Prospective for urban informatics

The specialization of different urban sectors, theories, and technologies and their confluence in city development have led to a greatly accelerated growth in urban informatics, the transdisciplinary field for understanding and developing the city through new information technologies. While this young and highly promising field has attracted multiple reviews of its advances and outlook for its future, it would be instructive to probe further into the research initiatives of this rapidly evolving field, to provide reference to the development of not only urban informatics, but moreover the future of cities as a whole. This article thus presents a collection of research initiatives for urban informatics, based on the reviews of the state of the art in this field. The initiatives cover three levels, namely the future of urban science; core enabling technologies including geospatial artificial intelligence, high-definition mapping, quantum computing, artificial intelligence and the internet of things (AIoT), digital twins, explainable artificial intelligence, distributed machine learning, privacy-preserving deep learning, and applications in urban design and planning, transport, location-based services, and the metaverse, together with a discussion of algorithmic and data-driven approaches. The article concludes with hopes for the future development of urban informatics and focusses on the balance between our ever-increasing reliance on technology and important societal concerns

Focal mechanisms and aftershock locations of the Songpan earthquakes of August 1976 in Sichuan, China

The precursory swarm, three mainshocks (M = 7.2,6.7, 7.2), and aftershocks of the Songpan earthquakes have been reanalyzed using both local and teleseismic data. The three mainshocks of this sequence occurred on the Huya fault over a 7-day period. Relocations of the aftershocks using local arrival times show that three fault strands were activated during this sequence. Each mainshock occurred on a separate strand, each one south of the strand activated in the previous mainshock, and the aftershock zones of each mainshock appear to abut rather than overlap. Fault plane solutions determined by matching teleseismic P waveforms at World-Wide Standard Seismograph Network stations with synthetic seismograms are consistent with the observed aftershock zones. The first and third mainshocks (M_0 = 1.3 ×10^(19) and 8.4 × 10^(18) N m, respectively) showed almost identical senses of motion, a combination of reverse and left-lateral strike-slip motion, on parallel strands, striking N15°W, that were separated by a large rightstepping en echelon offset. The second mainshock (M_0 = 4.0 × 10^(18) N m), occurred in this offset on a fault at a steep angle (∼125°) to the other two strands and showed almost pure reverse motion. Differences in the orientations of the slip vectors of the three mainshocks show that the first mainshock increased the normal and shear stresses on the fault segment that moved in the second mainshock and that the second mainshock decreased the normal stress on the fault segment activated by the third mainshock. These changes in normal stresses may have given rise to the longer time between the first and second events (5 days) as compared with the time between the second and third events (30 hours). A precursory swarm that preceded the Songpan sequence by 3 years occurred in a volume that surrounded the northernmost part of the planar aftershock zone. The time between the start of the swarm and the mainshocks and the magnitude of the largest event in the swarm are similar to those seen for precursory swarms in Soviet Central Asia

Interferometric Imaging, and Beam-Formed Study of a Moving Type-IV Radio Burst with LOFAR

Type-IV radio bursts have been studied for over 50 years. However, the specifics of the radio emission mechanisms is still an open question. In order to provide more information about the emission mechanisms, we studied a moving Type-IV radio burst with fine structures (spike group) by using the high-resolution capability of the Low-Frequency Array (LOFAR) on August 25, 2014. We present a comparison of Nançay Radioheliograph (NRH) and the first LOFAR imaging data of the Type-IV radio burst. The degree of circular polarization (DCP) is calculated at frequencies in the range 20 — 180 MHz using LOFAR data, and it was found that the value of DCP gradually increased during the event, with values of 20 — 30%. LOFAR interferometric data were combined with white-light observations in order to track the propagation of this Type-IV burst. The kinematics shows a westward motion of the radio sources, slower than the CME leading edge. The dynamic spectrum of LOFAR shows a large number of fine structures with durations of less than 1 s and high brightness temperatures (TB), i.e., 1012 — 1013 K. The gradual increase of DCP supports gyrosynchrotron emission as the most plausible mechanism for the Type IV. However, coherent emissions such as Electron Cyclotron Maser (ECM) instability may be responsible for small-scale fine structures. Countless fine structures altogether were responsible for such high TB.Peer reviewe

Repair and Reconstruction of a Resected Tumor Defect Using a Composite of Tissue Flap–Nanotherapeutic–Silk Fibroin and Chitosan Scaffold

A multifaceted strategy using a composite of anti-cancer nanotherapeutic and natural biomaterials silk fibroin (SF) and chitosan (CS) blend scaffolds was investigated for the treatment of a tissue defect post-tumor resection by providing local release of the therapeutic and filling of the defect site with the regenerative bioscaffolds. The scaffold-emodin nanoparticle composites were fabricated and characterized for drug entrapment and release, mechanical strength, and efficacy against GILM2 breast cancer cells in vitro and in vivo in a rat tumor model. Emodin nanoparticles were embedded in SF and SFCS scaffolds and the amount of emodin entrapment was a function of the scaffold composition and emodin loading concentration. In vitro, there was a burst release of emodin from all scaffolds during the first 2 days though it was detected even after 24 days. Increase in emodin concentration in the scaffolds decreased the overall elastic modulus and ultimate tensile strength of the scaffolds. After 6 weeks of in vivo implantation, the cell density (p < 0.05) and percent degradation (p < 0.01) within the remodeled no emodin SFCS scaffold was significantly higher than the emodin loaded SFCS scaffolds, although there was no significant difference in the amount of collagen deposition in the regenerated SFCS scaffold. The presence and release of emodin from the SFCS scaffolds inhibited the integration of SFCS into the adjacent tumor due to the formation of an interfacial barrier of connective tissue that was lacking in emodin-free SFCS scaffolds. While no significant difference in tumor size was observed between the in vivo tested groups, tumors treated with emodin loaded SFCS scaffolds had decreased presence and size and similar regeneration of new tissue as compared to no emodin SFCS scaffolds

Time-series clustering of gene expression in irradiated and bystander fibroblasts: an application of FBPA clustering

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The radiation bystander effect is an important component of the overall biological response of tissues and organisms to ionizing radiation, but the signaling mechanisms between irradiated and non-irradiated bystander cells are not fully understood. In this study, we measured a time-series of gene expression after α-particle irradiation and applied the Feature Based Partitioning around medoids Algorithm (FBPA), a new clustering method suitable for sparse time series, to identify signaling modules that act in concert in the response to direct irradiation and bystander signaling. We compared our results with those of an alternate clustering method, Short Time series Expression Miner (STEM).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>While computational evaluations of both clustering results were similar, FBPA provided more biological insight. After irradiation, gene clusters were enriched for signal transduction, cell cycle/cell death and inflammation/immunity processes; but only FBPA separated clusters by function. In bystanders, gene clusters were enriched for cell communication/motility, signal transduction and inflammation processes; but biological functions did not separate as clearly with either clustering method as they did in irradiated samples. Network analysis confirmed p53 and NF-κB transcription factor-regulated gene clusters in irradiated and bystander cells and suggested novel regulators, such as KDM5B/JARID1B (lysine (K)-specific demethylase 5B) and HDACs (histone deacetylases), which could epigenetically coordinate gene expression after irradiation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this study, we have shown that a new time series clustering method, FBPA, can provide new leads to the mechanisms regulating the dynamic cellular response to radiation. The findings implicate epigenetic control of gene expression in addition to transcription factor networks.</p

Geo-SigSPM

The entry contains the source code and experiment data for the algorithm Geo-SigSPM.To refer to the code, please cite:Anshu Zhang, Wenzhong Shi, Zhewei Liu, Xiaolin Zhou. Geo-SigSPM: Mining Geographically Interesting and Significant Sequential Patterns from Trajectories. International Journal of Geographical Information Science, accepted.</p

A Spatiotemporal Solution to Control COVID-19 Transmission at the Community Scale for Returning to Normalcy: COVID-19 Symptom Onset Risk Spatiotemporal Analysis

BackgroundFollowing the recent COVID-19 pandemic, returning to normalcy has become the primary goal of global cities. The key for returning to normalcy is to avoid affecting social and economic activities while supporting precise epidemic control. Estimation models for the spatiotemporal spread of the epidemic at the refined scale of cities that support precise epidemic control are limited. For most of 2021, Hong Kong has remained at the top of the “global normalcy index” because of its effective responses. The urban-community-scale spatiotemporal onset risk prediction model of COVID-19 symptom has been used to assist in the precise epidemic control of Hong Kong. ObjectiveBased on the spatiotemporal prediction models of COVID-19 symptom onset risk, the aim of this study was to develop a spatiotemporal solution to assist in precise prevention and control for returning to normalcy. MethodsOver the years 2020 and 2021, a spatiotemporal solution was proposed and applied to support the epidemic control in Hong Kong. An enhanced urban-community-scale geographic model was proposed to predict the risk of COVID-19 symptom onset by quantifying the impact of the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 variants, vaccination, and the imported case risk. The generated prediction results could be then applied to establish the onset risk predictions over the following days, the identification of high–onset-risk communities, the effectiveness analysis of response measures implemented, and the effectiveness simulation of upcoming response measures. The applications could be integrated into a web-based platform to assist the antiepidemic work. ResultsDaily predicted onset risk in 291 tertiary planning units (TPUs) of Hong Kong from January 18, 2020, to April 22, 2021, was obtained from the enhanced prediction model. The prediction accuracy in the following 7 days was over 80%. The prediction results were used to effectively assist the epidemic control of Hong Kong in the following application examples: identified communities within high–onset-risk always only accounted for 2%-25% in multiple epidemiological scenarios; effective COVID-19 response measures, such as prohibiting public gatherings of more than 4 people were found to reduce the onset risk by 16%-46%; through the effect simulation of the new compulsory testing measure, the onset risk was found to be reduced by more than 80% in 42 (14.43%) TPUs and by more than 60% in 96 (32.99%) TPUs. ConclusionsIn summary, this solution can support sustainable and targeted pandemic responses for returning to normalcy. Faced with the situation that may coexist with SARS-CoV-2, this study can not only assist global cities in responding to the future epidemics effectively but also help to restore social and economic activities and people’s normal lives