Search Results (478)

Land Surface Temperature (LST), as a core variable in the coupling of land–atmosphere energy transfers and ecological responses, relies heavily on the global coverage capacity of thermal infrared remote sensing (TIR-LST) for dynamic monitoring. Currently, the time reconstruction method of the TIR-LST products from China’s Fengyun polar-orbiting satellite under dynamic cloud interference remains under exploration. This study focuses on the Heihe River Basin in western China, and addresses the issue of cloud coverage in relation to the Fengyun-3C (FY-3C) satellite TIR-LST. An innovative spatiotemporal reconstruction framework based on multi-source data collaboration was developed. Using a hybrid ensemble learning framework of random forest and ridge regression, environmental parameters such as vegetation index (NDVI), land cover type (LC), digital elevation model (DEM), and terrain slope were integrated. A downscaling and multi-factor collaborative representation model for land surface temperature was constructed, thereby integrating the passive microwave LST and thermal infrared VIRR-LST from the FY-3C satellite. This produced a seamless LST dataset with 1 km resolution for the period of 2017–2019, with temporal continuity across space. The validation results show that the reconstructed data significantly improves accuracy compared to the original VIRR-LST and demonstrates notable spatiotemporal consistency with MODIS LST at the daily scale (annual R² ≥ 0.88, RMSE < 2.3 K). This method successfully reconstructed the FY-3C satellite’s 1 km level all-weather LST time series, providing reliable technical support for the use of domestic satellite data in remote sensing applications such as ecological drought monitoring and urban heat island tracking. Full article

As China steadily advances its “dual carbon” strategy, understanding the factors influencing carbon emission efficiency (CEE) is crucial for promoting high-quality urban development. This study examines Western Valley cities (WVCs), which play a key role in regional development and exhibit a distinct spatial structure. Using a super-efficiency slacks-based measure (SBM) model and economic and social panel data, we measured CEE and analyzed its spatiotemporal evolution. A geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) was then applied to assess the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of influencing factors. Our findings revealed that the overall CEE of these cities remains relatively low, with a complex pattern of change. While efficiency levels in northern, southern, and central cities have gradually increased, there are notable differences in the quantity and spatial distribution of cities with high, relatively high, relatively low, and low efficiency over time. Additionally, the positive effects of technological investment, road density, population density, and per capita gross domestic product on CEE follow an increasing trend, whereas the negative impacts of energy intensity, green space ratio, secondary industry proportion, land use scale, and gas consumption gradually weaken. Additionally, the magnitude and direction of these effects vary significantly across northern, central, and southern cities. These findings provide important theoretical and practical insights for region-specific strategies aimed at reducing emissions and improving efficiency in WVCs. Full article

Urban green spaces (UGSs) play a pivotal role in sustaining the livelihoods of urban dwellers. This study sought to explore the impact of UGSs on livelihoods in Bulawayo and Johannesburg cities. A mixed-methods approach was used to develop a nuanced understanding of the nexus between UGSs and the livelihoods of the residents. A questionnaire survey (n = 658) with 329 participants from each city and 20 interviews were used to gather and generate data. Twelve types of UGSs were identified, with a relatively large proportion of the participants recognizing informal recreational areas as the common type of urban green space (UGS) in both cities. Domestic gardens, cemeteries, parks, woodlands, institutional green spaces, street trees, wastelands, commonages, and green roofs were other green spaces in both cities. Economically, job opportunities emerged in areas such as selling wares, photography, and the collection of firewood and wild fruits for sale. Likewise, farming activities and property values increased. Socially, they were valuable recreation and leisure spots for picnicking, dog walking, dating escapades, mental and spiritual wellness as well as education. Environmentally, UGSs were special in terms of medicinal provisions and aesthetics. However, urbanization and encroachment are undermining the extent of livelihood benefits. Therefore, it is imperative to revitalize UGSs by instituting robust partnerships and collaboration between government agencies, mobilize resources and expertise, value addition to existing UGSs, rigorous education to promote better appreciation, inclusion of the locals in the design process so that green spaces meet their needs and priorities, and establishing effective maintenance and management systems that ensure sustainability of UGSs. Full article

In the process of social development, there is a contradiction between economic development and the ecological environment. Western countries were the first to experience the inverted U-shaped development model of “destruction first and compensation later”, and China is also facing similar problems. To reveal the formation mechanism and dynamic evolution of the inflection point of ecological environment changes in China, this paper combines the entropy weight method, the analytic hierarchy process, and quadratic curve fitting to construct the “Ecological Pressure Index—GDPP Model” and studies the inflection point of ecological pressure during China’s economic development from 2000 to 2022. The study shows that the key inflection point of China’s ecological environment pressure is between 2016 and 2017, which is mainly affected by multiple factors such as the economy, domestic and international situations, and policy adjustments. For example, the implementation of the “Supply-side Structural Reform” and the environmental protection supervision system has significantly reduced the pollution pressure. At the same time, the “inflection point” is applied to dynamically adjust the PSR model, revealing the stage transition of China’s environmental governance focus. For instance, from 2000 to 2016, end-of-pipe pollution treatment was dominant (for example, the weights of pollution emission indicators X₅–X₈ were relatively high), while after 2016, the focus of governance shifted to the restoration of ecological space (for example, the weight of nature reserves X₂₂ was 2.759%). The theoretical contribution of this paper lies in proposing the concept of “Policy-driven EKC”, emphasizing the core role of policy intervention in the formation of the inflection point of the ecological environment. In addition, the dynamic adjustment of the PSR model using the “inflection point” better interprets China’s self-transformation in the development process and provides other developing countries with a Chinese solution of “institutional innovation first” and the “Policy-driven EKC—Chinese PSR Model” for reference in balancing economic growth and ecological protection. Full article

Heat pumps are widely regarded as a key technology for sustainable heating, offering a pathway to significantly reduce fossil fuel dependency and combat the climate crisis. However, replacing individual gas boilers with heat pumps in multi-unit residential buildings remains a substantial challenge despite its immense potential to lower urban greenhouse gas emissions. To address this, the following paper describes the development of a compact, modular heat pump system designed to replace conventional gas boilers, focusing on the building and testing of a prototype for such a modular heat pump system. The prototype supports multiple functionalities, including space heating, cooling, and domestic hot water production. The performance advantages of two different compressor technologies were exploited to optimize the efficiency of the complete system and the pressure lifts associated with applications for heating and domestic hot water production. Thus, measurements were conducted across a range of operating points, comparing different heat pump module types. In the case of the piston compressor module, the Carnot efficiency was in the range of 47.2% to 50.4%. The total isentropic efficiency for floor heating and domestic hot water production was above 0.45 for both piston and rotary compressors. Full article

This study aims to analyze the spatial effects triggered by dollar liquidity by constructing a multidimensional spatial matrix that modifies the traditional monetary spatial framework. We utilized a three-level spatial econometric model (Spatial Lag, Durbin, and Generalized Nested Space) to measure Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Consumer Price Index (CPI), and Asset Price Bubbles (BBL) through five spillover channels (geography, linguistics, politics, war, and economy). Our aim is to establish a systematic relationship between the conduction mechanism, means, economic indicators, and dollar externalities to examine liquidity spillover effects at varying distances in the global monetary space. We find that the spatial effects induced by the global circulation of the US dollar behave significantly differently in a single matrix space compared to in a multidimensional space. While the model verifies the existence of a positive correlation between the complexity of a single space and the spillover effect from a conduction mechanism perspective, the measure of the multidimensional matrix shows that the significance of the spillover effect weakens with an increase in abstraction level from a conduction means perspective. It suggests that spatial matrices of different dimensions reflect different economic realities. The former shows hierarchical multivariate details in independent matrices, while the variation in the level of abstraction of matrices of different dimensions in the latter enhances their interactivity and complexity. Full article

Due to the promotion of sustainable development goals and rapid economic development, the problem of rural sewage treatment is becoming increasingly severe. In order to understand the research hotspots, progress, and trends of ecological treatment technology for rural sewage at home and abroad, this article analyzes relevant literature published between 2000 and 2023 based on the core collection databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science (WOS) using VOSviewer and CiteSpace visualization software. The research results indicate a continuous increase in attention to ecological treatment technologies for rural sewage, both domestically and internationally. Although China started relatively late in this field, it has developed rapidly. “China Water & Wastewater” has had a significant impact in related fields domestically, and a top-tier journal has not yet been founded by China internationally. The collaboration between research authors and institutions is evident, with CNKI focusing on exploring specific governance technologies, while WOS pays more attention to the overall governance framework and critical technologies. The research hotspots of ecological treatment technology for future village and town sewage include specific treatment technologies, treatment efficiency, overall treatment strategies, and environmental impact assessments. At the same time, cross-regional and cross-border cooperation should be strengthened, interdisciplinary collaboration should be promoted, open cooperation platforms should be established, diversified publishing channels should be supported, and research on microbial communities and non-point source pollution should be deepened. Full article

The Eastern Minyag is a small community located east of Gangkar Mountain (Chinese: gongga shan) in Southwest China. Their complex rituals, performed by ritual specialists (sutcywu), serve various purposes: diagnosing the causes of individual psycho-physical ailments, investigating the misfortunes affecting entire families, making offerings to the ancestors, and banishing the ghosts of the deceased. While research on the ritual traditions of communities in the Sino-Tibetan borderlands often subsumes Eastern Minyag rituals under the general category of Tibetan Bon, this article adopts a context-oriented approach that highlights the environmental conditions and cosmology of the Eastern Minyag community. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted by the author in 2018–2019, the article examines the material aspects of Eastern Minyag rituals occurring in domestic spaces. Specifically, it first explores how natural elements of animal and plant origin are selected and manipulated to create ritual objects. Secondly, it offers an overview of the setups and processes involved in the vivi ritual. Lastly, it reflects on the temporary agency of ritual objects contingent upon their ephemeral materiality. Full article

The rural population shrinkage caused by China’s imbalanced regional development poses challenges to infrastructure configuration and operation. Traditional centralized sewage treatment models face issues in cost-effectiveness, facility utilization rates, and sustainable maintenance, necessitating the exploration of adaptive governance technologies under new demographic conditions. The utilization-driven governance approach is recognized as an emerging method for rural domestic sewage management. This study selects Heyang County, a representative agricultural area in Guanzhong Plain, as a case study. Through mixed-methods research integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches, we analyze the correlation between the Population Shrinkage Index (PSI) and facility operational efficiency, investigate the impact of resident population dynamics on rural sewage treatment patterns, and establish a theoretical “Source–Transmission–Sink” framework. Synthesizing local traditional governance practices with modern technological solutions, we propose a resource-oriented treatment system adapted to population shrinkage trends, comprising three technical components: source process reduction, transmission process interception, and sink process attenuation. This research emphasizes adjusting green water infrastructure (GWI) spatial configurations according to village characteristics in production–living–ecological spaces, forming a hierarchical attenuation mechanism through circular transmission pathways. This facilitates the transition from gray-infrastructure-dependent models to holistic pollution control systems with resource recovery capabilities. The findings provide theoretical foundations for policymaking and infrastructure planning in rural sewage management, offering significant references for sustainable rural water resource governance. Full article

The urban landscape of the Russian Arctic, shaped during the Soviet era of extensive urbanization, embeds narratives of colonial appropriation and serves as the foundation for ongoing urban development. In light of climatic, political, and social uncertainties, design disciplines must navigate the balance between environmental sustainability and the varied needs of residents, requiring a systemic approach to design. This study combines theoretical analysis with qualitative field research conducted in two Western Siberian cities (Novyy Urengoy and Tarko-Sale), including interviews, mental mapping, and systematic observation of urban life. Analysis of the collected data revealed significant challenges in current urban design practices, particularly regarding weather protection, seasonal adaptation, and social space creation. The proposed model constitutes a pioneering initiative in domestic Arctic urban research, aiming to conceptualize a context-sensitive approach to urban environmental formation, thereby challenging prevalent universal/mainstream methodologies and establishing a theoretical framework for future applications. Our theoretical model synthesizes representations, perceptions, and materiality, conceptualizing the architectural environment as a context-sensitive “life-support module”. This conceptualization emphasizes that successful Arctic urban design must emerge from specific local contexts rather than universal solutions, as demonstrated by our analysis of residents’ spatial practices and adaptations to extreme conditions. We reference media studies to analyze urban materiality as both an artificial construct that mediates perceptions of the immediate surroundings and as a generative force that actively shapes meanings, practices, and sensations. Our findings indicate that current standardized approaches to Arctic urban development often fail to address local needs and environmental conditions, suggesting the necessity for a fundamental shift in design methodology. Given that the urban realm is a fundamental component in shaping individual and collective perceptions, this conceptual shift has the potential to significantly influence prevailing societal views of the “empty” and “hostile” Arctic. Full article

This study examines the acoustic properties of vowels in foreigner-directed speech (FDS) in interactions between female Omani-Arabic-speaking employers and their foreign domestic helpers (FDHs). Particularly, it investigates whether Arabic corner vowels /i:/, /a:/, and /u:/ undergo acoustic adaptations in FDS. The study also explores the influence of foreign interlocutors’ psycholinguistic characteristics, such as degree of foreign accent, religion, and length of residence (LoR), on the extent of these adaptations. Data were collected from 22 Omani-Arabic-speaking women interacting with their 22 FDHs and with a native speaker (NS) confederate using a spot-the-difference task. Acoustic measures including vowel space area, formant frequency measures (F1 and F2), fundamental frequency (f0), intensity, and duration were compared across speech directed at FDHs and the NS. The results revealed that FDS exhibited greater vowel space expansion, higher F1, and increased pitch (f0) and intensity compared to speech directed at the NS confederate. However, FDS did not significantly affect F2 values. Unexpectedly, vowel duration in FDS was shorter than in speech directed at the NS. Furthermore, the psycholinguistic factors of foreign interlocutors had no significant effect on vowel space expansion in FDS. These findings provide evidence that FDS is characterized by heightened prosodic and acoustic features, potentially contributing to clearer speech. Additionally, the study highlights that NSs employ FDS when interacting with foreigners perceived to have a foreign accent. Full article

Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), recognized as promising sources of waste heat for space heating, domestic hot water supply, and industrial thermal applications, have garnered substantial interest owing to their environmentally benign operation and high energy conversion efficiency. Since the uniformity of oxygen diffusion toward catalytic layers critically governs electrochemical performance, this study establishes a three-dimensional, non-isothermal computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to systematically optimize the cathode flow channel width distribution, targeting the maximization of power output through enhanced reactant homogeneity. Numerical results reveal that non-uniform flow channel geometries markedly improve oxygen distribution uniformity, reducing the flow inhomogeneity coefficient by 6.6% while elevating maximum power density and limiting current density by 9.1% and 7.8%, respectively, compared to conventional equal-width designs. There were improvements attributed to the establishment of longitudinal oxygen concentration gradients and we alleviated mass transfer limitations. Synergistic integration with gas diffusion layer (GDL) gradient porosity optimization further amplifies performance, yielding a 12.4% enhancement in maximum power density and a 10.4% increase in limiting current density. These findings validate the algorithm’s efficacy in resolving coupled transport constraints and underscore the necessity of multi-component optimization for advancing PEMFC design. Full article

During urbanisation, extensive production and construction activities encroach on ecological spaces, leading to changes in environmental structures and soil erosion. The issue of yellow muddy water caused by rainfall in cities with high construction intensity has garnered significant attention. Taking Guangzhou City as the research area, this study is the first to propose a risk assessment model for yellow muddy water in cities with high construction intensity, and the influence of construction sites on yellow muddy water was fully considered. Rainfall and construction sites were used as indicators to assess the hazards of yellow muddy water. Elevation, slope, normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil erosion modulus, stream power index (SPI), surface permeability, and roads represent the exposure evaluation indicators. Population number and GDP (Gross Domestic Product) were used as vulnerability evaluation indicators. Based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method, the weights of each evaluation indicator were determined, and a risk assessment system for yellow muddy water was established. By overlaying the weighted layers of different evaluation indicators on the geographic information system (GIS) platform, a risk degree distribution map of yellow muddy water disasters was generated. The evaluation results demonstrated that the disaster risk levels within the study area exhibited spatial differentiation, with areas of higher risk accounting for 14.76% of the total. The evaluation results were compared with historical yellow muddy water event information from Guangzhou, and the effectiveness of the model was verified by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The validation results indicate that this model provides high accuracy in assessing the degree of risk of yellow muddy water in high-construction-intensity cities, offering effective technical support for precise disaster prevention and mitigation. Full article

In 2002, the Justice and Development Party came to power in Turkey, while Recep Tayyip Erdoğan became its leader in 2003, and both have remained in power until today. Initially, Erdoğan had a predominantly Islamist discourse, and in that period, Islam became gradually more visible in public space and foreign relations. However, that Islamist discourse later increasingly gave way to realpolitik due to domestic requirements and international economic and political changes. This article deals with this transition from Islamism to civil religion and secularism during Erdoğan’s power and explores its nature and characteristics as well as the impact on politics. I suggest that while still sometimes making use of an Islamist rhetoric, Erdoğan’s focus in recent years has been more on various secular–sacred items of civil religion, like homeland, nation (as a chosen people), national flag, (sacralized) state, and, additionally, national development. I examine the civil religion Erdoğan advocates by analyzing his official and casual speeches, interviews he gave, and some of the slogans he used. I also suggest that Erdoğan’s transition to civil religion also represents a shift to secularism, as modern civil religions undermine and subordinate established religions to a great extent and also create their own secular sacredness. Full article

This article introduces a novel methodological framework—the “spatial reading of inventories”—to reconstruct domestic interiors in seventeenth-century Amsterdam. By integrating probate inventories with architectural floor plans, this study establishes three house typologies with schematic 3D drawings that resolve ambiguities in room labels and spatial organization, bridging the gap between architectural history and material culture studies. Focusing on methodological innovation, this article both reveals how house size and structure created distinct spatial context and breathes new life into the well-researched probate inventories by using its untapped spatial information. While using seventeenth-century Amsterdam as a case study, this approach offers a model for studying historical domestic spaces across contexts and provides a foundation for future analyses of object placement, sensory experience, and cultural practices at home. Full article