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Hypothesis: Passive low ice-adhesion surfaces are frequently composed of soft materials; however, soft materials potentially present durability issues, which could be overcome by fabricating composite surfaces with patterned rigid and soft areas. Here we propose the innovative concept of discontinuity-enhanced icephobic surfaces, where the stress concentration at the edge between rigid and soft areas, i.e. where discontinuities in elasticity are located, facilitates ice detachment., Experiments: Composite model surfaces were fabricated with controlled rigid-soft ratios and discontinuity line lengths. The ice adhesion values were measured while recording the ice/substrate interface, to unravel the underpinning ice detachment mechanism. The experiments were complemented by numerical simulations that provided a better understanding of the ice detachment mechanism., Findings: It was found that when a surface contains rigid and soft areas, stress is concentrated at the edge between soft and hard areas, i.e. at the discontinuity line, rather than all over the soft or rigid areas. An unexpected non-unidirectional crack propagation was observed for the first time and elucidated. When rigid and deformable materials are present, the crack occurs on the discontinuity line and propagates first on rigid and then on soft areas. Moreover, it was demonstrated that an increase in discontinuities promotes crack initiation and leads to a reduction of ice adhesion., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Carlo Antonini, Pablo F Ibanez Ibanez, Luca Stendardo, Catalina Ospina, Rajat Chaudhary has patent #Substrato di protezione dal ghiaccio, struttura (102023000026991) pending to University of Milano-Bicocca & University of Granada. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Hypothesis: Soft materials are promising candidates for designing passive de-icing systems. It is unclear whether low adhesion on soft surfaces is due to elasticity or lubrication, and how these properties affect the ice detachment mechanism. This study presents a systematic analysis of ice adhesion on soft materials with different lubricant content to better understand the underpinning interaction., Experiments: The wetting and mechanical properties of soft polydimethylsiloxane with different lubricant content were thoroughly characterized by contact angle, AFM indentation, and rheology measurements. The collected information was used to understand the relationship with the ice adhesion results, obtained by using different ice block sizes., Findings: Three different de-icing mechanisms were identified: (i) single detachment occurs when small ice blocks are considered, and the ice completely detaches in a single event. In the case of larger ice blocks, the reattachment of the ice block is promoted by either: (ii) stick-slip or, (iii) interfacial slippage, depending on the lubricant content. It was confirmed that the ice adhesion strength not only depends on material properties but also on experimental conditions, such as the ice dimensions. Moreover, differently than on hard surfaces, where wetting primarily determines the icephobic performance, also elasticity and lubrication should be considered on soft surfaces., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Catalina Ospina, Irene Tagliaro, Luca Stendardo, Samuele Tosatti, Carlo Antonini reports financial support was provided by European Commission. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Piezoelectric materials can provide in situ electrical stimulation without external chemical or physical support, opening new frontiers for future bioelectric therapies. Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) possesses piezoelectricity and biocompatibility, making it an electroactive biomaterial capable of enhancing bioactivity through instantaneous electrical stimulation, which indicates significant potential in tissue engineering. In this study, we developed electroactive and biomimetic scaffolds made of electrospun PVDF and self-assembling peptides (SAPs) to enhance stem cell transplantation for spinal cord injury regeneration. We investigated the morphology and crystalline polymorphs of the electrospun scaffolds. Morphological studies demonstrated the benefit of using mixed sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and SAPs as additives to form thinner, uniform, and defect-free fibers. Regarding electroactive phases, β and γ phases-evidence of electroactivity-were predominant in aligned scaffolds and scaffolds modified with SDS and SAPs. In vitro studies showed that neural stem cells (NSCs) seeded on electrospun PVDF with additives exhibited desirable proliferation and differentiation compared to the gold standard. Furthermore, the orientation of the fibers influenced scaffold topography, resulting in a higher degree of cell orientation in fiber-aligned scaffolds compared to randomly oriented ones., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts to declare., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.)

Electrochemical nitrogen reduction (E-NRR) is one of the most promising approaches to generate green NH 3 . However, scarce ammonia yields and Faradaic efficiencies ( FE ) still limit their use on a large scale. Thus, efforts are focusing on different E-NRR catalyst structures and formulations. Among present strategies, molecular electrocatalysts such as metal-porphyrins emerge as an encouraging option due to their planar structures which favor the interaction involving the metal center, responsible for adsorption and activation of nitrogen. Nevertheless, the high hydrophobicity of porphyrins limits the aqueous electrolyte-catalyst interaction lowering yields. This work introduces a new class of metal-porphyrin based catalysts, bearing hydrophilic tris(ethyleneglycol) monomethyl ether chains (metal = Cu(II) and CoII)). Experimental results show that the presence of hydrophilic chains significantly increases ammonia yields and FE , supporting the relevance of fruitful catalyst-electrolyte interactions. This study also investigates the use of hydrophobic branched alkyl chains for comparison, resulting in similar performances with respect to the unsubstituted metal-porphyrin, taken as a reference, further confirming that the appropriate design of electrocatalysts carrying peripheral hydrophilic substituents is able to improve device performances in the generation of green ammonia., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Authors. Global Challenges published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

Materials against ice formation and accretion are highly desirable for different industrial applications and daily activities affected by icing. Although several concepts have been proposed, no material has so far shown wide-ranging icephobic features, enabling durability and manufacturing on large scales. Herein, we present gradient polymers made of 1,3,5,7-tetravinyl-1,3,5,7-tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane (V 4 D 4 ) and 1 H ,1 H ,2 H ,2 H -perfluorodecyl acrylate (PFDA) deposited in one step via initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) as an effective coating to mitigate ice accretion and reduce ice adhesion. The gradient structures easily overcome adhesion, stability, and durability issues of traditional fluorinated coatings. The coatings show promising icephobic performance by reducing ice adhesion, depressing the freezing point, delaying drop freezing, and inhibiting ice nucleation and frost propagation. Icephobicity correlates with surface energy discontinuities at the surface plane resulting from the random orientation of the fluorinated groups of PFDA, as confirmed by grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction measurements. The icephobicity could be further improved by tuning the surface crystallinity rather than surface wetting, as samples with random crystal orientation show the lowest ice adhesion despite high contact angle hysteresis. The iCVD-manufactured coatings show promising results, indicating the potential for ice control on larger scales and various applications.

Controlling water transport and management is crucial for continuous and reliable system operation in harsh weather conditions. Passive strategies based on nonwetting surfaces are desirable, but so far, the implementation of superhydrophobic coatings into real-world applications has been limited by durability issues and, in some cases, lack of compliance with environmental regulations. Inspired by surface patterning observed on living organisms, in this study we have developed durable surfaces based on contrast wettability for capillary-driven water transport and management. The surface fabrication process combines a hydrophobic coating with hard-anodized aluminum patterning, using a scalable femtosecond laser microtexturing technique. The concept targets heavy-duty engineering applications; particularly in aggressive weather conditions where corrosion is prevalent and typically the anodic aluminum oxide-based coating is used to protect the surface from corrosion, the concept has been validated on anodic aluminum oxide coated aluminum alloy substrates. Such substrates with contrast wettable characteristics show long-term durability in both natural and lab-based artificial UV and corrosion tests where superhydrophobic coatings tend to degrade.

Rapid and sustained condensate droplet departure from a surface is key toward achieving high heat-transfer rates in condensation, a physical process critical to a broad range of industrial and societal applications. Despite the progress in enhancing condensation heat transfer through inducing its dropwise mode with hydrophobic materials, sophisticated surface engineering methods that can lead to further enhancement of heat transfer are still highly desirable. Here, by employing a three-dimensional, multiphase computational approach, we present an effective out-of-plane biphilic surface topography, which reveals an unexplored capillarity-driven departure mechanism of condensate droplets. This texture consists of biphilic diverging microcavities wherein a matrix of small hydrophilic spots is placed at their bottom, that is, among the pyramid-shaped, superhydrophobic microtextures forming the cavities. We show that an optimal combination of the hydrophilic spots and the angles of the pyramidal structures can achieve high deformational stretching of the droplets, eventually realizing an impressive "slingshot-like" droplet ejection process from the texture. Such a droplet departure mechanism has the potential to reduce the droplet ejection volume and thus enhance the overall condensation efficiency, compared to coalescence-initiated droplet jumping from other state-of-the-art surfaces. Simulations have shown that optimal pyramid-shaped biphilic microstructures can provoke droplet self-ejection at low volumes, up to 56% lower than superhydrophobic straight pillars, revealing a promising new surface microtexture design strategy toward enhancing the condensation heat-transfer efficiency and water harvesting capabilities.

Urban agglomerations have become a new geographical unit in China, breaking the administrative fortresses between cities, which means that the population and economic activities between cities will become more intensive in the future. Constructing and optimizing the ecological security pattern of urban agglomerations is important for promoting harmonious social-economic development and ecological protection. Using the Harbin-Changchun urban agglomeration as a case study, we have identified ecological sources based on the evaluation of ecosystem functions. Based on the resistance surface modified by nighttime light (NTL) data, the potential ecological corridors were identified using the least-cost path method, and key ecological corridors were extracted using the gravity model. By combining 15 ecological sources, 119 corridors, 3 buffer zones, and 77 ecological nodes, the ecological security pattern (ESP) was constructed. The main land-use types composed of ecological sources and corridors are forest land, cultivated land, grassland, and water areas. Some ecological sources are occupied by construction, while unused land has the potential for ecological development. The ecological corridors in the central region are distributed circularly and extend to southeast side in the form of tree branches with the Songhua River as the central axis. Finally, this study proposes an optimizing pattern with "four belts, four zones, one axis, nine corridors, ten clusters and multi-centers" to provide decision makers with spatial strategies with respect to the conflicts between urban development and ecological protection during rapid urbanization.

Featured Application: Improvement in VR/AR solutions for application in cultural heritage. Currently, virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) technologies are becoming more and more widely used in various fields of human activity, including archeology. The aim of this article is to analyze the possibilities of using VR and AR technologies in broadly understood activities related to underwater archeology. This work is a review and presents current applications of VR and AR in underwater archeology based on case studies. This paper presents the development of VR and AR technologies, including in the field of underwater archaeology, and generally describes the process of creating VR and AR applications for underwater archeology purposes, with particular emphasis on data collection methods. Then, the areas of application of these technologies in underwater archeology and related areas were generally presented and the barriers to their use were discussed. The most important part of the work is a discussion of the use of VR and AR in underwater archeology based on the selected case studies. The article ends with a summary of the current state and a discussion of the possibilities of developing virtual technologies in the applications of underwater archeology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many traditional villages have been degraded to a certain extent due to urbanization and out-of-control management. In addition, due to the lack of recognition and continuation of spatial texture in some village conservation and planning that, in turn, resulting in the gradual disappearance of their distinctive landscape feature. Studying the spatial form of traditional villages helps preserve the authenticity of traditional villages as cultural landscape and inherits traditional historical characteristics. Using Puping Village in Zhangzhou City, Fujian Province as an example, this paper obtains the integrated information data of the village through UAV oblique photography, classifies and extracts the spatial constitution of the traditional village using digital technology, quantitatively analyses it from macroscopic to microscopic, and summarizes the spatial morphology analysis method of the traditional village. The results demonstrate that digital technology can effectively and accurately complete data collection and can provide an objective basis for zoning conservation of traditional villages based on the distinction between new and historic buildings. In addition, digital information collection on the traditional villages landscape features will prepare for the establishment of a database and comparative analysis in the future. We further suggest that digital technology analysis needs to be combined with traditional methods to have a deeper understanding of the formation process of village spatial morphology. The results of the practice in Puping Village show that the use of digital technology can provide a scientific basis for the protection and planning of traditional villages, and that this method is adaptable, which can help to efficiently collect and analyze data on landscape characteristics of other similar villages in China, and support innovative methodologies and technologies for China's rural revitalization efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Natural Heritage Sites (WNHSs), which have unique ecosystems, ecological landscapes, and biodiversity, are the common heritage of all of humanity. The evolutionary pathway of ecosystem services (ESs) in the Karst WNHS between the years 2000 and 2020 has been examined, and the trade-offs and synergies among the ESs have been quantified. This research serves as a point of reference for the rational utilization of natural resources and for the protection of the ecological environment within the Karst WNHS. This research aims to assess the following ESs in the Karst WNHS, for the period 2000–2020: water conservation (WC), soil conservation (SC), carbon sequestration (CS), and habitat quality (HQ). Additionally, the objective of this study is to examine the space–time evolution of these ESs. Spearman's correlation coefficient and spatial auto-correlation analyses were utilized to ascertain the temporal and spatial trade-offs and synergies for each ES. The results of this study indicate the following: (1) Between the years 2000 and 2020, the inter-annual changes in HQ and CS at the Shibing and Libo-Huanjiang WNHS exhibited a relatively stable pattern, with a gradual increasing trend, and in contrast, the inter-annual changes in WC and SC exhibited greater fluctuations; (2) the distribution of ESs is closely linked to land use patterns, and woodland is the most critical land type of the ESs, contributing the most to each ES; (3) population density is negatively correlated with various ecosystem services, while GDP is positively correlated with each ecosystem service; and (4) the Karst WNHS in Southern China demonstrates a clear and significant synergistic relationship between WC and CS. This relationship is primarily characterised by a strong synergistic effect. The synergistic relationship between HQ and WC exhibited a weakening trend within both study areas. Furthermore, the SC demonstrated a spatial trade-off relation with HQ, CS, and WC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is based on the National Spatial Ecological Protection and Restoration Plan, using logical ecological evaluation indicators to determine the extent of ecological function degradation areas in Harbin City. In the Heilongjiang Province, Harbin faces severe ecological environment degradation, characterized by reduced area, deteriorated water quality, loss of biodiversity, and water resource competition. Identifying degraded ecological regions can effectively address these environmental issues. A multi-level indicator system was constructed to evaluate and identify ecological important and sensitive areas across the city, followed by integrating these results to delineate various levels and types of ecological protection and restoration zones in Harbin. Results indicate that these zones include ecological priority protection areas such as marshes surrounding the Harbin section of the Songhua River, southern aquatic wetlands, and scattered forest conservation areas. Key ecological restoration areas are found in the eastern urban core of Harbin, as well as in Bayan County, Bin County's northern region, Wuchang City's northwest region, and Yilan County. General ecological restoration areas are primarily distributed in Songbei District, Shuangcheng District, Mulan County, southeastern Bin County, Shangzhi City, southeastern Wuchang City, and some surrounding counties along the Songhua River. Priority ecological protection areas consist mainly of unused land, cultivated land, and forests, while key and general ecological restoration areas are predominantly composed of cultivated land and forests respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional villages are important carriers of cultural heritage, and the quantitative study of their spatial characteristics is an important approach to their preservation. However, the rapid extraction, statistics, and estimation of the rich spatial characteristic indicators in these villages have become bottlenecks in traditional village research. This paper employs UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) and handheld laser scanners to acquire three-dimensional point cloud data and construct a spatial feature three-dimensional calculation workflow of "field data collection—data processing—data analysis and application", which enables the rapid acquisition, processing, and analysis of three-dimensional village data. Typical case studies are conducted in Liukeng Village, China, focusing on the quantification of village spatial characteristics at three levels: topography, streets and alleys, and individual buildings, as well as comparative studies of multiple villages across different regions. The quantification of three-dimensional data reveals the regularity of village spatial characteristics and uncovers the spatial wisdom embedded in the site selection and spatial structure of traditional villages. This paper establishes a complete technical route for the quantitative analysis of villages, deepens public understanding of the diverse value of traditional villages, and provides technical support for research and practice in related fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conflict between economic development and ecological protection continues to intensify, highlighting the necessity for constructing regional ecological security patterns (ESPs) to reconcile the relationship between development and protection effectively. This study used the GMOP and PLUS model to simulate future land use changes by 2030 under the following three scenarios: natural development (ND), ecological protection (EP), and economic development (ED). Employing the MSPA model and circuit theory, it identified ecological source areas and constructed the ESP for the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration (BTH) from 2000 to 2030. The results indicate that the proportion of ecological source areas increased from 22.24% in 2000 to 23.09% in 2020, the EP scenario showing the highest proportion of ecological source areas compared with the other two scenarios. These areas are densely distributed in the northern and western mountainous regions, with sparse distributions in the southern plains. The number of ecological corridors grew from 603 in 2000 to 616 in 2020, with the EP scenario having more corridors than the other two scenarios. From 2000 to 2030, corridors in the northern and western mountainous areas were denser, shorter, and more variable, while those in the southern plains were less dense, longer, and relatively stable. Over two decades, habitat areas for species in BTH increased, while landscape connectivity decreased. Compared with 2020 and the other two scenarios, the EP scenario saw an increase in habitat areas and improved landscape connectivity. The impact on ecological corridors and improvement areas primarily arose from a combination of socio-ecological drivers (e.g., elevation, slope, population), while the influence on restoration and key areas mainly stemmed from ecological factors (e.g., elevation, temperature, NDVI, precipitation). The findings demonstrate that distinguishing different geomorphological units to improve and restore the regional environment, while considering socio-ecological drivers, is crucial for restoring the overall ESP and landscape connectivity of BTH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radon, a radioactive inert gas that comes from the decay of naturally occurring radioactive species, poses a substantial health risk due to its involvement in lung cancer carcinogenesis. This work proposes a metrological approach for determining radon exhalation rates from diverse building materials. This methodology employs an electrostatic collection chamber for alpha spectrometry of radon isotopic decay products. Experimental evaluations were conducted particularly focusing on volcanic gray tuff from Sant'Agata de' Goti (Campania region, Italy), a material commonly utilized in construction, to assess radon exhalation rates. The study aligns with Legislative Decree 101/2020, a transposition of European Directive 59/2013/Euratom, highlighting the need to identify materials with a high risk of radon exhalation. Moreover, this work supports the goals of the Italian National Radon Action Plan related to the aforementioned decree, aiming to develop methodologies for estimating radon exhalation rates from building materials and improving radioprotection practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forests are vital for terrestrial ecosystems, providing crucial functions like carbon sequestration and water conservation. In the Yellow River Basin, where 70% of forest coverage is concentrated in the middle reaches encompassing Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Shanxi provinces, there exists significant potential for coal production, with nine planned coal bases. This study centered on Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, a representative coal mining area in the Yellow River Basin, and combined the MSPA analysis method and MCR model to generate the five-period forest ecological network of Jincheng City from 1985 to 2022 under the background of coal mining and calculate the degree centrality, closeness centrality, betweenness centrality, and eigenvector centrality; the correlation between the four centralities and carbon sequestration ability is further explored. Simultaneously, employing the RAND-ESU algorithm for motif identification within forest ecological networks, this study integrates the ecological policies of the research area with the specific conditions of the coal mining region to optimize the forest ecological network in Jincheng City. Findings reveal the following. (1) Forest ecological spatial networks: Forest ecological networks exhibit robust overall ecological connectivity in the study area, with potential ecological corridors spanning the region. However, certain areas with high ecological resistance hinder connectivity between key forest ecological nodes under the background of coal mining. (2) Correlation between topological indices and carbon sequestration ecological services: From 1985 to 2022, the carbon sequestration capacity of Jincheng City's forest source areas increased year by year, and significant positive correlations were observed between degree centrality, betweenness centrality, eigenvector centrality with carbon sequestration ecological services, indicating a strengthening trend over time. (3) Motif Recognition and Ecological Network Optimization: During the study, four types of motifs were identified in the forest ecological network of Jincheng City based on the number of nodes and their connections using the RAND-ESU network motif algorithm. These motifs are 3a, 4a, 4b, and 4d (where the number represents the number of nodes and the letter represents the connection type). Among these, motifs 3a and 4b play a crucial role. Based on these motifs and practical considerations, network optimization was performed on the existing ecological source areas to enhance the robustness of the forest ecological network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When microdroplets with quasi‐spherical contact angles coalesce together on a low‐adhesion substrate, the capillary‐inertial expansion of the liquid bridge induces a dramatic out‐of‐plane jumping event due to symmetry breaking. From the onset of merging, droplet jumping initiates after a capillary‐inertial time scale of tci∼1–100 ${t}_{\text{ci}}\sim 1\mbox{--}\,100$ μs with characteristic jumping speeds of order vj∼0.1 ${v}_{{\rm{j}}}\sim 0.1$ m/s. This coalescence‐induced jumping‐droplet effect is most commonly observed among a population of growing dew droplets on a superhydrophobic condenser, but can also occur by colliding deposited droplets together or during droplet sliding on fog harvesters. In this review, we cover the historical development of capillary‐inertial jumping droplets, summarize the decade‐long effort to rationalize the ultra‐low energy conversion efficiency and critical droplet size of the phenomenon, and then present 15 variations on a theme of jumping. Capillary‐inertial jumping droplets are not only a visceral illustration of the surprising power of surface tension at the microscale but they also have the potential to enhance phase‐change heat transfer, enable self‐cleaning surfaces, combat frost formation, harvest energy, and govern the rate of disease spread for wheat crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the hot spot and key topic in landscape ecology, the construction of ecological security pattern strives to maintain the integrity of landscape patterns and the continuity of the ecological process, and achieve sustainable development of the region. Taking Hefei City in China as a study area, according to the basal ecological features of Hefei City, the InVEST model was used to select three key indicators of ecosystem service importance (biodiversity, water yield, and carbon storage) to identify ecological sources; the resistance surface based on land use types was modified by the nighttime light (NTL) data; the potential ecological corridors were identified using minimal cumulative resistance model; lastly, the key ecological corridors were extracted using the gravity model. The results showed that: By combining 14 ecological sources, 91 potential ecological corridors, 16 key corridors, and ecological nodes, the ecological security pattern of Hefei City was constructed. Hefei's ecological source area is 1911.7 km2, accounting for 16.68% of the city's total area. It was dominated by water and woodland, which was distributed in the city's eastern and southern regions. The potential ecological corridor was 926.71 km long, while the key ecological corridor was 56.7 km long. Finally, A "One vertical and three horizontal" Hefei City ecological security pattern was built on this foundation. Our research results had important guiding significance for the sustainable utilization of ecological resources in Hefei City and could provide theoretical basis and technical support for ecological protection in Hefei City. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's urban development has reached a stage where green sustainable development must be considered. Constructing an ecological security pattern (ESP) can effectively contribute to maintaining sustainable development and ecological safety in a city. Harbin, a significant city in northeastern China, serves as the study area with a focus on its urban central district. To construct and optimize Harbin's ESP, this study utilized ecological sensitivity assessment, MSPA (morphological spatial pattern analysis), the gravity model, landscape connectivity assessment, and the MCR (minimum cumulative resistance) model to identify source areas, corridors, and nodes. Research reveals that there are 23 ecological source areas within the study area, primarily situated along the Songhua River and in the mountain woodlands of the A-cheng District. This study identified 48 corridors, predominantly situated in the Daowai District, A-cheng District, and the eastern part of Xiangfang District. Among these, 8 are deemed significant ecological corridors, along with 10 important connecting corridors. We propose the structure of ecological security pattern optimization, referred to as the "two axes, two belts, and four areas", and present corresponding ecological management recommendations. The analytical framework provides a valuable method for constructing ecological security patterns and selecting source areas at the regional scale in Harbin City, particularly in complex plain urban areas. [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]

The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei urban agglomeration (BTHUA) has experienced ecological and environmental issues due to its rapid development and expansion, including air and water pollution. Examining inter-regional plans for sustainable and low-carbon sustainable development is crucial and practical for achieving ecological balance among regions and fostering the BTHUA's commitment to collaborative innovation. This study applies the three-stage data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to 13 cities in the BTHUA between 2007 and 2020 to compute the sustainable and low-carbon development efficiency (SLE) and index, and then constructs a fundamental model of urban agglomeration growth. In this study, MATLAB software was used to predict the general evolution trend and development curve for the BTHUA's low-carbon and green economy development. The results of the study indicate (1) the efficiency of sustainable and low-carbon development in the BTHUA has a wave-like ascending tendency, generating an overall development pattern that is centred on core cities and eventually descends toward the periphery. (2) In recent years, coordination between sustainable and low-carbon development indices and development levels within BTHUA has largely improved; however, a changing nonlinear relationship exists between the sustainable and low-carbon efficiency index and development levels. (3) The BTHUA's sustainable and low-carbon development curve displays a tendency that is consistent with the function model's anticipated evolution trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological security is a vital component of regional security and significantly influences regional sustainable development. The assessment of ecological security is the cornerstone of relative research to coordinate ecological protection and economic developments. However, a framework that enables systematic assessment of the ecological security still needs further exploration. A framework that includes ecosystem organization (O), quality (Q), and services (S) was proposed to evaluate the ecological security in southeast Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) in this study. Results showed that: (1) From 2000 to 2020, ecosystem organization in the study area showed an improving trend, with 61.33% of counties experiencing an increase in O value; (2) The ecosystem quality showed an increasing trend, with the proportion of increased areas amounting to 54.46%, and the significantly increased area occupied 3.38% of the study area; (3) The total trend of ecosystem services decreased, among them, habitat provision and soil conservation both presented an increasing trend, while water yield performed a decreased trend; (4) The ecological security in the southeast of QTP has been improved, which increased in north of the study area and decreased in south part. Overall, our study provided a novel view to characterize the physical status of the natural environment and enriched the methodology of ecological security assessment. More attention should be received by the different roles of ecosystem organization, quality, and services in ecological security in future studies, which is helpful to reflect the current situation and changing trends of regional ecological security more reasonably and comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Territorial space ecological restoration is a significant way to map the development of "ecological priority, green, and low-carbon" and realize the goal of reducing carbon emissions. Based on the evaluation of the degree of urban ecological resilience restriction, this study aimed to diagnose the key areas of surface–line–point ecological restoration under the guidance of the resilience target by constructing a patch–corridor–matrix ecological network; then, the corresponding repair strategy was proposed. The results showed that (1) there was an obvious core–periphery structure in the resilience restriction intensity of the Chengdu–Chongqing region, showing a gradual decreasing trend from Chengdu and Chongqing to the surrounding cities; (2) the regional ecological network, including 17 ecological source patches and 33 potential ecological corridors, was identified; and (3) the diagnosed key areas of ecological restoration were composed of surface–line–point multiscale spatial morphology, including 7793.81 km2 of key areas of ecological source restoration, 380.39 km of key areas of ecological corridor restoration, and 29 key areas of ecological pinch point restoration. The construction of ecological restoration strategies with carbon neutralization as the core idea at different scales was realized. The research can provide a reference for scientifically identifying key areas of ecological restoration in territorial space, coordinating and planning major projects of ecological restoration, and optimizing the allocation of natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An urban agglomeration is a growth pole of regional development. However, the land uses have changed significantly due to the impacts of intense human activities. Analyzing the overall change characteristics of land use and hotspots has direct reference value for the formulation and implementation of land use management measures. This study used a complex network of analysis methods and a cluster and outlier analysis to study the land use changes and hotspots in the Harbin–Changchun urban agglomeration (HCUA). The results showed that farmland exhibited a high weighted degree of centrality, indicating that it is the key land type in the HCUA land use change network. From 1990 to 2000, the land use change in each city mainly manifested as the loss of ecological land, whereas from 2000 to 2010 it manifested as the restoration of ecological land. From 1990 to 2020, the average path length of the network in 11 cities was less than 1.4, which was reduced in 10 cities, indicating that the stability weakened and land use change more likely occurred. Specifically, the area of ecological land reduction hotspots gradually decreased from 15,237.81 km2 to 11,533.95 km2. In the ecological land concentration area, the change hotspots for ecological land use and ecological function had strong consistency. The distribution and changes of hotspots were affected by policies and the terrain. The increase in ecological land around urban built-up areas, however, did not improve the landscape connectivity. Therefore, in the planning of ecological land use, attention should be paid to the landscape pattern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid increase in urbanization has brought about a great deal of ecological problems, and thus the systematic protection of the environment is vital. Ecological security patterns are important for maintaining regional ecological stability and sustainable urban development. Human disturbance is a key factor affecting the stability and sustainable development of ecosystems. This paper constructs an ecological security pattern and evaluates the degree of human disturbance in Fuzhou City. Through a comprehensive analysis of both of these factors, the ecological priority restoration areas in Fuzhou were identified. The study shows that (1) there are 40 ecological source areas in Fuzhou, with a total area of 4556.48 km2; 83 ecological corridors, with a total distance of 179.33 km; and 30 ecological nodes. (2) The human disturbance degree score in the study area is between 0 and 0.8. The degree of human disturbance forms two larger major cores in Cangshan District, Gulou District, and Fuqing City. (3) The scores for the degree of human disturbance with ecological sources range from 0 to 0.42. The high-priority areas in the study area are distributed at the edges of ecological sources and form two high-scoring aggregation areas in Fuqing City and Jinan District. These corridors have a high degree of human disturbance with scores between 0 and 0.56. The I and II priority areas are mostly found in longer corridors in Fuqing City and Cangshan District near coastal or urban centers, and the III priority areas are mainly distributed in ecological corridors near the inland. The human disturbance degree scores of the nodes range from 0.01 to 0.27, and the nodes with higher grades were mainly distributed in the northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest of the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the global population increases and cities expand, increasing social needs and ecosystem degradation generally coexist, especially in China's urban agglomerations. Identifying ecological security patterns (ESPs) for urban agglomerations serves as an effective way to sustain regional ecological security and promote harmonious ecological conservation and economic development. Focusing on the Fujian Delta Urban Agglomeration (FDUA) as an example, this study aims to present a framework for linking the supply and demand of ecosystem services (ESs) to identify ESPs in 2020. First, the ecological sources are delimited by coupling the supply and demand of four critical ESs (carbon storage, water provision, grain production, and outdoor recreation). Afterward, the resistance coefficient is modified using nighttime light intensity data and the ecological risk index, the second of which combines the effects of the soil erosion sensitivity index, the geological disaster risk index, and the land desertification risk index. Then, ecological corridors are determined by employing the minimum cumulative resistance method. With the integration of ecological sources and corridors, the ESPs of the FDUA can be identified. The results show a distinct supply–demand mismatch for ESs, with supply exhibiting an upward gradient from coastal cities to inland mountain cities and demand showing the opposite trend. The ESPs consist of 8359 km2 of ecological sources that are predominantly forests, 171 ecological corridors with a total length of 789.04 km, 34 pinch points, 26 barriers, and 48 break points. This paper presents a realizable approach for constructing ESPs for urban agglomerations, which will help decision makers optimize ecological sources and ecological protection policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The urban spatial structure is a key feature of the distribution of social and economic resources. The spatial structure of an urban agglomeration is an abstract relationship expression of urbanization. Urban agglomerations develop for multiple reasons, including urban planning and natural evolution. To date, most research related to urban agglomeration has been based on single data source, which is a limitation. This research aims to propose a spatial structure identification method for urban agglomerations via a complex network based on nighttime light data and railway data. Firstly, we extracted the urban built-up area using defense meteorological satellite program/operational line scanner (DMSP/OLS) data, and divided it into urban objects to obtain the nighttime light urban network (NLUN) by borough. Secondly, we aggregated railway stations at municipal level using railway operation data to obtain the railway urban network (RUN). Following this, we established a composite urban network (CUN) consisting of the NLUN and the RUN based on the composite adjacency matrix. Finally, the Louvain algorithm and the comprehensive strength index (CSI) were used to detect the communities and central nodes of the CUN and obtain the urban agglomerations and core cities. The results show that urban agglomeration identification based on the CUN has the best accuracy, which is 5.72% and 15.94% higher than that of the NLUN and RUN, respectively. Core cities in the urban agglomeration identified by the CSI in the CUN are at least 3.04% higher than those in the single-source urban network. In addition, the distribution pattern of Chinese urban agglomerations in the study area is expressed as "three vertical", and the development level of urban agglomeration shows an unbalanced trend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of the evolution of urban-rural spatial patterns, traditional village forms have been seriously eroded and destroyed, resulting in the gradual loss of garden feature elements and the blurring of spatial features. Facing these problems, accurate and efficient acquisition of relevant data becomes the key to traditional village conservation. We take the typical Huizhou Shuikou garden Tangmo village as an example and conduct a study on how to use UAV aerial images to extract spatial feature data. Firstly, the UAV was used to acquire aerial images of the study area through a predefined mission. Then, the image data are processed by using structure from motion (SfM) software to obtain digital surface model (DSM), digital orthophoto map (DOM), point cloud, and 3D model. Finally, the produced spatial data are applied to the spatial feature extraction analysis study. The results show the following: (1) the data produced by UAV aerial images have a horizontal accuracy of 0.034 m and a vertical accuracy of 0.039 m, which meet the requirements of traditional village spatial data collection. (2) The results of spatial feature elements and terrain feature extraction show that the 3D model and DSM can accurately extract and analyze the micro and macro spatial feature of traditional villages. (3) By using the cloth simulation filtering (CSF) to extract point clouds of buildings and streets, and after statistical analysis, we could quickly obtain their spatial features. Based on the spatial data obtained by using UAV, the study achieves the accurate collection of Tangmo DSM, DOM, 3D model, and spatial feature data and forms a method of data collection, processing and spatial feature extraction. The results of the study can provide a scientific basis for data collection on the spatial features of other cultural heritages and the conservation of traditional villages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: According to Global Biodiversity Outlook 5, the Aichi Biodiversity Target regarding protected areas (PAs) has been partially achieved with limited progress in valid performance for biodiversity conservation and effective management. This suggests that not only the spatial planning of PAs but also the spatial prioritization for PAs under different management scenarios need more prudent decision-making. Objectives: We aim to develop a comprehensive approach to identify and prioritize PAs to maximize the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation while minimize the conservation costs. Methods: Taking Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region as a case study, we consider the supply and demand of ecosystem services, and landscape connectivity to identify PAs. Systematic conservation planning decision support tool Marxan was employed to identify the priority areas of PAs under multi-target scenarios. The conservation costs, the critical step in the planning process, was estimated using habitat quality evaluation module embedding in InVEST model. Results: The results showed that the conservation costs for construction land and unused land were the highest, while the costs for forest land, grassland, and farmland were very low. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the most appropriate conservation goal was 50% of the total area. Therefore, we generated spatial prioritization outcomes based on this target. The highest priority area was mainly located in the northwest of Beijing, the north of Chengde, and the east of Zhangjiakou. Conclusions: It is concluded that the proposed approach helps decision-makers to identify spatial prioritization for biodiversity conservation based on different scenarios and also yields insights into systematic conservation planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the traditional construction of ecological security pattern, the minimum cost path is extracted as the ecological corridor based on the minimum cumulative resistance model, and the ecological nodes are identified manually. This method lacks the consideration of the exchange process of energy flow and information flow in the ecological process, resulting in a certain lack of ecological security pattern in structure and function. Therefore, an ecological security pattern construction method integrating CVOR-GWLR-Circuit model is proposed to solve the above problems by transforming natural background data into localized correction variables and adding them to the ecological security pattern evaluation model. Taking Yunnan Province as an example, firstly, the ecological security evaluation system of "Contribution, Vigor, Organization, Resilience" (CVOR) is constructed based on the importance of ecosystem services and ecosystem health, and the ecological security of Yunnan Province in 2020 is evaluated, and the ecological source areas are identified combined with nature reserves. Then, the ecological resistance surface was constructed by considering land use data and topographic factors, and the landslide sensitivity evaluation model was constructed based on geographically weighted logistic regression model (GWLR) to correct the basic resistance surface. Finally, the circuit theory model is used to extract the ecological corridor and construct the ecological security pattern in Yunnan Province. The ecological pinch points and barriers in the ecological corridor are diagnosed by the current density, so as to identify the width of the ecological corridor and identify the key areas of ecological protection and restoration. The results showed that the ecological sources area of Yunnan Province was about 69,417.78 km2, accounting for 17.6% of the total area of the study area, mainly distributed in Dehong Prefecture, southwest Yunnan, Diqing Prefecture and Nujiang Prefecture in northwest Yunnan. A total of 780 ecological corridors were generated between the ecological sources, with a total length of about 197,598.2 km, an average length of 253.3 km, and the longest path length of 932.1 km. The ecological corridors are "spider web", linking southwest, northwest, northeast, central and southeast Yunnan Province. 36 ecological pinch points and 42 ecological barriers were identified. The research results verify that the ecological security pattern constructed by integrated CVOR-GWLR-Circuit model is more reasonable, which can provide scientific basis for regional ecological protection planning and ecological corridors design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of spherical cameras (with a field of view of 360°) is becoming increasingly popular for photogrammetric applications characterised by the opportunity to capture entire scenes in a relatively short time.This potential may be even more interesting for the digitisation of complex areas where, in addition to geometry, time, cost and social context play an important role.This contribution is part of this field of investigation by describing two experiments conducted on the use of an inexpensive 360° camera, the Insta360 OneX2, for the expeditious survey of residual spaces below road junctions.The area under investigation is a node in the city of Naples (Italy) located in the eastern area, considered particularly significant for the interaction between the geographical and infrastructural system.Two different approaches are tested starting from the acquisition of the spherical photographic dataset: the traditional one by means of photogrammetric software and the more economical and user-friendly one by employing the Matterport Capture application. Pros and cons of the two approaches are discussed: the first experimental results are encouraged and support the validity of the approach for surveying complex urban spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban expansion occurs in horizontal and vertical directions, but the construction process of a traditional planar ecological network (EN) ignores the ecological protection of the vertical space. Birds, as representative species in urbanized areas, are important for expanding the vertical analysis dimension of ENs. In this study, urban parks with good habitat quality were extracted as ecological sources from the perspective of birds. Then, 2D and 3D ecological resistance surfaces were constructed on the basis of the perspective of influencing bird migration, and planar and 3D ecological corridors were extracted and compared for analysis. Finally, accessibility analysis was performed to identify the parks in the study area that need priority protection. Results show that building height is an important factor affecting bird migration, and the introduction of 3D resistance surfaces into EN construction is important for adapting to the trend of vertical urban expansion. The combination of accessibility and EN analyses can help identify ecological spaces having the dual role of "species conservation" and "human well-being enhancement." This study can provide a reference for refining the service species of ENs, exploring the vertical dimension of ENs, and improving the health of urban ecosystems and the rationality of urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation products from historical cultural architectural have widely adopted 3D printing technology in recent years. To study the applicability of existing 3D printing materials, it is necessary to analyze the performance indicators of 3D printing materials and carry out material science experiments. Step 1: the material performance index composition of cultural innovation products was derived by integrating the literature of cultural heritage, product design, quality system, and material science. Step 2: The columns of Chengs' Miyake in Huizhou were taken as the creative source. Its geometric shape model was obtained through 3D scanning, and the design of the cultural innovation products was completed. Step 3: Photosensitive resin, nylon, and stainless steel, three commonly used 3D printing materials, were used to make samples, with one sample of each material. Finally, we carried out material science tests according to the material performance index. The experimental data of three materials were obtained and compared. The properties of the three 3D printing materials, photosensitive resin, nylon, and stainless steel, have advantages and disadvantages. Still, they all struggle to meet the needs of cultural and creative products in historical buildings. It is necessary to integrate the three materials' properties to develop new 3D printing materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]