A new technique for high precision sub-regional camera calibration based on checkerboard pattern

Camera calibration is critical in computer vision measurement system, affecting the accuracy of the whole system. Many camera calibration methods have been proposed, but they cannot consider precision and operation complexity at the same time. In this paper, a new technique is proposed to calibrate camera. Firstly, the global calibration method is described in de-tail. It requires the camera to observe a checkerboard pattern shown at a few different orientations. The checkerboard corners are obtained by Harris algorithm. With direct linear transformation and non-linear optimal algorithm, the global calibration pa-rameters are obtained. Then, a sub-regional method is proposed. Those corners are divided into two groups, middle corners and edge corners, which are used to calibrate the corresponding area to get two sets of calibration parameters. Finally, some experimental images are used to test the proposed method. Experimental results demonstrate that the average projection error of sub-region method is decreased at least 16% compared with the global calibration method. The proposed technique is simple and accurate. It is suitable for the industrial computer vision measurement.

The effect of zinc supplementation on diarrheal diseases in children in the Niger Delta Sub-Region of Nigeria

This study evaluated the trend of diarrheal diseases managed with zinc supplementation by comparing it with diarrheal diseases managed without zinc supplementation at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching hospital (UPTH), Nigeria. The study was a descriptive retrospective study done at the Diarrhea Training Unit (DTU) of UPTH to determine the effect of zinc supplementation in the management of diarrhea in children under 5 years. Out of the 134 case records studied, of children aged 0 to 59 months who presented with diarrhea at the DTU, 57 children did not receive zinc supplementation between October and December, 2007 and 77 children received zinc supplementation between October and December 2009. The results showed that (74) 96.1% of patients who received zinc supplementation, and (48) 84.2% of those who did not, had no repeat diarrheal episodes when seen at the follow up clinic. On the other hand, 1.3% of those who received zinc supplementation and 1.8% of those who did not, had increased episodes of diarrhea when seen at the follow up clinic. Of those who received, and those who did not receive zinc supplementation, 2.6% and 14% respectively, had reduced episodes of diarrhea. These findings clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of zinc supplementation in halting the course of diarrheal diseases in children aged 0 to 59 months. We therefore advocate for the use of zinc supplementation in the management of diarrhea in

COMPUTATION OF STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS BY THE SUB-REGION MIXED FINITE ELEMENT METHOD OF LINES

Based on the sub-region generalized variationM principle, a sub-region mixed version of the newly-developed semi-analytical ＇finite element method of lines＇ （FEMOL） is proposed in this paper for accurate and efficient computation of stress intensity factors （SIFs） of two-dimensional notches/cracks. The circular regions surrounding notch/crack tips are taken as the complementary energy region in which a number of leading terms of singular solutions for stresses are used, with the sought SIFs being among the unknown coefficients. The rest of the arbitrary domain is taken as the potential energy region in which FEMOL is applied to obtain approximate displacements. A mixed system of ordinary differential equations （ODEs） and algebraic equations is derived via the sub-region generalized variational principle. A singularity removal technique that eliminates the stress parameters from the mixed equation system eventually yields a standard FEMOL ODE system, the solution of which is no longer singular and is simply and efficiently obtained using a standard general-purpose ODE solver. A number of numerical examples, including bi-material notches/cracks in anti-plane and plane elasticity, are given to show the generally excellent performance of the proposed method.

The Optimal Energy Management for Lighting of Bank in GMS （Greater Mekong Sub-region） Countries

As a result of the high economic growth in GMS （Greater Mekong Sub-region） countries, bank branches have now expanded at high rate. The expansion of new buildings, however, has not considered energy, especially lighting system, in the design stage. This paper presents the optimal energy management design of lighting system for the bank buildings in the countries along Mekong River, namely China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Thailand. The lighting system is considered in the study as most of the countries use T8 fluorescent luminaires. The LCC （life cycle cost） method has been considered for the installation and operational cost. The assumed benefit-cost ratio analysis comprises of the lifetime cycle, price of fluorescent lamps, electricity unit price, operating times and hours of lighting bulb. The T8 fluorescent luminaires with low watt loss ballast are compared with T5 fluorescent luminaires and LED lamps. Electricity rates and the cost of the investment are considered to determine the suitable selection of the lighting system in each GMS country.

Relationship between vegetation types, soil and topography in southern forests of Iran

For sustainable forest management, understanding the ecological factors that determine vegetation composition are important. Here, the relation between the vegetation composition and environmental factors(elevation, aspect, slope, CaCO3, K, P, C, N, C/N, bulk density,soil porosity, saturation moisture content, EC, pH, sand, silt and clay) was investigated in the Khonj forests, Fars Province, Iran. Characteristic land units, each 200 m2, were chosen for sampling to analyze species composition, soil characteristics and topographic factors. The floristic data were classified using a two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN). Means were then compared using an ANOVA and Duncan multiple range test to detect any variations between groups. Also, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin index and Bartlett test were used to measure sampling adequacy. The four vegetation groups identified comprised the species Achillea wilhelmsii, Tanacetum parthenium,Convolvulus spinosus, Capparis spinosa. A detrended canonical correspondence analysis(DCCA) ordination diagram clearly illustrated the relationship between vegetation and environmental factors. According to the results,group 1 with A. wilhelmsii as the indicator species has a positive relation with slope and elevation. T. parthenium was the indicator species of group 2, that appears in areas with high silt and low bulk density and sand. The results showed that group 3 with Convolvulus spinosus as the indicator species was distributed in soils with high bulk density, low silt and pH as well. Group 4 with C. spinosa as the indicator species occurs in sandy soils and low slopes.Using DCCA, we determined the relationship between species and environmental factors more accurately. Results of this study can be used to restore vegetation or maintain species composition in ecological sensitive areas.

Construction and Development of GMS Agricultural Information Network Based on Stakeholder Analysis

Based on stakeholder analysis, this paper analyzed influence of stakehold- ers on construction and operation of agricultural information network （AIN） in the Greater Mekong Sub-region （GMS）. It elaborated and analyzed stakeholders such as China, Asian Development Bank, other GMS state government agricultural depart- ments and users. Finally, it came up with pertinent recommendations for develop- ment of GMS-AIN.

Regional Variability of Climate Change Hot-Spots in East Asia

The regional climate change index （RCCI） is employed to investigate hot-spots under 21st century global warming over East Asia. The RCCI is calculated on a 1-degree resolution grid from the ensemble of CMIP3 simulations for the B1, AIB, and A2 IPCC emission scenarios. The RCCI over East Asia exhibits marked sub-regional variability. Five sub-regional hot-spots are identified over the area of investigation： three in the northern regions （Northeast China, Mongolia, and Northwest China）, one in eastern China, and one over the Tibetan Plateau. Contributions from different factors to the RCCI are discussed for the sub-regions. Analysis of the temporal evolution of the hot-spots throughout the 21st century shows different speeds of response time to global warming for the different sub-regions. Hot-spots firstly emerge in Northwest China and Mongolia. The Northeast China hot-spot becomes evident by the mid of the 21st century and it is the most prominent by the end of the century. While hot-spots are generally evident in all the 5 sub-regions for the A1B and A2 scenarios, only the Tibetan Plateau and Northwest China hot-spots emerge in the B1 scenario, which has the lowest greenhouse gas （GHG） concentrations. Our analysis indicates that subregional hot-spots show a rather complex spatial and temporal dependency on the GHG concentration and on the different factors contributing to the RCCI.

A 3-D Numerical Model for the Calculation of Water Wave Transformation in Large Area

Based on the integral equation transformed from three dimensional Laplace equation and by the adoption of the division manner of sub-region boundary element method, the numerical computations of the velocity potential of each sub-region are given considering the continuity conditions of potential and normal derivatives at the interface of sub-regions, Therefore, computation of wave deformation in offshore flow field is realized. The present numerical model provides a good solution for the application of boundary element method to the calculation of wave deformation in large areas.

An Analysis on the Perspective for Establishing the Persian Gulf Sub-regional Security Order

The Middle East has been a region involved with various problems for many years.Recently the Iranian nuclear issue is bringing the attention of the international society to the security situation in the Persian Gulf region.With the rising of Iran after the Iraq War,Iran is willing to cooperate with the other Persian Gulf states to establish a sub-regional security order.According to the regionalism theory,the establishment of the security region means a kind of effort to transfer a certain geographic region suffering from clashes among nations and domestic conflicts into a security community that will commit itself to the cooperation with the outside world and keeping peace inside.For this purpose,Iran is now improving its relation with Iraq,opening dialogue with GCC states,and pledging its neighbor states that its nuclear program is only for the peace purpose.With its advantageous conditions,strong will and active preparation,it is highly possible for Iran to establish a sub-regional stability and order in the Persian Gulf region in the future.

Simulation of hydraulic fracture utilizing numerical manifold method

A 2nd order numerical manifold method(NMM) based method is developed to simulate the hydraulic fractures propagating process in rock or concrete. The proposed method uses a weak coupling technique to analyze the fluid phase and solid phase. To study the seepage behavior of the fluid phase, all the fractures in solid are identified by a block cutting algorithm and form a flow network. Then the hydraulic heads at crack ends are solved. To study the deformation and destruction of solid phase, the 2-order NMM and sub-region boundary element method are combined to solve the stress-strain field. Crack growth is controlled by the well-accepted criterion, including the tension criterion or Mohr-Coulomb criterion for the initialization of cracks and the maximum circumferential stress theory for crack propagation. Once the crack growth occurs, the seepage and deformation analysis will be resolved in the next simulation step. Such weak coupling analysis will continue until the structure becomes stable or is destructed. Five examples are used to verify the new method. The results demonstrate that the method can solve the SIFs at crack tip and fluid flow in crack network precisely, and the method is effective in simulating the hydraulic facture problem. Besides, the NMM shows great convenience and is of high accuracy in simulating the crack growth problem.

Process and proposal for comprehensive regionalization of Chinese human geography

The comprehensive regionalization of Chinese human geography is based on the rules governing regional differentiation of Chinese physical geographic factors. Based on regional differences and similarities in human factors, this study divides the whole country into two levels of relatively independent, complete and organically linked human geographic units. As a fundamental, comprehensive, cutting-edge, practical and important task, the comprehensive regionalization of human geography highlights the characteristics, regional and sub-regional features, complexity and variety of spatial differences between factors of Chinese human geography. It is capable of promoting the development of human geography based on local conditions, providing basic scientific support to national and local development strategies, such as the Belt and Road Strategy, new urbanization and environmental awareness, and creating a sound geopolitical environment in key areas. Using results from existing physical and human geographic zoning studies, and in accordance with the principles of synthesis, dominant factors, the relative consistency of the natural environment, the relative consistency of social and economic development, the consistency of the regional cultural landscape, the continuity of spatial distribution and the integrity of county-level administrative divisions, and taking as its basis the division of human geography into 10 major factors （nature, economy, population, culture, ethnicity, agriculture, transportation, urbanization, the settlement landscape and administrative divisions）, this paper constructs an index system for the comprehensive regionalization of Chinese human geography through a combination of top-down and bottom-up zoning and spatial clustering analysis. In this study, Chinese human geography is divided into eight regions and 66 sub-regions. The eight human geography regions are （Ⅰ） Northeast China, （Ⅱ） North China, （Ⅲ） East China, （Ⅳ） Central China, （Ⅴ） South China, （Ⅵ） Northwest China, （Ⅶ） Southwest China, and （Ⅷ） Qinghai and Tibet. This zoning proposal fills gaps in studies involving the non-comprehensive regionalization of Chinese human geography. Each human geography region and sub-region has different topographical climatic, ecological, population, urbanization, economic development, settlement landscape, regional cultural and ethno-religious attributes. This proposal on the comprehensive regionalization of Chinese human geography dovetails closely with previous studies on comprehensive regionalization in Chinese physical geography, Chinese economic zoning, and Chinese agricultural zoning. It shows that, under the dual roles of nature and humans, there are certain rules of regional differentiation that govern the comprehensive regionalization of Chinese human geography.

Prized edible Asian mushrooms: ecology, conservation and sustainability

Mushrooms can be found in forests worldwide and have long been exploited as resources in developed economies because of their important agro-industrial,medicinal and commercial uses.For less developed countries,such as those within the Greater Mekong Subregion,wild harvesting and mushroom cultivation provides a much-needed alternative source of income for rural households.However,this has led to over-harvesting and ultimately environmental degradation in certain areas,thus management guidelines allowing for a more sustained approach to the use of wild mushrooms is required.This article addresses a selection of the most popular and highly sought after edible mushrooms from Greater Mekong Subregion:Astraeus hygrometricus,Boletus edulis,Morchella conica,Ophiocordyceps sinensis,Phlebopus portentosus,Pleurotus giganteus,Termitomyces eurhizus,Thelephora ganbajun,Tricholoma matsuake,and Tuber indicum in terms of value,ecology and conservation.The greatest threat to these and many other mushroom species is that of habitat loss and over-harvesting of wild stocks,thus,by creating awareness of these issues we wish to enable a more sustainable use of these natural products.Thus our paper provides baseline data for these fungi so that future monitoring can establish the effects of continued harvesting on mushroom populations and the related host species.

An efficient hybrid model for fractured reservoirs

In this study, an efficient hybrid model is proposed to simulate the fluid flow in the reservoirs with multi-scale fractures, which cannot be easily modeled by neither the continuum models nor the discrete fracture models. In the proposed method, the small fractures are modeled by using an improved Multiple Sub-Region method, which can capture the strongly anisotropy of fracture elements and the effects of border region on the transmissibility and provide more accurate results, on the other hand, the large fractures are modeled explicitly as major fluid conduits by the Embedded Discrete Fracture Model. Then, an efficient numerical algorithm based on the Mimetic Finite Difference method is developed to solve the hybrid method. At the end, several numerical examples are carried out to verify the accuracy and applicability of the proposed numerical model.

Fungal diversity rather than bacterial diversity drives the ecosystem multifunctionality of vineyards in a semi-arid region

The presence of multiple ecosystem functions and services(i.e.,ecosystem multifunctionality)has been proven to be maintained by biodiversity in natural terrestrial ecosystems.However,the mechanisms by which microbial diversity drives ecosystem functions in vineyards and the effects of ecosystem functions on wine quality remain unknown.Here,fifteen vineyards from five wine sub-regions(Shizuishan,Yinchuan,Yuquanying,Qingtongxia,and Hongsipu)in Ningxia were selected to assess the microbial community structure,ecosystem multifunctionality,and wine quality.Overall,each index differed among the vineyards from these five wine sub-regions in Ningxia.High-throughput sequencing revealed that bacterial and fungal communities varied among these vineyards.Bacterial communities were dominated by Actinobacteria,Proteobacteria,Chloroflexi,and Acidobacteria.Ascomycota was the dominant fungal phylum,followed by Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota.In addition,fungal Shannon diversity rather than bacterial Shannon diversity showed a positive relationship with ecosystem multifunctionality.Correlation analysis revealed that ecosystem multifunctionality was positively correlated with wine acidity and negatively correlated with pH value and residual sugar content of wine.Soil chemical functions exhibited relationships with wine quality being similar to those of ecosystem multifunctionality;i.e.,positively related to wine acidity but negatively related to wine pH and residual sugar content.However,soil physical functions were negatively correlated with the alcohol and anthocyanin content of wine.The research results show that the ecosystem functions maintained by fungal diversity could be attributed to wine quality of vineyards.

＇OBOR＇ and South Asia： Can India and China Cope with the Emerging ＇New Normal＇ in the Region？

Ever since President Xi Jinping announced the ＇One Belt, One Road＇ project in 2013, more than 66 countries across the continent expressed their interest to be part of this grand project of the century. In South Asia, most of the countries embraced the idea except India. There is no doubt that OBOR is likely to have farreaching implications on South Asian politics, economy and security. China has been engaging in the region through various economic and development projects for last two decades. This has raised serious security and strategic concerns in India. China＇s growing bilateral trade investments and development-oriented connectivity projects in India＇s neighbourhood have been popularly dubbed as China＇s ＇String of Pearl Strategy＇ aimed to contract India＇s sphere of influence in the region. There is a deficit of trust between emerging India and rising China over their interests and intentions. Many observers, however, view OBOR as a game changer at least in South Asia, where this would necessitate re-alignment and re-balancing. But, how does India perceive this project is a matter of serious concern that would shape the nature of implications on South Asia？ In this context, this article examines the impact of OBOR on South Asia Region from sub-regional perspectives and it explores how China can play a constructive role by reconciling its grand strategy with national interests of South Asian countries in order to minimise the adverse impact of OBOR [especially China-Pakistan Economic Corridor （CPEC）] on the peace and security of the region through effective CBMs.

Knowledge,access and utilization of bednets among stable and seasonal migrants in an artemisinin resistance containment area of Myanmar

Background:Myanmar lies in the Greater Mekong sub-region of South-East Asia faced with the challenge of emerging resistance to artemisinin combination therapies(ACT).Migrant populations are more likely than others to spread ACT resistance.A vital intervention to reduce malaria transmission,resistance spread and eliminate malaria is the use of bed nets.Among seasonal and stable migrants in an artemisinin resistance containment region of Myanmar,we compared a)their household characteristics,b)contact with health workers and information material,and c)household knowledge,access and utilization of bed nets.Methods:Secondary data from community-based surveys on 2484 migrant workers(2013 and 2014,Bago Region)were analyzed of which 37%were seasonal migrants.Bed net access and utilization were assessed using a)availability of at least one bed net per household,and b)one bed net per two persons,and c)proportion of household members who slept under abed net during the previous night(Indicator targets=100%).Results:Over 70%of all migrants were from unstable work settings with short transitory stays.Average household size was five(range 1-25)and almost half of all households had children under-five years.Roughly 10%of migrants were night-time workers.Less than 40%of households had contact with health workers and less than 30%had exposure to information education and communication(IEC)materials,the latter being significantly lower among seasonal migrants.About 70%of households were aware of the importance of insecticide-treated bed-nets/long-lasting insecticidal nets(ITNs/LLINs),but knowledge on insecticide impregnation and retreatment of ITNs was poor(<10%).Although over 95%of households had access to at least one bed net,the number with one bed net per two persons was grossly inadequate(13%for stable migrants and 9%for seasonal migrants,P=0.001).About half of all household members slept under a bed net during the previous night.Conclusions:This study reveals important short-falls in knowledge,access and utilization of bed nets among migrants in Myanmar.Possible ways forward include frequent distribution campaigns to compensate for short transitory stays,matching household distributions to household size,enhanced information campaigns and introducing legislation to make mosquito repellents available for night-time workers at plantations and farms.Better understanding through qualitative research is also merited.

Study on Spatial Planning and Rational Pattern of China's Urbanization Development:Review on Research Report

Based on an in-depth survey of different typical areas that are selected in different regions and at different levels, this paper identifies the general characteristics of China's urbanization, the impacts that economic development driven by both exogenous and endogenous engines has on the spatial pattern of urbanization, and the two urbanization paths:gradient development and hierarchal advancement. By analyzing such factors as population growth, population mobility, and economic and industrial development, it sums up five spatial patterns for future urbanization development trends. Through the analyses on the three aspects:whereabouts of the present 260 million migrant workers and their families, whereabouts of the new-born population and new working-age rural population, and the migrant scale of the existing agricultural labors moving to non-agricultural industries, this paper predicts that China's urbanization rate will slow down in the next five to ten years, and will reach about 65 percent in around 2030. On the basis of the analyses, it puts forward that "Five-Six-Eleven" regional pattern of urbanization should be established to guide the overall strategy for spatial pattern optimization. To optimize the spatial pattern of urbanization, it proposes specific strategies including coordinated development of large, medium-sized, and small cities, and small towns, as well as urbanization development strategies of differentiation according to different classes and regions.

Better Together

Our River of Peace and Sustainable Development. This was the theme of the Second Lancang-Mekong Cooperation （LMC） Leaders＇ Meeting in Cambodia, on which the curtain was lowered on January 10. The conference resulted in the release of the Phnom Penh Declaration and the adoption of the Five- Year Plan of Action on Lancang-Mekong Cooperation （2018-22）. These documents are expected to chart the course for the LMC＇s development into the next decade.