Local Landscape Research Articles

The Role of AI in Transforming Local Economies: Exploring How AI Technologies Are Impacting Local Businesses and Labor Markets

Abstract: AI is emerging as a key disruptor of local economies. The impact of AI technologies including machine learning, automation and precision farming in reshaping local business landscape, unlocking innovation, enhancing productivity and creating net new jobs, is yet to be fully appreciated. This paper provides an analysis of the role of AI in revitalising local economies: how AI technologies are enabling small and medium sized enterprises (SME) to improve productivity, how rural economies can overcome labour shortages and supply chain issues and how to realise AIs transformative potential in the near term. It goes on to discuss the impact of AI on labour markets, the creation of net new jobs in data and drone related occupations and need for reskilling and upskilling. It also discusses the role of local governments in encouraging AI adoption through public-private partnerships, tax incentives and infrastructure improvements. The paper concludes with a discussion about how AI shapes the future of work, the need to address the digital divide and the role of AI in fostering sustainable economic development at the local level. This paper analyses the impact of AI on productivity, consumer engagement, supply chain optimisation and workforce transformation.

Odd New Spring: Towards Evolving Landscapes and a Reorientation in Design Practice (2024)

"Odd New Spring: Towards Evolving Landscapes and a Reorientation in Design Practice" is an artistic research PhD project that explores methods for designers to engage with local environments, interdisciplinary communities, and professional fields in new ways. The project repositions unwanted plants, specifically Invasive Alien Plant Species, as a foundation for knowledge creation and new local activities. This approach challenges the perception of these plants as strictly agonistic and reframes them in the context of sustainability, production, and resource management. Through the artistic practice, the plants are connected to stories from the past and visions for the future, encouraging reflection on current classifications and relations. The work culminated in the exhibition "Odd New Spring" at the University Museum in Bergen's Natural History Collections. Here, experimental artefacts, storytelling objects, interdisciplinary dialogues, and reflections point towards a new design position. The project envisions the designer as a bridge-builder across disciplines, fostering sustainable practices and coexistence within local landscapes. Supervised by Mette L'orange (architect MNAL and visual artist) and Tim Parry-Williams (Professor of Art: Textiles, KMD). Photo: Odd New Spring 2024, Siren Elise Wilhelmsen

Use of Prenatal Exome Sequencing: Opinion Statement of the French Federation of Human Genetics Working Group.

Prenatal whole exome sequencing (pES) is increasingly prescribed for fetuses with ultrasound anomalies. Starting from the local French prenatal medicine practice, healthcare system and legal landscape, we aimed to address the broad medical and ethical issues raised by the use of pES for women and couples as well as for prenatal care providers. The French Federation of Human Genetics established a working group composed of clinicians and biologists from all over France to discuss pES challenges. A literature review was also performed. We emphasize the importance of non-directive information that helps couples make a decision that is consistent with their personal values and ideas. We address the difficulty of obtaining informed consent that respects the couple's autonomy, despite the complexity of the information and regardless of their level of education and cultural background. We address whether variants of uncertain significance and unsolicited results should be reported. We emphasize the need for national harmonization of access to pES and the need for multidisciplinary meetings in complex situations. We point out that the specific French context of healthcare financing and the French law have a major influence on medical care organization and support for couples. The outcome of the working group is the development of 12 proposals. This opinion statement, dedicated to prenatal care providers worldwide although linked to the French context, will provide food for thought and assist them in understanding the complexity and implications of pES.

Landscape diversity, habitat connectivity, age and size determine the conservation value of limestone quarries for diverse wild bee communities

Abstract Abandoned and even active limestone quarries (excavation sites) can represent important secondary habitats for many species, including wild bees, associated with dry grasslands, which are threatened biodiversity hotspots in Europe. However, is not well understood how interactions between local habitat and landscape characteristics influence the value of limestone quarries for wild bees and how this could guide conservation schemes. We studied how wild bee communities in limestone quarries are affected by landscape variables (connectivity to neighbouring dry grasslands, landscape diversity), local quarry characteristics (area, age, woody vegetation cover, flowering plant species) and their interactions. We surveyed bee communities during 208 transects in 19 quarries in southern Lower Saxony, Germany. In total, we recorded 114 bee species (2360 individuals), including 35 endangered species. High flowering plant species richness positively affected bee abundance and richness. Large quarry area was important for determining the presence of endangered bee species. High levels of woody vegetation cover had a negative effect on bee abundance and richness. Bee abundance and richness can increase with quarry age, but only at sites with moderate woody vegetation cover. We found potentially positive interactions between quarry age and landscape diversity and/or habitat connectivity to neighbouring dry grasslands. In particular, high habitat connectivity ensured stable richness of endangered species in old quarries. Synthesis and applications. Observed negative effects of high woody vegetation cover on bee communities highlight the importance of local management to reduce shrub encroachment and reset successional processes in limestone quarries. Local management is particularly important in old quarries of great ecological value, where the adverse impact of high woody vegetation cover on wild bees appears to be most severe. Large and old quarries with high connectivity to neighbouring dry grasslands are especially valuable for endangered bee species. Therefore, landscape‐scale restoration and conservation of dry grasslands is the most promising approach to promote endangered bee species through enhanced habitat connectivity.

Local haplotyping reveals insights into the genetic control of flowering time variation in wild and domesticated soybean.

The timing of flowering in soybean [Glycine max(L.) Merr.], a key legume crop, is influenced by many factors, including daylight length or photoperiodic sensitivity, that affect crop yield, productivity, and geographical adaptation. Despite its importance, a comprehensive understanding of the local linkage landscape and allelic diversity within regions of the genome influencing flowering and contributing to phenotypic variation in subpopulations has been limited. This study addresses these gaps by conducting an in-depth trait association and linkage analysis coupled with local haplotyping using advanced bioinformatics tools, including crosshap, to characterize genomic variation using a pangenome dataset representing 915 domesticated and wild-type individuals. The association analysis identified eight significant loci on seven chromosomes. Moving beyond traditional association analysis, local haplotyping of targeted regions on chromosomes 6 and 20 identified distinct haplotype structures, variation patterns, and genomic candidates influencing flowering in subpopulations. These results suggest the action of a network of genomic candidates influencing flowering time and an untapped reservoir of genomic variation for this trait in wild germplasm. Notably, GlymaLee.20G147200 on chromosome 20 was identified as a candidate gene that may cause delayed flowering in soybean, potentially through histone modifications of floral repressor loci as seen in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. These findings support future functional validation of haplotype-based alleles for marker-assisted breeding and genomic selection to enhance latitude adaptability of soybean without compromising yield.

Space-for-time substitutions exaggerate urban bird-habitat ecological relationships.

North American bird abundance has declined by 29% over the last 50 years. These continental population dynamics interact with local landscape changes to affect local bird diversity. Mitigating local declines in cities is particularly significant because (a) such declines greatly impact human-bird relationships since most people live in cities and (b) cities provide levers to create bird-friendly habitat, such as managing yards and gardens, street trees, and urban parks. Yet, the potential for cities to modify habitats to mitigate broader bird declines remains unclear. Studies have been stymied by the difficulty of assembling mutidecadal habitat-bird population datasets. Instead, studies have substituted space for time (e.g. used habitat associations across space at one time point to project future species abundance due to changing land use), but this method may fail amidst nonstationary environments of the Anthropocene. Here, we test the validity of space-for-time substitutions for explaining changes in bird abundance in a North American city over the past two decades by examining the degree to which these changes are explainable by changes in local landcover at multiple spatial scales. Specifically, we use longitudinal urban bird surveys of Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada from 1997 and 2020; deep learning models of remote sensing data to classify contemporaneous landcover; out-of-sample prediction and boosted regression trees to identify multiple spatial scales of landcover that best explained bird abundance (i.e. optimal scale of effect for each species by each habitat); and Bayesian multispecies abundance models in Stan to determine relationships between changes in landcover and bird abundance. We found that total bird abundance declined by 26% over the last two decades. Landcover measured at both 50 m and optimal scales explained spatial variation in bird abundance, but only landcover at the optimal scale explained temporal changes, and only partially. These results suggest that space-for-time substitutions overemphasize habitat-bird ecological relationships, urban habitats only partially determine bird abundance, and measuring habitat at the appropriate scale is important for capturing the most relevant changes in landscapes.

Playgrounds as Residual Areas—Case Study of a Playground Regeneration Proposal in Târgu-Mureș, Romania

Playgrounds are envisaged as spaces designed to provide a safe and enjoyable environment that facilitates physical activity among children and adolescents. However, in various instances within cities formerly under socialist governance, these playgrounds have suffered neglect and lacked maintenance, coherent conceptual frameworks, professional oversight, suitable materials for playground structures, and attention to vegetation or potentially toxic elements. They became residual areas in the city’s built environment. Presently, the evaluation and the regeneration of playgrounds in cities have emerged as a significant task. Amidst the densely populated urban fabric, these spaces hold considerable importance for outdoor activities, social interaction, recreational pursuits, and the healthy development of future generations. Simultaneously, these places can play a crucial role in a city’s green infrastructure, local landscapes, and the challenges of sustainability prompted by climate change. The landscape analysis of 22 playgrounds classified them based on land use characteristics, location, functions, equipment, quality, and accessibility. A case study in Târgu-Mureș, scrutinized in detail within this analysis due to its proximity to the city center, within a densely populated urban area, and its multifaceted functionalities, underscores the need for a comprehensive approach encompassing diverse disciplines to address its manifold usage requirements.

Villas and Vanguards: Thornton Wilder in Capri in 1920

Abstract This article deals with Thornton Wilder’s early European travels, focusing on his experiences in Italy during the autumn of 1920, which played a crucial role in shaping his nascent literary career. Specifically, it examines his time in Sorrento and Capri, where the local culture and landscape left an indelible mark on him and provided the inspiration for his unfinished play, Villa Rhabani. Exploring Wilder’s interactions with contemporary expatriate artists and intellectuals and his immersion in the local Italian milieu, the article seeks to illuminate the biographical and environmental influences that informed his play. The article situates Villa Rhabani within the broader context of other writers and artists who were also on the island of Capri, highlighting the interplay between Wilder’s lived experiences and his creative output. Furthermore, it addresses the speculation that Wilder visited Capri, drawing from detailed descriptions in his manuscript that suggest firsthand familiarity with the island.

Esh-Shaheinab: The archetype of the Sudanese Neolithic, its premises and sequels.

Esh-Shaheinab is a landmark in the African Neolithic. This site gave the name Shaheinab Neolithic to the Neolithic period in central Sudan, becoming its archetype. Excavated in the late 1940s by A.J. Arkell, it bears witness to the processes of domestic animal introduction from the Middle East into North and East Africa. Its excavation also uncovered the remains of an earlier Mesolithic or Early Khartoum (ca. ninth-sixth millennia BC) and a Late Neolithic occupation (ca. fourth millennium BC), providing essential insights into the Neolithic's premises and sequels. Although the influence of Esh-Shaheinab has been recognized for more than seventy years, our knowledge of its material culture has remained as it was then. In 2001, one of the present authors (EAAG) had permission to restudy the ceramic collection at the National Museum in Khartoum and subsequently export samples for laboratory analyses. Here, for the first time, we provide a multi-scale analysis of the Esh-Shaheinab ceramic material from the Early Khartoum to the Late Neolithic periods by integrating the chaîne opératoire approach into the local landscape. By combining the results of macroscopic and microscopic analyses, we performed petrographic investigations on the composition and manufacturing technology of the ceramic pastes using polarized optical microscopy (POM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS). Organic residue analysis (ORA) was also carried out, to provide information on diet, vessel use, and subsistence practices. The results of our combined analyses showed that the inhabitants of Esh-Shaheinab developed an adaptation specific to the ecological niche they inhabited. They lived in the western valley of the Nile, which was narrower and offered different environmental conditions than the eastern bank. This resulted in partial continuity in manufacturing traditions and ceramic recipes, including more mixed wadi materials and a strong emphasis on wild meat consumption as the narrower alluvial plain restricted animal herding.

Holocene shoreline displacement, land‐cover change and human settlement distribution on the southeast coast of Sweden

ABSTRACTIn this study, we investigate the interplay between relative sea‐level changes, the development of human settlements and land‐cover changes in the Västervik–Gamlebyviken region on the southeast coast of Sweden, an important archaeological area from the Mesolithic until recent times. The reconstruction of shore displacement was based on diatom analysis of radiocarbon‐dated sediment cores from three lake basins combined with previously published lake isolation data. The resulting curve was used to construct palaeogeographical maps for selected time windows. Land‐cover changes were inferred from pollen data from three lakes using the Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm with its two models REVEALS and LOVE. Our data suggest that people took advantage of the land gained due to an overall fall in relative sea level from ~35 to ~3 metres above sea level (m a.s.l.) over the last 10 000 years, interrupted by periods of transgression and highstands. A sea‐level regression of ~16 m occurred between 10 000 and 8500 cal a bp followed by an ~3–4‐m sea‐level rise, reaching ~22 m a.s.l. at ~7500 cal a bp, which corresponds to the maximum Littorina Sea shoreline in the area. The available archaeological findings for the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic (8950–5450 cal a bp) agree well with the shore displacement curve showing that settlements and human activities were concentrated along or above the shorelines as defined from our study. During the transgression after 8500 cal a bp, however, seasonal settlements were submerged (as shown by findings of polished stone tools and hearths buried in sand) and used again during the subsequent regression after 4600 cal a bp. The Iron Age (2450–900 cal a bp) corresponds partly to a highstand at ~11 m a.s.l. between 3600 and 2000 cal a bp and partly to a rapid regression of ~8 m between 2000 and 1500 cal a bp, and both periods coincide with known human activities along the contemporaneous shoreline. The rapid regression after 2000 cal a bp corresponds to an increase of both regional and local landscape openness and the beginning of a continuous record of crop cultivation.

Altmetric coverage of health research in Ireland 2017-2023: a protocol for a cross-sectional analysis

Background Scientific publications have been growing exponentially, contributing to an oversaturated information environment. Quantifying a research output’s impact and reach cannot be solely measured by traditional metrics like citation counts as these have a lag time and are largely focused on an academic audience. There is increasing recognition to consider ‘alternative metrics’ or altmetrics to measure more immediate and broader impacts of research. Better understanding of altmetrics can help researchers better navigate evolving information environments and changing appetites for different types of research. Objectives Our study aims to: 1) analyse the amount and medium of Altmetric coverage of health research produced by Irish organisations (2017 – 2023), identifying changes over time and 2) investigate differences in the amount of coverage between clinical areas (e.g., nutrition vs. neurology). Methods Using Altmetric institutional access, we will gather data on research outputs published 1 January 2017 through 31 December 2023 from active Irish organisations with Research Organisation Registry (ROR) IDs. Outputs will be deduplicated and stratified by their Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification relating to ≥1 field of health research: Biological Sciences, Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Health Sciences, and Psychology. We will clean data using R and perform descriptive analyses, establishing counts and frequencies of coverage by clinical area and medium (e.g., traditional news, X, etc.); data will be plotted on a yearly and quarterly basis where appropriate. Results and Conclusions Improved understanding of one’s information environment can help researchers better navigate their local landscapes and identify pathways for more effective communication to the public. All R code will be made available open-source, allowing researchers to adapt it to evaluate their local landscapes.

Augmented Landscapes of Empathy: Community Voices in Augmented Reality Campaigns

In contrast with virtual reality which often aims to isolate a user from their surroundings in order to transport them to a distant place, augmented reality (AR) was uniquely designed to (re)contextualize local landscapes and to provide expanded human experiences in situ. This critical reflection adopts a “research through design” process to examine AR’s technological and affective capabilities in the context of three community co-created AR campaigns. We discuss how AR can become both a conceptual and practical tool for creating conditions of self-identification and, potentially, empathy between audience and content. Further, we explore how people and place become a critical part of AR’s infrastructure through the practice of empathic feedback loops.

Research on Park Landscape Design Strategy Based on Urban Cultural Brand -- A Case Study of Xinyang City

This paper aims to explore the strategy of park landscape design based on urban cultural brand, taking Xinyang City of China as an example to conduct in-depth research. First, the paper analyzes the historical and cultural background, regional characteristics and the importance of Xinyang city brand construction. Through combing the unique natural resources and cultural landscape of Xinyang, it is proposed that the park landscape design should fully integrate the local cultural elements to enhance the cultural identity of the city. Secondly, the paper discusses the core strategy of park landscape design, mainly including the implantation of cultural symbols, and displaying Xinyang's cultural characteristics through landmark buildings and art installations; The protection and promotion of ecological environment, combined with the local natural landscape, to create a harmonious ecological space; The design method of community participation encourages residents to participate in the planning and construction of the park to enhance the sense of community belonging. Finally, through the case analysis, it shows how successful park landscape design can enhance the cultural brand of the city, promote the development of tourism and improve the quality of life of citizens. The research results show that park landscape design based on urban cultural brand can not only enrich the cultural connotation of the city, but also provide new impetus for the sustainable development of the city.

Outcomes of an agri-environmental scheme in the management of common pastures in northern Portugal: Social benefits and effects on local capacity for collective action

Baldios are wide areas, integrated in extensive farming systems, historically held and managed by local communities for animal grazing and other extractive activities in support of their livelihoods. This land tenure regime persisted despite successive political and socioeconomic changes that threatened its communitarian nature, profoundly influencing the socioeconomic structure of rural areas. Today, use and possession of the baldios by the local communities is safeguarded by formal legal rights. In 2007 an agri-environmental scheme (AES) designed for managing the pastures in the baldios was proposed to the commoners of two protected areas. While one was successfully implemented and is still active, the other was discontinued. This study focuses on the Peneda-Gerês National Park experience, where the AES was widely adopted, aiming to understand the effects of its implementation on local dynamics for management of baldios, looking at its social and cultural benefits, particularly regarding local capacity for collective action. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in all the baldios in the park, and a period of stay in one of the villages allowed an opportunity for deeper analysis. Other stakeholders were also interviewed (e.g., state institutions). We argue that the benefits of this scheme went beyond the direct monetary payouts, playing an important role in the revitalization of local institutions. Moreover, we conclude that in depopulated and aging rural areas, top-down site-specific agri-environmental schemes that rely on existing social and institutional structures to operate are critical to recover and/or recreate institutions and practices for local collective landscape management.

Glioblastoma and Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Glance at Available Treatment Options and Future Directions

Glioblastoma is known to be one of the most aggressive and fatal human cancers, with a poor prognosis and resistance to standard treatments. In the last few years, many solid tumor treatments have been revolutionized with the help of immunotherapy. However, this type of treatment has failed to improve the results in glioblastoma patients. Effective immunotherapeutic strategies may be developed after understanding how glioblastoma achieves tumor-mediated immune suppression in both local and systemic landscapes. Biomarkers may help identify patients most likely to benefit from this type of treatment. In this review, we discuss the use of immunotherapy in glioblastoma, with an emphasis on immune checkpoint inhibitors and the factors that influence clinical response. A Pubmed data search was performed for all existing information regarding immune checkpoint inhibitors used for the treatment of glioblastoma. All data evaluating the ongoing clinical trials involving the use of ICIs either as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs was compiled and analyzed.

Lessons from the Pilot Project of Korean ETS on the Local Landscape of Economy

For a sustainable landscape of local economies, many researchers have emphasized the importance of field-oriented differentiation in government policies. In particular, the Paris Agreement, based on the bottom-up approach, aims to maximize the participation of all economic agents, in contrast to the top-down approach of the Tokyo Protocol. In response to these global paradigm shifts in the local landscape, local governments in Korea have made significant efforts to adapt to sustainable development during the pilot phase of emission trading scheme (ETS), during the period from 2015 to 2020. This study evaluates the performance of these local government policies in the transition to a carbon-zero economy. Using the general non-radial directional distance function (GNDDF), we found that Gyeongsang Province demonstrated enhanced environmental total factor productivity (TFP) during the pilot project, whereas the Seoul metropolitan area lagged behind due to a lack of governance. As the economic center of Korea, Seoul showed poor environmental performance because of the arbitrary elimination of green belt areas and unchecked land development, resulting in environmental degradation, a trend common in many developing countries facing climate adaptation challenges. To address these urbanization issues, this study concludes that a balanced approach combining stricter regulations with market-oriented promotional incentives is essential for optimizing the transition of local economies to a sustainable landscape.

Towards a conceptual design framework for bee botanic gardens: integrating perceptions on urban biodiversity into landscape design processes

Botanic gardens, valued for their live plant collections, have evolved into scientific institutions with roles in conservation, education, research, and public recreation. This study repositions botanic gardens as essential urban habitats enhancing biodiversity, focusing particularly on their support for both European honeybees and Western Australian native bees. This research addresses the intersection of urbanisation and bee conservation by developing a conceptual design for a bee-friendly botanic garden in Yanchep, Western Australia. It employs semi-structured interviews and research through design (RtD) methods to collaborate with local beekeepers, landscape architects, and ecologists. A systematic design framework for a bee-friendly botanic garden in Yanchep, Western Australia was proposed, encompassing the entire design process, from scope to detailed considerations, and aiming to be applicable across other parts of Western Australia and Australia. The research highlights three key findings: the necessity of interdisciplinary collaboration, the importance of defining the garden type and functions early in the design process, and the need for diverse plant selection and nesting options to support native bees.

Exploration of the Landscape Gene Characteristics of Traditional Villages along the Jinzhong Section of the Wanli Tea Road from the Perspective of the Village Temple System

Traditional villages along the Jinzhong section of the Wanli Tea Road possess unique geographical locations and cultural heritage, showcasing a rich variety of cultural landscapes. Among these, village temple buildings play a crucial role as the core of spiritual and belief life in traditional villages. In the context of rapid urbanization and modernization, a new perspective is needed to thoroughly explore the deeper connotations of cultural landscape characteristics in traditional villages along the Wanli Tea Road, particularly by examining the composition and inherent features of their landscape genes. This study employs landscape gene theory, using the village temple system as a lens to identify and analyze the landscape genes of traditional villages along the Jinzhong section of the Wanli Tea Road. Based on the results, a genealogy and a map of landscape genes are constructed to clearly and effectively present the typical characteristics and expressions of these genes in a logical and visual manner. The findings indicate the following: (1) The village temple system in traditional villages along the Jinzhong section of the Wanli Tea Road is closely related to the formation and expression of their landscape genes and can play a critical role in the protection and transmission of cultural landscapes. (2) As important nodes along the historical trade route, the landscape gene characteristics of these villages reflect their unique natural environments and historical development trajectories, illustrating the deep intertwining of commercial activities and local cultural landscapes. (3) This study establishes a replicable research framework that is not only applicable to local studies but also provides valuable references for broader cultural landscape research.

Drivers and Buffers of Stream Flashiness in the Mid‐Atlantic United States

ABSTRACTFlashiness is a hydrologic signature used to describe the responsiveness of streamflow to precipitation. In practise, flashiness has most often been correlated with rainfall intensity and the presence of urban land cover or imperviousness. However, a number of watershed characteristics can influence flashiness, necessitating further investigation of how this particular watershed behaviour and its associated drivers vary at regional scales. We investigated how ten measurable watershed characteristics are empirically related to flashiness of 195 gauged streams in the Mid‐Atlantic region using linear regression analysis. The selected gauges had drainage areas ranging in size from 15 to 250 km2. To explore multiple quantifications of flashiness, we determined both the Richards‐Baker flashiness index, calculated from the continuous hydrograph, and number of peaks‐over‐threshold, for all watersheds for a 10‐year period. As found in other studies, the percentage of watershed development was strongly correlated with stream flashiness, though significant inverse relationships also existed for forest cover, water and wetlands and carbonate geology. Differences in flashiness values between rural and suburban watersheds were not significant, with a significant increase in flashiness (p < 0.01) occurring at 80% development or ~ 25% imperviousness. In addition, we found significant differences in relationships between watershed characteristics and flashiness when differentiated by physiographic regions. For the study area and each of its five physiographic sub‐regions, we identified the four most important predictors through multiple regression. The overall mid‐Atlantic model suggested that development, wetlands and compactness ratio as the most important predictors (adj R2 = 0.57). Significant predictors of stream flashiness varied among regions; however, wetlands served as a significant buffer of flashiness in four of five sub‐regions demonstrating the importance of wetlands in modulating flash‐flooding. In all physiographic regions, empirical models of flashiness values outperformed the Mid‐Atlantic regional model, underscoring the value of local landscape characteristics in augmenting or modulating flashy watershed responses. Our findings suggest the potential for improvements to operational flash‐flood forecasting using hydrologic characteristics of the landscape.

A hydration model of actinide complexes by exploring their multiple minima hypersurface: The case of uranyl cation

The multiple minima hypersurface (MMH) approach is a reliable theoretical model for characterizing uranyl-water complexes in aqueous media. It provides insights into probable conformations, solubility, and reactivity through accurate exploration of the local energy landscape via quantum calculations. The approach predicts equilibria and populations of local minima, identifying pre-reactive sites and hydrolyzed ligands. By applying MMH to a wider range of molecular species, a robust theoretical framework is established for understanding the complex chemistry of environmental and nuclear materials. The approach here aims to predict the behavior of weathered uranium mining waste and enhance the study of actinide compounds.