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It is becoming increasingly common for cattle grazing routes to be encroached upon and changed to other land uses, and there is no clear indication of just how far these changes will go. The dynamics of land cover and how land is being used in the corridor of cattle grazing routes have received a great deal of attention. In view of this, it is imperative to assess past and future land use and land cover (LU/LC). The study aims to examine the trajectory of LU/LC changes in the cattle grazing route corridor in Benue state. The study used Landsat satellite images from 1980, 2000, and 2020, with a combination of field observations and interviews. A 200-meter buffer was created around the grazing routes, which were used to subset the Landsat images. The Random Forest supervised classification algorithm was used to classify the Landsat images. Cellular Automata (CA) and Land Change Modeler (LCM) were used to simulate the future LU/LC pattern of the grazing routes for 2050. Based on the findings, cropland and built-up areas had grown dramatically at the expense of forest and grassland. Cropland increased at an average rate of 18.18 km2/yr between 1980 and 2000. The study recommends stringent measures to regulate the causes of LU/LC changes in cattle grazing corridors.

Simple Summary: The clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa) is listed as "vulnerable" due to significant population declines across mainland Asia. Despite existing ecological research, the understanding of the species' habitat suitability, fragmentation, and corridor connectivity remains limited. The present investigation recognizes that, in addition to habitat suitability within its current extent, the species' historical ranges also encompass a significant proportion of suitable habitats. Climate change is expected to exacerbate habitat loss, intensifying fragmentation and reducing the number of viable habitat patches. This study highlights the importance of several transboundary biological corridors, with Southeast Asia predicted to experience the most pronounced connectivity declines, while Bhutan, Nepal, and India are projected to retain more robust ecological networks. To address these challenges, a coordinated conservation strategy is crucial, focusing on mitigating habitat loss and fragmentation as well as addressing the species' shrinking range and increased vulnerability to inbreeding. This study provides critical insights into potential translocation and reintroduction sites, laying the groundwork for a targeted conservation plan designed to protect the clouded leopard across South and Southeast Asia in response to climate change. Terrestrial carnivores, such as the clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), are 'vulnerable' and experiencing significant population declines in mainland Asia. Considering the assessed threats, the IUCN has repetitively revised the range of this felid and now characterized it into four distinct categories (extant, possibly extant, possibly extinct, and extinct). Although several ecological works have been accomplished on this enigmatic carnivore, the overall view of its habitat suitability, fragmentation, and corridor connectivity in both present and historical ranges is lacking. Thus, achieving this ecological information under present and future climate scenarios is crucial. The model identified merely 44,033 sq. km falling within the extant range (representing 31.66%) and 20,034 sq. km (8.13%) in the possibly extant range. Fascinatingly, within the historical ranges, an additional 15,264 sq. km (6.58%) has been identified as suitable habitat in the possibly extinct range and 14,022 sq. km (2.38%) in the extinct range. Notably, a total of 25,614 sq. km of suitable habitat is found within designated protected areas across the entire range. Nevertheless, climate change is expected to drive habitat loss of up to 41% (overall IUCN range) for N. nebulosa in both present and historical extent, with habitat patches becoming increasingly fragmented. This is reflected in a projected decline in the number of viable habitat patches (NP) by up to 23.29% in the future. This study also identified 18 transboundary biological corridors for N. nebulosa, with Southeast Asian countries expected to experience the most significant declines in corridor connectivity. In contrast, the South Asian countries (Bhutan, Nepal, and India) are projected to maintain relatively higher connectivity in the future. Nevertheless, a substantial decline in overall mean corridor connectivity is projected in the near future due to the impacts of climate change. This study underscores the urgent need for a coordinated and multifaceted conservation strategy for N. nebulosa, focusing on mitigating habitat loss and fragmentation. Practical measures must be implemented to protect the species' shrinking range, considering its declining corridor networks and heightened vulnerability to inbreeding depression. Moreover, the assessment of habitat suitability both within and beyond the extant range, alongside corridor connectivity measures, provides valuable insights into potential translocation and reintroduction sites for this species. These findings provide a critical foundation for developing a strategic conservation plan tailored to the specific needs of this felid species across South and Southeast Asia, ensuring enhanced climate resilience and mitigating associated threats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protected areas and biological corridors play a crucial role in conserving biodiversity and promoting connectivity between habitat patches. Bhutan, known as a stronghold for tigers (Panthera tigris), has dedicated a significant portion of its land to a network of protected areas and biological corridors. However, these areas face risks from illegal activities, posing challenges for their management. To address this, the Department of Forests & Park Services in Bhutan deployed an adaptive management framework, informed by the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool in 2016 in the Divisional Forest Office, Sarpang, an important corridor area outside of official protected area boundaries. This study analyses 5 years of data (2017–2021) recorded through a monitoring tool to assess changes in ranger activities and on‐ground observations. The results show improved data availability, increased patrol effort, enhanced monitoring of wildlife, and a reduction in threat detection over time. Furthermore, camera trap surveys targeting tigers reveal a potential increase in the number of individual tigers utilizing the corridor since the adoption of the tool and other management actions. These findings highlight the effectiveness of these efforts in a critical wildlife corridor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taxi-out time of an airport scene can be categorized into the unimpeded taxi-out time and the additional taxi-out time. Usually, additional taxi-out time is used as a key index to monitor taxi-out performance, and its accurate prediction plays an important role in optimizing the allocation of time slots at an airport and improving scene operation efficiency. Taking Shanghai Pudong International Airport as the research object, we first analyze its layout and construct the origin–destination pairs (ODPs) based on the stand groups and runways. Then, we develop a multiple linear regression model based on the arrival and departure flows to calculate the unimpeded taxi-out times for all ODPs. The actual taxi-out time is then subtracted from the unimpeded taxi-out time to obtain the historical additional taxi-out time of each flight. We propose three new flow features related to the structure: the corridor departure flow, the corridor arrival flow, and the departure flow proportion of ODPs, based on which we construct a dataset for training the prediction model. We then propose an additional taxi-out time prediction model based on the nutcracker optimization algorithm (NOA) and XGBoost and run comparison experiments on the operation data of our target airport. The results show that the optimized prediction model we proposed has the best performance compared with the traditional XGBoost model and other commonly used prediction models, and the proposed structure-related features have high correlations with additional taxi-out time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Ecological corridors are one of the most recommended ways to mitigate biodiversity loss. With growing recognition of corridor importance, corridor modeling lags others in the development of robust, quantitative validation methods. Objective: We propose a post-hoc corridor validation framework, considering the range of methods across data needs and statistical intensity. We demonstrate the importance of post-hoc corridor validation by testing several validation methods on different corridor model outputs. Methods: We used three different transformations on a Florida black bear (Ursus americanus floidanus) habitat suitability model to create different resistance grids, independent GPS collar data from a case study population, and Circuitscape to create corridor models. We used several validation methods, including a novel method, to compare resulting corridors. Results: Transformed resistance grids were all correlated, yet differing validation and resistance grids resulted in different recommended corridors. The use of one resistance surface and one validation type can result in the selection of inefficient or ineffective corridors. At a minimum, modelers should determine what proportion of an independent population falls within resulting corridors and should move towards more robust, documented methods as resources allow. The use of multiple validation methods can ensure greater confidence of modeling results. Conclusions: We encourage the use and further development of the framework presented here to drive the corridor modeling field towards more effective corridor creation and improved conservation outcomes. If validation methods are not improved, the ecological and economic cost of poor corridor science will continue to increase with increasing biodiversity loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School buildings are essential in catering to children's psychological and educational needs. They enable children to learn, teach, play, and interact with peers. The corridor space within a school's structure is also significant, serving multiple purposes. The community in Erbil, Iraq, has expressed concerns about the economic challenges of constructing and designing new school buildings. Therefore, this research aimed to identify unused spaces in these corridors to ensure usability and flexibility while reducing the cost of building construction. A comprehensive approach was taken to achieve this, employing both qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques. The qualitative analysis was conducted through surveys and documentation to provide an intense understanding of the issues. This research employed two distinct quantitative methods: first, the study used the Revit engineering software to compare the circulation ratio of pre-existing buildings with that recommended by the BB 103 guidelines, and second, student feedback was collected through a questionnaire to provide a holistic view of the situation. This study found that the built-up corridor area in the L-shaped school accounted for 34% of the total area, 11.5 percentage points more than the BB 103 guideline. Meanwhile, the built-up corridor area in the O-shaped school was 20.5 percentage points higher than the recommendation. According to the student feedback, the extra corridor space in the selected schools is not being efficiently utilized. Therefore, the proposed redesigns for the L-shaped and O-shaped schools focus on eliminating traditional corridors and integrating outdoor spaces to create functional areas, enhancing natural lighting and ventilation. These redesigned concepts ensure cost-effective, adaptable, and engaging educational spaces that support the well-being and academic success of students. This paper recommends that school designers and architects re-evaluate existing school designs with a focus on reducing corridor spaces and prioritizing outdoor learning areas. By adopting these strategies, schools can improve space utilization, foster healthier and more efficient learning environments, and promote sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although studies of the sacral corridor dimension have been reported in the European population, little attention has been paid to this issue in the Asian population. The purpose of the study is to estimate the safe dimension of the corridor to avoid neurovascular damage during the fixation of the sacral fracture. The study aimed to examine the cephalocaudal (vertical) and the anteroposterior diameter of the bony passage in the upper three sacral segments. The study further examines the effect of age and sex on corridor dimensions at different sacral levels. Three-dimensionally reconstructed sacra from computed tomography of normal subjects were included in the study. Cephalocaudal and anteroposterior diameters were measured in coronal and axial sections using Geomagic Freeform Plus software. Anteroposterior diameter of the sacral corridor at the first, second, and third sacral segments are significantly higher in males (P=0.013, 0.0011, and <0.0001, respectively). The length of the sacrum also revealed sexual dimorphism (P<0.00016). The anteroposterior diameter of the second sacral segment (ap-S2c) correlated moderately with the first sacral anteroposterior diameter (ap-S1c) (R=0.519, P<0.001). The ap-S2c exhibited a moderate correlation to the third sacral segment (ap-S3c) (R=0.677, P<0.001). The sacral corridor at the level of S1 has the largest cephalocaudal (18.25 mm) and anteroposterior diameter (17.11 mm). Placement of the screw in the first sacral corridor may avoid damage to the neurovascular bundle during the fixation of the sacral fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Prey are more vulnerable during migration due to decreased familiarity with their surroundings and spatially concentrated movements. Predators may respond to increased prey vulnerability by shifting their ranges to match prey. Moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are primary gray wolf (Canis lupus) prey and important subsistence species for Indigenous communities. We hypothesized wolves would increase use of ungulate migration corridors during migrations and predicted wolf distributions would overlap primary available prey. Methods We examined seasonal gray wolf, moose, and white-tailed deer movements on and near the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, Minnesota, USA. We analyzed GPS collar data during 2012–2021 using Brownian bridge movement models (BBMM) in Migration Mapper and mechanistic range shift analysis (MRSA) to estimate individual- and population-level occurrence distributions and determine the status and timing of range shifts. We estimated proportional overlap of wolf distributions with moose and deer distributions and tested for differences among seasons, prey populations, and wolf sex and pack affiliations. Results We identified a single migration corridor through which white-tailed deer synchronously departed in April and returned in October–November. Gray wolf distributions overlapped the deer migration corridor similarly year-round, but wolves altered within-range distributions seasonally corresponding to prey distributions. Seasonal wolf distributions had the greatest overlap with deer during fall migration (10 October–28 November) and greatest overlap with moose during summer (3 May–9 October). Conclusions Gray wolves did not increase their use of the white-tailed deer migration corridor but altered distributions within their territories in response to seasonal prey distributions. Greater overlap of wolves and white-tailed deer in fall may be due to greater predation success facilitated by asynchronous deer migration movements. Greater summer overlap between wolves and moose may be linked to moose calf vulnerability, American beaver (Castor canadensis) co-occurrence, and reduced deer abundance associated with migration. Our results suggest increases in predation pressure on deer in fall and moose in summer, which can inform Indigenous conservation efforts. We observed seasonal plasticity of wolf distributions suggestive of prey switching; that wolves did not exhibit migratory coupling was likely due to spatial constraints resulting from territoriality.

Background: Prey are more vulnerable during migration due to decreased familiarity with their surroundings and spatially concentrated movements. Predators may respond to increased prey vulnerability by shifting their ranges to match prey. Moose (Alces alces) and white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are primary gray wolf (Canis lupus) prey and important subsistence species for Indigenous communities. We hypothesized wolves would increase use of ungulate migration corridors during migrations and predicted wolf distributions would overlap primary available prey. Methods: We examined seasonal gray wolf, moose, and white-tailed deer movements on and near the Grand Portage Indian Reservation, Minnesota, USA. We analyzed GPS collar data during 2012–2021 using Brownian bridge movement models (BBMM) in Migration Mapper and mechanistic range shift analysis (MRSA) to estimate individual- and population-level occurrence distributions and determine the status and timing of range shifts. We estimated proportional overlap of wolf distributions with moose and deer distributions and tested for differences among seasons, prey populations, and wolf sex and pack affiliations. Results: We identified a single migration corridor through which white-tailed deer synchronously departed in April and returned in October–November. Gray wolf distributions overlapped the deer migration corridor similarly year-round, but wolves altered within-range distributions seasonally corresponding to prey distributions. Seasonal wolf distributions had the greatest overlap with deer during fall migration (10 October–28 November) and greatest overlap with moose during summer (3 May–9 October). Conclusions: Gray wolves did not increase their use of the white-tailed deer migration corridor but altered distributions within their territories in response to seasonal prey distributions. Greater overlap of wolves and white-tailed deer in fall may be due to greater predation success facilitated by asynchronous deer migration movements. Greater summer overlap between wolves and moose may be linked to moose calf vulnerability, American beaver (Castor canadensis) co-occurrence, and reduced deer abundance associated with migration. Our results suggest increases in predation pressure on deer in fall and moose in summer, which can inform Indigenous conservation efforts. We observed seasonal plasticity of wolf distributions suggestive of prey switching; that wolves did not exhibit migratory coupling was likely due to spatial constraints resulting from territoriality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid economic development in the Chengdu–Chongqing Economic Circle (CCEC) has exerted significant pressure on the ecological environment of the Sichuan–Chongqing Region in China. Balancing ecological protection and economic development has become an imperative challenge that needs to be addressed. In this study, we employed land use/cover data and environmental threat factors to construct Ecological Security Patterns (ESPs) for the CCEC using the InVEST model and Circuit Theory. The research findings revealed the following key outcomes: (1) The total area of suitable habitat in the CCEC was 208,728.3 km2, accounting for 87.14% of the study area. Habitat quality exhibited regional variations, with higher quality habitats predominantly found in the western and northeastern parts, and lower quality habitats in the central region. (2) The CCEC consisted of areas with low, medium, high, and optimal habitat quality, spanning 140,912.18 km2, 15,341.89 km2, 15,578.38 km2, and 36,895.85 km2, respectively. These areas accounted for 58.83%, 6.40%, 6.50%, and 15.40% of the study area, respectively. (3) The ESPs in the CCEC encompassed 22 ecological nodes, 36 clusters of ecological corridors, and 136 ecological sources. Ecological corridors served as radial connections, linking each ecological node and ecological source along mountain ranges, forested areas, river networks, and valleys. (4) The core ecological regions forming the ESPs of the CCEC included the Qionglai–Minshan–Longquan Mountains in the west, Tiefeng–Fangdou–Qiyue–Wushan Mountains in the east and northeast, and Dalou Mountain in the southeast. These regional-scale findings provide valuable insights for policymakers to implement targeted measures for ecological protection and promote green development. They offer objective guidance and constraints for managing urban expansion and anthropogenic activities, ultimately enhancing the ecological security level of the CCEC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Functional connectivity models are essential in identifying major dispersal pathways and developing effective management strategies for expanding populations of invasive alien species. However, the extrapolation of models parameterized within current invasive ranges may not be applicable even to neighbouring areas, if the models are not based on the expected responses of individuals to landscape structure. Objectives: We have developed a high-resolution connectivity model for both terrestrial and aquatic habitats using solely potential sources. The model is used here for the invasive, principally-aquatic, African clawed frog Xenopus laevis, which is a species of global concern. Methods: All ponds were considered as suitable habitats for the African clawed frog. Resistance costs of lotic aquatic and terrestrial landscape features were determined through a combination of remote sensing and laboratory trials. Maximum cumulative resistance values were obtained via capture-mark-recapture surveys, and validation was performed using independently collected presence data. We applied this approach to an invasive population of the American bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus, in France to assess its transferability to other pond-dwelling species. Results: The model revealed areas of high and low functional connectivity. It primarily identified river networks as major dispersal pathways and pinpointed areas where local connectivity could be disrupted for management purposes. Conclusion: Our model predicts how the dispersal of individuals connect suitable lentic habitats, through river networks and different land use types. The approach can be applied to species of conservation concern or interest in pond ecosystems and other wetlands, including aquatic insects, birds and mammals, for which distribution data are limited or challenging to collect. It serves as a valuable tool for forecasting colonization pathways in expanding populations of both native and invasive alien species and for identifying regions suitable for preventive or adaptive control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scene taxiing time is an important indicator for assessing the operational efficiency of airports as well as green airports, and it is also a fundamental parameter in flight regularity statistics. The accurate prediction of taxiing time can help decision makers to further optimize flight pushback sequences and improve airport operational efficiency while increasing flight punctuality. In this paper, we propose a hybrid deep learning model for departure taxiing time prediction based on the new influence factors of taxiing time. Taking Pudong International Airport as the research object, after analyzing the scene operation mode, we construct the origin–destination pairs (ODPs) with stand groups and runways and then propose two structure-related factors, corridor departure flow and departure flow proportion of ODP, as the new features. Based on the new feature set, we construct a departure taxiing dataset for training the prediction model. Then, a departure taxiing time prediction model based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and gated recurrent units (GRUs) is proposed, which uses a CNN model to extract the high-dimensional features from the taxiing data and then inputs them to a GRU model for taxiing time prediction. Finally, we conduct a series of comparison experiments on the historical taxiing dataset of Pudong Airport. The prediction results show that the proposed hybrid prediction model has the best performances compared with other deep learning models, and the proposed structure-related features have high correlations with departure taxiing time. The prediction results of taxiing time for different ODPs also verify the generalizability of the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying suitable habitats and conserving corridors are crucial to the long-term conservation of large and conflict-prone animals. Being a flagship species, survival of Asian elephants is threatened by human-induced mortality and habitat modification. We aimed to assess the habitat suitability and connectivity of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 habitat in the state of Odisha in eastern India. We followed the ensemble of spatial prediction models using species presence data and five environmental variables. We used least-cost path and circuit theory approaches to identify the spatial connectivity between core habitats for Asian elephants. The results revealed that normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; variable importance 42%) and terrain ruggedness (19%) are the most influential variables for predicting habitat suitability of species within the study area. Our habitat suitability map estimated 14.6% of Odisha's geographical area (c. 22,442 km²) as highly suitable and 13.3% (c. 20,464 km²) as moderate highly suitable. We identified 58 potential linkages to maintain the habitat connectivity across study area. Furthermore, we identified pinch points, bottlenecks, and high centrality links between core habitats. Our study offers management implications for long-term landscape conservation for Asian elephants in Odisha and highlights priority zones that can help maintain spatial links between elephant habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines and analyzes the problems and issues of the dynamics of the country’s economy (GDP) under the influence of external and internal factors and conditions in the second half of the year and in general for 2023. The dynamics of inflation and the value of the key rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the volatility of the Russian ruble, the real effectiveness of the ruble exchange rate, which reveals the dynamics of exchange rates through the average value of the exchange rates of trading partners. Provides a short list of sanctions imposed in the second half of 2023 by unfriendly countries against Russia, effective measures taken by government agencies and business to ensure the successful functioning of the economy countries in the context of geopolitical tensions and sanctions restrictions.

Ijen was one of the roads in Malang City with land use intensity dominated by education and trade and services, generating land use caused a large movement. The main purpose of the study was to identify some problems and propose solutions to improve the performance of Ijen corridor. The meaning of “Omotenashi” is Japanese-style excellent service mindset consisting of hospitality aspect, familiarity and warmth aspects. The study employed Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Analysis of the familiarity aspect was descriptive evaluative interaction of public transport passengers. The analysis of the warmth aspect was descriptive evaluative in physical, social and historical attractiveness. The results showed that hospitality level at Ijen Corridor was 2.038 (hospitable), the familiarity aspect was 61 out of 100 people have interacted on the public transport, while the warmth aspect showed that many buildings are physical attractions and historical areas. The Ijen Corridor's alternative development strategies include raising public awareness of the use of public transportation, restricting access to motorized vehicles, law enforcement, and improving bicycle infrastructure, as well as enhancing the quality of public transportation services, pedestrian facilities, parking management, and carpooling/sharing.

This article assesses the implementation of Mongolia's “New Recovery Policy”, evaluates the current status of cargo and passenger transport, analyzes the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on these sectors, and identifies issues within the transport and logistics industry. Following the research, three primary conclusions were drawn: firstly, proposing actual solutions to the problems mentioned in this study; secondly, to augment transit traffic passing through Mongolia; and thirdly, the establishment of an autonomous government body, crucial for creating the central economic corridor connecting China, Mongolia, and Russia. The proposal suggests establishing an analysis institute to coordinate medium and long-term development policies of Russia and China, manage projects in the transport infrastructure domain, align legal frameworks among the three nations, and oversee the construction of the corridor.

The taxi-out time of an airport scene can be categorized into the unimpeded taxi-out time and the additional taxi-out time. Usually, additional taxi-out time is used as a key index to monitor taxi-out performance, and its accurate prediction plays an important role in optimizing the allocation of time slots at an airport and improving scene operation efficiency. Taking Shanghai Pudong International Airport as the research object, we first analyze its layout and construct the origin–destination pairs (ODPs) based on the stand groups and runways. Then, we develop a multiple linear regression model based on the arrival and departure flows to calculate the unimpeded taxi-out times for all ODPs. The actual taxi-out time is then subtracted from the unimpeded taxi-out time to obtain the historical additional taxi-out time of each flight. We propose three new flow features related to the structure: the corridor departure flow, the corridor arrival flow, and the departure flow proportion of ODPs, based on which we construct a dataset for training the prediction model. We then propose an additional taxi-out time prediction model based on the nutcracker optimization algorithm (NOA) and XGBoost and run comparison experiments on the operation data of our target airport. The results show that the optimized prediction model we proposed has the best performance compared with the traditional XGBoost model and other commonly used prediction models, and the proposed structure-related features have high correlations with additional taxi-out time.

Threats caused by human activities have reduced the quantity and quality of wildlife habitats connectivity. This research seeks to protect habitat biodiversity by creating a network of high quality habitats that remained. Therefore, it is very necessary to know about the dynamic effects of changes in the landscape pattern on the quality of the habitat, because it helps to preserve biodiversity, guarantee ecological security, and environmental sustainability. In the present study, a systematic process was used to design a network of habitat services comprising hotspots and corridors in arid and semi-arid ecosystems of eastern Iran, South Khorasan Province. In this process, habitat quality was first modeled using the InVEST software, then data mining methods were used to identify habitat hotspots and their spatial distribution. In the next step, habitat corridors were extracted based on the circuit theory and using the Circuitscape software. In the ultimate step, using graph theory based on the concept of ecological security, the connectivity of the habitat network was evaluated. The results of habitat network construction showed that 8% and 6% of the total area of the study area included key habitat patches and corridors, respectively. On the other hand, the overlapping of habitat network components with the conserved areas of the study area showed that free or non-conservation areas make up a significant amount of network components (49.18% of the habitat patch and 80.02% of the habitat corridor). These results reveal the existence of habitat protection potential and can help in updating the new boundaries of conservation areas. Also, the composite indices of dPC and dIIC could determine the importance of each of the network's components in evaluating the connectivity of the habitat network, so that the application of the results can show the priority options to the land managers for protecting the habitat network. In general, the systematic process proposed in this research can be used in planning the sustainable conservation of habitat networks, identifying patterns of ecological security, evaluating and constructing habitat networks in lands with similar climates, and changing and wisely reviewing the conservation area boundaries.

Identifying suitable habitats and conserving corridors are crucial to the long-term conservation of large and conflict-prone animals. Being a flagship species, survival of Asian elephants is threatened by human-induced mortality and habitat modification. We aimed to assess the habitat suitability and connectivity of the Asian elephant Elephas maximus Linnaeus, 1758 habitat in the state of Odisha in eastern India. We followed the ensemble of spatial prediction models using species presence data and five environmental variables. We used least-cost path and circuit theory approaches to identify the spatial connectivity between core habitats for Asian elephants. The results revealed that normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; variable importance 42%) and terrain ruggedness (19%) are the most influential variables for predicting habitat suitability of species within the study area. Our habitat suitability map estimated 14.6% of Odisha’s geographical area (c. 22,442 km2) as highly suitable and 13.3% (c. 20,464 km2) as moderate highly suitable. We identified 58 potential linkages to maintain the habitat connectivity across study area. Furthermore, we identified pinch points, bottlenecks, and high centrality links between core habitats. Our study offers management implications for long-term landscape conservation for Asian elephants in Odisha and highlights priority zones that can help maintain spatial links between elephant habitats.

Successful conservation hinges on the reliable prediction and prioritisation of population core habitats and dispersal corridors. However, reliance on singlespecies connectivity has produced mixed results and, in most cases, failed to protect other species under the appealing but often unfulfilled guise of umbrella protection. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to identify core habitats and dispersal corridors for population connectivity of 15 terrestrial mammal species across Bhutan, (2) to identify indicator species of wildlife connectivity, (3) to prioritise core areas and dispersal corridors for the focal umbrella and indicator species, (4) to develop composite multispecies connectivity maps and evaluate the effectiveness of the existing protected area network. We used kernel density (KD) to identify core habitat areas and factorial least-cost path (LCP) to map dispersal corridors. We used correlation and cluster analyses to identify umbrella and indicator species, and quantitative ranking to prioritise core areas and corridors for these focal species. Finally, we produced maps of multispecies core areas and corridors, and identified gaps in the existing protected area network (PAN). We found that ungulates were generally more effective than carnivores in serving as umbrella species for core habitat protection, with Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) emerging as the most effective umbrella for core habitats and muntjac (Muntiacus muntjac) for dispersal corridors. We identified six focal connectivity indicator species in Bhutan: tiger (Panthera tigris), dhole (Cuon alpinus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), Asian elephant, and sambar deer (Rusa unicolor). Most indicator species' core areas and dispersal corridors outside the PAN were in southern Bhutan, indicating opportunities for increased multispecies connectivity through expanding protected area network in this region. A total of 40% of multispecies core areas and 24% of dispersal corridors were under PAN, with large parts of Bhutan offering suitable core areas and corridors for multispecies conservation. Core areas and corridors of the 15 considered species only partially overlapped, stressing the importance of multi-species consideration in designating wildlife corridors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The goal of this study was to evaluate consistency among multiple connectivity models for jaguar and puma across Panama to evaluate the plausible current patterns of habitat connectivity for these and potentially other species in this critical biogeographic linkage zone. Approach: We compared 72 different models of landscape connectivity for both large felids using both empirically based and expert opinion derived resistance layers. We conducted resistant kernel modeling with different dispersal abilities to reflect uncertainty in the movement potential of the two species. We applied three transformations to the resulting connectivity surfaces to account for uncertainty about the shape of the dispersal kernel function. We then evaluated the similarities and differences among these connectivity models, identifying several factors that drive their differences. We quantified the factors that drive differences in connectivity predictions using surface correlation, Mantel testing, and agglomerative hierarchical clustering. Results: We found that the main differences among predicted connectivity surfaces were related to species and resistance modeling approach, with relatively little consistent difference related to dispersal ability and nonlinear kernel transformation. Based on the ensemble connectivity prediction across the 72 models, we identified two major core areas, corresponding to the eastern and western portions of the central mountain range, significant attenuation of connectivity in lowland and developed areas of Panama, a major breakage in connectivity in the Canal Zone spanning the width of the country, and weak but potentially critical movement routes connecting the two core areas across the Canal Zone. Implications: This paper contributes to both a theoretical and practical understanding of the functional connectivity of large felids, confirming the strong effect of differences in source points and resistance surfaces on connectivity predictions and identifying and mapping key core areas, barriers, and potential corridors for carnivore movement across the critical Pan-American linkage of the Isthmus of Panama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commuter trains are a popular mode of transportation among lowincome earners in Ghana. However, due to the economic turmoil of the 1970s, the government struggled to invest in and manage this travel option effectively. With the increasing trend towards mass commuter services worldwide, this study aimed to examine how commuters perceive the quality of railway services in Ghana, using the Accra-Nsawam corridor as a case study. The study involved an on-board survey of 430 passengers using questionnaires. The results showed that factors such as speed, punctuality, safety, comfort, and improved customer care were significant predictors of commuters' preference for commuter services. However, variables such as advanced technology and ticketing systems were found to be less important. The study recommends expanding rail services to other parts of the country while simultaneously improving technology [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School buildings are essential in catering to children’s psychological and educational needs. They enable children to learn, teach, play, and interact with peers. The corridor space within a school’s structure is also significant, serving multiple purposes. The community in Erbil, Iraq, has expressed concerns about the economic challenges of constructing and designing new school buildings. Therefore, this research aimed to identify unused spaces in these corridors to ensure usability and flexibility while reducing the cost of building construction. A comprehensive approach was taken to achieve this, employing both qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques. The qualitative analysis was conducted through surveys and documentation to provide an intense understanding of the issues. This research employed two distinct quantitative methods: first, the study used the Revit engineering software to compare the circulation ratio of pre-existing buildings with that recommended by the BB 103 guidelines, and second, student feedback was collected through a questionnaire to provide a holistic view of the situation. This study found that the built-up corridor area in the L-shaped school accounted for 34% of the total area, 11.5 percentage points more than the BB 103 guideline. Meanwhile, the built-up corridor area in the O-shaped school was 20.5 percentage points higher than the recommendation. According to the student feedback, the extra corridor space in the selected schools is not being efficiently utilized. Therefore, the proposed redesigns for the L-shaped and O-shaped schools focus on eliminating traditional corridors and integrating outdoor spaces to create functional areas, enhancing natural lighting and ventilation. These redesigned concepts ensure cost-effective, adaptable, and engaging educational spaces that support the well-being and academic success of students. This paper recommends that school designers and architects re-evaluate existing school designs with a focus on reducing corridor spaces and prioritizing outdoor learning areas. By adopting these strategies, schools can improve space utilization, foster healthier and more efficient learning environments, and promote sustainability.

This study proposes a novel method for estimating the axial velocity of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using motion blur images captured in environments where GPS signals are unavailable and lighting conditions are poor, such as underground tunnels and corridors. By correlating the length of motion blur observed in images with the UAV’s axial speed, the method addresses the limitations of traditional techniques in these challenging scenarios. We enhanced the accuracy by synthesizing motion blur images from neighboring frames, which is particularly effective at low speeds where single-frame blur is minimal. Six flight experiments conducted in the corridor of a hydropower station demonstrated the effectiveness of our approach, achieving a mean velocity error of 0.065 m/s compared to ultra-wideband (UWB) measurements and a root-mean-squared error within 0.3 m/s. The results highlight the stability and precision of the proposed velocity estimation algorithm in confined and low-light environments.

Effective transboundary corridors play a crucial role in jaguar Panthera onca conservation. Local residents reported jaguar sightings along the Baritú–Tariquía Biological Corridor, which prompted us to carry out this camera-trap survey. We surveyed an area of 1,243 km2 across the corridor to confirm jaguar presence. We used 50 single camera stations, with cameras placed c. 5 km apart. We placed the cameras along trails, streams and mountain ridges. We recorded jaguars at seven sites across the Corridor; at least three different individuals were identified. These records confirm the presence of the jaguar in the Baritú–Tariquía Biological Corridor between Argentina and Bolivia, a trans-frontier area of the Austral Yungas facing multiple threats but hosting one of the southernmost jaguar populations. Conservation efforts in border regions can promote collaboration and synergies between agencies and other conservation stakeholders, with important implications for wide-ranging predators such as jaguars and their habitats.

Successful conservation hinges on the reliable prediction and prioritisation of population core habitats and dispersal corridors. However, reliance on single-species connectivity has produced mixed results and, in most cases, failed to protect other species under the appealing but often unfulfilled guise of umbrella protection. The main objectives of this study were: (1) to identify core habitats and dispersal corridors for population connectivity of 15 terrestrial mammal species across Bhutan, (2) to identify indicator species of wildlife connectivity, (3) to prioritise core areas and dispersal corridors for the focal umbrella and indicator species, (4) to develop composite multispecies connectivity maps and evaluate the effectiveness of the existing protected area network. We used kernel density (KD) to identify core habitat areas and factorial least-cost path (LCP) to map dispersal corridors. We used correlation and cluster analyses to identify umbrella and indicator species, and quantitative ranking to prioritise core areas and corridors for these focal species. Finally, we produced maps of multispecies core areas and corridors, and identified gaps in the existing protected area network (PAN). We found that ungulates were generally more effective than carnivores in serving as umbrella species for core habitat protection, with Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) emerging as the most effective umbrella for core habitats and muntjac (Muntiacus muntjac) for dispersal corridors. We identified six focal connectivity indicator species in Bhutan: tiger (Panthera tigris), dhole (Cuon alpinus), clouded leopard (Neofelis nebulosa), Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus), Asian elephant, and sambar deer (Rusa unicolor). Most indicator species’ core areas and dispersal corridors outside the PAN were in southern Bhutan, indicating opportunities for increased multispecies connectivity through expanding protected area network in this region. A total of 40% of multispecies core areas and 24% of dispersal corridors were under PAN, with large parts of Bhutan offering suitable core areas and corridors for multispecies conservation. Core areas and corridors of the 15 considered species only partially overlapped, stressing the importance of multi-species consideration in designating wildlife corridors.

ABSTRACTCommuter trains are a popular mode of transportation among low-income earners in Ghana. However, due to the economic turmoil of the 1970s, the government struggled to invest in and manage this travel option effectively. With the increasing trend towards mass commuter services worldwide, this study aimed to examine how commuters perceive the quality of railway services in Ghana, using the Accra-Nsawam corridor as a case study. The study involved an on-board survey of 430 passengers using questionnaires. The results showed that factors such as speed, punctuality, safety, comfort, and improved customer care were significant predictors of commuters’ preference for commuter services. However, variables such as advanced technology and ticketing systems were found to be less important. The study recommends expanding rail services to other parts of the country while simultaneously improving technology.

AimThe goal of this study was to evaluate consistency among multiple connectivity models for jaguar and puma across Panama to evaluate the plausible current patterns of habitat connectivity for these and potentially other species in this critical biogeographic linkage zone.ApproachWe compared 72 different models of landscape connectivity for both large felids using both empirically based and expert opinion derived resistance layers. We conducted resistant kernel modeling with different dispersal abilities to reflect uncertainty in the movement potential of the two species. We applied three transformations to the resulting connectivity surfaces to account for uncertainty about the shape of the dispersal kernel function. We then evaluated the similarities and differences among these connectivity models, identifying several factors that drive their differences. We quantified the factors that drive differences in connectivity predictions using surface correlation, Mantel testing, and agglomerative hierarchical clustering.ResultsWe found that the main differences among predicted connectivity surfaces were related to species and resistance modeling approach, with relatively little consistent difference related to dispersal ability and nonlinear kernel transformation. Based on the ensemble connectivity prediction across the 72 models, we identified two major core areas, corresponding to the eastern and western portions of the central mountain range, significant attenuation of connectivity in lowland and developed areas of Panama, a major breakage in connectivity in the Canal Zone spanning the width of the country, and weak but potentially critical movement routes connecting the two core areas across the Canal Zone.ImplicationsThis paper contributes to both a theoretical and practical understanding of the functional connectivity of large felids, confirming the strong effect of differences in source points and resistance surfaces on connectivity predictions and identifying and mapping key core areas, barriers, and potential corridors for carnivore movement across the critical Pan-American linkage of the Isthmus of Panama.

The natural frequency of the long-span steel structure corridor is close to the pedestrian step frequency, which makes it very easy to cause resonance. This paper aims to study crowd-induced vibration control of long-span steel pedestrian corridors with different dynamic characteristics by combining methods of site measurement and numerical simulation. First, based on the steel structure corridor project of a multi-tower structure, the field modal test and the acceleration response under pedestrian load excitation are measured, and the dynamic characteristics and acceleration response under different frequency pedestrian loads are studied. Then, the finite element model of the large-span corridor is established, and the results of the measured and numerical simulation are compared and analyzed. Finally, with the relevant norms, a reasonable evaluation of pedestrian comfort is carried out. The results show that this paper's measured and finite element results have a certain accuracy. The damping characteristics of humans can absorb the vibration energy of the structure to reduce the vibration acceleration of the structure, and the results are conservative when human action is not considered. After installing the TMD system, the acceleration response of the corridor is significantly reduced, and the vibration reduction effect reaches 54%, which meets the comfort control requirements of the large-span corridor under pedestrian load excitation. The research results and methods in this paper can have particular engineering practical values for carrying out field measurements and comfort control in similar projects and provide a reference for engineering designers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La République Démocratique du Congo est un pays semi-enclavé du fait qu’il ne possède qu’une façade maritime réduite de 37 km, donnant directement accès à l’Océan Atlantique, en dépit de sa grande superficie de 2.345.410 km2. Etant fortement dépendante de l’exportation des produits primaires et des minerais, de l’importation des biens manufacturés et d’équipements, on comprend alors que les corridors de transport se posent à elle comme une préoccupation fondamentale, non seulement pour son désenclavement, mais aussi pour l’évacuation et l’approvisionnement en biens. Voilà ce qui justifie l’implication et la présence active de la RDC dans les différentes organisations des corridors sous- régionaux. A ce titre, nous formulons l’hypothèse selon laquelle l’enjeu du corridor Nord pour la RDC aurait une implication géopolitique, logistique et économique pour la facilitation de son commerce maritime international sans laquelle la partie Est de ce territoire n’aurait pas une ouverture vers le littoral. Pour cela, ce travail analyse les facteurs géopolitique, logistique et économique qui permettent à ce pays d’intégrer l’organisation de corridor Nord.

The current methods of construct three-dimensional interaction virtual reality include Photogrammetry, Point Cloud Modeling and Building Information Modeling. However, due to the limitation of space size, these methods cannot construct three-dimensional interaction virtual reality modeling effectively, like corridor. In this paper, the method is proposed to construct corridor three-dimensional interaction virtual reality. The method based on computer vision includes data acquisition, texture stitch, path selection, and model construction. In the process of acquiring data, firstly, we obtain the perspective transformation parameters by pre-establishing the check field. Secondly, we correct the acquired data in real-time by using perspective transformation. In the process of stitching texture, according to the number of feature points in the images, we use feature/direct stitch to generate texture. In the process of selecting path, we identify the targets in image and build buffers. The absolute error and root mean square error are used to measure the accuracy of corridor three-dimensional interaction virtual reality. The experimental result shows that the absolute error of the model constructed in this paper is about 0.0507 to 0.1691. And the root mean square error is about 0.1203 to 0.1318.

Research on ecological network of highly urbanised areas still suffers from a lack of species specificity in the identification of sources and corridors, solidified identification range with errors, and neglect of stepping stones. This study examined the evolution of ecological network components (habitats and corridors) of the active urban birds, with factors that impact them, from the perspective of functional performance, with the aim of evaluating ecological networks using a flexible identification approach. Habitat function performance (level of ecological source function performance, SFP; level of ecological stepping-stone function performance, SsFP) and corridor function performance (CFP) per grid were constructed using a flexible identification strategy to ensure that the ecological network function of each grid was not overlooked. Additionally, nonlinear relationships between bird habitats in ecological network components and three driving factor types such as topography, resistance, and landscape pattern were explored at the global scale using the Moran’s I, geographical detector, and regression equations. Local regressions were used to determine the impact of regional landscape patterns on CFP for management recommendations. The following results were observed: (1) Of the 238 grids with significant continuous changes in SFP and SsFP, scenario 16 (S16: SFP continuously decreasing with SsFP continuously increasing) accounted for 33.40%, indicating more grids had a transfer in primary function performance from source to stepping stones, mainly in the central part of Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan urban agglomeration (CZXUA). The amount of change in the continuous change scenario was concentrated within the range 0.2–0.6. (2) Spatial correlation analysis showed that the positive indicators, percentage of construction land (CLP) and nighttime lighting data (NLD), and the negative indicator, normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), in resistance had consistently increasing negative and positive correlations with SFP, whereas the correlations with the landscape pattern indices remained stable. Topography and resistance factors contributed more to the spatial heterogeneity of SFP, whereas their contribution to SsFP demonstrated the opposite trend. The regression relationship between habitat function performance and explanatory variables showed a high R2 value for nonlinear fitting. (3) Multiscale CFP was identified based on habitat function and the contribution of resistance factors. Geographically weighted regression analysis showed significant positive and negative impacts on CFP at the local scale, with landscape diversity and patchy irregularities providing more spaces for potential ecological corridor functions, and that regional landscape regulation strategies need to be weighed from multiple perspectives. Overall, this study proposes a flexible method for identifying ecological networks and multi-scale urban ecological management strategies.

Data on space-use patterns are essential for understanding species ecology and conservation. Individual chimpanzee communities are known to vary in home range size and habitat use dynamics, reflecting site-specific strategies to differences in resource availability on different landscapes. Here we present home range estimates for the Buraiga chimpanzees of Kibale National Park, Uganda, a community of eastern chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) living within the largest remaining population fragment in Uganda. The Buraiga chimpanzees are currently undergoing habituation for research and tourism under the direction of the Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA). We analyzed 15 months of GPS data (August 2019 – March 2020, and January – July 2022), calculating overall and seasonal home range and core area estimates with two methods, minimum convex polygon (MCP) and kernel density estimates (KDE). Home range was estimated to cover an area of 15.77 km2 (95% KDE), and 24.90 km2 (100% MCP). Additionally, we found that 15.82% of the Buraiga chimpanzee’s home range overlaps with community-managed land, primarily the Kanyanchu Swamp corridor and adjacent agricultural land. Seasonally, we found that Buraiga chimpanzees used a larger area during dry season months, compared with rainy season months. Documenting how great ape populations utilize increasingly anthropogenically influenced landscapes is important in order to facilitate long-term survival in the face of climate change, habitat fragmentation, and other ongoing threats.

Kuala Lumpur (KL), a capital city of Malaysia has experienced significant development that has led to the fragmentation of urban green spaces. Even though green infrastructure (GI) may address the problem of green space fragmentation, there is a notable gap in the extent to which the existing policies and regulations support the development of GI in KL. Hence, a set of policies and regulations pertaining to GI patch and corridor establishment in KL is reviewed in this study. In total, 77 documents related to policies and regulations that might contribute to GI establishment spatially were studied using thematic analysis. Next, the identified GI elements were themed together based on policies and regulations. The outcomes revealed that most policies and regulations focused on patches with 15 categories, followed by corridors (three categories) and components (one category). A typology of Malaysia's GI from the policies and regulations is prescribed in this study. The reported findings may catalyse GI planning and establishment in KL for a more sustainable future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe temporal and spatial patterns of seasonal space-use and migration by 16 GPS-collared Stone's sheep (Ovis dalli stonei) from nine bands in the Cassiar Mountains of northern British Columbia, Canada. Our objectives were to identify the timing of spring and fall migrations, characterize summer and winter ranges, map and describe migration routes and use of stopover sites, and document altitudinal change across seasons. Our last objective was to assess individual migration strategies based on patterns of geographic migration, altitudinal migration, or residency. Median start and end dates of the spring migration were 12 and 17 Jun (range: 20 May to 05 Aug), and of the fall migration were 30 Aug and 22 Sep (range: 21 Aug to 07 Jan). The median area of winter and summer ranges for geographic migrants were 630.8 ha and 2,829.0 ha, respectively, with a broad range from about 233.6 to 10,196.2 ha. Individuals showed high fidelity to winter ranges over the limited duration of the study. The winter and summer ranges of most individuals (n = 15) were at moderate to high elevations with a median summer elevation of 1,709 m (1,563-1,827 m) and 1,673 m (1,478-1,751 m) that varied <150 m between ranges. Almost all collared females (n = 14) exhibited changes in elevation use that coincide with abbreviated altitudinal migration. Specifically, these females descended to lower spring elevations from their winter range (Δ > 150 m), and then gradually moved up to higher-elevation summer ranges (Δ > 150 m). In the fall, they descended to lower elevations (Δ > 100 m) before returning to their higher winter ranges. The median distance travelled along geographic migration routes was 16.3 km (range: 7.6-47.4 km). During the spring migration, most geographic migrants (n = 8) used at least one stopover site (median = 1.5, range: 0-4), while almost all migrants (n = 11) used stopover sites more frequently in the fall (median = 2.5, range: 0-6). Of the 13 migratory individuals that had at least one other collared individual in their band, most migrated at about the same time, occupied the same summer and winter ranges, used similar migration routes and stopover sites, and exhibited the same migration strategy. We found collared females exhibited four different migration strategies which mostly varied across bands. Migration strategies included long-distance geographic migrants (n = 5), short-distance geographic migrants (n = 5), vacillating migrants (n = 2), and abbreviated altitudinal migrants (n = 4). Different migratory strategies occurred within one band where one collared individual migrated and two did not. We conclude that female Stone's sheep in the Cassiar Mountains displayed a diverse assemblage of seasonal habitat use and migratory behaviors. By delineating seasonal ranges, migration routes and stopover sites, we identify potential areas of priority that can help inform land-use planning and preserve the native migrations of Stone's sheep in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scene taxiing time is an important indicator for assessing the operational efficiency of airports as well as green airports, and it is also a fundamental parameter in flight regularity statistics. The accurate prediction of taxiing time can help decision makers to further optimize flight pushback sequences and improve airport operational efficiency while increasing flight punctuality. In this paper, we propose a hybrid deep learning model for departure taxiing time prediction based on the new influence factors of taxiing time. Taking Pudong International Airport as the research object, after analyzing the scene operation mode, we construct the origin–destination pairs (ODPs) with stand groups and runways and then propose two structure-related factors, corridor departure flow and departure flow proportion of ODP, as the new features. Based on the new feature set, we construct a departure taxiing dataset for training the prediction model. Then, a departure taxiing time prediction model based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and gated recurrent units (GRUs) is proposed, which uses a CNN model to extract the high-dimensional features from the taxiing data and then inputs them to a GRU model for taxiing time prediction. Finally, we conduct a series of comparison experiments on the historical taxiing dataset of Pudong Airport. The prediction results show that the proposed hybrid prediction model has the best performances compared with other deep learning models, and the proposed structure-related features have high correlations with departure taxiing time. The prediction results of taxiing time for different ODPs also verify the generalizability of the proposed model.

Iran is located in a unique geographical position, acting as a bridge among Africa, Europe and Asia, connecting India and Russia in the north–south corridor; connecting Asia and Europe in the East–West corridor; connecting Central Asia, the Caucasus, Turkey and Western Europe in the TRACECA Corridor; connecting Southeast Asia to northwestern Europe in the South Asian Corridor; the link among ECO members as well as Central Asian countries to the high seas and the Persian Gulf is formalized in the Ashgabat agreement. In fact, Iran has been identified as one of the most central geographical nodal points in the world, playing a combination of geopolitical, geo-economic and geo-transit roles in Southwest Asia. The main focal point of the present article is the systematic study of Iran's role in international corridors. This is done from a geopolitical perspective and since research in this area is relatively recent we are submitting this analysis as a starting point for a wider discussion about Iran's role in the new world order which is central to recent studies of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important recent issue in research is the effective protection and rational utilization of cultural heritage. In particular, the regional protection and utilization network of heritage space is the overall requirement for promoting cultural protection and high-quality development of its industry. Using Dunhuang city, Gansu Province, China, as a case study, it is argued here that the cultural heritage space is a living unit that is composed of not only cultural heritage but also its overall environment. By identifying the key historical factors of Dunhuang's regional cultural heritage space, this paper explores the conservation factors and utilization factors. The suitability of the conservation factors and utilization factors is assessed through a two-way index of conservation and utilization. In addition, using a field strength model that considered various factors, the suitability characteristics of conservation and utilization were summarized. It was found that the conservation and utilization space of Dunhuang's cultural heritage had three network features: same level overlap, primary and secondary combination, and significant differentiation. At the same time, these formed an organization network of "patch collage and corridor concatenation" and the network of "mine field pattern and branch extension". From this, the sustainable development of the Dunhuang cultural space network can be realized through the combinations of site protection and ecological protection and environmental utilization and ecological restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide surveys have shown that autonomous vehicles will enter the transportation networks in the following decades. Therefore, investigating and analyzing the impacts of autonomous vehicles on traffic has been one of the most exciting issues. Autonomous vehicles affect facilities management, including parking location. For example, autonomous vehicles will change parking patterns. The conventional vehicle drivers have first to find a spot to park their vehicle and then walk to their destination. In contrast, the autonomous vehicle users can drop off right at their destination and do not experience walking or searching time for parking. Hence, the modeling of autonomous vehicles' effect on parking facilities' location is an important issue. This study seeks to present the optimal location of parking facilities in a mixed AV-HV traffic flow. We consider two structure layouts: (i) a corridor and (ii) a grid city. Also, we use the Continuum Approximation approach to model the problem and derive closed-form solutions. We prove that the demand (the infrastructure cost) increases (decreases) the required parking facilities. Numeric examples show that the share of autonomous vehicles decreases the number of parking facilities and the total cost.

Abstract Background Global increases in human activity threaten connectivity of animal habitat and populations. Protection and restoration of wildlife habitat and movement corridors require robust models to forecast the effects of human activity on movement behaviour, resource selection, and connectivity. Recent research suggests that animal resource selection and responses to human activity depend on their behavioural movement state, with increased tolerance for human activity in fast states of movement. Yet, few studies have incorporated state-dependent movement behaviour into analyses of Merriam connectivity, that is individual-based metrics of connectivity that incorporate landscape structure and movement behaviour. Methods We assessed the cumulative effects of anthropogenic development on multiple movement processes including movement behaviour, resource selection, and Merriam connectivity. We simulated movement paths using hidden Markov movement models and step selection functions to estimate habitat use and connectivity for three landscape scenarios: reference conditions with no anthropogenic development, current conditions, and future conditions with a simulated expansion of towns and recreational trails. Our analysis used 20 years of grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) and gray wolf (Canis lupus) movement data collected in and around Banff National Park, Canada. Results Carnivores increased their speed of travel near towns and areas of high trail and road density, presumably to avoid encounters with people. They exhibited stronger avoidance of anthropogenic development when foraging and resting compared to travelling and during the day compared to night. Wolves exhibited stronger avoidance of anthropogenic development than grizzly bears. Current development reduced the amount of high-quality habitat between two mountain towns by more than 35%. Habitat degradation constrained movement routes around towns and was most pronounced for foraging and resting behaviour. Current anthropogenic development reduced connectivity from reference conditions an average of 85%. Habitat quality and connectivity further declined under a future development scenario. Conclusions Our results highlight the cumulative effects of anthropogenic development on carnivore movement behaviour, habitat use, and connectivity. Our strong behaviour-specific responses to human activity suggest that conservation initiatives should consider how proposed developments and restoration actions would affect where animals travel and how they use the landscape.

Effective transboundary corridors play a crucial role in jaguar Panthera onca conservation. Local residents reported jaguar sightings along the Baritú–Tariquía Biological Corridor, which prompted us to carry out this camera-trap survey. We surveyed an area of 1,243 km2 across the corridor to confirm jaguar presence. We used 50 single camera stations, with cameras placed c. 5 km apart. We placed the cameras along trails, streams and mountain ridges. We recorded jaguars at seven sites across the Corridor; at least three different individuals were identified. These records confirm the presence of the jaguar in the Baritú–Tariquía Biological Corridor between Argentina and Bolivia, a trans-frontier area of the Austral Yungas facing multiple threats but hosting one of the southernmost jaguar populations. Conservation efforts in border regions can promote collaboration and synergies between agencies and other conservation stakeholders, with important implications for wide-ranging predators such as jaguars and their habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss and fragmentation contribute significantly to the decline of arboreal mammal populations. As populations become fragmented and isolated, a reduction in gene flow can result in a loss of genetic diversity and have an overall impact upon long-term persistence. Creating wildlife corridors can mitigate such effects by increasing the movement and dispersal of animals, thus acting to reduce population isolation. To evaluate the success of a corridor, a before–after experimental research framework can be used. Here, we report the genetic diversity and structure of sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) sampling locations within a fragmented landscape prior to the implementation of a wildlife corridor. This study used 5999 genome-wide SNPs from 94 sugar gliders caught from 8 locations in a fragmented landscape in south-eastern New South Wales, Australia. Overall genetic structure was limited, and gene flow was detected across the landscape. Our findings indicate that the study area contains one large population. A major highway dissecting the landscape did not act as a significant barrier to dispersal, though this may be because of its relatively new presence in the landscape (completed in 2018). Future studies may yet indicate its long-term impact as a barrier to gene flow. Future work should aim to repeat the methods of this study to examine the medium-to-long-term impacts of the wildlife corridor on sugar gliders, as well as examine the genetic structure of other native, specialist species in the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article assesses the implementation of Mongolia's "New Recovery Policy", evaluates the current status of cargo and passenger transport, analyzes the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on these sectors, and identifies issues within the transport and logistics industry. Following the research, three primary conclusions were drawn: firstly, proposing actual solutions to the problems mentioned in this study; secondly, to augment transit traffic passing through Mongolia; and thirdly, the establishment of an autonomous government body, crucial for creating the central economic corridor connecting China, Mongolia, and Russia. The proposal suggests establishing an analysis institute to coordinate medium and long-term development policies of Russia and China, manage projects in the transport infrastructure domain, align legal frameworks among the three nations, and oversee the construction of the corridor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) and tigers (Panthera tigris) share the same landscape in India. Elephants, which range over 239,171 km2, occupy 45.5% of the 433,261 km2 habitat that tigers inhabit. Equally, at least 40% of elephant corridors are used by tigers. A shared landscape offers opportunities for careful, integrated management strategies with shared resources. The species are protected differently in India, with tiger reserves being legal entities dedicated to the protection of tigers and their habitats, and Elephant Reserves being management units with no legal standing. With additional disparities in financial supports to tiger reserves—which receive 10 times more money than elephant reserves—it is obvious that the elephant reserves are being treated inequitably. Since the two species coexist in the same landscapes, efforts to protect tigers can help to make up for elephant conservation gaps and optimise the use of conservation resources by tweaking a few management and policy practices. In addition, the overlay of tigers using elephant corridors can efficiently secure habitat linkages for both species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-border cooperation on the island of Ireland has a long history, if often a limited scope. The emergence of statutory North/South bodies after the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement of 1998 added a new dynamic. This paper argues that the further development of the Dublin–Belfast Economic Corridor will require key stakeholders to engage widely, not only with a private sector whose rationale will be greater levels of commercial activity along the Corridor but also with others who will bring additional agendas into discussion, including sustainability and quality of life. Political engagement will also be critical to ensure that the top-down support, in terms of investment and alignment with other policy priorities, is present. The framework for this collaboration is already in place, something that was absent in the 1990s. Actors and policy entrepreneurs who can bring together the different types of engagement on a cross-border basis are required.

The natural frequency of the long-span steel structure corridor is close to the pedestrian step frequency, which makes it very easy to cause resonance. This paper aims to study crowd-induced vibration control of long-span steel pedestrian corridors with different dynamic characteristics by combining methods of site measurement and numerical simulation. First, based on the steel structure corridor project of a multi-tower structure, the field modal test and the acceleration response under pedestrian load excitation are measured, and the dynamic characteristics and acceleration response under different frequency pedestrian loads are studied. Then, the finite element model of the large-span corridor is established, and the results of the measured and numerical simulation are compared and analyzed. Finally, with the relevant norms, a reasonable evaluation of pedestrian comfort is carried out. The results show that this paper’s measured and finite element results have a certain accuracy. The damping characteristics of humans can absorb the vibration energy of the structure to reduce the vibration acceleration of the structure, and the results are conservative when human action is not considered. After installing the TMD system, the acceleration response of the corridor is significantly reduced, and the vibration reduction effect reaches 54%, which meets the comfort control requirements of the large-span corridor under pedestrian load excitation. The research results and methods in this paper can have particular engineering practical values for carrying out field measurements and comfort control in similar projects and provide a reference for engineering designers.

Fractures of the superior pubic ramus can be treated with screw insertion into the osseous fixation pathway (OFP) of the anterior column (AC). The entry point determines whether the screw exits the OFP prematurely. This can be harmful when it enters the hip joint or damages soft tissues inside the lesser pelvis. The exact entry point varies between patients and can be difficult to ascertain on fluoroscopy during surgery. The aim of this study was to determine variation in the location of the entry point. A retrospective single center study was performed at a level 1 trauma center in the Netherlands. Nineteen adult patients were included with an undisplaced fracture of the superior pubic ramus on computer tomography (CT)-scan. Virtual three-dimensional (3D) models of the pelvises were created. Multiple screws were placed per AC and the models were superimposed. A total of 157 screws were placed, of which 109 did not exit the OFP prematurely. A universally reproducible entry point could not be identified. A typical crescent shaped region of entry points did exist and was located more laterally in females when compared to males. Three-dimensional virtual surgery planning can be helpful to identify the ideal entry points in each case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]