Search Results (232)

Optimising urban growth patterns (UGPs) and enhancing production-living-ecological (PLE) functions are crucial for achieving sustainable urbanisation. However, systematic comparisons remain limited regarding how PLE functions vary with population size under different urban growth patterns and how their relative performance differs. This gap constrains a comprehensive understanding of urban expansion quality and hinders the place-based optimisation of spatial governance strategies. This study analyses 348,817 newly added built-up patches in mainland China, identifies expansion patterns using the landscape expansion index (LEI), and evaluates their functional performance with urban scaling law and the Scale-Adjusted Metropolitan Indicator (SAMI). The findings can be summarized as follows. (1) Edge expansion dominated China’s urban growth over the past decade (64.88%), while infill accounted for the smallest share (14.17%). (2) Infill expansion achieves the highest efficiencies in production (β = 0.662) and living (β = 0.032) functions but suppresses ecological function (β = −0.003), making it more suitable for areas under strong economic development pressure. Outlying expansion shows the opposite pattern, with a slight positive scaling effect on ecological function (β = 0.009) but the lowest efficiencies in production (β = 0.485) and living (β = 0.019) functions, thus fitting regions with strong environmental constraints. Edge expansion lies between the two, with a neutral ecological effect (β = 0.000), and is suited to areas with moderate development needs that also require ecological stability. (3) The SAMI further confirms that infill expansion performed significantly better than expected in production functions, whereas outlying expansion and edge expansion showed clear advantages in ecological functions. These findings reveal differences across urban growth patterns in the scaling and relative performance of PLE functions, providing empirical evidence for selecting growth patterns according to regional functional needs. Full article

Karst regions face acute conflicts among production, living, and ecology (PLE) functions under the constraints of rugged terrain and rocky desertification. Existing studies have separately examined driving factors, interaction directions and intensities, and nonlinear thresholds, while how these dimensions co-evolve across space and time remains unclear. To address this gap, we used seven concentric buffers radiating from the built-up area as a spatial proxy for human activity intensity and constructed a framework within each buffer using Geodetector to identify core driving factors, Pearson correlation to quantify the direction and intensity of three pairwise interactions, and Pareto frontier analysis to capture nonlinear thresholds and tipping points. In the Guizhou-Guangxi karst region (2010–2019), the core drivers of production and ecology functions shifted from construction land through elevation to precipitation, while population consistently drove the living function. Along this gradient, the coupling relationships fluctuated in the core but improved in the periphery. Although trade-off intensities eased beyond 10 km, three Pareto frontier curves shifted from inverted-U patterns to monotonic trade-offs, indicating that this improvement was only quantitative while the interaction structure degraded. Tipping points disappeared in these curves, eroding the carrying-capacity buffers where win-win synergies remained attainable. Averaged correlation coefficients obscured this contrast between apparent improvement and structural degradation, and linear correlation analysis alone would not have detected it. These findings highlight the need for zone-specific management in karst regions, where monitoring based on Pareto-derived structural indicators can provide early warning of coupling degradation that averaged correlations mask. Full article

Land use functions refer to the capacity of land systems to provide goods and services, either directly or indirectly. They reflect the intensity of land use and the demands of social development at different stages and serve as an important reference for future land use planning. This study establishes a land use allocation optimisation framework that integrates top-down and bottom-up approaches to enhance land use functions. At the bottom-up level, an artificial neural network (ANN) model is employed to evaluate land suitability based on neighbourhood rules and driving factors. At the top-down level, a multi-agent system (MAS) model is used to integrate trade-offs among land use functions with supply–demand relationships, thereby defining land use constraints during the allocation process. Subsequently, the two models were integrated into a cellular automata (CA) model to achieve the spatial allocation of optimised land use patterns. Xintai City, located in Shandong Province, was selected as the study area. The results indicate that, compared with the 2021 baseline, ecological functions exhibited the greatest improvement, increasing by 24.11%, whereas living and production functions decreased slightly by 4.35% and 0.87%, respectively, resulting in an overall comprehensive functional improvement of 9.32%. Regarding trade-off relationships among land use functions, the intensity of trade-offs between production and ecological functions, as well as between living and ecological functions, decreased significantly by 28.72% and 25.56%, respectively, whereas the trade-off intensity between production and living functions increased slightly by 1.68%. Regarding the supply–demand relationships of land use functions in Xintai City, the surplus of production functions decreased by 13.46%, the surplus of living functions increased by 16.67%, the deficit in ecological functions improved by 33.33%, and the comprehensive functional surplus increased by 23.53%. The proposed method demonstrates substantial effectiveness in enhancing land use functions, alleviating trade-offs among land use functions, and optimising their supply–demand relationships. Full article

Previous morphological studies have confirmed that Canton settlements maintain a stable cultural landscape sequence consisting of ponds, open spaces, ancestral halls, residences, and forests. Villages in the Dongjiang River Basin exhibit an inherent coordination between cultural landscape patterns and rainwater drainage and storage systems, contributing to strong resilience against frequent heavy rainfall events. This study selects Jiangbian Village in Dongguan as a case study and develops a quantitative analysis framework by integrating GIS and SWMM (Storm Water Management Model). Using DEM-derived terrain data and land use interpretation, a hydrological model incorporating ponds, drainage channels, paddy fields, and threshing floors was established. Five levels of functional failure severity and five design rainfall return periods were applied to systematically evaluate hydrological regulation performance. The results show that (1) ponds serve as the core water-storage component of the entire system, and a 25% reduction in their functionality leads to a substantial decline in flood mitigation capacity. Paddy field ridges and drainage channels jointly provide secondary buffering functions, while village boundary structures play a significant role in flood regulation. These landscape elements possess distinct hydrological functions and collectively shape the production, living, and ecological landscapes of the village. (2) Influenced by steep topographic gradients, the village adopts a spatial configuration characterized by horizontal alleys and terraced forms, which enhance transverse drainage and connect ponds through longitudinal channels. This comb-like settlement pattern demonstrates strong adaptation to local terrain conditions. This study reveals the terrain-adaptation characteristics of traditional Canton villages and provides valuable insights for the sustainable conservation of rural cultural landscapes. Full article

The skin microbiome plays a central role in maintaining cutaneous homeostasis, and its disruption has been implicated in a wide range of inflammatory and degenerative skin disorders. This review critically evaluates the current evidence on topical probiotics in dermatology, integrating microbiological mechanisms, formulation strategies, and translational and regulatory challenges within a single framework—an angle that remains insufficiently addressed in previous reviews. A targeted search of PubMed and ScienceDirect (2009–2025) was conducted to identify relevant original studies. The results suggest that topical probiotics may promote skin health through three broad, interconnected axes: (i) modulation of host responses (e.g., inflammation, immune signaling, and oxidative stress); (ii) microbial ecology and pathogen control (e.g., competition, acidification, and antimicrobial metabolite production); and (iii) support of barrier function and tissue repair (e.g., lipid metabolism, re-epithelialization, and extracellular matrix remodeling). Efficacy appears to depend strongly on strain specificity, formulation design, and microbial viability during storage and application. In addition to conventional dosage forms, advanced platforms—hydrogels, microgels, microparticles, and microneedle-based systems—have been investigated to improve stability and local delivery. Promising preclinical and clinical results have been reported for acne, wound healing, skin barrier repair, and anti-aging applications. Nevertheless, major translational challenges remain, including limited standardization, instability of live microorganisms, insufficiently representative experimental models, and regulatory uncertainty. Overall, topical probiotics represent a promising microbiome-based strategy in dermatology, but robust clinical validation and formulation optimization are still needed to support broader clinical implementation. Full article

Understanding the coordinated development of production, living, and ecological (P–L–E) functions is critical for sustainable watershed governance in rapidly transforming regions. Using the Chaohu Lake Basin, China, as a case study, this study developed a process–pattern–potential–driver framework for watershed-scale P–L–E coordination analysis from 2000 to 2020. Unlike previous studies that mainly assess coordination levels or map spatial patterns, this framework further identifies subsystem constraints, quantifies coordinated development potential, and determines key factors driving spatial differences. The results show that production and ecological functions remained weakly coordinated, indicating persistent tension between economic growth and ecological protection. In contrast, the relationships between production and living functions and between living and ecological functions improved from strong imbalance to moderate coordination. Spatially, higher coordination levels were concentrated in the southwestern basin. Decoupling analysis further reveals that production activities, especially the energy-intensive secondary industry, were the main constraint on ecological function. In addition, 88.2% of the basin showed an increasing trend in coordinated development potential. Land-use patterns, socioeconomic conditions, and eco-environmental quality were identified as direct drivers, whereas climate change mainly acted indirectly. By linking diagnostic results with spatially differentiated management needs, this study provides a basis for more targeted watershed governance. Full article

This study aims to reveal the spatial-temporal evolution rule and driving mechanism of cropland multifunctionality in major grain-producing areas. Taking Henan Province as the research case, we establish a comprehensive evaluation index system covering production, living, ecological and cultural functions based on multi-source datasets spanning 2013–2022. It adopts the entropy weight method, spatial analysis and geographical detector (GeoDetector) model to analyze the spatial-temporal differentiation characteristics and influencing mechanism of cropland multifunctionality systematically. The results show that the overall level of cropland multifunctionality in Henan Province rose from 2013 to 2022. Its spatial pattern presents a feature of high in the south and low in the north, with obvious agglomeration in southern Henan. The production function is high in the east and low in the west with a stable pattern. The living, ecological and cultural functions all show a distribution of high in the south and low in the north, with prominent regional differences. Factor detection results indicate that average slope, population density and average annual temperature are the core driving factors. The overall influence of natural factors is stronger than that of socio-economic factors. Interaction detection shows that all factors produce a strengthening effect, mainly in the form of nonlinear enhancement effects. Based on this, the research has proposed targeted and differentiated strategies for the management of cultivated land. Specifically, southern Henan should consolidate its inherent multifunctional advantages and strengthen the coordinated development of production, ecological and cultural functions. Northern and western Henan needs to mitigate terrain and climatic constraints, optimize agricultural infrastructure, and improve overall cropland service capacity. Eastern plain areas should further stabilize grain production function while balancing ecological protection. Central urban agglomerations should coordinate urban expansion and cropland protection to restrain multifunctional degradation. Full article

Postbiotics are increasingly recognized as a predominant group of biotherapeutic agents sourced from the microbial secretome, offering functional benefits, while circumventing the safety concerns associated with the application of live microbial consortia. These microbial derivatives are emerging as promising approaches for tackling complex diseases, encompassing cancer, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic disorders, through modulation of host cell signalling pathways, including G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), the NF-κB (Nuclear Factor Kappa B) pathway, and epigenetic regulatory pathways. Besides systemic effects, postbiotics may also have localized effects, such as epithelial regeneration, modulation of fibroblast functions, and control of collagen remodelling. Eventually, the scale-up in the production of postbiotics has initiated new avenues in improving sustainable agriculture and environmental biotechnology. This comprehensive review attempts to integrate mechanistic insights and translational applications, highlighting the therapeutic potential of postbiotics across biomedical and ecological domains. These observations could pave the way to bridge the gap between microbiome regulation, precision medicine, and sustainable biotechnology, thereby positioning postbiotics as a versatile tool addressing some of the most pressing health and sustainability challenges of the 21st century. Full article

Comprehensive land consolidation (CLC) is a systematic initiative aimed at optimizing spatial patterns of land use and revitalizing idle rural land resources. It is a pivotal policy instrument for enhancing rural resilience and possesses significant practical implications. Grounded in resilience theory, this study establishes an evaluation system for rural resilience, assesses resilience levels in Huzhou from 2003 to 2023, and investigates its spatiotemporal characteristics employing the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method and geodetector model. Furthermore, this research identifies the driving factors and dynamic mechanisms through which comprehensive land consolidation impacts rural resilience. The study area is categorized into four zones based on land use types to elucidate regional heterogeneity. The findings indicate that comprehensive land consolidation markedly enhances rural resilience, which progresses from slow initial growth to accelerated improvement, ultimately culminating in leapfrog development. Spatially, rural resilience exhibits a “central-high, marginal-low” distribution, characterized by core-periphery agglomeration. Notably, the key driving factors vary significantly across different regions. Mechanistically, comprehensive land consolidation bolsters rural resilience through a sequential pathway that begins with consolidation intervention, which activates critical factors. This activation leads to structural reorganization within the rural framework, followed by the optimization of functions that enhance overall resilience. In terms of policy implications, it is essential to adopt differentiated consolidation strategies tailored to regional resource endowments, emphasizing the optimization of production-living-ecological spaces to foster integrated and sustainable rural development. Full article

The current urban development model is gradually shifting from incremental expansion to optimizing existing resources and enhancing functionality. To address the need for diversified land use and refined allocation in urban development, this paper takes the Dongfeng Renewal Unit in Jinan Science and Technology City as a case study. It proposes a multi-objective optimization of urban land use guided by sustainable development principles, aiming to adjust and optimize the structure and layout of urban land use within the spatial planning domain. First, based on the detailed planning and current construction status of the area, a spatial data model for the district is constructed. Subsequently, targeting production development, living convenience, ecological livability, and sustainable development, the model is solved using the Non-Dominated Selection Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II), iteratively generating a solution set of several potential optimal land use plans. Finally, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is employed to select the optimal land use plan from the feasible solution set based on different preferences. The study reveals that a multi-objective optimization model for sustainable land use, fully considering spatial factors, can generate more valuable land use solutions. This approach offers valuable insights and references for land use optimization in other regions. Based on these optimized land use solutions, reference strategies for land use optimization and spatial planning can be proposed for urban detailed planning, thereby providing robust support for cities to achieve their goals of production, living, ecology, and sustainability. Full article

Under the combined pressures of urbanization and tourism development, terraced agricultural heritage sites are increasingly threatened by the degradation of traditional landscapes, the weakening of living cultural practices, and mismatches between the supply and demand of cultural ecosystem services (CESs). As a representative type of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHSs), the rice terrace landscapes of southern China have formed an integrated system of forests, villages, terraces, and water networks, embodying multiple values related to production, ecology, landscape, and culture. To support the coordination of heritage conservation, tourism development, and the transformation of cultural value, this study takes the core area of the Longji Terraced Fields as a case study and develops an improved SolVES–IPA collaborative assessment framework from the perspective of tourist perception. Four CES categories are examined: recreational value, aesthetic value, historical and cultural value, and educational value. The results show that (1) the four CES categories exhibit significant spatial differentiation. Recreational and aesthetic values are mainly concentrated in high-altitude viewing spaces, whereas historical, cultural, and educational values depend more heavily on traditional architectural spaces and interpretive nodes. (2) Clear supply–demand mismatches exist across CES categories. Recreational value is constrained by limited activity diversity; aesthetic value is limited by inadequate architectural harmony; historical and cultural value is primarily restricted by insufficient continuity of living traditions; and educational value is constrained by incomplete interpretive content and single presentation formats. (3) CES optimization in the Longji Terraced Fields should adopt both type-specific and hierarchical intervention strategies, including priority optimization for high-value units with critical shortcomings, near-term improvement for high-value units with general shortcomings, functional enhancement for medium-value units with critical shortcomings, progressive optimization for medium-value units with general shortcomings, and potential cultivation of low-value units. Based on these findings, this study proposes several optimization directions, including strengthening participatory experiences, promoting the coordinated renewal of the architectural landscape, creating multisensory cultural display spaces, and establishing a multidimensional interpretation network. The improved SolVES–IPA collaborative assessment framework developed in this study integrates CES spatial identification, supply–demand diagnosis, and optimization priority setting, providing a methodological reference and practical support for enhancing cultural services and promoting the coordinated development of heritage conservation and cultural tourism in the Longji Terraced Fields and similar agricultural heritage sites. Full article

This research addresses the need for climate-resilient architecture through a biotechnological intervention at the indoor-landscape interface. It presents a modular system utilizing the cyanobacterium Nostoc linckia to regulate air quality in enclosed spaces. Grounded in biophilic design principles, the study conceptualizes photosynthetic systems as modular living interfaces that integrate metabolic processes, environmental performance, and spatial experience. Functioning as an active environmental buffer, the system relates measurable carbon sequestration performance to spatial integration and esthetic qualities. Experimental performance was evaluated using a closed atmospheric test chamber with three different CO₂ regimes: low (400–1000 ppm), medium (1000–2000 ppm), and high (2000–5000 ppm). Biomass productivity was assessed via optical density measurements at 570 nm and 650 nm and dry weight analysis. The results show that the system maintains effective carbon sequestration and biomass growth in all regimes, demonstrating its capacity to adapt to fluctuating atmospheric loads, with sequestration efficiency increasing 2.15-fold under elevated CO₂ availability. Furthermore, experimental data were used to model scaling scenarios across various workspace typologies, projecting an annual CO₂ sequestration of 1.9–27.0 kg/year and biomass production of 1.0–14.8 kg/year. These findings define the photobioreactor as a circular interface and demonstrate that biotechnological modules can contribute to ecological regenerative cycles by transforming interior-derived carbon into productive biomass for reuse at the landscape scale, validating the system as a viable circular environmental infrastructure. Full article

As a key spatial platform for implementing China’s Northeast Revitalization Strategy, coordinated development of production–living–ecological (PLE) functions in the Changchun Metropolitan Area is crucial for high-quality regional development. This study uses 24 counties (districts) in the metropolitan area as analytical units and develops a quantitative indicator system to evaluate PLE functions. We integrate the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method, social network analysis (SNA), and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) to examine the spatiotemporal dynamics, spatial correlation networks, and driving mechanisms of the three functions from 2013 to 2023. Temporally, the production function follows a growth–decline–recovery trajectory, the living function increases overall despite fluctuations, and the ecological function strengthens continuously. Overall, the three functions increasingly exhibit coupling and synergy. Spatially, the production function concentrates in core areas and diffuses along major axes. The living function is led by the core and followed by county-level catch-up. The ecological function is higher in the east, relatively stable in the west, and connected by corridors, together forming a multi-center, axis-based synergistic pattern. In the spatial correlation networks, densities of the production and ecological networks remain largely stable, whereas the living network becomes markedly denser. The three networks display distinct topologies and continue to evolve structurally. For driving mechanisms, the GTWR model provides the best fit. Geographic proximity positively contributes to the formation of all three functional networks, while the eight explanatory factors show pronounced spatiotemporal heterogeneity. These findings provide an evidence base for optimizing functional coordination and implementing differentiated spatial governance in metropolitan areas. Full article

Nematodes in the genus Oscheius (Rhabditidae) have traditionally been regarded as free-living bacteriophagous or necromenic associates of insects. Over the past two decades, however, multiple Oscheius species and isolates have been shown to express facultative pathogenicity toward insects and, in some cases, parasitism of mollusks. This has stimulated interest in Oscheius as a complementary group of biological control agents that may function under conditions limiting classical entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) of the genera Steinernema and Heterorhabditis. Here, we synthesize current knowledge on Oscheius taxonomy and diversity, life-history strategies, bacterial associations and virulence mechanisms, evidence for control of insect and mollusk pests, and recent advances in chemo-ecology relevant to host finding. We emphasize that Oscheius represents a continuum of ecological strategies, and we adopt conservative terminology in which “entomopathogenic” is reserved for Oscheius species/isolates that meet operational criteria of insect pathogenicity. Finally, we highlight key barriers to wider implementation—strain variability, bacterial partner instability, non-target and community effects, and production/quality control needs—and propose research priorities for the development of robust, field-reliable Oscheius-based biocontrol. Full article

The ongoing development of the economy and society has increasingly intensified the imbalance between the supply and demand of land resources. Achieving coordinated development between socio-economic growth and the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use is therefore a key foundation for high-quality regional development. In light of this, this study focuses on Henan Province at the county level. Building on a theoretical framework that examines the relationship between socio-economic development and the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use, we employed methods including the entropy method, linear weighting method, mechanical equilibrium model, and curve estimation model. These were used to explore the evolution characteristics and interactive relationship between socio-economic development and the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions at the county level in Henan Province. The findings reveal that: (1) The socio-economic development level of counties in Henan showed an overall upward trend during the study period, with the average value rising from 0.2320 in 2010 to 0.2702 in 2023. High-level areas were mainly concentrated in the central region around Zhengzhou. (2) The overall level of the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use in Henan’s counties followed a gradually increasing trend, with a relatively stable evolution process. The functional levels in northern, central, and eastern Henan were notably higher than those in the western and southern regions. (3) There is a significant positive correlation between the socio-economic development level of counties in Henan and the comprehensive level of the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions of land-use. Moreover, socio-economic development exerts a one-way influence on the functional level of “Production-Living-Ecological” in land-use. Identifying the interactive relationship between socio-economic factors and these land-use functions can provide quantitative references and a decision-making basis for rationally adjusting the “Production-Living-Ecological” functions across different stages of development. Full article