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Invasive species have had substantial impacts on global mangrove forests. Apple snails (Pomacea canaliculata) have invaded mangrove forests in China. To clarify the potential detritivorous diet of P. canaliculata, the growth and feeding indicators of invasive juvenile snails collected from mangroves in Guangzhou, China, were studied using decaying leaf litter from five mangrove species, including Acanthus ilicifolius, Acrostichum aureum, Kandelia candel, Aegiceras corniculatum, and Sonneratia apetala. The growth indicators of the survival ratio and specific growth rate were calculated by measuring the live weight of the snails and the number of dead snails after 30 days. The feeding indicator of the weight-specific daily feeding rate (WDR) was calculated by measuring the snail weight and the amount of leaf litter ingested after 120 h. A multiple-choice experiment was performed on the snails by providing the decaying leaf species together, while a no-choice experiment was performed using a single species of decaying leaf litter. The survival and specific growth ratio of P. canaliculata feeding on decaying leaf litter of A. ilicifolius were higher than those for A. aureum. The WDR values of P. canaliculata feeding on the decaying leaf litter of A. ilicifolius and S. apetala were both significantly higher than those for A. corniculatum, A. aureum, and K. candel. The lowest WDR value of P. canaliculata feeding on decaying leaf litter was observed for A. aureum in the no-choice experiment. P. canaliculata mainly fed on decaying leaf litter of A. ilicifolius and S. apetala. The phosphorous contents and ash of the decaying leaf litter positively affected the WDR values of P. canaliculata obtained in the multiple-choice and no-choice experiments. The contents of lignin, tannin, and flavonoid negatively affected the WDR values of P. canaliculata. The potential diet of invasive P. canaliculata in mangroves was closely tied to the chemical characteristics of the decaying leaf litter. P. canaliculata can invade A. ilicifolius and/or S. apetala mangroves by utilizing the debris on the mangrove ground. Understanding the potential detritivorous diet of P. canaliculata in invaded mangroves can help us to assess this species' dispersal risk and provide support for mangrove management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic speed is an essential indicator for measuring traffic conditions. Real-time and accurate traffic speed prediction is an essential part of building intelligent transportation systems (ITS). Currently, speed prediction methods are characterized by insufficient short-term prediction accuracy and stability, nonlinear, nonstationary, strong fluctuation and relatively small sample size. To better explore the traffic characteristics of the road networks, a hybrid prediction model based on wavelet transform (WT) of the autoregressive moving average model (ARIMA) and gate recurrent unit (GRU) was constructed. First, this model decomposes the original traffic speed data into low-frequency data, and high-frequency data by WT. Second, the ARIMA and GRU models are used to model data predictions in two frequency bands, respectively. Finally, the prediction result of the predicted value is fused. In addition, in this paper, traffic speed data of four sections in Guangzhou from 1 August to 31 September 2016 are taken as examples to test the validity, applicability, and practicability of the model. The results show that compared with ARIMA, LSTM, GRU, RNN, and other single models and hybrid models, the prediction method proposed in this paper has higher prediction accuracy and can provide a more scientific decision-making basis for urban traffic management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering China's 'isolated' digital ecosystem, this paper examines China's 'check-in' activities to understand how the wanghong economy is driving China's new rounds of urban development, with the purpose of supplementing existing research on digital economies from the Chinese context. Focusing on a representative case study area called Dongshankou in Guangzhou, which is regarded as one of the most popular wanghong places and an emerging commercial centre, I sought to enrich existing studies about digital economies and extend scholarship on platform urbanism from the cultural economy perspective. First, I argue that Chinese consumers' check-in activities function as the data accumulation process, structuring Dongshankou's digital capital through the assemblage of online posts and geotags. Therefore, Dongshankou's urban development challenges the conventional view of creativity as the key factor in the cultural economy for urban development, given that digital capital is now the key driver for urban development in the digital age. Second, the growth of wanghong stores in Dongshankou reveals how the wanghong economy is materialised into urban cultural objects. Emotional value – a crucial selling point that these wanghong stores aim to provide to facilitate consumers' check-in activities – illustrates how China's highly participatory digital ecosystem extracts users' emotions and bodily experiences into the process of capital accumulation, which structures the 'platform urbanism' through our daily lives. This paper broadens the horizon for an alternative theoretical agenda in platform urbanism: beyond focusing solely on platform algorithms, how digital platforms and emotions become inextricably linked in economic production should be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid expansion of metro networks, e.g., in many cities of China, continuously introduces the operation of new stations every year. Due to the lack of historical data and complicate variations of short-term passenger flow in the early stage of operation, it is difficult to accurately predict inbound and outbound passenger flows of new metro stations in the short term, which would be the database for train scheduling for new stations before operation, dynamic capacity optimization for new stations under operation, short-term prediction of cycle sharing demands near new stations, and so on. Traditional methods usually failed to exactly reflect the complicate rules or were unusable without the new station's historical data. In order to solve the above problems, this paper proposes a short-term inbound and outbound passenger flow prediction model for new metro stations at the early stage of operation by combining the K-means clustering algorithm, an improved spatiotemporal long short-term memory model (Sp-LSTM), and a real-time feedback error model (mean absolute error, MAE), where passenger flows' spatial-temporal characteristics and land-use relevance are considered. The application in Guangzhou Metro, China, where Line 21 is regarded as a new line, shows that the proposed K-Sp-LSTM model has the best prediction accuracy compared with traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the problem of spacing control between adjacent trains in train formation and proposes a distributed train-formation speed-convergence cooperative-control algorithm based on barrier Lyapunov function. Considering practical limitations such as communication distance and bandwidth constraints during operation, not all trains can directly communicate with the leader and obtain the expected trajectory it sends, making it difficult to maintain formation consistency as per the predetermined ideal state. Furthermore, to address the challenge of unknown external disturbances encountered by trains during operation, this paper designs a distributed observer deployed on each train in the formation. This observer can estimate and dynamically compensate for unknown reference trajectories and disturbances solely based on the states of adjacent trains. Additionally, to ensure that the spacing between adjacent trains remains within a predefined range, a safety hard constraint, this paper encodes the spacing hard constraint using barrier Lyapunov function. By integrating nonlinear adaptive control theory to handle model parameter uncertainties, a barrier Lyapunov function-based adaptive control method is proposed, which enables all trains to track the reference trajectory while ensuring that the spacing between them remains within the preset interval, therefore guaranteeing the asymptotic stability of the closed-loop system. Finally, a practical example using data from the Guangzhou Metro Line 22, specifically the route from Shiguang Road Station to Chentougang Station over three stations and two sections, is utilized to validate the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the expansion of the metropolitan area, the application of express/local mode is gradually increasing. In contrast to the normal mode, the express/local mode has advantages in reducing energy consumption and saving total travel time by having express trains skipping some stops. This paper aims to minimize the total energy consumption of express and local train throughout the day by optimizing the train operation strategy in the same power supply section and increasing the overlap time between train traction acceleration and train regenerative braking to obtain the optimal energy‐efficient timetable. As the consumed energy of a train is highly dependent on the rolling stock weight and the on‐board passengers' weight. An integer programming model is proposed with on‐board passengers considered accurately, in which the dwell times, departure headway, and total turnaround time of express and local trains are determined. An improved grey wolf algorithm is designed by improving convergence factor and incorporating differential evolution to solve the proposed problem. The real data on Guangzhou Metro Line 18 is adopted for numerical studies. The results show that the optimized timetable increases the regenerative energy utilization rate by 21.37% and reduces the total energy consumption by 5.02% compared to the operational timetable. This paper aims to minimize the total energy consumption of express and local train throughout the day by optimizing the train operation strategy in the same power supply section and increasing the overlap time between train traction acceleration and train regenerative braking to obtain the optimal energy‐efficient timetable. An integer programming model is proposed with on‐board passengers considered accurately, in which the dwell times, departure headway, and total turnaround time of express and local trains are determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The park-level integrated energy system (PIES) can realize the gradient utilization of energy and improve the efficiency of energy utilization through the coupling between multiple types of energy sub-networks. However, energy analysis and exergy analysis cannot be used to evaluate the economics of PIES. In addition, conflicts of interest among integrated energy suppliers make the economic scheduling of the PIES more difficult. In this paper, we propose a multi-objective collaborative game-based optimization method based on exergy economics, in which the introduction of exergy economics realizes the economic assessment of any link within the PIES, and the optimization model constructed based on the potential game solves the problem of conflict of interest among multiple energy suppliers and improves the benefits of each supplier. Finally, taking a PIES in Guangzhou as an example, the rationality of the optimization scheme proposed in this paper is demonstrated by comparing it with the classical optimization scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address the dynamic changes in vessel preferences for berth lines caused by the deployment of shore-based power equipment in major ports and the collaborative scheduling problem of berthing and towing assistance, this paper quantifies the environmental costs of pollutants from the main engines of tugs and auxiliary engines of container ships using an environmental tax. Additionally, considering the economic costs such as vessel delay and shore power cable connection, a two-layer mixed-integer linear programming model is constructed using the task sequence mapping method. This model integrates the allocation of continuous berths at container terminals with coordinated towing scheduling for shore power selection. A solution approach is designed by combining the commercial solver (CPLEX) and the immune particle swarm optimization algorithm (IAPSO). The proposed scheme is validated using the example of the Nansha Phase IV Terminal at the Port of Guangzhou. The results show that compared to the traditional first-come-first-served and adjacent scheduling schemes, the collaborative scheduling scheme proposed in this paper reduces the total cost by 21.73%. By effectively utilizing berth resources and shore power equipment while densely arranging collaborative tasks and appropriately increasing the number of tugs, the port can convert the economic cost of leasing a small number of tugs (increased by 10.63%) into environmental benefits (decreased by 33.88%). This approach provides a reference for addressing nearshore pollution emissions in ports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cities are emerging as the frontiers of low-carbon transition. The emergence of low-carbon cities in East Asian developmental states is often seen as serving nation-state-led transformative development and economic restructuring. But how are specific low-carbon infrastructures socially produced at the city level, especially in the context of social protests? What is the role of the local state? This paper addresses these questions through the case of Guangzhou's waste-to-energy incineration, an infrastructure that was selected as a national low-carbon technology in China in 2014. The paper proposes a conceptual framework of "performative legitimation of infrastructure" and, drawing from the empirical work, identifies five performative governance tools – (re)conceptualization, reterritorialization, bureaucratization, culturalization and codification – which respond to evolving social demands, consolidate the legitimacy of incineration and regulate state–society relations in different contexts. The production of urban low-carbon infrastructure is presented as a material-discursive process that supports the legitimation of the local state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As educational paradigms evolve, the integration of multi-sensory theory into the design of children's educational toys presents a promising avenue for enhancing learning experiences. This paper explores the efficacy of multi-sensory toys in improving children's attraction, interest, and learning efficiency through a systematic review and a pilot empirical study. The study specifically assesses the hypothesis that multi-sensory educational toys significantly increase children's engagement and learning outcomes compared to traditional toys. Conducted with a diverse group of children aged 3-6 in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, China, the research employs both quantitative and qualitative methodologies, including engagement metrics and observational studies. The findings suggest that multisensory toys not only hold the potential to augment learning experiences but also require careful consideration of individual learning styles and preferences. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications for future research and toy design, emphasizing the need for continued innovation and personalization in the development of educational toys to cater to the multifaceted needs of young learners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting carbon prices is crucial for the growth of China's carbon trading industry. This paper proposes a residual correction model that considers multiple influencing factors. First, the best historical data and main external factors input by the model are determined by using the partial autocorrelation function and Spearman correlation analysis, and the carbon price forecasting index system is constructed. Second, the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) is utilized to determine the optimal parameters of the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), and the WOA‐XGBoost model is built to perform preliminary carbon price forecasts and obtain the residual series. Finally, the carbon price residual series undergoes decomposition into multiple components utilizing the complete ensemble empirical mode decomposition for subsequent forecasting and the aggregation of outcomes. Experiments are conducted to predict two carbon trading markets in Hubei and Guangzhou, and a feature importance analysis is performed. The results indicate that the proposed hybrid model consistently outperforms the comparative models in terms of prediction accuracy. Furthermore, it is revealed that historical carbon prices and European Union carbon prices are the key factors influencing the prediction of carbon market prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With a large number of new energy vehicles being put into use, it is the general trend for traditional fuel vehicles to withdraw from the market in an orderly manner. Determining the optimal ratio between them in this process is of great significance to the low-carbon sustainable development of cities. Therefore, considering the constraints of urban automobile development planning and air pollution prevention and control policies, a multi-objective model to minimize pollutants and costs is constructed in this paper. Through model calculation and sensitivity analysis of dynamic impact relationship of different types of vehicles, it is determined that when new energy vehicles account for around 36% in Beijing, 57% in Shanghai and 46% in Guangzhou, the pollutant emissions can be minimized without causing a significant increase in social costs. Additionally, compared with 2030, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou can achieve emission reductions of 320,000 tons, 200,000 tons and 250,000 tons, respectively, in 2050 if they implement the policy of banning the sale and delisting of fuel vehicles, which could provide suggestions for the guidance of the low-carbon development plan of the automobile industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores how the busy mindset, a common mindset in modern society, affects consumers' evaluations of new products. It proposes that a busy mindset increases the consumer's evaluation of new products and outlines the mediating role of self-efficacy and the moderating role of perceived economic mobility. The study enriches the research on busy mindsets and new product evaluations and makes practical contributions to enterprises in management and marketing. The paper used three formal experiments (Ns = 196, 84, 277). Participants in studies 1 and 2 were students recruited from different colleges in Guangzhou city, China. The sample in study 3 were adults from all over China recruited from www.wjx.cn. This research shows that activating participants' busy mindsets will increase their evaluations of new products, with self-efficacy as the mediator and economic mobility as the moderator. There may still be other mediating explanations, such as a sense of control. Meanwhile, this study's current manipulation method of busyness mainly focuses on writing tasks; thus, researchers can adopt more new manipulation methods of busyness in a realistic context. Marketers can improve consumers' evaluations and attitudes to new products by stimulating their busy mindsets and briefly activating their highly perceived economic mobility. Unlike previous studies, this research distinguishes between time pressure and a busy mindset. Meanwhile, our results show that the effect of a busy mindset differs from the effect of time pressure on new product evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization is an important process in China's urban development, significantly contributing to resource allocation and the cooperative development of neighboring cities. In recent years, remote-sensing technology has emerged as a powerful tool in urbanization research. However, the disparity in development between urban and rural areas poses challenges in evaluating the degree of urbanization within a region. This paper addresses this issue by using LCZ (Local Climate Zone) data to provide a unified framework for analyzing a human settlement environmental geographic dataset. This study focuses on the spatial development and transformation of the Guangzhou–Foshan urbanization from 2000 to 2020. The LCZ data offer a suitable framework for examining urban–rural gradients, facilitating the analysis of spatial characteristics under varying development conditions. This unified framework enables a comprehensive analysis of the spatiotemporal characteristics of urban spatial integration. The results show that the analysis of the Guangzhou–Foshan metropolitan area reveals that the region has maintained a "core–edge" spatial structure over the past 20 years. The development rate has decelerated following policy changes in 2010, with the adjacent area experiencing significantly slower development compared to the overall study area. LCZ data are effective for comparative analysis of internal spatial development within urban areas, offering a novel approach to studying spatial integration amid urban development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of Africans in Guangzhou, China in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic - here referred to as the "Guangzhou episode" - generated strong criticisms and made news headlines within and outside Africa. This paper analyzes the reportage of the episode in four online African newspapers: two each from Nigeria and Ghana. Specifically, it sheds light on how the episode was framed, comparing coverage between both countries. Using a discourse analysis that prioritizes language, source, and focus, the paper demonstrates that while Western media were important influences and sources for the newspapers, the African migrants' experiences in the episode were largely framed within (ahistorical) victimhood. Yet the idea of "African" migrants had a noticeable Nigerian dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the complex interplay between economic and cultural–historical factors, this paper explores scene perception and its mechanism in individual and collective cognition of historical commercial streets. Based on a perception model constructed from scene theory, the study utilizes user scene experience feedback from Beijing Road, a commercial pedestrian street in Guangzhou. It conducts a systematic assessment using hierarchical analysis (AHP) across three dimensions: authenticity, theatricality, and legitimacy. The findings reveal the following: (1) according to visitors, traditional cuisine, cultural and creative arts, and Lingnan's intangible cultural heritage received low ratings; (2) historical relics and traditional cuisine are dominant factors, highlighting public attention to cultural heritage, but the role of historical–cultural characteristics and festival activities is relatively marginalized; (3) cultural–historical relics and traditional cuisine are the leading factors that contribute to an authentic experience, while historical context and festival activities constitute secondary factors; (4) cultural landscapes and arts are central to theatrical experiences, with modern visual elements playing a lesser role; (5) diversified commercial formats and public services are the core factors influencing legitimacy experience, reflecting the role of market diversity and policy orientation in building consumer trust. The design of historical and cultural streets should prioritize the preferences of those experiencing them to promote cultural identity and historical continuity. Additionally, the synergy between commercial diversity and policy orientation should be strategically emphasized to form a business ecosystem supporting sustainable development. Future commercial street renewals should focus on the key role of visual narrative in shaping brand culture. This paper offers insights into the dynamic process of constructing scene experience from perspectives of spatial materialization and emotional empowerment to cultural identity, providing references for strategies in historical place renewal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide scientific guidance for the integration of industrialization and information (TIOII). In recent years, TIOII has promoted the development of intelligent manufacturing in China. However, many enterprises blindly invest in TIOII, which affects their normal production and operation. Design/methodology/approach: This study establishes an efficiency evaluation model for TIOII. In this paper, entropy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) constraint cone and cross-efficiency are added based on traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) model, and entropy AHP–cross-efficiency DEA model is proposed. Then, statistical analysis is carried out on the integration efficiency of enterprises in Guangzhou using cross-sectional data, and the traditional DEA model and entropy AHP–cross-efficiency DEA model are used to analyze the integration efficiency of enterprises. Findings: The data show that the efficiency of enterprise integration is at a medium level in Guangzhou. The efficiency of enterprise integration has no significant relationship with enterprise size and production type but has a low negative correlation with the development level of enterprise integration. In addition, the improved DEA model can better reflect the real integration efficiency of enterprises and obtain complete ranking results. Originality/value: By adding the entropy AHP constraint cone and cross-efficiency, the traditional DEA model is improved. The improved DEA model can better reflect the real efficiency of TIOII and obtain complete ranking results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a questionnaire survey and semistructured interviews, this paper adopts a structural equation model to analyze the impact of official hospital WeChat accounts on urban residents' spatial perceptions and interactions with technology in Guangzhou, China. We find that official hospital WeChat accounts have a significant remodeling effect on urban residents' spatial behaviors and perceptions, mainly affecting the improvement in medical efficiency and the expansion of medical scope and convenience. Such accounts also reduce the psychological distance between urban residents and hospitals. Furthermore, online medical service platforms restructure urban residents' physical spatial movement, which is characterized by spatiotemporal compression and technical interaction. Spatiotemporal compression is manifested in the reduction in invalid time for residents in urban medical spaces and the expansion of the scope of medical treatment. Technical interaction is reflected in the mutual consultation and promotion between urban residents and technology. This paper aims to improve our understanding of the influence of technology on urban medical space and residents, and provides a reference for the optimization of urban space governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strategic spatial planning plays a pivotal role in effectively providing solutions for urban issues. In 2000, Guangzhou took the pioneering step of formulating China's first strategic spatial plan, known as the Guangzhou Strategic Plan. However, existing research has predominantly focused on the content of the "Guangzhou Strategic Spatial Plan" while lacking attention to its implementation effects. To address this empirical gap, this paper analyzes Guangzhou's current spatial structure from the perspectives of facilities, population, and industry. The results reveal that: (1) the effectiveness of the "Southern Expansion" strategy outlined in the Guangzhou Strategic Spatial Plan has been limited. It has not achieved the expected results in terms of facility construction, population attraction, industrial clustering, and value-added growth; (2) due to inherent limitations and a lack of planning support, the development of the new town presents a dilemma. Considering the current spatial structure, this paper reflects on the reasons for the failure of Guangzhou's strategic spatial planning, aiming to provide insights for the implementation of a new round of strategic spatial planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health assessment for point machines is crucial to the safety of rail systems. The operation of the point machine is a typical multi‐stage process, each with its own characteristic features that allow a health assessment. Therefore, to segment various phases self‐adaptively is quite essential to assess the health state of the point machine. Besides, the degradation of the point machine is characterized as non‐linear. However, these issues are barely discussed when assessing the degradation degree. By converting it into a multi‐classification problem, this paper proposes a novel phase segmentation method based on dimensionless time‐domain features and characteristics of time series by utilizing the adaptive Multiclass Mahalanobis Taguchi System (aMMTS) to segment the signal self‐adaptively. Furthermore, this paper proposes a novel algorithm named Non‐linear Dynamic Time Warping (NLDTW), which modifies the conventional Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) by using a non‐linear distance to overcome the lack of global consistency in the non‐linear degradation assessment. Finally, a modified formula of confidence value is presented to assess the actual degradation degree. The efficiency and feasibility of the proposed framework have been verified by the actual data collected from the point machines of Guangzhou Metro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terminal airspace is the convergence area of air traffic flow, which is the bottleneck of air traffic management. With the rapid growth of air traffic volume, the impact of convective weather on flight operations is becoming more and more serious. To change the conditions and improve the utilization of terminal area airspace, a convective weather terminal area capacity (CWTAC) model is developed to quantify the effect of convective weather on the capacity of the terminal area in this paper. The airspace of the terminal area is divided into major airspace, minor airspace and no-impact airspace according to the distribution of the air traffic flow. Under convective weather, their permeabilities are calculated and used as input features, and the actual availability rate is set to label. Three machine learning algorithms, support vector regression (SVR), random forest (RF), and artificial neural network (ANN), are used to predict the availability rate. Then, the terminal airspace capacity under convective weather can be calculated. The historical operation data of the Guangzhou terminal area and the Wuhan terminal area are taken to test machine learning algorithms and verify the CWTAC model. It shows that all three machine learning algorithms are practical, and ANN is the best one based on mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The predicted capacity of the CWTAC model accords well with the actual flight number in the terminal airspace under convective weather. The reasons why they are not entirely consistent are also analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, triggered lightning was used to directly strike phase C of a 1.5 km, 10 kV double‐circuit distribution line in Guangzhou, China, with 2 flashes (13 return strokes) recorded. This paper presents the characteristics of induced voltage at the closest pole on the parallel line. The induced voltage is bipolar, which can be divided into 3 stages: negative increase stage, fast and positive transition stage and slowly returning to zero stage. The positive peak value of phase A voltage ranges from 111.4 to 228.9 kV and that of phase C voltage is from 90.1 to 200.9 kV, corresponding to lightning current from −8.9 to −29.9 kA. The positive peak value of the induced voltage is approximately 3 to 10 times the negative peak value. The negative peak, positive peak and positive 10%–10% duration time of induced voltage show a good linear relationship with the peak value of the return stroke current. There was no flashover occurred during the whole process. The result in this paper can provide data support for numerical simulation and line protection analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth rate of China's economy, the extensive pattern of economic growth of "high energy consumption and low output" has magnified the constraints of energy issues on China's economic development and environmental protection, which highlights the importance of improving energy efficiency. As one of the three major economic zones in China, the Pearl River Delta region also faces high energy consumption and pollution emissions while developing at a high speed. Hence, improving the energy efficiency of the Pearl River Delta region is needed, as it not only is conducive to driving its development of the surrounding green economy, but also promotes the subsequent sustainable economic development. However, there are few literatures on the calculation and analysis of energy efficiency in the Pearl River Delta, and lacking a systematic analysis of input–output index system of energy efficiency measurement. Therefore, this paper calculates the energy efficiencies and the Malmquist indexes based on the panel data of the nine cities in the Pearl River Delta from 2005 to 2019 through super-efficiency SBM model and Malmquist index method by using MAXDEA and MATLAB software. The result illustrates that all regions in the Pearl River Delta except Guangzhou and Shenzhen show obvious energy inefficiency, which is mainly caused by the imbalance between technical efficiency and scale efficiency. Based on the calculation results, this paper gives some relevant suggestions for the further approach of energy reform in the Pearl River Delta according to the calculation results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the planning and design of natural and urban environments, visualization plays an increasingly important role. It has become a core component of communication and dissemination within the various formats of project representation, environmental assessment, workshops, and stakeholder involvement in general. However, as a practical technology, the outputs of our visualizations are, too often, regarded as a static product rather than as a living and evolving tool in and of itself, often due to the inherent restrictions present in both the analog and digital technologies used in data curation and visualization creation. In this paper, we argue that with the increasing complexity and usability of digital technologies, we are now capable of bringing a heightened level of interactive dynamism to planning and design, improving the communicative power of landscape visualization. We introduce a theoretical adaptive visualization (AV) framework, designed to support project meetings and stakeholder interactions with iterative planning and design elements. To demonstrate the merits of the framework, we develop an augmented reality application following AV principles; we discuss the novel design interactions afforded by integrating alongside traditional analog and digital data sources, in an interactive and dynamic application. This is highlighted by a case study from the Pearl River Delta region, with a focus on planning and design for flood risk mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of traditional vegetation-measuring methods are mostly two-dimensional data, which can only convey limited information. The greening situation of many cities or regions in the world cannot be fully assessed by these results. In this regard, this paper proposes the use of the air–ground integrated point cloud data acquisition mode for measuring vegetation. This mode combines a backpack-mounted laser scanning system, a vehicle-mounted laser scanning system, and UAV tilt photography technology to collect greening data in a comprehensive park and along a municipal road in Guangzhou, China. To classify the collected greening data, we propose the BiFPN-KPointNet-CBAM model, which was derived from PointNet. The model was introduced to analyze the distribution of green plants in study areas. The experimental findings indicate that our model achieved a notable enhancement in the overall accuracy by approximately 8% compared with other state-of-the-art models. Compared with the traditional greening survey method, this method obtained three-dimensional and more accurate greening data, and thus, provides higher quality greening data for urban managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historic timber structures face substantial fire loads and complex fire risks. Subsequent renovations and utilization may influence their fire safety performance. Therefore, accurately predicting indoor fire development in historic buildings and assessing their fire safety performance is crucial. Numerical fire simulation is currently at the forefront of analyzing and assessing fire risks in historic buildings. However, there is a shortage of globally accessible historic building fire data. This paper proposes a method to determine fire scenarios, peak heat release rates, and development curves of indoor fires in wooden historic buildings through a fire load investigation. Using the Guangzhou ancestral hall as an example, PyroSim fire dynamics simulation software is employed to calculate fire development and assess the available safe evacuation time. The simulation results are subsequently input into the Pathfinder evacuation simulation software to ascertain the required safe evacuation time for indoor occupants. A comparative assessment is conducted to evaluate the fire safety performance before and after the renovation of historic buildings. The research findings indicate that installing closed glass curtain walls in the courtyards of ancestral hall buildings in Guangzhou accelerates the infiltration of smoke during fires, leading to rapid fire spread and long-distance ignition, significantly reducing the time available for safe evacuation. Therefore, when renovating and utilizing the ancestral hall buildings in Guangzhou, the installation of ventilation and smoke extraction systems should be prioritized to slow down fire development. Additionally, controlling the number of indoor occupants is an effective management measure to mitigate fire damage in historic buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of clan paintings reveals a shift in perspective from art aesthetics to cultural connotations to cultural identity, yet literature seldom discusses the relationship between art and kinship culture. Taking the murals of ancestral hall architecture in Guangzhou as an example, this paper utilizes text mining to identify factors influencing its decorative art. It reveals the traditional rites' artistic expression through dimensions of characters' demeanor and the transmission of content values, offering a fresh perspective for heritage value research. Findings: (1) themes and implications are mostly oriented towards positive value transmission, transitioning from idealistic layman life to the realism of lower-class existence, emphasizing humanization; (2) the extroverted portrayal of characters contrasts with the dignified, restrained etiquette of traditional rites, with some characters' portrayal and facial expressions exuding approachability; (3) murals conveying positive emotions are mostly related to longevity, auspiciousness, fortune, and heroic deeds, while those conveying negative emotions mainly involve elderly male figures, reflecting a content bias related to characters; (4) historical allusion murals with complex content reduce the emotional resonance and arousal efficiency of the viewer; (5) incomplete mural content increases negative emotions in perceivers, highlighting the impact of mural preservation on emotional resonance. To delve into the formation of clan painting art, it is essential not only to interpret the diversity of its patterns but also to demonstrate the representation of its social attributes in decorative art. The formation of clan painting decorative art exhibits kinship cultural attributes, epitomizing the essence of traditional ceremonial thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from seven months of fieldwork among independent artists and their communities in Guangzhou, China, in 2020–2021, this paper investigates the feminist alternative practices in response to the experiences of gender marginalisation of independent artists. Along with being sexualised and discouraged by some of their art colleagues and the public, there has been an emergence of alternative practices among female independent artists in Guangzhou, including alternative art production, space cultivation, and community development. Alternative art practices have not only diversified the expression and representation of female artists; they have also helped female and non-binary people connect to discuss gender-related issues and provide mutual support. Altogether, these expanding feminist practices, spaces, and communities have yielded everyday life strategies to negotiate and contest existing patriarchal conventions and imbalanced power relationships. My account also offers a view of changing gender politics within art communities in Guangzhou's independent art field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization in China has shifted the logic and needs of rural resource allocation, prompting a transformative approach toward rural revitalization and sustainable development through comprehensive land consolidation. This paper offers a theoretical framework for understanding the driven adjustments in rural power, capital, and social structures facilitated by comprehensive land consolidation. It discusses how the construction of pastoral complexes influences the diversification of rural land use and ecological restoration through dynamic adjustments in power structures. This study illustrates that in Guangzhou, comprehensive land consolidation is indispensable for ensuring food security and fostering diverse rural industries. Furthermore, it facilitates the resource and commercialization of land, balances governmental social responsibilities with rational capital pursuits, and enriches the livelihood structures of social entities to ensure rural social equity. The pastoral complex model achieves a harmonious integration of rural socio-economic and natural systems. Innovations in paths of social participation help eliminate the effects of social inequality within the environment, while the theory of political ecology clearly analyzes the internal reasons for the interaction and strategic plays among diverse actors under this model. The case studies of the pastoral complex present the practice of national–capital–land–social relationships and changes in land benefits, showcasing a Chinese approach to rural development and social justice. This provides a new perspective for political ecology research and enriches its empirical content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing emissions of industrial production and transportation have resulted in serious atmospheric heavy-metal pollution, posing threats to the health of urban residents. In this paper, the bryophyte is recommended to monitor the pollution, which features wide distribution, low cost, and being able to get intuitive results. Thus, a kind of moss (Sphagnum palustre) bag was applied to monitoring the concentrations of atmospheric heavy metal (incl. Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn) in Guangzhou City, and accordingly the pollution degree and health risks were evaluated. The results obtained from the monitoring showed that in comparison with the pre-exposure to the atmospheric heavy metal pollution, the post-exposure geometric mean values of concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn contained in the mosses were 1.2, 2.3, 1.4 and 2.3 times higher than, respectively, however Cr concentration decreased slightly (0.9 times); and in general, the geometric mean values of concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were comparatively high in industrial areas, while in commercial areas, the concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn were found to be higher than the scenic and residential areas. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) revealed that industrial activities and traffic emission were the main sources of atmospheric heavy metal contamination of Guangzhou City. Following the heavy metal pollution status-quo investigation with moss, four functional areas were assessed using the contamination factor, which indicated that in the monitoring sites showing heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn) pollution was high/very-high, the emissions mainly came from coal combustion, industrial metal production and processing activities, while those showing moderate (Cu, Zn) pollution, the pollutants came from traffic sources, and the monitoring sites where heavy metal contamination level was low, were utterly distant from industrial emission sources and traffic pollution sources. In conclusion, the moss bag (Sphagnum palustre) is rather adaptive to monitoring atmospheric heavy metal contamination in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

​​​​​​​As a crucial constituent of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) influence public health, regional air quality, and global climate patterns. This paper highlights the use of hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) which effectively retains strongly polar analytes that might exhibit incomplete or no retention in reverse chromatography, resulting in superior separation efficiency. A HILIC column was used to analyze six standards, environmental standards (1648a and 1649b), and samples collected in urban environments in Guangzhou in the Pearl River Delta region, which serve as valuable reference points for evaluating the organic composition of the atmospheric environment. The results indicate a high degree of accuracy in the analytical method. Sodium octyl- d17 sulfate serves as the internal standard, with a linear correlation coefficient of the six standards, boasting a linear correlation coefficient r ranging from 0.993–0.9991 and a slope, k , of the linear equation from 0.966–1.882. The instrument detection limits (IDLs) are established at 0.03–0.20 µgmL-1 , while the method detection limits (MDLs) fall within the range of 0.30–1.75 ngm-3 , demonstrating the method's exceptional sensitivity. Since isoprene-derived organosulfates (iOSs) are highly polar due to containing a hydrophilic bond to the hydroxyl group and a hydrophobic bond to the sulfate, and as such showed strong retention using this method, this technique employs sodium ethyl sulfate and sodium octyl sulfate standards for semi-quantitative compound analysis of iOSs. The error in sample analysis (EA) ranged from 12.25 %–95.26 %, and the two standards maintained a consistent recovery rate between 116 %–131 % and 86.4 %–127 %. These findings indicate a high level of precision when semi-quantifying compounds with similar structural characteristics, affirming the analysis method's minimal relative error and underscoring its repeatability, process stability, and the reliability of its results for iOSs. To enhance the method's reliability assessment, the study analyzed polar organic components of standard particulate matter samples (1648a and 1649b), providing precise determinations of several iOSs using this method. Methyltetrol sulfate (m/z 215, C5H11SO7-) is the highest concentration in the ambient samples, up to 67.3 ngm-3 in the daytime. These results serve as valuable reference points for assessing the organic composition of the atmospheric environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance comprehension of the improved arch cover construction method for underground metro stations and provide guidance for future construction techniques and programs, the paper examines the indoor improved arch cover method of construction in the underground concealed excavation station of Tianhe Road Station of Guangzhou Metro Line 10, China. It includes a similar model test of the key technology and an analysis of the evolution law of the surrounding rock stress, the law of the ground settlement, and the law of the arch top deformation after the tunnel excavation. The study found that increased over-support can decrease arch settlement, with the maximum settlement occurring near the arch. Ground settlement typically occurs in the same areas as arch settlement, but arch settlement may occur earlier. The excavation of the arch cover has little impact on the overlying soil pressure, and the supporting structure is more effective in controlling soil deformation. The upper part of the arch cap experiences mainly extrusion stress, with the maximum stress occurring near the middle of the arch. The stresses in the arch's base decrease significantly during the excavation of the side drifts but show an increasing trend during the excavation of the lower rock mass. The presence of the central column significantly affects both the settlement of the arch and the ground, as it bears most of the compressive stress of the arch. This stress decreases initially and then increases. The amplitude of deformation is more pronounced when the dismantled central column is closer to the middle of the arch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an overview of the trade in artists' materials in Canton between 1750 and 1842. Through an investigation of China's foreign trade archives and records, this study gives a picture of international trade in artists' materials, particularly pigments, during this period in Canton. Furthermore, it reveals a close trade in Western modern pigments between the West and China. The results of this research may be helpful to conservators and conservation scientists conducting treatments or technical studies on Chinese export paintings of this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urbanization continues, construction-related dust has emerged as a significant contributor to urban air pollution. A comprehensive evaluation of the environmental impact of construction dust necessitates an understanding of the pollution discharge from an urban perspective. Consequently, this paper proposes a construction dust emission inventory construction method from the urban perspective, which combines remote sensing image interpretation and the emission factor method. On this basis, a particulate matter emission inventory of construction dust sources in Guangzhou in 2020 is established, and the emission characteristics of the study area are analyzed using a 2kmx2km grid distribution. The findings of this research provide a crucial data foundation for high-resolution pollutant diffusion simulations and environmental impact assessments. They also offer a macro perspective for observing construction pollution, which can be utilized by the government to monitor and control pollution from an urban perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Accurate and fast traffic prediction is the data-based foundation for achieving traffic control and management, and the accuracy of prediction results will directly affect the effectiveness of traffic control and management. This paper proposes a new spatiotemporal periodic polynomial model for road traffic, which integrates the temporal, spatial, and periodic features of speed time series and can effectively handle the nonlinear mapping relationship from input to output. In terms of the model, we establish a road traffic speed prediction model based on polynomial regression. In terms of spatial feature extraction methods, we introduce a maximum mutual information coefficient spatial feature extraction method. In terms of periodic feature extraction methods, we introduce a periodic trend modeling method into the prediction of speed time series, and effective fusion is carried out. Four strategies are evaluated based on the Guangzhou road speed dataset: a univariate polynomial model, a spatiotemporal polynomial model, a periodic polynomial model, and a spatiotemporal periodic polynomial model. The test results show that the three methods proposed in this article can effectively improve prediction accuracy. Comparing the spatiotemporal periodic polynomial model with multiple machine learning models and deep learning models, the prediction accuracy is improved by 5.94% compared to the best feedforward neural network. The research in this article can effectively deal with the temporal, spatial, periodic, and nonlinear characteristics of speed prediction, and to a certain extent, improve the accuracy of speed prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Along with reducing traffic congestion, electric car-sharing (ECS) can also solve travel demand, utilize idle resources, and enhance forms of transportation. Accordingly, university students are identified in Guangzhou, China as a promising customer group for ECS companies. Although university students in Guangzhou, China are unique in the context of ECS, few researchers have studied the factors that influence their willingness to use such services. Hence, this paper investigates the key determinants that affect university students' behavioral intention (BI) to use ECS in Guangzhou, China. Based on an extension of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), this paper examines the effects of the constructs on BI to use ECS and the moderating role of trust in ECS. Based on results from a questionnaire of 486 university students in Guangzhou, China, conditional value (CV) was the most critical driver of BI, followed by personal attitude (PA) and sustainability (SUST). The moderating analysis showed that taking gender, education, and driving experience of university students as control variables, trust was found to have a significant positive moderating impact on the relationship between PA and BI to use ECS, and a significant negative moderating effect of trust on the relationship between CV and BI to use ECS. The implications of these findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the transparent envelope in energy savings is crucial as it accounts for a significant proportion of the total energy loss (between 30 and 40%). This paper focuses on the identification of reasonable parameters for the transparent envelope in different climatic regions. To achieve this goal, typical urban office buildings from four different climatic regions are used as research objects. A total of 1600 scenarios were simulated to investigate the variation of energy use intensity, including transparent envelope parameters, meteorological parameters and different types of glazing. The results show that for south-facing transparent envelope facades, type D glazing is the most energy efficient in severe cold regions, type C in colder regions and type B in the other two climatic regions. No solar shading is required in the very cold region. Horizontal shading can be an effective method for saving energy in colder climates, while comprehensive shading can be beneficial in other regions. Deep shading is particularly energy efficient if it meets lighting requirements. For example, in Guangzhou, energy savings of 13.46%, 15.47%, 7.01% and 7.02% can be achieved in the east, west, south and north directions, respectively, using B-type glazing and a comprehensive shading depth of 900 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reorganization of the global production network and the increased mobility of urban-rural elements have accelerated the differentiation of rural spaces, resulting in a trend towards specialization in rural areas. This paper focuses on the concept of specialization, and takes a renowned bonsai specialized village in Guangzhou City, China as a typical case to explore its transformation and development process, action logic and coupling mechanism with the social governance. The results show that: 1) the development of rural specialization in Ruiling Village is shaped by several key actors, such as local governments, grassroots organizations, villagers, social organizations, policies, markets and infrastructure. The transfer of these key actors and the reconstruction of actor-networks in different stages have an important influence on the transformation and realization of rural development goals. 2) Through subjects-driven, organization management and resource connection, social governance supports the specialization of rural industrial organization, operation, technology and mode. The governance structure shifts from decentralization to networking, refinement and integration. A coupling community of social governance and specialization is created by the social governance system of 'local government-grassroots organizations-economic cooperatives-villagers', which links industries, industrial chains and cooperatives. 3) Social governance integrates into the value chain extension process of rural specialized development with a central, multi-level organizational structure. It promotes the construction of the whole value chain through organizational planning, resource integration and image shaping, thus realizing the value, branding and organization of the industry, as well as the integration of rural sustainable development and governance mechanism. Social governance has a profound impact on the development of rural specialization in terms of subject, structure and mode, and participates in the construction of the whole value chain of rural areas. This paper provides a new perspective for understanding the coupling effect of social governance in the rural development transformation, and promotes the rural sustainable development and governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of digitized specimen data and relevant literature to investigate the vascular plant diversity in Guangzhou City, China. Specimen data were collected from various sources, including the China Digital Herbarium (CVH), the National Specimen Resource Sharing Platform (NSII), Global Plants on JSTOR, and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Following data standardization, the study identified 41,890 vascular plant specimens, encompassing 248 families, 1563 genera, and 4536 species, including subspecies and cultivated plants. Among them, the native plants of Guangzhou city accounted for 60.6% of the species. The temporal analysis identified three distinct peaks in specimen collection: 1916–1920, 1928–1936, and 1950–1964. Collection activities were primarily concentrated between the months of April and November. The distribution of collected specimens exhibited significant variation among different species, with families such as Fabaceae, Poaceae, and Myrtaceae having the highest number of specimens. Similarly, genera such as Eucalyptus, Ficus, and Citrus were well-represented. The most frequently collected species included Litchi chinensis, Eucalyptus robusta, and Cycas taiwaniana. Remarkably, 21 species had specimen counts exceeding 100. Unfortunately, approximately three-quarters of the species had fewer than 10 recorded specimens. Alarmingly, 1220 species were represented by only one specimen. Geographically, the majority of specimens originated from the former suburbs of Guangzhou, Conghua Delta Mountain, and Liuxi River areas, while other regions had limited representation. In terms of specimen collections, the Herbarium of South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (IBSC) recorded the highest number of specimens (13,828 specimens), followed by the Tree Herbarium of South China Agricultural University (CANT; 3869 specimens) and the Herbarium of Sun Yat-sen University (SYS; 3654 specimens). The collection history in Guangzhou spans nearly 300 years and can be broadly divided into two distinct periods. The first period extends from the late 13th century to 1949, primarily encompassing the collection efforts of foreign visitors in Guangzhou, and represents the pioneering phase of plant taxonomy research in China. The second period, from 1949 to the present, is characterized by extensive investigations and collection activities conducted by local scholars, with a specific emphasis on native plant resources. By meticulously organizing and verifying information derived from historical documents and specimens, the paper effectively summarizes the plant collection and research history of Guangzhou, providing detailed profiles of the key collectors. These findings furnish reliable historical reference materials for the study of plant taxonomy and diversity in Guangzhou. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]