Understanding the Relationship Between Shrinking Cities and Land Prices:Spatial Pattern,Effectiveness,and Policy Implications

Urban shrinkage has emerged as a widespread phenomenon globally and has a significant impact on land,particularly in terms of land use and price.This study focuses on 2851 county-level cities in China in 2005–2018(excluding Hong Kong,Macao,Taiwan,and‘no data’areas in Qinhai-Tibet Plateau)as the fundamental units of analysis.By employing nighttime light(NTL)data to identify shrinking cities,the propensity score matching(PSM)model was used to quantitatively examine the impact of shrinking cities on land prices,and evaluate the magnitude of this influence.The findings demonstrate the following:1)there were 613 shrinking cities in China,with moderate shrinkage being the most prevalent and severe shrinkage being the least.2)Regional disparities are evident in the spatial distribution of shrinking cities,especially in areas with diverse terrain.3)The spatial pattern of land price exhibits a significant correlated to the economic and administrative levels.4)Shrinking cities significantly negatively impact on the overall land price(ATT=–0.1241,P<0.05).However,the extent of the effect varies significantly among different spatial regions.This study contributes novel insights into the investigation of land prices and shrinking cities,ultimately serving as a foundation for government efforts to promote the sustainable development of urban areas.

Analytical solution for the effective elastic properties of rocks with the tilted penny-shaped cracks in the transversely isotropic background

Seismic prediction of cracks is of great significance in many disciplines,for which the rock physics model is indispensable.However,up to now,multitudinous analytical models focus primarily on the cracked rock with the isotropic background,while the explicit model for the cracked rock with the anisotropic background is rarely investigated in spite of such case being often encountered in the earth.Hence,we first studied dependences of the crack opening displacement tensors on the crack dip angle in the coordinate systems formed by symmetry planes of the crack and the background anisotropy,respectively,by forty groups of numerical experiments.Based on the conclusion from the experiments,the analytical solution was derived for the effective elastic properties of the rock with the inclined penny-shaped cracks in the transversely isotropic background.Further,we comprehensively analyzed,according to the developed model,effects of the crack dip angle,background anisotropy,filling fluid and crack density on the effective elastic properties of the cracked rock.The analysis results indicate that the dip angle and background anisotropy can significantly either enhance or weaken the anisotropy degrees of the P-and SH-wave velocities,whereas they have relatively small effects on the SV-wave velocity anisotropy.Moreover,the filling fluid can increase the stiffness coefficients related to the compressional modulus by reducing crack compliance parameters,while its effects on shear coefficients depend on the crack dip angle.The increasing crack density reduces velocities of the dry rock,and decreasing rates of the velocities are affected by the crack dip angle.By comparing with exact numerical results and experimental data,it was demonstrated that the proposed model can achieve high-precision estimations of stiffness coefficients.Moreover,the assumption of the weakly anisotropic background results in the consistency between the proposed model and Hudson's published theory for the orthorhombic rock.

Impact of effective stress on permeability for carbonate fractured-vuggy rocks

To gain insight into the flow mechanisms and stress sensitivity for fractured-vuggy reservoirs,several core models with different structural characteristics were designed and fabricated to investigate the impact of effective stress on permeability for carbonate fractured-vuggy rocks(CFVR).It shows that the permeability performance curves under different pore and confining pressures(i.e.altered stress conditions)for the fractured core models and the vuggy core models have similar change patterns.The ranges of permeability variation are significantly wider at high pore pressures,indicating that permeability reduction is the most significant during the early stage of development for fractured-vuggy reservoirs.Since each obtained effective stress coefficient for permeability(ESCP)varies with the changes in confining pressure and pore pressure,the effective stresses for permeability of four representative CFVR show obvious nonlinear characteristics,and the variation ranges of ESCP are all between 0 and 1.Meanwhile,a comprehensive ESCP mathematical model considering triple media,including matrix pores,fractures,and dissolved vugs,was proposed.It is proved theoretically that the ESCP of CFVR generally varies between 0 and 1.Additionally,the regression results showed that the power model ranked highest among the four empirical models mainly applied in stress sensitivity characterization,followed by the logarithmic model,exponential model,and binomial model.The concept of“permeability decline rate”was introduced to better evaluate the stress sensitivity performance for CFVR,in which the one-fracture rock is the strongest,followed by the fracture-vug rock and two-horizontalfracture rock;the through-hole rock is the weakest.In general,this study provides a theoretical basis to guide the design of development and adjustment programs for carbonate fractured-vuggy reservoirs.

Models to Simulate Effective Coverage of Fire Station Based on Real-Time Travel Times

In recent years,frequent fire disasters have led to enormous damage in China.Effective firefighting rescues can minimize the losses caused by fires.During the rescue processes,the travel time of fire trucks can be severely affected by traffic conditions,changing the effective coverage of fire stations.However,it is still challenging to determine the effective coverage of fire stations considering dynamic traffic conditions.This paper addresses this issue by combining the traveling time calculationmodelwith the effective coverage simulationmodel.In addition,it proposes a new index of total effective coverage area(TECA)based on the time-weighted average of the effective coverage area(ECA)to evaluate the urban fire services.It also selects China as the case study to validate the feasibility of the models,a fire station(FS-JX)in Changsha.FS-JX station and its surrounding 9,117 fire risk points are selected as the fire service supply and demand points,respectively.A total of 196 simulation scenarios throughout a consecutiveweek are analyzed.Eventually,1,933,815 sets of valid sample data are obtained.The results showed that the TECA of FS-JX is 3.27 km^(2),which is far below the standard requirement of 7.00 km^(2) due to the traffic conditions.The visualization results showed that three rivers around FS-JX interrupt the continuity of its effective coverage.The proposed method can provide data support to optimize the locations of fire stations by accurately and dynamically determining the effective coverage of fire stations.

Source localization in signed networks with effective distance

While progress has been made in information source localization,it has overlooked the prevalent friend and adversarial relationships in social networks.This paper addresses this gap by focusing on source localization in signed network models.Leveraging the topological characteristics of signed networks and transforming the propagation probability into effective distance,we propose an optimization method for observer selection.Additionally,by using the reverse propagation algorithm we present a method for information source localization in signed networks.Extensive experimental results demonstrate that a higher proportion of positive edges within signed networks contributes to more favorable source localization,and the higher the ratio of propagation rates between positive and negative edges,the more accurate the source localization becomes.Interestingly,this aligns with our observation that,in reality,the number of friends tends to be greater than the number of adversaries,and the likelihood of information propagation among friends is often higher than among adversaries.In addition,the source located at the periphery of the network is not easy to identify.Furthermore,our proposed observer selection method based on effective distance achieves higher operational efficiency and exhibits higher accuracy in information source localization,compared with three strategies for observer selection based on the classical full-order neighbor coverage.

Effective Capacity of URLLC over Parallel Fading Channels with Imperfect Channel State Information

This paper investigates the effective capacity of a point-to-point ultra-reliable low latency communication(URLLC)transmission over multiple parallel sub-channels at finite blocklength(FBL)with imperfect channel state information(CSI).Based on reasonable assumptions and approximations,we derive the effective capacity as a function of the pilot length,decoding error probability,transmit power and the sub-channel number.Then we reveal significant impact of the above parameters on the effective capacity.A closed-form lower bound of the effective capacity is derived and an alternating optimization based algorithm is proposed to find the optimal pilot length and decoding error probability.Simulation results validate our theoretical analysis and show that the closedform lower bound is very tight.In addition,through the simulations of the optimized effective capacity,insights for pilot length and decoding error probability optimization are provided to evaluate the optimal parameters in realistic systems.

Effective dynamics for a spin-1/2 particle constrained to a curved layer with inhomogeneous thickness

We derive an effective Hamiltonian for a spin-1/2 particle confined within a curved thin layer with non-uniform thickness using the confining potential approach.Our analysis reveals the presence of a pseudo-magnetic field and effective spin–orbit interaction(SOI)arising from the curvature,as well as an effective scalar potential resulting from variations in thickness.Importantly,we demonstrate that the physical effect of additional SOI from thickness fluctuations vanishes in low-dimensional systems,thus guaranteeing the robustness of spin interference measurements to thickness imperfection.Furthermore,we establish the applicability of the effective Hamiltonian in both symmetric and asymmetric confinement scenarios,which is crucial for its utilization in one-side etching systems.

A novel Effective Panicle Number per Plant 4 haplotype enhances grain yield by coordinating panicle number and grain number in rice

Increasing effective panicle number per plant(EPN)is one approach to increase yield potential in rice.However,molecular mechanisms underlying EPN remain unclear.In this study,we integrated mapbased cloning and genome-wide association analysis to identify the EPN4 gene,which is allelic to NARROW LEAF1(NAL1).Overexpression lines containing the Teqing allele(TQ)of EPN4 had significantly increased EPN.NIL-EPN4^(TQ) in japonica(geng)cultivar Lemont(LT)exhibited significantly improved EPN but decreased grain number and flag leaf size relative to LT.Haplotype analysis indicated that accessions with EPN4-1 had medium EPN,medium grain number,and medium grain weight,but had the highest grain yield among seven haplotypes,indicating that EPN4-1 is an elite haplotype of EPN4 for positive coordination of the three components of grain yield.Furthermore,accessions carrying the combination of EPN4-1 and haplotype GNP1-6 of GNP1 for grain number per panicle showed higher grain yield than those with other allele combinations.Therefore,pyramiding of EPN4-1 and GNP1-6 could be a preferred approach to obtain high yield potential in breeding.

Theoretical study on the effective thermal conductivity of silica aerogels based on a cross-aligned and cubic pore model

Aerogel nanoporous materials possess high porosity, high specific surface area, and extremely low density due to their unique nanoscale network structure. Moreover, their effective thermal conductivity is very low, making them a new type of lightweight and highly efficient nanoscale super-insulating material. However, prediction of their effective thermal conductivity is challenging due to their uneven pore size distribution. To investigate the internal heat transfer mechanism of aerogel nanoporous materials, this study constructed a cross-aligned and cubic pore model(CACPM) based on the actual pore arrangement of Si O2aerogel. Based on the established CACPM, the effective thermal conductivity expression for the aerogel was derived by simultaneously considering gas-phase heat conduction, solid-phase heat conduction, and radiative heat transfer. The derived expression was then compared with available experimental data and the Wei structure model. The results indicate that, according to the model established in this study for the derived thermal conductivity formula of silica aerogel, for powdery silica aerogel under the conditions of T = 298 K, a_(2)= 0.85, D_1= 90 μm, ρ = 128 kg/m^(3), within the pressure range of 0–105Pa, the average deviation between the calculated values and experimental values is 10.51%. In the pressure range of 103–104Pa, the deviation between calculated values and experimental values is within 4%. Under these conditions, the model has certain reference value in engineering verification. This study also makes a certain contribution to the research of aerogel thermal conductivity heat transfer models and calculation formulae.

Electronic structure and effective mass of pristine and Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3)

Organic–inorganic lead halide perovskites(LHPs) have attracted great interest owing to their outstanding optoelectronic properties.Typically,the underlying electronic structure would determinate the physical properties of materials.But as for now,limited studies have been done to reveal the underlying electronic structure of this material system,comparing to the huge amount of investigations on the material synthesis.The effective mass of the valance band is one of the most important physical parameters which plays a dominant role in charge transport and photovoltaic phenomena.In pristine CsPbBr_(3),the Fr?hlich polarons associated with the Pb–Br stretching modes are proposed to be responsible for the effective mass renormalization.In this regard,it would be very interesting to explore the electronic structure in doped LHPs.Here,we report high-resolution angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy(ARPES) studies on both pristine and Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3).The experimental band dispersions are extracted from ARPES spectra along both ■ and ■ high symmetry directions.DFT calculations are performed and directly compared with the ARPES data.Our results have revealed the band structure of Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3) for the first time,which have also unveiled the effective mass renormalization in the Cl-doped CsPbBr_(3) compound.Doping dependent measurements indicate that the chlorine doping could moderately tune the renormalization strength.These results will help understand the physical properties of LHPs as a function of doping.

Nuclear volume effects in kinetic isotope fractionation:A case study of mercury oxidation by chlorine species

It is well-known that the equilibrium isotope fractionation of mercury(Hg)includes classical massdependent fractionations(MDFs)and nuclear volume effect(NVE)induced mass-independent fractionations(MIFs).However,the effect of the NVE on these kinetic processes is not known.The total fractionations(MDFs+NVEinduced MIFs)of several representative Hg-incorporated substances were selected and calculated with ab initio calculations in this work for both equilibrium and kinetic processes.NVE-induced MIFs were calculated with scaled contact electron densities at the nucleus through systematic evaluations of their accuracy and errors using the Gaussian09 and DIRAC19 packages(named the electron density scaling method).Additionally,the NVE-induced kinetic isotope effect(KIE)of Hg isotopes are also calculated with this method for several representative Hg oxidation reactions by chlorine species.Total KIEs for 202 Hg/^(198)Hg ranging from−2.27‰to 0.96‰are obtained.Three anomalous^(202)Hg-enriched KIEs(δ^(202)Hg/^(198)Hg=0.83‰,0.94‰,and 0.96‰,)caused by the NVE are observed,which are quite different from the classical view(i.e.,light isotopes react faster than the heavy ones).The electron density scaling method we developed in this study can provide an easier way to calculate the NVE-induced KIEs for heavy isotopes and serve to better understand the fractionation mechanisms of mercury isotope systems.

Effectively modulating spatial vortex four-wave mixing in a diamond atomic system

Due to the spatial characteristics of orbital angular momentum,vortex fields can be applied in the fields of quantum storage and quantum information.We study the realization of spatially modulated vortex fields based on four-wave mixing in a four-level atomic system with a diamond structure.The intensity and spiral phase of the vortex field are effectively transferred to the generated four-wave mixing field.By changing the detuning of the probe field,the phase and intensity of the generated vertex four-wave mixing field can be changed.When the probe field takes a large detuning value,the spatial distribution of the intensity and phase of the vertex four-wave mixing field can be effectively tuned by adjusting the Rabi frequency or detuning value of the coupled field.At the same time,we also provide a detailed explanation based on the dispersion relationship,and the results agree well with our simulation results.

Review on Hydroxyurea Usage in Young Children with Sickle Cell Disease: Examining Hemoglobin Induction, Potential Benefits, Responses, Safety, and Effectiveness

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a prevalent condition, particularly in the countries of sub-Saharan Africa, where the presence of specific genes associated with Malaria contributes to its high prevalence. Patients with sickle cell disease frequently experience painful episodes necessitating hospitalization, and their hemoglobin levels are typically lower than those of the general population. There are different treatment options available to manage complications, such as transfusing blood, hydroxyurea, and strong anti-pains. However, with all these treatments, patients still commonly experience pain crises and suffer from organ damage. Hydroxyurea, the sole approved medication for sickle cell anemia in developed and developing countries, is widely used in children despite being primarily indicated for adults. Multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of hydroxyurea in inducing HbF production in young children with SCD. Elevated HbF levels have been associated with improved clinical outcomes, including a reduction in vaso-occlusive crises, acute chest syndrome, and the need for blood transfusions. Furthermore, increased HbF levels have been shown to ameliorate disease-related organ damage, such as pulmonary hypertension and sickle cell retinopathy. The response to hydroxyurea treatment in young children with SCD is variable. Some patients achieve substantial increases in HbF levels and experience significant clinical benefits, while others may have a more modest response. Factors influencing the response include baseline HbF levels, genetic modifiers, treatment adherence, and dose optimization. Safety is a crucial consideration when using hydroxyurea in young children. Studies have shown that hydroxyurea is generally well-tolerated, with the most common adverse effects being myelosuppression, gastrointestinal symptoms, and dermatological manifestations. However,long-term effects and potential risks, such as renal dysfunction and reproductive impacts, require further investigation. The effectiveness of hydroxyurea in young children with SCD has been demonstrated in various clinical trials and observational studies. These studies have shown a significant reduction in disease-related complications and improved quality of life. However, optimal dosing, treatment duration, and long-term outcomes are still areas of ongoing research. This review focuses on recent studies investigating the benefits, effectiveness, responses, and safety of hydroxyurea in pediatric individuals diagnosed with sickle cell disease.

Comparative observation of the effectiveness and safety of remimazolam besylate versus dexmedetomidine in gastrointestinal surgery in obese patients

BACKGROUND Surgery for obese patients carries a higher risk of anesthesia complications compared with surgery for nonobese patients.Thus,a safe and effective anesthesia strategy is necessary to improve the medical experience of such patients and ensure their safety.AIM To compared the effectiveness and safety of remimazolam besylate versus dexmedetomidine(DEX)in gastrointestinal surgery in obese patients.METHODS The study cohort included 60 obese patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery between July 2021 and April 2023,comprising 30 patients who received DEX intervention(control group)and 30 patients who received remimazolam besylate intervention(research group).Heart rate(HR),respiratory rate(RR),mean arterial pressure(MAP),blood oxygen saturation(SpO_(2)),safety(nausea and vomiting,bradycardia,hypotension,and apnea),anesthesia and examination indices[induction time,anesthesia recovery time,and postanesthesia care unit(PACU)discharge time],sedation effect(Ramsay Sedation Scale),and postoperative pain visual analog scale were comparatively analyzed before anesthesia(T0),during anesthesia(T1),and after anesthesia(T2).RESULTS At T1,the research group showed significantly smaller changes in HR,RR,MAP,and SpO_(2) than the control group,with a significantly lower adverse reaction rate and shorter induction,anesthesia recovery,and PACU discharge times.Additionally,the intra-and postoperative Ramsay Sedation Scale scores were statistically higher in the research group than in the control group.CONCLUSION Remimazolam besylate was significantly more effective than DEX in gastrointestinal surgery in obese patients and had a higher safety profile and value in clinical promotion.

Prevention and Control Strategies of Nosocomial Infection and Effectiveness Evaluation in a Tertiary Teaching Hospital during the Epidemic of COVID-19

Objective: To evaluate the role of prevention and control strategies for nosocomial infection in a tertiary teaching hospital during the sudden outbreak of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: The hospital initiated an emergency plan involving multi-departmental defense and control. It adopted a series of nosocomial infection prevention and control measures, including strengthening pre-examination and triage, optimizing the consultation process, improving the hospital’s architectural composition, implementing graded risk management, enhancing personal protection, and implementing staff training and supervision. Descriptive research was used to evaluate the short-term effects of these in-hospital prevention and control strategies. The analysis compared changes in related evaluation indicators between January 24, 2020 and February 12, 2020 (Chinese Lunar New Year’s Eve 2020 to lunar January 19) and the corresponding lunar period of the previous year. Results: Compared to the same period last year, the outpatient fever rate increased by 1.85-fold (P P Conclusion: The nosocomial infection prevention and control strategies implemented during this specific period improved the detection and control abilities for the COVID-19 source of infection and enhanced the compliance with measures. This likely contributed significantly to avoiding the occurrence of nosocomial infection.

Opportunities to Improve the Quality of Environmental Reports and the Effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment: A Case of Electric Power Transmission Systems in Brazil

A good quality Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is key for the effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) processes and consequently to the acceptability of projects subject to EIA. The international literature has contributed to the understanding of the essential aspects to be verified regarding the quality of EIS, offering a wide spectrum of good practice examples related to the content of the studies. Even so, there is a need for empirical studies that allow the identification of specific aspects related to the context of application of the EIS, which could lead to the identification of opportunities to improve both the quality of the reports and also the effectiveness of EIA. Therefore, the present paper is focused on the quality review of a number of EIS submitted to the Brazilian Federal Environmental Agency (Ibama) to instruct the assessment of electric power transmission systems. Based on the application of the EIS quality review package as proposed by Lee and Colley (1992), the outcomes reveal opportunities for improving the scope of EIA, analysis of alternatives, prediction of magnitude and the assessment of impact significance. Finally, the development and/or adaptation of a similar tool for the systematic review of the quality of EIA reports is recommended.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Combination of Levamlodipine Besylate and Valsartan in the Treatment of Hypertension

Objective:To investigate the effectiveness and efficiency of combining levamlodipine besylate and valsartan in the treatment of hypertension.Methods:This study selected 28 patients with hypertension as observation subjects.The treatment duration ranged from January 2020 to June 2023.Using the random number table method,patients were divided into two groups.The control group received treatment with valsartan,while the observation group received a combination of valsartan and levamlodipine besylate.Therapeutic effects and safety were compared between the groups,and changes in the patient’s blood pressure and renal function index levels were assessed.Results:The total clinical effective rate of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).The observation group demonstrated better diastolic blood pressure,systolic blood pressure,and renal function indicators compared to the control group(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups(P>0.05).Conclusion:The combined treatment of levamlodipine besylate and valsartan in patients with hypertension showed significant clinical efficacy and holds broad application value.

Problem Analysis and Effective Strategies of Ecological Civilization Education for Undergraduates in the New Age

The ecological civilization in the new age is one important aspect for undergraduates.We must enhance the concept of their civilization and improve the quality of civilization.Carrying out ecological civilization education in colleges and universities has a practical significance for enriching the contents of ideological and political education to realize their all-round development.Nowadays,some undergraduates lack awareness of ecological civilization and ignore its importance.For this reason,undergraduates need to pay attention to ecological civilization and improve their own ecological civilization literacy to promote the all-round development in qualities in the new age.This paper mainly analyzes the current problems in undergraduates’ecological civilization education and explores effective strategies to solve the current problems in undergraduates’ecological civilization education.The strategies include integrating ecological civilization resources,innovating methods of ecological civilization,strengthening ecological educator team construction,embodying ecological culture in campus construction and creating the atmosphere,emphasizing innovative practices for ecological civilization,strengthening publicity of social-ecological civilization,and attaching importance to family education of ecological civilization.

The Effectiveness of Group Cooperative Learning Method in Badminton Teaching in Colleges and Universities

In college badminton teaching,teachers utilize the group cooperative learning method,which not only helps to improve students’badminton skill level but also cultivates their teamwork spirit,communication skills,and self-management ability unconsciously.In view of this,this paper mainly describes the significance of applying the group cooperative learning method in college badminton teaching,analyzes the current problems in college badminton teaching,and aims to discover effective development strategies for group cooperative learning method in college badminton teaching in order to improve the effectiveness of college badminton teaching.

Evaluation of the Efficacy and Effectiveness of Hysteroscopic Electroresection in the Treatment of Submucosal Uterine Fibroids

Objective:To evaluate the effect of hysteroscopic electroresection in treating submucosal uterine fibroids.Methods:Using the random number table method,70 patients with submucosal uterine fibroids were divided into two groups,35 cases/group.The control group underwent laparoscopic myomectomy,and the observation group underwent hysteroscopic electroresection.Surgical indicators,sex hormone indicators,inflammation indicators,and treatment effects were compared between the two groups.Results:The surgical indicators,sex hormone indicators,and inflammatory indicators three months after operation in the observation group were all more ideal than those of the control group.The total effective rate of the observation group(97.14%)was higher than that of the control group(P<0.05).Conclusion:Hysteroscopic electroresection for the treatment of submucosal uterine fibroids was less invasive,accelerates recovery,and is more effective.