Search Results (773)

Sustainability assessment in UNESCO World Heritage city centres often treats spatial configuration, functional accessibility, and heritage governance as separate analytical domains. This study addresses this fragmentation by developing a composite assessment framework to evaluate morphological sustainability in historic urban cores. The Morphological Sustainability Model (MSM) and its numerical expression, the Morphological Sustainability Index (MSI), are applied to the Bursa Khans District for the 2020–2025 period. The model integrates Space Syntax variables (integration, connectivity, choice, and intelligibility), 15-Minute City indicators related to proximity, pedestrian accessibility, active mobility, and inclusivity, and Historic Urban Landscape-based governance evaluations derived from UNESCO-compliant management plans. These components are synthesised into six weighted composite indicators (BKH1–BKH6). Results show that the MSI increases from 0.38 in 2020 to 0.51 in 2025 (+34.2%), indicating a strengthened alignment between spatial configuration, pedestrian-oriented functional performance, and heritage governance capacity. The findings reveal a shift from car-oriented axial dominance toward a more pedestrian-centred spatial structure along the historic bazaar spine. Overall, the study demonstrates that the MSI provides a transferable, decision-support-oriented framework for assessing morphological sustainability in historic urban environments. Full article

This study is essential for medium- and long-term land-use management, as land-use patterns directly influence local economic and social development. Geographic Information System (GIS) techniques are fundamental tools for analyzing a wide range of geomorphological processes, including relief fragmentation density, relief energy, soil texture, slope gradient, and slope orientation. The present research focuses on the Pesceana river basin in the Southern Carpathians, Romania. It addresses three main objectives: (1) to analyze land-use dynamics derived from CORINE Land Cover (CLC) data between 1990 and 2018, along with the long-term distribution of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for the period 2000–2025; (2) to evaluate the basin’s natural potential byintegrating topographic data (contour lines and profiles) with relief fragmentation density, relief energy, vegetation cover, soil texture, slope gradient, aspect, the Stream Power Index (SPI), and the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI); and (3) to assess the spatial distribution of habitat types, characteristic plant associations, and soil properties obtained through field investigations. For the first two research objectives, ArcGIS v. 10.7.2 served as the main tool for geospatial processing. For the third, field data were essential for geolocating soil samples and defining vegetation types across the entire 247 km² area. The spatiotemporal analysis from 1990 to 2018 reveals a landscape in which deciduous forests clearly dominate; they expanded from an initial area of 80 km² in 1990 to over 90 km² in 2012–2018. This increase, together with agricultural expansion, is reflected in the NDVI values after 2000, which show a sharp increase in vegetation density. Interestingly, other categories—such as water bodies, natural grasslands, and industrial areas—barely changed, each consistently representing less than 1 km² throughout the study period. These findings emphasize the importance of land-use/land-cover (LULC) data within the applied GIS model, which enhances the spatial characterization of geomorphological processes—such as vegetation distribution, soil texture, slope morphology, and relief fragmentation density. This integration allows a realistic assessment of the physical–geographic, landscape, and pedological conditions of the river basin. Full article

Roses held profound cultural and economic significance in ancient Greece and Rome, yet comprehensive documentation of their species diversity, cultivation practices, and horticultural innovations remains fragmented across archaeological, iconographic, and textual sources. This multidisciplinary study synthesizes evidence from classical texts, archaeological remains including recently identified rose stem fragments from Oplontis, and iconographic materials—including frescoes, coins, and mosaics—to reconstruct the horticultural systems and cultural landscape of roses in classical antiquity. Analysis of literary sources, particularly Theophrastus’s fourth-century BCE taxonomic descriptions, reveals systematic cultivation of diverse rose varieties with flowers ranging from white to deep crimson, including yellow variants, characterized by morphologies from simple to double forms and valued for fragrance intensity and re-blooming capacity. Archaeological evidence from sites such as Paestum, Pompeii, and Oplontis, including pollen samples, preserved wood fragments with diagnostic prickle patterns, and fresco representations, documents commercial rose production and specialized cultivation techniques that demonstrate significantly greater morphological diversity than textual sources alone indicate. Field research and collection documentation establish the origins of Mediterranean rose cultivation, while iconographic analysis identifies roses in religious ceremonies, festivals, and daily life contexts. Textual sources provide detailed propagation methods, seasonal management practices, and evidence of Mediterranean hybridization events, alongside extensive documentation of medicinal and cosmetic applications. Economic analysis reveals specialized trade networks, commercial production centers, and diverse applications in perfumery, garland making, and pharmaceutical industries. This research establishes that Greek and Roman civilizations developed sophisticated rose cultivation systems integrating botanical selection, horticultural innovation, and cultural symbolism that directly influenced medieval and Renaissance practices and informed modern trait categorization systems. These findings demonstrate the foundational role of classical antiquity in European rose heritage, revealing how ancient horticultural knowledge, species diversification through hybridization, and cultivation techniques created an unbroken transmission that shaped contemporary rose industries and established conservation priorities for this horticultural heritage. Full article

Mudstone badlands are critical hotspots of erosion and sediment yield, and their rapid morphological changes serve as an ideal site for studying erosion processes. This study used high-resolution Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry to monitor erosion patterns on a mudstone badland platform in southwestern Taiwan over a 22-month period. Five UAV surveys conducted between 2017 and 2018 were processed using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry to generate time-series digital surface models (DSMs). Topographic changes were quantified using DSMs of Difference (DoD). The results reveal intense surface lowering, with a mean erosion depth of 34.2 cm, equivalent to an average erosion rate of 18.7 cm yr⁻¹. Erosion is governed by a synergistic regime in which diffuse rain splash acts as the dominant background process, accounting for approximately 53% of total erosion, while concentrated flow drives localized gully incision. Morphometric analysis shows that erosion depth increases nonlinearly with slope, consistent with threshold hillslope behavior, but exhibits little dependence on the contributing area. Plan and profile curvature further influence the spatial distribution of erosion, with enhanced erosion on both strongly concave and convex surfaces relative to near-linear slopes. The gully network also exhibits rapid channel adjustment, including downstream meander migration and associated lateral bank erosion. These findings highlight the complex interactions among hillslope processes, gully dynamics, and base-level controls that govern badland landscape evolution and have important implications for erosion modeling and watershed management in high-intensity rainfall environments. Full article

Tibia morphology is a significant factor in poultry germplasm and market traits. Copy number variation (CNV) has been identified as a structural source of genetic variation for complex traits. We profiled genome-wide CNVs in Dong Tao chickens and nine other local breeds and performed a breed-based case–control CNV-GWAS (Dong Tao vs. reference breeds). We sequenced 152 chickens, including 46 Dong Tao, and annotated genes and pathways. A total of 22,972 CNVs were detected, of which 2193 were retained after filtration across 33 chromosomes, with sizes ranging from 2 kilobases to 12.8 megabases. Principal component analysis indicated an overall weakness in the breed structure and a sex-related trend within Dong Tao. A deletion on chromosome 3 at 36,529,501 to 36,539,000 was observed in Dong Tao. The exploratory screen identified 44 CNV regions at nominal significance (p < 0.05), distinguishing Dong Tao from other breeds. Thirty-seven regions contained 99 genes, including CHRM3 within the chromosome 3 deletion and CRADD overlapping two CNVs. Enrichment analysis indicated thiamine metabolism and growth hormone receptor signalling as the primary pathways of interest, with TPK1, SOCS2, and FHIT identified as potential candidates. These results provide a CNV landscape for Dong Tao and prioritize variant regions and pathways potentially relevant to its robust tibia morphology; however, no direct CNV–tibia phenotype regression was performed. Full article

Against the backdrop of rapid urbanization and land development, the degradation of regional ecosystem services and the intensification of ecological risks have become prominent challenges. This study takes the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt—a region characterized by the triple pressures of “large-scale engineering disturbance, karst ecological vulnerability, and port economic agglomeration”—as a case study. Based on remote sensing image data from 2000 to 2020, a landscape ecological risk index was constructed, and regional landscape ecological risk levels were assessed using ArcGIS spatial analysis tools. On this basis, ecological sources were identified by combining the InVEST model with morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA),and an ecological resistance surface was constructed by integrating factors such as land use type, elevation, slope, distance to roads, distance to water bodies, and NDVI. Furthermore, the circuit theory method was applied to identify ecological corridors, ecological pinch points, and barrier points, ultimately constructing the ecological security pattern of the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt. The main findings are as follows: (1) Ecological risks were primarily at low to medium levels, with high-risk areas concentrated in the southern coastal region. Over the past two decades, an overall optimization trend was observed, shifting from high risk to lower risk levels. (2) A total of 15 ecological sources (total area 1313.71 km²), 31 ecological corridors (total length 1632.42 km), 39 ecological pinch points, and 15 ecological barrier points were identified, clarifying the key spatial components of the ecological network. (3) Based on spatial analysis results, a zoning governance plan encompassing “ecological protected areas, improvement areas, restoration areas, and critical areas” along with targeted strategies was proposed, providing a scientific basis for ecological risk management and pattern optimization in the Pinglu Canal Economic Belt. Full article

Delphastus Casey (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae: Serangiini) comprises small predatory ladybird beetles that feed on immature whiteflies. Several Delphastus species are utilized as biological control agents. However, Delphastus pallidus (LeConte) has been understudied for the past several decades. Recent landscape surveys in South Florida revealed a marked increase in D. pallidus populations associated with multiple whitefly species. We evaluated whitefly species preferences of D. pallidus using choice and no-choice assays conducted in incubators and insectaries. Seven whitefly species were confirmed as prey and ranked in order of preference: Bemisia tabaci Gennadius > Aleurothrixus trachoides (=Aleurotrachelus trachoides) (Back) > Singhiella simplex (Singh) > Paraleyrodes bondari Peracchi > Aleurodicus rugioperculatus Martin > Asiothrixus antidesmae (Takahashi) > Aleurodicus dugesii Cockerell. Findings indicate that D. pallidus feeds on a taxonomically and morphologically diverse set of whiteflies, including both waxy and non-waxy species, which likely facilitates establishment and dispersal in ornamental and agricultural landscapes. This study is the first to document D. pallidus as a potentially native U.S. predatory beetle that attacks at least seven whitefly species. Knowledge of its prey preferences will inform mass-rearing strategies and potential deployment for whitefly biocontrol. Full article

Urbanization and industrialization have led to the coexistence of winter haze and summer heat island in some cities in northern China, but the mitigation effect of ventilation corridors is lack of quantitative evaluation. This paper introduces circuit theory into urban climate research. Taking Shenyang as a case study, it comprehensively employs three-dimensional urban landscape pattern indices (including SVF, FAD, and Z0) to guide ventilation corridor construction, establishes an analytical framework for PM_2.5 and LST, and quantifies the environmental benefits of ventilation corridors. The results show that the corridor generated by circuit theory can make 65.14% of path PM lower than the average level of the city; Among the 7 exit paths of wind corridors, the surface temperature of 4 channels is lower than the average level of the city. FAD is positively correlated with Z0 (R² = 0.7) and negatively correlated with SVF (R² = 0.61). Meanwhile, the circuit theory model identifies eight pinch points along ventilation paths. CFD software is employed to simulate atmospheric environments for six typical building layouts to guide subsequent urban planning. Therefore, the reasonable layout of urban morphology indicators and the construction of reasonable ventilation corridors can effectively control the atmospheric particulate pollution and the heat island effect in summer. Full article

Under rapid urbanization and ecological transformation, balancing authenticity preservation with adaptive reuse presents a major challenge for industrial heritage landscapes. This study investigates the Dagushan Iron Mine in Anshan, China’s first large-scale open-pit iron mine and once the deepest in Asia, which is currently undergoing ecological backfilling that threatens its core landscape morphology and spatial integrity. Using a mixed-method approach combining archival research, spatial documentation, qualitative interviews, and expert evaluation through the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), we construct a cross-validated evidence chain to examine how evidence-based industrial landscape heritage values can inform low-intervention digital narrative strategies for off-site learning. This study contributes theoretically by reframing authenticity and integrity under ecological transition as the traceability and interpretability of landscape evidence, rather than material survival alone. Evaluation involving key stakeholders reveals a value hierarchy in which historical value ranks highest, followed by social and cultural values, while scientific–technological and ecological–environmental values occupy the mid-tier. Guided by these weights, we develop a four-layer value-to-narrative translation framework and an animation design pathway that supports curriculum-aligned learning for off-site students. This study establishes an operational link between evidence chain construction, value weighting, and digital storytelling translation, offering a transferable workflow for industrial heritage landscapes undergoing ecological restoration, including sites with World Heritage potential or status. Full article

As a typical nature-based solution, urban parks play an important role in mitigating urban heat island effects. Although previous studies highlighted the complex impacts of landscape morphology on urban park cooling effects (PCE), the interactions and impact thresholds between specific features on PCE remain insufficiently explored across different scales. Here, taking 119 parks in Wuhan, China, as examples, the PCE and their responses to landscape morphology were quantified across three scales, including 47 small, 41 medium, and 31 large parks. Results showed that 79.8% of parks (95) exhibited obvious cooling effects. From small to large parks, the largest park cooling distance (LPCD), area (LPCA), and intensity (LPCI), as well as the accumulative park cooling gradient (APCG) and intensity (APCI), showed upward trends, while largest park cooling efficiency (LPCE) declined. Scale-dependent differences in landscape morphology impacting PCE were evident. In small and medium parks, LPCD and LPCA were mainly shaped by the surrounding environment, while LPCI and LPCE were primarily determined by internal morphology. In large parks, LPCA, APCI, and APCG were impacted by the surrounding environment, while LPCD and LPCI were dominated by internal morphology. Moreover, interactions between specific landscape morphology features significantly enhanced the model explanatory power and exhibited clear impact thresholds on PCE. Overall, this study enhances our understanding of cross-scale cooling mechanisms of urban parks and offers practical implications for heat-governance-oriented park planning. Full article

Understanding the formation logic and spatial organization of vernacular settlements requires analytical approaches that capture both morphological structures and the cognitive rules underlying residents’ interactions with space. However, existing research on rural spatial patterns has paid limited attention to the perceptual and cognitive mechanisms through which spatial genes are recognized, maintained, and reproduced. This gap limits the development of generalizable and bottom-up methods for interpreting and transmitting rural spatial characteristics. To address this gap, this study proposes a cognition-driven analytical framework supported by spatial analysis for rural space gene extraction and transmission. The framework consists of five interrelated components: environmental cognition, spatial element identification, system coupling, space gene extraction, and transmission mechanisms. The Guanzhong Region in Northwest China is selected as a representative case to examine the multi-scale spatial structure of vernacular settlements. The results reveal three major findings. (1) The proposed framework effectively links physical spatial features with local perceptual structures, enabling the identification of key elements constituting rural space gene. (2) Three categories of representative space gene and seven core morphological and functional factors are extracted through the coupled analysis of nature–settlement systems. (3) Three adaptive transmission mechanisms—element replication and reinforcement, recombination of disrupted elements, and controlled adjustment of characteristic elements—are identified to support spatial renewal while maintaining local distinctiveness. This research contributes a structured, scalable, and replicable workflow for rural space gene analysis and enhances the application of cognitive principles in geospatial modeling. The findings provide methodological and practical support for rural revitalization, cultural landscape conservation, and vernacular settlement planning in inland agrarian regions undergoing rapid transformation. Full article

This paper presents the results of an integrated research and design process developed within the Master’s study programme in Architecture at the University of Belgrade—Faculty of Architecture, aimed at exploring architectural agency in conditions of ecological degradation, declining biodiversity, and the urgent need for regenerative transformation of the built environment. Moving beyond technologically driven notions of “green design,” the study investigates architectural approaches that support ecosystem restoration, biodiversity enhancement, and multispecies coexistence while strengthening health and well-being. Grounded in a three-phase methodological framework, the research (1) formulates conceptual models of therapeutic landscapes through typo-morphological, place-based, and adventure-based analytical approaches; (2) evaluates these models using the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Checklist to assess their alignment with the core values of sustainability, beauty, and togetherness; and (3) synthesizes the findings into regenerative design scenarios that integrate ecological processes, multisensory experience, and community participation. The results position therapeutic landscapes as a spatial practice in which architecture functions as ecological infrastructure, a metabolic system where natural cycles, cultural meanings, bodily experiences, and more-than-human agencies interact. In this sense, architectural design becomes the basis for re-naturalization, regeneration, ecological care, multisensory experience, and resilience in urban, peri-urban, and rural communities. Full article

Traditional settlements exhibit remarkable climatic adaptability, representing a form of “Morphological Intelligence” developed over centuries. However, this inherent, physics-based wisdom remains underutilized in contemporary urban planning and design. This systematic review aims to decode such intelligence by analyzing the relationship between the morphological characteristics of traditional settlements and their thermal performance. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol, literature retrieval and evaluation were conducted via the databases of Web of Science, Scopus, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) for articles published during 2004~2024. A total of 82 related articles with available full texts were selected from 1227 records for in-depth analysis, including peer-reviewed journal articles and reputable conference publications. This study first presents an overview of bibliometric and methodological landscapes, revealing that research is increasingly concentrated in Asia’s tropical and subtropical climates, predominantly employing case studies and computational simulations. Secondly, we synthesize a few key climate-adaptive morphological features across macro- (e.g., settlement layout), meso- (e.g., street canyon geometry), and microscales (e.g., courtyards). The findings illustrate a reliance on methods and metrics developed for modern urban contexts, which could not fully capture the specific morphological characteristics of traditional settlements. Most importantly, this study summarizes four core principles of “Morphological Intelligence” in traditional settlements, i.e., strategic solar control, facilitated natural ventilation, use of thermal mass, and integration of natural elements and creation of thermal buffer zones. By identifying the limitations of existing investigations, this study highlights a few directions for future studies, including conducting more systematic multi-scalar integrated analysis, focusing on the development of dedicated quantitative metrics and analytical frameworks, delving into more mechanism-oriented investigation, assessing morphological resilience under urbanization, and translating principles into contemporary design guidelines. This study provides a foundational framework for translating the “Morphological Intelligence” of traditional settlements into actionable, evidence-based strategies for resilient and energy-efficient urban planning and design amidst climate change. Full article

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitors (CDK4/6i) have transformed the treatment landscape for estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer, yet resistance remains a major clinical challenge. Although CDK4/6i induce G₁ arrest and therapy-induced senescence (TIS), the exact nature of this senescent state and its contribution to resistance are not well understood. To explore this, we developed palbociclib- (2PR, 9PR, TPR) and abemaciclib- (2AR, 9AR, TAR) resistant ER+ breast cancer sublines through prolonged drug exposure over six months. Resistant cells demonstrated distinct phenotypic alterations, including cellular senescence, reduced mitochondrial membrane potential, and impaired glycolytic activity. Cytokine profiling and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) validation revealed a non-canonical senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) characterized by elevated growth/differentiation factor 15 (GDF-15) and serpin E1 (plasminogen activator inhibitor-1, PAI-1) and absence of classical pro-inflammatory interleukins, including IL-1α and IL-6. IL-8 levels were significantly elevated, but no association with epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) was observed. Resistant cells preserved their epithelial morphology, showed no upregulation of EMT markers, and lacked aldehyde dehydrogenase 1-positive (ALDH1+) stem-like populations. Additionally, Regulated upon Activation, Normal T-cell Expressed, and Secreted (RANTES) was strongly upregulated in palbociclib-resistant cells. Together, these findings identify a distinct, non-canonical senescence phenotype associated with CDK4/6i resistance and may provide a foundation for identifying new vulnerabilities in resistant ER+ breast cancers through targeting SASP-related signaling. Full article

Cardiomyopathies represent a heterogeneous group of myocardial diseases that share overlapping clinical and genetic profiles but distinct morphological and molecular signatures. Advances in molecular genetics and next-generation sequencing have revolutionized the diagnostic landscape, revealing that up to 60% of cardiomyopathies have an identifiable genetic basis. From a pathologist’s perspective, integrating histopathological findings with molecular data is crucial for understanding genotype–phenotype correlations and for guiding precision medicine. This review provides an updated overview of the molecular pathology of major cardiomyopathy subtypes, including dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, arrhythmogenic, and non-compaction forms. For each entity, we discuss morphologic hallmarks, genetic mechanisms, and their impact on disease progression and sudden cardiac death. Special emphasis is placed on the role of desmosomal, sarcomeric, and cytoskeletal proteins in myocardial structure and function, and on how their mutations disrupt cardiomyocyte integrity and signaling pathways. Furthermore, we address the emerging role of molecular autopsy in unexplained sudden cardiac death, underscoring the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration among pathologists, geneticists, and clinicians. Finally, we highlight future directions in molecular diagnostics and targeted therapies, which are reshaping the classification and management of cardiomyopathies. Full article