Search Results (5,105)

Pawnshop buildings are places where pawn transactions are conducted. They are usually composed of a front shop and a back building, and their shape resembles a fortress. As a typical gambling city, pawnshops in Macau appeared as early as the Qing Dynasty. By the late Qing Dynasty (1644–1912) and early Republic of China (1912–1949), they had become a common market. They reached their peak during the Anti-Japanese War and were an important financial institution for the people to solve their urgent needs. Today, many pawnshop buildings have become architectural heritage sites and are distributed around the buffer zone of the World Heritage Site. Their location is consistent with the evolution of urban space and the development of gambling and tourism industries. However, existing research lacks systematic research based on spatial quantification technology and it has yet to be determined whether there is a spatial alignment relationship between pawnshop location and urban spatial structure. This paper takes the whole of Macau as the research area and combines DepthmapX space syntax, GIS analysis, and historical data comparison of pawnshop buildings to explore the path dependence characteristics of pawnshop building location and the service radius law in urban space. The study found that the location of pawnshop buildings in Macau has evolved through three stages: initially relying on traditional market spaces, then gathering around casino areas during a stable phase, and finally becoming closely tied to the core areas of gambling venues in the prosperous stage. It shows a path dependence that is continuously strengthened on nodes with low traffic resistance. The service radius of pawnshop buildings exhibits an unbalanced characteristic, with a dense core area and a blank peripheral area, forming a multi-level system of a 200 m core service circle, a 400 m extended service circle, and an 800 m radiation service circle. This study proposes pathways for the adaptive reuse and activation of traditional pawnbroking architectural heritage. For instance, by drawing on the operational model of the Tak Seng On Pawnshop, the integration of cultural exhibition and livelihood services can be realized, thereby providing practical references for the adaptive reuse and conservation of heritage assets. This study offers dual theoretical and practical support for the conservation of pawnbroking architectural heritage in Macau, the site selection and planning of modern pawnbroking establishments, and the optimization of the city’s urban spatial structure. Meanwhile, it enriches the research system on the spatial alignment between the peripheral financial industry and urban space. Full article

Although numerous studies have examined the impact of high-speed rail (HSR) on regional economic development, few have explored this relationship from a network perspective—a research gap this paper seeks to fill. Specifically, this paper aims to clarify the theoretical mechanism through which the HSR network affects the spatial evolution of regional industries, focusing on the new industry entry. We improve the local spread model by incorporating the HSR network as a key component and perform empirical analyses using the Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) and spatial mediation effect model, drawing on data from Chinese A-share-listed companies. The findings indicate that China’s regional industries underwent spatial evolution characterized by “diffusive agglomeration”. In terms of direct effects, connectivity ranks as the most influential HSR network indicator; however, when both direct and spillover effects are taken into account, accessibility becomes the primary factor, underscoring its vital role in reshaping the spatial distribution of industries. Additionally, the HSR network exerts a slightly stronger impact on industrial spatial diffusion (fueled by knowledge spillovers) than on industrial agglomeration (driven by market size), and its attraction to new industry entry is notably greater in peripheral regions than in core regions. These results demonstrate that HSR, characterized by “transporting people rather than goods”, mainly facilitates the exchange of knowledge, technology and information instead of reducing freight costs, offering valuable insights for optimizing regional industrial layouts. Full article

The Zhunuo ore district, at the western end of the Gangdese porphyry Cu belt, hosts significant Cu mineralization and newly recognized W mineralization dominated by scheelite. However, the genetic relationship between scheelite and porphyry mineralization, and the evolution of ore-forming fluids remain poorly constrained. To address this, scheelite samples from multiple locations were analyzed for major elements (EMPA), in situ trace elements (LA-ICP-MS), and internal textures (cathodoluminescence, CL). These data, combined with machine learning methods, were used to determine scheelite genetic types and reconstruct fluid evolution. REE patterns and CL textures reveal three scheelite generations in Yalongri (early Sch I c, middle Sch I b, late Sch I a), two in Zhigunong (early Sch II a, late Sch II b), and one in Xiongbaxi (Sch III). Low Na (0–329 ppm) and Nb (3.9–39 ppm) relative to high ΣREE + Y-Eu (16–3857 ppm), indicate that the dominant substitution mechanism is 3Ca²⁺ = 2REE³⁺ + □Ca (□Ca = Ca vacancy). δEu values > 1 in Sch I a, Sch I b, Sch II a, and Sch II b indicate reducing fluids, whereas δEu < in Sch I c and Sch III reflects oxidizing conditions. Variations in REE, Mo, and Sr contents suggest that ore-forming fluids in Yalongri evolved from oxidizing to reducing conditions, with late-stage scheelite undergoing dissolution–reprecipitation. Zhigunong records two reducing stages: an early REE-rich-Mo-poor stage and a later REE-poor-Mo-rich stage. Xiongbaxi records a single oxidizing, REE-rich, Mo-rich stage. Scheelite exhibits low-to-moderate Sr/Mo ratios (0.02–6.10), consistent with a magmatic–hydrothermal origin, and relatively uniform Y/Ho ratios (12–59) indicating stable crystallization conditions. A Random Forest model classifies scheelite into orogenic, porphyry, skarn, and greisen types. Overall, the results indicate that ore-forming fluids evolved from oxidizing to reducing conditions, favoring metal transport and enrichment. Integrated geochemical and machine learning evidence suggest, strong potential for porphyry-type Cu-W(-Mo) mineralization in Yalongri and Zhigunong, and skarn-type W-Mo mineralization in Xiongbaxi, providing important guidance for future exploration in the western Gangdese metallogenic belt. Full article

This study presents a novel numerical framework that elucidates the critical, yet previously underexplored, role of Marangoni vortex dynamics in determining the final surface quality during the laser polishing of Ti6Al4V (TC4). TC4 titanium alloy is widely used in aerospace, biomedicine, and other high-precision applications due to its excellent specific strength, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. However, its surface quality directly affects the fatigue life and service performance of parts, and traditional polishing methods suffer from low efficiency and high pollution. As a non-contact, controllable surface treatment technology, nanosecond laser polishing has demonstrated unique advantages in balancing processing efficiency and surface quality. This study systematically discussed the influence of key process parameters (spot overlap rate, laser power, and scanning times) on the nanosecond laser polishing of TC4 titanium alloy. It revealed the internal physical mechanism by analyzing the temperature and velocity fields and vortex dynamics during molten-pool evolution. It is found that the polishing effect is determined by the process parameters, which adjust the thermal–fluid coupling physical field (temperature distribution, melt flow, and vortex structure) in the molten pool. There is an optimal combination of parameters (spot overlap rate of 79%, laser power of 0.8 W, scanning speed of 5 m/min, scanning 3 times) that can place the molten pool in an optimal dynamic balance state and achieve effective flatness. The experimental results show that, under this parameter, the surface roughness of the specimen with an initial roughness of 1.223 μm is reduced by about 32%. The research further clarified the mechanism by which the initial roughness of the base metal influences the molten pool: the greater the initial roughness, the more pronounced the “peak shaving and valley filling” effect. Under the same parameters, the improvement rate of the specimen with the initial roughness of 1.623 μm could reach about 40%. This study not only establishes the optimized process window but also reveals the essential relationship between “process parameters–bath behavior–surface quality” from the level of the physical field of the molten pool. The findings provide a practical guideline for parameter optimization, directly applicable to the high-precision laser finishing of critical titanium components in the aerospace and biomedical industries. Full article

Differential wavefront sensing (DWS) is widely adopted for high-precision angular detection in interferometric systems, yet its measurement range is constrained by the nonlinear implicit phase–angle relationship. This paper proposes a strategy-enhanced differential evolution algorithm, termed Bi-inheritance and Tournament-Selection-based Differential Evolution (BiTsDE), to suppress nonlinear angular errors. The method introduces fitness-guided inheritance of mutation and crossover factors and tournament-based elite parent selection, enabling adaptive balance between global exploration and local exploitation. Unlike conventional DE variants that mainly tune control parameters, BiTsDE optimizes the evolutionary search strategy, enhancing early-stage diversity and late-stage convergence stability. Simulations demonstrate angular resolution better than 0.06 nrad within ±1 mrad. Experiments show that up to 600 μrad, BiTsDE reduces demodulation error by 99.9% compared with linear DWS, achieving 17.9 nrad precision and 42% faster convergence. These results validate BiTsDE as an effective solution for nonlinear error suppression in DWS-based high-precision optical metrology, particularly for space-based gravitational wave detection. Full article

Ageing significantly affects the long-term durability of asphalt pavements, yet quantitative correlations between laboratory ageing protocols and actual field ageing remain insufficiently defined. This study investigates the ageing behaviour of an 80/100 penetration-grade bitumen at binder, mixture, and field levels to establish equivalence relationships among different ageing pathways. Binder samples were subjected to RTFO, PAV (20–60 h), and coupled thermal–photo-oxidative ageing (RTFO + PAV + UV, 6–18 d). Asphalt mixtures were oven-aged at 85 °C for 5–10 d, followed by binder extraction and recovery, and field-aged binders were obtained from a 12-year-old pavement in Xinjiang, China. Rheological properties were characterised using frequency sweep and multiple stress creep and recovery tests, from which ageing index (AI), low-temperature ageing index (LAI), Glover–Rowe (G–R) parameter, and nonrecoverable compliance (J_nr) were derived. AI increased from 1.00 for virgin binder to 1.12 under coupled ageing, while G–R increased from near zero to 318 kPa after 60 h PAV ageing and exceeded 400 kPa under coupled ageing. UV exposure increased G–R by approximately 20%–65% relative to thermal ageing alone. Nonlinear growth models described property evolution with high reliability (R² = 0.995–0.999). Equivalent ageing analysis showed that RTFO + PAV required over 50 h to reproduce field ageing, whereas coupled ageing and mixture oven ageing achieved comparable states within shorter durations. These results demonstrate that photo-oxidation and mixture-scale interactions significantly influence ageing pathways and should be considered in laboratory simulations of field ageing. Full article

The “Jiaoxiecheng” narrative, compiled on the basis of the Japanese monk Ennin’s experiences in Tang China, began circulating in society from the late Heian period. Continuously evolved and adapted by later generations, it became a famous Buddhist setsuwa (anecdotal tale) in ancient Japan, yet it was not a Japanese original. The compilation and evolution of the “Jiaoxiecheng” narrative were products of Eurasian cultural exchange during the Tang Dynasty. Its ideological origins lie in the excessive alienation of the Huichang Persecution of Buddhism and the constructed image of Emperor Wuzong among certain groups in Central China at that time. Furthermore, the nostalgia for the homeland revealed in the story’s depiction of Ennin’s experiences in Tang China is actually a microcosm of the homesickness felt by Japanese scholars who traveled to Tang for study and Buddhist teachings, set against the broader context of Sino-Japanese cultural exchange. The cross-cultural perspective presented by the “Jiaoxiecheng” narrative provides an important reference for studying the openness of Tang culture and offers new textual evidence and dimensions for contemplating the relationship between ancient China and Eurasian cultures. Full article

Sympatric species share identical geographical spaces, climatic conditions and survival pressures. Comparative chloroplast genomes among Anna and Lysionotus sympatric species enable exploration of genome-wide evolutionary dynamics of sympatric species. In this study, we assembled and annotated 10 complete chloroplast genomes, representing sympatric species distributed along the Sino-Vietnamese border. We conducted a comparison of chloroplast genomes, characterized their adaptive evolution and used multiple methods to clarify their phylogenetic relationships. Key findings included the following: 1. The number of CDs, rRNA and tRNA varied among different species, whereas they were relatively conserved between the two genera; 2. psaB-psaA, trnL-UAG and ndhD-psaC were identified as potential molecular markers for Anna species, with clpP and ycf1 proposed as effective molecular markers for Lysionotus species; 3. the types of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and large sequence repeats (LRSs) showed a higher conservation in Lysionotus compared with Anna; 4. the codon usage preferences of the two genera showed convergent evolutionary trends and natural selection played a dominant role, with ycf1 and atpH being confirmed as significantly positively selected genes; 6. phylogenetic analyses using multiple approaches (ML, BI and NJ) consistently verified that Anna and Lysionotus each formed a well-supported monophyletic group. This study offers molecular insights into adaptation and differentiation patterns among distinct plant genera inhabiting the same extreme habitat. Full article

N-Acetyl-L-glutamate kinase (NAGK) catalyzes the first committed step in arginine biosynthesis in organisms that perform the cyclic pathway of ornithine synthesis. In cyanobacteria and most Archaeplastida, the activity of NAGK is controlled by the PII signal transduction protein. During evolution, representatives of the class Mamiellophyceae, Ostreococcus and Bathycoccus lost the gene encoding PII, while Micromonas retained this gene. Here, we perform coupled enzyme and pull-down assays and show that M. commoda NAGK is activated by N-acetyl-L-glutamate and inhibited by arginine but is not controlled by PII proteins. This loss may have been compensated for by the enzyme’s low sensitivity to arginine. In contrast, M. commoda PII relieved Chlamydomonas reinhardtii NAGK from feedback inhibition by arginine. These observations suggest that M. commoda NAGK possesses a unique feature: it has lost the ability to interact with PII protein. The findings are discussed in the context of the relationship between NAGK control and the PII role in Mamiellophyceae. Full article

Against the backdrop of global climate change, frequent public health crises, and escalating geopolitical conflicts, the stable operation of emergency logistics supply chains faces severe challenges. Building a resilient system that combines disturbance resistance and adaptability has become an urgent necessity. This paper, grounded in the evolution of resilience theory, clearly defines the meaning of emergency logistics supply chain resilience. It systematically identifies and constructs an indicator system comprising 17 influencing factors across four dimensions: Resistance, Responsiveness, Adaptability, and Development Capacity. Employing a hybrid fuzzy DEMATEL-ISM-MICMAC approach, the study quantifies causal relationships and hierarchical structures among factors while analyzing their driving forces and dependency attributes. Findings reveal that infrastructure development, emergency plan integrity, talent cultivation, financial safeguards, and regulatory support constitute core critical factors influencing emergency logistics supply chain resilience. Among these, regulatory support and financial safeguards form the fundamental pillars underpinning the system’s operation. The multidimensional influence factor framework and hybrid analytical method developed in this study not only enrich the theoretical research system on emergency logistics supply chain resilience but also provide scientific decision-making references and practical guidance for policymakers and industry practitioners to formulate targeted resilience enhancement strategies. Full article

Clarifying the complex interaction between climate risks and the new energy industry chain is of key significance to advancing the energy transition and strengthening industrial chain robustness. This research pairwise-matches the climate physical risk and the climate transition risk with the entire range of the new energy industry chain segments, comprehensively examining the pairwise interactive relationships. By applying the MF-ADCCA series of methods, it was revealed that there are prevalent asymmetric cross-correlated multifractal characteristics between climate risks and the new energy industry. The long-term memory under the upward trend of the market is distinctly stronger than that under the downward trend. Given that this correlation can indirectly reflect market efficiency differences, this paper constructs the Hurst Volatility Sensitivity Index (HVI) and the Hurst Asymmetry Index (HAI) and further proposes the Unified Market Efficiency Index (UMEI). Its innovative advantage resides in the balanced integration of volatility efficiency and structural symmetry, in turn enabling a comprehensive assessment of the new energy market efficiency under climate risk perturbations. Static analysis reveals that the overall market efficiency of the new energy industry under the climate transition risk is generally higher than that under the climate physical risk, and the market efficiency of mature upstream and midstream new energy segments is significantly superior to that of the downstream. Dynamic evolution characteristics indicate that market efficiency has typical time-varying traits, the evolution of which is often driven by significant policies or extreme events. The climate transition risk tends to trigger aperiodic structural adjustments, while the climate physical risk mostly induces periodic efficiency fluctuations. This study furnishes solid evidence for the new energy market in coping with climate risks. Full article

Security assurance aims to provide justified confidence that a system satisfies its security requirements under defined contextual conditions. In practice, assurance context is often handled implicitly, with assumptions, scope limitations, and boundary conditions embedded in documentation or expert judgment. This limits auditability, reproducibility, and governance, particularly in continuous assurance settings and workflows that rely on automation and AI-assisted reasoning. When reasoning operates over incomplete or underspecified context, implicit assumption formation can alter the basis of assurance conclusions. This paper introduces the Security Assurance Context Ontology (SACO), which reframes assurance context construction and evolution as explicit semantic and governance problems. SACO represents assurance-relevant context elements, their relationships, provenance, and epistemic status as authoritative semantic structures. Missing but required information is preserved as explicit semantic gaps that delimit when assurance claims may be authoritatively accepted. A strict separation between authoritative assurance context and advisory reasoning outputs constrains how automated or AI-assisted analysis may influence the assurance basis. The paper further presents a deterministic realization model for assurance context construction and evolution, where determinism applies to reconstructing authoritative context states from governed inputs. Full article

Vegetation cover characteristics underpin the understanding of regional ecosystem status and guide sustainable development. While extensive research has documented long-term vegetation dynamics in Qinghai Province, critical gaps remain in identifying driving factors, quantifying their thresholds, and uncovering nonlinear relationships governing vegetation cover. In view of this, based on the MOD13Q1V6 dataset from the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, this study constructed a kernel normalized difference vegetation index (kNDVI) dataset for Qinghai Province spanning the period 2001–2023. Furthermore, the spatiotemporal characteristics and future evolution trends of vegetation cover were revealed by employing methods including the Theil–Sen–Mann–Kendall (Theil–Sen–MK) trend test, Hurst exponent, and centroid migration model. At a grid scale of 5 km × 5 km, based on the combined model of Extreme Gradient Boosting and SHapley Additive exPlanations (XGBoost-SHAP), this study integrated 10 multi-source remote sensing variables related to natural conditions, socioeconomic factors, and geographical accessibility to reveal the nonlinear effects between driving factors and kNDVI and identify the key threshold inflection points. The results showed the following: (1) From 2001 to 2023, the kNDVI of Qinghai Province exhibited a fluctuating growth trend with an annual growth rate of 0.0016 per year, presenting a spatial pattern of being higher in the southeast and lower in the northwest. Specifically, the kNDVI of unused land achieved the highest growth rate (65.96%), which was significantly higher than that of other land use types. (2) The kNDVI in Qinghai Province was dominated by stable areas, accounting for 52.75%. Future trend analysis indicated that the region was primarily characterized by sustainable improvement zones (39.91%), while areas with uncertain future trends accounted for 39.70%. (3) The XGBoost-SHAP model revealed that the annual mean precipitation (AMP) (47.26%) and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) (20.40%) exerted substantial impacts on the kNDVI. Marginal effect curves identified distinct threshold inflection points for the major characteristic factors: AMP = 363.2 mm (95%CI: 361.2–365.2 mm), DEM = 4463.9 m (95%CI: 4446.0–4481.1 m), grazing intensity = 1.8 SU (Stocking Unit)·ha⁻¹ (95%CI: 1.8–1.9 SU·ha⁻¹), and slope = 2.8° (95%CI: 2.7–3.0°) and 19.0° (95%CI: 18.8–19.3°). The interaction combinations of AMP × DEM and DEM × distance to construction land exerted a strong positive effect on the kNDVI in the study area, which was conducive to enhancing vegetation cover. These findings verified the effectiveness of ecological projects implemented in Qinghai Province to a certain extent and provided data support for subsequent differentiated restoration and management. Full article

The Marnoso-arenacea basin (MaB) of the Northern Apennines represents one of the most significant lower–middle Miocene foredeep turbidite systems in the Mediterranean region. While the northern part of the basin (Emilia-Romagna Region) has been extensively investigated, the Umbrian portion remains less understood, particularly concerning high-resolution stratigraphic and structural frameworks. This study integrates detailed field mapping, physical stratigraphy, biostratigraphic data from calcareous nannofossils, and petrographic analyses of arenites and calcarenites to reconstruct the tectono-stratigraphic evolution of the MaB in the Umbrian portion of the basin. The basin is divided into three main tectono-stratigraphic units: Afra-Mt. Verde, Pietralunga–Gubbio–Valtopina and Mt. Vicino. The middle unit is detailed by means of stratigraphic architecture and sedimentary characteristics, which allow us to identify two distinct sub-units. Several carbonate and hybrid turbidite beds, including the Contessa megabed, serve as regional key markers, enabling robust stratigraphic correlations. Two mass-transport complexes (MTDs) have been identified and dated, revealing close relationships between sedimentation patterns and thrust propagation. Modal petrographic data indicate a mixed provenance, from the Alpine and Apennine regions, changing over time in response to tectonic segmentation. These findings enhance our understanding of the internal organization of the MaB and provide new insights into the foredeep’s paleogeography and tectono-sedimentary evolution during the Langhian–Serravallian stages. Full article

Grain size plays a decisive role in governing the interface evolution and mechanical properties of ultra-thin metal composite foils. This study systematically investigates this relationship in roll-bonded C7701/Ti/C7701 (Cu-Ni-Zn alloy) composite foils. By controlling the initial grain size via pre-annealing, we demonstrate that a moderate grain size (~7–8 μm) optimally regulates a sequential “bonding–diffusion–intermetallic compound (IMC) formation” process at the interface. This results in a continuous, thin IMC layer and the best strength–ductility synergy (e.g., UTS ~217.5 MPa, elongation ~4.15%). In contrast, excessively fine or coarse grains lead to thick, brittle IMCs or interfacial defects, respectively, degrading performance. The mechanism by which grain size influences performance is revealed through a sequential mechanism of “bonding–diffusion–intermetallic compound formation.” Full article