Search Results (32)

In the context of global “dual carbon” objectives, land use dynamics exhibit a strong correlation with regional carbon storage. Facing significant ecological–economic conflicts, the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle in western China necessitates multi-scenario modeling of carbon storage. This research integrates the PLUS model (simulation accuracy Kappa = 0.84) and InVEST model to project land use and carbon storage trajectories under natural development (NDS), urban development (UDS), carbon peak (CPS), and carbon neutrality (CNS) scenarios from 2030 to 2060, leveraging historical data from 2000 to 2020. The results show the following: (1) The study area is dominated by forest land and cultivated land (accounting for more than 90%). From 2000 to 2020, cultivated land decreased, and construction land increased; construction land continued to expand under all future scenarios. (2) Carbon storage showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, reaching 4974.55 × 10⁶ t in 2020 (an increase of 4.0 × 10⁶ t compared with 2000). The peak carbon storage in the CPS scenario reached 5015.18 × 10⁶ t, and the overall spatial pattern was “high around and low in the middle”. (3) The CPS achieved a carbon peak through intensive land use and ecological restoration, and the CNS further strengthened carbon sink protection and promoted carbon neutrality. Constructing a multi-scenario coupling model chain provides a new method for regional carbon management, which has important guiding significance for the low-carbon development of the Chengdu–Chongqing Twin Cities Economic Circle. Full article

Rubus is a genus of small berry-producing shrubs, valued for their medicinal properties and as a food source. This genus is a large, globally distributed group that includes over 700 species. Despite numerous plastid and nuclear genomes having been reported for Rubus, there is a notable lack of research on its mitogenomes. We utilized PMAT to assemble the mitogenomes of six Rubus species according to long-read HiFi reads and annotated them through homologous alignment. Subsequently, we compared their characteristic differences within Rubus mitogenomes. The complete mitogenomes of R. parviflorus, R. spectabilis, R. idaeus, R. armeniacus, and R. caesius all exhibit master circle structures, with lengths ranging from 360,869 bp to 447,754 bp. However, R. chamaemorus displays a double-circle structure composed of two small circular molecules, spanning 392,134 bp. These mitogenomes encode a total of 54–61 genes, including 33–34 PCGs, 17–24 tRNAs, and 3 rRNA genes. Compared to the other five Rubus species, R. chamaemorus has fewer sequence repeats. These six species exhibit similar codon usage patterns. A large number of gene transfers were detected between organellar genomes of six Rubus species. Additionally, two phylogenetic trees were constructed using 31 mitogenomes and 94 chloroplast genomes, revealing a minor conflict within Rubus. Overall, this study clarifies the mitogenome characteristics of Rubus and provides valuable insights into the evolution of the genus. Full article

Today’s urban environments are complex, highly congested traffic scenarios that suffer from multiple unsolved problems such as traffic jams and congestion. These problems pose a significant increase in the risks and probability of traffic accidents in modern cities, which have experienced an enormous growth in the number of vehicles. This work introduces a centralized arbitration framework designed for Cooperative Connected Automated Vehicles (CCAVs) to make real-time decisions and resolve conflicts among various driving strategies or behaviors to facilitate resource reservation based on their collaborative actions. Cooperation and arbitration are two of the most important areas of research that seek to provide tools and mechanisms for the optimization and control of traffic flow at critical locations such as intersections and traffic circles. The approach presented, fully implemented on ROS and capable of constructing a software-defined traffic control environment, is able to supervise in a distributed manner how any CCAV operates with the infrastructure, potentially reducing the number of vehicles waiting and harmonizing the traffic flow. The methodology proposed surpasses traditional driver-in-the-loop cooperation by delivering a higher level of automation for collaborative traffic behavior. This approach demonstrably reduces average waiting time by 13% and increases the total utilization of the traffic emplacement by 70% compared to the classic simulated traffic light model. The solution presented was tested on the Carla simulator, with a complete ROS-based vehicle automation solution that provides promising results for CCAV coordination in complex traffic scenarios through a general framework of behavior-based collaboration. Full article

With the intensification of aging, the imbalance between the supply and demand of elderly care services has become increasingly prominent. Taking Changsha as a case study, this research constructs an accessibility evaluation system based on the 15-min life circle theory, utilizing multi-source data. Spatial weighting characteristics of elderly care facility locations were analyzed through machine learning algorithms, and service coverage disparities between urban districts and suburban towns were assessed under 5-, 10-, and 15-min walking thresholds. Street view semantic segmentation technology was employed to extract street environmental elements in central urban areas, and a multiple regression model was established to elucidate the impact mechanisms of the built environment on walking accessibility. Key findings include: (1) Significant urban-rural service disparities exist, with 91.4% of urban core facilities offering seven service categories within 15-min walking catchments compared to 26.86% in township areas, demonstrating suburban infrastructure’s heavy reliance on administrative resource allocation. (2) Street environmental factors exhibit significant correlations with walking accessibility scores. At the 15-min walking threshold, building space ratio and transportation infrastructure coverage positively influenced walking convenience, while sky view ratio showed a negative correlation. (3) A random forest-based location prediction framework identified multiple service gaps in existing facilities. Suburban service deficiencies (e.g., 59.8% medical facility coverage within walkable catchments) emerge as critical equity barriers, prompting recommendations for integrated “micro-clinic + smart pharmacy” networks and prioritized mixed-use zoning in new urban planning. This research advances a data-driven framework for reconciling urbanization-aging conflicts, offering practical insights for developing nations in creating age-friendly urban environments. Full article

The urban–rural fringe, serving as a frontier space and protective barrier for urban–rural factor circulation, is a complex area marked by significant human–land conflicts. Therefore, scientifically identifying and dynamically monitoring the urban–rural fringe is crucial for its integrated development and spatial governance. In this context, this paper constructs an information entropy model using land use data, combined with the central gravitational agglomeration method, to accurately identify the evolution of Harbin’s urban–rural fringe over the past 40 years. The research reveals that Harbin’s urban–rural fringe exhibits a distinct circling pattern, with spatial morphology changes characterized as “low-speed spreading—jumping expansion—internal dissimilarity”, allowing for improved identification of its three types: stable, expanding, and degrading. The study also tracks the scale of the urban–rural fringe in Harbin with three types of stable, expanding, and degrading urban–rural fringe. Drawing on previous research, we visualize the fringe area’s functional spatial positioning, showing its dominant function shifting from a production–ecological composite to a production–life–ecological coordinated function. Concurrently, the study’s findings, alongside Harbin’s socioeconomic development, indicate that the urban–rural fringe’s evolution is driven by economic, policy, and environmental factors. Based on the multi-dimensional research outcomes, we conclude that the evolution of Harbin’s urban–rural fringe can be divided into three stages: a slow gestation period (1980–1990), a rapid development period (1990–2010), and a stable reconstruction phase (2010–2020). In the initial phase, urban and rural development is minimal; during the second phase, the trend of urban expansion is significant, and the urban–rural fringe is rapidly shifted to the city; and in the latter stage, urban and rural elements are stabilized and coordinated, and urban and rural areas are realized to be developed and reconstructed as one. This paper provides a scientific basis for understanding the dynamic evolution of the urban–rural fringe in Harbin City and is an important reference for future territorial spatial planning and development. Full article

Visual sensory memory constructs representations of the physical information of visual objects. However, few studies have investigated whether abstract information, such as semantic information, is also involved in these representations. This study utilized a masking technique combined with the partial report paradigm to examine whether visual sensory memory representation contains semantic information. Here, we regarded the concept of orientation carried by the visual stimulus as semantic information. In three experiments, participants were asked to remember the orientation of arrows. Visual stimuli with orientation information (triangles, rectangles, and Chinese characters) and without orientation information (circles, squares, and different Chinese characters) were used as masks. The results showed that memory performance was worse when masks contained orientation information compared to when they did not, as similar orientation semantic information between masks and targets created visual representation conflicts. These findings suggest that visual sensory memory representation includes the semantic information of orientation. Full article

Moving a relationship of widespread conflicts and distrust into a virtuous circle of trust and cooperation is challenging, yet the case examined in this article shows that it is possible. A problematic start can indeed lead to a positive outcome. In the early twentieth century, Norway experienced the highest levels of labour conflict in Europe. Class conflicts were intense and often violent, with deep mistrust between the parties in the labour market. This situation changed markedly when the Norwegian Employers’ Confederation and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions signed the Basic Agreement in 1935. This agreement not only led to a lasting decline in labour conflicts, but it also marked a crucial early step towards a system of close collaboration between labour and capital in Norway. By focusing on the intimate relationship between beliefs, trust, and cooperation, this article explores how the labour market parties transitioned from widespread conflict and open struggle to a system of peaceful negotiations and compromises. Changes in beliefs enabled the parties to coordinate on a new cooperative equilibrium, an equilibrium that continues to characterise Norway’s labour market today. Full article

As air traffic intensity increases and stochastic uncertainties, such as wind direction and speed, continue to impact air traffic controllers’ workload significantly, airlines are increasingly pressured to reduce costs by flying via straighter/more direct trajectories. Due to these changes, it is important to search for new means/solutions for aircraft conflict resolution to ensure the required level of safety and rational flight trajectory. Such a solution could be the implementation of Dubin’s method of flight trajectories. This paper aims to propose and deeply analyze a new mathematical model for two-aircraft conflict resolution where the Dubins method is applied in a dynamic conflict scenario. In this model, at a certain moment, the flight trajectory of one aircraft follows a path similar to a moving circle’s tangential line. Upon that, the conflict detection and resolution (CDR) model considers wind uncertainty. The proposed CDR method could be applied when uncertainty such as wind direction and speed are inconstant (stochastic) throughout the simulation. Full article

Spatial planning requires ensuring the legality, uniformity, authority, and relevance of data. Blockchain technology, characterized by tamper-proofing, complete record-keeping, and process traceability, may effectively organize and manage spatial planning data. This study introduces blockchain technology to address common spatial planning problems, such as planning overlaps and conflicts. We developed a block structure, chain structure, and consensus algorithms tailored for spatial planning. To meet the data management requirements of these structures, we devised a primary unit division method based on the space and population standards of the 15 min life circle, using the Point Cloud Density Tiler. The validation experiments were conducted using the Hyperledger Fabric 2.0 technology framework in Changsha City, Hunan Province, China, with the division method validated against the number and distribution of public service facilities. The validation results show that during the data storage process, the block size remains below 1.00 MB, the data redundancy is up to 21.30%, the consensus verification rate is 150.33 times per second, the block generation rate is 20.83 blocks per minute, and the equivalent data throughput is 12.21 transactions per second. This demonstrates that the proposed method effectively addresses the challenges of block size, data redundancy, consensus algorithm efficiency, and data throughput in blockchain technology. The findings demonstrate that the structures ensure legal, uniform, and authoritative spatial planning, and advance the application of blockchain technology in relevant fields. Additionally, we explored the application of a blockchain data structure in spatial planning monitoring and early warning. This technology can be further studied and applied in related fields. Full article

The velocity obstacles (VO) method is widely employed in real-time obstacle avoidance research for UAVs due to its succinct mathematical foundation and rapid, dynamic planning abilities. Traditionally, VO assumes a circle protection domain with a fixed radius, leading to issues such as excessive conservatism of obstacle avoidance areas, longer detour paths, and unnecessary avoidance angles. To overcome these challenges, this paper firstly reviews the fundamentals and pre-existing defects of the VO methodology. Next, we explore a scenario involving UAVs in head-on conflicts and introduce an elliptic velocity obstacle method tailored to the UAV’s current flight state. This method connects the protection domain size directly to the UAV’s flight state, transitioning from the conventional circle domain to a more efficient elliptic domain. Additionally, to manage the computational demands of Minkowski sums and velocity obstacle cones, an approximation algorithm for discretizing elliptic boundary points is introduced. A strategy to mitigate unilateral velocity oscillation had is developed. Comparative validation simulations in MATLAB R2022a confirm that, based on the experimental results for the first 10 s, the apex angle of the velocity obstacle cone for the elliptical domain is, on average, reduced by 0.1733 radians compared to the circular domain per unit simulation time interval, saving an airspace area of 13,292 square meters and reducing the detour distance by 14.92 m throughout the obstacle avoidance process, facilitating navigation in crowded situations and improving airspace utilization. Full article

Asthma and adolescence are two sensitive points and are difficult to manage when they coexist. The first is a chronic respiratory condition, with frequent onset in early childhood (between 3 and 5 years), which can improve or worsen with age. Adolescence is the period between childhood and adulthood (12–19 years), marked by various internal and external conflicts and a limited capacity to understand and accept any aspect that is delimited by the pattern of the social circle (of the entourage) frequented by the individual. Therefore, the clinician is faced with multiple attempts regarding the management of asthma encountered during the adolescent period, starting from the individualization of the therapy to the control of compliance (which depends equally on the adverse reactions, quality of life offered and support of the close circle) and the social integration of the subject, communication probably having a more important role in the monitoring and evolution of the condition than the preference for a certain therapeutic scheme. Current statistics draw attention to the increase in morbidity and mortality among children with bronchial asthma, an aspect demonstrated by the numerous hospitalizations recorded, due either to an escalation in the severity of this pathology or to faulty management. The purpose of this article is to review the delicate aspects in terms of controlling symptoms and maintaining a high quality of life among teenagers. Full article

Rapid urbanization and industrialization have brought about regional prosperity and pressure on the ecological environment, and the disorder of development has led to competition among the production-living-ecology functions. How to build livable cities, optimize the spatial layout of land, and promote the coordinated development of the production-living-ecology functions in various regions has become an important issue in the sustainable development and utilization of land space. In order to study the spatiotemporal conflict and coordination of the production-living-ecology functions with respect to the dramatic developments associated with the 21st century, this study took Hubei Province, which is the top-ranking economic region in China in recent years, as the study area and adopted the global entropy value method, triangle model, and coupled evaluation model to delineate an index system to measure the degree of conflict and coordination of the production-living-ecology functions in Hubei Province from 2000 to 2020, and also delineate zoning management based on statistical yearbook data. The results showed the following: (1) With respect to the time scale, the indices of the production-living-ecology functions in Hubei Province increased year by year, and the degree of coordination also increased yearly, from the stage of disorder with certain conflict to the stage of coordination with a high level of coupling. (2) On the spatial scale, the development of production-living-ecology functions in Hubei Province was unbalanced, which may be related to the overall development strategy of “two circles and one belt” in Hubei Province, with the eastern part of the province having a higher degree of coordination of the production-living-ecology functions and the western part having a lower degree of coordination. (3) Among the production-living-ecology functions, the ecological function of Hubei Province as a whole exhibited minimal change and maintained stable development, while the living and production functions underwent considerable development, indicating that Hubei Province has protected the orderly development of the ecological environment in the process of urbanization and new industrialization. (4) According to the development and coordination of the production-living-ecology functions in each region of Hubei Province, four development management zones were created: high-quality development zone, secondary development zone, balanced development zone, and development potential zone. Finally, policy suggestions are given for each zone. Full article

New risk geographies are emerging with war and conflict resurfacing, including nuclear threats. This poses challenges to civil protection for conducting risk-informed preparedness planning. A spatial assessment of Germany and Europe is conducted using a geographic information system. Buffer circles of nuclear explosion effects and fallout buffers show potentially exposed areas around major cities. Different scenarios indicate shrinking areas safe from exposure. However, even in a densely populated country, rural areas and smaller cities can be identified that could provide sites for evacuation shelters. Changing wind directions poses a challenge for civil protection planning because fallout risk covers most German territory even when few cities are attacked. However, wind speeds and topography can help identify suitable shelter areas. More knowledge about the temporal development of a nuclear explosion and its specific forms of harm can also help to improve risk knowledge and planning. While nuclear warfare at first seems to render useless any option for safe areas and survival, the spatial risk assessment shows that exposure does not occur at all places at all times. Being safe from harm will be difficult in such a worst-case scenario, but avoiding large city perimeters and being informed can also help reduce risk. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread social isolation. This study aimed to determine anxiety levels among parents of school-aged children and investigate the associated factors. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, living and working conditions, family relationships, social support (MSPSS) and health status (SF-12) were collected from French parents through an online survey. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was used to assess anxiety. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with moderate to severe anxiety. Among 698 parents, 19.2% experienced moderate to severe anxiety. A low level of resilience (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.7–6.7) and confirmed COVID-19 cases involving hospitalization (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.0–7.3) among individuals in one’s household or in the family circle were found to be the main risk factors for moderate to severe anxiety. Other factors were also identified: a level of education less than high school (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3–3.2), conflicts at home (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.4–3.7), noises outside the home (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.0–3.9), confirmed cases not involving hospitalization (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0–3.1) and suspected cases (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.0–3.8). Family support was a protective factor. These findings suggest some need for support programs to help parents cope with public health crises and work-family challenges. Full article

Scientifically diagnosing the spatial conflict of resource-based cities and clarifying the coupling coordination relationship between the intensity of spatial conflict and the dynamic degree of land use is of great significance for the transformation of urban areas and the rational use of regional resources. Based on the characteristics of a resource-based city in Xintai, the study constructed a spatial conflict measurement model from the dimensions of spatial pressure, spatial exposure, and spatial risk from the perspective of ecosystem service value. We then used the coupling coordination model to explore the relationship between change in the spatial conflict level and the dynamic degree of land use. The results showed that from 2009 to 2020, the spatial conflict index in Xintai remained stable, with a change of only 0.0018, and the changing trend of different conflict levels was different; the spatial pattern of conflicts was distributed in circles, and the conflict levels gradually weakened from the center to the surrounding areas. From 2009 to 2020, the average dynamic degree of land use in Xintai was 23.14%, with significant differences in spatial layout. The land use characteristics were mainly arable land to woodland, land reclamation, land restoration, expansion of construction land, and afforestation. According to the analysis of the degree of coupling coordination, the coupling coordination relationships between different spatial conflict changes and the dynamic degree of land use are significantly different. The weakened area is dominated by coordination relationships, with 774 units, accounting for 43.75%. According to the analysis of land use type changes and behavior-dominant factors, land use adjustment in Xintai mostly served the goals of ecological protection and economic development, and had a positive impact on the governance of spatial conflicts, but land use patterns in some areas still need to be optimally adjusted. The research is expected to provide a scientific basis for the rational use of regional land, the governance of spatial conflicts, and optimization of the spatial structure. Full article