Search Results (61)

Urban coastal areas are increasingly vulnerable to compound flooding due to the convergence of extreme rainfall, storm surges, and infrastructure aging, especially in high-density settings. This study proposes and empirically validates a multi-scale strategy for enhancing urban flood resilience in the Macau Peninsula, a densely built coastal city with complex flood exposure patterns. Building on a previously developed network-based resilience assessment framework, the study integrates hydrodynamic simulation and complex network analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of targeted interventions, including segmented storm surge defense barriers, drainage infrastructure upgrades, and spatially optimized low-impact development (LID) measures. The Macau Peninsula was partitioned into multiple shoreline defense zones, each guided by context-specific design principles and functional zoning. Based on our previously developed flood simulation framework covering extreme rainfall, storm surge, and compound events in high-density coastal zones, this study validates resilience strategies that achieve significant reductions in inundation extent, water depth, and recession time. Additionally, the network-based resilience index showed marked improvement in system connectivity and recovery efficiency, particularly under compound hazard conditions. The findings highlight the value of integrating spatial planning, ecological infrastructure, and systemic modeling to inform adaptive flood resilience strategies in compact coastal cities. The framework developed offers transferable insights for other urban regions confronting escalating hydrometeorological risks under climate change. Full article

To quantify the spatiotemporal patterns of the water-level variations in the study area, we conducted cluster analysis of the temporally varying measurements across multiple hydrological stations. The temporal trends and change points were analyzed, followed by IHA-RVA quantification of the water-level alterations before and after change points. Cluster analysis demonstrated the following. (1) Hydrological stations segregate into two distinct groups at the Euclidean distance threshold d = 5, and into three clusters at d = 4, confirming the pronounced west–east heterogeneity in the lake. (2) The hydrological alteration degrees exhibit considerable variation across the lake’s sub-lakes (Qili, Muping, South Dongting, East Dongting), with marked heterogeneity persisting even among representative monitoring stations within individual sub-lakes. The water-level regimes in Qili Lake can be partitioned into two distinct periods, before and after the change point, exhibiting the highest hydrological alteration degree across the lake. Representative stations of the other sub-lakes fall into three periods. During the first phase of hydrological alteration, Zhouwenmiao, Jinshi, and Chenglingji exhibit moderate alteration. Throughout the second alteration phase, all the representative stations consistently exhibit moderate alteration, although significant heterogeneity emerges across hydrological indicators among the sub-lakes. (3) Downstream of Yangliutan station, the longitudinal profile exhibits terraced morphology, segmented into three distinct levels by two hydraulic knickpoints. This geomorphic configuration primarily controls both the localized stage reductions and the maintenance of elevated upstream water levels during dry seasons. Confronting the persistent dry-season stage declines at Yingtian Station, enhanced monitoring and conservation of terraced transition zones in South Dongting Lake must be prioritized, with implementation of the zoned control principle for water-level governance and lake management. This study establishes a scientific foundation for the protection and governance of Dongting Lake, thereby advancing sustainable utilization of its water resources. Full article

Against the backdrop of urban–rural integrated development, special ecological function zones, as spatial carriers with significant regional ecological value and rural development functions, are confronted with a striking conflict between ecological conservation and regional advancement. This contradiction is comprehensively reflected in the interactions among land use functions (LUFs) that differ in nature and intensity. Therefore, exploring the trade-off and synergy (TOS) among regional LUFs is not only of great significance for optimizing territorial spatial patterns and advancing rural revitalization but also provides scientific evidence for the differentiated administration of regional land use. Taking 185 townships in the Funiu Mountain area of China as research units, this study constructs a land use assessment system based on the ‘Production–Living–Ecological’ (PLE) framework, utilizing multi-source datasets from 2000 to 2020. Spearman correlation analysis, geographically weighted regression (GWR), and bivariate local spatial autocorrelation methods are employed to examine the spatio-temporal dynamics of LUFs and the spatial non-stationarity of their TOSs. The findings indicate that, throughout the research period, the production function (PF) displayed a fluctuating declining trend, whereas the living function (LF) and ecological function (EF) demonstrated a fluctuating increasing trend. Notably, EF held an absolute dominant position in the overall structure of LUFs. This is highly consistent with the region’s positioning as a special ecological function zone and also a direct reflection of the effectiveness of continuous ecological construction over the past two decades. Spatially, PF is stronger in southern, eastern, and northern low-altitude townships, correlating with higher levels of economic development; LF is concentrated around townships near county centers; and high EF values are clustered in the central and western areas, showing an opposite spatial pattern to PF and LF. A synergistic relationship is observed between PF and LF, while both PF and LF exhibit trade-offs with EF. The TOSs between different function changes demonstrate significant spatial non-stationarity: linear synergy was the primary type for PF-LF, PF-EF, and LF-EF combinations, but each combination exhibited unique spatial characteristics in terms of non-stationarity. Notably, towns identified as having different types of trade-off relationships in the study of spatial non-stationarity are key areas for township spatial governance and optimization. Through the allocation of regional resources and targeted policy tools, the functional relationships can be adjusted and optimized to attain sustainable land use. Full article

This study seeks to develop and evaluate a methodological framework for assessing the tourism potential of hillforts, by using a selected sample of 25 of these heritage resources located in the Lower Silesia Voivodeship. This region, as one of Poland’s most popular among domestic and international tourists, is increasingly confronting overtourism at its primary attractions. Concurrently, it possesses underutilised cultural assets, notably 250 remnants of gords/hillforts (grodziska in Polish) spanning various historical periods and dispersed across the whole area. Thus, to ensure the universality of the method, samples of hillforts from three main topographic zones of Lower Silesia were selected. In addition to the aim of testing the method, a secondary objective of the research involved conducting a preliminary assessment of selected hillforts’ tourism potential in different parts of the voivodeship. The methodology combined desk research and field studies across all selected archaeological sites. Concerning the primary objective, the developed assessment tool effectively replicated the multidimensional analytical framework characteristic of established methodologies, yielding reliable outcomes for evaluating gords’ tourism potential. However, modifications to the scoring system are recommended to enhance methodological precision. Regarding analysis of the 25 surveyed hillforts, the results indicate that objects from all zones mainly demonstrate high tourism potential, suggesting an opportunity for transformation into tourist attractions. The integration of hillforts into existing tourism infrastructure could significantly contribute to localised sustainable development across the region. The primary significance of these heritage resources lies in their capacity to facilitate the diversification of tourism offerings across distinct areas of the voivodeship. This development holds particular strategic value for northern poviats currently peripherally engaged in tourism economy. Moreover, by leveraging hillforts, communities obtain assets important in the process of building a common identity around cultural/historical place while safeguarding monuments. Concurrently, the most attractive southern poviats will benefit from the new attractions as they can help in mitigating overtourism pressures at overcrowded places, being an interesting alternative to the top attractions. This approach aligns with strategies to disperse tourist flows through specialised archaeological tourism products, thereby balancing economic benefits and local communities’ well-being with heritage preservation. Full article

Addressing the need to optimize human settlement quality in arid and semi-arid regions under rapid urbanization, this study innovatively constructs an evaluation framework integrating greenness, thermal conditions, impervious surfaces, water bodies, and air transparency. Focusing on 12 prefecture-level cities in Inner Mongolia, Northern China, it systematically reveals the spatial differentiation characteristics and driving mechanisms of human settlement quality. Findings indicate the following: (1) Regional human settlement quality exhibits a spindle-shaped structure dominated by the medium grade (Excellent: 18.13%, High: 23.34%, Medium: 46.48%, Low: 12.04%), with Ulanqab City having the highest proportion of Excellent areas (25.26%) and Ordos City the lowest proportion of Low-grade areas (6.20%), reflecting a critical transition period for regional quality enhancement. (2) Spatial patterns show pronounced east-west gradients and functional differentiation: western arid zones display significant blue-green space advantages but face high-temperature stress and rigid water constraints, eastern humid zones benefit from superior ecological foundations with weaker heat island effects, the core Hetao Plain experiences strong heat island effects due to high impervious surface density, while industrial cities confront prominent air pollution pressures. Consequently, implementing differentiated strategies—strengthening ecological protection/restoration in High/Low-grade zones and optimizing regulation to drive upgrades in Medium-grade zones—is essential for achieving three sustainable pathways: compact development, blue-green space optimization, and industrial upgrading, providing vital decision-making support for enhancing human settlement quality and promoting sustainable development in ecologically fragile cities across northern China. Full article

Biocontrol is one of the most promising alternatives to chemical preservatives for food preservation. This study investigated the biocontrol potential of yeasts isolated from raw milk cheese against spoilage moulds. Eighty-four native yeast strains were screened for antagonistic activity against Penicillium commune, Fusarium verticillioides, and Mucor plumbeus/racemosus via confrontation using a milk-based culture medium. Fifteen strains from the species Pichia jadinii, Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Geotrichum candidum exhibited significant antagonistic activity (inhibition zone > 2 mm) against M. plumbeus/racemosus and F. verticillioides. The modelling of the impact of ripening conditions revealed that temperature was the primary factor influencing yeast antagonism. In addition, notable variability at both species and strain levels was found. The antagonist activity was associated with different mechanisms depending on the species and strains. K. lactis stood out for its proteolytic activity and competition for iron and manganese. Additionally, two strains of this species (KL890 and KL904) were found to produce volatile organic compounds with antifungal properties (phenylethyl alcohol and 1-butanol-3-methyl propionate). G. candidum GC663 exhibited strong competition for space, as well as the ability to parasitise hyphae linked to its pectinase and β-glucanase activity. The latter enzymatic activity was detected in all P. jadinii strains, with P. jadinii PJ433 standing out due to its proteolytic activity. In a cheese matrix, the efficacy of eight yeast strains against three target moulds was assessed, highlighting the potential of G. candidum GC663 and P. jadinii PJ433 as biocontrol agents, exhibiting high and moderate efficacy, respectively, in controlling the growth of F. verticillioides and M. plumbeus/racemosus. Nonetheless, further research is necessary to elucidate their full spectrum of antifungal mechanisms and to validate their performance under industrial-scale conditions, including their impact on cheese quality. Full article

Hypersonic morphing vehicles (HMVs), renowned for their adaptive structural reconfiguration and cross-domain maneuverability, confront formidable reentry guidance challenges under multiple no-fly zones, stringent path constraints, and nonlinear dynamics exacerbated by morphing-induced aerodynamic uncertainties. To address these issues, this study proposes a hierarchical framework integrating an A-based energy-optimal waypoint planner, a deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG)-driven morphing policy network, and a quasi-equilibrium glide condition (QEGC) guidance law with continuous sliding mode control. The A* algorithm generates heuristic trajectories circumventing no-fly zones, reducing the evaluation function by 6.2% compared to greedy methods, while DDPG optimizes sweep angles to minimize velocity loss and terminal errors (0.09 km position, 0.01 m/s velocity). The QEGC law ensures robust longitudinal-lateral tracking via smooth hyperbolic tangent switching. Simulations demonstrate generalization across diverse targets (terminal errors < 0.24 km) and robustness under Monte Carlo deviations (0.263 ± 0.184 km range, −12.7 ± 42.93 m/s velocity). This work bridges global trajectory planning with real-time morphing adaptation, advancing intelligent HMV control. Future research will extend this framework to ascent/dive phases and optimize its computational efficiency for onboard deployment. Full article

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is a critical ecological zone in China now confronting growing tensions between land conservation and development. This study combines land use, climate, and socio-economic data with spatial–statistical models (GeoDetector [GD]–Patch-generating Land Use Simulation [PLUS]–Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-Offs [InVEST]) to analyze land use changes (2000–2020), evaluate habitat quality, and simulate scenarios to 2040. Key results include the following: (1) Farmland was decreased by the conversion to forests (+3475 km²) and grasslands (+4522 km²), while construction land expanded rapidly (+11,166 km²); (2) the population and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) pressures drove the farmland loss (q = 0.148 for population, q = 0.129 for GDP), while synergies between evapotranspiration (ET) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) promoted forest/grassland recovery (q = 0.155); and (3) ecological protection scenarios increased the grassland area by 12.94% but restricted the construction land growth (−13.84%), with persistent unused land (>3.61% in Inner Mongolia) indicating arid-zone risks. The Habitat Quality-Autocorrelated Coupling Index (HQACI) declined from 0.373 (2020) to 0.345–0.349 (2040), which was linked to drought, groundwater loss, and urban expansion. Proposed strategies including riparian corridor protection, adaptive urban zoning, and gradient-based restoration aim to balance ecological and developmental needs, supporting spatial planning and enhancing the basin-wide habitat quality. Full article

Since the 1960s, Iran’s major cities have experienced significant migration from the country’s rural areas and from other nations. Although many urban planning and design concepts can be traced back to Iran, the country’s planning machinery has failed to effectively regulate urban growth, notably in the city peripheries, where land use has changed radically as semi-rural areas have been developed in a haphazard fashion with scant adherence to existing plans and planning regulations. Farahzad is one such area in the urban periphery of Tehran, where a range of sub-standard dwellings have been built, and urban services are deficient in many regards. This article examines how the urban landscape has evolved, how the resident population has grown, and the nature of the social and economic issues that persist today. The research method combines an analysis of the extant literature and local authority documentation, images developed from GIS data, and first-hand interviews with local practitioners to explore the growth of the neighbourhood in recent decades and assess the current problems confronting both residents and local authorities. The novelty of this article lies in the use of GIS-generated images and urban fabric classifications to assess the growth of the neighbourhood since the turn of century, during which time the planning machinery has generally failed to provide an adequate framework for development in this area of the Tehran urban periphery. Indeed, findings suggest that land use zoning has played little part in guiding or controlling urban development in Farahzad, and that identifying urban fabrics may prove a useful way of assessing socio-economic and physical development needs in such circumstances. This article makes a small contribution to our understanding of the change dynamics in a peripheral neighbourhood of a major city in the developing world. Full article

The ladybird beetle, Propylea japonica Thunberg (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is a widely distributed natural predator that is crucial in controlling various agricultural pests in China. Despite frequent references to its remarkable thermotolerance, the molecular mechanisms underlying its thermotolerance remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated metabolomic changes in P. japonica following exposure to acute heat stress (AHS) lasting 1 h at 39 °C and 43 °C in populations from Zhengzhou (ZZ, warm temperate climate zone) and Shenzhen (SZ, subtropical climate zone), representing distinct northern and southern Chinese ecosystems. A total of 4165 and 4151 metabolites were detected in positive and negative ion modes, respectively. The high proportion of lipid and lipid-like metabolites (35.5%) and the top 20 pathways containing the highest number of metabolites, implying membrane fluidity modulation and energy metabolism restructuring, served as the core adaptive mechanism in P. japonica populations confronting thermal stress. The SZ25 vs. SZ39 exhibited a significantly higher number of differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs), which were predominantly enriched in the purine and tryptophan metabolism pathways. This indicated that these pathways orchestrate thermal adaptation in the SZ population by coordinating energy metabolism reprogramming, orchestrating antioxidant defense mechanisms, and modulating neuroendocrine homeostasis dysregulation. Additionally, the starch and sucrose, arachidonic acid, and fructose and mannose metabolism pathways were also implicated. This study enhances our understanding of P. japonica thermotolerance and provides a valuable reference for thermotolerance mechanisms in other insects. Full article

Against the background of global climate change, agricultural ecosystems face extreme weather, resource shortages, and carbon emission pressures, necessitating green transitions. Rural tourism, a key driver of rural revitalization, injects momentum into green agriculture through ecological resource monetization, low-carbon technology adoption, and industrial restructuring. This study evaluates rural tourism and agricultural green development levels in Jiangxi Province (2008–2022) using the entropy weight method and explores their spatiotemporal coordination via a coupling coordination degree model and spatial autocorrelation analysis. The study reveals the following: (1) Rural tourism and agricultural green development in Jiangxi Province demonstrate an upward trend overall, though with significant regional disparities. Regions such as Nanchang and Jiujiang exhibit higher coordination levels, while areas like Pingxiang and Xinyu persistently cluster in low-value agglomerations. (2) The coupling coordination degree transitions from “marginal imbalance” to “intermediate coordination”, with Nanchang City achieving “good coordination” status in 2022, forming a high-value radiation zone encompassing Nanchang, Jiujiang, and Yichun. Low-value regions remain constrained by inadequate resource exploitation and technological lag. (3) Global spatial autocorrelation analysis reveals significant positive agglomeration effects (Moran’s I values range from 0.148 to 0.312). Local spatial associations show coexisting patterns of ‘high-high’ synergy and ‘low-low’ lock-in”. The study proposes targeted policy interventions, industrial convergence enhancement, and regional coordination mechanism optimization to mitigate spatial disparities and foster high-quality synergetic development. This study establishes theoretical foundations for agricultural green transition integrated with rural tourism development while offering referential pathways for analogous regions confronting climate change challenges. Full article

In light of the challenges confronting urban areas due to increasing populations and spatial constraints, urban green infrastructure is vital for fostering environmental balance, enhancing community well being, and promoting sustainable urban development. This situation underscores the necessity for strategies that reconcile the escalating demand for constructed environments with the enhancement of urban green infrastructure in urban areas. This study seeks to empirically investigate an integrated spatial analysis approach that synthesises the quality of urban green infrastructure and land characteristics by incorporating diverse perspectives, utilising the Altstetten-Albisrieden district of Zurich as a case study. It systematically evaluates factors including development density, green surface coverage, leaf area, green ratio and connectivity, and the accessibility of public green spaces within the studied district. A 10-m rectangular grid was employed to visualise and integrate the evaluation results from different perspectives. Furthermore, clustering algorithms were utilised to generate spatial patterns indicative of unique land characteristics. By comparing the results from various clustering algorithms, this study adopted the fifteen clusters derived from the K-Means method, employing radar charts to describe the characteristics of each cluster, and partitioned the district into five zones to provide recommendations regarding the provision and optimisation of urban green infrastructure within the district. Ultimately, it highlighted the necessity of increasing community gardens and green spaces in densely built areas and leveraging existing structures to augment vegetation and plant life for the enhancement of ecological benefits. Full article

The Heyu ore-concentrated area in western Henan, situated within the East Qinling metallogenic belt, represents a strategic fluorite resource base currently confronting severe challenges of reserve depletion. Given this critical status, this study focuses on enhancing exploration of concealed fluorite deposits through an innovative aeromagnetic approach. Prioritizing aeromagnetic surveys across 280 km² of rugged terrain achieved 100% coverage, demonstrating cost-efficiency in regional-scale exploration of fault-controlled fluorite systems. By systematically analyzing mineralization mechanisms and integrating processed magnetic data with geological constraints, we characterized magnetic anomaly patterns specific to fluorite-bearing structures. Key findings include: distinctive “low-density, low-magnetic” signatures of fluorite deposits (2.42 g/cm³, 15.57 × 10⁻⁵ SI) contrasted sharply with host granites (2.58 g/cm³, 2612 × 10⁻⁵ SI); identification of two deep-seated prospecting targets (Y-1 and Y-2) through residual anomaly analysis, spatially correlating with fault intersections; and successful borehole validation revealing 11.5 m-thick fluorite zones at 300–500 m depths. The established geological–geophysical model provides dual functionality: enabling precise delineation of deep-seated exploration targets, and offering actionable guidelines for sustainable resource development in ore-concentrated areas. This work pioneers a technical pathway for fluorite exploration in complex terrains, underscoring geophysics’ indispensable role in deep mineral targeting while setting a benchmark for analogous metallogenic provinces. Full article

In recent years, autonomous maneuver decision-making has emerged as a key technology in autonomous air combat confrontation, garnering widespread attention. A method combining the modified marine predator algorithm (MMPA) and fuzzy inference is proposed to solve the autonomous maneuver decision-making problem of an unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). By incorporating the missile attack strategy into the process of calculating the maneuver strategy, the air combat decision-making capability of the UCAV is enhanced. First, the weight coefficients determined by the fuzzy inference method are combined with air combat superiority functions that consider the current missile attack zone and then the objective function is obtained, which is to be optimized at the current moment. Second, the MMPA is used to solve the objective function to obtain the missile attack maneuver strategy and the maneuver strategy for defending against missile attacks. A comparative analysis with other classical intelligent optimization algorithms highlights the advantages of the proposed method. Furthermore, the air combat confrontation simulation experiments are conducted under six different initial scenarios, namely, neutral, offensive, oppositional, defensive, parallel, and head-on. The simulation results show that the integrated maneuver and missile attack decision-making capabilities of the UCAV are improved using the proposed autonomous maneuver decision-making method. Full article

This paper addresses the dual challenges of food security and sustainable development by examining the balance between arable land quality and economic development. Coordinating and optimizing development models is essential for achieving sustainable agricultural and economic progress. The North Slope Economic Belt of Tianshan Mountain (UANST), a semi-arid agriculturalpastoral transition zone in northwest China, exemplifies a coupled human environment system where global sustainability targets confront regional development imperatives. Focusing on seven cities and counties within the UANST, this study employs information sensitivity indicators to quantitatively select evaluation metrics. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of the coupling and coordination degree (CCD) between arable land quality and economic development in the region. Using a system dynamics model (SDM), four scenario models were developed to predict and analyze the interaction between cultivated land quality and economic development on the North Slope of Tianshan. The study proposes a model to improve coordination between cultivated land quality and economic development. The key findings are as follows: (1) “preliminary screening + information sensitivity analysis” method identified 12 arable land quality evaluation indicators and 11 economic development evaluation indicators for the North Slope Economic Belt of Tianshan. (2) The coupling coordination between arable land quality and economic development in the seven counties and cities improved from 0.469 to 0.663, reflecting a transition from “marginal imbalance” to “primary coordination”. By 2021, all regions had reached the initial stage of coordinated development. (3) Among the development models analyzed, the coordinated development model achieved the highest coupling coordination score (0.9136). This model also demonstrated lower carbon dioxide emissions and reduced water resource consumption, alleviating environmental pressures and offering an optimal solution for regional coordinated development. Full article