Mapping and measuring urban-rural inequalities in accessibility to social infrastructures

Equal access to social infrastructures is a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable development,but has long been a great challenge worldwide.Previous studies have primarily focused on the accessibility to social infras-tructures in urban areas across various scales,with less attention to rural areas,where inequality can be more severe.Particularly,few have investigated the disparities of accessibility to social infrastructures between urban and rural areas.Here,using the Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration,China,as an example,we investigated the inequality of accessibility in both urban and rural areas,and further compared the urban-rural difference.Accessibility was measured by travel time of residents to infrastructures.We selected four types of social infrastructures including supermarkets,bus stops,primary schools,and health care,which were funda-mentally important to both urban and rural residents.We found large disparities in accessibility between urban and rural areas,ranging from 20 min to 2 h.Rural residents had to spend one to two more hours to bus stops than urban residents,and 20 min more to the other three types of infrastructures.Furthermore,accessibility to multiple infrastructures showed greater urban-rural differences.Rural residents in more than half of the towns had no access to any infrastructure within 15 min,while more than 60%of the urban residents could access to all infrastructures within 15 min.Our results revealed quantitative accessibility gap between urban and rural areas and underscored the necessity of social infrastructures planning to address such disparities.

Tunable dispersion relations manipulated by strain in skyrmion-based magnonic crystals

We theoretically investigate the propagation characteristics of spin waves in skyrmion-based magnonic crystals. It is found that the dispersion relation can be manipulated by strains through magneto-elastic coupling. Especially, the allowed bands and forbidden bands in dispersion relations shift to higher frequency with strain changing from compressive to tensile,while shifting to lower frequency with strain changing from tensile to compressive. We also confirm that the spin wave with specific frequency can pass the magnonic crystal or be blocked by tuning the strains. The result provides an advanced platform for studying the tunable skyrmion-based spin wave devices.

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.

Generating Sets of the Complete Semigroup of Binary Relations Defined by Semilattices of the Class Σ8(X, 5)

In this article, we study generating sets of the complete semigroups of binary relations defined by X-semilattices of unions of the class Σ8(X, 5). Found uniquely irreducible generating set for the given semigroups and when X is finite set formulas for calculating the number of elements in generating sets are derived.

Dispersion Relations in Diffraction in Time

In agreement with Titchmarsh’s theorem, we prove that dispersion relations are just the Fourier-transform of the identity, g(x′)=±Sgn(x′)g(x′), which defines the property of being a truncated functions at the origin. On the other hand, we prove that the wave-function of a generalized diffraction in time problem is just the Fourier-transform of a truncated function. Consequently, the existence of dispersion relations for the diffraction in time wave-function follows. We derive these explicit dispersion relations.

The Impact of Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer-AJA-on Family Functioning.Study of Family Relationships in Terms of Adaptability and Cohesion

Objectives:The arrival of cancer in adolescents and young adults(aged 15 to 24 years)-Adolescents and young adults(AJA)-corresponds to a fragile period during which the adulthood of the young person and the evolution of family ties mobilize the family as a whole.Therefore,cancer,beyond its individual traumatic dimension,affects the whole family,which can modify family ties and family functioning.Our objective is to evaluate family functioning from the complex model evaluating cohesion and adaptability when an adolescent or young adult has cancer.Methods:Adolescents and young adults with cancer(n=41),mothers(n=41),and fathers(n=13)participated in this study.They completed the Family Adaptation and Cohesion Scales(FACES Ⅲ)questionnaire.Family functioning when an aya is ill has been compared to that of families without any disease.Results:a comparison of the mean scores of perceived cohesion and adaptability of face Ⅲ indicates no significant difference for cohesion.In contrast,the averages of the adaptability scores of our sample with those of the general population indicate that families with cancer hais generally feel more“adaptable”than the non-clinical population.These results are statistically significant for AJA,but also for mothers and fathers.Regarding the mean scores of ideal cohesion and ideal adaptability,there are no significant differences between fathers in our sample and fathers in the general population.In contrast,mothers in our sample had less ideal adaptability than those in the general population.In aya patients with cancer,the scores of both adaptability and cohesion were significantly different from those of non-diseased adolescents.Conclusion:Cancer leads to many changes in family relationships,making it difficult to empower the young patient and latent the evolution of the relationship.

Enhancing Data Forwarding Efficiency in SIoT with Multidimensional Social Relations

Effective data communication is a crucial aspect of the Social Internet of Things(SIoT)and continues to be a significant research focus.This paper proposes a data forwarding algorithm based on Multidimensional Social Relations(MSRR)in SIoT to solve this problem.The proposed algorithm separates message forwarding into intra-and cross-community forwarding by analyzing interest traits and social connections among nodes.Three new metrics are defined:the intensity of node social relationships,node activity,and community connectivity.Within the community,messages are sent by determining which node is most similar to the sender by weighing the strength of social connections and node activity.When a node performs cross-community forwarding,the message is forwarded to the most reasonable relay community by measuring the node activity and the connection between communities.The proposed algorithm was compared to three existing routing algorithms in simulation experiments.Results indicate that the proposed algorithmsubstantially improves message delivery efficiency while lessening network overhead and enhancing connectivity and coordination in the SIoT context.

Defining the We-map Reference Frames and Providing Mathematical Expressions for Transformation Relations

We-map is an interactive mobile map that can be easily communicated and applied on personal electronic devices,such as personal computers and mobile phones.Therefore,the study of direction systems and coordinate systems is critical,and exploring reference frames is essential in direction and coordinate systems.Despite its significance,existing research on We-map lacks specific solutions for the exploration of reference frames is indispensable for the establishment of accurate direction and coordinate systems.In this paper,we endeavor to address this gap by elucidating the significance of We-map reference frames,defining them with mathematical constraints,summarizing their nature and characteristics,deriving their transformation relationships and representing them through mathematical formulars and equations.Our work contributes to the fundamental theory of We-map and provides valuable systems and support for the mathematical foundation of We-map,map production,and platform development.Ultimately,this research serves to advance the development of We-map.

Relational Turkish Text Classification Using Distant Supervised Entities and Relations

Text classification,by automatically categorizing texts,is one of the foundational elements of natural language processing applications.This study investigates how text classification performance can be improved through the integration of entity-relation information obtained from the Wikidata(Wikipedia database)database and BERTbased pre-trained Named Entity Recognition(NER)models.Focusing on a significant challenge in the field of natural language processing(NLP),the research evaluates the potential of using entity and relational information to extract deeper meaning from texts.The adopted methodology encompasses a comprehensive approach that includes text preprocessing,entity detection,and the integration of relational information.Experiments conducted on text datasets in both Turkish and English assess the performance of various classification algorithms,such as Support Vector Machine,Logistic Regression,Deep Neural Network,and Convolutional Neural Network.The results indicate that the integration of entity-relation information can significantly enhance algorithmperformance in text classification tasks and offer new perspectives for information extraction and semantic analysis in NLP applications.Contributions of this work include the utilization of distant supervised entity-relation information in Turkish text classification,the development of a Turkish relational text classification approach,and the creation of a relational database.By demonstrating potential performance improvements through the integration of distant supervised entity-relation information into Turkish text classification,this research aims to support the effectiveness of text-based artificial intelligence(AI)tools.Additionally,it makes significant contributions to the development ofmultilingual text classification systems by adding deeper meaning to text content,thereby providing a valuable addition to current NLP studies and setting an important reference point for future research.

Power Relations in Older Adults’ Cognitive Interaction in Clinical Setting: A Multimodal Pragmatic Perspective

This study explored the construction of power relations in the cognitive assessment of older adults within the Chinese clinical context.Data is derived from audio and video recordings that nine older adults produced in the cognitive assessment of the Chinese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment-Basic(MoCA-B),which were then annotated and analyzed from a multimodal pragmatic perspective.The study reveals that examiners and older adults employed various speech acts to achieve distinct communicative goals,with power relations between them being reflected through these speech acts.Examiners tend to claim high power,utilizing discourse strategies such as request,interruption,evaluation,rhetorical questions,and directive speech acts.In contrast,older adults assert high power through directive speech acts,rhetorical questions,and interruptions.Both parties also exhibit low power by using confirming questions and explanations.Additionally,gestures,smiles,prosody features,and other non-verbal communicative resources are synergistically employed to exercise power.The interactive mechanism of constructing power relations reveals that age affects older adults’power relations construction even in a professional setting of the Chinese context.The negotiation between the advanced age of older adults and the expertise of examiners jointly shapes power relations in their interactions.

Spatial Distribution Pattern and Influencing Factors of Bed-and-breakfasts(B&Bs)from the Perspective of Urban-rural Differences:A Case Study of Jiaodong Peninsula,China

There are significant differences between urban and rural bed-and-breakfasts(B&Bs)in terms of customer positioning,economic strength and spatial carrier.Accurately identifying the differences in spatial characteristics and influencing factors of each type,is essential for creating urban and rural B&B agglomeration areas.This study used density-based spatial clustering of applications with noise(DBSCAN)and the multi-scale geographically weighted regression(MGWR)model to explore similarities and differences in the spatial distribution patterns and influencing factors for urban and rural B&Bs on the Jiaodong Peninsula of China from 2010 to 2022.The results showed that:1)both urban and rural B&Bs in Jiaodong Peninsula went through three stages:a slow start from 2010 to 2015,rapid development from 2015 to 2019,and hindered development from 2019 to 2022.However,urban B&Bs demonstrated a higher development speed and agglomeration intensity,leading to an increasingly evident trend of uneven development between the two sectors.2)The clustering scale of both urban and rural B&Bs continued to expand in terms of quantity and volume.Urban B&B clusters characterized by a limited number,but a higher likelihood of transitioning from low-level to high-level clusters.While the number of rural B&B clusters steadily increased over time,their clustering scale was comparatively lower than that of urban B&Bs,and they lacked the presence of high-level clustering.3)In terms of development direction,urban B&B clusters exhibited a relatively stable pattern and evolved into high-level clustering centers within the main urban areas.Conversely,rural B&Bs exhibited a more pronounced spatial diffusion effect,with clusters showing a trend of multi-center development along the coastline.4)Transport emerged as a common influencing factor for both urban and rural B&Bs,with the density of road network having the strongest explanatory power for their spatial distribution.In terms of differences,population agglomeration had a positive impact on the distribution of urban B&Bs and a negative effect on the distribution of rural B&Bs.Rural B&Bs clustering was more influenced by tourism resources compared with urban B&Bs,but increasing tourist stay duration remains an urgent issue to be addressed.The findings of this study could provide a more precise basis for government planning and management of urban and rural B&B agglomeration areas.

Explanation of Two Important Empirical Relations for Galaxies

The phenomenon of “missing mass” in galaxies has triggered new theoretical exploration, forming a competition between dark matter assumption, modified Newtonian dynamics and modified gravity. Over the past forty years, various versions of the modified scenario have been proposed to simulate the effects of missing mass. These schemes replace the dynamic effect of dark matter by introducing some tiny extra force terms in the dynamic equations. Such extra forces have mainly interactions on large scales of galaxies, such as fitting the Tully-Fisher relation or asymptotically flat rotation curves. The discussion in this paper shows that the evidence of taking the modified schemes as fundamental theory is still insufficient. In this paper, we display a system of simplified galactic dynamical equations derived from weak field and low-speed approximations of Einstein field equations, and then we use it to discuss two important empirical relations in galactic dynamics, namely the Faber-Jackson relation and Tully-Fisher relation, as well as the related fundamental plane. These discussions provide a reference scheme for improving the dispersion of the empirical relations, and also provide a theoretical foundation to analyze the properties of dark matter and galactic structures.

Iran-Turkmenistan Relations:Cross-Border Ethnic Groups and Comprehensive Governance Strategies

This study delves into the bilateral relations between Iran and Turkmenistan,focusing on the multidimensional impacts of cross-border ethnic groups,cultural diplomacy,and energy cooperation.The research reveals that despite challenges in security cooperation,such as regional political ideological differences and uneven power distribution,Iran has adopted diverse strategies to enhance cultural identity,social cohesion,and promote economic cooperation.Iran actively seeks to repair relations with Turkmenistan by emphasizing shared historical and cultural backgrounds,particularly the presence of cross-border Turkmen ethnic groups.Specific measures include developing cultural tourism,organizing cultural weeks,and establishing commemorative days.In the economic sphere,the two countries have signed significant natural gas supply agreements,strengthening energy cooperation.Iranian leaders often emphasize“blood ties”and deep cultural connections in diplomatic statements,combining cultural diplomacy with practical economic cooperation.The study’s findings indicate that Iran’s initiatives have led to the reorganization of national space and social reconstruction in border regions,promoting changes in public policy.By integrating cultural identity,historical connections,and economic interests,Iran has adopted a sophisticated diplomatic approach,laying the foundation for more stable and enduring bilateral relations while contributing to regional stability and sustainable development.

Development of Sustainable Urban-Rural Integration:Dongtan Case Study

The environmental impact issues,such as global warming and expansion of the urban zone,seem more serious and have become the biggest defining challenges of the 21st century.Climate change can lead to water shortages,desertification,land degradation,air pollution,rising sea levels,accelerated deforestation,and exacerbated economic pressures.Global urban growth greatly impacts changes in sociability,humanity,and the environment of the Earth.The human presence,especially in cities,seriously affects resource use and waste disposal,and they are consuming natural resources faster than the planet can sustain during urbanization,changing how people live.China,with a population of 1.3 billion,has seen tens of millions of people living in the countryside migrate to cities,especially megacities,since the 1980s.As a result of its decision to industrialize and urbanize to boost the economy,China has become the world’s second-largest consumer of energy.In recent years,China’s government has quickly recognized the lessons of“limits to growth”and has taken action by initiating the construction process in Dongtan,Shanghai,China.They are making efforts to build urban-rural integration communities to promote sustainable development.Based on a literature review focusing on Dongtan,research questions are raised according to the research objective:(1)What are the challenges of sustainable development in urban-rural integration?(2)What practices has Dongtan implemented for sustainable development,or how is sustainable development being applied to Dongtan?(3)What are the social,political,environmental,and economic concerns regarding the sustainable development of Dongtan?The sustainable urban-rural integration concerns the ecological,economic,environmental,and psychological aspects of urban-rural integration design and management.The overall objective is to promote sustainable development in economic,social,ecological,and spatial dimensions.It will be a liveable,complete community that makes economic,environmental,and social sense locally while also contributing to national and global sustainable development.It will serve as a compelling model for how to build sustainable urban-rural integration worldwide.

Spatial-temporal Evolution of the Urban-rural Coordination Relationship in Northeast China in 1990-2018

To comprehensively understand the law of urban-rural relationship and propose scientific measures of urban-rural coordinated development in Northeast China,this study uses the coupling coordination degree model and geographically and temporally weighted regression(GTWR)model to analyze the spatial-temporal patterns and the corresponding driving mechanisms of its urban-rural coordination since 1990.The results are as follows.First,the urban-rural coupling coordination degree in Northeast China was very low and improved slowly,but its stages of evolution is a good interpretation of the strategic arrangements of China's urbanization.Second,the urban-rural coupling coordination degree in Northeast China had spatial differences and was characterized by central polarization,converging on urban agglomeration,which was high in the south and low in the north.Moreover,the gap between the north and south weakened.Third,the spatial-temporal evolution of the urban-rural coordination relationship in Northeast China was influenced by pulling from the central cities,pushing from rural transformation,and government regulations.The influence intensity of the three mechanisms was weak,but the pulling from the central cities was stronger than that of the other two mechanisms.Furthermore,the spatial difference between the three mechanisms determines the spatial pattern and its evolution of the urban-rural coordination relationship in Northeast China.Fourth,to promote the development of urban-rural coordination in Northeast China,it is essential to advance urban-rural economic correlation,enhance the government^role in regulating and guiding,and adopt different policies for each region in Northeast China.

Spatial pattern of urban-rural integration in China and the impact of geography

Urban-rural integration (URI) is a global challenge that is highly related to inequalities, poverty, economic growth, and other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Existing research has evaluated the extent of URI and explored its influencing factors, but urban-rural linkages are seldom incorporated in evaluation systems, and geographical factors are rarely recognized as the influencing factors. We construct a URI framework including regional economy, rural development, urban-rural linkage, and urban-rural gap. Based on a dataset consisting of 1,669 counties in China in 2020, we reveal the spatial pattern of URI and find a high correlation between the spatial pattern of URI and the relief degree of land surface (RDLS). Using structural equation modeling, we discover that topography has direct ( − 0.18, p < 0.001) and indirect ( − 0.17, p < 0.001) effects on URI. The indirect negative effects are mediated through the infrastructure, and the combination of localized advantages and modern technical conditions could mitigate the negative impact of topography. Finally, we identify 742 counties as lagging regions in URI, which can be clustered into eight types. Our findings could facilitate policy designing for those countries striving for integrated and sustainable development of urban and rural areas.

Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Urban-rural Construction Land in Rural Industrialized Areas in China:Case Studies in Changyuan City and Xinxiang County of Henan Province

Since China’s reform and opening up in 1978,the acceleration of industrialization and urbanization in China had led to dramatic changes in the pattern of urban-rural land use.In this paper,we focused on the rural industrialized areas in central China(Xinxiang County and Changyuan City of Henan Province).We used the average nearest neighbor index,spatial statistical analysis,and a structural equation model to analyze the spatiotemporal evolution and influencing factors of urban-rural construction land based on multisource spatial data and survey data.The results showed that:1)from 1975 to 2019,the spatial distribution of urban-rural construction land in rural industrialized areas had evolved from homogeneous distribution to local agglomeration.In terms of comparative analysis of cases,the spatial distribution of urban-rural construction land in Changyuan City had shown a trend from diffusion to agglomeration,and Xinxiang County had overall shown a spatial change from homogenization to agglomeration and then to regional integration development.2)The hot spots with increased urban-rural construction land significantly expanded,and they had a high degree of spatial overlap with industrial development.Among them,Xinxiang County was concentrated in central and marginal areas,and Changyuan was mainly concentrated in central urban areas.3)From the evolution of spatial proximity of urban-rural construction land,rural industrialized areas generally decline,showing the characteristics of internal differentiation in the rate of change.4)Industrial development,social economy,the policy environment,and urban development played a positive role in promoting the expansion of urban-rural construction land in rural industrialized areas.To promote the optimal use of regional land and the integrated development of urban-rural areas,we should combine the advantages of regional endowment,formulate development strategies according to local conditions,and adjust the way that land is used in a timely manner.

Influence of slope position and aspect on the vegetation attributes and treewater relations in forests of the central Himalayas

While the need for understanding the effects of topographical factors on forest structure and function is well recognized,comprehensive studies are scarce.This study evaluates the effect of slope aspect and slope position on water relations and forest attributes across six forest types occurring between 400 m and 2600 m altitude in the Central Himalaya(27°-38°N).We found that predawn tree water potential and soil water potential were generally higher on moist north slope aspect(-0.78±0.05 MPa and-3.34±0.18 MPa,respectively)than dry south slope aspect(-0.82±0.18 MPa and-3.77±0.18 MPa,respectively).Across six different forests,these values were higher at hill base(-0.71±0.06 MPa and-2.77±0.19 MPa,tree predawn water potential and soil water potential,respectively)than other topographical positions.The favorable effect of north aspect and hill base was also observed in maintaining soil water and tree water potential during the dry season.Vegetation attributes,such as species richness,unique species and plant density were also generally higher on north slope and hill base than southern aspect and lowest at hill top.Across forest types,the hill base provided shelter to 46 unique species,compared to 16-18 at the other positions,thus emphasizing its importance as refugia for species to survive climate change induced perturbations.The favorable conditions of hill base position not only contribute to increase in alpha diversity,but also to extended species distributional range.

A new approach towards the sustainability of urban-rural integration:The development strategy for central villages in the Abbasiya District of Iraq using GIS techniques

The development of rural areas usually has a positive impact on the urban-rural integration. This study explores an innovative approach to stimulate rural development by proposing qualified villages as central villages that can provide basic urban services for their residents and residents of neighboring villages. This approach can contribute to overcoming the various problems that rural areas faced at the social, economic, and environmental levels. It seeks to achieve spatial sustainability of rural areas, representing a new approach by integrating urban development methods to revitalize rural villages. The study analyzed 15 villages belonging to Abbasiya District of AL Kufa City in the Najaf Governorate of Iraq. Based on the GIS techniques and the analysis of urban service indicators(village population, percentage of urban building materials used in villages, distance between village and health centers, distance between village and main roads, nature of economic activity, distance between village and educational institutions, distance between village and drinking water sources, number of communication towers, and distance between village and urban administrative center), this study proposed that Abu Gharb and Albu Ghraib can served as central villages in Abbasiya District in the future. This study establishes a new rural spatial structure to achieve rural sustainable development, improves the development status of rural areas, and provides a theoretical basis for the government and relevant institutions to use urban service indicators, achieving rural sustainable development and formulating relevant development policies in Abbasiya District.

Serum proteins differentially expressed in gestational diabetes mellitus assessed using isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation proteomics

BACKGROUND As a well-known fact to the public,gestational diabetes mellitus(GDM)could bring serious risks for both pregnant women and infants.During this important investigation into the linkage between GDM patients and their altered expression in the serum,proteomics techniques were deployed to detect the differentially expressed proteins(DEPs)of in the serum of GDM patients to further explore its pathogenesis,and find out possible biomarkers to forecast GDM occurrence.METHODS Subjects were divided into GDM and normal control groups according to the IADPSG diagnostic criteria.Serum samples were randomly selected from four cases in each group at 24-28 wk of gestation,and the blood samples were identified by applying iTRAQ technology combined with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.Key proteins and signaling pathways associated with GDM were identified by bioinformatics analysis,and the expression of key proteins in serum from 12 wk to 16 wk of gestation was further verified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).RESULTS Forty-seven proteins were significantly differentially expressed by analyzing the serum samples between the GDMgravidas as well as the healthy ones. Among them, 31 proteins were found to be upregulated notably and the rest16 proteins were downregulated remarkably. Bioinformatic data report revealed abnormal expression of proteinsassociated with lipid metabolism, coagulation cascade activation, complement system and inflammatory responsein the GDM group. ELISA results showed that the contents of RBP4, as well as ANGPTL8, increased in the serumof GDM gravidas compared with the healthy ones, and this change was found to initiate from 12 wk to 16 wk ofgestation.CONCLUSION GDM symptoms may involve abnormalities in lipid metabolism, coagulation cascade activation, complementsystem and inflammatory response. RBP4 and ANGPTL8 are expected to be early predictors of GDM.