Search Results (417)

This paper applies a multi-level social network analysis to examine Aragón’s innovation ecosystem, focusing on a decade of competitive public projects (2014–2023) aligned with the region’s Smart Specialisation Strategy (S3) 2021–2027. By mapping and weighting the participation of regional entities across regional, national, and European calls, the study uncovers how all types of local actors organise themselves around key specialisation areas. Moreover, a comparative benchmark is introduced by analysing more than 33,000 Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe initiatives without Aragonese partners, revealing how to fill structural gaps and enrich the regional ecosystem through international collaboration. Results show strong funding concentration in four fields—Energy, Health, Agri-Food, and Advanced Technologies—while other historically strategic areas like Hydrogen and Water remain underrepresented. Although leading institutions (UNIZAR, CIRCE, ITA, AITIIP) play central roles in connecting academia and industry, direct collaboration among them is limited, pointing to missed synergies. Expanding previous SNA-based assessments, this study introduces a diagnostic tool to guide policy, proposing targeted actions such as challenge-driven calls, dedicated support programs, and cross-border consortia with top EU partners. Applied to two contrasting specialisation areas, the method offers sector-specific recommendations, helping policymakers align Aragón’s innovation capabilities with EU priorities and strengthen its position in both established and emerging domains. Full article

This study aimed to investigate land-use and land-cover change and the associated change in the ecological stability of the model area Dobrá–Opatová (district of Trenčín, Slovakia), where increasing landscape transformation has raised concerns about declining ecological resilience. Despite the importance of sustainable land management, few studies in this region have addressed long-term landscape dynamics in relation to ecological stability. This research fills that gap by evaluating historical and recent LULC changes and their ecological consequences. Four time horizons were analysed: 1850, 1949, 2009, and 2024. Although the selected time periods are irregular, they reflect key milestones in the region’s land development, such as pre-industrial land use, post-war collectivisation, and recent land consolidation. These activities significantly altered the structure of the landscape. To assess future trends, we used the MOLUSCE plug-in in QGIS to simulate ecological stability for the future. The greatest structural landscape changes occurred between 1850 and 1949. Significant transformation in agricultural areas was observed between 1949 and 2009, when collectivisation reshaped small plots into large block structures and major water management projects were implemented. The 2009–2024 period was marked by land consolidation, mainly resulting in the construction of gravel roads. These structural changes have contributed to a continuous decrease in ecological stability, calculated using the coefficient of ecological stability derived from LULC categories. To explore future trends, we simulated ecological stability for the year 2030 and the simulation confirmed a continued decline in ecological stability, highlighting the need for sustainable land-use planning in the area. Full article

In both scientific and industrial fields, there has been a notable increase in attention toward High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellites (HAPSs) in recent years. This surge is driven by their distinct advantages over traditional satellites and Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPASs). These benefits are particularly evident in critical areas such as intelligent transportation systems, surveillance, remote sensing, traffic and environmental monitoring, emergency communications, disaster relief efforts, and the facilitation of large-scale temporary events. This review provides an overview of key aspects related to the propellers and propulsion systems of HAPSs. To date, propellers remain the most efficient means of propulsion for high-altitude applications. However, due to the unique operational conditions at stratospheric altitudes, propeller design necessitates specific approaches that differ from those applied in conventional applications. After a brief overview of the propulsion systems proposed in the literature or employed by HAPSs, focusing on both the technical challenges and advancements in this emerging field, this review integrates theoretical foundations, historical design approaches, and the latest multi-fidelity optimization techniques to provide a comprehensive comparison of propeller design methods for HAPSs. It identifies key trends, including the growing use of CFD-based simulations methodologies, which contribute to notable performance improvements. Additionally, the review includes a critical assessment of experimental methods for performance evaluation. These developments have enabled the design of propellers with efficiencies exceeding 85%, offering valuable insights for the next generation of high-endurance, high-altitude platforms. Full article

Lightning strikes are a major hazard in tropical regions, especially in northern Brazil, where open-area industries such as mining are highly exposed. This study proposes an octant-based multi-objective optimization approach for spatial lightning alert systems, focusing on minimizing both false alarm rate (FAR) and failure-to-warn (FTW). The method uses NSGA-III to optimize a configuration vector consisting of directional radii and alert thresholds, based solely on historical lightning location data. Experiments were conducted using four years of cloud-to-ground lightning data from a mining area in Pará, Brazil. Fifteen independent runs were executed, each with 96 individuals and up to 150 generations. The results showed a clear trade-off between FAR and FTW, with optimal solutions achieving up to 16% reduction in FAR and 50% reduction in FTW when compared to a quadrant-based baseline. The use of the hypervolume metric confirmed consistent convergence across runs. Sensitivity analysis revealed spatial patterns in optimal configurations, supporting the use of directional tuning. The proposed approach provides a flexible and interpretable model for risk-based alert strategies, compliant with safety regulations such as NBR 5419/2015 and NR-22. It offers a viable solution for automated alert generation in high-risk environments, especially where detailed meteorological data is unavailable. Full article

Background: The integration of mining and urban spaces in coal-resource-based cities holds significant implications for urban transformation and sustainable development. However, existing research lacks an in-depth analysis of its characteristics and driving factors. Methods: This study takes the central urban area of Huaibei City as a case, utilizing historical documents, POI data, and spatial analysis methods to explore the evolution patterns and influencing factors of mining–urban spatial integration. Standard deviation ellipse analysis was employed to examine historical spatial changes, while a binary logistic regression model and principal component analysis were constructed based on 300 m × 300 m grid units to assess the roles of 11 factors, including location, transportation, commerce, and natural environment. Results: The results indicate that mining–urban spatial integration exhibits characteristics of lag, clustering, transportation dominance, and continuity. Commercial activity density, particularly leisure, dining, and shopping facilities, serves as a core driving factor. Road network density, along with the areas of educational and residential zones, positively promotes integration, whereas water surface areas (such as subsidence zones) significantly inhibit it. Among high-integration areas, Xiangshan District stands as the most economically prosperous city center; Lieshan–Yangzhuang mining area blends traditional and modern elements; and Zhuzhuang–Zhangzhuang mining area reflects the industrial landscape post-transformation. Conclusions: The study reveals diverse integration patterns under the synergistic effects of multiple factors, providing a scientific basis for optimizing spatial layouts and coordinating mining–urban development in coal-resource-based cities. Future research should continue to pay attention to the dynamic changes of spatial integration of mining cities, explore more effective integrated development models, and promote the rational and efficient use of urban space and the sustainable development of cities. Full article

With rapid urbanization and modernization, the deterioration of historical areas has become an increasing concern. While heritage-led regeneration has proven effective, most studies have focused on urban contexts. Rural traditional villages, particularly in developing countries such as China, face even greater challenges and remain understudied. This study addresses this gap by developing a framework for heritage-led rural regeneration, grounded in community-building theory and highlighting heritage capacity as a key driver of village revitalization. Using a two-round systematic literature review, 64 papers from Web of Science and Scopus were analyzed to construct the framework. It consists of two levels: a preliminary framework identifying five key dimensions—public participation, media platform construction, adaptive reuse, heritage industry development, and landscape maintenance—and an integrated framework further detailing 13 sub-dimensions within these areas. Expert interviews were then conducted to validate the framework and examine its practical implementation challenges and future development directions. This framework integrates community-building theory with heritage-led regeneration, offering both theoretical insights and practical guidance for revitalizing traditional villages in China and beyond. Full article

This article addresses the issue of historical heritage revitalization using the example of a tavern. The concept presented in this study constitutes an attempt to establish a connection between the community’s tangible historical legacy and the green space that both highlights and reinforces its significance. The Tatary district in Lublin includes areas along Mełgiewska Street, Zadębie III, and the village of Hajdów. It is a residential and industrial district with landmarks such as the Graff Manor and the Krauze Brothers’ Mill. Since the Middle Ages, a crossing existed here at the narrowing of the Bystrzyca River valley, where major communication routes from Lithuania to Łęczna and from Ruthenia to Mełgiew intersected. Located in this area, the Red Inn has one of the oldest culinary traditions in Lublin, dating back to the 16th century. The building is listed in the register of monuments under number A/268. The revitalization of this currently non-operational inn should focus on restoring the building to preserve its original character and historical value while adapting it to modern standards. The inn and its surroundings have been subjected to field analyses on multiple research levels, culminating in a land development project. A key element of the plantings here are native species that support biodiversity. Full article

Considering that nowadays the economy plays a crucial role, time series forecasting has become an essential tool across various economic areas and industries. The process of predicting future trends based on historical values in a reliable and accurate manner has generated numerous benefits, such as simplified decision-making processes or strategic planning and reduced risk management. Furthermore, with the advancement made through the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods, time series forecasting has quickly become more precise, adaptive, and scalable, being able to better overcome real-world challenges. In this context, the present paper analyzes the implications of artificial intelligence in time series forecasting by evaluating the scientific articles from the field indexed in Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science Core Collection database. Through a bibliometric approach, the research identifies key journals, affiliations, authors, and countries, as well as the collaboration networks among authors and countries. It also analyzes the most frequently used keywords and authors’ keywords. The annual growth rate of 23.11% indicates sustained interest among researchers. Prominent journals such as IEEE Access, Energies, Mathematics, Applied Sciences—Basel, and Applied Energy have been the home for the most published papers in this field. Further, thanks to the Biblioshiny library in R, a variety of visualizations have been created, including thematic maps, three-field plots, and word clouds. A comprehensive review of the most cited papers has been performed to highlight the role of AI in time series forecasting. Research results and methods confirmed the versatility of the topics, which have been applied in various fields, such as, but not limited to, finance, energy, climate, and healthcare, and are further discussed. Cutting-edge methodologies and approaches that lead to the transformation of the field of time series analysis in the context of AI are uncovered and discussed through the use of thematic maps. Full article

Under the synergy of urban heritage conservation and regional cultural continuity, this study explores the spatial features of “mausoleum–city symbiosis” landscapes in Huangling County’s gully regions. Focusing on Fangzhou Ancient City, we address historical spatial degradation caused by excessive industrialization and disordered urban expansion. A methodological framework is proposed, combining low-altitude UAV-derived high-density point cloud data with RandLA-Net for semi-automatic semantic segmentation of buildings, vegetation, and roads by integrating multispectral and geometric attributes. Key findings reveal: (1) Modern buildings’ abnormal elevation in steep slopes disrupts the plateau–city visual corridor; (2) Statistical analysis shows significant morphological disparities between historical and modern streets; (3) Modern structures exceed traditional height limits, while divergent roof slopes aggravate aesthetic fragmentation. This multi-level spatial analysis offers a paradigm for quantifying historical urban spaces and validates deep learning’s feasibility in heritage spatial analytics, providing insights for balancing conservation and development in ecologically fragile areas. Full article

Historical buildings have important historical and social value, but they are generally difficult to identify, complicated to evaluate, and insufficiently addressed in digitization research. On 25 July 2021, Quanzhou successfully applied for World Heritage status. In this case study, Qiaonan Village in the Quanzhou World Heritage Area is selected, and a deep learning algorithm is proposed for the identification, evaluation, and digitization of historical buildings. By comparing multiple models, the optimal model is selected for intelligent identification and classification of building elevations. Combined with GIS, a distribution map of the village buildings is created for digitization research. An intelligent monitoring platform is built to enable dynamic monitoring and hierarchical protection of the buildings, aiding in the protection of historical structures and the sustainable development of the tourism industry. In the future, we will continue to optimize the integration of YOLO and GIS and explore a more universal model for the intelligent protection of historical buildings. Full article

The environmental condition of surface sediments in Sepetiba Bay is influenced by trace metals derived from human activities. Four sediment cores were collected from both the inner (Coroa Grande and Enseada das Garças) and outer (Guaratiba and Marambaia) areas of the bay. Trace metals content varied considerably, with the highest values recorded at Enseada das Garças (e.g., Cd: 2.4 mg kg⁻¹; Zn: 393 mg kg⁻¹), and lowest at Marambaia Barrier Island (e.g., Cd: <0.001 mg kg⁻¹; Zn: 3.35 mg kg⁻¹). Mean annual metal fluxes have increased since the 1950s, especially for Cd (from 8 × 10⁻⁵ to 0.4 g m⁻⁵ y⁻¹) and Zn (from 4.0 to 68.7 g m⁻² y⁻¹). However, a decreasing trend has been observed since the 2000s. Pollution indexes indicated that Cd poses the highest contamination and ecological risk in recent layers of the inner bay, and moderate risk at the Marambaia Barrier Island (maximum values of Cd: 0.67 mg kg⁻¹ and Zn: 94.9 mg kg⁻¹). Metal distribution patterns are influenced by mineral phases and sediment dynamics. Findings emphasize the need to monitor other metals like Cu and Pb, besides the historical heavy loadings of Cd and Zn, considering recent industrial and port expansions in the Sepetiba Bay region. Full article

The north of Portugal and Porto, a city recognised as a World Heritage Site, stand out for their rich historical trajectory, fostering a continuous increase in tourists over the past decade. This distinction has played a crucial role in acknowledging cultural and landscape heritage while promoting a heightened flow of visitors to the region. Portuguese gastronomy is a key factor in the growth of this tourism industry. It is a living tradition passed down through generations, deeply rooted in regional history and practices, where the residents play a vital role as custodians of these customs and traditions. The primary aim of this article is to analyse residents’ perceptions from the North of Portugal regarding the recognition of gastronomy as a cultural heritage and its role as a tool for tourism development. To achieve this aim, structured questionnaires were distributed to residents using an approach in popular urban tourism areas of Porto between May and October 2022, resulting in 262 valid responses. The findings reveal that participants consider it essential to preserve traditional dishes and ensure their transmission across generations. Regarding tourism, most respondents concur that it positively contributes to the preservation of traditional gastronomy, valuing it as an integral part of cultural heritage. Full article

High-density cities have obvious characteristics of compact urban spatial form and intensive land use in terms of spatial environment, and have always been a topic of academic focus. As a typical coastal historical district, the Macau Peninsula pier district (mainly the Macau Inner Harbour) has a high building density and a low average street width, forming a vertical coastline development model that directly converses with the ocean. This area is adjacent to Macau’s World Heritage Site and directly related to the Marine trade functions. The distribution pattern of cultural heritage linked by the ocean has strengthened Macau’s unique positioning as a node city on the Maritime Silk Road. This text is based on the theory of urban development, integrates spatial syntax and POI analysis techniques, and combines the theories of waterfront regeneration, high-density urban form and post-industrial urbanism to integrate and deepen the theoretical framework, and conduct a systematic study on the urban spatial characteristics of the coastal area of the Macau Peninsula. This study found that (1) Catering and shopping facilities present a dual agglomeration mechanism of “tourism-driven + commercial core”, with Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro as the main axis and radiating to the Ruins of St. Paul’s and Praça de Ponte e Horta, respectively. Historical blocks and tourist hotspots clearly guide the spatial center of gravity. (2) Residential and life service facilities are highly coupled, reflecting the spatial logic of “work-residence integration-service coordination”. The distribution of life service facilities basically overlaps with the high-density residential area, forming an obvious “living circle + community unit” structure with clear spatial boundaries. (3) Commercial and transportation facilities form a “functional axis belt” organizational structure along the main road, with the Rua das Lorchas—Rua do Almirante Sérgio axis as the skeleton, constructing a “functional transmission chain”. (4) The spatial system of the Macau Peninsula pier district has transformed from a single center to a multi-node, network-linked structure. Its internal spatial differentiation is not only constrained by traditional land use functions but is also driven by complex factors such as tourism economy, residential migration, historical protection, and infrastructure accessibility. (5) Through the analysis of space syntax, it is found that the core integration of the Macau Peninsula pier district is concentrated near Pier 16 and the northern area. The two main roads have good accessibility for motor vehicle travel, and the northern area of the Macau Peninsula pier district has good accessibility for long and short-distance walking. Full article

As a pivotal industrial hub in southwestern China, Kunming City has accumulated abundant industrial heritage resources. Investigating the spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of industrial heritage across different districts in Kunming is critical for understanding its historical evolution and current status, and for providing scientific guidance for conservation and sustainable development. From a sustainability perspective, this study selected 80 industrial heritage sites in Kunming as research subjects. Utilizing ArcGIS spatial analysis techniques combined with kernel density estimation, standard deviational ellipse, and Geographical Detector analysis, we systematically visualized the spatial distribution patterns and driving factors. Key findings include that (1) industrial heritage exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity, concentrating primarily in the city center and surrounding areas, forming high-density clusters in Wuhua District, Panlong District, and Haikou Subdistrict, while showing marked disparities among regions; (2) distinct spatial distribution patterns emerge across heritage types—manufacturing heritage clusters in central urban zones, whereas mining heritage disperses in peripheral mountainous areas; and (3) historical preservation policies are identified as the dominant factor shaping the current distribution, whereas terrain and natural environmental impacts remain secondary. These findings offer actionable insights for optimizing the conservation and adaptive reuse of Kunming’s industrial heritage. Full article

Industrial heritage has historical and cultural value and reuse potential. Urban industrialization has a significant social influence on place identity and emotional identity. Shougang Science Fiction Industrial Park (hereinafter referred to as “Shougang Park”) serves as one of the first pilot projects for the transformation of old industrial areas in China. This study examines Shougang Park through a spatial narrative lens, analyzing its industrial heritage via the “author-text-reader” framework. Research reveals the specific implications of the three dimensions and the connections behind them. The findings offer practical strategies for experiential tourism design and adaptive reuse planning, while establishing theoretical models applicable to global post-industrial heritage revitalization. Full article