Rational Policy Research Articles

Turkish Public Diplomacy in the Minutes of the Turkish Grand National Assembly (1931-1938)

For the young Republic of Turkey, the 1930s were a test of international public diplomacy. Turkey, which based its domestic and foreign policy on the principle of “Peace at home, peace in the world!”, was also concerned about its own future with the dictatorial regimes of Germany, Russia and Italy, which had distanced themselves from democratic governance and entered into an arms race with a sense of revenge, as well as the public diplomacy it would conduct and the measures it would take with the countries in its region. During the First World War, the country had suffered great devastation. The Turkish nation had spent everything it had in the struggle for liberation and was almost exhausted. However, it had managed to build a democratic state based on “National Sovereignty” despite the great economic depression that engulfed the world. However, the political developments in Europe and the possibility of the Republic of Turkey entering into a new chaos with the approaching World War could have destroyed all the gains and the future of the country. The task of protecting Turkey from this impending danger and keeping it safe could only be possible with the rational policies pursued by President Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and the correct decisions taken by the Turkish Grand National Assembly in line with these policies. The aim of this study is to examine the Turkish public diplomacy as reflected in the minutes of the Turkish Grand National Assembly of Turkey between 1932 and 1938 in order to prevent Turkey's involvement in the upcoming great war and to secure its gains with measures to ensure its security in the region.

Clarifying the impacts of climatic coupling on plastic-mulching potato production in the loess plateau of China

ContextThe ongoing changes in climate constitute a major risk factor for global potato production. Recent studies have underscored the productivity-enhancing effects of plastic mulching for rain-fed potatoes. However, the adaptability of mulching measures to climate change in order to facilitate increased potato yields remains a question. Moreover, the coupling effects of different climatic factors on potato production was unclear. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the impact of different climatic factors and their coupling effects on the yields of mulching and no mulching potatoes in the Loess Plateau. MethodsWe utilized multiple crop models and global climate models (GCMs) to predict the yields of mulching and no mulching potatoes on the Loess Plateau based on Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) 245 and SSP585 scenarios. Additionally, we analyzed the response of yields to the coupling effects of climate, and clarified the effects of main climatic coupling effects to yield of mulching and no mulching potatoes. Results and conclusionsWe found that, for mulching potatoes, the contribution of climate coupling to yield under the SSP245 and SSP585 scenarios ranged from 47.05 % to 49.31 % for the period 2021–2060 and increased to 49.09 % to 50.94 % for the period 2061–2100. The mean temperature (Tmen)-dominated coupling contributed the most to yield for mulching potatoes, while for no mulching potatoes, precipitation (Pr)-dominated coupling played a dominant role. The maximum temperature (Tmax)-dominated coupling significantly reduced potato yields in the future, and mulching measures exacerbated the negative effect. However, mulching measures eliminated the adverse impact of minimum temperature (Tmin)-dominated coupling on potato yields. After decomposing the coupling effects of climatic factors, we found that the main factors leading to a reduction in potato yield were Tmax and Pr couplings, with mulching measures amplifying the heat-moisture effects. But mulching not only alleviated Tmin and Pr coupling but also strengthened the Tmean and Pr coupling, resulting in increased yield. SignificanceHence, understanding how mulching potatoes avoid heat-moisture coupling to promote production was crucial for the future on the Loess Plateau. Our findings contribute to clarifying the impact of climatic coupling on mulching potato production, thereby aiding in the informed development of rational policies.

Study on the Precise Evaluation of Environmental Impacts of Air Pollution in Cold Regions Using the Cost Control Method

Objective: With the acceleration of industrialization, air pollution has become a global environmental issue, particularly in cold regions where the unique climatic and geographical conditions give rise to distinctive types of air pollution and impacts. Considering the economic evaluation of environmental damage is crucial for effective pollution control policies, this study aims to provide a more precise environmental damage assessment method through the Improved Virtual Control Cost Method (IVCCM) to optimize air pollution governance strategies in cold regions. Method: This study utilizes a case study of a major company producing methanol and coal-based natural gas, where the emissions from the boiler exhaust exceeded the prescribed standards for particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides during a specific period. By employing a segmented counting approach that accounts for downtime, precise calculations were conducted for the actual periods of excess emissions. Adjustments were made to the calculation coefficients within the Virtual Control Cost Method to more accurately reflect the ecological damage caused by air pollution. Results: The IVCCM calculations revealed that the total environmental loss caused by the company’s excessive air pollution emissions amounted to USD 1.6844 million, significantly lower than the original calculation method (USD 2.1885 million). Specifically, the environmental losses due to particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides were USD 0.0032 million, USD 0.3600 million, and USD 1.3212 million, respectively. Conclusions: The IVCCM enables a more precise assessment and prediction of ecological environmental damage caused by air pollution in cold regions. Compared to traditional methods, it effectively reduces assessment costs, mitigates disputes arising from unclear parameter values and calculation methods, and facilitates the development of more rational environmental protection policies and measures.

Sustainable Spatial Development of Multifunctional Villages: A Case Study of Eastern Poland

The decline in the role of agriculture as the basis for the livelihood of rural residents has led to the development of new directions for rural transformation. In Poland, the concept of multifunctional development has gained the most popularity. However, it does not have a defined spatial development model. There has also been no research into how the development of non-agricultural functions affects spatial development and to what extent this development is sustainable. Therefore, the aim of this study is to show and compare the changes that have taken place over the last 40–50 years in the spatial arrangements of development in traditional agricultural villages and in villages with different non-agricultural functions (tourist, industrial, and service functions). At the same time, we want to indicate which of these functions have contributed to the development of the most sustainable spatial arrangements. To this end, we selected three indicators of sustainable development of rural space: compactness of buildings, continuation of traditional rural layouts, and availability of services, and then carried out an analysis of changes in these indicators on the basis of archival and current cartographic materials and data on service facilities. We conducted the research for four municipalities in eastern Poland (50 villages). The results indicate the predominance of negative spatial phenomena such as the deterioration of the accessibility of services and spatial development contrary to historical spatial layouts. There is a spillover of development in the form of discontinuous, chaotic clusters of buildings often having the character of suburbia and, consequently, the disappearance of village centres, worsening walkability, and blurring of village boundaries. The only positive change is an increase in the compactness of buildings—mainly in villages that previously had a dispersed character. It is difficult to identify village functions that would unequivocally favour spatial sustainability. The service villages showed slight advantages in terms of social (availability of services) and environmental (compactness of buildings) factors. In contrast, the development of agricultural villages was more favourable in cultural terms (traditional village layouts). In all aspects, negative changes were recorded in industrial villages and (the worst results) in tourist villages. However, the trends were similar in all municipalities, which draws attention primarily to the lack of a rational spatial policy related to multifunctional village development.

WŁADZA NARODOWA PAŃSTWA I SPOSÓB JEJ OCENY NA PRZYKŁADZIE REPUBLIKI AZERBEJDŻANU

This study aims to analyze the national power of the state and its structural components including population, territory, economy, military power, scientific and technical progress, political will, and geopolitical factors. The research problem of the study was focused on estimating the state’s national power. The hypothesis of the study assumes that government policies should be based on real national power in order for policymakers to adopt rational policies. Research methods used in the study include comparative analysis, analysis and synthesis, and statistical data analysis. Additionally, the structural components of national power are reformulated into a new formula by reviewing the calculation rules. Furthermore, a mechanism for measuring the national power of the Republic of Azerbaijan is proposed using a fuzzy numerical scale based on expert opinion.

An accident severity prediction framework with consider features interaction

Accident severity prediction is increasingly important for preventing and reducing traffic accident losses. However, many studies always ignore the complex relationship between features during feature selection. To improve the prediction accuracy of the accident severity prediction model, this paper considers the interactions between multiple features. First, the feature selection algorithm of Recursive Feature Elimination with Cross-Validation (RFECV) is improved by using Shapley Additive explanations (SHAP) as the feature importance assessment metric. Then, to decrease the time expense of manually finding hyperparameters of the model, the Hunter Prey Optimization (HPO) algorithm is introduced and logistic mapping together with stochastic perturbation is added to it, which makes it easier to skip out of the partial optimum during the optimization search. Finally, the improved HPO algorithm is used to optimize the hyperparameters of the CatBoost model. The US traffic accident dataset is introduced for the validity of the proposed framework. Experimental results show that the proposed framework achieves a prediction accuracy of 96.63%, which is better than other state-of-the-art methods. The high accuracy of the prediction model can help decision-makers develop more rational transportation policies, and this study also proposes some traffic management measures based on the selected features.

Prediction of Land Use and Habitat Quality in Harbin City Based on the PLUS- InVEST Model

Analyzing the spatiotemporal evolution of urban land use and habitat quality can reveal the correlation between land use and habitat quality, aiding in rational urban land policies and high-quality ecological environment development. This study was based on land use transition matrices and an Intensity-Migration （IM） model to analyze the changes in land use in Harbin from 2000 to 2020. It combined the PLUS model to explore the driving factors of land use expansion for various land types and predicted land use scenarios for 2030 under natural development, ecological protection, farmland protection, and urban development scenarios. Finally, the InVEST model was used to complete the habitat quality analysis. The results indicated： ① The dominant land use types in Harbin were cropland, forest land, and grassland. From 2000 to 2020, there was a significant tendency of conversion into grassland, cropland, forest land, and artificial surfaces, with noticeable changes in land use intensity. Water bodies, bare land, and wetland types showed less conversion and tended to be restrictive. ② Elevation was the primary factor influencing the expansion of grassland, cropland, forest land, bare land, wetland, and water bodies. Socioeconomic factors were the main factor affecting the expansion of artificial surfaces. ③ Simulation of land use types in Harbin for 2030 under the four scenarios showed an increase in forest land area and a decrease in grassland area, with insignificant changes in wetland, water bodies, and bare land areas. Except for in the ecological protection scenario, the area of artificial surfaces increased, whereas cropland decreased. ④ Overall, habitat quality in Harbin improved from 2000 to 2020. ⑤ In 2030, the spatial pattern of habitat quality in Harbin remained consistent across all scenarios, showing an overall improvement in habitat quality. Under the ecological protection scenario, areas with low and medium habitat quality decreased, whereas areas with higher habitat quality increased, indicating a relatively significant improvement in habitat quality. The research results provide a scientific basis and insights for the development of ecological civilization and urban planning and construction in Harbin.

The Efficiency of Financing Environmental Protection Measures in the Context of Ukraine’s Future Membership in the EU

In recent decades, humanity has had a significant negative impact on the environment. This problem can be solved only by establishing a rational environmental management policy and ensuring an effective financial policy in the context of balancing emissions and expenditures on environmental protection measures. The purpose of this article is to analyze the efficiency of financing environmental protection measures by determining the dependence of pollutant emissions on environmental protection expenditures in Ukraine and the European Union. The following methods were used for the study: analysis, synthesis, generalization, comparison, specification, and statistical and graphical methods. The statistical information was systematized on the basis of open data from the Open Budget web portal, the State Statistics Service, and Eurostat. This study identified the dynamics of revenues from environmental taxes in Ukraine; taxes on air emissions prevail. Most of the expenditures are made from the state budget. According to the functional classification, environmental expenditures are mainly aimed at preventing and eliminating environmental pollution. The dynamics of capital investments in environmental protection were also studied. To assess the effectiveness of the state policy in the field of environmental protection, we analyzed the dependence of pollutant emissions in Ukraine, Poland, and Romania on the amount of environmental expenditures and investments in this area and revenues from environmental tax. In Ukraine, the amount of pollutants released into the atmosphere depends mostly on investments in this area; in Poland—on revenues from environmental taxes; and in Romania—on expenditures on environmental protection. It has been established that the obtained models are adequate and can be used to build future forecasts of pollutant emissions. Directions for the development of financial and environmental policy are proposed. Post-war restoration of the environmental situation should be carried out on the basis of sustainable development, focusing on the European Green Deal A triple-task approach should be implemented, including environmental restoration, the minimization of negative climate change and balanced use of resources, and the expansion of powers of the relevant ministry with a focus on the strategic goals of the state policy. It is necessary to develop methodological recommendations according to international standards to assess the real state of the environment.

Modeling and Monitoring CO2 Emissions in G20 Countries: A Comparative Analysis of Multiple Statistical Models

The emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) is considered one of the main factors responsible for one of the greatest challenges faced by the world today: climate change. On the other hand, with the increase in energy demand due to the increase in population and industrialization, the emission of CO2 has increased rapidly in the past few decades. However, the world’s leaders, including the United Nations, are now taking serious action on how to minimize the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere. Towards this end, accurate modeling and monitoring of historical CO2 can help in the development of rational policies. This study aims to analyze the carbon emitted by the Group Twenty (G20) countries for the period 1971–2021. The datasets include CO2 emissions, nonrenewable energy (NREN), renewable energy (REN), Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and Urbanization (URB). Various regression-based models, including multiple linear regression models, quantile regression models, and panel data models with different variants, were used to quantify the influence of independent variables on the response variable. In this study, CO2 is a response variable, and the other variables are covariates. The ultimate objective was to choose the best model among the competing models. It is noted that the USA, Canada, and Australia produced the highest amount of CO2 consistently for the entire duration; however, in the last decade (2011–2021) it has decreased to 12.63–17.95 metric tons per capita as compared to the duration of 1971–1980 (14.33–22.16 metric tons per capita). In contrast, CO2 emissions have increased in Saudi Arabia and China recently. For modeling purposes, the duration of the data has been divided into two independent, equal parts: 1971–1995 and 1996–2021. The panel fixed effect model (PFEM) and panel mixed effect model (PMEM) outperformed the other competing models using model selection and model prediction criteria. Different models provide different insights into the relationship between CO2 emissions and independent variables. In the later duration, all models show that REN has negative impacts on CO2 emissions, except the quantile regression model with tau = 0.25. In contrast, NREN has strong positive impacts on CO2 emissions. URB has significantly negative impacts on CO2 emissions globally. The findings of this study hold the potential to provide valuable information to policymakers on carbon emissions and monitoring globally. In addition, results can help in addressing some of the sustainable development goals of the United Nation Development Programme.

Optimizing Station Placement for Free-Floating Electric Vehicle Sharing Systems: Leveraging Predicted User Spatial Distribution from Points of Interest

Rapid growth rate indicates that the free-floating electric vehicle sharing (FFEVS) system leads to a new carsharing idea. Like other carsharing systems, the FFEVS system faces significant regional demand fluctuations. In such a situation, the rental stations and charging stations should be constructed in high-demand areas to reduce the scheduling costs. However, the planning of the FFEVS system includes a series of aspects of rental stations and charging stations, such as the location, size, and number, which interact with each other. In this paper, we first provide a method for forecasting the demand for car sharing based on the land characteristics of Beijing FFEVS station catchment areas. Then, the multi-objective MILP model for planning FFEVS systems is developed, which considers the requirements of vehicle relocation and electric vehicle charging. Afterward, the capabilities of the proposed models are demonstrated by the real data obtained from Beijing, China. Finally, the sensitivity analysis of the model is made based on varying demand and subsidy levels. From the results, the proposed model can provide decision-makers with useful insights about the planning of FFEVS systems, which bring great benefits to formulating more rational policies.

A Data-Driven Pandemic Simulator with Reinforcement Learning

After the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak erupted, it swiftly spread globally and triggered a severe public health crisis in 2019. To contain the virus’s spread, several countries implemented various lockdown measures. As the governments faced this unprecedented challenge, understanding the impact of lockdown policies became paramount. The goal of addressing the pandemic crisis is to devise prudent policies that strike a balance between safeguarding lives and maintaining economic stability. Traditional mathematical and statistical models for studying virus transmission only offer macro-level predictions of epidemic development and often overlook individual variations’ impact, therefore failing to reflect the role of government decisions. To address this challenge, we propose an integrated framework that combines agent-based modeling (ABM) and deep Q-network (DQN) techniques. This framework enables a more comprehensive analysis and optimization of epidemic control strategies while considering real human behavior. We construct a pandemic simulator based on the ABM method, accurately simulating agents’ daily activities, interactions, and the dynamic spread of the virus. Additionally, we employ a data-driven approach and adjust the model through real statistical data to enhance its effectiveness. Subsequently, we integrated ABM into a decision-making framework using reinforcement learning techniques to explore the most effective strategies. In experiments, we validated the model’s effectiveness by simulating virus transmission across different countries globally. In this model, we obtained decision outcomes when governments focused on various factors. Our research findings indicate that our model serves as a valuable tool for decision-makers, enabling them to formulate prudent and rational policies.

Assessing and analysing energy system balance: A decision tree approach

Due to the impacts of climate change, the global energy system must undergo a green transformation. However, this transition process may entail both positive and negative impacts. Therefore, governments must formulate balanced energy policies to establish a secure, accessible, affordable, and environmentally sustainable energy system. To assist decision-makers in evaluating the status of energy systems and formulating rational energy policies to address the complex and dynamic challenges, this study focuses on proposing a method to assess and analyze the equilibrium of a nation's energy system. To achieve these objectives, we propose the Energy Balance Index as a comprehensive method for assessing the equilibrium of a country's energy system. Subsequently, we employ a decision tree-based model to analyze the impact of different factors on the Energy Balance Index. The findings reveal that environmental sustainability holds the most significant influence, followed by energy equity, while energy security has a minor impact. Moreover, the relative influence of these factors varies over time, with energy equity exerting a greater influence prior to 2015, and environmental sustainability emerging as the foremost determinant since then. Through development status analysis of China, this study provides valuable references and recommendations for decision-makers in designing energy policies.

Robust Intelligent Monitoring and Measurement System toward Downhole Dynamic Liquid Level.

Dynamic liquid level monitoring and measurement in oil wells is essential in ensuring the safe and efficient operation of oil extraction machinery and formulating rational extraction policies that enhance the productivity of oilfields. This paper presents an intelligent infrasound-based measurement method for oil wells' dynamic liquid levels; it is designed to address the challenges of conventional measurement methods, including high costs, low precision, low robustness and inadequate real-time performance. Firstly, a novel noise reduction algorithm is introduced to effectively mitigate both periodic and stochastic noise, thereby significantly improving the accuracy of dynamic liquid level detection. Additionally, leveraging the PyQT framework, a software platform for real-time dynamic liquid level monitoring is engineered, capable of generating liquid level profiles, computing the sound velocity and liquid depth and visualizing the monitoring data. To bolster the data storage and analytical capabilities, the system incorporates an around-the-clock unattended monitoring approach, utilizing Internet of Things (IoT) technology to facilitate the transmission of the collected dynamic liquid level data and computed results to the oilfield's central data repository via LoRa and 4G communication modules. Field trials on dynamic liquid level monitoring and measurement in oil wells demonstrate a measurement range of 600 m to 3000 m, with consistent and reliable results, fulfilling the requirements for oil well dynamic liquid level monitoring and measurement. This innovative system offers a new perspective and methodology for the computation and surveillance of dynamic liquid level depths.

Projection Forecasting Policy of Buton Asphalted Mining Management in Indonesia

Asphalt, which is the result of lubricating coal minerals (non-renewable), requires effective management from the government which is realized through rational policies. Efficient policy planning is needed to overcome policy problems without causing major consequences. This research aims to develop selected policy alternatives through selecting alternative policies for managing Buton asphalt mines in Buton Regency. The focus of this research is public policy analysis, namely methods for identifying problems, determining goals, evaluating alternative options, selecting alternatives, and measuring policy performance. This research, only focusing on the best alternative for management policies for the Buton asphalt mine in Kab. Buton. This research aims to analyze and identify: selected policy alternatives to be recommended in the management of asphalt mines in Kab. Buton. The approach used is mixed method. In problem formulation, using descriptive qualitative, to project policy alternatives using public policy analysis techniques through three stages (I), problem formulation techniques (hierarchy), developing into the Projection Forecasting method (extrapolative), ending with alternative selection based on Franklin's criteria. Alternative method looks at the consequences of each policy are equivalent to scoring based on technical, economic, financial and administrative feasibility. The research results show that there are three alternatives developed based on projection forecasting (extrapolative) assessments, namely: structuring institutional authority in asphalt mining management (2.36), strengthening Buton asphalt policy as a leading sector in Buton Regency (2.82), consistency policy in the preparation of Buton asphalt mine management policies (3.18). The selection of consistent alternatives for developing Buton asphalt mine management policies is the most prominent and has a fairly high probability of success and can be carried out. Where policy consistency through social mapping and domestic policy obligations increasing a larger portion for optimal domestic use (distribution to regions for use of State roads) can encourage the use of Buton asphalt nationally. If this condition continues, economic growth can continue. Alternative consistency in preparing Buton asphalt mine management policies in making Buton asphalt mine management policies is the best alternative choice for Buton asphalt mine management policies in Buton Regency.

Evolution and future prospects of hydropower sector in Nepal: A review

Nepal is one of the pioneers of hydropower development among Asian countries. The plethora of fast-flowing rivers provides immense potential for hydropower generation. However, Nepal still lacks a clear blueprint for the overall development and management of this sector. This paper aims to review the evolution of hydropower development, future prospects and roadblocks to hydropower development. With the growing energy demands projected to reach as high as 41,264.82 Gigawatt hours (GWh) in 2030 and 115,294.4 GWh in 2040 under different scenarios, this paper highlights the huge prospects the sector holds. It also proposes a focus on storage-type hydropower plants and concepts of energy banking to address the incipient condition of seasonal energy mismatch in the country, which has developed a condition of energy shortage during the winter and energy surplus during the monsoon. Moreover, projected changes in hydro-climatic extremes under the climate change scenarios is likely to affect water availability and subsequently the energy production in the majority of hydropower projects. Thus, this review can serve as a guideline to help understand the current scenario and make rational decisions and policies for the future management of the hydropower sector of the country.

Criminal Law Policy Regarding Insults of the President and Vice President in Law No. 1 Year 2023

This research aims to analyze the constitutional court's considerations in decriminalizing the formulation of the article on insulting the president and vice president in the Criminal Code and to analyze criminal law policy regarding the urgency of the article on insulting the president and vice president in Law No. 1 of 2023. Using normative legal research methods. The results of this research are that criminal policy, like public policy in general, must basically be a rational policy, one measure of the rationality of criminal law policy, among others, can be linked to the usefulness and effectiveness in making a rule so that it becomes a measure of rationality placed on the problem of the success or effectiveness of the criminal in achieving his goals. The regulation of the substance of the formulation of articles on insulting the president and vice president in Law No. 1 of 2023 is not in accordance with the spirit of the Constitutional Court decision Number 013-022/PUU-IV/2006 which states that Article 134, Article 136 bis, and Article 137 of the Criminal Code do not have binding legal force. Apart from that, the Constitutional Court has ordered not to re-regulate the offense of insulting the president and vice president in any law, because it is considered to hamper or reduce the freedom of freedom to express opinions both orally and in writing as regulated in the constitution (1945 Constitution) which is stat fundamental norm.

Response of soil erosion resistance to straw incorporation amount in the black soil region of Northeast China

Straw incorporation has been considered as an effective environmental management application to improve soil erosion resistance (SER) and organic carbon sequestration. SER is useful to evaluate soil erosion subjected to concentrated flow. Nevertheless, few studies have been performed to examine how SER varied with the amount of straw incorporation on sloping croplands in high latitude and cool regions. In the current study, the fixed bed scouring tests were conducted in a large hydraulic flume using undisturbed soil samples taken from Hebei small watershed in the black soil region of Northeast China. The response of SER to different straw incorporation amounts (0, 1.125, 2.25, 4.5, 6.75, 9.0 and 13.5 t ha−1) was quantified after three months of straw decomposition. The major influencing factors and the corresponding mechanisms were determined. The findings demonstrated that rill erodibility firstly decreased exponentially with straw incorporation amount (R2 = 0.93), while it slightly increased when straw incorporation amount was more than 9.0 t ha−1. Critical shear stress firstly increased logarithmically (R2 = 0.90) and then slightly decreased when the amount exceeded 9.0 t ha−1. Compared to the treatment of 0 t ha−1, rill erodibility reduced by 17.0%–92.8% and critical shear stress increased by 59.6%–127.2% across different treatments of straw incorporation. Rill erodibility had significant and negative correlations with soil organic matter content, aggregate stability, cohesion, root mass density, straw mass density and straw decomposition amount. The key mechanisms for promoting SER were derived by the direct and indirect effects of straw incorporation and its decomposition on soil physicochemical properties and crop roots. The amount of 9.0 t ha−1 was recommended as the optimum amount of straw incorporation in croplands in Northeast China. These findings are useful to understand how soil erosion resistance responds to the amount of straw incorporation and make rational environmental management policy for semi-humid and cool regions.

Characteristics and driving mechanism of wetland landscape pattern change in karst region of southwest China over past 35 years: A case study of Caohai wetland in Guizhou

AbstractTo uncover the process of land use change and its driving mechanism of typical wetland ecosystems in the karst region, this thesis conducts a case study on Caohai National Nature Reserve (hereafter referred to as Caohai). With the support of geo‐information technology and the landscape index analysis method, it quantitatively analyzes the magnitudes, speed, and landscape patterns of land use changes over 35 years from 1985 to 2020 using continuous remote sensing images. The results show that the land use structure of Caohai has mainly undergone mutual conversion between farmland and wetland. Before 2005, 164.60 ha of farmland were converted to wetland, from 2005 to 2015, 451.79 ha of wetland were converted to farmland, and from 2015 to 2020, 979.62 ha of farmland were transformed into wetland. The trend for construction land was to decrease first and then increase, with increased construction land primarily coming from farmland and partially from shrubland and forestland. The spatial connectivity of landscape distribution showed a slow decrease to a rapid decrease, then increased and reduced again, while diversity and evenness showed the opposite trend. Rational policies and urban construction planning are essential measures for protecting wetland ecosystems in the karst region.

Global food supply chain resilience assessment: A case in the United Kingdom

With the development of globalisation, countries such as the United Kingdom (UK) heavily rely on shipping for food imports and supplies. With the unpredictable impacts of black swan events, such as the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and the armed conflict between Ukraine and Russia, which are traditional food export countries, global freight supply chains could dramatically change, which significantly affects the global food supply chain (FSC) resilience, requiring new solutions to be found. Therefore, it is vital to assess a country’s food importing system by sea to ensure its FSC resilience. However, it is challenging to analyse different food supply resilience levels on a national scale given the high uncertainties in the key relevant elements (e.g. food supplies and transportation) influencing FSC resilience. This paper aims to develop a new method to assess FSC resilience at a country level by pioneering the combination of the two most relevant attributes, its production-to-supply ratio and shipping transport connectivity, used to present food supply security separately in the current literature. Within this context, food production and import distance affecting the connectivity of various food supplies are selected to estimate FSC resilience in this study. The findings, including a new index framework to assess national food resilience, significantly contribute to a country’s food security and the rational development of countermeasures and policies when necessary. To demonstrate the significance of the findings, the resilience of the UK FSC is first evaluated in a real case study, followed by a comparative study with Canada, Australia, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the FSCs of different countries. The findings of the studies can be used to monitor FSC resilience of the countries and provide rational policies for enhancing FSC resilience.

First genome assembly and annotation of Sanghuangporus weigelae uncovers its medicinal functions, metabolic pathways, and evolution.

Sanghuangporus, also known as "Sanghuang" in China, is a well-known genus of traditional Chinese medicinal macrofungi. To make more effective use of Sanghuangporus resources, we completed the first genome assembly and annotation of a monokaryon strain of S. weigelae in the present study. A 33.96-Mb genome sequence was assembled as 13 contigs, leading to prediction of 9377 protein-coding genes. Phylogenetic and average nucleotide identity analyses indicated that the S. weigelae genome is closely related to those of other Sanghuangporus species in evolutionary tree, which clustered in one clade. Collinearity analysis revealed a high level of collinearity of S. weigelae with S. baumii, S. vaninii, and S. sanghuang. Biosynthesis pathways potentially involved in medicinal properties, including terpenoid and polysaccharide synthesis, were identified in S. weigelae, while polysaccharides were identified as the main medicinal metabolites in S. weigelae, with flavonoids more important in Sanghuangporus than other medicinal mushroom groups. Genes encoding 332 carbohydrate-active enzymes were identified in the S. weigelae genome, including major glycoside hydrolases and glycosyltransferases predicted, revealing the robust lignocellulose degradation capacity of S. weigelae. Further, 130 genes, clustered in seven classes were annotated to encode cytochromes P450 in the S. weigelae genome. Overall, our results reveal the remarkably medicinal capacity of S. weigelae and provide new insights that will inform the study of evolution and medicinal application of S. weigelae. The data are a reference resource for the formulation of scientific and rational ecological protection policies for Sanghuangporus species.