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Copyright of Studia Iuridica Lublinensia is the property of Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Exploring the spatial heterogeneity of urban multi-dimensional networks and influencing factors are of great significance for the integrated development of metropolitan circle. This study took Hangzhou metropolitan circle as an example, using multi-source geospatial big data to obtain urban population, transportation, goods, capital, and information flow information among sub-cities. Then, spatial visualization analysis, social network analysis, and geographical detector were applied to analyze the differences in spatial structure of multiple urban networks and influencing factors in Hangzhou metropolitan circle, respectively. The results showed that (1) the network connections of population, traffic, goods, and capital flows transcended geographical proximity except that of information flow, and population and traffic flow networks were found to be more flattened in Hangzhou metropolitan circle than in other urban networks; (2) the comprehensive urban network of Hangzhou metropolitan circle was imbalanced across sub-cities, presenting hierarchical and unipolar characteristics; and (3) the influence of traffic distance on the network spatial structure of Hangzhou metropolitan was stronger than the geographical distance, and the interactions between traffic distance and socioeconomic factors would further enhance the regional differentiation of the network spatial structure. This study could provide scientific reference for constructing a coordinated and integrated development pattern in a metropolitan circle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Architectural Journal / Jian Zhu Xue Bao is the property of Architectural Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article presents data on the distribution of the steppe marmot Marmota bobak Müll, 1776 in the Burtinskaya Steppe Site of the Orenburg State Nature Reserve (Orenburg Region, Belyaevsky District), from its inception to the present. The research was carried out by the author in 1998–2001 and 2021–2022; information on the number of steppe marmots from the archive of the reserve was also used. Mapping of all residential colonies of the steppe marmot and families in them was carried out, and the area of family plots was calculated. Statistical processing of the results of observations was carried out using the STATISTICA 10.0.1011 computer program. The spatial structure of the population, which had developed even before the establishment of the reserve, has been preserved with minor changes for more than 30 years. In the first years (1989–1990), eight relatively small settlements were noted on the territory of the site. Since 1996, ten colonies have been identified, and in 1999, 75 residential family plots were noted on them. By 2003, the territories of the colonies were completely developed, the marmots occupied old abandoned burrows within the colonies, and the number of families on the site increased to 106. Over the next 9 years, the number of families remained stable, after which their number began to decline: by 2017, only 55 families remained. Currently, there is a gradual increase in the number of families in the Burtinskaya Steppe Site; according to the results of mapping in 2022, 74 families were noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional transportation, especially between port-hinterland, plays an important role in the economic prosperity of the country and the efficiency of the supply chain of commudities. Due to the functional and geographical differences between the hinterlands, the impact of the performance of each port on the post-coastal regional development is different leading to the diversity of different types of spatial structure in the port areas. Due to this fact, many researchers who are working in various scientific fields focus on the analyzing the relations between ports and hinterland areas and explaining the changes occurred in the spatial structure of these areas. The purpose of this research is to systematic review of researches in this field and to classify the structure and content analysis of prominent articles during period of 1997 to 2022. All of articles downloaded from Scopus database and analyzed by VOSviewer software. A comparison of the results of this research shows that in terms of specialization and distribution of journals, “The Journal of Transport Geography” is one of the main attractive journals for the researchers of spatial geography of ports. In terms of the geographical scale of the studies, most of the researches in this field have investigated the spatial structure of port-hinterland as a national scale. In addition, the geographical areas are mostly focused on the East and Southeast Asia. In terms of spatial structure typology, two types of analysis have been proposed and used in the selected articles. The first type is morphological analysis of the port-hinterland structure. The components used in this type of analysis include the objective components of the spatial structure (center, corridor, and land use area); the second type is the functional analysis of the port-hinterland structure, in which it often includes the intangible components of space (interaction, regularity and spatial territory). The results of this research show that the set of theories of port-hinterlandcan be summarized in seven thematic axes: Relations between the hinterland, port and foreland; Regional development of ports; Dry and inland ports; Port-city interface; Connections between ports and corridors; Competition between ports and forelands; and Function of ports. Finally, by reviewing the methods and techniques used in the articles, we can find four approaches of positivism, neopositivism, relationalism and criticism in the philosophical-historical evolution of the porthinterlamd articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arid Land Geography is the property of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study presents auxiliary support techniques for tree selection strategies based on the spatial structure indices and three competition indices in secondary forests, and discusses the importance of tree competition in forest management. The spatial structure parameter in the structured management is used as a quantitative index—the uniform angle index and three competition indices are used in the design of the algorithm for selective thinning for secondary forest. Based on the target tree-based management principles, simulation of selective thinning was carried out using GIS and C# programming languages. Data for this study were collected from experimental sample plots at Jilin Wangqing Forestry Bureau in China. The simulation results strongly support the use of auxiliary technology for scientifically selecting trees for thinning, avoiding the subjectivity of the traditional manual selection. Selection is largely based on the uniform angle index and competition index. Hegyi's competition index and its improved version used in the algorithm provided almost identical simulation results, i.e., thinning intensities suggested by these indices for the first sample plot are 21.8% and 21.5%, respectively, and for the second plot are 21.3% and 21.1%, respectively. Thus, one of these competition indices can be used to select trees for thinning. The comprehensive competition index (CCI, a combination of an improved version of Hegyi's competition index with tree species mingling) can avoid the selection of individual trees with high mingling and help maintain the tree species diversity. CCI suggests thinning intensities of 18.3% and 18.4% for the first and second sample plots, respectively. Presented methods and results may provide auxiliary supports for scientific thinning and help promote the application of information technology in forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Rusa deer (Cervus timorensis), originally introduced in the 1860s, are still spreading in eastern Australia. The expanding peri-urban rusa deer population in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia is having undesirable impacts on human and ecological communities, but the spatial structure of this population has not been investigated. Genetic information on invasive species is potentially useful in identifying management units to mitigate undesirable impacts. Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate population structure, characterise dispersal, and determine if natural and human-made landscape features affected gene flow in rusa deer invading the Illawarra region of New South Wales. Methods: We used reduced representation sequencing (DArT-Seq) to analyse single nucleotide polymorphisms distributed throughout the genomic DNA of rusa deer culled during a management program. We used admixture and Principal Component Analyses to investigate population structure with respect to natural and human-made landscape features, and we investigated whether our genetic data supported the presence of sex-biased dispersal. Key results: Genetic diversity was highest in the north, near the original introduction site. A railway line demarcated restricted gene flow. Surprisingly, the Illawarra escarpment, a prominent landscape feature, did not restrict gene flow. There was no evidence of sex-biased dispersal and seven individuals were identified as genetic outliers. Conclusions: The genetic structure of the Illawarra rusa deer population is consistent with individuals spreading south from their introduction site in Royal National Park. The population is not panmictic, and a landscape feature associated with urbanisation was associated with increased spatial genetic structure. Outliers could indicate hybridisation or secondary incursion events. Implications: Rusa deer can be expected to continue invading southwards in the Illawarra region, but landscape features associated with urbanisation might reduce dispersal across the landscape. The genetic structuring of the population identified three potential management units on which to prioritise ground shooting operations. Understanding spatial structure is important for the management of invasive deer populations. We sequenced DNA from invasive rusa deer culled during a management program in the Illawarra region, New South Wales, Australia. Genetic diversity decreased from north (the original introduction site) to south, and we identified three spatially distinct units for managing rusa deer in the Illawarra region. Photograph by Scarlett Li-Williams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The assessment of the spatial and functional features of rare species populations without considering the ontogenetic groups, which are being rarely distinguished at international literature, does not give a complete understanding of the current status of populations and prospects of their development under various management conditions. This paper is aimed to determine the status of a threatened orchid species, Cephalanthera rubra, at the eastern border of its range (Republic of Tatarstan, European Russia). For this purpose, a complex of various population parameters was used. Ontogenetic groups of C. rubra individuals have been reliably identified on the basis of morphometric traits of reproductive and vegetative organs. The obtained results showed that the fruit set is low, ranging at average from 24% for young reproductive individuals (g1) to 39% for mid-mature reproductive individuals (g2); it reflects prospects for seed reproduction of this species at the eastern edge of its range. The abundance dynamics of populations has a fluctuation type; it is related to climatic factors of the growing season. So, we found its significant positive correlations with air humidity (from r = 0.6 to r = 0.7) and precipitation (from r = 0.5 to r = 0.6), and a negative correlation with temperature (from r = -0.5 to r = -0.6). In the Republic of Tatarstan, the base spectrum of C. rubra populations is of the centred type, 1:10:51:38 (j:im:v:g); it corresponds to the general ontogenetic spectrum of rhizomatous orchids. The spatial-ontogenetic structure of populations, and especially its dynamics, reflects the intraspecific relationships of various ontogenetic groups involved in maintaining the stability of C. rubra population in space and time. Under optimal conditions, the spatial structure of all individuals and reproductive groups is characterised by a spatial randomness, which probably reduces intraspecific competition. In contrary, pre-reproductive groups form aggregations with 0.5–0.9-m radius in microloci, favourable for seed germination. A characteristic feature of the spatial structure is the formation of aggregations of reproductive and pre-reproductive individuals with a 0.7–1.0-m radius with a 0.2–0.4-m zone of the random spatial positioning of individuals, which aims to reduce intraspecific competition between them. The probability of meeting an individual of another ontogenetic group increases towards the periphery of the formed aggregation. In C. rubra populations, the abundance and density of individuals, and the fruit set decrease in pessimal conditions of landslides, soil erosion, and habitat shading. Under these conditions, pre-reproductive individuals do not form aggregations, nor aggregations with reproductive individuals. In general, the spatial structure of a population depends on the life-form type of the species, the mechanism of spatial growth of underground organs; it is considered a diagnostic sign of the population status.

Starting from the Late Republican and First Imperial ages, the Roman Mediterranean has seen the development and transformation of urbanised areas due to the newly gained stability conferred by the so-called Pax Augusta. This phenomenon has significant consequences in transforming pre-existing urban structures and establishing a large number of newly founded urban areas. This study aims to address a gap in the existing literature by developing a method to analyse the configuration of historical urban sites to understand the social and cultural antecedents of the transformation and development of urban areas in the Roman era. The study builds on Space Syntax theories and techniques to develop an analytical protocol that combines syntactical analysis and statistical analysis to measure and compare spatial, visual and social relationships in four urban Roman sites in the Mediterranean. The selected areas of study are the urban sites of Nora and Cosa in Italy, of Timgad in Algeria and of Thuburbo Maius in Tunisia. The study areas include planned urban sites constituted by a grid structure (Cosa and Timgad) and cities with continuity of life (Nora and Thuburbo Maius) formed by an organic inspired spatial layout. The study significantly contributes to archaeology and urban studies by proposing a combination of methods that associates distinct analytical techniques to investigate the large-scale configurational properties of historical urban environments whose spatial structure and, therefore, social logic have been only partially explored.

In the research area of the CT digital coal petrography, the selection of gray threshold directly affects the accuracy of spatial structure remodeling. To allow the pores and fissures space remodeling data to more accurately represent the real structure and improve the reliability of research on microscopic seepage of coal rock, the mapping relation between the CT digital coal rock porosity and gray threshold is established. Also, the distribution rule of gray threshold is adopted to conduct a quantitative analysis of the development features of pore, fissure and matrix. The Bi-PTI (Biphasic Pore Threshold Inversion) model is established for the identification of pore and fissure structures. The value inversion of the optimal gray threshold of pore and fissure based on the CT scanning data of metamorphic coal, and the comparison of porosity obtained with the model against the mercury injection test value are conducted. On the basis of the optimal gray threshold inversion results, the spatial structure of pore and fissure is remodeled and compared with the Otsu model through the parameters of spatial structure and topological structure. Research results indicate that the porosity based on the CT digital coal petrography is in asymmetrical S-shaped distribution as the threshold value increases, with the features of exponential increase and logarithmic climb at different sections. The Bi-PTI model can fairly reflect the mapping relation between porosity and gray threshold, and represent the development features of pore, fissure and matrix. The porosity calculated through the Otsu model is as high as over 70%, the porosity calculated by the MP-Otsu model is greatly affected by the mineral content while that calculated with the Bi-PTI model ranges from 0.40% to 16.22%, more close to the mercury injection test data. The Otsu model is most likely to neglect the topological structure with partial pores and fissures. The MP-Otsu model is not effective for constructing the topology of coal samples with low mineral content, while the Bi-PTI model can better identify the topological features in the locations of the defect and faithfully restore the pore throat abundance and connectivity in the pore and fissure topology.

Urban invisible consumption space is a physical consumption space with weak visibility in urban public space, which has become a new channel for urban business and consumption development. It is progressively becoming an important part of the urban business. Analyzing the spatial pattern and influencing factors of urban invisible consumption is an important basis for promoting online and offline commercial development in cities. Taking Changsha City as an example, the invisible consumption space of the city was identified using POI and business information data of Gaode open platform. Using the Gatiss-Ord index and the geographically weighted regression model, we analyzed the spatial distribution of the urban invisible consumption with different levels of Internet participation. The results show that: 1) the main consumption type of invisible consumption space in Changsha is experiential service consumption; 2) the invisible consumption space infiltrated by the Internet, with Wuyi Square and Red Star Business Circle as the main core areas, presents a structural form of "a main core area, an auxiliary core area, strip distribution, and a point-like mixture"; 3) compared with the traditional invisible consumption space, which is less influenced by the Internet, the invisible consumption space infiltrated by the Internet has clear spatial heterogeneity and less spatial autocorrelation. The results show that the urban invisible consumption space tends to cluster in areas with a mature business atmosphere, convenient transportation, high cost-effective rent, and close to residential areas. The spatial distribution of invisible consumption in Changsha presents a basic spatial structure in line with the central place theory, showing a polycentric form of agglomeration and diffusion. Urban invisible consumption space clusters in the local industrial and commercial center. Moreover, the evolution of places shows a trend of infiltration and aggregation to blocks and the location influence is weak, but it is not "no location influence at all". Its distribution characteristics are in line with the theory of flowing space on the scale of urban internal block. However, invisible consumption space use is positively influenced by the Internet, and its potential commercial value lies in promoting and making full use of the existing urban space resources. In addition, for an "online famous city", the offline consumption activities in the network platform are increasing in abundance, and invisible consumption space will become a more important place to perceive the hidden vitality of the city.

Against the backdrop of digital technology integration and digital transformation, the digital economy has become an important new economic development in China. The digital economy changes and subverts the traditional production and organization modes of industries, breaks regional and spatial barriers, and realizes a highly interconnected network structure. Therefore, it is critical to study the digital economy from a network analysis perspective. In previous studies, the interlocking network model and the headquarters-branch model have been adopted to construct enterprise networks; however, the networks based on these models have some deficiencies in comprehensiveness and authenticity. An enterprise equity network built based on the investment relationships between enterprises can reflect the actual contact network status of the enterprise. Based on the above background, this study analyzed the evolutionary characteristics of the digital economy network in the Yangtze River Delta area through an enterprise equity network and explored its influencing factors and mechanisms. First, we constructed the digital economy networks of the Yangtze River Delta area for 2010, 2015, and 2020 using equity investment data between enterprises and a directed correlation network model. Second, with the indicators of degree centrality, degree centralization, an investment source, and others, the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of digital economy networks were described from two aspects: network patterns and investment relationships. Furthermore, this study explored the possible factors affecting digital economy networks in the Yangtze River Delta area through a Quadratic Assignment Procedure. This study has three main findings: 1) From 2010 to 2020, various types of digital economy networks in the Yangtze River Delta area showed the characteristics of hierarchical diffusion and node agglomeration. Each industry forms an expansion of the network framework around the core node in the initial stage and then expands to the surrounding areas through secondary nodes. Shanghai and Hangzhou were the most important network nodes in the digital economy. 2) The number of net inflow areas for digital economy investment in the Yangtze River Delta was increasing, whereas the number of net outflow areas was decreasing. Hangzhou was the main net inflow city, while Shanghai and Ningbo were the main net outflow cities. Simultaneously, the source of investment in research units has changed from inside the province to outside, and there are clear interprovincial differences. 3) Cognitive proximity, the difference in the number of digital economy enterprises, the difference in the proportion of secondary industries, the difference in information facilities, and the early network foundation all have significant positive effects on the establishment of digital economy networks. System proximity, the difference in the proportion of tertiary industries, the time difference in the establishment of digital economy enterprises, and the gap in innovation ability restrict the formation and development of digital economy networks. Geographical distance is no longer the main factor influencing the formation of digital economic networks. Based on the above conclusions, this study proposes some suggestions for promoting the development of the digital economy from the perspectives of industrial agglomeration, facility and policy allocation, and path dependence.

This paper aimed to investigate and analyse the diametric and spatial distribution of Prunus avium populations in Tunisia. This study may help us document better information about the ecological processes and its functioning. Dendrometric and ecological data were collected on four square plots of an area of 1 ha each within two forests, Tabarka and Ain Draham, in northwest Tunisia. The results presented in this work show that P. avium individuals present a diametrical structure in the form of an “inverted J” translated by the dominance of the seedlings compared to the other classes. The analysis of the spatial distribution shows that wild cherry is identified by its aggregates and variable size (approximately 5 m and 20 m). It is coherent with the mode of vegetative propagation by suckering and the dispersal of fruits by birds. This investigation opens insight into other species to ensure good sustainable management of natural resources.

The microbiome of flowers (anthosphere) is an understudied compartment of the plant microbiome. Within the flower, petals represent a heterogeneous environment for microbes in terms of resources and environmental stress. Yet, little is known of drivers of structure and function of the epiphytic microbial community at the within-petal scale. We characterized the petal microbiome in two co-flowering plants that differ in the pattern of ultraviolet (UV) absorption along their petals. Bacterial communities were similar between plant hosts, with only rare phylogenetically distant species contributing to differences. The epiphyte community was highly culturable (75% of families) lending confidence in the spatially explicit isolation and characterization of bacteria. In one host, petals were heterogeneous in UV absorption along their length, and in these, there was a negative relationship between growth rate and position on the petal, as well as lower UV tolerance in strains isolated from the UV-absorbing base than from UV reflecting tip. A similar pattern was not seen in microbes isolated from a second host whose petals had uniform patterning along their length. Across strains, the variation in carbon usage and chemical tolerance followed common phylogenetic patterns. This work highlights the value of petals for spatially explicit explorations of bacteria of the anthosphere.

The purpose of this study was to establish a spatial structural framework to explore how cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in emerging markets can enhance long-term productivity and select the appropriate host country market structures. Utilizing cross-border M&A data from Chinese companies from 2008 to 2016, we developed a moderated U-shaped mediation model. Employing Two-Stage Least Squares and the Generalized Method of Moments for endogeneity analysis, we offer robust empirical insights. Our findings illustrate that enterprise productivity progression from cross-border M&As is significantly influenced by a U-shaped mediation of the host country’s market size effect, which is further moderated by the technological distance between the home and host countries. A high technological distance intensifies the U-shaped mediation of market size effects on enterprise productivity, while low technological distances result in an inverted U-shaped curve, indicating that such markets may boost short-term productivity but limit long-term growth. Conversely, larger markets with greater technological distances better support sustained productivity increases, even requiring persistent technological absorption efforts. This study underscores the necessity of selecting appropriate host country market structures and effectively managing the acquisition timeline to positively impact both short- and long-term productivity. By conceptualizing firm-level technological absorption efforts as the technological gap between the home and host countries, this study highlights the crucial moderating role that the technological gap plays in influencing long-term productivity at the macro level, providing new insights into the economic geographic strategic decisions and spatial planning for emerging market enterprises in cross-border acquisitions.

Validation of satellite-derived aquatic reflectance involves relating meter-scale in situ observations to satellite pixels with typical spatial resolution ∼ 10–100 m within a temporal “match-up window” of an overpass. Due to sub-pixel variation these discrepancies in measurement scale are a source of uncertainty in the validation result. Additionally, validation protocols and statistics do not normally account for spatial autocorrelation when pairing in situ data from moving platforms with satellite pixels. Here, using high-frequency autonomous mobile radiometers deployed on ships, we characterize the spatial structure of in situRrs in inland and coastal waters (Lake Balaton, Western English Channel, Tagus Estuary). Using variogram analysis, we partition Rrs variability into spatial and intrinsic (non-spatial) components. We then demonstrate the capacity of mobile radiometers to spatially sample in situRrs within a temporal window broadly representative of satellite validation and provide spatial statistics to aid satellite validation practice. At a length scale typical of a medium resolution sensor (300 m) between 5% and 35% (median values across spectral bands and deployments) of the variation in in situRrs was due to spatial separation. This result illustrates the extent to which mobile radiometers can reduce validation uncertainty due to spatial discrepancy via sub-pixel sampling. The length scale at which in situRrs became spatially decorrelated ranged from ∼ 100–1,000 m. This information serves as a guideline for selection of spatially independent in situRrs when matching with a satellite image, emphasizing the need for either downsampling or using modified statistics when selecting data to validate high resolution sensors (sub 100 m pixel size).

The article reveals the regularities of formation of the existing town-planning fragments and inclusion of those under design in the system of the historical centre of Irkutsk. The article considers the main evolutionary stages of the development of the historical centre of Irkutsk and the regularities of the formation of the fragments of the development during those historical periods. The authors’ methodology of revealing the problems of fragmentation is developed on the basis of the analysis of conflict neighbouring of buildings. The authors define the principles of formation of the established development and inclusion of modern development in the historical fabric. They also propose an algorithm for regulating the integration of buildings and its application to the real urban planning situation on the example of the template of the historical quarter of Irkutsk.

The urban spatial structure has a prominent role in the earthquake response process which should primarily be assessed in the areas that are most vulnerable to earthquake hazards. Search and rescue teams need to map and identify the appropriateness of urban infrastructures for disaster reaction after a quake to enable ease of movement and quick assistance to the casualties. The key objective of this study is to compute the appropriateness of a municipal spatial structure for crisis reaction after a destructive earthquake, with an emphasis on finding the most critical areas (those that are prone to emergency response disruption). The main contribution involves improving a geographic information system (GIS)-based earthquake-triggered hybrid framework for suitability analysis using a fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (FAHP) and gradient rain optimization algorithm (GROA). The modifying of a rain optimization algorithm (ROA) to a GROA based on gradient descent is carried out to avoid local optima, which results in optimizing the identification process of the key locations for emergency response. The planned approach has been executed in Tehran, the capital of Iran. The implementation consequences reveal the supreme crucial areas for emergency response in the study area with a demonstration of the efficiency of the GROA compared to the basic ROA. Both indicate that these sites are located in the west and southwest, while the junction degree and width of the roads are the most significant factors affecting a city's suitability for emergency response. In addition, the GROA is less sensitive to local optima and more economical than the ROA. Moreover, several rescue experts and urban planners expressed their high satisfaction (95 %) with the five-level suitability map for prioritizing the deployments of troops along with the critical area maps for preventing heavy casualties produced by the GROA.

The Chengdu–Chongqing urban agglomeration (CCUA), as the only national-level city cluster in southwestern China, serves as a strategic support for the Yangtze River Economic Belt and an important demonstration area for promoting new urbanization in the country. The study of the networked characteristics of the CCUA contributes to a systematic understanding of its spatial connectivity patterns, optimization of spatial structure and layout, and promotion of high-quality regional development. In this study, we constructed models for traffic flow, information flow, migration flow, and composite flow to calculate the strength of connections between cities and the total flow of various elements in the CCUA. ArcGIS spatial visualization tools were used to depict the spatial connectivity patterns of the element flows within the CCUA. Additionally, social network analysis methods, including network density, centrality, and cohesive subgroups analysis, were employed to reveal the spatial network structure characteristics of the CCUA. The findings are as follows: (1) The overall structure of the cities within the CCUA is relatively loose, with significant differences in connectivity strength. It exhibits a west-strong and east-weak pattern, with Chengdu-Chongqing, Chengdu-Deyang, Chengdu-Mianyang, and Chengdu-Meishan occupying the top tier, while Zigong and Ya'an have relatively weak connections with other cities. Chengdu and Chongqing have prominent positions in the CCUA, with Chengdu having a more prominent core position compared to Chongqing, resulting in an overall hierarchical distribution of “1 + 1+7 + 7”. (2) The network density of the element flows in the CCUA is relatively low, indicating a generally weak element connectivity. The centrality of cities other than Chengdu and Chongqing is at a moderate to lower level, suggesting a weak overall resource connectivity capacity in the CCUA. (3) Most cities tend to form cohesive subgroups based on geographic proximity, while the cohesive subgroup in Chongqing is still in its early stages of development due to administrative boundaries. The research results quantitatively depict the spatial network structure characteristics of the CCUA, providing theoretical references for its development.

By targeting the membrane (M) proteins of monkeypox virus (MPXV) strain VEROE6, we analyzed its evolutionary hierarchy and predicted its dominant antigenic B-cell epitope to provide a theoretical basis for the development of MPXV epitope vaccines and related monoclonal antibodies. In this study, phylogenetic trees were constructed based on the nucleic acid sequences of MPXV and the amino acid sequences of M proteins. The 3D structure of the MPXV_VEROE6 M proteins was predicted with AlphaFold v2.0 and the dominant antigenic B-cell epitopes were comprehensively predicted by analyzing parameters such as flexible segments, the hydrophilic index, the antigenic index, and the protein surface probability. The results showed that the M protein of MPXV_VEROE6 contained 377 amino acids, and their spatial configuration was relatively regular with a turning and random coil structure. The results of a comprehensive multiparameter analysis indicated that possible B-cell epitopes were located in the 23–28, 57–63, 67–78, 80–93, 98–105, 125–131, 143–149, 201–206, 231–237, 261–270, 291–303, and 346–362 amino acid segments. This study elucidated the structural and evolutionary characteristics of MPXV membrane proteins with the aim of providing theoretical information for the development of epitope vaccines, rapid diagnostic reagents, and monoclonal antibodies for monkeypox virus.

The industrial agglomeration and spatial structure characteristics play important roles in the economic development and improvement of competitiveness for urban cluster. The article constructs a C-D model using panel data of 130 cities in 13 urban clusters in China from 2006 to 2015, then constructs regression equations of the relationship between industrial agglomeration, spatial structure and economic growth through fixed-effects regression models, and finally analyzes the influence of industrial agglomeration and spatial structure on economic growth of urban clusters. The research results indicate that the economic structure of urban clusters is affected by both the level of industrial agglomeration and spatial structure of urban clusters. The higher the level of industrial agglomeration, the more obvious the economic effect of urban clusters. From the perspective of the spatial structure of urban clusters, the impact of monocentric spatial structure of urban clusters on economic growth shows a positive correlation. Human capital, physical capital, economic openness and resident population have significant positive effects on the economic growth of urban clusters, while transportation infrastructure is not significant. At this moment, we should further promote the industrial agglomeration, and continuously optimize the internal spatial structure of urban clusters with the linkage mechanism of land and household registration to improve the comprehensive competitiveness of urban clusters.

In the marine high-pressure low-temperature environment, it is difficult to regulate the low-temperature rheology of the drilling fluid, and the spilled natural gas is easy to generate solid gas hydrate in the wellbore, causing problems such as wellbore blockage and increasing the risk of safe drilling operations. Although there are many researches on the invasion process of drilling fluid and the development of new hydrate inhibition, there is still a lack of research on the inhibition system suitable for drilling fluid. Therefore, this paper uses the self-developed hydrate formation evaluation experimental device to simulate and analyze the effect of inhibitors in reservoir environment and optimize the scheme of drilling fluid inhibition system. The results show that: (1) Through the improvement of the experimental device of water bath methane hydrate (MH) evaluation, the accuracy and parallel control of the equipment are enhanced, and the methane hydrate formed by sea water (SW) is less than that of distilled water (DW), and the structure of methane hydrate formed by distilled water is more compact. (2) Through the evaluation experiment of single inhibitor A3, PAC and CMC inhibition system, it was found that A3 had the best inhibition effect, and when the inhibitor concentration was 1.5 wt%, it had the best inhibition effect. (3) The influence of clay types on the formation of methane hydrate is also significantly different. Bentonite soil Red (BSR) has better inhibition performance than Bentonite soil Yellow (BSY), and its ' hut ' structure formed at low temperature is the reason for the formation of methane hydrate. (4) The inhibition ability of A3 inhibitor in BSY system and BSR system solution in general, the addition of KCl can play a strong synergistic inhibition ability with A3 in BSR system, and its electric field reduces the activation energy of water molecules as well as the consumption of free water is the reason to reduce the generation of methane hydrate.

The strategic position of the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration has become increasingly prominent in terms of national economic development. In this paper, we propose the life cycle theory of urban agglomerations from the perspective of tourism-economic linkages and study the evolution of tourism-economic linkages and the spatial structure of emerging urban agglomerations in the Beibu Gulf using a modified gravity model and social network analysis. The results show the following: 1) The tourism-economic connection of the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration was initially limited to neighboring cities dominated by provincial capital cities. Nanning is the main location for developing the tourism economy. With improvements in traffic and the implementation of national policies, tourism-economic ties among urban agglomerations have gradually deepened, with the total number of these connections increasing from 174.84 to 6, 542.94 in 2019. The total number of connections in 2019 was 37.42 times that of 2011. The tourism-economic connection structure developed from a loose to a multicore network structure. 2) The density of the tourism-economic connection network in the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration increased by 6.01 times. The network structure changed from loosely to relatively closely connected, and the degree of tourism economic connections has continuously improved. Moreover, the scope of the core area of the tourism economy continues to expand. The internal network density of the core area increased to 0.833 in 2019, and the links between the core areas continue to strengthen. Although the network density in the fringe area has increased, the internal tourism-economic connection remains weak. 3) The spatial structure of the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration has evolved from a single center in Nanning to a network-type spatial structure of three centers, seven nodes, and five edges. Nanning, Zhanjiang, and Haikou are important tourism centers and growth poles. The centrality of urban agglomerations has changed from severe polarization and disparity in development status between cities to a more balanced development trend. Among the cities under the jurisdiction of Hainan, except for Haikou, the development of the tourism economy is relatively slow. 4) The Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration entered its growth stage after its embryonic development. However, its development still faces three obstacles: administrative barriers, low competitiveness of tourism products, and unobstructed tourism flow, and it remains far from becoming a mature urban agglomeration. This paper proposes an optimized development mechanism for the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration of government promotion, transportation linkage, and industrial interaction that is conducive to the high-quality development of the Beibu Gulf urban agglomeration. In conclusion, the main content of this study can compensate for the lack of research on the spatial structure of tourism-economic linkages in emerging urban agglomerations to a certain extent and provide a reference for the development of urban agglomerations in the embryonic and growth stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last century, ports of Persian Gulf become the most important storage, refining and transportation of crude oil, oil derivation, petrochemical products and also, business activities. Nowadays, due to functional diversity between ports, the impact of port activities on the development of urban spaces will be different, and this issue leads to structural differences of port cities. The purpose of this research is to identify the key variables affecting the relations and spatial structure of port-city in Dubai as the most thriving and successful port-city in the Persian Gulf. This research is based on deductive reasoning and carried out by analysis of cross effects with secondary data (results of other prominent articles) and also primary data (questionnaire). sampling method is based on purposive sampling and Micmac software was used to analyze the data. Output of Micmac software shows the position of the instability of the system. Therefore, the position of each variables in the conceptual model can be categorized to driver, linkage, dependent, and autonomous factors. The research findings indicate 4 variables (like as “income, cost and investmnets in port-city”) can be introduced as a driver factor, 5 variables (like as “advanced multimodal transportation in the port”) can be introduced as a linkage factor, 6 variables (like as “quality of living environment and desirable city”) can be introduced as a dependent factor, 3 variables (like as “environmental protection and sustainable development of the city-port”) can be introduced as an autonomous factor. The rapid development of Dubai can be explained by the purposeful distribution of revenues from trade and tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Food Safety & Quality is the property of Journal of Food Safety & Quality Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The master plan has been a critical instrument for shaping the development of cities worldwide. This article delves into the impact of a well-designed master plan on shaping and transforming the structure of a city, while also exploring the various aspects that can be adapted in different contexts and conditions. The article aims to highlight how an effective master plan can drive development, guide urban growth, and offer a comprehensive framework for decision-making. Specifically, this study analyses the Latakia (SY) master plan, which was proposed in 2008, and compares it with the master plans of Barcelona (ES) and Montpellier (FR), two cities with significant experience in master planning. The analysis was conducted using several key criteria, such as general vision, housing policies, urban mobility, and green network. The results showed that urban development strategies in the Latakia master plan were of limited efficiency range compared to the other case studies, as it focused on tourism and economic development rather than providing an approach for sustainable city development. Therefore, this study recommends revising the development strategies of the Latakia master plan and addressing its limitations to improve the city's structure, increase its sustainability, and quality of life. This article contributes to the existing body of knowledge on master planning by providing a critical evaluation of urban development strategies and offering a roadmap for future master plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The inefficient use of urban resources and the imbalance of spatial structures make optimizing land use management a top priority in urban environmental management. Traditional land use classification systems that prioritize only natural features while disregarding human activity can result in redundancy and conflicts in urban planning. The Production–Living–Ecological Space (PLES) approach was developed as an integrated method for territorial spatial classification. However, most existing studies on PLES are conducted at provincial scales, largely overlooking fine-scale usage within cities. In addition, the existing concept of PLES has been vaguely defined, resulting in linear and simple identification methods that are not applicable to complex urban environments. To address these issues, this study proposes a method to identify urban PLES based on supervised classification using random forest models, which integrate empirical knowledge and multi-source heterogeneous information. The experiments conducted in Haikou reveal the regional aggregation of living and production spaces and the scarcity of ecological space in the city. Our study proposes a concrete concept of PLES and a method for identifying PLES that can be applied to multiple regions, providing an effective tool for the coordinated management of urban production, living, and ecological environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The historical experience of urbanization and urban agglomeration development shows that the new urbanization strategy of “relying on urban agglomeration” is the inevitable choice to realize Chinese modernization. The connotation of Chinese modernization also puts forward new requirements for high-quality urbanization. Starting from the “urbanization of people” and moving towards the new journey of building a modern country, we must meet the development demand and stage requirements of the spatial structure of urban agglomerations, construct the urban scale system scientifically with new development concepts, improve the spatial distribution of population, and set a new pattern of regional economic development. Based on the characteristics of Chinese modernization proposed at the 20th National Congress of CPC, this paper discusses the internal requirements of Chinese new urbanization, analyzes the existing problems of urban development so far, so as to explore the future development path. Accurately grasping the development pattern of urban agglomeration and urban in China, scientifically designing the scale system and improving the spatial distribution with new development concepts are conducive to the realization of a “human-centered” new type of urbanization. In this way, we will open up a new realm of Chinese-style modernization with the feature of populous development, common prosperity, harmony between material and spiritual civilization, harmonious coexistence between man and nature, and peaceful development. In the process of urbanization at the present stage, problems such as extensive urban sprawl, scale system imbalance, inferior spatial form and radical construction should be solved dynamically. That is, spatial layout should be optimized in the process of coordinated development, the allocation of resource should be optimized in the process of scale growth, and common prosperity should be realized in the process of urban and rural integration. Based on the spatial structure and scale system of urban agglomerations, it is necessary to sort out the formation mechanism of urban agglomerations in order to design the development path of Chinese-style high-quality urbanization. This includes the spatial differentiation mechanism of urban agglomeration size and function, the spatial characteristics and mechanism of monocentric and multicentric structures, the polarization and trickle action of the largest city, and the formation and optimization mechanism of urban spatial network. In order to explain the spatial dispersion of economic activities and the development model of polycentric cities, this paper calculates the spatial compactness and polycentric degree of 333 cities based on the geographic information system Arcgis 9.2, which shows that the reduction of compactness is the inevitable result of urban scale expansion and extensive sprawl. The multi-center development mode is the way to change the bad shape of city and achieve high quality development. From the perspective of new development pattern, Chinese new urbanization requires the optimization of spatial structure and hierarchical system of all cities, so as to form a functional layout of urban agglomeration with coordinated economic development, mutually complementary functions, reasonable division of labor in industries, and optimal spatial efficiency. Further promoting the new Chinese-style urban development model, improving the structure of city clusters and steadily raising the quality of urbanization will provide solid support for comprehensively building a modern socialist country. On this basis, this paper proposes to rely on urban agglomeration to integrate resources and give play to scale effect and trickle effect. Coordinate the division of labor of large, medium and small cities within the group to achieve a reasonable and efficient spatial structure of urban agglomeration. Besides, recommendations such as improving the management system and mechanism of urban agglomerations and coordinating the interests of all parties, promoting rural revitalization, focusing on the integrated development of urban and rural industries to achieve common prosperity are made in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper delves into the important study field of predicting the cruise tourism market in the context of tourism science decision-making. The paper introduces the gravity model, which incorporates migration restrictions and cruise line correction factors to the supply-demand relationship of cruise tourism, to discover the spatial pattern and developmental law of China's cruise tourism market from 2011-2019. Utilizing the competitive state model, the paper proposes graded development strategies for the tourist markets of different cruise home ports. Research findings include: (1) China's domestic tourist source market presents regional differences primarily along the "Hu line", with significant eastward and near-domain oriented characteristics; (2) neighboring ports demonstrate homogeneity within their tourist source structures, such as the similarities in tourist market structure between Shanghai port and Wuhan port; (3) Sanya Port's cruise passenger source market highlights the significant specificity of long-distance tourists, contradicting the spatial distance attenuation law observed in the attraction of other ports. With the application of the gravity model, this study expands the depth of cruise tourism market research, providing a practical reference for passenger market development and postCOVID-19 cruise market recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration is a major engine of demographic change for towns, regions, and whole countries. Traditionally, migrations have been divided into those caused by push or pull factors or classified by events that triggered them. In other words, push and pull factors are but one way to classify migration movements. This work distinguishes between life course and structural migrations. Life course migrations are linked to important events in people's lives such as graduation, marriage, having children, job promotions, discharge from the military, or retirement and the motivation comes from the migrant. Structural migrations are caused by changes in the economic, social, political, or natural environment and, therefore, externally motivated. This classification scheme is compatible with and complementary to existing classifications and particularly those based on push and pull factors. It yields some additional insights for policy making, empirical research, and migration modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of External Economic Bulletin / Külgazdaság is the property of KOPINT Konjunktura Kutatasi Alapitvany and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Human activities affect biodiversity by reducing the area of habitats, altering their shape, and increasing their isolation. Ants are particularly sensitive to habitat fragmentation, as it may locally change abiotic conditions, the availability of food and nest sites, the abundance of mutualists, competitors and predators, and also restrict gene flow between patches. As a result, the genetic population and colony structure of ants is expected to show signs of fragmentation. In the present study, we investigated the impact of fragmentation on the ant Temnothorax crassispinus in 45 forest patches across the Franconian Jura, Germany. Based on 283 colonies, of which 156 were genetically analyzed, we evidenced the presence of two putative distinct genetic clusters in the study area. Both the nest densities and the presence of queen were impacted by the number of adjacent forest patches within 400 m around the focal patch, but neither by patch shape nor patch size. We could not detect any effect of fragmentation on the genetic diversity, probably because the high dispersal abilities of T. crassispinus counterbalance any detrimental genetic consequences of fragmentation. Nevertheless, fragmentation still impacts the species density as well as the social structure of its colonies. Further investigations regarding the drivers of occurrence at a finer spatial scale might clarify the role of edge effects on the occurrence of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arid Land Geography is the property of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arid Land Geography is the property of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Traditional Lingnan gardens are important carriers of regional culture which contain basic relationships between traditional culture and architectural elements. The study of them is an effective way of developing contemporary architectural design. Up to now, most existing theoretical studies of them focus on conceptual and experiential analysis. Architectural typology offers a new theoretical basis and platform for research in this field. Traditional Lingnan gardens combine courtyard chains and gardens with landscape value. This study deals with the elements of courtyard chains and the type of their combinations, and analyzes the logic of spatial order in traditional Lingnan gardens, thus providing a support of deducing the new spatial image of Lingnan gardens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lignin structure is an important factor affecting the cooking part of the pulping process. In this study, the effect of lignin side chain spatial configuration on cooking performance was analyzed, and the structural characteristics of eucalyptus and acacia during cooking were compared and studied by combining ozonation, GC-MS, NBO, and 2D NMR (1H-13C HSQC). In addition, the changes in the lignin content of four different raw materials during the cooking process were studied via ball milling and UV spectrum analysis. The results showed that the content of lignin in the raw material decreased continuously during the cooking process. Only in the late cooking stage, when the lignin removal reached its limit, did the lignin content tend to be stable due to the polycondensation reaction of lignin. At the same time, the E/T ratio and S/G ratio of the reaction residual lignin also followed a similar rule. At the beginning of cooking, the values of E/T and S/G decreased rapidly and then gradually rose when they reached a low point. The different initial E/T and S/G values of different raw materials lead to the disunity of cooking efficiency and the different transformation rules of different raw materials in the cooking process. Therefore, the pulping efficiency of different raw materials can be improved using different technological means. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With account for the degradation of the properties of materials, the nonlinear processes of deformation and fracture in a preloaded three-dimensional solid with a sharp concentrator in the zone of a dissimilar joint under impact are analyzed. A generalized mathematical model of nonlinear interrelated deformation and fracture of damaged polycrystalline media subjected to time-varied thermomechanical effects is presented. The strong nonlinearity of the model is due to large (finite) strains and the strain-rate dependent behavior of media with a variable microstructure. With account for the anisotropic hardening of media and the Bauschinger effect, the corresponding nonlinear boundary value problems are formulated and their solutions are obtained using efficient numerical methods. The viscosity of the medium and the second-order gradients from the internal variables of the system are used to control the correctness of the problem statement. Experimental data are used to test the model. Modeling results are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the spatio-temporal dynamics of COVID-19 transmission is necessary to plan better strategies for controlling the spread of the disease. However, only a few studies explore the COVID-19 transmission risk over a fine spatial resolution while considering relevant spatial and temporal factors. To this aim, we consider an inhomogeneous marked Poisson point process model to assess COVID-19 transmission risk using data of home addresses of confirmed cases, in relation to locations of sources of crowd (enterprise, market, and place of worship) and population density in Surabaya and Sidoarjo, Indonesia. Our marked model is able to analyze how the spatial covariates are varying with time, helping authorities to evaluate the information of covariates depending on the period in which restrictions are taking place. Our results show that enterprise, place of worship, and population densities have significant impact to the transmission risk in Surabaya and Sidoarjo. We finally provide predicted risk maps which provide additional information based on the demographic-based risk analysis to help conduct more efficient testing, tracing, and vaccination programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 and 2021-2022 energy crises shed new light on urban resilience. Cities face many more challenges and external shocks. This study aims to measure urban resilience. For this purpose, a composite indicator was developed, composed of three (social, economic and environmental) resilience components called the Complex Resilience Index. It is applied to study Hungarian settlements in selected years (2000, 2006, 2012, 2018). Based on the results further analysis was conducted. The spatial structure of urban resilience is studied in two ways. First, the spatial differences between cities in the four selected years was examined using the relative range index, which is the difference between the highest and lowest city values relative to the average. Second, spatial patterns were mapped using one of the most commonly used indicators of spatial autocorrelation, the so-called Local Moran I indicator. The next step is to create five clusters to highlight the differences between groups in terms of population and per capita income in the selected years and to analyse the role of resilience in changing these indicators. The identification of these groups provides important information for spatial planning and policy. Hungarian settlements were also ranked based on the Complex Resilience Index. The results show that urban resilience can be measured with a composite indicator (Complex Resilience Index) and that the social, economic and environmental resilience components provide further insights. In the Hungarian urban network, the most resilient elements are Budapest, some regional centres, some county capitals, the metropolitan area of Budapest, and the most developed small and medium-sized cities in the Transdanubian region. The difference in the Complex Resilience Index between cities increases over time, and as a result, the Local Moran I clusters become narrower. The rate of change in the specific income and its relative spread has the opposite sign to resilience. As resilience increases, the average change in income and its relative spread decreases, and as a result of that, stability increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pedestrian priority is an important requirement for city centre regeneration. The quantitative analysis of the separation degree of pedestrians and vehicles is a key technique to measure the walkability of city centre regeneration. This paper proposes a method for measuring the walkability of the spatial structure in city centres, based on spatial topological relationships. Using space syntax as a platform, the walkability of the spatial structure of city centres is quantitatively analysed from the perspective of separation of pedestrians and vehicles, and the regeneration of pedestrianisation. Based on 21 cases of major city centres in the United Kingdom (UK), the trend of pedestrianisation regeneration from the early 20th century to the present is analysed. The analysis of the separation degree of pedestrians and vehicles and the analysis of regeneration models and the comparative analysis found that: (1) from the early 20th century to the present, the spatial structure of major city centres in the UK clearly trended toward pedestrianisation. (2) The regeneration process can be categorised into three models: the Gradual Growth Model, One Step Model and Long-Term Planning Model. (3) The three models contribute differently to the separation of pedestrians and vehicles in city centres, and their advantages and disadvantages differ. This study has implications for the theory and practice of pedestrianisation regeneration in city centres. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountain topography gives rise to often dramatic climate‐driven elevation gradients in primary productivity, which can generate substantial biodiversity variation. Therefore, mountain areas may be particularly useful for evaluating the ecological consequences of climate change. Arthropods are the most diverse animal phylum, which play important roles in most ecosystems. However, despite their ecological importance, we have limited information on how arthropods vary along elevation gradients. We investigated how taxonomic richness, taxonomic composition, and spatial structuring of spider and insect communities varied along elevation gradients and among three geographic locations in a mountain region of northern Sweden. The locations provided a latitude gradient spanning approximately 3° (from 62° N to 65° N), but were otherwise selected to contain similar environmental characteristics. Taxonomic richness of both spiders and insects declined monotonically with increasing elevation, and there were limited differences between the geographic locations in such declines. Taxonomic composition varied with elevation for both taxonomic groups, but also differed among the three sites. Linyphiid spiders were more widely distributed along the elevation gradients than other spider taxa, whereas a broad taxonomic range of insects occurred over almost all elevations. We observed nested as well as modular spatial distributions of both spider and insect communities along the elevation gradients. While the modular patterns suggest that species turnover has generated distinct communities at different elevations, some generalist species were still widespread throughout large parts of the gradients. Our results point to smaller differences among geographic locations than among taxonomic groups in how taxonomic richness and community structuring varied with elevation. We interpret these results as support for taxonomically specific adaptations to environmental conditions being important for structuring arthropod communities. We also suggest that climate‐driven changes to arthropod communities in mountain environments may be regulated by two not mutually exclusive processes, one in which generalist species may become more dominant and shift their ranges upward and one in which high‐elevation specialists may go extinct because of increasingly fragmented habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arid Land Geography is the property of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology & Geography and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Central China Normal University is the property of Huazhong Normal University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

It is essential to analyze the spatial autocorrelation and heterogeneity of aboveground biomass (AGB). But it is difficult to accurately describe due to the lack of data in clear-cutting plots. Thus, measuring the AGB directly in a clear-cutting plot can provide a reference for accurately describing the spatial variation. Therefore, a 0.3-hectare clear-cutting sample plot of Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis natural forest was selected, and the AGB was calculated by each component. The intra-group variance was quantitatively described in terms of spatial heterogeneity, and the spatial autocorrelation was explored by global and local Moran's I. The results indicated that (1) there was different spatial heterogeneity for the different trees and organs. The intra-group variance tended to be stable after 20 m for P. kesiya var. langbianensis (PK) and other upper trees (UPs) and after 10 m for the other lower trees (LTs). (2) The spatial autocorrelation of AGB and wood biomass was similar, while the bark biomass and foliage biomass were consistent. PK and other UPs also exhibited strong spatial autocorrelation, with maximum Moran's I values of 0.1537 and 0.1644, respectively. (3) There was spatial heterogeneity in the different components except for the bark of PK. The lowest spatial heterogeneity was found for LT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial distribution of the forest canopy plays an important role in the transpiration and photosynthetic capacity of trees, ultimately affecting their growth and biomass production. Despite its importance, how canopy photosynthetic productivity enhancement depends on canopy spatial distribution remains unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a study on Larix kaempferi (Lamb.) Carrière (L. kaempferi) plantations in Gansu, China, investigating the relationship between canopy height, leaf area, seasonal variations in canopy spatial distribution, and photosynthetic parameters. The results showed that the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate of L. kaempferi increase with greater canopy height, while photosynthetically active radiation shows the opposite trend. Canopy photosynthetic productivity peaked in April, May, and June when the height in the canopy was 40%, followed by 20%, and then 30% from the perspective of spatiotemporal canopy spatial distribution. Maximum leaf area (10.7 m2) and photosynthesis productivity (919.6 mg·C·h−1) were observed when the height in the canopy ranged from 48%–59%. The changes increased sunlight exposure (75%–88%, 88%–100%) in different canopy areas. Additionally, there was a decrease in the amount of space covered by shade (25%–38%, 50%–63%, and 63%–75%), depending on the specific region within the canopy. By scientifically managing stand density, the canopy spatial distribution can be optimized for photosynthesis, resulting in maximum light interception rates, enhanced photosynthetic capacity, and reduced "non-functional canopy". These findings offer effective and scientifically informed management strategies for the forestry industry. By optimizing the structure of the canopy, specifically in L. kaempferi, these strategies aim to maximize photosynthetic productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of animation in creative expression has served as a compensatory mechanism for the limitations associated with the conveyance and promotion of information in traditional media. Animated documentaries, with their inherent documentary attributes, possess a unique advantage in the presentation of factual information, the interpretation of non-literal materials and the dissemination of cultural experiences. Ethnic minority oral literature stands as a pivotal vessel for the preservation of ethnic minority cultural heritage, serving as a unique representation of ethnic minority culture. This study is primarily rooted in the principles of visual anthropology and the methods of ethnographic fieldwork, utilizing the oral literature of the Yi people as a case study to delve into the manner in which animation records and represents the oral literature of ethnic minorities. Simultaneously, oral literature serves as a point of departure for the portrayal of the cultural domain of ethnic minorities through the medium of animation, transcending the mere narrative content of oral literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many studies correlate geographic variation of biotic variables (e.g., species ranges, species richness, etc.) with variation in environmental variables (climate, topography, history). Often, the resulting correlations are interpreted as evidence of causal links. However, both the dependent and independent variables in these analyses are strongly spatially structured. Several studies have suggested that spatially structured variables may be significantly correlated with one another despite the absence of a causal link between them. In this study we ask: if two variables are spatially structured, but causally unrelated, how strong is the expected correlation between them? As a specific example, we consider the correlations between broad-scale variation in gamma species richness and climatic variables. Are these correlations likely to be statistical artefacts? To answer these questions, we randomly generated pseudo-climatic variables that have the same range and spatial autocorrelation as temperature and precipitation in the Americas. We related mammal and bird species richness both to the real and the pseudo-climatic variables. We also observed the correlations among pseudo-climate simulations. Correlations among randomly generated, spatially unstructured, variables are very small. In contrast, the median correlations between spatially structured variables are near r2=0.1 – 0.3, and the 95% confidence limits extend to r2=0.6 – 0.7. Viewing this as a null expectation, given spatially structured variables, it is worth nothing that published richness–climate correlations are typically marginally stronger than these values. However, many other published richness–environment correlations would fail this test. Tests of the “predictive ability” of a correlation cannot reliably distinguish correlations due to spatial structure from causal relationships. Our results suggest a three-part update of Tobler’s “First Law of Geography”: #1) Everything in geography that is spatially structured will be collinear. #2) Near things are more related than distant things. #3) The more strongly spatially structured two variables are, the stronger the collinearity between them will be.

Since the launch of the Rural Revitalization Strategy, China's rural construction in county seats and villages has made remarkable achievements. Meanwhile, towns have received insufficient attention as a traditionally important node connecting urban and rural areas. Based on historical literature and the most recent survey of Yangxi and Wengyuan counties in Guangdong Province, this study examines how the relationship between county, town, and village changes over time as the functions of towns change. Data from field investigations and villagers' questionnaires obtained from the evaluation of rural construction by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction in 2021 regarding the two case towns were employed. This study analyzes the function and role of towns in the county-town-village system and further discusses the transformation of the spatial pattern of county-town-village in two case counties. The town has been transformed into a comprehensive functional service space, providing basic services such as daily shopping, preschool education, compulsory education, and basic medical care, and has regained its importance in connecting urban and rural areas in the "hierarchical and open network" spatial structure of county-town-village. As a service center radiating through the entire county, the county seat plays an essential central role in satisfying the rural population with higher-quality modern services in addition to basic services and offering non-routine service functions such as access to medical care and house purchases. According to the differentiated functions of different scales and the contextual geographic conditions in the two case towns, the pattern of county-town-village has diverted into two different spatial structures: the classic "central place" hierarchical and the county-central one. Geographical conditions still matter; in plain areas, transportation links between counties, towns, and villages are more convenient. Therefore, the service needs of villagers are the major influencing factor while they choose where to go. Moreover, a county seat with a stronger comprehensive service capacity is preferred, and the spatial pattern has higher centrality. In hilly areas, topographic barriers, and inconvenient transportation limits public service options. Fewer villagers choose to go directly to county seats owing to the inconvenience, instead, town as a medium space has attracted some village residents. Thus, the spatial pattern of hilly areas is less central and more in the "central place" hierarchical structure. In summary, this study brings town, as a research unit, back to researchers' attention, and demonstrates the shifting roles of towns in the new era. In addition to pursuing the full coverage of facilities, to achieve the rational allocation of resources in the construction of town seats, the study suggests that the demand scale and service threshold of different types of functions should be considered. Meanwhile, the county should be viewed as an inclusive unit that can coordinate the allocation of resources to towns according to their basic conditions. Based on a complete configuration of necessary facilities, towns near urbanized areas can make full use of the radiation capacity of the county or city and reduce the construction of overly urbanized facilities; in areas where transportation within the county is less convenient, the service level of towns needs to be further improved.