Search Results (706)

This study evaluates an Adaptive Monte Carlo Localization-Extended Kalman Filter (AMCL-EKF) pose-estimation stack for repeatable 2D LiDAR SLAM in GPS-denied indoor inspection scenarios. AMCL was used as an online map-referenced correction source fused with LiDAR odometry and Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data, and the resulting pose estimate was supplied online to three SLAM backends: Cartographer, GMapping, and SLAM Toolbox. Experiments were performed with a wheeled Husarion Panther and a quadruped Boston Dynamics Spot in three indoor environments of different geometric complexity, producing 720 SLAM executions. Trajectory repeatability was assessed using SE(2)-aligned pairwise and centroid-based ATE-style dispersion and translational RPE, while map repeatability was evaluated with occupied-cell IoU. Accordingly, the metrics were used to quantify between-run dispersion rather than absolute accuracy against external ground-truth data. The results show that AMCL-EKF fusion is highly dependent on the environment, platform, and SLAM backend. AMCL improved selected configurations, especially for Spot in structured environments and for Panther map consistency, but degraded others in geometrically repetitive corridors and mixed-structure spaces. The study also shows that the presence of AMCL-assisted odometry correction alone does not determine final trajectory repeatability, because each SLAM backend incorporates the supplied fused pose estimate differently. The findings support confidence-aware AMCL integration and motivate integrated SLAM architectures resistant to over-correction. These results provide guidance for robust autonomous mapping and inspection with heterogeneous mobile robotic platforms in real environments. Full article

With the Qinling ecological barrier located in the south, the Guanzhong Plain’s agricultural systems in the central–north, and urban construction expanding outward, Xi’an represents a typical western Chinese metropolis where multiple land functions compete within a limited territory. Such spatial overlap exerts considerable stress upon the provisioning of regional ecosystem services. To ascertain how different land-use configuration trajectories might affect ecological outcomes, this study couples multi-objective programming (MOP), a PLUS-based spatial allocation model, ecosystem service value (ESV) accounting, a sensitivity index (SI), and a local response index (LRI). Historical land-use cartographic datasets for 2000, 2010, and 2020 were mobilized to identify transitions, validate the simulation framework, and generate prospective land-use configuration projections for 2040 across four policy pathways: status quo continuation, growth-oriented, ecological–conservation-preferred, and balanced. The retrospective analysis reveals a clear north–south dichotomy: forests dominate the southern Qinling range, cropland occupies the central and northern plains, and built-up areas have progressively encroached into peripheral cropland, which serves as the primary source of new construction. For 2040, simulated ecological performance differs markedly across scenarios. The conservation-priority pathway yields the largest ESV, totaling 3.317 × 10¹⁰ CNY—6.64% higher than the 2020 baseline. In contrast, the growth-oriented pathway gives the smallest ESV, 2.948 × 10¹⁰ CNY, representing a 5.24% reduction. In 2020, forest land alone contributed 79.7% of the total ESV, remaining the dominant contributor. According to the SI and LRI outcomes, positive ESV shifts are mainly concentrated in the Qinling piedmont transitional zone, Lantian County, and southeastern Chang’an District, whereas negative shifts are tightly coupled with zones of urban expansion. Taken together, these results imply that future spatial planning in Xi’an should give top priority to safeguarding the Qinling ecological system, curbing construction land growth along the agricultural–urban interface, and promoting blue-green infrastructure renewal within already built-up areas. Full article

Improving soybean plant architecture is critical for enhancing yield potential. To dissect the genetics of related traits, a recombinant inbred line population of 175 F₉:₁₂ families (derived from Glycine max cultivars Jidou 12 [female] × Ji NF58 [male]) was used for quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping. Four key traits—plant height, bottom pod height, node number on main stem, and branch number—were analyzed across six environments (two growing seasons × three locations) via two methods: composite interval mapping (CIM, QTL Cartographer v2.5) and mixed-model-based composite interval mapping (MCIM, QTLNetwork 2.0). A total of 22 stable QTLs were detected, with phenotypic variation explained (PVE) of 1.2–52.5%. Co-localized QTLs (due to significant trait correlations) concentrated in three genomic intervals: Satt286-Sat_251 (LG C2/chromosome 06), Satt156-Satt229 (LG L/chromosome 19), and Satt581-Sat_190 (LG O/chromosome 10). A novel QTL (qBPH-O-2) for bottom pod height was identified on LG O. Major QTLs with QTL-by-environment (QE) interactions were found on LG A1 (plant height, node number on main stem) and qBN-C2-1 (branch number, high additive effects + QE interactions). These findings support marker-assisted selection (MAS), targeted plant architecture improvement, and gene pyramiding in soybean breeding. Full article

The aim of this work is to shed some light on the categorial status and syntactic distribution of the subordinators como and, more specifically, quando as it emerges from some early Venetan texts dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. The proposed analysis accounts for the semantic ambiguity of these embedding connectors in strictly structural terms. In particular, the pervasive interpretive ambiguity of come/como attested in the old Italo-Romance varieties considered here is traced back to a diachronic process of reanalysis affecting its categorial status from specifier to head, which reflects a well attested crosslinguistic tendency. This diachronic change in turn will be shown to be linked to the syntactic distribution of the temporal subordinator quando, which can be reduced to general underlying principles of phrase structure building, in the sense that the temporal vs hypothetical interpretive import of quando was determined by the particular syntactic configuration involved. The semantic ambiguity of the subordinating connectors analyzed here is explained then in strictly structural terms, adopting a cartographic approach to the functional articulation of the clausal left-periphery. Full article

Background: Urban planning documents at metropolitan scale typically demand large, cloud-hosted language models that limit their adoption in Global South contexts. This study deploys Moondream, a 1.7-billion-parameter vision-language model (VLM) runnable locally via Ollama, for extracting geographic knowledge from Planes Reguladores Comunales (PRCs) across 29 processed Gran Santiago municipalities. The pipeline combines native PDF text extraction, keyword-based multi-label classification across six thematic axes, and VLM-based optical character recognition and cartographic interpretation. Results: The pipeline processes 2289 PRC articles in 4.3 min at an estimated energy cost of 0.000866 kWh and zero marginal monetary cost. Zoning (53.3%) and land use (43.1%) dominate PRC content, while social housing provisions appear in only 4.0% of articles; normative gap analysis identifies five municipalities where social housing is entirely absent from regulatory text. A comparative evaluation of Moondream against keyword baseline on an 88-article validation sample yields macro-F1 = 0.355 and mean Cohen’s κ = 0.004, confirming that generalist VLMs require domain fine-tuning for specialized legal text. It is argued that the cost asymmetry between industrial-scale and small-model approaches constitutes an epistemic asymmetry with direct consequences for the geographic distribution of urban data infrastructure. Full article

The foundational element of any ventilation system assessment is the precise definition of the primary airflow intake. In underground mine networks, even a marginal error in primary inputs triggers a series of inaccuracies, resulting in significant volumetric errors across the entire network. This study explores the sensitivity of the iterative Hardy Cross algorithm for ventilation network analysis towards the main intake, and demonstrates that the intake overestimation error reaches 77%, creating a false sense of security. Furthermore, when utilizing the Hardy Cross approach, evaluating a model based solely on its mathematical tendency to balance is misleading; analysis of relative error evolution demonstrates that a converged network can achieve mathematical balance while remaining fundamentally uncoupled from the mine’s physical reality due to flawed input data. While technical fields currently diverge into two primary paths for airflow definition, overly simplistic approximations or specialist-dependent numerical CFD models, this study proposes a middle ground alternative. The proposed methodology relies on direct anemometric field measurements synthesized through cartographic mapping integration techniques. The suggested technique offers a detailed graphical representation of air velocity across the excavation, derived from the isovel mapping. This visualization illustrates that airflow behaviour through rock excavations is fundamentally non-uniform and dictated by wall roughness and structural irregularities. Full article

Introduction: Studying the structure and dynamics of living communities is essential from both ecological and wildlife management perspectives. Objective: The main objective of this study was to analyze the fish community structure inhabiting different river sections across several basins in the Mediterranean area. The data collected here contributed to: (i) creating a regional and national reference inventory to assess ichthyological biodiversity; (ii) generating digital cartographic information on species distribution and potential habitats; and (iii) providing scientific data to update national legal protection for governments. Methodology: Fish assemblages were monitored using electrofishing, which ensures reproducible data and long-term comparability. The study period extended until autumn 2025, with intensive sampling at 30 sites across major water bodies in the Valencian Community and selected rivers in Mijares, Turia, Jucar and Palancia basins. Results: The results reveal notable ichthyological richness in the studied basins (Turia, Júcar, Palancia, Mijares), with 12 native species identified. Cyprinidae and Leuciscidae were the most representative families, both in species number and spatial distribution, consistent with their dominance in Mediterranean river systems. Areas with the highest species richness corresponded to the middle and lower river sections and to ecologically valuable coastal wetlands. However, the study also detected 10 invasive alien species, representing 45% of the total fish fauna recorded. This high proportion reflects the significant ecological alteration affecting rivers and wetlands in these basins and underscores the urgent need for management actions to limit the spread of invasive species and reduce their impact on native biodiversity. The most widespread IAS were the bleak (A. alburnus), mainly in the Júcar basin, and the mosquitofish (G. holbrooki), predominantly in coastal wetlands. Conclusions: This study contributes directly to updating the Atlas of Ichthyofauna of the Valencian Community, providing a robust and current information base to support environmental decision-making at regional and national levels. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening proactive conservation measures, particularly in areas where biodiversity is most vulnerable. Full article

Geovisualizations based on open data are increasingly used as public-facing interfaces for communicating geospatial information, yet their evaluation often remains limited to isolated design, usability, or technical aspects. This study addresses that gap by developing and applying an integrative evaluation framework that combines four analytical dimensions: cartographic representation, interaction and engagement affordances, openness, and accessibility, while treating contextual characteristics as conditioning factors. The framework is operationalized through a mixed-methods content analysis of 26 publicly available geovisualizations based on open data. The results show that most cases are produced by public-sector actors, focus on environmental and transport themes, and rely on conventional cartographic techniques combined with medium levels of interactivity that support structured exploration rather than deeper analytical reasoning. Although many geovisualizations cite data sources and provide some form of data access, licensing remains inconsistent, particularly for the visualization artefacts themselves, limiting reuse potential. Accessibility is implemented even less consistently across geovisualizations, with recurring shortcomings in color contrast, keyboard navigation, screen-reader compatibility, and multilingual support. Overall, the findings suggest that the broader societal potential of geovisualizations based on open data may not be determined by individual features, but by balanced cross-dimensional configurations. Strengthening the integration of openness and accessibility alongside interaction and design may enhance the potential of geovisualizations to support reuse, inclusiveness, and public engagement. Full article

The big data revolution transformed how we think of data analytics in many ways. Critical amongst them are the somewhat interconnected ideas of volunteered geographic information, crowdsourcing, and the big data property of variety. The robust literature concerning conceptual neighborhood graphs in two of these cases considers objects whose datatypes are held stable between the relations under consideration. This, however, is a limiting factor in these three application spaces due to the unknown form that data will take. This paper considers two avenues for the conceptual neighborhood graph to take as directions to address current complications facing reasoning tasks within a practically dirty world motivated by various sources of data: discretization conceptual neighborhood graphs (changing between corresponding vector and raster spaces) and cartographic generalization conceptual neighborhood graphs (changing the form of the objects in question). This paper provides insights as to what considerations should be considered when embarking upon this idea and demonstrates these concepts applied to prior conceptual neighborhood graphs. Full article

This study examines the traditional hunting of the red-legged partridge using a decoy in Extremadura as an expression of intangible cultural heritage. It is a centuries-old hunting practice that has evolved into a social, recreational, and symbolic activity, closely linked to local identity and to collective memory. The research documents cultural values, the intergenerational transmission of knowledge, and the adaptation of the practice to modernity, highlighting its role in community building and its connection to the territory. Through a mixed-methods approach combining qualitative and ethnographic techniques (participant observation, interviews) and quantitative tools (statistical and cartographic analysis), the study captures the complexity of this hunting modality, including its social, historical and artisanal dimensions. Full article

Across the Saharan region of North Africa, oasis territories constitute the dominant form of human settlement. In Algeria, the Sahara is undergoing rapid urban and agricultural expansion, resulting in significant spatial and demographic transformations and increased environmental pressures on oasis systems. Despite these critical dynamics, existing studies have addressed oasis sustainability only superficially, lacking quantitative, territory-scale indicators that integrate both spatial and demographic dimensions. As a result, preserving oasis territories has become a critical challenge for national economic and industrial development. Spatial planning and demographic balance are key drivers for oasis landscape sustainability. This study focuses on the Tolga oasis territory, one of the largest in North Africa, to investigate the spatial and demographic relationships among the built environment, urban perimeters, population dynamics, and palm grove areas. The methodology combines: (1) historical cartographic analysis using georeferenced maps from 1900 to 2020 processed in QGIS (RMSE < 5 m); (2) GIS-based digitization of built-up areas (BuA) and palm grove areas (PGA) across four reference periods (1900, 1940, 1980, 2020); (3) polynomial regression modeling for urban perimeter vs. inter-oasis distance; and (4) least squares method for the population–palm tree correlation. Using spatial and statistical analyses, the results indicate that the built-up area should remain below a threshold ratio of 0.05 relative to the cultivated area to maintain the oasis landscape. Strong polynomial correlations (0.5876 ≤ R² ≤ 0.974) confirm the structural link between urban perimeter growth and inter-oasis distance, outperforming linear regression (mean ΔR² = +0.226). In addition, a strong correlation is identified between population size and palm tree abundance, as expressed by the relationship PT = 1.6376 Po + 755,050, where P denotes population size (F-statistic = 178.4; p < 0.01; N = 24; 95% CI of slope = ±0.24). Adopting a territorial-scale approach, this study proposes novel quantitative indicators, including ratio and formula-based models that can be integrated into Saharan territorial planning strategies to support sustainable oasis development. Full article

This study analyzes the educational and scientific potential of paleogeographic reconstruction as a contextualized geoscience teaching tool within the UNESCO Global Geopark of M’Goun (Central High Atlas, Morocco). It addresses a major limitation of Moroccan geology curricula, which mainly rely on generalized paleogeographic models disconnected from local geological realities and field evidence. The Ouaouizaght sector, characterized by a continuous Jurassic–Cretaceous sedimentary succession and well-preserved Middle Liassic facies, was selected as a representative case study for developing an integrated field-based educational framework. The methodological approach combines cartographic analysis, geological field observations, structural interpretation, and GIS-based spatial synthesis. Field investigations conducted along a northwest–southeast transect enabled the characterization of carbonate platform, slope, and distal hemipelagic environments. Meanwhile, they identified tectonic controls influencing facies organization and basin geometry. The integration of lithostratigraphic, paleoenvironmental, and structural data led to the reconstruction of a coherent paleogeographic model for the western edge of the Central High Atlas during the Middle Liassic. The main target audience of this research is Life and Earth Sciences (LES) teachers, both in initial training and continuing professional development, and indirectly secondary school students. This study highlighted the pedagogical value of combining fieldwork, spatial reasoning, and geological interpretation to support inquiry-based and contextualized geoscience education. Full article

Vegetation spatial heterogeneity is fundamental to biodiversity management and ecosystem service provision, yet detailed phytosociological mapping of forest vegetation remains largely unresolved in the Colombian Orinoquia. This study characterized the geographic distribution of forest vegetation through the integration of 178 field surveys, environmental complex variables defined by geomorphological and bioclimatic gradients, and multi-sensor satellite imagery combining Landsat-8 optical bands and Sentinel-1 dual-polarization data, processed within a Random Forest classification framework in Google Earth Engine. Classifications achieved overall accuracies between 0.910 and 0.975 and Kappa coefficients above 0.93, identifying 24 phytosociological alliances or geobotanical formations distributed across approximately 7,565,696 ha, representing 34.63% of the region. Forest cover ranges from 10.95% in the Floodplain to 55.22% in La Macarena, with the High Plain concentrating the greatest formation diversity. The spatial organization of forest vegetation is primarily governed by the geomorphological gradient—fluvial, denudational, and structural—and limiting bioclimatic factors, together with their associated edaphic−hydrological regimes, with anthropic transformation driven by cattle ranching and agricultural expansion constituting the principal threat to forest cover. These results advance beyond existing land cover surrogates, providing an empirically validated cartographic framework for biodiversity assessment, habitat modeling, and natural capital management in the Colombian Orinoquia. Full article

Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI) enables the automated generation of built environment map features, such as building outlines/footprints, on a global scale. However, the integration of these AI-generated datasets into Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) platforms like OpenStreetMap (OSM) risks incorporating ‘AI slop’, consisting of geometrically inconsistent/unreliable data, into the online map. While the OSM “Code of Conduct for Automated Edits” provides a policy framework for data ingestion, it lacks a machine-enforceable mechanism for real-time quality gating. This paper proposes a GeoAI-Gatekeeper to perform this task—an automated process that applies empirical Acceptable Quality Thresholds (AQT) to address the GeoAI data governance problem. Because the Gatekeeper utilizes an intrinsic, no-reference evaluation of geometric fidelity, it can assess incoming AI-generated data streams in real-time without requiring ground-truth benchmarks. Importantly, it focuses exclusively on the geometric validation of building footprints, acknowledging for now that semantic enrichment, such as tagging, remains a human-centric task. The presented GeoAI-Gatekeeper is a working prototype developed for a specific urban area, systematically triaging incoming AI-generated data into three tiers; Auto-Accept, Manual Review, and Reject. It provides a Web-GIS interface for Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) functionality to ensure the OSM community remains the final arbiter of acceptable data quality. Testing the Gatekeeper in Dublin (Ireland) demonstrates that our solution can auto-ingest 93.6% of features with a 14x reduction in human review effort while still adhering to OSM’s cartographic integrity standards. By implementing qualitative community guidelines into machine-enforceable thresholds, our approach introduces a viable methodology for next-generation hybrid VGI systems. Importantly, it ensures that the transition towards automated data ingestion reinforces, rather than undermines, the reliability of global crowd-source mapping datasets. Full article

This study presents a newly developed Sentence Repetition Task/SRT as a tool designed to investigate the acquisition of different syntactic structures in children with typical development (TD) and Developmental Language Disorder (DLD). The tool is grounded in the Growing Trees (GT, henceforth) approach, which assumes that developmental progression reflects the hierarchical growth of the syntactic tree, as described in cartographic analyses of clause structure. The SRT Protocol was constructed following the three developmental stages identified by GT: VP/TP, lower zone of the Left Periphery (LP henceforth), and higher LP zone. A preliminary pilot version was administered to 27 TD and 28 DLD children, followed by a revised second version with improved item design and broader syntactic coverage, administered to 28 TD and 21 DLD children. Descriptive and inferential analyses demonstrate a clear hierarchy in the acquisition of Italian morphosyntax, fully consistent with the three-stage developmental progression predicted by the model. Children with DLD follow the same path but with delayed acquisition and slower consolidation of certain structures. These findings provide developmentally grounded benchmarks for identifying morphosyntactic delays and show that the SRT Protocol is a reliable tool for profiling early syntactic development. Crucially, the protocol supports diagnosis and clinical practice by helping clinicians ensuring interventions that are both theoretically informed and aligned with syntactic growth. Full article