The Interventional Capacity of Community Health Volunteers for Screening and Linkages of Non-Communicable Diseases in Nyeri County, Kenya

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for 63% of mortalities. Approximately 80% of these NCD-related deaths occur in LMICs. A quasi-experimental study utilizing a non-equivalent pre-and post-test was conducted from May 2022 to March 2023 with 370 study participants. Multistage cluster and random sampling were used to select ten community units, and therefore, 150 CHVs were chosen for the control unit, and 150 were used to form the interventional group. Data was collected from the KOBO app. Six (6) homogenous FGDs comprised ten members, and 10 KII were conducted across study sites. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS version 28.0, and qualitative data was audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed via N-Vivo 12. The study shows that 59.3% of respondents have minimal information, and 92.7% (n = 139) have no clear understanding of NCDs, with a pre-intervention capacity of 48.8%. Independent sample t-test showed a significant difference in capacity from a pre-intervention average of 48.75 (SD ± 5.7)%, which increased to 68.28 (SD ± 7.6)%, p < 0.001. A well-designed community interventional model plays a pivotal role in grassroots healthcare delivery but requires optimization for NCD management.

INDUSTRIAL LINKAGES AND RURAL INDUSTRIALIZATION: A CASE STUDY OF HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA

The fast growth of rural industry in China has generated regional development of large rural areas. What role does industrial linkages play in Chinese rural industrialization? This is a same question as the relation between industrial linkages and regional development which has been discussed for decades and no final conclusion reached. The paper pursues the discussion and focuses on rural areas in China with special reference to Henan Province. On the basis of data from an investigation on nearly 200 industrial enterprises, this study emphasizes that the linkages play a very important role in spreading development of industry in rural areas. It is recommended that the national policies should prompt industrial linkages to upgrade the technological level of rural industry and to integrate rural industry with urban industry.

Syntheses, Confirmation and Properties of Porphyrin Oligomers with Alkoxyl Linkages

A new and general synthesis of a porphyrinK(Ⅰ) with two alkoxyl linkages is described. The synthesis involves the reaction of dibromopropane with phenolic porphyrin to form ω-bromopropylporphyrin ether. This ether then reacts with another phenolic porphyrin to give the target compounds. The properties of the target compounds were confirmed by means of elemental analysis, UV-Vis, IR, and ~ 1H NMR spectroscopies. Their spectral properties and thermal stability were also studied.

Enhancing Childhood TB Notifications by Strengthening Linkages with Large Hospitals in Pakistan<br/>—Childhood TB in Large Hospitals, Pakistan

To improve childhood Tuberculosis management, the National Tuberculosis Program implemented a package of interventions Hospital DOTS linkages (HDL) in 2015 in 144 tertiary and secondary care hospitals across Pakistan. This included systematic engagement of hospital administration and all specialist doctors, staff training and regular facility-based review meetings. HDL was associated with 35% increase in childhood TB notifications in 2015 (versus 2014) in HDL sites as compared to 16% increase in non-HDL sites. The increase was seen across provinces, age-groups and sexes, but did not correlate with presence of Xpert MTB/RIF&reg;?or “screeners” (health workers deployed to screen children for TB).

Linkages between soil microbial stability and carbon storage in the active layer under permafrost degradation

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)distributes the largest extent of high-altitude mountain permafrost in the world(Zou et al.,2017),which has different characteristics from high-latitude permafrost(Yang et al.,2010)and stores massive soil carbon.

Influence of Farmer Capacity Building in Institutional Linkages on Performance of Smallholder Irrigation Projects in Migori County, Kenya

The smallholder irrigation sector in Kenya is considered inadequately developed. The study views unawareness of critical success factors in the smallholder irrigation sector as contributing to poor performance of smallholder irrigation projects. Consequently, the study investigated influence of farmer capacity building in institutional linkages on performance of smallholder irrigation projects in Migori County, Kenya. The study embraced a pragmatic view of philosophy, and used cross sectional and correlation research design. The target population was 2815, and comprised farmers drawn from fifteen smallholder irrigation projects that receive water from River Kuja through Lower Kuja Project. The sample size was 341. The study used systematic random sampling procedure to draw the sample, and collected data using questionnaire. Data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study established that farmer capacity building in institutional linkages has a significant influence on performance of smallholder irrigation projects (r = 0.803, R2 = 0.645, F (5, 331) = 120.254 and p < 0.000 < 0.05). Thus, the study recommends that Migori County Government come up with policies that link smallholder irrigation projects in Lower Kuja Project to institutions that provide land ploughing services, certified seeds and fertilisers, control of crop pests and diseases, transportation of farm produce and marketing of farm produce.

Mobility Analysis of Altmann Overconstrained Linkages by Modified Grübler-Kutzbach Criterion

Developing a general mobility method/formula is a hot topic lasting for more than 150 years in kinematics. It is necessary to apply any mobility method to puzzling overconstrained mechanisms for verification of its generality. Altmann linkages are such recognized puzzling mechanisms that their mobility analysis is of important significance. A necessary condition for judging a general mobility method is that the method can be fit for Altmann linkages. Firstly, this study classes Altmann linkages into 17 types in terms of the numbers and types of kinematic pairs, and then Altmann overconstrained linkages are further classified into 4 types. Secondly, the mobility of Altmann overconstrained linkages is systematically analyzed by the Modified Grübler-Kutzbach criterion based on screw theory, where passive freedoms are defined as limb passive freedoms and mechanism passive freedoms. In addition, the full-cycle mobility is judged, which overcomes the shortcoming of instantaneous property of screw theory. It is shown that Modified Grübler-Kutzbach criterion not only obtains the correct numerical mobility, but also gives the mobility character by resolving reciprocal screws for the constraint system. This study lays the foundation of verification for the generality of Modified Grübler-Kutzbach criterion. Besides, Altmann overconstrained linkages almost comprise all kinds of modern parallel mechanisms and some classical mechanisms, which provides an important reference for mechanism mobility calculation.

General Order Principle for Multi-Bennett Linkages

Order analysis for multi-Bennett linkages is a difficult topic in kinematics. Traditional methods fail to obtain the order of multi-Bennett linkages due to considering the special geometric distributions among joint axes. An order principle for multi-Bennett linkages is presented. For a summated multi-Bennett linkage, three procedures are included in the order principle. Firstly, a homogeneous screw equation is obtained by taking linear superposition operations and then the maximum order is determined according to linear dependency of all screws. Secondly, two theorems are employed to determine the maximum order, where the first is used to judge the linear independency of four-system screws and the second is fit for identifying the linear independency of five-system screws. Lastly, all possible cases in the order range are considered until the valid order is screened out. For a syncopated multi-Bennett linkage, an equivalent summated model is built and then the order analysis is the same as that of summated linkages. In order to verify the effectiveness of the presented order principle, the orders of summated 5R and 6R linkages as well as a syncopated 6R linkage are analyzed. The computed orders of the former two summated linkages are both 4 and the computed order of the last syncopated 6R linkage is 5. The results coincide with the prototype data. The advantage of the proposed principle is that it can get the correct order of a multi-Bennett linkage without solving the geometric conditions of joint axes and has wide application in variety of multi-Bennett linkages.

DYNAMIC DESIGN OF VARIABLE SPEED PLANAR LINKAGES

A method for improving dynamic characteristics of planar linkages by activelyvarying the speed function of the input link is presented. Design criteria and constraints for thedynamic design of variable speed planar linkages are developed. Both analytical and optimizationapproaches for determining suitable input speed functions to minimize the driving torque, theshaking moment, or both simultaneously of planar linkages, subject to various design requirementsand constraints, are derived. Finally, some examples are given to illustrate the design procedureand to verify its feasibility.

The Belt and Road Initiative and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development:seeking linkages for global environmental governance

Global environmental cooperation serves as an important part in the Chinese ideal of building a Community with a Shared Future for all Human Beings. The report of 19 th CPC National Congress indicates that China is committed to proactive mitigation under the Paris Agreement and further participating in global environmental governance under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and both of which are largely integrated to the Belt and Road Initiative(BRI). BRI are also closely linked with South-South environmental and climate cooperation proposed by China from previous UN summits. Based on shared ideas, intersected agendas, and compatible governance approaches, BRI and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development grow increasingly relevant and they might form synergies based on increasingly interactive relations. In sum,seeking and intensifying the linkages between BRI and 2030 sustainable development goals(SDGs) could address global environmental governance deficits and enhance cooperation among nations.

Phase-Division-Based Dynamic Optimization of Linkages for Drawing Servo Presses

Existing linkage-optimization methods are designed for mechanical presses; few can be directly used for servo presses, so development of the servo press is limited. Based on the complementarity of linkage opti- mization and motion planning, a phase-division-based linkage-optimization model for a drawing servo press is established. Considering the motion-planning principles of a drawing servo press, and taking account of work rating and efficiency, the constraints of the optimization model are constructed. Linkage is optimized in two modes： use of either constant eccentric speed or constant slide speed in the work segments. The performances of optimized link- ages are compared with those of a mature linkage SL4- 2000A, which is optimized by a traditional method. The results show that the work rating of a drawing servo press equipped with linkages optimized by this new method improved and the root-mean-square torque of the servo motors is reduced by more than 10%. This research pro- vides a promising method for designing energy-saving drawing servo presses with high work ratings.

SHAKING MOMENT BALANCING OF SPATIAL LINKAGES BY ADDING PLANAR CAMS

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KINEMATICS ANALYSIS OF GUIDED CHAIN DRIVE MECHANISM WITH LINKAGES

A method of analyzing the motion of guided chain drive mechanism with linkages is presented. The method studies the output motion of a point on connecting rod including motion track, velocity and acceleration.

IMPROVED HOMOTOPY ITERATION METHOD AND APPLIED TO THE NINE-POINT PATH SYNTHESIS PROBLEM FOR FOUR-BAR LINKAGES

A new algorithm called homotopy iteration method based on the homotopy function is studied and improved. By the improved homotopy iteration method, Polynomial systems with high Order and deficient can be solved fast and efficiently comparing to the original homotopy iteration method. Numerical examples for the ninepoint path synthesis of four-bar linkages show the advantages and efficiency of the improved homotopy iteration method.

STUDY ON LOWER ORDER HARMONIC RESONANCE OF ELASTIC LINKAGES──SUPER HARMONIC RESONANCES

The superharmonic resonances of elastic linkages are studied by using the method of multiple scales under the excitation of its inertial foree。 The analyses demonstrate that the superharmonic resonances caused by the quadratic and cubic nonlinearities due to large elastic deformations of the flexible links and multi-frequencies of the inertial force of linkages are the reason to produce the critical speeds. The results of explaining of the lower order harmonic reso- nances by“1/n' method are verified theoretically。

RELIABILITY-BASED SYNTHESIS OF PATH GENERATING LINKAGES

The path generated by a linkage in general deviates from the specified path. In this paper,the deviation is analyzed based upon the reliability concept and a reliability-based optimal synthesisprocedure is presented for path generating mechanisms. Both structural and mechanical errors areincorporated in the objective function. A four-bar path generating mechanism is considered fornumerical illustration and the results are compared with those obtained by deterministic procedure.As expected, the presented approach is superior to the deterministic procedure.

Development of a cable-driven redundant space manipulator with large bending angle by combining quaternion joints and segmented coupled linkages mechanism

A cable-driven redundant manipulator has significant potential in confined space applications, such as environmental exploration, equipment monitoring, or maintenance. A traditional design requires 3N driving motors/cables to supply 2N degrees of freedom(DOF) movement ability.The number of motors is 1.5 times that of the joints’ DOF, increasing the hardware cost and the complexity of the kinematics, dynamics, and control. This study develops a novel redundant space manipulator with decoupled cable-driven joints and segmented linkages. It is a 1680 mm continuum manipulator with eight DOF, consisting of four segmented linkages driven by eight motors/pairs of cables. Each segment has two equivalent DOF, which are realized by four quaternion joints synchronously driven by two linkage cables. The linkage cables of adjacent joints are symmetrically decoupled and offset at 180°. This design allows equal-angle movement of all the joints of each segment. Moreover, each decoupling driving mechanism is designed based on a pulley block composed of two fixed and movable pulleys. The two movable pulleys realize the opposite but equidistant motions of the two driving cables, i.e., pulling and loosening, assuring symmetrical movements of the two driving cables of each segment. Consequently, the equivalent 2N-DOF joints are driven only by 2N motors, significantly reducing the hardware cost and simplifying the mapping relationship between the motor angle/cable length and the joint angle. Furthermore, the bending range of each segment could reach 360°, which is three times that of a traditional design. Finally, a prototype has been developed and experimented with to verify the performance of the proposed mechanism and the corresponding algorithms.

Environmental Quality,Energy Consumption and Economic Inequality in China:Smooth Structural Shifts and Causal Linkages

The space-temporal evolution of economic inequality is examined with Markov chain test method,and the dynamic interrelationships among environmental quality,energy consumption,and economic inequality in China from the province-level are tested by focusing on accounting for structural shifts in causal linkages in this paper.We first employ the Toda-Yamamoto causality framework and then augment it with a Fourier approximation which captures structural changes as a smooth process.The empirical findings show that taking into account smooth structural shifts is important for the causal linkages between economic inequality and energy consumption,and also between environmental quality and energy consumption.The causality analysis with structural changes provides a causal linkage between economic inequality and energy consumption in 26 out 30 provinces and a causal linkage between environmental quality and energy consumption in 7 out 30 provinces,while the quantities are 22 out 30 and 5 out 30 respectively when not accounting for structural shifts.These findings are consistent with the fact that provincial economics in China have experienced structural changes in economy-environment-energy sectors.We also conduct additional analyses which point out that regional and cyclical dependency matter for the causal relationships,and the method of HP filtering can not effectively solve the problem of smooth shifts in economy-environment-energy causality.

基于“源地-阻力-廊道”的三江源区生态安全格局构建

三江源区是青藏高原生态屏障的重要组成部分,科学构建生态安全格局对筑牢三江源区生态安全屏障、维护可持续发展具有重要意义。耦合层次分析法(AHP)与熵权法,基于生态系统服务、形态学空间格局分析(MSPA)、景观连通性等方法识别不同等级生态源地,利用土地利用类型并综合生态敏感性与地形位指数构建生态阻力面,基于Linkage Mapper工具识别不同类别生态廊道,构建三江源区生态安全格局。结果表明:(1)三江源区生态源地约52371.30km2,占研究区总面积13.70%,多为大尺度不规则斑块,呈现东多西少的空间分布格局;其中一级生态源地面积约为48290.06km2,占生态源地总面积的92.21%,集中分布在生态系统服务重要性较高的中部与东南部地区。(2)识别生态廊道共328条,廊道分布呈现中东部密集,西部稀疏的蜘蛛网状空间格局,整体呈东西向波状延伸态势。(3)识别生态夹点1796km2、生态障碍点2490km2,主要分布于研究区中南部的杂多县;提取生态断裂点61处,集中分布于治多县东南部。(4)构建“三区三带多点”生态安全格局,以生态维育发展区、中部修复关键区、西部生态保护区为“三区”,以绿水青山维护带、生物保护关键带、河源安全建设带为“三带”,识别核心修复点为“多点”,考虑不同小区域内的生态状况,因地制宜进行生态建设。研究结果可以为三江源区生态保护地优化提供科学建议。

Upstream-downstream linkages of hydrological processes in the Himalayan region

Understanding the upstream-downstream linkages in hydrological processes is essential for water resources planning in river basins.Although there are many studies of individual aspects of these processes in the Himalayan region,studies along the length of the basins are limited.This study summarizes the present state of knowledge about linkages in hydrological processes between upstream and downstream areas of river basins in the Himalayan region based on a literature review.The paper studies the linkages between the changes in the physical environment of upstream areas(land use,snow storage,and soil erosion)and of climate change on the downstream water availability,flood and dry season flow,and erosion and sedimentation.It is argued that these linkages are complex due to the extreme altitudinal range associated with the young and fragile geology,extreme seasonal and spatial variation in rainfall,and diversity of anthropogenic processes.Based on the findings,the paper concludes that integrated systems analysis is required to understand the holistic complexity of upstream-downstream linkages of hydrological processes in the river basin context.The integrated land and water resources management(ILWRM)approach can be instrumental in developing adaptive solutions to problems and can also enable stakeholders of upstream and downstream areas with various interests and needs to work together for the better utilization and management of land and water resources.As a part of this,the specific circumstances of the upstream communities,who live in fragile and inaccessible mountain areas with limited resource opportunities,should be taken into account so that incentive mechanisms can be established to encourage and acknowledge their contribution.