Hasil untuk "Metropolitan areas"

Faizan Ahmed, Tehmasp Rehman Mirza, Zoha Iftikhar et al.

Abstract Background Amyloidosis is increasingly recognized as a contributor to heart failure, particularly among older adults and patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). Despite advances in diagnostic imaging and disease-modifying therapies, amyloidosis remains underdiagnosed in many settings, and population-level data examining its co-occurrence with cardiovascular disease on death certificates are limited. This study examined two decades of national mortality data to evaluate deaths co-coded with amyloidosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the United States and to assess temporal trends and demographic disparities in age-adjusted mortality rates. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted using mortality data from the CDC WONDER database spanning 1999–2020. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 1,000,000 persons were calculated, and trends were assessed using Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC) and Annual Percent Change (APC) using Joinpoint 5.0.2. Results Between 1999 and 2020, 26,391 amyloidosis and CVD-related deaths occurred among adults aged 25 years and older in the United States. The overall AAMR for deaths co-coded with amyloidosis and CVD increased from 4.40 in 1999 to 9.31 in 2020, with an AAPC of 3.49 (p < 0.001). The most pronounced increase occurred between 2018 and 2020 (APC: 13.60). Rates were higher among men than women, with both sexes showing a marked increase in the last decade. African American or Black individuals had the highest rates (11.40), followed by White (5.11) and Hispanic (3.86) individuals. Rates were highest in the Northeast region (6.71). Metropolitan areas had higher rates than non-metropolitan areas (5.73 vs. 4.76), with a more pronounced increase in metropolitan regions. Conclusions Age-adjusted mortality rates for deaths co-coded with amyloidosis and cardiovascular disease have increased over time, likely reflecting improved recognition and documentation. Higher rates of co-coded deaths were noted among men, African Americans, and individuals in the Northeast region, highlighting potential disparities in diagnostic access and recognition.

Bertrand Jouve, Paul Rochet, Mohamadou Salifou

The lack of GPS data limits the ability to reconstruct the actual routes taken by cyclists in urban areas. This article introduces an inference method based solely on trip durations and origin-destination pairs from bike-sharing system (BSS) users. Travel time distributions are modeled using log-normal mixture models, allowing us to identify the presence of distinct behaviors. The approach is applied to 3.8 million trips recorded in 2022 in the Toulouse metropolitan area, with observed durations compared against travel times estimated by OpenStreetMap (OSM). Results show that, for many station pairs, trip durations align closely with the fastest route suggested by OSM, reflecting a dominant and routine practice. In other cases, mixture models reveal more heterogeneous behaviors, including longer trips, detours, or intermediate stops. This approach highlights both the stability and diversity of cycling practices, providing a robust tool for usage analysis in data-limited contexts, and offering new insights into urban mobility dynamics without relying on spatially explicit data.

Z. -B. Cui, Z. -Q. Wang, P. -C. Lai et al.

Quantum network and quantum repeater are promising ways to scale up a quantum information system to enable various applications with unprecedented performance. As a current bottleneck of building a long-distance quantum network, the distribution rate of heralded entanglement between remote network nodes is typically much lower than the decoherence rate of each local node, which obstructs the implementation of a metropolitan-scale quantum network with more than two remote nodes. A promising scheme to accelerate the remote entanglement distribution is through multiplexing enhancement based on a multimode quantum network node. In this work, we experimentally realize a functional $5$-ion quantum network node with two different types of qubits inside. We employ a hybrid multiplexing scheme combining the methods of multiple excitation and ion shuttling, in which maximally $44$ time-bin modes are generated and sent through a long fiber to boost the entangling rate. Via this scheme, we can generate heralded ion-photon entanglement with a high fidelity of $96.8\%$/$94.6\%$/$89.8\%$ with a success rate of $263\,\text{s}^{-1}$/$40\,\text{s}^{-1}$/$4.28\,\text{s}^{-1}$, over a fiber of $3\,$m/$1\,$km/$12\,$km, respectively. In addition, the memory qubit can protect the stored quantum information from the destructive ion-photon entangling attempts via dual-type encoding and a memory coherence time of $366\,$ms is achieved. This coherence time has exceeded the expected entanglement generation time $234\,$ms over a $12\,$km fiber, which is realized for the first time in a metropolitan-scale quantum network node.

Raúl Sancha Llamosí, Eloina Coll Aliaga, Maria Joaquina Porres De La Haza et al.

This study addresses the urgent need for sustainable urban mobility through a comprehensive analysis of decarbonization potential in the metropolitan area of Valencia, Spain. The research is motivated by the imperative to mitigate climate change amidst high traffic and congestion levels. Utilizing the Origin–Destination matrix from the Valencian community’s mobility plan, the study prioritizes displacements for substitution by sustainable alternatives. Through a detailed case study analysis, critical areas for decarbonization are identified, and practical strategies to reduce carbon emissions are proposed. The methodology encompasses a thorough literature review on decarbonization measures, examination of existing plans, and analysis of sustainable trips with high spatial resolution using geographic information systems (GISs). The study identifies trips with significant decarbonization potential and assesses the current public transportation network. Spatial analyses illustrate demand patterns for sustainable transport options, emphasizing the need for tailored strategies. Key findings highlight the role of private and commercial transport in CO₂ emissions, advocating for targeted interventions to enhance active transport infrastructure, promote carpooling, adopt low-emission vehicles, and improve public transport accessibility and efficiency.

Humberto Barrera-Jiménez, Juan Pineda-Jaramillo

This study presents a conceptual framework proposal for integrating urban freight initiatives (UFIs), or city logistics initiatives, into urban planning and urban management (UPUM) land use and infrastructure systems. As a novel approach, this framework integrates three components: Firstly, a conceptual basis on three economic geography theory principles—location, agglomeration, and urbanisation. Secondly, spatial analysis and subsequent clustering integrate companies’ spatial positions, their proximity to other companies, their freight intensity, and the characteristics of the zonal road infrastructure; these clusters are defined as freight traffic zones (FTZs). Thirdly, a functional yet strategic UFI clustering or grouping is proposed to work in an optimised and integrated manner with the FTZs’ opportunities for efficiency and reduced externalities. It is expected that the integrated result of these three components can serve to optimise freight initiatives and road infrastructure from a city governance perspective, reduce freight externalities, and function as a stakeholder cooperation tool from government-led, policy-driven perspectives. This research also identifies and characterises various variables influencing the emergence and existence (planned or organic) of FTZs and shows how these could be incorporated into high-level UPUM processes. Although it is deemed that the principles and methodological approach followed here could be common to urban areas, an example for the Metropolitan Area of the Aburra Valley (MAAV), in Colombia, is presented as an initial case study. Conclusively, this paper introduces a pioneering methodology for integrating UFIs into city or metropolitan governance, offering guidance for policymakers to promote sustainable freight systems.

Claire Quilliam, Nicole Crawford, Carol McKinstry et al.

Abstract Background The participation and success of university health students in rural areas is critical in addressing the maldistribution of the rural health workforces internationally. Particular attention to the experiences of mature-aged health students is needed to build a sustainable rural health workforce, given the higher proportions of mature-aged university students in rural, regional and remote areas compared with metropolitan areas and rural mature-aged students wanting to stay in their communities. However, little is known about the kinds of supports rural mature-aged students require to succeed with their studies. Methods Drawing on rural standpoint theory and using structural inequality as a retention lens, we explored the current and potential supports that rural mature-aged nursing and allied health students require to successfully participate and complete their pre-professional university course. A Stakian multicase study was undertaken with cases at three rural university campuses in Australia. The data collection was primarily qualitative, with semi-structured interviews, campus surveys and focus groups involving 36 participants (including students, academic and professional staff, and placement supervisors). Results This study found supports were provided formally and informally by the university, by the community and manifested by students. Several support gaps as well as potential supports to alleviate them were identified. These include formally acknowledging the mature-aged cohort and their diverse experiences and non-university commitments; fostering connections between mature-aged students; making university affordable; preparing mature-aged students for university; adapting course content and delivery; and restructuring placements for mature-aged students. Conclusions We argue that rural mature-aged nursing and allied health students require supports that are age-specific, appropriate to the community context, and harness existing relational processes of rural university campus activity. Rural university campuses need to involve rural mature-aged students and other stakeholders relevant to each context in the process of identifying and implementing student supports for this cohort.

Sébastien Lord, Mariana Alves de Souza, Edgar Schnepp et al.

Aging at home is a trajectory that governments have been promoting for many years, and that seniors and their families appreciate. However, aging at home is not a static or linear experience. As people's lives evolve, so do their neighbourhoods, placing individuals in different situations, more or less favourable from the point of view of inclusion, participation and, more broadly, control of their residential environment. This dual evolution is particularly visible in the immigrant areas of metropolitan agglomerations like Montréal. The environments in which both immigration and aging are concentrated vary widely in terms of urban form (inner-city, peri-urban, suburbs, etc.) and urban dynamics (renewal, requalification, gentrification, etc.). These differentiated dynamics sometimes correspond to favoured areas that may be experiencing impoverishment, and sometimes refer to areas undergoing relatively significant social and economic change, posing challenges for urban policies that are just as challenging. Using the concept of residential normalcy, we look at 3 types of living environments (established immigrant communities, requalifying communities, and sprawled immigrant communities). Seniors achieve residential normalcy when they report generally positive feelings about their living environments, the people, groups or institutions that shape their daily lives, and the activities they are able to choose and carry out. Many of the factors that exclude established immigrant communities are related to access to urban resources, particularly institutional recognition. If access to mobility and transportation is a factor of fragility, to be able to follow the trajectory of the community of belonging in the agglomeration, the anchoring of the community of belonging in its environment is a strong factor of inclusion. For areas undergoing redevelopment or sprawling, it's the very location and presence of urban resources that raises questions, giving visibility to individuals and communities. This issue of (in)visibility involves a number of ordinary places (shopping centres, vacant spaces of all kinds, etc.), but these are undergoing major transformation, and their control is not guaranteed. The cases of two Montréal boroughs, Parc-Extension and Montréal-Nord, and the City of Brossard, provide an opportunity to discuss the policies.

Matthias Goy, Jan Krause, Ömer Bayraktar et al.

This paper presents the development and implementation of a versatile ad-hoc metropolitan-range Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) network. The approach presented integrates various types of physical channels and QKD protocols, and a mix of trusted and untrusted nodes. Unlike conventional QKD networks that predominantly depend on either fiber-based or free-space optical (FSO) links, the testbed presented amalgamates FSO and fiber-based links, thereby overcoming some inherent limitations. Various network deployment strategies have been considered, including permanent infrastructure and provisional ad-hoc links to eradicate coverage gaps. Furthermore, the ability to rapidly establish a network using portable FSO terminals and to investigate diverse link topologies is demonstrated. The study also showcases the successful establishment of a quantum-secured link to a cloud server.

P. Jargowsky

J. Lynch, G. Kaplan, E. Pamuk et al.

S. Holmberg

Claudia Afonso

Resumo Ao centralizar a discussão na dignidade humana e nos espaços construídos, o presente artigo divide-se em duas partes. Na primeira, é feita uma análise filosófica das bases do método e das ferramentas digitais, procurando mostrar como as premissas metafísicas de René Descartes transformaram-se em ferramentas que submergem individualidades e homogeneízam a estética urbana. Na segunda parte, é feita uma análise de pesquisas neurocientíficas relacionadas à capacidade humana de decidir. Conclui-se que o ambiente construído é elemento ativo na formação desta. Diante desse quadro, a utilização de ferramentas digitais para a criação de espaços arquitetônicos, sem o conhecimento dos seus fundamentos filosóficos e de seus limites, pode estar contribuindo para uma sociedade massificada, manipulável e potencialmente diminuída em sua dignidade.

Charalampos Nikolaos Roukounis, Vasiliki K. Tsoukala, Vassilios A. Tsihrintzis

The aim of this study is to assess the resilience of coastal urban areas and their exposure to sea-level rise and coastal flooding, using the proposed Coastal Resilience Index (CResI). The CResI is an innovative combination of diverse characteristics. It includes 19 parameters and is implemented using GIS techniques. The parameters included in the CResI are classified into six category factors (geomorphology, flooding, wave exposition, land use, socioeconomic, and infrastructure/functional). The Analytic Hierarchy Process is used to assign weights and rank the parameters. The framework is tested in the southwest waterfront of the Athens Metropolitan Area in Greece. The study identified that around 25% of the coastal area could be at risk of coastal flooding in the upcoming years, including areas in both the metropolitan and suburban environments. As a result, the need for adaptation measures cannot be overlooked.

Huixia Deng, Qiang Niu, Lei Wu

High-speed information technology development has made virtual social networking (VSN) a social interaction trend. Studies have been carried out to investigate the spatial clustering characteristics of the locations where there is online social interaction, but they have not yet concentrated on the geographic phenomenon associated with the distribution of occupational and residential locations of citizens who use VSN. According to usage statistics gathered from China Unicom for people living in the Wuhan metropolitan development area, there are geographical characteristics for the sites of employment and residence of virtual social application (VSA) users. Compared with people who live or work in the central city, suburban citizens are more willing to conduct virtual social networking, and those who are most likely to do so are concentrated in the suburbs 20–30 km from the main city. Additionally, we used geographically weighted regressions to evaluate the relationship between the density of physical social facilities and the possibility of the usage of VSAs, revealing the influence of various conventional social conveniences on the propensity to use the VSA. Residents are more inclined to engage in VSN in places where traditional social interaction is inconvenient, particularly in suburbs, indicating that VSN is an addition to traditional social interaction. Nonetheless, neither an improvement in, nor the replacement of, VSN activities is apparent in places where conventional socializing is practical. This study identified the clustering of virtual social users’ places of employment and residence in metropolitan areas and concluded that virtual social interaction offers new social channels for people who lack access to adequate physical social facilities; that is, it complements traditional social interaction. These results can deepen the understanding of the relationship between traditional social interaction and VSN. They also offer a fresh viewpoint on facility planning for the potential future creation of a more balanced and diverse social interaction environment through the joint planning of virtual and physical social facilities.

Hsiu Yang, Thi-Nhung Nguyen, Ting-Wu Chuang

Dengue fever is a prevalent mosquito-borne disease that burdens communities in subtropical and tropical regions. Dengue transmission is ecologically complex; several environmental conditions are critical for the spatial and temporal distribution of dengue. Interannual variability and spatial distribution of dengue transmission are well-studied; however, the effects of land cover and use are yet to be investigated. Therefore, we applied an explainable artificial intelligence (AI) approach to integrate the EXtreme Gradient Boosting and Shapley Additive Explanation (SHAP) methods to evaluate spatial patterns of the residences of reported dengue cases based on various fine-scale land-cover land-use types, Shannon’s diversity index, and household density in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, between 2014 and 2015. We found that the proportions of general roads and residential areas play essential roles in dengue case residences with nonlinear patterns. Agriculture-related features were negatively associated with dengue incidence. Additionally, Shannon’s diversity index showed a U-shaped relationship with dengue infection, and SHAP dependence plots showed different relationships between various land-use types and dengue incidence. Finally, landscape-based prediction maps were generated from the best-fit model and highlighted high-risk zones within the metropolitan region. The explainable AI approach delineated precise associations between spatial patterns of the residences of dengue cases and diverse land-use characteristics. This information is beneficial for resource allocation and control strategy modification.

Seok Won Jin, Yeonggeul Lee, Heather M. Brandt

The vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) has shown effectiveness in preventing six different types of cancer. Despite a safe, effective HPV vaccine, vaccination coverage for adolescents remains suboptimal, especially in the Memphis, Tennessee metropolitan area. Parents/Guardians have a substantial influence on adolescent vaccination, but little is known about parental cognitive factors contributing to intent on adolescent HPV vaccination in this region. Thus, this study examined factors associated with stages of parental readiness for adolescent HPV vaccination by applying the transtheoretical model. A cross-sectional, online survey was conducted to collect quantitative data on sociodemographic characteristics; health-related information; HPV vaccination knowledge, beliefs, and hesitancy; and stages of readiness for adolescent HPV vaccination among parents. Convenience sampling was performed to recruit a total of 497 parents of adolescents aged 11–17 years in Shelby and Tipton Counties in Tennessee and DeSoto County in Mississippi. Binary logistic regression analyses showed that greater knowledge of HPV vaccination, greater perceived susceptibility to HPV, and lower levels of HPV vaccination hesitancy, respectively, distinguished higher from lower stages of parental readiness for adolescent HPV vaccination after controlling for other variables. The findings provide implications for developing readiness for stage-specific interventions targeted to effectively influence the parental decision-making process regarding HPV vaccination for adolescents.

Kai Yin, Junwei Ma, Ali Mostafavi

Urban flood risk emerges from complex and nonlinear interactions among multiple features related to flood hazard, flood exposure, and social and physical vulnerabilities, along with the complex spatial flood dependence relationships. Existing approaches for characterizing urban flood risk, however, are primarily based on flood plain maps, focusing on a limited number of features, primarily hazard and exposure features, without consideration of feature interactions or the dependence relationships among spatial areas. To address this gap, this study presents an integrated urban flood-risk rating model based on a novel unsupervised graph deep learning model (called FloodRisk-Net). FloodRisk-Net is capable of capturing spatial dependence among areas and complex and nonlinear interactions among flood hazards and urban features for specifying emergent flood risk. Using data from multiple metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in the United States, the model characterizes their flood risk into six distinct city-specific levels. The model is interpretable and enables feature analysis of areas within each flood-risk level, allowing for the identification of the three archetypes shaping the highest flood risk within each MSA. Flood risk is found to be spatially distributed in a hierarchical structure within each MSA, where the core city disproportionately bears the highest flood risk. Multiple cities are found to have high overall flood-risk levels and low spatial inequality, indicating limited options for balancing urban development and flood-risk reduction. Relevant flood-risk reduction strategies are discussed considering ways that the highest flood risk and uneven spatial distribution of flood risk are formed.

Oleg Mushkarov, Nikolai Nikolov

We study the relationship between the areas of the consecutive quadrilaterals cut from a convex quadrilateral in the plane by means of a finite or infinite number of straight lines intersecting two of its opposite sides. Moreover, we obtain a geometric description of all possible areas obtained in this way given the ratios of the lengths of consecutive segments the lines divide these two opposite sides.

Oranich Kumgliang, Anon Khamwon

Building a solid relationship between a brand and customers has become increasingly prevalent in a firm’s marketing strategy. It has led to a broader and deeper exploration of developing customer relationships by industry practitioners and academic researchers. Drawing on the marketing literature, this empirical study speculates on the possible mechanism underlying the process of building brand advocacy with consumers in online food delivery services. The data were collected from 562 respondents through online questionnaires from consumers of food delivery platforms in Bangkok and Metropolitan areas, Thailand. The survey data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to verify the model. The findings indicated the relationship between customer experience quality (brand experience, service experience, and post-purchase experience), brand leadership (perceived quality, perceived innovativeness, perceived value, and perceived popularity), relationship quality (trust, satisfaction, and commitment), and brand advocacy (recommendation, purchase intention, and brand defending). Regarding the investigation, customer experience quality positively affects brand leadership and relationship quality, which, in turn, mediated the pathway from customer experience quality to brand advocacy. The model explained 72% of the variance in brand advocacy. The study recommends that practitioners consider these findings when designing marketing strategies for online platforms.

Theodosios Chatzistergos, Ilaria Ermolli, Natalie A. Krivova et al.

Studies and reconstructions of past solar activity require data on sunspots as well as faculae/plage and network. Such data are also important for understanding the magnetic activity and variability of the Sun and Sun-like stars. The longest available direct faculae/plage datasets are white-light facular and Ca II K observations going back to 1874 and 1892, respectively. Prior to that time, the only direct data available are for sunspots. We reassess the relationship between plage areas and sunspot records (areas and numbers) since 1892, to allow reconstructions of facular/plage areas which can be employed for studies going further back in time, i.e. over the period when solely sunspot observations are available. We use the plage areas derived from 38 consistently processed Ca II K archives as well as the plage area composite based on these archives. We find the relationship between plage and sunspot areas and numbers to be well represented by a power law function. We further find that the relationships depend on the bandwidth and the solar cycle strength. The reconstructions with a power law relationship are in good agreement with the original plage area series, whereas employment of a cycle-strength-dependent relationship improves the reconstructions only marginally. Performing the same analysis on other previously published plage area series, usually derived from a single archive with diverse processing techniques, returns different results when using different time series. This highlights the importance of applying a consistent processing to the various archives and demonstrates the uncertainties introduced by using previously published series. Our results have implications for past solar activity and irradiance reconstructions as well as for stellar activity studies, which sometimes assume a linear dependence between plage and sunspot areas.