PROTECTED CULTIVATION OF CUCURBITS UNDER LOW-COST PROTECTED STRUCTURES: A SUSTAINABLE TECHNOLOGY FOR PERI-URBAN AREAS OF NORTHERN INDIA

High residential living in Malaysia has not been widely given a significant emphasises in literature despite its increasing scale and significance in the real estate market. The significance of high rise is mainly due the increasing rate of migration from rural to urban. It is estimated a total of 77.2 percent of the Malaysian population lived in urban areas in 2020. Approximately, 30 percent of this urban population lives in strata housing. These percentages are predicted to continue to increase in the future. The emergence of high residential building has been argued as confronting various problems which has considerable impact on this life style. Satisfaction is an important outcome of living in one’s dwelling, although it is not the only consideration. High residential building in Malaysia encountered numerous problems in term of management aspects, legislation aspects, and residents’ satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the tenants’ satisfaction living in high residential buildings in Klang Valley. The questionnaires survey is conducted amongst 276 tenants at low cost and medium cost HRB using random sampling in HRB located at areas under jurisdiction Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), Majlis Bandaraya Subang Jaya (MBSJ), Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam (MBSA), Majlis Bandaraya Subang Jaya (MBSJ), Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) and Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya (MPAJ). The result from this study shows that tenant in medium cost residential building are more satisfied in term of facilities and management as compared to tenants in low cost residential building. Tenants also not disclosed to the existing act and procedure related to high residential building. In conclusion, this study suggested the Local Authority to emphasise the role of tenant. These recommendation hopefully will increase the level of satisfaction amongst the residents in HRB.

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Understanding Spatial Variability of NO2 in Urban Areas Using Spatial Modelling and Data Fusion Approaches

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12020179 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 179

Author(s):

Said Munir ◽

Martin Mayfield ◽

Daniel Coca

Keyword(s):

Data Fusion ◽

Spatial Variability ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Road Traffic ◽

Dispersion Model ◽

Low Cost ◽

Spatial Modelling ◽

City Centre ◽

Small Scale ◽

The City

Small-scale spatial variability in NO2 concentrations is analysed with the help of pollution maps. Maps of NO2 estimated by the Airviro dispersion model and land use regression (LUR) model are fused with measured NO2 concentrations from low-cost sensors (LCS), reference sensors and diffusion tubes. In this study, geostatistical universal kriging was employed for fusing (integrating) model estimations with measured NO2 concentrations. The results showed that the data fusion approach was capable of estimating realistic NO2 concentration maps that inherited spatial patterns of the pollutant from the model estimations and adjusted the modelled values using the measured concentrations. Maps produced by the fusion of NO2-LCS with NO2-LUR produced better results, with r-value 0.96 and RMSE 9.09. Data fusion adds value to both measured and estimated concentrations: the measured data are improved by predicting spatiotemporal gaps, whereas the modelled data are improved by constraining them with observed data. Hotspots of NO2 were shown in the city centre, eastern parts of the city towards the motorway (M1) and on some major roads. Air quality standards were exceeded at several locations in Sheffield, where annual mean NO2 levels were higher than 40 µg/m3. Road traffic was considered to be the dominant emission source of NO2 in Sheffield.

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Multidisciplinary Approach to Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy in Breast Cancer: A Comprehensive Review

Revista Brasileira de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia / RBGO Gynecology and Obstetrics ◽

10.1055/s-0036-1597579 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 38 (12) ◽

pp. 615-622 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Tomás Reinert ◽

Susana Ramalho ◽

Rodrigo Gonçalves ◽

Carlos Barrios ◽

Marcia Graudenz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Endocrine Therapy ◽

Low Income ◽

Hormone Receptor ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Low Cost ◽

Locally Advanced Breast Cancer ◽

Locally Advanced ◽

Breast Cancers ◽

Neoadjuvant Endocrine Therapy

AbstractBreast cancer is the most common type of cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related death among women worldwide. Hormone receptor-positive (HR+) tumors represent the most common form of this disease, with more than 70% of breast cancers expressing these receptors. Response and benefit to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) varies according to HR expression, with lower responses in luminal tumors as compared with hormone receptor-negative (HR-) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive (HER2+) tumors. Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy (NET) is an option for selected patients with HR+ locally advanced breast cancer. Neoadjuvant endocrine therapy has a favorable toxicity profile, and is associated with benefits such as having low cost and being more easily available even for cancer care professionals outside major urban areas or tertiary centers. These factors are particularly relevant, as 70% of breast cancer deaths occur in women from low-income and middle-income countries. Additionally, NET is being increasingly explored, not simply to allow for less extensive surgery, but also as a scientific tool, with the use of biomarkers to predict outcomes in adjuvant trials and for the individual patient. This review details the current and most relevant evidence about NET for breast cancer as well as the future directions of this field.

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New Results of Using the Light Trap for Collecting Beetles (Insecta: Coleoptera) in the Urban Environment (on the Example of Saratov)

FIELD BIOLOGIST JOURNAL ◽

10.18413/2658-3453-2020-2-2-72-78 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 72-78

Author(s):

A.S. Sazhnev ◽

◽

V.V. Anikin ◽

Keyword(s):

Invasive Species ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Harmonia Axyridis ◽

Low Cost ◽

Light Trap ◽

Ecological Groups ◽

Light Traps ◽

Adventitious Species ◽

First Time ◽

Stegobium Paniceum

The article presents the results of research of the using light traps (luminescent lamp Actinic 6W) for collecting Coleoptera in the Saratov city. Entomological material was collected by the second author in the period from 1.06 to 2.10.2019. In 2019, 52 species of Coleoptera of 22 families from different ecological groups were recorded. A relatively high proportion of adventitious species remains in 17.3– 30.7% of the presented fauna was presented. For two years the 14 species of alien and cryptogenic Coleoptera species were observed, that is 24.5% of the adventive fauna of the Saratov Province. Among invasive species Attagenus smirnovi, Stegobium paniceum, Atomaria lewisi, Harmonia axyridis, Gnatocerus cornutus, and Orchestes steppensis were record for the first time in 2019. It to use bringing on light as one of the available and low-cost ways to identify alien and cryptogenic organisms in urban areas is recommended.

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Positioning Evaluation of Single and Dual-Frequency Low-Cost GNSS Receivers Signals Using PPP and Static Relative Methods in Urban Areas

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app112210642 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (22) ◽

pp. 10642

Author(s):

Rosendo Romero-Andrade ◽

Manuel E. Trejo-Soto ◽

Alejandro Vega-Ayala ◽

Daniel Hernández-Andrade ◽

Jesús R. Vázquez-Ontiveros ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Precise Point Positioning ◽

Low Cost ◽

Observation Data ◽

Dual Frequency ◽

Positional Accuracy ◽

Gnss Receivers ◽

Point Positioning ◽

Error Circle ◽

Vertical Positioning

A positional accuracy obtained by the Precise Point Positioning and static relative methods was compared and analyzed. Test data was collected using low-cost GNSS receivers of single- and dual-frequency in urban areas. The data was analyzed for quality using the TEQC program to determine the degree of affectation of the signal in the urban area. Low-cost GNSS receivers were found to be sensitive to the multipath effect, which impacts positioning. The horizontal and vertical accuracy was evaluated with respect to Mexican regulations for the GNSS establishment criteria. Probable Error Circle (CEP) and Vertical Positioning Accuracy (EPV) were performed on low cost GNSS receiver observation data. The results show that low-cost dual-frequency GNSS receivers can be used in urban areas. The precision was obtained in the order of 0.013 m in the static relative method. The results obtained are comparable to a geodetic receiver in a geodetic baseline of <20 km. The study does not recommend using single and dual frequencies low cost GNSS receivers based on results obtained by the Precise Point Positioning (PPP) method in urban areas. The inclusion of the GGM10 model reduces the vertical precision obtained by using low cost GNSS receivers in both methods, conforming to the regulations only in the horizontal component.

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Impact Assessing of Traffic Lights via GPS Vehicle Trajectories

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information ◽

10.3390/ijgi10110769 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 769

Author(s):

Zhuhua Liao ◽

Hao Xiao ◽

Silin Liu ◽

Yizhi Liu ◽

Aiping Yi

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Low Cost ◽

Traffic Data ◽

Traffic Lights ◽

Vehicle Trajectories ◽

Gps Trajectories ◽

Standard Classification ◽

Auc Value ◽

Travel Efficiency ◽

The Impact

The adaptability of traffic lights in the control of vehicle traffic heavily affects the trafficability of vehicles and the travel efficiency of traffic participants in busy urban areas. Existing studies mainly have focused on the presence of traffic lights, but rarely evaluate the impact of traffic lights by analyzing traffic data, thus there is no solution for practicably and precisely self-regulating traffic lights. To address these issues, we propose a low-cost and fast traffic signal detection and impact assessment framework, which detects traffic lights from GPS trajectories and intersection features in a supervised way, and analyzes the impact range and time of traffic lights from intersection track data segments. The experimental results show that our approach gains the best AUC value of 0.95 under the ROC standard classification and indicates that the impact pattern of traffic lights at intersections is high related to the travel rule of traffic participants.

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On Transforming Unused Urban Spaces to Social Housing for Self-Employed People in Ho Chi Minh City: An Architectural Space Design Proposal

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132112175 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (21) ◽

pp. 12175

Author(s):

Le-Minh Ngo ◽

Hai-Binh Nguyen ◽

Thi-Phuong Uyen Nguyen ◽

Thi-Minh Dieu Nguyen

Keyword(s):

Low Income ◽

Social Housing ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Low Cost ◽

Legal Framework ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Urban Spaces ◽

Ho Chi Minh City ◽

Residential Areas ◽

Property Market

As with many metropolitan areas, social housing (SH) provision, which can improve living standards and social welfare, is crucial for urban socio-economic development strategies in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). However, there have been issues relating to promoting social housing in the Vietnamese context resulting from the property market and the design. The former is a failure to attract investors. The latter relates to lacking housing models for the mid- and low-income communities. Currently, many low-income families who have low access to the general job market in HCMC have to make a living by running their own business at home. This situation leads to low-income housing establishments in some residential areas. Thus, the planning approach in social housing needs to solve both the demand for low-cost housing and promoting self-employed activities. In this paper, mixed methods, including observation, questionnaires, interviews, data aggregation, and comparison, were conducted with supporting legal conditions and corresponding operating conditions to propose appropriate designs for the SH for self-employed people in HCMC. First, observing and analyzing urban spaces helped identify the unused urban areas that solve the investment issue. Then, after studying the development of social housing in different contexts via the questionnaire and in-depth interviews, self-employed households’ basic information and their business needs in using SH spaces were identified in some districts. Then, based on the legal framework and practical projects, optimal space designs were formed.

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Observed decreases in on-road CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations in Beijing during COVID-19 restrictions

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-21-4599-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 4599-4614

Author(s):

Di Liu ◽

Wanqi Sun ◽

Ning Zeng ◽

Pengfei Han ◽

Bo Yao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Low Cost ◽

Working Hours ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Co2 Concentration ◽

Mobile Platforms ◽

Local Standard ◽

Transportation Emissions ◽

Enhancement Method ◽

The Difference

Abstract. To prevent the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic, restrictions such as “lockdowns” were conducted globally, which led to a significant reduction in fossil fuel emissions, especially in urban areas. However, CO2 concentrations in urban areas are affected by many factors, such as weather, biological sinks and background CO2 fluctuations. Thus, it is difficult to directly observe the CO2 reductions from sparse ground observations. Here, we focus on urban ground transportation emissions, which were dramatically affected by the restrictions, to determine the reduction signals. We conducted six series of on-road CO2 observations in Beijing using mobile platforms before (BC), during (DC) and after (AC) the implementation of COVID-19 restrictions. To reduce the impacts of weather conditions and background fluctuations, we analyze vehicle trips with the most similar weather conditions possible and calculated the enhancement metric, which is the difference between the on-road CO2 concentration and the “urban background” CO2 concentration measured at the tower of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences. The results showed that the DC CO2 enhancement was decreased by 41 (±1.3) parts per million (ppm) and 26 (±6.2) ppm compared to those for the BC and AC trips, respectively. Detailed analysis showed that, during COVID-19 restrictions, there was no difference between weekdays and weekends during working hours (09:00–17:00 local standard time; LST). The enhancements during rush hours (07:00–09:00 and 17:00–20:00 LST) were almost twice those during working hours, indicating that emissions during rush hours were much higher. For DC and BC, the enhancement reductions during rush hours were much larger than those during working hours. Our findings showed a clear CO2 concentration decrease during COVID-19 restrictions, which is consistent with the CO2 emissions reductions due to the pandemic. The enhancement method used in this study is an effective method to reduce the impacts of weather and background fluctuations. Low-cost sensors, which are inexpensive and convenient, could play an important role in further on-road and other urban observations.

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An Innovative Three-in-One Face Protective Gear (FPG): A Feasibility Study in a Neonatal Unit in Times of Pandemic!

Journal of Neonatology ◽

10.1177/09732179211046263 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 113-115

Author(s):

Astha Panghal ◽

Ashok Kumar Gupta ◽

Girish Gupta ◽

Kirti M. Naranje ◽

Anita Singh

Keyword(s):

Low Cost ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Neonatal Unit ◽

Protective Equipment ◽

Adhesive Tape ◽

Protective Gear ◽

Northern India ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Feasible Alternative ◽

Test Feasibility

Background: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at greatest risk of acquiring infection in times of global pandemic of COVID-19 disease. There is an unprecedented demand of several forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) for HCWs leading to possible acute shortage of these equipment. This has paved way for development of local innovative PPEs. Objective: To test feasibility of a low cost, indigenous three-in-one face protective gear (FPG) in HCWs of a neonatal unit of a tertiary care institute in northern India. Methodology: A three-in-one FPG was developed using the commonly available items in a ward or intensive care and few trash items. Items used were sterile surgical sheet, cling wrap piece/transparency sheet, cover of umbilical catheter/any sterile hollow plastic pipe, or straw and adhesive tape. The FPG was tested in 17 HCWs regarding its ease to use, comfort, and feasibility with the help of questionnaire. Results: A total of 17 HCWs participated in this study. Majority (10, 58.8%) were doctors. Eight (47%) participants have never used any form of PPE previously. Thirteen (76.4%) participants found the FPG comfortable to wear; 12 (70.5%) found it comfortable to wear up to 8 h. Three HCWs found it difficult to work when wear the FPG; 1 out of 3 found it suffocating. Conclusion: Three-in-one FPG is an indigenous, low cost, and may be a feasible alternative in low-risk situations when there is scarcity of conventional protective equipment.

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