the size of each station. This data allows stations to be classified into three types: generator, attractor, and interchange; displaying their changes across different configurations. This quantification offers operators insights for predicting bike distribution and planning operational strategies. Considering spatial and built environment factors, the findings underscore the potential of bike-sharing stations to evolve into mobility hubs, offering valuable insights for policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) has been established as a preoperative diagnostic procedure in glioma surgery, increasing the extent of resection and preserving functional outcome. nTMS motor mapping for the resection of motor eloquent meningiomas has not been evaluated in a comparative analysis, yet. Methods: We conducted a retrospective matched-pair analysis for tumor location and size in meningioma patients with tumors located over or close to the primary motor cortex. Half of the study population received nTMS motor mapping preoperatively (nTMS-group). The primary endpoint were permanent surgery-related motor deficits. Additional factors associated with new motor deficits were evaluated apart from nTMS. Results: 62 patients (mean age 62 ± 15.8 years) were evaluated. 31 patients received preoperative nTMS motor mapping. In this group, motor thresholds (rMT) corresponded with tumor location and preoperative motor status, but could not predict motor outcome. No patient with preoperative intact motor function had a surgery-related permanent deficit in the nTMS group whereas four patients in the non-TMS group with preoperative intact motor status harbored from permanent deficits. 13 patients (21.3%) had a permanent motor deficit postoperatively with no difference between the nTMS and the non-TMS-group. Worsening in motor function was associated with higher patient age (p = 0.01) and contact to the superior sagittal sinus (p = 0.027). Conclusion: nTMSmotor mapping did not lead to postoperative preservation in motorfunction. nTMS data corresponded well with the preoperative motorstatus and were associated with postoperative permanent deficits if tumors were located over the motor hotspot according to nTMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study aimed to observe the internal structure of coconuts from two locations (coastal and non-coastal) using computed tomography (CT). Methods: Seventy-six mature coconuts were collected from Wenchang and Ding'an cities in Hainan Province. These coconuts were scanned four times using CT, with a two-week interval between each scan. CT data were post-processed to reconstruct two-dimensional slices and three-dimensional models. The density and morphological parameters of coconut structures were measured, and the differences in these characteristics between the two groups and the changes over time were analyzed. Results: Time and location had interactive effects on CT values of embryos, solid endosperms and mesocarps, morphological information such as major axis of coconut, thickness of mesocarp, volume of coconut water and height of bud (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Planting location and observation time can affect the density and morphology of some coconut structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engineered heart tissues (EHTs) generated from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) represent powerful platforms for human cardiac research, especially in drug testing and disease modeling. Here, we report a flexible, three-dimensional electronic framework that enables real-time, spatiotemporal analysis of electrophysiologic and mechanical signals in EHTs under physiological loading conditions for dynamic, noninvasive, longer-term assessments. These electromechanically monitored EHTs support multisite measurements throughout the tissue under baseline conditions and in response to stimuli. Demonstrations include uses in tracking physiological responses to pharmacologically active agents and in capturing electrophysiological characteristics of reentrant arrhythmias. This platform facilitates precise analysis of signal location and conduction velocity in human cardiomyocyte tissues, as the basis for a broad range of advanced cardiovascular studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional Spatial Transcriptomics has revolutionized our understanding of tissue regionalization, organogenesis, and development. However, existing approaches overlook either spatial information or experiment-induced distortions, leading to significant discrepancies between reconstruction results and in vivo cell locations, causing unreliable downstream analysis. To address these challenges, we propose ST-GEARS (Spatial Transcriptomics GEospatial profile recovery system through AnchoRS). By employing innovative Distributive Constraints into the Optimization scheme, ST-GEARS retrieves anchors with exceeding precision that connect closest spots across sections in vivo. Guided by the anchors, it first rigidly aligns sections, next solves and denoises Elastic Fields to counteract distortions. Through mathematically proved Bi-sectional Fields Application, it eventually recovers the original spatial profile. Studying ST-GEARS across number of sections, sectional distances and sequencing platforms, we observed its outstanding performance on tissue, cell, and gene levels. ST-GEARS provides precise and well-explainable 'gears' between in vivo situations and in vitro analysis, powerfully fueling potential of biological discoveries. Existing 3D Spatial Transcriptomics reconstruction approaches often overlook spatial information or experiment-induced distortions. Here, authors propose ST-GEARS to bridge the gap between in vivo cell locations and in vitro analysis, accurately recovering spatial profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seismic monitoring matters both for research and for populations living in areas of seismic hazard; however, it comes with a cost that is not fully affordable for developing countries. Compared to classical approaches with very quiet sites and high-quality instrumentation, it is therefore worth investigating low-cost seismic networks and how well they perform at detecting and characterizing seismicity. We analyze 1 year of seismic data from an educational seismology network in Nepal, create our own earthquake catalog, and compare it to the publicly available national observatory catalog. We find that despite the noisier seismic station sites, the overall results are comparable and all the main features relevant for seismicity are found. We present quantitative analyses of locations, magnitudes and their frequency distribution in our catalog, as well as differences with the observatory catalog. Differences between the two catalogs primarily stem from the respective network geometries and their coverage, as well as daytime noise level differences. We conclude that if properly planned and installed, low-cost seismic networks are a viable, feasible and significant complement to monitor seismic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a well-known fact that mine production has shifted from the industrialised countries of Europe, North America and Japan to emerging economies in Latin America, Africa and Asia and to Australia since the mid-20th century. The lack of self-sufficiency or high import dependence, in particular of the so-called critical metals, has become an issue of great political concern in these industrialised countries over the past 15 years. This study of six metals, cobalt, copper, iron ore, lithium, manganese and rare earths, contrasts this picture of geographical location of production with an analysis of where the control over mine production around the world is based, which we call the locus of control. Production might have moved out of the industrialised countries but control over production by companies based in the industrialised countries remains and has even increased between 1985 and 2018. We measure control as share of the total value of the production of the six metals. European transnational mining companies have increased their control from 14 to 18% while mining companies based in North America have lost control, a decline from 13 to 8%. When Australian companies, that have more than tripled their control in the same period, are added, control by the industrialised countries has increased to 44% of these six metals. Companies based in Latin America, Africa and Asia excluding China, taken together have maintained their control level, roughly a third of the total value of the six metals. Inside this group of countries African share has dwindled from 12 to 3% while Asian companies have more than doubled their share from 5 to 12%. Control by mining companies based in the republics of the former Soviet Union have been reduced from 25 to 7% while in the same period Chinese companies' control has doubled from 6 to 12% of the total value of these six metals. Countries in Asia (excluding China) together with Latin American and African countries produce 51% of these six metals measured by the value at the mine stage. However, companies based in these countries control not more than 33% of the production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates has become commonplace for archaeologists grappling with regional chronologies. Here we present Bayesian analysis for radiocarbon dates from Moche cultural contexts from the north coast of Peru with the aim to understand the duration of the phenomenon and to compile all known dates in a single location for future analysis and use. The analysis demonstrates that the long-standing Moche ceramic sequence does not provide a perfect proxy for tracking the timing of all social interactions. However, our results show general agreement with traditional relative Moche chronologies. Finally, our study shows that Moche was a shorter cultural phenomenon than has been previously argued, with the current data indicating that it began between the late 4th and early 6th centuries CE and lasted until the 9th century CE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, long-term field subgrade monitoring was conducted along the Qinghai–Tibet Highway (QTH) on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP) to investigate the sustainable service performance of permafrost highway subgrade and quantitatively evaluate the hazards associated with subgrade differential settlement in permafrost regions at a local scale. In addition, five 60-m-long and 7-m-wide permafrost-subgrade test sites were built, and a parameter defined as the subgrade distress index (SDI) was introduced to develop a data-based quantitative model for assessing hazards associated with subgrade differential settlement. The 10-year monitoring results revealed highly random differential settlement values and locations at the field sites. Differential settlement hazard maps generated using geostatistics based on the monitoring results were beneficial for qualitative analysis of hazard locations and evolution. The hazard assessment results proved that damaged areas can be accurately identified through quantitative model implementation and that the third or fifth year may be a definitive time window for distress maintenance. A three-level early warning strategy for hazards associated with subgrade differential settlement in permafrost regions was suggested: Mild grade I (SDI = 0–0.1), Moderate grade II (SDI = 0.1–0.6), and Severe grade III (SDI = 0.6–1). Long-term monitoring and model assessment are expected to enhance decision-making for highway maintenance management in the permafrost regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of EURE is the property of Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, we discuss discrete location problems where the objective is to locate a given number of facilities of different types in order to appropriately cover a given set of demand points. The coverage provided to each demand point is the result of the cooperation among the located facilities. The different types of facility refer to the coverage radius or quality of coverage that each type may provide. We present a non‐linear formulation of the problem where the objective is to maximize the percentage of demand points that are appropriately covered. We then show how the model can be linearized based on a representation of probabilities through a network structure. To address large instances of the problem, we introduce a genetic algorithm (GA) that is based on the representation of the solution by two chromosomes. Computational experiments over a wide range of randomly generated problems indicate the GA clearly outperforms CPLEX, especially in larger instances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community composition in aquatic environments is influenced by habitat conditions, such as location and size. We propose a system of reaction-diffusion-advection equations for a predator-prey model with variable predator habitat in open advective environments. We investigate the effects of the location and length of the predator's habitat on its invasion. Firstly, we show that the closer the predator's habitat is to the downstream, the easier the predator can invade when its habitat length is fixed. Secondly, we find that increment of the predator's habitat length facilitates its invasion when the upstream boundary of its habitat is fixed. However, increment of the predator's habitat length disadvantages its invasion when the downstream boundary of its habitat is fixed. Thirdly, we obtain the uniqueness of positive steady state when two species reside in different domains. Finally, we numerically analyze how the advection rates affect the populations persistence and spatial distributions of the populations. These findings may have important biological implications and applications on the invasion of predators in open advective environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monumental rectangular stone structures called mustatils are an important emerging feature of the Holocene archaeological record of northwestern Arabia. To date, few have been excavated, with available radiocarbon dates suggesting an age range of ca. 5400–4200 BC. Here we present a rigorous spatial analysis to identify the patterning and landscape context of 169 mustatils in the southern and western margins of the Nefud Desert. This included: (1) a systematic survey of satellite imagery to identify mustatils; (2) viewshed analysis to examine location and landscape visibility; (3) a point process model to understand how diverse environmental and landscape variables affect mustatil locations; (4) mark correlation function to assess spatial patterning of mustatils based on their size. Results indicate that mustatil locations are determined most by proximity to water (likely locations of enhanced surface water occurrence under the enhanced humidity of the Mid-Holocene), on east facing slopes, close to rocky areas, at elevations between 880 and 950 masl, and on or near topographic ridges (positive topographic position index). Viewshed analysis showed that mustatils are preferentially located in areas that have good views, but not the best that are available, indicating complex landscape positioning that balances a range of topographic and behavioural factors. Using a rank permutation method with size (length) of mustatils as a proxy for labour mobilization we show that mustatils within clusters are not arranged hierarchically based on size, and were likely built by non-stratified groups of people. Our analyses show that people were choosing multiple factors when deciding where to build mustatils, and that the distribution of mustatils may relate to different groups of people resulting in the construction of complex ritual landscapes. As one of the earliest examples of large-scale monumental stone structure construction in global prehistory, understanding mustatils can enlighten us on human-environment interaction during the Neolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Home and community-based services are key to an aging society and the aging in place strategies that are preferred by older adults as well as policymakers. But the provision of these kinds of services is often inadequate in territorial terms, raising the question of how to increase their reach and efficiency. This article analyzes the spatial coverage of home support services in the Aveiro Region of Portugal, considering the distribution of their target population and identifying network configurations which would provide these services more efficiently, through a location analysis that minimizes the distance to potential users of these services. This approach showed that, in the Aveiro Region, the spatial coverage of these services is highly uneven and insufficient, considering that the population with difficulties in performing daily tasks exceeds the population benefiting from these services and that the level of coverage differs greatly between territories. It also showed that significant efficiency and equity gains are possible by optimizing the service providers’ location at the supra-municipal scale, decreasing the distances to be covered and reducing territorial inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This forum focuses on the overlooked areas of the moment surrounding the nature and progression of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It brings together scholars of different disciplines, backgrounds, and locations to provide analyses of the Russian aggression from varying perspectives such as history, law, military studies, politics, and media and communications, to name a few, encouraging the authors to focus on intricacies to deliver a deeper analysis of the invasion. Each author offers a unique take on the analyses of the past and present. The forum has two aims. First, the collection raises the question "What did we miss?" and it aims to highlight the lack of attention by Western scholars to Russian perceptions of Western threats and the concerns of former Soviet countries regarding Russia's aggressive foreign policy. Second, the forum intends to start a conversation on different non-Western perspectives of thinking about the Russian invasion. The forum covers the events of the period from the beginning of the invasion up to July 2022, with some post-revision comments in the introduction and conclusion mentioning the events up to February 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, wire arc additive manufactured (WAAM-ed) Inconel 617- and 625-wmo grade alloys are characterized in detail for the type and distribution of precipitates in as-built and heat-treated conditions. The analyses are carried out near (~1 mm) and away (~10 mm) from the substrate along the build direction to investigate the effect of the substrate on the nature of precipitate formation. For each analysis location, morphological and chemical information of at least 400 precipitate features was identified and classified using stoichiometric analysis of SEM-EDS data combined with feature analytics. Carbides and carbonitrides are present in both Inconel 600 series alloys but Laves phase precipitates are identified only in the case of Inconel 625 wmo alloy. It is observed that the nature of precipitates size distribution is not altered significantly when compared between the two analysed locations for a particular grade. Furthermore, Laves phase precipitates closer to the substrate (1 mm) are richer in iron because of the effect of mild steel substrate on precipitation characteristics in Inconel 625 alloy. Our novel characterization approach will pave the way for comparing the microstructures of additively manufactured samples printed using different process parameters and variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yield and stability are desirable characteristics that crops need to have high agronomic value; sugarcane stands out globally due to its diverse range of products and by-products. However, genotype-environment (G × E) interactions can affect the overall performance of a crop. The objective of this study is to identify genotypes with the highest yield and stability, as well as to understand their independent and interactive effects. A collection of 10 sugarcane varieties was evaluated, including Colombian, Dominican, Ecuadorian lines, and a group of clones planted across five different locations from 2018 to 2020. A two-way ANOVA along with the GGE biplot technique were used to analyze yield and stability. The ANOVA model shows highly significant effects in all cases (p < 0.001) except for the genotype by year and sector interaction (G × Y × S); however, the decomposition by sectors reveals a significant triple interaction in sector 04 (p < 0.05). The GGE biplot model accounted for up to 74.77% of the total variance explained in its PC1 and PC2 components. It also highlighted the group of clones as having the highest yield and environmental instability, and the Ecuadorian varieties EC-07 and EC-08 as having the best yield-stability relationship. We conclude that the combined results of the ANOVA and GGE biplot models provide a more synergistic and effective evaluation of sugarcane varieties, offering theoretical and practical bases for decision-making in the selection of specific varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burns cause serious physical and psychological harm to patients, placing a heavy burden on the global healthcare system. Our previous study detailed the epidemiological characteristics of burn injuries in Chinese inpatients from 2009 to 2018. Interestingly, the anatomic locations of burn injuries vary by gender, age, provinces, and outcomes among different causes. Therefore, this current study aims to analyze the characteristics of burn injuries in inpatients with various burn sites by collecting data in China from 2009 to 2018. This analysis will inform future healthcare system decisions and provide effective strategies. Methods: Burns inpatients from 196 hospitals across 31 provinces in China were included in the study, covering the period from 2009 to 2018. The data collected encompassed information on gender, age, etiology, regions, clinical outcomes, and anatomical locations of the injuries. Data analysis was conducted using Microsoft Excel 2007. Results: From 2009 to 2018, a total of 333,995 burns inpatients were recorded. The most vulnerable parts to burns were multiple burn sites (230,090, 68.89%). Women were more susceptible to lower limb burns (15,608, 14%), while men were more prone to eye injuries (8,387, 3.37%) and hand burns (6,119, 2.75%). The age group of 0–10 years was the most vulnerable to burns across all body areas, including internal organs. In China, individuals aged 20–50 years were at a higher risk of head and neck burns compared to other age groups. The Han population showed increased vulnerability to eye injuries (2.12 times higher than minorities), respiratory tract issues (2.09 times higher than minorities), and trunk burns (1.83 times higher than minorities), while being less susceptible to internal organ injuries (0.23 times fewer than minorities) and lower limb burns (0.78 times fewer than minorities). The southwest region had the highest proportion of burns inpatients with burns affecting single body parts, whereas the eastern area had the highest rates of respiratory tract burns (0.85%) and multiple burn sites (80.64%). Scalding was identified as the most common cause of burns, while flame burns (769, 55.81%) and chemical burns (438, 47.35%) were the main causes of respiratory tract and internal organ injuries, respectively. Conclusions: This study provides an initial description of characteristics of burns inpatients with various anatomic locations of burns in China over the past decade. Our findings will contribute to the most up-to-date clinical evidence database for healthcare planning and prevention initiatives in both China and other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strategic selection of facility locations plays a critical role in optimizing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing customer satisfaction, thereby contributing significantly to the success and competitiveness of businesses. In this study, an interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy decision-making framework is proposed to select the best location for the lumber drying industry. A four-level hierarchical model is devised with four main criteria, 16 subcriteria, and five alternatives. The opinions of different experts are gathered to obtain input data. The weights of the criteria are calculated using the interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. The interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) method is employed to evaluate the alternative locations. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to support the validity of the model results. The study concludes by revealing the optimal location for the lumber drying industry in Turkey. This study presents its novelty by formulating the lumber drying facility location selection problem as a complex fuzzy multicriteria decision-making problem and integrating the Pythagorean fuzzy AHP and WASPAS methods to solve the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Phosphatidyl ethanolamine binding protein (PEBP) plays an important role in the formation of flowers. To identify the PEBP gene family of alfalfa in blossom, the PEBP gene family was selected from the transcriptome database of alfalfa with bioinformatics analysis, for their protein properties, functional domains, evolutionary relationships and expression patterns. Methods: A BLASTP search using Arabidopsis PEBP sequences as a query was performed against alfalfa proteome with a minimum identity of 75% and E-value of 1E-5. BLASTP search resulted in 17 protein candidates. Finally, we obtained a consensus list of ten proteins from the HMMER and BLASTP search. Redundant sequences were removed using CD-HIT which resulted in a total of nine PEBP candidates in alfalfa. Result: The results showed that there was a total of nine PEBP candidates in alfalfa, which could be divided into three sub-gene families, such as TFL1-like, MFT-like and FT-like groups. Chromosomal location analyses showed that nine PEBP members are distributed on five of the eight alfalfa chromosomes with chromosome 7 having the largest number of PEBP members (four members) while only three alfalfa PEBP proteins were annotated as MsFTa1, MsFTa2 and MsFTc. In addition, the motifs of this gene family were conservative with few differences in the number and types of conservative motifs. MsFTa1 and MsFTa2 are two strong candidates for florigen in alfalfa, while MsG0480024000.01 is a candidate which functions as a floral repressory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Contaduría y Administración is the property of Facultad de Contaduria y Administracion-Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Edge computing has emerged as an innovative paradigm that decentralizes computation to the network's periphery, empowering edge servers to manage user-initiated complex tasks. This strategy alleviates the computational load on end-user devices and increases task processing efficiency. Nonetheless, the task offloading process can introduce a critical vulnerability, as adversaries may infer a user's location through an analysis of their offloading mode, thereby threatening the user's location privacy. To counteract this vulnerability, this study introduces differential privacy as a protective mechanism to obscure the user's offloading mode, thereby safeguarding their location information. This research specifically addresses the issue of location privacy leakage stemming from the correlation between a user's location and their task offloading ratio. The proposed strategy is based on differential privacy. It aims to increase the efficiency of offloading services and the benefits of task offloading. At the same time, it ensures privacy protection. An innovative optimization technique for task offloading that maintains location privacy is presented. Utilizing this technique, users can make informed offloading decisions, dynamically adjusting the level of obfuscation in response to the state of the wireless channel and their privacy requirements. This study substantiates the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed mechanism through rigorous theoretical analysis and extensive empirical testing. The numerical results demonstrate that the proposed strategy can achieve a balance between offloading privacy and processing overhead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localisation is an important task and is complex in 3D WSNs in comparison to 2D. The presence of obstacles or irregular terrain makes the localisation task more challenging due to the lack of network connectivity. Few approaches proposed have considered irregular topology but for limited structures like C, H, valley, mountainous areas, etc. This paper investigates the localisation error of sensor nodes deployed in four different 3D real terrains. The network area is divided into grids and a mobile anchor node broadcasts a signal from each grid. This network division provides sufficient anchor signal to each sensor node and found that more than 95% of sensor nodes have been localised with an average localisation error of 19 m. The use of a mobile anchor node eliminates the requirement for many fixed-grounded anchor nodes. The results obtained demonstrate that the localisation error is dependent on terrain topography, grid size and UAV height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet architecture has recently shifted towards a framework characterized by multiple interconnected cloud sites, all linked via an L3 IP network. With this shift, managing networking controls among multiple cloud sites is becoming a significant operational challenge. In particular, ensuring effective networking control necessitates a deeper understanding of flow-level dynamics for comprehensively monitoring interconnection statuses across multiple sites. In this paper, we first propose an IO Visor-enabled tracing solution for Linux-based boxes to efficiently enable the comprehensive collection of network packet flows across interconnected sites. Next, we apply IP prefix-based flow-level analysis at a centralized location to support the intent-based networking control application. This flow-level analysis involves generating policy-based specific action (i.e., redirect) via SDN controllers for specific source IP prefixes, which are causing unknown or potentially vulnerable flows. Furthermore, we employ an open-source ONOS SDN controller to tackle the challenge of managing the hybrid SDN-IP interconnections. By leveraging intent-based networking control, we effectively apply ONOS intents based on IP routing information and generated a set of forwarding action. We evaluate our proposed solution in an experimental SDN-cloud testbed, demonstrating its effectiveness in real-world scenarios. Overall, through the seamless integration of these monitoring and control approaches, we manage to enhance the adaptability and security of the interconnected cloud sites of the testbed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane emission in South Asia is poorly understood due to a lack of observations, despite being a major contributor to methane emissions globally. We present the first results of atmospheric CH4 inversions using air samples collected weekly at Nainital, India (NTL), and Comilla, Bangladesh (CLA), in addition to surface background flask measurements by NOAA, CSIRO and AGAGE using the MIROC4-ACTM. Our simulations span from 2000 to 2020 (considering the fixed "edge" effect), but the main analysis period is 2013–2020, when both the NTL and CLA datasets are available. An additional flux uncertainty reduction of up to 40% was obtained (mainly in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent), which enhanced our confidence in flux estimation and reaffirmed the significance of observations at the NTL and CLA sites. Our estimated regional flux was 64.0 ± 4.7 Tg-CH4 yr−1 in South Asia for the period 2013–2020. We considered two combinations of a priori fluxes that represented different approaches for CH4 emission from rice fields and wetlands. By the inversion, the difference in emissions between these combinations was notably reduced due to the adjustment of the CH4 emission from the agriculture, oil and gas, and waste sectors. At the same time, the discrepancy in wetland emissions, approximately 8 Tg-CH4 yr−1, remained unchanged. In addition to adjusting the annual totals, the inclusion of NTL/CLA observations in the inversion analysis modified the seasonal cycle of total fluxes, possibly due to the agricultural sector. While the a priori fluxes consisted of a single peak in August, the a posteriori values indicated double peaks in May and September. These peaks are highly likely associated with field preparation for summer crops and emissions from rice fields during the heading stage (panicle formation). The newly incorporated sites primarily exhibit sensitivity to the Indo-Gangetic Plain subregion, while coverage in southern India remains limited. Expanding the observation network is necessary, with careful analysis of potential locations using back-trajectory methods for footprint evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a well-established and highly effective treatment for patients with medically uncontrolled Parkinson's disease (PD). This study presents the outcome of patients with PD after subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN DBS) using the microtargeting the platform (MTP) stereotactic system (the STarFixSystem, FHC Inc., Bowdoin, Me., USA) for accurate localization of the target and precise placement of DBs electrodes. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and the follow up period was 1 year utilizing the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS II and III) in on and off medication-stimulation conditions. It included 18 STN DBS procedures in 10 patients over a 2-year period. The technical features and the practical application of the STarFix system and the clinical outcome are reported. Also lead location analysis is done by doing postoperative CT to evaluate the clinical accuracy of the stereotactic system. Results: The mean age of PD patients was 67.7 years. Six patients were males (60%) and 4 patients were females (40%). The mean postoperative improvement in ADL was 83.47 ± 2.39 over Dopa therapy alone. The mean postoperative improvement in UPDRs motor score was 78.96 ± 7.74 over Dopa therapy alone. The STarFix system showed high accuracy with target error 1.89 mm (SD 0.8) without accounting for brain shift. Conclusion: Deep brain stimulation (DBS) targeting the subthalamic nucleus (STN) offers fundamental benefits for patients with advanced Parkinson's disease (PD). The usage of the STarFix system for implanting DBS electrodes in the STN provides an accurate, safe, and effective alternative to traditional stereotactic techniques. This approach simplifies the surgical procedure, boosts patient comfort, and minimizes the duration of the operation. Clinical trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03562403. Registered 19 June 2018, https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03562403. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing the complex dynamics of a college campus requires an innovative and efficient tracking system for students and professors. Existing methods often fall short of delivering accurate real-time monitoring, leading to logistical challenges and communication gaps. In this research paper, we present a visionary solution--a futuristic RFID-based tracking system that revolutionizes campus management. By seamlessly integrating cuttingedge technologies, this system addresses the limitations of traditional methods and offers a transformative approach. Our proposed methodology centers on RFID tags, which act as digital fingerprints for individuals. These tags capture real-time location data, unlocking a treasure trove of insights. Leveraging advanced algorithms and data processing techniques, the system stores and analyzes this information in a centralized file, creating a comprehensive and dynamic view of the campus. Results from our initial trials showcase the system's remarkable accuracy and reliability. Real-time tracking enables precise monitoring of student and professor movements, facilitating timely interventions and efficient resource allocation. Moreover, a user-friendly search functionality empowers students and professors to effortlessly locate individuals based on their names, fostering seamless communication and collaboration. This holistic approach to campus management holds tremendous potential for improving operational efficiency, communication, and overall campus experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proper design of special segments under cavity conditions is essential for successfully implementing the upward shield tunneling method. When constructing upward tunnels, the segment structure in the corresponding construction area of the horizontal tunnel is special. To study the internal force distribution on the structure under the worst possible conditions given by the upward shield tunneling method, MIDAS GTS NX software is used to numerically simulate the structure based on the condition of the cavity behind it to determine the most unfavorable radius of the cavity. Moreover, an analysis of the cavity location is conducted. The results demonstrate that when the cavity is located at the bottom of the arch with a radius of 1 m and near the top of the arch with a radius of 0.5 m, the special segment structure is under the most unfavorable combination of stresses. The most dangerous working condition occurs when there is a 0.5 m radius cavity on one side of the arch in the cross‐section of the special segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The subspecialized, clinically complex nature of neurosurgery should not result in marginalization or under-representation of neurosurgical scientific output. This study aims to provide an overview of the trends of neurosurgical publications in high-impact medical journals during the past 3 decades. An electronic database search was performed to identify all articles affiliated with neurosurgery departments published in 10 highly regarded medical journals. The trend of the proportion of neurosurgical publications to total publications in these journals was examined over time. Subgroup analyses on the basis of location, setting, domain, grant source, and topic of the articles were performed. Overall, 2090 neurosurgical publications were identified in the selected journals, comprising 0.26% of those journals' publications. The proportion of neurosurgical publications to total publications in these journals increased over time, from 0.03% before 1991 to 0.35% after 2020. Most studies were single-center (82.7%), clinical (52.4%), and primary research (89%). The United States (40.1%), China (12.4%) and the United Kingdom (7.1%) had the greatest number of neurosurgical publications among those analyzed. The share of clinical neurosurgical articles increased over time compared with basic and translational articles (P = 0.01). Among neurosurgical subspecialties, neuro-oncology (60.1%), vascular (19.0%), and general (7.0%) had the greatest number of publications identified, with substantial increases in vascular publications over time. The mean number of citations per year received by neurosurgical articles has increased over time, from 1.65 (before 1991) to 4.12 (2010–2020). Neurosurgery's proportion of high-impact journal publications has increased over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The strategic selection of facility locations plays a critical role in optimizing operational efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing customer satisfaction, thereby contributing significantly to the success and competitiveness of businesses. In this study, an interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy decision-making framework is proposed to select the best location for the lumber drying industry. A four-level hierarchical model is devised with four main criteria, 16 subcriteria, and five alternatives. The opinions of different experts are gathered to obtain input data. The weights of the criteria are calculated using the interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. The interval-valued Pythagorean fuzzy weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS) method is employed to evaluate the alternative locations. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to support the validity of the model results. The study concludes by revealing the optimal location for the lumber drying industry in Turkey. This study presents its novelty by formulating the lumber drying facility location selection problem as a complex fuzzy multicriteria decision-making problem and integrating the Pythagorean fuzzy AHP and WASPAS methods to solve the problem.

Background: Aldehyde dehydrogenases (ALDHs) are a family of enzymes that catalyze the oxidation of aldehyde molecules into the corresponding carboxylic acid, regulate the balance of aldehydes and protect plants from the poisoning caused by excessive accumulation of aldehydes; however, this gene family has rarely been studied in cotton. Results: In the present study, genome-wide identification was performed, and a total of 114 ALDH family members were found in three cotton species, Gossypium hirsutum, Gossypium arboreum and Gossypium raimondii. The ALDH genes were divided into six subgroups by evolutionary analysis. ALDH genes in the same subgroup showed similar gene structures and conserved motifs, but some genes showed significant differences, which may result in functional differences. Chromosomal location analysis and selective pressure analysis revealed that the ALDH gene family had experienced many fragment duplication events. Cis-acting element analysis revealed that this gene family may be involved in the response to various biotic and abiotic stresses. The RT‒qPCR results showed that the expression levels of some members of this gene family were significantly increased under salt stress conditions. Gohir.A11G040800 and Gohir.D06G046200 were subjected to virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) experiments, and the sensitivity of the silenced plants to salt stress was significantly greater than that of the negative control plants, suggesting that Gohir.A11G040800 and Gohir.D06G046200 may be involved in the response of cotton to salt stress. Conclusions: In total, 114 ALDH genes were identified in three Gossypium species by a series of bioinformatics analysis. Gene silencing of the ALDH genes of G. hirsutum revealed that ALDH plays an important role in the response of cotton to salt stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feeding behaviors are determined by two main factors. One is the internal state, such as hunger or previous experiences; the other is external factors, such as sensory stimulation. During starvation, animals must balance food-seeking behavior with energy conservation. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, serves as a useful model for studying food selectivity and various behaviors related to food intake. However, few studies have directly connected food selectivity with other behaviors, such as locomotor activity and sleep. In this study, we report that flies exhibited a preference for specific positions and spent more time in the proximity of sweet sugars, such as sucrose and sucralose, but not non-sweet and nutritious sugars like xylitol and sorbitol. On the other hand, prolonged exposure to sorbitol increased the staying time of flies in the proximity of sorbitol. Additionally, after starvation, flies immediately exhibited a position preference in the proximity of sorbitol. These findings suggest that flies prefer the proximity of sweet food, and starvation alters their preference for nutritious food, which may be beneficial for their survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research focuses on evaluating the importance of the use of renewable sources through distributed generation and its implication in the operation of electrical systems given that its incorporation has a direct impact on the expansion of the capacity of the networks, the minimization losses, and the impact on end users, all supported by the growth of demand. Under this context, the study focuses on incorporating distributed generation (DG), taking scenarios of base, medium, and peak demand and the modeling of the network, and subsequently evaluating the service quality indices and operating costs in addition to the electrical variables of the system. For this purpose, the present work proposes an optimization model to be solved using the Matlab (2021b) computational program together with GAMS (37.1.0 Major release (11 November 2021)) and mixed-integer nonlinear programming, determining the optimal insertion and determination of the maximum capacity of distributed generators while complying with the technical restrictions of the system and applying optimal AC power flows. Localizing and determining maximum capacity for distributed generation (DG) in electrical systems are critical aspects of modern grid planning and operation. With the increasing penetration of renewable energy sources and the growing complexity of energy demand patterns, efficient integration of DG has become paramount for ensuring grid reliability and sustainability. In this context, the analysis of DG localization and capacity determination considering demand scenarios emerges as a critical area of research in electrical engineering. By employing advanced optimization techniques such as mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINP), this research addresses the multidimensional challenges associated with DG deployment, including technical constraints, economic considerations, and environmental impacts. Understanding the contribution of this optimization approach to electrical engineering is fundamental for optimizing grid performance, enhancing renewable energy integration, and supporting the transition towards more resilient and sustainable energy systems. Consequently, investigating this optimization model represents a crucial step towards advancing the state-of-the-art in grid planning and facilitating the transition to a cleaner and more efficient energy future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an acoustic emission (AE) detection method for refined oil storage tanks which is aimed towards specialized places such as oil storage tanks with high explosion-proof requirements, such as cave oil tanks and buried oil tanks. The method utilizes an explosion-proof acoustic emission instrument to detect the floor of a refined oil storage tank. By calculating the time difference between the defective acoustic signal and the speed of acoustic wave transmission, a mathematical model is constructed to analyze the detected signals. An independent channel AE detection system is designed, which can store the collected data in a piece of independent explosion-proof equipment, and can analyze and process the data in a safe area after the detection, solving the problems of a short signal acquisition distance and the weak safety protection applied to traditional AE instruments. A location analysis of the AE sources is conducted on the bottom plate of the tank, evaluating its corrosion condition accurately. The consistency between the evaluation and subsequent open-tank tests confirms that using AE technology effectively captures corrosion signals from oil storage tanks' bottoms. The feasibility of carrying out online inspection under the condition of oil storage in vertical steel oil tanks was verified through a comparison with open inspections, which provided a guide for determining the inspection target and opening order of large-scale oil tanks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A morphologically present but non-functioning synapse is termed a silent synapse. Silent synapses are categorized into "postsynaptically silent synapses," where AMPA receptors are either absent or non-functional, and "presynaptically silent synapses," where neurotransmitters cannot be released from nerve terminals. The presence of presynaptically silent synapses remains enigmatic, and their physiological significance is highly intriguing. In this study, we examined the distribution and developmental changes of presynaptically active and silent synapses in individual neurons. Our findings show a gradual increase in the number of excitatory synapses, along with a corresponding decrease in the percentage of presynaptically silent synapses during neuronal development. To pinpoint the distribution of presynaptically active and silent synapses, i.e., their positional information, we employed Sholl analysis. Our results indicate that the distribution of presynaptically silent synapses within a single neuron does not exhibit a distinct pattern during synapse development in different distance from the cell body. However, irrespective of neuronal development, the proportion of presynaptically silent synapses tends to rise as the projection site moves farther from the cell body, suggesting that synapses near the cell body may exhibit higher synaptic transmission efficiency. This study represents the first observation of changes in the distribution of presynaptically active and silent synapses within a single neuron. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The land and urban space have been changed, expanded and enriched in terms of natural, physical, economic and social aspects. However, the use of land and the location of sports uses, which is a public and vital resource, must be done with basic planning. In this regard, the present study deals with the qualitative analysis of the location selection of sports uses in Zahedan using multi-indicator decision-making techniques. The method of this research is descriptive-documentary and analytical, and the relevant information has been collected in the field and in the library. Research data and information have been used using five evaluation matrices (proximity, accessibility, safety, topography and foundations) as well as Swara weighting model and Mabac ranking. The results of the five evaluation matrices (access, proximity, safety, topography and comfort) indicate that the sports halls of Zahedan city are not in a good condition in terms of safety and proximity, which is due to the lack of safe sidewalks. For elderly and disabled people, it is the lack of police stations, the lack of safe and secure sidewalks, the lack of safety of roads and areas, and the lack of access to parks and green spaces, as well as religious centers. The results of Mabak's decision-making model show that Imam Ali Sports Complex is in the first place, Kausar Sports Complex is in the second place, Moin Sports Hall is in the third place, Shahid Kargaran Sports Hall is in the fourth place and Shahid Beheshti Sports Complex is in the fifth place. Are placed On the other hand, Shirabad Hall is ranked 20th and Karimabad Hall is ranked last. Therefore, according to the indicators of safety, proximity, accessibility, and comfort, special attention should be paid to the salons of Karimabad and Shirabad, which are located in the suburbs of the city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For several decades, multinational enterprises (MNEs) have offshored their manufacturing activities to low-cost countries to achieve significant productivity gains. However, changes in the relative competitiveness of countries, social effects of deindustrialization in advanced economies and the vulnerability of global value chains (GVCs) revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic have encouraged some firms, supported by governments, to "reshore" part, or all of their offshore industrial operations back to their home country. Reshoring decisions are motivated by a variety of endogenous and exogenous factors that are empirically analyzed in this paper to understand how reshoring policies implemented by governments can more effectively address the factors driving the firms' location decisions. A review of the reshoring policies implemented in Europe, the UK and the US is conducted to provide general policy recommendations regarding policy instruments, SMEs, innovation and regionalization of value chains. This paper fills a gap in the literature by connecting the micro-level supply chain management analysis of firms' reshoring drivers with the macro-level economic policy perspective on reshoring. The review of existing reshoring policies calls for an in-depth analysis by the manufacturing sector and at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is about purchasing decisions for Pantai Indah Kapuk 1 housing in Indonesia and this study aims to determine location, promotion and price analysis of housing purchase decisions at Pantai Indah Kapuk 1 and the respondents who are the owners of Pantai Indah Kapuk 1 housing. This research is descriptive quantitative. Primary data and secondary data obtained. Secondary data was obtained from various sources such as journalists, books and other related primary publication data obtained by distributing questionnaires to the target respondents. Determining the number of samples using purposive sampling technique and will be distributed via Google form to at least 150 respondents obtained. The results showed that location has a significant positive relationship with purchasing decisions, promotion has a significant positive relationship with purchasing decisions, and price has a significant positive relationship with purchasing decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is vast research on particular aspects of warehouse design - layout, material handling, order picking, and operating policies - when, in fact, the decisions involved in the process are interrelated. In this paper, we develop an engineering economics framework for warehouse operations that decomposes the cost structure of the operation and lays out the relationships between them. Our framework decomposes operational costs into four exogenous characteristics (wages, leasing costs, cost of capital, and access to technology) that depend on the geographic location of the warehouse and two operational requirements (throughput and storage capacity). Using these six parameters, and publicly available information, practitioners can estimate the total operational cost of the warehouse for potential locations in facility location analysis, which have been traditionally limited to transportation costs. In our case study, we use our framework to establish a rank of preferable warehouse locations in terms of operational costs among logistics clusters in the United States of America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In archaeology, landscape is studied as a cultural, social, and environmental process that simultaneously influences human thinking and is impacted by human actions. From such a perspective, the establishment of cemeteries, too, results from human choice with respect to the environment, engendering a specific mortuary landscape. This is, overall, a little-studied field in the history of research on the Iron Age in Latvia. Even so, a continuous development of ideas may be traced, both in terms of the broadening of the range of issues addressed, proceeding from basic description of the cemetery’s location to analysis of its significance in the landscape, and in terms of the growing diversity of approaches and methods employed, moving from simple observation of the surrounding area to interdisciplinary studies and various kinds of data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the price of fossil fuels, unreliability of fossil fuels for a secure supply of demand in future and their relevant environmental concerns provide an attitude toward substituting renewable energies with fossil fuels for reaching sustainable development in societies. Biofuels as a type of renewable energies can be easily transferred between supply chain's centers and do not have limitation for transportation after their production. Among various types of biofuels, biodiesel, which can be mainly produced from the non-edible feedstocks, such as Jatropha Curcas L. (JCL), is preferred to other biofuels because biodiesel production from JCL which can be cultivated in marginal lands, improves three pillars of sustainability. Since biofuel supply chain's costs can mainly be affected by its feedstock location optimization, this paper used a common weight data envelopment analysis (CWDEA) method for location optimization of feedstock cultivation for a biodiesel supply chain by considering a comprehensive set of sustainability criteria for investigating locations. A case study of Iran is provided for assessing the model's application, and its results in ranking potential locations for JCL cultivation are validated by a numerical taxonomy (NT) approach. In fact, this paper not only specifies the optimum locations for the feedstock cultivation of a biofuel supply chain regarding to sustainability criteria, but also discuss the balanced socioeconomic development and environmental benefits which can be attained by JCL cultivation in marginal and mostly underdeveloped lands. Provided results imply that vast area of Iran's marginal lands has suitable climate for JCL cultivation and policy makers can address all aspect of sustainability simultaneously by investment on those specified lands as well as supplying countries' demand for biodiesel which will be produced from this feedstock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Point Pattern Analysis (PPA) has gained momentum in archaeological research, particularly in site distribution pattern recognition compared to supra-regional environmental variables. While PPA is now a statistically well-established method, most of the data necessary for the analyses are not freely accessible, complicating reproducibility and transparency. In this article, we present a fully reproducible methodical framework to PPA using an open access database of archaeological sites located in south-west Germany and open source explanatory covariates to understand site location processes and patterning. The workflow and research question are tailored to a regional case study, but the code underlying the analysis is provided as an R Markdown file and can be adjusted and manipulated to fit any archaeological database across the globe. The Early Iron Age north of the Alps and particularly in south-west Germany is marked by numerous social and cultural changes that reflect the use and inhabitation of the landscape. In this work we show that the use of quantitative methods in the study of site distribution processes is essential for a more complete understanding of archaeological and environmental dynamics. Furthermore, the use of a completely transparent and easily adaptable approach can fuel the understanding of large-scale site location preferences and catchment compositions in archaeological, geographical and ecological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]