Spatiotemporal characteristic of Biantun toponymical landscape for the evolution of Biantun culture in Yunnan, China

The geographical environment of Yunnan Province in China and Han migration during the Ming Dynasty contributed to the development of the Biantun culture. Biantun toponyms (BTT) record the integration process between the Central Plains and native Yunnan cultures. The GIS analysis method of toponyms was used in this study to reproduce the settlement characteristics of BTT and the spatial development of the Biantun culture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition, we have developed a toponymical landscape index to represent the degree of spatial integration between the BTT and ethnic minority toponyms in Yunnan and explore the spatial characteristics of the integration of Han immigrants and local ethnic minorities. The results show that the spatial distribution of the BTT is consistent with the sites selection of the Tuntian (屯田) in Yunnan during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the centroids of BTT spread to outskirts and intermontane area from central towns. In the Dali, Kunming, Qujing and other regions, the distribution characteristics of the integrated of BTT and ethnic minority toponyms reflect a higher degree of Sinicization in the central urban areas. Exploring the evolution of Biantun cultural development through the spatial characteristics of toponymical landscapes can help adjust policies for the development and protection of Biantun cultural resources.

Integrating morphological spatial pattern analysis and the minimal cumulative resistance model to optimize urban ecological networks: a case study in Shenzhen City, China

Background With the increasing fragmentation of landscape induced by rapid urbanization, the construction of ecological networks is of great significance to alleviate the degradation of urban habitats and protect natural environments. However, there is considerable uncertainty when constructing ecological networks, especially the different approaches to selecting ecological sources. We used the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen as a study area to construct and optimize ecological networks using a coupling approach. Ecological source areas were extracted using morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and the landscape index method. Ecological networks were constructed using the minimal cumulative resistance (MCR) model and the gravity model. Stepping stones and ecological fault points were added in corridors to optimize the ecological network. Results Ten core areas with maximum importance patch values were extracted by the landscape index method as ecological source areas according to MSPA, after which corridors between ecological sources were constructed based on the MCR model. The constructed ecological networks were optimized using 35 stepping stones and 17 ecological fault points. The optimized ecological networks included 11 important corridors, 34 general corridors, and seven potential corridors. The results of corridor landscape-type analysis showed that a suitable ecological corridor is 60 to 200 m wide. Conclusions Overall, our results imply that ecological source areas can be identified virtually, and that ecological networks can be significantly optimized by combining MSPA and MCR models. These results provide a methodological reference for constructing ecological networks, and they will be useful for urban planning and biodiversity protection in Shenzhen and other similar regions around the world.

Remote Sensing Based Spatial-Temporal Monitoring of the Changes in Coastline Mangrove Forests in China over the Last 40 Years

As a developing country, China’s mangrove landscape pattern has undergone significant temporal and spatial changes over the last four decades. However, we know little about the changes in the mangrove landscape pattern characteristics other than the area at the national scale. The analysis of mangrove landscape pattern changes from different perspectives on a national scale can provide scientific support for mangrove protection and restoration. In this study, the temporal and spatial changes in the pattern of the mangrove landscape over the last 40 years in China were analyzed based on remote sensing data with high classification accuracy (99.3% of 2018). First, according to the natural geographical conditions of the coastal zone and the distribution of the mangroves, the distribution area of the mangroves in China was divided into 31 natural shores. Then, by selecting representative landscape indexes and constructing an integrated landscape index, the spatial-temporal changes in the landscape pattern of China’s mangroves over the last 40 years were analyzed based on five perspectives: Total area change, shape complexity, connectivity, fragmentation, and the integrated state of the landscape. From a temporal viewpoint, before 2000, the total area of each shore exhibited a downward trend, and the degree of connectivity deteriorated continuously, but the degree of fragmentation was stable at a low level. After 2000, although the total area improved, the degree of fragmentation gradually increased. The spatial changes are mainly reflected by the fact that the shores in Guangdong and Hainan exhibited significant differences within the same province. Based on the above analysis, corresponding scientific suggestions are proposed from temporal and spatial viewpoints to provide guidance for mangrove management and protection in China and to provide a reference for mangrove research in other regions of the world.

Spatiotemporal Characteristic of Biantun Toponymical Landscape: Evolution of Biantun Culture in Yunnan,China

The unique geographical environment of Yunnan Province in China and large-scale waves of Han migration during the Ming Dynasty contributed to the emergence and development of the Biantun culture. The toponym is the carrier of the Biantun culture: it records the integration process between the Central Plains and native Yunnan cultures. Based on the GIS spatiotemporal analysis of toponyms in Yunnan, this study reproduced the settlement characteristics of Biantun toponyms (BTT) and the spatial development of the Biantun culture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition, we’ve developed toponymical landscape index to represent the degree of spatial integration between the BTT and ethnic minority toponyms in Yunnan and explore the spatial characteristics of the integration of Han immigrants and local ethnic minorities. The results show that the spatial distribution of the BTT is consistent with the site selection of the central plains immigrants station troops to open up wasteland in Yunnan during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the centroids of BTT spread to outskirts and intermontane area from central towns. In Dali, Kunming, Qujing regions, etc present the distribution characteristics of the mixed of BTT and ethnic minority toponyms, and a higher degree of Sinicization in the central urban areas. This study used GIS applications for historical and cultural research and established the connection among Biantun culture and spatiotemporal data. Exploring evolution of Biantun cultural development through the spatial characteristics of toponymical landscape can help adjust policies for he development and protection of the Biantun cultural resources.

Synthesis and Hybrid SAR Property Modeling of Novel Cholinesterase Inhibitors

A library of novel 4-{[(benzyloxy)carbonyl]amino}-2-hydroxybenzoic acid amides was designed and synthesized in order to provide potential acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase (AChE/BChE) inhibitors; the in vitro inhibitory profile and selectivity index were specified. Benzyl (3-hydroxy-4-{[2-(trifluoromethoxy)phenyl]carbamoyl}phenyl)carbamate was the best AChE inhibitor with the inhibitory concentration of IC50 = 36.05 µM in the series, while benzyl {3-hydroxy-4-[(2-methoxyphenyl)carbamoyl]phenyl}-carbamate was the most potent BChE inhibitor (IC50 = 22.23 µM) with the highest selectivity for BChE (SI = 2.26). The cytotoxic effect was evaluated in vitro for promising AChE/BChE inhibitors. The newly synthesized adducts were subjected to the quantitative shape comparison with the generation of an averaged pharmacophore pattern. Noticeably, three pairs of fairly similar fluorine/bromine-containing compounds can potentially form the activity cliff that is manifested formally by high structure–activity landscape index (SALI) numerical values. The molecular docking study was conducted for the most potent AChE/BChE inhibitors, indicating that the hydrophobic interactions were overwhelmingly generated with Gln119, Asp70, Pro285, Thr120, and Trp82 aminoacid residues, while the hydrogen bond (HB)-donor ones were dominated with Thr120. π-stacking interactions were specified with the Trp82 aminoacid residue of chain A as well. Finally, the stability of chosen liganded enzymatic systems was assessed using the molecular dynamic simulations. An attempt was made to explain the noted differences of the selectivity index for the most potent molecules, especially those bearing unsubstituted and fluorinated methoxy group.

The Spatiotemporal Evolution Analysis of Ecosystem Pattern in Wenchuan (Magnitude 8.0) Earthquake Disaster Area, China

The ecological system is the basis of human survival and global environmental protection. In the process of development, countries will pay close attention to the changing state of the ecosystem. Taking the ecosystem pattern as the research object, a three-layer analysis method was proposed. The transfer matrix and landscape index were used as the first layer to analyze the basic changes. Grey correlation, range-coupling coordination and relative priority were used as the second layer to analyze the reasons of the change. The interval-entropy weight, TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution), was used as the third layer to evaluate the quality of the change. The ten counties in the worst-hit areas of the Wenchuan earthquake were analyzed from different angles, with county region, intensity zone and ecosystem as the objects, and the following results were obtained: (1) Taking Mianzhu City as an example, from 2000 to 2010 and 2018, the conversion ratio of forest, grassland and farmland is 54.24, 59.19, 17.21, 20.06, 37.39 and 52.86%, which were distributed in the north, central and southern parts, respectively. (2) Taking the ninth intensity zone as an example, the forest landscape fragmentation increased, disturbance decreased, and species diversity increased. There is a high influence and restriction relationship between ecosystem and landscape pattern in the total landscape area change. Additionally, the relationship between them tends to develop in a benign way. As of 2018, it is in the change state of moderate imbalance-ecosystem lag. (3) Taking the county ecosystem change as an example, urban type is the best in the counties of ecosystem change, of which Shifang is the best and Pingwu is the worst. The results show that this method can effectively compare and analyze the changes in the multi-regional ecosystem pattern, which has the characteristics of universality and can also be applied to the research of ecosystem pattern change in special regions.

Spatio-temporal distribution and classification of utilization of urban bare lots in low-slope hilly regions

Urban bare lots are persistent phenomena in urban landscapes in the course of urbanization. In the present study, we examined the spatio-temporal distribution of urban bare lots in low-slope hilly areas, and to assess the major pathways by which they are generated and later re-transformed for exploitation. We extracted land use and land cover (LULC) change information and analyzed spatio-temporal distribution characteristics of urban bare lots using Landsat TM/OLI series remote sensing images. Subsequently, we proposed an index system for their evaluation and classification, and identified five types of urban bare lots. Urban bare lot quantity and distribution are closely correlated with human activity intensity. Stakeholders should consider the multiple effects of location, topography, landscape index, transportation, service facilities, and urban planning in urban bare lot classification activities for renovation and re-transformation.

Evaluation of Urban Vibrancy and Its Relationship with the Economic Landscape: A Case Study of Beijing

As one of the essential indicators for the development of a city, urban vibrancy plays an important role in evaluating the quality of urban areas and guiding urban construction. The development of spatial big data makes it possible to obtain information on user trajectories and the built environment, providing support for the evaluation of urban vibrancy. However, previous studies focused on the number of regional activities when evaluating urban vibrancy and ignored diversity, which was produced by diverse economic landscapes. In this paper, using mobile phone trajectory data, we propose a method for evaluating urban vibrancy from two dimensions: busyness and diversity, based on the improved PageRank algorithm and an index of entropy. Furthermore, in order to explore the relationship between urban vibrancy and the economic landscape, we construct an economic landscape index system based on multi-source data, including points of interest (POIs), roads, building footprints, house prices, the gross domestic product (GDP), and population data. Then, multiple linear regression is utilized to model the relationship between urban vibrancy and the urban economic landscape. The results show that combining busyness and diversity can better characterize urban vibrancy than any single indicator, and the adjusted R-squared (R2) of the regression with economic landscape reaches 0.59.