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Urban blue–green spaces (UBGSs) are a significant avenue for addressing the worldwide mental health crisis. To effectively optimise landscape design and management for the promotion of health benefits from UBGS, it is crucial to objectively understand public preferences. This paper proposes a method to evaluate public landscape preference from the perspective of seeing and thinking, takes the examples of seven parks around the Dianchi Lake in Kunming, China, and analyses the social media data by using natural language processing technology and image semantic segmentation technology. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The public exhibits significantly high positive sentiments towards various UBGSs, with over 93% of comments expressed positive sentiments. (2) Differences exist in the frequency and perception of landscape features between image and text modalities. Landscape elements related to stability are perceived more in images than in text, while dynamic and experiential elements are perceived more in text than in images. (3) In both modalities, the distinctive landscape features of parks are more frequently perceived and preferred by the public. In the end, the intrinsic links between landscape elements and public sentiment and preferences are discussed, and suggestions for design and management improvements are made to consolidate their health benefits to the public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic congestion prediction has become an indispensable component of an intelligent transport system. However, one limitation of the existing methods is that they treat the effects of spatio-temporal correlations on traffic prediction as invariable during modeling spatio-temporal features, which results in inadequate modeling. In this paper, we propose an attention-based spatio-temporal 3D residual neural network, named AST3DRNet, to directly forecast the congestion levels of road networks in a city. AST3DRNet combines a 3D residual network and a self-attention mechanism together to efficiently model the spatial and temporal information of traffic congestion data. Specifically, by stacking 3D residual units and 3D convolution, we proposed a 3D convolution module that can simultaneously capture various spatio-temporal correlations. Furthermore, a novel spatio-temporal attention module is proposed to explicitly model the different contributions of spatio-temporal correlations in both spatial and temporal dimensions through the self-attention mechanism. Extensive experiments are conducted on a real-world traffic congestion dataset in Kunming, and the results demonstrate that AST3DRNet outperforms the baselines in short-term (5/10/15 min) traffic congestion predictions with an average accuracy improvement of 59.05%, 64.69%, and 48.22%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue, entitled "Paleolimnology and Paleoecology in a Rapidly Changing Asia," was initiated during the third China Workshop on Lake Paleoecology that was held in Kunming, China, in December, 2019. Here, we summarize some of the key findings from the 10 papers that are included in this issue. The papers present sediment surveys of lakes from different parts of East Asia, and studies that spanned a variety of timescales, through multi-proxy analyses of modern samples, short cores and Holocene records. Overall, this special issue provides an up-to-date research snapshot in the fields of paleolimnology and paleoecology from rapidly changing regions of Asia, with a focus on the sediment signals of lake development, ecological shifts and anthropogenic forcing in the context of continuing climatic and societal changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The wind direction in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) twists with height due to the Coriolis force; this phenomenon is called the Ekman spiral. However, this phenomenon is generally not considered in the present wind load estimation of super high‐rise buildings, which may lead to an incorrect estimation and affect the safety of structures. Therefore, this study considers and analyzes the influence of the Ekman spiral phenomenon in the wind direction reduction effect (WDRE) of the wind load of super high‐rise buildings. First, this paper proposes an empirical fitting equation for the twisted wind direction angle for a height of 100–800 m according to the classical Ekman spiral theory model (CE model). Subsequently, on the basis of twisted wind, this paper proposes a method for the correction of the wind direction reduction factors (WDRFs) of strong winds considering the influence of the Ekman spiral phenomenon in the design wind load estimation of super high‐rise buildings with heights of 400–800 m. A high‐frequency balance force measurement test of a square‐section super high‐rise building model was performed to analyze the influence of the Ekman spiral phenomenon on the WDRE of the aerodynamic force and wind‐induced response. Three Chinese cities (i.e., Beijing, Wuhan, and Kunming) are selected as case studies to illustrate the importance and necessity of the correction method. The results demonstrate that the proposed empirical fitting equation accurately determines the twisted wind direction angle at different latitudes and altitudes. Furthermore, estimating the design wind load while considering the WDRE and neglecting the influence of the Ekman spiral phenomenon may lead to a significant underestimation of the wind load of super high‐rise buildings, rendering the designed building structure more dangerous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate prediction of atmospheric wind speed in near space is of importance for both middle and upper atmospheric scientific research and engineering applications. In order to improve the accuracy of short-term wind speed predictions in near space, this paper proposes a multi-step hybrid prediction method based on the combination of variational modal decomposition (VMD), particle swarm optimization (PSO) and long short-term memory neural networks (LSTM). This paper uses the measurement of wind speed in the height range of 80–88 km at the Kunming site (25.6° N, 103.8° E) for wind speed prediction experiments. The results show that the root mean square error ( R M S E ) and the mean absolute percentage error ( M A P E ) of multi–step wind predictions are less than 6 m/s and 15%, respectively. Furthermore, the proposed VMD–PSO–LSTM method is compared with the traditional seasonal difference autoregressive sliding average model (SARIMA) to investigate its performance. Our analysis shows that the percentage improvement of prediction performance compared to the traditional time series prediction model can reach at most 85.21% and 83.75% in R M S E and M A P E , respectively, which means that the VMD–PSO–LSTM model has better accuracy in the multi-step prediction of the wind speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the complex interaction of urban and mountainous floods, assessing flood susceptibility in mountainous urban areas presents a challenging task in environmental research and risk analysis. Data-driven machine learning methods can evaluate flood susceptibility in mountainous urban areas lacking essential hydrological data, utilizing remote sensing data and limited historical inundation records. In this study, two ensemble learning algorithms, Random Forest (RF) and XGBoost, were adopted to assess the flood susceptibility of Kunming, a typical mountainous urban area prone to severe flood disasters. A flood inventory was created using flood observations from 2018 to 2022. The spatial database included 10 explanatory factors, encompassing climatic, geomorphic, and anthropogenic factors. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) were selected for model comparison. To minimize the influence of expert opinions on model training, this study employed a strategy of uniformly random sampling in historically non-flooded areas for negative sample selection. The results demonstrated that (1) ensemble learning algorithms offer higher accuracy than other machine learning methods, with RF achieving the highest accuracy, evidenced by an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.87, followed by XGBoost at 0.84, surpassing both ANN (0.83) and SVM (0.82); (2) the interpretability of ensemble learning highlighted the differences in the potential distribution of the training data's positive and negative samples. Feature importance in ensemble learning can be utilized to minimize human bias in the collection of flooded-site samples, more targeted flood susceptibility maps of the study area's road network were obtained; and (3) ensemble learning algorithms exhibited greater stability and robustness in datasets with varied negative samples, as evidenced by their performance in F1-Score, Kappa, and AUC metrics. This paper further substantiates the superiority of ensemble learning in flood susceptibility assessment tasks from the perspectives of accuracy, interpretability, and robustness, enhances the understanding of the impact of negative samples on such assessments, and optimizes the specific process for urban flood susceptibility assessment using data-driven methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kunming city is located in the middle of Yunnan Province. Due to large-scale groundwater exploitation and urban development in recent years, this area has been affected by surface subsidence. In this paper, Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) data are used to monitor the surface subsidence in Kunming city area for better analysis and understanding. The study used data of Sentinel-1A from 2018 to 2020 with atmospheric correction based on GACOS to calculate the average annual subsidence rate in Kunming city area, and the results show that the maximum subsidence rate is 48 mm/year. The subsidence obtained by InSAR is compared with the vertical deformation information obtained by eight GNSS stations in continuous operation in the study area. The subsidence rate trend show by the two methods is consistent, which further verifies the validity of InSAR data to reflect the local deformation. Experimental results shown that the eastern and northeastern Dianchi lake areas were affected by underground resources mining, and the induced surface subsidence characteristics were obvious, with the surface subsidence rate reachde 48 mm/year and 37 mm/year respectively. The Kunyang Phosphate Mine also had different degrees of mining subsidence disaster, with the maximum subsidence rate reached 36 mm/year. The subsidence rate of InSAR and GNSS has the same trend on the whole. However, GNSS sites are generally located in stable areas, the settlement amount obtained in the same time period is somewhat different from that of InSAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flavonoids from Actinidia arguta Sieb. Zucc. can reduce uric acid in mice. However, the molecular basis of its biosynthesis is still unclear. In this paper, we used a combination of extensively targeted metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis to determine the types and differences of flavonoids in the fruit ripening period (August to September) of two main cultivated varieties in northern China. The ethanol extract was prepared, and the potential flavonoids of Chrysin (Flavone1), Rutin (Flavone2), and Daidzein (Flavone3) in Actinidia arguta Sieb. Zucc. were separated and purified by HPD600 macroporous adsorption resin and preparative liquid chromatography. The structure was identified by MS-HPLC, and the serum uric acid index of male Kunming mice was determined by an animal model test.125 flavonoids and 50 differentially regulated genes were identified. The contents of UA (uric acid), BUN (urea nitrogen), Cr (creatinine), and GAPDH in mouse serum and mouse liver glycogen decreased or increased in varying degrees. This paper reveals the biosynthetic pathway of uric acid-reducing flavonoids in the fruit of Actinidia arguta Sieb. Zucc., a major cultivar in northern China, provides valuable information for the development of food and drug homologous functional foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The degree of coupling coordination between Drinking Water Carrying Capacity (DWCC) and Population Spatial Agglomeration (PSA) is a primary indicator for assessing the sustainable development of society. However, current research using quantitative model methods to explore relationships between the DWCC and the PSA is extremely rare. In order to provide theoretical and methodological support for research of regional population control or water resource allocation, based on the idea of coupling and coordination in physics, this paper constructs a Comprehensive Evaluation Model of Drinking Water Carrying Capacity (CEMDWCC), a Population Spatial Aggregation Index Model (PSAIM) and a Coupling Coordination Model of Human Water Relationship (CCM-HWR). Then, we use of the output results of the CEMDWCC and the PSAIM as the input parameters for the CCM-HWR to integrate these three models together. Through the above processing, we deduce a quantitative analysis method for the degree of coupling and coordination between the DWCC and the PSA. On this basis, we further use Kunming, a region of the water-deficient severely as a research area to discuss the coupling coordination relationships of the DWCC and the PSA during 20 years from 1996 to 2015. The results demonstrate that, on the one hand, in the time dimensions, the coupling degree of the DWCC and the PSA fluctuates little, and it is basically in a straight development state during the 20-year study period. Moreover, the degree of coordination between them is moderately unbalanced and has not fluctuated much for many years in this period. This shows that the DWCC and the PSA have not yet reached a positive interaction state, which is not conducive to sustainable development in the future. On the other hand, in the spatial dimensions, there are certain spatial differences in different regions. These differences are explicitly manifested in the degree of coupling and coordination, which is the better in regions with more developed economies. On the whole, the results of the study are more consistent with the actual situation in the study area. In other words, the economically developed regions have relatively high population spatial concentration, and the DWCC has also reached a relatively high state. Moreover, in these areas, the coupling relationship between the DWCC and the PSA remains relatively stable, and the coordination relationship between them is more harmonious and orderly. As can be seen from the above research results, the research method in this paper can quantitatively analyze the coupling and coordination relationships between the DWCC and the PSA. Therefore, this method is of great importance for promoting research for the sustainable development of population, resources, environment, economy, and society in arid regions of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probabilistic seismic hazard analysis is an important scientific basis for building seismic fortification. Unlike most seismic hazard analyses starting from the perspective of magnitude, this paper presents a seismic hazard analysis method based on the monthly maximum peak ground acceleration (PGA) distribution. In this paper, cities of Chongqing, Chengdu, and Kunming in southwest China are taken as examples where historical earthquake events from 1920 to 2020 with surface wave magnitude (Ms) greater than or equal to 3 and epicentral distances within 400 km are selected for analysis. PGA data are back-calculated from Ms data recorded in the earthquake catalog using the attenuation relation of seismic parameters. By considering the monthly maximum PGA values of the three cities as statistical samples, regression analysis is performed to obtain the monthly maximum PGA distribution and the frequency-PGA relation respectively. Based on the Poisson model and the parameters obtained from the regression analysis, then seismic hazard analysis is conducted to derive year exceedance probability vs. PGA curves and recurrence interval vs. PGA curves. Finally, earthquake events with the epicentral distance within 200 km, 300 km, and 400 km are respectively analyzed to discuss the influence of the epicentral distance on results of seismic hazard analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In March 2020, a group of wild Asian elephants suddenly roamed north from China's Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve and subsequently arrived in Kunming City, Yunnan Province, which has aroused widespread concern in the society. Based on this event, this study attempted to identify the possible migration routes of Asian elephants according to the existing land conditions and the movement habits of Asian elephants if wild Asian elephants in China migrated again. It was found that the areas with a high probability of migration by Asian elephants were mainly concentrated in the gently undulating shrubs, bamboo forests, and grasslands. Moreover, dense forests with steep slopes and high altitudes, cultivated land, and construction land are less likely to be passed by Asian elephants. Our findings can not only provide valuable insights into suggestions and solutions for the current conservation of wild Asian elephant species but also be beneficial in biological protection and biological reserve planning. Humans overlap with Asian elephants, resulting in frequent costly human–elephant conflicts, which disturb and even threaten local residents. In this study, we treat provincial and national nature reserves where Asian elephants still exist and other alternative habitats suitable for Asian elephants in southern Yunnan, China, as ecological patches. By using this approach, we can treat the terrain and surface state factors that hinder the migration of Asian elephants as a form of ecological resistance surface. We can then use a circuit theory model and remote sensing data to construct an ecological network, which allows us to identify ecological corridors and ecological pinch points. Herein, the possible migration routes of wild Asian elephants were identified. The main results are as follows: (1) In the study area, dense forests with steep slopes and high altitudes, cultivated land, and building land have greater migration resistance, while the gently undulating shrubs, bamboo forests, and grasslands far away from the city have less migration resistance. (2) There are three ecological corridor groups in the study area, mainly composed of shrub and grassland. The ecological corridors identified in this paper are the most likely migration routes of wild Asian elephants in China, and areas with higher simulated current densities reflect a higher probability of Asian elephants passing through. (3) According to the analysis, the ecological pinch points in the study area are 602 km2 in total, and woodland and grassland account for 89.2% of the total ecological pinch area. The areas where the pinch points are located have a high probability of Asian elephants passing through and a narrow space. Our findings can provide suggestions and solutions for the current conservation of wild Asian elephant species, alleviate human–elephant conflicts, promote the harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and provide reference for biological protection and biological reserve planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The electromagnetic radiation (EMR) data collected along a road have a largely empty region overall, while they have a linear distribution locally. Moreover, the traditional spatial interpolation method is not suitable for the electromagnetic radiation space field (EMR-SF) construction collected along the road. In this paper, a layered radial basis function (LRBF) method is proposed to generate the EMR-SF, which interpolates from outside to inside in a layered strategy. First, the regular grid points are constructed based on RBF within the range of sampling data and then are layered based on Ripley's K function. Second, on the basis of layering, the EMR of grid points is generated layer by layer using the LRBF method. Finally, EMR-SF is constructed by using the sampling data and grid points. The LRBF method is applied to EMR data from an area of Yunnan Normal University in Kunming, China. The results show that the LRBF accuracy is higher than that of the ordinary kriging (OK) and inverse-distance-weighted (IDW) interpolation methods. The LRBF interpolation accuracy can be improved through the strategy of regular grid point construction and layering, and the EMR-SF constructed by LRBF is more realistic than OK and IDW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The all-sky meteor radar is an important means to detect 70–110 km wind fields. Previous studies have shown that the wind field retrieved by all-sky meteor radars is closely related to the meteor count detected by the radar. However, the precision of the wind field is still unclear. In this paper, the influence of the meteor counts detected by two all-sky meteor radars operating simultaneously at Kunming station on wind fields is analyzed based on the observations of the two radars from 1 November 2013 to 31 December 2014. First, the meteor counts detected by the two meteor radars are approximately 100–3000 per hour, and the meteor count detected by the 37.5 MHz meteor radar is more than that according to the 53.1 MHz meteor radar. The meteor counts detected by the two radars vary with the local time and altitude. The meteor counts detected from 20 UTC to 02 UTC are the largest in the altitude range of 84–92 km, while the meteor counts detected from 09 UTC to 15 UTC are the lowest at other altitudes. Second, the more meteors detected by the two radars, the smaller the wind field differences retrieved by the two radars, and the closer the wind fields are to the real average wind field. Third, because the performance of the two radars is basically identical, except that the meteor counts detected by the two radars are different due to their different operating frequencies, the meteor count is the main system error of the wind fields retrieved, and the errors can be determined by the correlation coefficients of the wind fields retrieved by the two radars. Finally, in the altitude range of 76–100 km, the mean wind field differences of the two radars are less than 5 m/s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan Province and a bridgehead city facing South Asia and Southeast Asia. With the rapid development of Kunming's economy and society, the urbanization rate continues to increase, and the quality of the ecological environment in this area is also changing rapidly. How to quickly and accurately obtain the temporal and spatial pattern evolution of Kunming's ecological environment quality and explore the driving factors is of great significance to the realization of ecological environmental protection and sustainable development of Kunming. In this paper, the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform is used to use the long-term Landsat remote sensing image data to mask the water body, extract greenness, dryness, humidity and heat, and construct the remote sensing ecological index RSEI through PCA. Using spatial analysis methods such as cold and hot spot analysis and center of gravity migration to explore the evolution of the spatio-temporal pattern of ecological environment quality in Kunming from 2000 to 2019, and use single-factor analysis and interactive detection in geographic detectors to analyze its internal driving forces. The results show, (1) From 1995 to 2019, the quality of the ecological environment in Kunming showed a trend of first increasing-then decreasing-then increasing. The overall ecological environment quality was in a general state in the past 25 years, but the ecological environment continued to improve. (2) In the past 25 years, the ecological environment quality grade area of Kunming City is, medium ecological environment area > good ecological environment area > poor ecological environment area > poor ecological environment area > excellent ecological environment area. From the perspective of spatial distribution, the ecological environment quality presents The spatial distribution pattern of high in the southwest and poor in the northeast. (3) From 1995 to 2019, the centers of the standard deviation ellipse of Kunming's ecological environment were relatively close to each other, and the major axes all showed a south-north direction. (4) In Kunming, the ecological environment quality is poor in areas with concentrated rocky desertification, concentrated water and soil erosion, concentrated population and rapid urban expansion, while areas with better ecological environment mostly have higher vegetation coverage. Population and slope are the human activity factors and natural factors that dominate the spatial distribution of ecological environment in Kunming, respectively. Slope, population and GDP, together with other factors, have a significant impact on the quality of ecological environment in Kunming. (5) In the future, Kunming City should rigorously prioritize the protection of key ecological areas, enhance ecological conservation and restoration efforts, optimize land use and development, continuously enhance the quality of the ecological environment, and achieve synchronous and sustainable development of the ecological environment and the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global biodiversity is in crisis as a result of human activity. This biodiversity crisis has been well documented by scientists, recognized by world leaders, politicians, businesses, and citizens. Both the biodiversity and climate crises need to be addressed now. 2020 was when this change was supposed to start, with the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) of the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) meeting in Kunming, and the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Glasgow, but both meetings were postponed. COP26 was held a year late (November 2021), while COP15 was split into two, with the first part held in Kunming in October 2021, and the second part scheduled for Montreal in December 2022. This meeting in Montreal – arguably the most important in the CBDs history – must agree on the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), to reverse biodiversity loss. Failure to reach agreement in Montreal would ultimately be a failure of us all, with irreversible consequences for life on earth. Yet, with three months before the final deadline only 20% of text and two targets are agreed. This paper reviews the factors hindering progress on the agreement and suggests possible solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic soil is widely distributed around Dianchi Lake in Kunming, which is rich in the humic group (HG). In order to explore the effect of HG on the strength development of organic soil, this paper adopts the method of adding humic acid (HA) reagent into the undisturbed cohesive soil (blending method) and soaking it in fulvic acid (FA) solution (steeping method) to simulate the organic soil. Then, the effect of HG on soil is analyzed by the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and the scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests. The UCS test shows that HA can significantly reduce the UCS of the samples, and it continues to decrease with the increase of the HA reagent content. FA can substantially enhance the UCS of the samples, which continues to increase with the concentration of FA solution (decreasing the pH value). Under each HG condition, the steeping of FA can significantly increase the UCS of the sample when the content of the HA reagent is less than 10%, and the growth rate of the UCS decreases when it is greater than 10%. With the increase of steeping age, the UCS of the 5% HA samples continued to increase and gradually became stable, and when the content of the HA reagent is more than 5%, the UCS curve first increases and then decreases. The SEM test shows that adding HA reagent can significantly increase the pore size, improve the connectivity between the pores, and weaken the connection of the soil structure. The steeping of FA can reduce the pore size, weaken the connectivity between the pores, and strengthen the connection of the sample structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration (CYUA) is an important zone of western development in China. The clarification of the spatial structure and changing trends in CYUA could help promote the coordinated development of the CYUA and enhance the overall competitiveness of the region. Based on data from the Yunnan Statistical Yearbook and the nighttime light data, this paper extracts the urban built-up area of the CYUA and analyzes the urban expansion and urban spatial connection intensity of the CYUA from 2000 to 2018 by using the urban gravity center model and the gravity model. The results show the following: (1) From 2000 to 2018, the urban built-up area of the CYUA expanded rapidly, and the urban built-up area increased by 369.35%, with Kunming accounting for 45.41% of the increased area. Kunming was the main contributor to the increase in the urban built-up area in the CYUA. From 2000 to 2018, the urban built-up areas of the CYUA were scattered in various mountain basins. (2) Overall, the urban gravity center of the CYUA has moved to Kunming, and the distance of the urban gravity center has increased since 2005, indicating that urban expansion has accelerated since 2005. (3) The development of the CYUA is extremely unbalanced. The urban spatial connection intensity between Kunming city, Yuxi city, and Qujing city, and Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Chuxiong is relatively strong, while the urban spatial connection intensity among cities other than Kunming is weak. Overall, the CYUA is characterized by stellar radiation with Kunming city as the core and Yuxi city as the secondary core. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An airport gate is the core resource of an airport operation, which is an important place for passengers to get on and off the aircraft and for maintaining aircraft. It is the prerequisite for other related dispatch. Effective and reasonable allocation of gates can reduce airport operating costs and increase passenger satisfaction. Therefore, an airport gate assignment problem (AGAP) needs to be urgently solved in the actual operation of the airport. In this paper, considering the actual operation of the airport, we formulate an integer programming model for AGAP by considering multiple constraints. The model aims to maximize the number of passengers on flights parked at the gate. A tabu search-based algorithm is designed to solve the problem. In the process of algorithm design, an effective initial solution is obtained. A unique neighborhood structure and search strategy for tabu search are designed. The algorithm can adapt to the dynamic scheduling of airports. Finally, tests are performed using actual airport data selected from Kunming Changshui International Airport in China. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method can enhance the local search ability and global search ability and get satisfactory results in a limited time. These results provide an effective support for the actual gate assignment in airport operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on an examination of Ming-dynasty stela inscriptions from Yunnan and focuses mainly on Daoist temple patronage by general Mu Ying 沐英 (1345–1392), adopted son of the first Ming emperor, and his descendants. The Mus, guardians of Yunnan right up until the destruction of the Southern Ming, were the region's most powerful clan. They sponsored a wide variety of Daoist establishments, almost all of them in the Kunming region. No cult received more attention than that of Zhenwu 真武 (Perfected Warrior), the dynasty's official protective deity since the early fifteenth century. Besides inquiring into the religious beliefs informing Mu clan patronage of Daoism, this paper also touches upon the activities of the major Daoist cleric Liu Yuanran 劉淵然 (1351–1432) and some of his leading disciples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power grid dispatching is among the forefront issues in the power industry for it can highly influence the efficiency of electricity-related industries. At present, power grid dispatching is usually managed manually, which is quite time-consuming with the continuous growth of scale and complexity of electric power systems. To mitigate the time cost of power grid dispatching, an automatic power grid dispatching system is proposed. The system contains devices configuration detection, flexible and automatic device detection and vertical encryption to ensure the efficiency, adaptability and security of power gird dispatching. In this paper, modeling and algorithm details of the automatic power grid dispatching system are presented, and the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed system was evaluated with power grid data in Kunming, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction progress of a long-distance project can generally be reflected by the percentage of the total length of the segmented project on the main line to the total length of the line. However, the way to express the construction progress based on the percentage is not intuitive enough and it is difficult to reflect the segmented project. Insufficient progress differences. This paper proposes a 3DGIS-based visualization method of long-distance project construction progress. Through regular project construction progress report, the completed line can be automatically generated. At the same time, the overall and local construction progress can be visually expressed through the superimposed display with the main line of the project and the three-dimensional terrain. The experiment combined with the engineering example of the Kunming section of Central Yunnan Water Diversion Project shows the visualization effect of the excavation progress of the water conveyance tunnel, and verifies the effectiveness of the method in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's first hydroelectric station began producing electricity in 1912, a year better known for marking the end of imperial rule and the advent of republican governance. Located a short distance outside of the southwestern city of Kunming, Shilongba (Stone Dragon Dam) was a cross-cultural endeavour that involved long-distance encounters of both materials and expertise that spanned not just vast expanses within China, but also a world divided by competing imperial interests. The technologies involved were at once both new and old. Turbines and dynamos represented the latest in German innovation, but the techniques used to carve the canal and lower the water table had been perfected over centuries. A history of Shilongba thus allows us to approach China's transition from Empire to Republic not merely as a political process but also as one of multiple makings – of state, technology, energy, society, and not least, history itself. This paper explores these multiple makings, focusing on the first phase of construction from 1908 to 1912, when a dam was constructed, a canal dug, and the first power station established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the morphologies of Villages-in-the-City (ViCs) in Kunming in China and Hanoi in Vietnam, that are undergoing rapid urbanisation and urban transformation. In China, the term Chengzhongcun refers to development of rural settlements that have been included in the urban districts arising from city expansion. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, the phrase Làng trong phố is used to describe settlements in urban areas that used to be rural villages. Both types of settlements share many common characteristics linked to rural background, and to social and economic policies in these two countries. The findings illustrate that spatial transformations are generated by fundamental economic and social changes, and that the influences of land policies and roles played by local government in each country have significant impacts on the formation of the ViCs. Although the planning processes are managed though top-down systems, the diverse practices and small scale and cost-effective tactics contribute to the transitions of the ViCs. The morphological differences between ViCs development in two countries are due to differences in management modes and land use rights. The outcome of this paper contributes to the deeper understanding about similarities and differences of ViCs in the Global South. • This paper examines and compare the morphologies of Villages-in-the-City in Kunming in China and Hanoi in Vietnam. • The diverse practices and small scale tactics contribute to the transition from rural to urban live styles in both places. • The differences between ViCs developments are due to different modes of management and land use rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional point-of-interest (POI) data are collected by professional surveying and mapping organizations and are distributed in electronic maps. With the booming Internet and the development of crowdsourcing, the POI data defined in various formats are issued by some Internet companies and non-profit organizations. Due to the multiple sources and diverse formats of POI data, some problems occur in the data fusion process, such as conceptual definition differences, inconsistent classification, inefficient fusion algorithms, inaccurate fusion results, etc. To overcome the challenges of multi-source POI data fusion, this paper proposes a standardized POI data model and an ontology-based POI category system. Furthermore, a fusion framework and a fusion algorithm based on a two-stage clustering approach are proposed. The proposed method is compared with existing algorithms using datasets of different sizes, including POI surveying and mapping data from Kunming, China, Weibo check-in POI data, and real estate POI data. The experimental results demonstrate that the fusion effects of the proposed algorithm are superior to those of existing algorithms in terms of different evaluation indexes and operational efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the failure mechanism and strengthening effect of a shield tunnel lining structure reinforced via steel plates with corbels. A detailed three-dimensional (3D) numerical model is established for the staggered-joint segmental lining structure of an actual shield tunnel in the Kunming metro-system, which is then validated via a full-scale simulation experiment of the shield tunnel segmental lining structure. Then, the actual loading conditions of the staggered-joint shield tunnel segmental lining structure in the Kunming metro-system are simulated, and the mechanical responses of the segmental lining are analysed in terms of the variation in its diameter, opening amount of the joints and stress of the bolts. The ultimate load-bearing capacity of the lining structure reinforced using steel plates with corbels is improved to 610 kN, which is 41.9% higher than the unreinforced structure with an ultimate load-bearing capacity of 430 kN. Moreover, the strengthening effect of the reinforcement using steel plates with corbels is discussed considering actual field monitoring data and other reinforcement methods. It is concluded that the results of this paper can provide an effective reference for similar reinforcement schemes of shield tunnels. The defined classification criteria can be adopted to determine the deformation stage of reinforced shield tunnels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanisation and complexity of political-economic transition in China has brought about continuous and remarkable changes of urban morphology over the past decades, which were driven by a mixture of spatial, social-economic and institutional forces. Understanding such urban morphological evolution requires new mixed evidence and holistic perspectives. In this paper, it is argued that two dominant types of urban growth in China: low-density expansion and high-density infill, might be driven by different forces at different stages. To interpret the processes of urban development, two easy-to-understand morphological indicators: 'expansion-induced investment density index' (EID) and 'infill-induced investment density index' (IID), are defined to measure the investment density per unit of developed land and used to compare the morphological changes between different phases in a long period by integrating spatial and socio-economic data. The temporal variation of these indicators suggests a cyclic growth model (CGM), which means the periodic switch between low-density expansion and high-density infill. Using Kunming metropolis as a case study, this paper has confirmed that its urban morphological evolution from 1950 to 2014 was periodically and reciprocally driven by a set of vis-à-vis dualistic dynamics, in which low-density expansion is led by pro-growth infrastructure-oriented public investment, while the high-density infill is activated by collective and rational actions of individual enterprises and their economic behaviours. It is concluded that the confirmed CGM model, together with two morphological indicators, offers a new holistic perspective and method to easily and integrally interpret urban morphological evolution and accordingly has potential theoretical implications for reasonably understanding the urbanisation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Right-turn motorized vehicles turn right using channelized islands, which are used to improve the capacity of intersections. For ease of description, these kinds of right-turn motorized vehicles are called advance right-turn motorized vehicles (ARTMVs) in this paper. The authors analyzed four aspects of traffic conflict involving ARTMVs with other forms of traffic flow. A capacity model of ARTMVs is presented here using shockwave theory and gap acceptance theory. The proposed capacity model was validated by comparison to the results of the observations based on data collected at a single intersection with channelized islands in Kunming, the Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) model and the VISSIM simulation model. To facilitate engineering applications, the relationship describing the capacity of the ARTMVs with reference to the distance between the conflict zone and the stop line and the relationship describing the capacity of the ARTMVs with reference to the effective red time of the nonmotorized vehicles moving in the same direction were analyzed. The authors compared these results to the capacity of no advance right-turn motorized vehicles (NARTMVs). The results show that the capacity of the ARTMVs is more sensitive to the changes in the arrival rate of nonmotorized vehicles when the arrival rate of the nonmotorized vehicles is 500  (veh/h)~2000  (veh/h) than when the arrival rate is some other value. In addition, the capacity of NARTMVs is greater than the capacity of ARTMVs when the nonmotorized vehicles have a higher arrival rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn rust disease can be classified into four types: common corn rust, southern corn rust, tropical corn rust and stem corn rust. In this paper, 270 samples of corn rust gathered from Yunnan province were identified by observation of symptom and pathogen morphology, detection of specific molecular markers between Puccinia sorghi Schw and Puccinia polysora Unedrw. The results showed that 180 samples of corn rust collected form Qujing, Zhaotong, Kunming, Honghe (Mile, Kaiyuan and Jianshui) were common corn rust caused by Puccinia sorghi Schw; and 90 samples of corn rust collected form Wenshan and Honghe (Pinbian) were southern corn rust. Morphology and aspect ratio compared Puccinia sorghi Schw with Puccinia polysora Unedrw. The uredospores of Puccinia polysora Unedrw were oval and the aspect ratio of 81.6% of all uredospores from Puccinia polysora Unedrw was greater than 1.2. The uredospores of Puccinia sorghi Schw were nearly round, and their aspect ratio was 1.0-1.3. In addition, the population genetic structure of all corn rust samples was analyzed by ISSR molecular marker. Concerning Puccinia polysora Unedrw, the genetic diversity was larger in Wenshan than in Honghe. In Puccinia sorghi Schw, the population genetic diversity was larger in Zhaotong and the lowest in Kunming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poria coco F.A.Wolf (Polyporaceae) dispels dampness and promotes diuresis implying hypouricaemic action. To examine hypouricaemic action of Poria coco. Ethanol extract (PCE) was prepared by extracting the sclerotium of P. cocos with ethanol, and the water extract (PCW) was produced by bathing the remains with water. PCE and PCW (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, respectively) were orally administered to hyperuricemic Kunming mice (n = 8) to examine its hypouricaemic effect. Also, molecular docking was performed. P. cocos showed excellent hypouricaemic action, decreasing the serum uric acid of hyperuricaemia (HUA) control (526 ± 112 μmol/L) to 178 ± 53, 153 ± 57 and 151 ± 62 μmol/L (p < 0.01) by PCE and 69 ± 23, 63 ± 15 and 62 ± 20 μmol/L (p < 0.01) by PCW, respectively. According to SCrs, BUNs and H&E staining, PCE and PCW partially attenuated renal dysfunction caused by HUA. They presented no negative effects on ALT, AST and ALP activities. They elevated ABCG2 (ATP-binding cassette super-family G member 2) mRNA and protein expression in comparison to HUA control. In molecular docking, compound 267, 277, 13824, 15730 and 5759 were predicted as the top bioactives of P. cocos against HUA, which even presented better scores than the positive compound, oestrone 3-sulfate. This paper demonstrated the hypouricaemic and nephroprotective effects of P. cocos in hyperuricemic mice by up-regulating ABCG2. These results may be useful for the development of a hypouricaemic agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the aesthetic and ideological positioning behind the Yi Compatriots Music and Dance Performance, a performance that took place in Kunming in 1946. By considering the development of the performance, the performance program, the intellectual ideas of Liang Lun and Wen Yiduo (two key figures in the organization of the performance), and finally some of the ensuing textual accounts of the performance, this article situates the "Yi Compatriots Music and Dance Performance" within the overlapping and often paradoxical artistic and political discourses of the time. Analyzing how the performance engages with the Euro-American discourse of modernist primitivism, this paper demonstrates a complex ideological relationship between early 20th century Euro-American modern dance and late Republican ethnic minority dance forms in China. Ultimately, this paper suggests that the Yi Compatriots performance contributed to a new epistemological framework through which to understand the meaning of ethnic dance in modern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At Kunming International Flower Auction Market (KIFA), about 2.5 million cut flowers traded in 10,000 transactions need to be distributed daily to buyers in its distribution area. Small lots and many buyers per trolley are two distinctive features at KIFA and the identities of the buyers and their demands are not known in advance. The growing transaction volume has recently increased the distribution workforce and the buyers’ waiting time. In this paper, we introduce a modified class-based location policy using KIFA’s historical data to improve its current put system performance. We use the closest-open location method in each class area, which improves the put system performance at KIFA. We examine the effects of the distribution area shape and the number of blocks in each class area on performance measures, and find that KIFA’s put system performance can be further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study uses the 2012 household skills survey conducted by the World Bank in Kunming, China, to investigate the relationship between personality traits and entrepreneurial development with a discrete choice model. The paper systematically examines whether different kinds of personality characteristics measured by the Big Five traits (extroversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, emotional stability. and openness) and risk preference influence entrepreneurial development in western China. The analysis indicates that personalities have significant effects on entrepreneurship behavior in general. In particular, individuals with higher risk preferences, extroversion, emotional stability, and conscientiousness are associated with a higher probability of choosing entrepreneurship. However, other factors have negligible impacts on entrepreneurship in our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a novel grey wolf optimization-extreme learning machine model, namely, the GWO-ELM model, to train and predict the ground subsidence by combining the extreme learning machine with the grey wolf optimization algorithm. Taking an excavation project of a foundation pit of Kunming in China as an example, after analyzing the settlement monitoring data of cross sections JC55 and JC56, the representative monitoring sites JC55-2 and JC56-1 were selected as the training monitoring samples of the GWO-ELM model. And three kinds of GWO-ELM models such as considering the influence of time series, influence of settlement factors, and after optimization were established to predict the ground settlement near the foundation pit. The predictive results are that their average relative error and average absolute error are ranked from large to small as GWO-ELM model based on time series, GWO-ELM model based on settlement factors, and optimized GWO-ELM model for the three kinds of GWO-ELM models at monitoring points JC55-2 and JC56-1. Accordingly, the optimized GWO-ELM model has the strongest predictive ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a long-term comprehensive instrumentation program, the performance of an excavation pit constructed by the top-down method in downtown Kunming was extensively examined. The measured excavation responses included the deflections of diaphragm wall, vertical column movement, slab axial force, building settlement caused by ground deformation, and the influence of pit excavation on the adjacent subway tunnel. This paper analyses the monitoring data of the existing construction stage. Based on the analyses on the data of field and numerical simulation, the following major findings were obtained: (1) the relationship between the measured maximum wall deflection, δ h m , and excavation depth, H , in this study is δ h m = 0.06 % H ∼ 0.27 % H , which is quite different compared with the relationship of soft-soil pit δ h m = 0.02 % H ∼ 1.2 % H , but closer to the normalized curve of rock-socketed pile δ h m = 0.01 % H ∼ 0.45 % H and rock-socketed diaphragm wall δ h m = 0.031 % H ∼ 0.129 % H. (2) The relationship between the maximum settlement of column ( δ p ) and excavation depth (H) is δ p = − 0.09 % ∼ 0.04 % H. The maximum distortion between the diaphragm wall and the column is less than 1/500 of the limit range proposed by Bjerrum. (3) The impact range caused by excavation is about 3.8 times the maximum excavation depth. The ground settlement around the foundation pit is groove type, and the maximum settlement point is located at 2.7 times the maximum excavation depth. (4) The excavation of the foundation pit leads to the maximum vertical settlement of 2 mm and maximum horizontal displacement of 5.2 mm in the subway tunnel; the maximum change of axial force and bending moment are 8.8 kN (the vertical direction) and 6.4 kN·m/m (the horizontal direction), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the ion continuity equation solved under chemical equilibrium, a physical model of the D-region ionosphere (60–90 km) is established. The model involves 145 ion chemical reactions and includes 23 kinds of positive ions, 11 kinds of negative ions, and electrons. The simulation results show that molecular ions, such as NO+, NO+(H2O)n, H+(H2O)n, CO3−, and O3−, are the main components of ions in the D-region. The diurnal change of electron density at low latitudes is more obvious than at high latitudes. Preliminary comparisons with the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) model and observed data of Medium Frequency (MF) radar at Kunming Radio Wave Observation Station show that the model is able to describe the basic features of D-region parameters. In addition, the results show that the minimum height of the D-region lower boundary in the low latitude is approximately 65 ± 1 km, and the height during the daytime is strongly correlated with local time. Furthermore, the results also reveal that the asymmetry of electron density is observed, with higher electron density during sunset than during sunrise at 75–85 km altitude. These above results are helpful for better understanding the variation of the D-region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the past 20 years, composite systems have dominated supertall construction. This paper will present composite construction solutions at system and component level in the design of supertall buildings using the example of the 407m tall Kunming Tower. The tower utilizes an innovative tied‐braced frame structural system at the perimeter and strategically placed energy dissipating mechanisms to meet the Chinese code requirements and to achieve seismic performance objectives. Given the complexity of the non‐prescriptive structure, many advanced analyses were performed to verify building behavior and optimize the structural system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the track irregularity at transition zones between subgrade and rigid structures (bridge, tunnel, etc.), some common transition approaches, such as trapezoid subgrade, were adopted in many engineering areas. However, in regard to a mountainous area, the common transition approaches may not be practicable anymore due to the limitation of the length between subgrade and rigid structures. In this paper, a new type of bridge-tunnel transition section with a deeply buried pile-plank structure (DBPPS) for short-distance transition is introduced. A three-dimensional finite element model that considers vehicle-track-subgrade coupling vibration is proposed to study the dynamic performances of a DBPPS transition section in the Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway. With this model that has been validated with measured responses from field tests, the dynamic responses and the smoothness in track stiffness along the transition zone are analyzed. In addition, the influences of train speed, axle load, and train direction on dynamic responses are investigated, and the influences of two optimization strategies, including varying-length piles and constant-length piles, on the stiffness smoothness of the DBPPS transition section are discussed. Results show that the vibration level of the DBPPS transition section is lower than that of the abutment and the tunnel, and the additional load caused by vertical track stiffness difference aggravates the vibration at the connections between the DBPPS transition section and the abutment (or tunnel). Furthermore, the smoothness in stiffness along the transition zone can be significantly improved by the improvement strategy with varying-length piles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents the first article in a series on Yunnanese microfungi. We herein provide insights into Magnolia species associated with microfungi. All presented data are reported from the Kunming Botanical Gardens. Final conclusions were derived from the morphological examination of specimens coupled with phylogenetic sequence data to better integrate taxa into appropriate taxonomic ranks and infer their relationships. Shearia formosa, the type species of Shearia, lacks type material, and its phylogenetic position accordingly remains unresolved. A fresh collection of Shearia formosa, obtained from Magnolia denudata and M. soulangeana in China, therefore, designated a neotype for stabilizing the application of the species and/or genus name. Phylogenetic analyses of a combined DNA data matrix containing SSU, LSU, RPB2 and TEF loci of representative Pleosporales revealed that the genera Crassiperidium, Longiostiolum and Shearia are a well-defined monophylum. It is recognized as the family Longiostiolaceae and strongly supported by Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood methods. Its members are characterized by immersed to semi-immersed, globose to subglobose ascomata with a central, periphysate ostiole, a peridium composed of rectangular to polygonal cells, cylindrical to clavate asci, broadly fusiform, hyaline to pale brown ascospores, a coelomycetous asexual morph with pycnidial conidiomata, enteroblastic, annellidic, ampulliform, doliiform or cylindrical conidiogenous cells and cylindrical to fusiform, transverse and sometimes laterally distoseptate conidia without a sheath or with a basal lateral sheath. Nigrograna magnoliae sp. nov. is introduced from Magnolia denudata with both asexual and sexual morphs. We observed the asexual morph of Brunneofusispora sinensis from the culture and therefore amended the generic and species descriptions of Brunneofusispora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper introduces a new and unique full‐scale testbed site for structural health monitoring and soil–structure system identification studies being developed in southwest China. The site is a 48‐story skyscraper with an extended four‐level basement, supported by piles, located in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province. Located in the diffused zone of collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, Yunnan is one of the most active seismic areas in mainland China. The final sensor deployment will consist of 43 triaxial accelerometers (129 channels) and one weather station. The accelerometer array comprises (a) a structural array of 25 accelerometers installed at 10 levels aboveground, (b) a basement array of 14 accelerometers distributed in the first and fourth basements, and (c) two borehole arrays installed close to the basement perimeter wall, each with one accelerometers at the surface and another one at 50‐m depth, which is the depth reached by the piles. With such dense instrumentation of structure, basement, and pile foundation, this site will be the first permanently instrumented full‐scale testbed to enable identification of a soil‐foundation–basement‐structure system and validation of many assumptions commonly made in the prediction of the soil–structure interaction effects. A high‐performance wired local area network has been installed in the building, featuring a Precision Time Protocol‐enabled time synchronization and real‐time remote access over the Internet. The site will be fully operational in late spring of 2020. Results of preliminary system identification of the structure from ambient vibration test data are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic resonance sounding (MRS) method can noninvasively, directly, and quantitatively detect groundwater and forecast the potential for a water-induced disaster during tunnel construction. However, due to the spatial limitations of underground engineering, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the receiving signal is low (<1), which severely limits the reliability of the disaster warning. Thus, the question of how to design the meter-scale antenna and improve the SNR has become the bottleneck that restricts the successful application of the underground MRS method. To address this problem, we comprehensively consider the factors of detection depth, signal amplitude, and antenna size and weight using theoretical calculations and model simulations in this paper. We determine that an 8-turn transmitting antenna and a 30-turn receiving antenna with both side lengths of 6 m constitute an effective combination for achieving reliable detection of large water-bearing structures. Meanwhile, we propose a front-end matching circuit for a high-inductance antenna to solve the problem of attenuation of the signal amplitude due to high impedance and successfully increase the SNR from 1.12 to 5.13. Finally, in the tunnel of the Shanghai–Kunming high-speed railway of China, we perform the field measurement of an underground river and validate the practicability of the proposed antenna and matching circuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to monitor and correct the meteorological factors of the spring gravity meter, the characteristics of the time varying gravity changes caused by meteorological factors were analyzed. Kunming GS15 gravity meter from 2007 continuous gravity observation has been carried out with the sampling rate of the pressure observation. In this study, we first compare the effects of 4 types of gravity meter and 3 different types of stations on the gravity observed seasonal gravity signals. It is indicated that the observed seasonal gravity signal of the cave is only 1/10, and there is a constant temperature and constant pressure device. Compared with the same time, the gravity signal of the gravity signal is about 100 times smaller. The influence of the pressure load of the gravity meter is tested by using the theory of pressure. The results show that only the actual value of 2cpd - 3cpd pressure load varies from -0.395 to -0.280 x 10-8ms-2, and the 1cpd to 1 cpm periodic partial type gravity meter is also in accordance with the law of gravity and air pressure. And with the characteristics of time lag. In this paper, the nonlinear zero drift parameters of the linear regression model with time lag and the time series of the GS15 gravity meter are used to simulate the nonlinear zero drift parameters of the gravity meter. The results show that the gravity signal contains time lag 35 hours, and the air pressure admittance is 0.8 x 10-8ms-2 /mbar. The correlation can reach 79%. The gravity changes signal and satellite gravity as well as the gravity water load signal of the land water model are the same as the gravity water load signal in the autumn as the minimum value, and the seasonal variation of the maximum value of gravity in summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of the current global climate change, rapid urbanization, and sustained population growth, frequent natural and social disasters pose an increasingly serious threat to human life and property. The imperative to elevate the level of urban safety resilience has become a focal point in global urban disaster prevention and mitigation efforts. This study aims to examine the disaster resilience level in the central urban area of Kunming, Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, southwest China. Our focus lies on three representative dimensions: urban ecology, transportation, and flooding, which denote the natural, social, and combined natural–social safety resilience capacities of the study area. We identified indicator factors influencing urban safety resilience, categorizing them into resistance, adaptability, and resilience components. A disaster resilience evaluation system was constructed and quantitatively expressed in a geographic information system. By comparing the levels of urban ecological, transportation, and flood safety resilience in Kunming's central urban area, we unveil safety risks and associated problems related to urbanization in the process, along with their interconnections. Our findings indicate that urban flood resilience is generally higher in mature urban areas and new districts than in urban-rural and suburban areas. Additionally, improvements in urban ecological and transportation resilience contribute to enhanced urban flood resilience. Social factors significantly impact the level of urban safety resilience. This study offers valuable insights for constructing safe and resilient cities in mountainous regions, supporting decision-making in urban disaster planning research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main city of Kunming is located on the north bank of Dianchi Lake. The complex geological environment, large-scale construction, and expansion of the city in recent years have caused uneven land surface subsidence and threatened public safety. In this study, Sentinel-1 ascending and descending orbit datasets were collected for the period of February 2018 to May 2021. The characteristics of surface displacement in the Kunming downtown area were monitored using the time-series interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique, and attribution analysis was performed. It was found that areas with more severe surface settlement were concentrated in the International Exhibition Center area and the large, newly built communities near Dianchi Lake and the Xiaobanqiao Region. The multifactor attribution analysis results demonstrated that the subsidence areas are concentrated in urban villages and engineered, construction-intensive areas in the lakeside sedimentary layer area, with the maximum displacement rate reaching −23.12 mm/a in the line-of-sight direction of the Sentinel-1 ascending dataset. The reliability of the InSAR results was cross-validated with ascending and descending results. This study provides a scientific reference for urban development planning and potential geological disaster detection in Kunming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking Dianchi Lakeview Golf Course in Kunming, Yunnan, China as the object of landscape evaluation, this paper constructed an evaluation index system with the functionality, beauty and ecology of the golf course as the criteria, carried out the landscape evaluation of Dianchi Lakeview Golf Course using the semantic differential (SD), the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation and other methods, and discussed the methods, indicators and models of landscape evaluation of urban golf courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By analyzing the climate records of Kunming from 1957 to 2016, Kunming’s average temperature has been found to be increasing in recent 65 years. The key problem lies in the temperature rise in recent 10 or more years by 0.4 ℃/10 a and the annual range decrease at the same time, represented as the elevation of the lowest temperature and increasingly warmer winter in Kunming. With the warming climate, the precipitation has suffered a prominent fall, by 18.05 mm/a in the past 14 years. The relative humidity is in direct proportion to the precipitation, which explains less water and drier climate in Kunming. With "One increase and two decreases" of the three key climate indexes changes in Kunming in the past 65 years, this paper analyzed the necessity and general situation of the sponge city construction in the city, proposed the overall planning of sponge city construction at the macro level, selected the sponge technology based on the urban construction land types, and planned the regulation facilities based on the catchment area and green space structure. Moreover, the paper explored the sponge city planning at the meso level and the sponge city eco-engineering technology at the micro level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]