bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge Transfer in Higher Education Institutions Focused on Entrepreneurial Activities of Electronic Instrumentation
Authors: Del Río Fernández Joaquín , Gomáriz Castro Spártacus , Olivé i Duran Joaquim , Mànuel Làzaro Antoni
Published: October 2022

Although society, governments and the business sector are increasingly demanding that Higher Academic Centers translate their innovative potential into products and services that affect society, little is known or done about the entrepreneurial skills that both lecturers and students need in the context of electronic engineering academic degrees. Inevitably, the fact that some teachers lack certain skill sets will have a negative impact on some students’ professional careers. This article demonstrates a range of initiatives in knowledge transfer which have been carried out over more than 30 years by the university research team making the proposal. Such initiatives have allowed the integration of, not only creative thinking, but also other skills differing from traditional teaching and which can help students to successfully compete for jobs requiring higher qualifications. Following the methodology of a case study within the framework of the Polytechnic University School of Vilanova i la Geltrú (EPSEVG) of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), the novelty of the research lies in its focus on the results obtained. In the 1990s, entrepreneurial initiatives encouraged the creation of reference laboratories and the teaching of innovative subjects in the field of virtual instrumentation. Years later, this teaching activity would be complemented by the launch of lines of research/technology transfer. It should be noted that, in its initial stages, this entrepreneurial trajectory was characterized by limited material and human resources, but thanks to the discovery of little-explored areas of activity (niches), opting for working in cooperation networks (science-technology symbiosis), and the entrepreneurial profile of the members of the research team, it has been possible to gain a space in the research/development of marine technologies in the national and European context, as stated in the text. This empirical research has contributed significantly to shaping a new degree in Marine Sciences and Technologies. Likewise, the results of this study reveal that a significant number of electronic engineering students have acquired entrepreneurial skills by engaging in teaching and research and development activities in different Higher Academic Centers.
Land Use and Land Cover Mapping in the Era of Big Data
Authors: Zhang Chuanrong , Li Xinba
Published: October 2022

We are currently living in the era of big data. The volume of collected or archived geospatial data for land use and land cover (LULC) mapping including remotely sensed satellite imagery and auxiliary geospatial datasets is increasing. Innovative machine learning, deep learning algorithms, and cutting-edge cloud computing have also recently been developed. While new opportunities are provided by these geospatial big data and advanced computer technologies for LULC mapping, challenges also emerge for LULC mapping from using these geospatial big data. This article summarizes the review studies and research progress in remote sensing, machine learning, deep learning, and geospatial big data for LULC mapping since 2015. We identified the opportunities, challenges, and future directions of using geospatial big data for LULC mapping. More research needs to be performed for improved LULC mapping at large scales.
Tillage in Combination with Rice Straw Retention in a Rice–Wheat System Improves the Productivity and Quality of Wheat Grain through Improving the Soil Physio-Chemical Properties
Authors: Gupta Rajeev Kumar , Kaur Jagroop , Kang Jasjit Singh , Singh Harmeet , Kaur Sukhveer , Sayed Samy , Gaber Ahmed , Hossain Akbar
Published: October 2022

In order to study the contribution of long-term tillage and rice straw management practices on wheat yield and soil properties in a rice–wheat system, a field study was conducted with seven main plot treatments as straw management practices, i.e., puddled transplanted rice + zero till drill sown wheat without paddy and wheat straw (R1), puddled transplanted rice + conventional tillage sown wheat without paddy and wheat straw (R2), puddled transplanted paddy without wheat straw + zero till wheat sown with Happy Seeder with paddy straw as mulch (R3), puddled transplanted rice without wheat straw+ conventional tillage sown wheat after paddy straw incorporation with disc harrow (R4), puddled transplanted rice without wheat straw + zero till sown wheat after paddy straw incorporation with rotavator (R5), puddled transplanted rice with wheat straw + zero till sown wheat with Happy Seeder with paddy straw as mulch (R6), puddled transplanted rice + zero till drill sown wheat after partial burning of wheat and paddy straw (R7) and three subplot treatments, i.e., nitrogen (N) levels (100, 125 and 150 kg ha−1), in a rice–wheat system-cropping system during 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 in a split plot experiment. Among different treatments, the straw management practices significantly influenced yield and yield attributes as well as the nutrient availability in soil. The application of 100 kg N ha−1 resulted in a significantly higher partial factor productivity (PFPN) of N over other levels of N application. The reduction in wheat yields obtained with conventional sowing of wheat without straw/straw burning/removal cannot be compensated even with an additional 50 kg N ha−1 to that obtained with straw retention or incorporation. In addition to saving N, crop residue recycling also helped to improve soil properties, grain quality, profitability, and air quality considerably.
Ecosystem Service Valuation for a Critical Biodiversity Area: Case of the Mphaphuli Community, South Africa
Authors: Musetsho Khangwelo Desmond , Chitakira Munyaradzi , Ramoelo Abel
Published: October 2022

The study of ecosystem services and the valuation of their contribution to human wellbeing is gaining increasing interest among scientists and decision-makers. The setting of this study was a critical biodiversity area on a portion of land largely presided over by a traditional leadership structure on behalf of a relatively poor local community in South Africa. The study identified several ecosystem services and performed an economic valuation of these services, and their importance both locally and globally using the Co$ting Nature V3 tool. The study identified ecosystem services such as the regulation of air quality, regulation of natural hazards, and provision of water. The economic valuation was carried out for all identified ecosystem services, realised and potential. The total realised economic value of ecosystem services was found to be US$528,280,256.00, whereas hazard mitigation potential was found to be US$765,598,080.00 across the study area. Artisanal fisheries were the least valued ecosystem service at US$5577.54. The values of the ecosystem services differed across the eleven land use land cover classes. The outcomes of the study focused on a very local scale, which was a departure from other studies previously carried out in South Africa, which focused more on the identification and valuation of regional and national scale ecosystem services.
Correction: Musiaka et al. Spatial Chaos as a Result of War Damage and Post-War Transformations. Example of the Small Town of Węgorzewo. Land 2021, 10, 541
Authors: Musiaka Łukasz , Sudra Paweł , Spórna Tomasz
Published: October 2022

In the original publication [...]
Classification and Application of Digital Technologies in Landscape Heritage Protection
Authors: Zhang Rui , Zhang Chang
Published: October 2022

The application of digital technology in the field of landscape architecture heritage protection is becoming more and more mature and complex. How to select and apply technology for the corresponding landscape architecture heritage objects has become a common problem in the direction of landscape architecture heritage protection. Taking the literature on “landscape architecture heritage protection” published in CNKI and the Web of Science Database in the last 10 years (2012–2021) as the research object, we clarify the objects of landscape architecture heritage protection and their digital technology and summarize three types of digital technologies in the field of landscape architecture heritage protection: collection and acquisition technology, storage and management technology, and dissemination and sharing technology. Secondly, the main application objects and digital methods of each technology are described by classification. Thirdly, the main application methods in the field of landscape architecture heritage protection are summarized, e.g., repair recovery and risk monitoring. Accordingly, the digital development process of landscape architecture heritage protection in recent years is discussed, and there are three main stages, data precision, information systematization, and smart management. Future studies should pay more attention to the co-building and sharing of heritage information and to the common protection of heritage entities and cultural emotions. Discussion on the classification and application of digital technology based on landscape architecture heritage protection will help to present a clear context for the research and practice of digital technology in the field of landscape architecture heritage protection and contribute to implementing the protection and management of landscape architecture heritage more pertinently and efficiently.
Industrial Structure Optimization of Wuhan Urban Agglomeration Based on TFP and Industrial Spatial Linkages
Authors: Yu Yan , Gao Xinxin , Meng Wenqing , He Yujia , Zhang Chenhe
Published: October 2022

As a complex symbiosis, a reasonable industrial structure of each symbiotic unit within an urban agglomeration (UA) is crucial to the sustainable development of the regional economy. In an urban agglomeration (UA), a reasonable industrial structure is crucial to the sustainable development of the regional economy. This paper comprehensively considers the industrial total factor productivity (TFP) and the industrial spatial linkages between cities to adjust the industrial structure. Malmquist index (MI) is introduced to assess the industry performance in this paper to judge the development status of the industry. The calculation method for identifying industrial structure similarity is improved by combining it with industrial spatial linkages, to accurately reflect the degree of industrial structure convergence in the UA and to recognize which cities need industrial adjustment. The results from a case study on Wuhan UA showed that the method proposed in this paper can provide objective and specific suggestions for every industrial sector in each member city of the UA on a regional scale, so that the city can give priority to the developing industry with a certain foundation on the premise of avoiding the low resource allocation efficiency.
Space Reproduction in Urban China: Toward a Theoretical Framework of Urban Regeneration
Authors: Liu Yafei
Published: October 2022

As China’s urbanization enters the middle and late stages, urban regeneration has risen to the strategic level of building a new national development pattern and promoting high-quality urban development. Due to the wide range of disciplines and content involved in urban regeneration, there remains a lack of systematic and comprehensive theories and frameworks to lay a theoretical foundation for academic research and provide guidance for renewal practice. Therefore, this paper aims to construct a systematic and comprehensive theoretical framework of urban regeneration from the perspective of space reproduction, by employing the theory of the production of space as the basis of interdisciplinary research, and integrating related theories and research. The current paper proposes a theoretical framework that includes four core elements, namely the government, the market, society and space reproduction. Subsequently, the paper summarizes the subject, power, capital and interest of the three types of stakeholders (government, market, and society), their different emphases in the reproduction mechanism, and their various cooperative modes in practices. Meanwhile, under the concept of sustainable development and “people-oriented” approach, this paper emphasizes the importance of social factors and the suitability of the multi-stakeholder co-governance model of government, market and society.
Spatiotemporal Evolution of County-Level Land Use Structure in the Context of Urban Shrinkage: Evidence from Northeast China
Authors: Li Wancong , Li Hong , Wang Shijun , Feng Zhiqiang
Published: October 2022

Shrinking cities are a class of cities that show different trajectories in the urbanization process. Although many studies have examined shrinking cities from multi-dimensional perspectives, the spatiotemporal evolution of land use structure is still poorly understood. This study constructed an analysis framework for spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of land use structure over two 10-year periods based on 334 county-level administrative units in the context of northeast China, a region undergoing substantial population loss and urban shrinkage. This study analyses quantitatively measured population loss and land use conversion and investigated the rationality of the expansion mode of newly added construction land in research units. The results demonstrated that, first, the total population in northeast China continued to decline, but the total construction area continued to grow, and the various types of construction land in most shrinking units did not decline with the loss of population. Second, 67.09% of new construction land came from cropland, and compared with 2000–2010, the growth of new construction land in 2010–2020 slowed down. Third, during the study period, more than half of the expansion area for newly added construction land came from sprawling expansion, and areas in a state of shrinking were no exception.
Development and Assessment of GIS-Based Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Models Using ANN, Fuzzy-AHP, and MCDA in Darjeeling Himalayas, West Bengal, India
Authors: Saha Abhik , Villuri Vasanta Govind Kumar , Bhardwaj Ashutosh
Published: October 2022

Landslides, a natural hazard, can endanger human lives and gravely affect the environment. A landslide susceptibility map is required for managing, planning, and mitigating landslides to reduce damage. Various approaches are used to map landslide susceptibility, with varying degrees of efficacy depending on the methodology utilized in the research. An analytical hierarchy process (AHP), a fuzzy-AHP, and an artificial neural network (ANN) are utilized in the current study to construct maps of landslide susceptibility for a part of Darjeeling and Kurseong in West Bengal, India. On a landslide inventory map, 114 landslide sites were randomly split into training and testing with a 70:30 ratio. Slope, aspect, profile curvature, drainage density, lineament density, geomorphology, soil texture, land use and land cover, lithology, and rainfall were used as model inputs. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to examine the models. When tested for validation, the ANN prediction model performed best, with an AUC of 88.1%. AUC values for fuzzy-AHP and AHP are 86.1% and 85.4%, respectively. According to the statistics, the northeast and eastern portions of the study area are the most vulnerable. This map might help development in the area by preventing human and economic losses.
Unlocking Land for Urban Agriculture: Lessons from Marginalised Areas in Johannesburg, South Africa
Authors: Nkosi Doctor S. , Moyo Thembani , Musonda Innocent
Published: October 2022

Amidst the global discourse on the identification of strategic land, there has been a growth in planning support systems aimed at assisting policymakers in unlocking the value of strategic land. Despite planning support systems’ immense benefit of aiding planning, there are limited planning support tools to aid communities in marginalised areas to unlock the value of land. Therefore, this study adopts a GIS-based approach to develop a planning support system to identify, quantify and visualise an index for urban agricultural land in a marginalised area. The proposed solution utilised Greater Orange farm, a marginalised area in the City of Johannesburg, as a case study to inform spatial planning for emerging economies. Using the Charrette visioning process, indigenous knowledge systems were incorporated in formulating the criteria, weights, and rulesets. The results reveal spatial sites ranked through an index where sustainable investment in urban agriculture infrastructure should be targeted. The developed index identifies suitable locations for urban agriculture infrastructure and supporting programs. Furthermore, the solution builds from the existing reservoir of PSS in Southern Africa by demonstrating the potential for planning support systems as sustainable data-based decision-making tools to inform spatial planning. Lessons emerging from this study are that there is an inseparable existential connection between indigenous knowledge systems and contemporary sustainability planning, which is critical for ensuring sustainable development.
Fire Flocks: Participating Farmers’ Perceptions after Five Years of Development
Authors: Nuss-Girona Sergi , Soy Emma , Canaleta Guillem , Alay Ona , Domènech Rut , Prat-Guitart Núria
Published: October 2022

Nowadays, extensive livestock farming faces substantial threats in the Mediterranean region, provoking a setback dynamic in the sector. In 2016, the Fire Flocks (FF) project was conceived and implemented as a regional strategy to revert this situation and revalue the sector in Catalonia, in the NE of the Iberian Peninsula. FF promotes forest management through extensive livestock farming, and more specifically silvopastoralism, to reduce vegetation load and wildfire risk. The initiative also works on fire risk awareness with the aim of promoting extensive livestock products through FF label and valorization strategies. Five years after its initial implementation, the project managers detected several weaknesses and potential improvements directly affecting the economic and environmental performance of the participating farms. It was therefore considered necessary to conduct targeted qualitative interviews with the farmers participating in the project in order to gather their opinions on the project’s functioning and further steps. To this end, 17 farmers were interviewed with the aid of a qualitative questionnaire. The farmers stated that although FF is not providing them with any direct financial benefits, it does present an opportunity to belong to a group of farmers working on wildfire prevention, thereby lending them a voice as a group, and reaching more social visibility. The qualitative analyses elucidate key elements to be promoted in FF, such as redesign of the operational structure, expansion to a regional scale and action lines to facilitate grazing activity.
Unveiling China’s Overseas Photovoltaic Power Stations in Pakistan under Low-Carbon Transition
Authors: Han Mengyao , Tang Jun , Lashari Abdul Karim , Abbas Khizar , Liu Hui , Liu Weidong
Published: October 2022

Under the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor, renewable energy projects gradually receive due attention, among which the photovoltaic power stations in Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park represents the most typical power stations in Pakistan. The construction and development processes of the photovoltaic power stations are divided into three stages, with enterprises involved including TBEA Xinjiang Sunoasis Co., Ltd., Urumqi, China and Zonergy Solar Technology Co., Ltd., Zigong, China. The development model of the photovoltaic power stations changed from engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) plus operation and maintenance (O&M) mode to the Build–Own–Operate (BOO) mode. Through solar power generation and marginal emission factors of photovoltaic power stations, the cumulative electricity generation during the operation period can reach nearly 40.09 billion kWh, and the cumulative emission reduction potential of photovoltaic power stations can reach 23.82 Mt CO2-eq. Based on the multi-stage construction of photovoltaic power stations in the solar park, the land, infrastructure, and transmission facilities could be arranged to simplify the procedures and attract overseas investment. The construction and development model of Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park could provide a reference for the promotion of low-carbon transition, the adjustment of traditional energy structures, the fulfillment of carbon reduction commitments, and the mitigation of climate change, which could provide policy implications for renewable energy development and low-carbon transition in Pakistan.
Installing Flower Strips to Promote Pollinators in Simplified Agricultural Landscapes: Comprehensive Viability Assessment in Sunflower Fields
Authors: Ortega-Marcos Jorge , Hevia Violeta , García-Nieto Ana P. , González José A.
Published: October 2022

The installation of flower strips in simplified agricultural landscapes has been promoted as a tool to improve pollination services. While the effectiveness of flower strips in increasing pollinator visitation and yield is well-established, the social and economic feasibility of this measure remains unclear. Here, we evaluated the economic efficiency and social feasibility of installing flower strips to promote pollination under different scenarios of subsidy. A 2-year experiment was implemented by comparing sunflower fields with and without installed flower strips in central Spain, along with local farmer opinions obtained via a focus group. Flower strips significantly increased wild bee visitation to sunflower heads in the second year after implementation, with seed set being 11% higher on average in fields that had flower strips. Cost–benefit analysis revealed that investment in flower strips would be recovered by 4–5 years after installation, depending on the subsidy used. In the most favorable subsidy scenario, farmers could increase their annual benefits by 8.7% (29 €/ha) after recovering the initial investment. However, most local farmers did not perceive a significant increase in yield associated with the flower strip installation. The use of flower strips was negatively identified by farmers as a source of invasive weeds in adjacent fields, along with a lack of technical advice and economic incentives. Farmers fully agreed that direct economic subsidies were required for flower strips to be accepted as feasible approaches in the long-term.
Rural Settlement Reconstruction Integrating Land Suitability and Individual Difference Factors: A Case Study of Pingba Village, China
Authors: Bi Guohua , Yang Qingyuan , Yan Yan
Published: October 2022

Rural settlement reconstruction is an effective means of governance of rural planning. Traditional research on the reconstruction of rural settlements fails to fully consider individual differences in the utilization of rural space, which easily leads to uneven spatial development and social and economic problems. This paper proposes an analytical framework for planning rural settlement reconstruction combining agricultural suitability with the assessment of conditions unique to individual households and verifies the feasibility of this idea through empirical research based on Pingba Village in southwest China. The results show that (1) compared with the effects of considering only land suitability, the number and scale of rural settlements that need to be optimized in the study area expanded three times after considering individual needs. (2) The inclusion of individual differences diversifies the types and modes of rural settlement reconstruction. After comprehensively considering land suitability and individual differences, the rural settlements in the study area were divided into five types: retained settlements, locally rebuilt settlements, integrated settlements, production-based relocated settlements, and travel-based relocated settlements. Among them, retained settlements are the core of rural reconstruction planning. (3) Compared with simple demolition and relocation, a reconstruction of rural settlements that takes into consideration individual factors produces an additional two modes of integration and spatial replacement. The study unveils the influence of individual differences in rural settlements and households on rural reconstruction plans and provides an exploratory tool for rural space optimization.
The Impact of Development Zones on China’s Urbanization from the Perspectives of the Population, Land, and the Economy
Authors: Li Kaimeng , Gao Shuang , Liao Yuantao , Luo Ke , Wang Shaojian
Published: October 2022

The sustainable development of urbanization is a necessary condition for China to realize modernization. Considering the importance of urbanization to China’s future development and the advantages of development zones in promoting urbanization, it is necessary to quantify the impact of establishing development zones on urbanization development. Using the difference in difference (DID) model, this study takes the panel data of 235 cities in China from 1990 to 2017 to evaluate the policy effects of setting up development zones on urbanization from the perspectives of the population, land, and the economy. The results show that the development zone policy in the overall panel exerts a significant negative impact on land urbanization and a significant positive impact on economic urbanization but exerts no significant impact on population urbanization. The regression results of sub-regions show significant regional differences in the impact of development zones on urbanization. In the eastern region, the development zone policy has promoted the intensive use of urban construction land. For the central and western regions with weak development foundations, development zones play an important role in attracting the population and upgrading industries while reducing the intensive use of construction land. This study provides urban-level empirical evidence for evaluating the urbanization effects of development zone policies and puts forward policy recommendations for development zone construction to promote high-quality urbanization in China.
The Non-Agriculturalization of Cultivated Land in Karst Mountainous Areas in China
Authors: Han Huiqing , Peng Huirong , Li Song , Yang Jianqiang , Yan Zhenggang
Published: October 2022

When used for agricultural production, karst mountainous areas are susceptible to soil degradation due to the effects of soluble rocks and the climate. To mitigate the risk, the Grain for Green Project, a sizable initiative, was commenced to transition cultivated land away from agricultural use. This conversion of cultivated land to non-agricultural land has been significant. The study area considered in this research included four small towns in southwest China in karst mountainous areas with various morphologies. The investigation of the non-agriculturalization of cultivated land in the four sample areas revealed that the non-agriculturalization rate of cultivated land as a result of the Grain for Green Project has reached between 21.36% and 51.43% each decade. Thus, the Grain for Green Project has been advantageous for lowering the landscape ecological risk. Furthermore, because an increasing number of agricultural production materials have been introduced to the cultivated land, the conversion from cultivated land to non-agricultural land has not caused a staple food crisis on the national scale. However, it is impossible to observe all the potential drawbacks of the non-agriculturalization of cultivated land from satellite photos alone, and further social data collection is required. The findings of this study can offer precise information for policymaking in relation to the protection of rural cultivated land and rural spatial optimization in karst mountainous areas.
Research on the Interdependence Linkages between Soil Tillage Systems and Climate Factors on Maize Crop
Authors: Cheţan Felicia , Rusu Teodor , Călugăr Roxana , Chețan Cornel , Şimon Alina , Ceclan Adrian , Bărdaș Marius , Mintaș Olimpia
Published: October 2022

The experimental zone of the Transylvanian Plain is characterized by some particular problems for the maize crop due to an oscillating thermal regime; relatively shorter frost-free interval; climatic diversity; mixed relief; and soils with different peculiarities, even from one plot to another. This paper presents the results of research conducted during 2016–2021 regarding the influence of four soil tillage system and two fertilizer doses on emergences and maize yield, in the pedoclimatic conditions of the hilly area of the Transylvanian Plain. In all experimental years, a faster maize emergence was observed in the conventional-plow and minimum tillage—chisel compared to minimum tillage-disk and no-tillage. In a conventional system (control), the yield achieved (7603 kg ha−1) was close to the minimum tillage—chisel system (7529 kg ha−1), and higher than the minimum tillage-disk (6391 kg ha−1) and no-tillage (5178 kg ha−1). The beneficial effect of additional fertilization with CAN 27 (granular nitrogen fertilizer containing magnesium and calcium from dolomite) is found in a better development of plants and on the increase of yield with 356 kg ha−1 compared to the variant with basic fertilization. The yield difference between the two hybrids included in the experiment is insignificant (under 100 kg ha−1).
Temporal and Spatial Changes and Driving Forces of Soil Properties in Subtropical Mountainous Areas from 2017 to 2020: A Case Study of Baokang County, Hubei Province, China
Authors: Xu Tao , Yi Siqi , Zhou Yong , Li Qing , Liu Yizhu
Published: October 2022

Understanding the mechanism of regional soil chemical property changes is crucial for guiding precise farming and further alleviating poverty in mountainous areas. Our aims were to monitor the temporal and spatial changes in the soil chemical property in subtropical mountainous areas and explore the effect of human activities, soil and topographic factors on the changes. In this study, a total of 332 soil samples were collected from 2017 to 2020 in Baokang County, subtropical mountainous area in central China. We analyzed the soil pH, soil organic matter (OM), soil available phosphorus (AP), soil available potassium (AK), soil total nitrogen (TN) and used Kriging interpolation to draw the map of spatial distribution of soil chemical properties in Baokang County from 2017 to 2020. The geographical detector was used to explore the driving forces of soil chemical property change over the years of research. The results show that: 1) from 2017 to 2020, soil pH, soil OM, and soil AP in Baokang County was increasing from north to south and the value of three chemical properties showed a slight decreasing trend. Soil AK showed an increasing trend, with higher values in Longping and Xiema towns and relatively lower values in Guoduwan, and soil TN was at a high level with large spatial variation. 2) The human activities, soil and topographic factors all affect soil properties in Baokang. In human activities, the cropping system and crop yield were strong explanatory factors for the changes in soil chemical properties, especially for AK and AP. The q values of all the indicators in the soil factor were relatively high, which displays that all indicators we selected affected the changes in soil properties. Soil OM and soil TN were the factors that affected each other with the greatest driving force, as were soil AP and soil AK. The driving force of DEM was greater among the topographic factors (slope, topographic relief and DEM), and its effect on five soil chemical properties showed that AK>AP>OM>TN>pH. 3) The interactions between each two factors showed a two-factor-enhanced relation, indicating that multiple factors form the soil properties of Baokang County. The findings of this study offer some scientific basis and suggestions for local government to control soil quality and economic development.
Entrepreneurship in Dairy Cattle Sector: Key Features of Successful Administration and Management
Authors: Koutouzidou Georgia , Ragkos Athanasios , Theodoridis Alexandros , Arsenos Georgios
Published: October 2022

In this study, data envelopment analysis is applied to 47 dairy cattle farms to estimate their level of efficiency in the utilization of the available resources and to identify the most efficient ones. The analysis is based on technical and economic data collected through a farm management survey. The main structural and financial characteristics of the most efficient farms are presented, revealing the features that make them better than their peers. A comparative financial analysis is applied between the efficient and inefficient farms, highlighting the appropriate farm structure and determining the major cost drivers in modern dairy cattle farming. The results show that there is still room for improvement in intensive dairy farming. Dairy cattle farms must operate with increased variable cost and utilize their infrastructure at full capacity to decrease their fixed cost per cow. Farms should increase their economic resilience and be less risk averse in an environment where margins to lower production costs in highly intensive farms have been narrowed down. The findings of this study verify that dairy cattle farms of entrepreneurial mindset have the potential to rise to the future economic, environmental and social challenges that will affect the survival of the sector.
Constructing a Model of Government Purchasing of Ecological Services: Evidence from China’s Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park
Authors: Zhu Hongge , Zhang Yutong , Chen Yaru , Zhao Menghan , Bo Cao
Published: October 2022

The harmonious coexistence of man and nature is the primary goal of the establishment of national parks. Creating an ecological service supply model that takes into account the efficiency of ecological services, the fairness of residents’ livelihoods, and the reasonable distribution of rights and responsibilities is an important way of achieving that goal. China’s Northeast Tiger and Leopard National Park (NTLNP) is a typical national park with state-owned forest land as the main body. Before the establishment of the national park, state-owned forest enterprises (SOFEs) and local government forest departments (LGFDs) were always the undertakers of ecological services. Issues such as the distribution of rights and responsibilities between the NTLNP Administration, SOFEs, and LGFDs and the livelihood of forest workers need to be resolved urgently. This study takes the NTLNP as the study area and constructs a model of government purchasing of ecological services. The main results show the following: (1) The driving factors of the government purchasing of ecological services are increasing the workload of ecological services, the need for workforce transfer, and the optimization of subsidy standards. (2) In the construction of the responsibility system, the NTLNP Administration is the purchaser, SOFEs and Protection Stations are the undertakers, and groups such as third-party institutions and the public are the Supervisors and Evaluators. (3) Setting the purchase price in 2022 at CNY 47,654.44 per person while maintaining an average annual growth rate of 6.10% will match the per capita wage income level of urban workers nationwide in 2035. Based on the research results, it is proposed that payment for ecosystem services (PES) and ecological compensation (EC) have mature research paradigms in solving the problems of efficiency and fairness, but government purchasing of ecological services is a more appropriate policy tool in terms of arranging rights and responsibilities. This study attempts to construct a model of government purchasing of ecological services in order to provide a useful reference for national parks with state-owned land as the main body.
Accelerate the Mobilization of African and International Scientific Expertise to Boost Interdisciplinary Research for the Success of the Sahelian Great Green Wall by 2030
Authors: Bruckmann Laurent , Chotte Jean-Luc , Duponnois Robin , Loireau Maud , Sultan Benjamin
Published: October 2022

The Sahelian Great Green Wall (SGGW) is an influential project to combat desertification and promote sustainable land management on a large scale, involving 11 countries in the Sahel region of Africa. The UNCCD’s 2020 progress report showed a mixed picture concerning the meeting of the initial targets. At the One Planet Summit in 2021, announcements were made to consolidate the implementation of the SGGW, most notably with the creation of the Great Green Wall Accelerator. In this context, our paper sets out to review the scientific work conducted with regard to the SGGW. We have thus carried out a bibliometric analysis of the literature on SGGW. Although the initiative involves 11 countries and covers a large spectrum of scientific disciplines, our results show the predominance of ecological studies in the SGGW literature and a concentration of studies in certain geographies of interest, such as northern Senegal. Moreover, based on a secondary analysis of publications on land restoration and sustainable ecosystem management in Sahelian countries, we show that the literature relevant to SGGW topics is richer and fills in the information gaps we have identified at thematic and geographical levels. By showing that SGGW studies are overly focused on certain topics and geographical areas, our paper argues for a better interdisciplinary mobilization of researchers working on GGW-related topics. The scientific and operational success of the project depends on stronger networking between the different research teams and themes, both in Africa and internationally.
Spatiotemporal Changes in The Urban Landscape Pattern and Driving Forces of LUCC Characteristics in The Urban Agglomeration on The Northern Slope of The Tianshan Mountains from 1995 to 2018
Authors: Zhao Yongyu , Kasimu Alimujiang , Gao Pengwen , Liang Hongwu
Published: October 2022

Analyses of landscape patterns, analyses of land-use/land-cover evolution characteristics, and a driving force analysis during the expansion of urban agglomerations can assist urban agglomerations in solving ecological and environmental problems; moreover, these tools can provide a reference for urban land-use structure optimization and urban landscape planning. In this study, the rapid urbanization and urban agglomeration of small- and medium-sized cities were evaluated; specifically, the urban agglomeration of the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains (UANSTM) was assessed. Using multi-period (1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2018) land-use data and statistical yearbook data, we calculated the landscape index and comprehensive land-use degree index using the Moran index and geographic probe methods. We studied the expansion patterns and spatial distribution patterns of urban land and quantitatively explored the influence mechanisms of natural and socioeconomic factors on the degree of land use to clarify the characteristics and driving forces of land-use evolution. The results show the following: the area of urban land continued to increase between 1995 and 2018; the dominance of the landscape indexes within each time period changed with urban development; and intra-urban landscape heterogeneity is gradually increasing. In terms of the spatial and temporal distribution of the degree of land use, the expansion of urban agglomeration is centered on the city of Urumqi, spreading towards the cities of Changji and Shihezi; the rest of the counties and cities are fast urban-expansion zones. Under the influence of multiple source factors, the expansion of the UANSTM depends on the distribution of oases, which is mainly influenced by the distribution of vegetation and the density of the river network and can only rely on the ecological carrying capacity of oases for production and life. The results of the study can provide a basis for decision-making processes surrounding the future layout of the UANSTM ecological environment.
Long Term Results of Reduction Ascending Aortoplasty
Authors: Trumello Cinzia , Giambuzzi Ilaria , Bargagna Marta , Tavana Kevin , Bisogno Arturo , Ascione Guido , Calabrese Mariachiara , Castiglioni Alessandro , Alfieri Ottavio , De Bonis Michele
Published: October 2022

The aim of this retrospective study is to show medium-long-term results in terms of cardiac death and aortic events in patients undergoing reduction ascending aortoplasty between 1997 and 2009 in our hospital. The Fine and Grey model for competing risk analysis was performed for time to cardiac death, with non-cardiac death as the competing risk, and time to recurrence of both re-dilation (aortic diameter > 45 mm) and re-operation with overall death as the competing risk. Paired t-test was used to evaluate the change in aortic diameter from the post-operative values to follow-up. The population included 142 patients. The mean pre-operative aortic diameter and the diameter at follow-up were respectively 46.5 ± 5.11 mm vs. 41.4 ± 5.55 mm (p-value < 0.001). At a mean follow-up of 11.6 ± 4.15 years, 11 patients (7.7%) required re-operation on the ascending aorta. At 16 years, the CIF of aortic-related events was 29.4 ± 7.2%; the freedom from cardiac death was 89.2 ± 3.7%. Ten patients (7%) died from cardiac causes but no one was aortic-related. The Fine and Grey analysis did not identify any significant predictors. This procedure is safe but might be justified only in high-risk patients or in those with advanced age/short life expectancy.
Complement Regulation in Immortalized Fibroblast-like Synoviocytes and Primary Human Endothelial Cells in Response to SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein and Pro-Inflammatory Cytokine TNFα
Authors: Franke Vincent , Meyer Sophie , Schulze-Tanzil Gundula Gesine , Braun Tobias , Kokozidou Maria , Fischlein Theodor , Silawal Sandeep
Published: October 2022

Background: Case reports are available showing that patients develop symptoms of acute arthritis during or after recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection. Since the interrelation is still unknown, our aim was to study the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP) on human fibroblast-like synoviocytes and human endothelial cells (hEC) in terms of complement and cytokine regulation. Methods: Non-arthritic (K4IM) synoviocyte, arthritic (HSE) synoviocyte cell lines and primary hEC were stimulated with recombinant NP and/or TNFα. Analyses of cell viability, proliferation, gene and protein expression of cytokines and complement factors were performed. Results: NP suppressed significantly the vitality of hEC and proliferation of HSE. NP alone did not induce any significant changes in the examined gene expressions. However, NP combined with TNFα induced significantly higher TNFα in HSE and K4IM as well as higher IL-6 and CD55 gene expression in HSE and suppressed C3aR1 gene expression in hEC. HSE proliferated twice as fast as K4IM, but showed significantly lesser gene expressions of CD46, CD55, CD59 and TNFα with significantly higher IL-6 gene expression. CD35 gene expression was undetectable in K4IM, HSE and hEC. Conclusions: NP might contribute in combination with other inflammatory factors to complement regulation in arthritis.
The Complement System: A Potential Therapeutic Target in Liver Cancer
Authors: Yuan Meng , Liu Li , Wang Chenlin , Zhang Yan , Zhang Jiandong
Published: October 2022

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer and the fourth most fatal cancer in the world. Immunotherapy has already achieved modest results in the treatment of liver cancer. Meanwhile, the novel and optimal combinatorial strategies need further research. The complement system, which consists of mediators, receptors, cofactors and regulators, acts as the connection between innate and adaptive immunity. Recent studies demonstrate that complement system can influence tumor progression by regulating the tumor microenvironment, tumor cells, and cancer stem cells in liver cancer. Our review concentrates on the potential role of the complement system in cancer treatment, which is a promising strategy for killing tumor cells by the activation of complement components. Conclusions: Our review demonstrates that complement components and regulators might function as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for liver cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Effects of Six Weeks of Hypoxia Exposure on Hepatic Fatty Acid Metabolism in ApoE Knockout Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet
Authors: Wang Yangwenjie , Lavier Jessica , Hua Weicheng , Gong Lijing , Wei Hao , Wang Jianxiong , Pellegrin Maxime , Millet Grégoire P. , Zhang Ying
Published: October 2022

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease with a characteristic of abnormal lipid metabolism. In the present study, we employed apolipoprotein E knockout (ApoE KO) mice to investigate the effects of hypoxia exposure on hepatic fatty acid metabolism and to test whether a high-fat diet (HFD) would suppress the beneficial effect caused by hypoxia treatment. ApoE KO mice were fed a HFD for 12 weeks, and then were forwarded into a six-week experiment with four groups: HFD + normoxia, normal diet (ND) + normoxia, HFD + hypoxia exposure (HE), and ND + HE. The C57BL/6J wild type (WT) mice were fed a ND for 18 weeks as the baseline control. The hypoxia exposure was performed in daytime with normobaric hypoxia (11.2% oxygen, 1 h per time, three times per week). Body weight, food and energy intake, plasma lipid profiles, hepatic lipid contents, plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and molecular/biochemical makers and regulators of the fatty acid synthesis and oxidation in the liver were measured at the end of interventions. Six weeks of hypoxia exposure decreased plasma triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) contents but did not change hepatic TG and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) levels in ApoE KO mice fed a HFD or ND. Furthermore, hypoxia exposure decreased the mRNA expression of Fasn, Scd1, and Srebp-1c significantly in the HFD + HE group compared with those in the HFD + normoxia group; after replacing a HFD with a ND, hypoxia treatment achieved more significant changes in the measured variables. In addition, the protein expression of HIF-1α was increased only in the ND + HE group but not in the HFD + HE group. Even though hypoxia exposure did not affect hepatic TG and NEFA levels, at the genetic level, the intervention had significant effects on hepatic metabolic indices of fatty acid synthesis, especially in the ND + HE group, while HFD suppressed the beneficial effect of hypoxia on hepatic lipid metabolism in male ApoE KO mice. The dietary intervention of shifting HFD to ND could be more effective in reducing hepatic lipid accumulation than hypoxia intervention.