Yancheng City Research Articles

Determinants of Intra-City Residential Migration Patterns of Older Adults: A GIS and Decision Tree Analysis of Yancheng City, China

This study investigates the spatial patterns of residential migration among older adults in the city center of Yancheng and the influencing factors using data on the home purchases of individuals aged 65 and older from 2016 to 2018, along with peripheral point of interest (POI) data, analyzed with ArcGIS and a decision tree model. The results indicated that persons aged 60–65 accounted for 42.8% of the total sample and primarily chose to migrate in the early stages of retirement. The intra-city migration of older adults exhibits both centripetal and centrifugal patterns, with a greater tendency toward the city center. House prices, floor levels, and commercial facilities significantly impact their choice of migration destinations. Among these, house prices were the most critical determinant, with the majority of older adults migrating to neighborhoods with lower house prices. This study contributes by integrating residential migration and location choice research and constructing an analytical framework based on facility accessibility. The findings provide insights into the key determinants of location choice for intra-city residential migration among older adults and the construction of livable neighborhoods for them.

Prediction of Ground Subsidence Induced by Groundwater Mining Using Three-Dimensional Variable-Parameter Fully Coupled Simulation

In order to predict the ground settlement in a scientific, intuitive, and simple way, based on the theory of Bio-consolidation, a three-dimensional fluid-solid coupled numerical calculation programme FGS-3D for ground settlement was compiled by using the Fortran 95 language, and a front-end operation platform was developed by using Microsoft VisualBasic, so that a three-dimensional variable-parameter fully coupled viscoelastic-plastic model of ground settlement was constructed using the city of Yancheng as an example, and the development of ground settlement and horizontal displacement changes from 2021 to 2030 were predicted. The results show that the three-dimensional fully coupled finite-element numerical model of building load, groundwater seepage, and soil deformation established by the above computer development program can directly create a hydrogeological conceptual model of groundwater mining and predict ground settlement, so as to achieve the visualisation of the three-dimensional seepage of groundwater and the fully coupled simulation of ground subsidence in the whole process of groundwater mining. Under the joint action of construction load and groundwater mining, the water level of the aquifer in Yancheng City rises by 1.26 m on average in the main groundwater mining area of the group III pressurised aquifer, forming two smaller landing funnels, and the lowest water level of the two landing funnels is −15 m.

Exploring Caregiving Burden and Family Resilience Among Caregivers of Young and Middle-Aged Stroke Survivors in China

Background: Stroke, characterized by high morbidity, disability, and mortality, has increasingly affected younger populations. In China, the proportion of strokes among individuals aged 40-64 has risen significantly. This study explored the caregiving burden and family resilience among caregivers of young and middle-aged first-stroke survivors, comparing caregivers of those with good versus poor functional outcomes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from January to June 2024, involving 119 family caregivers of stroke survivors from two tertiary hospitals in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, China. Data were collected using the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), and the Family Resilience Assessment Scale (FRAS-C). Independent t-tests and Pearson's correlation analysis were performed to examine differences in care burden and family resilience between caregiver groups. Results: Caregivers had an average ZBI score of 28.32±20.66, with 39.5% reporting no or minimal burden, 29.4% light burden, and 25.2% moderate burden. Caregivers of patients with mRS 0-2 had significantly lower care burdens (23.84 vs. 37.17, p<0.01) and higher family resilience (98.22 vs. 93.00, p<0.05) compared to those with mRS 3-5. Care burden was negatively correlated with family resilience (r=-0.243, p=0.008). Conclusion: Caregivers of young and middle-aged stroke survivors generally experienced mild to moderate care burden, while family resilience was moderate. Caregivers of survivors with better functional outcomes had lower care burdens and higher family resilience. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to support caregivers of survivors with poorer functional outcomes to enhance family resilience and reduce care burden.

Thalassospira aquimaris sp. nov. and Winogradskyella marincola sp. nov. two marine bacteria isolated from an agar-degrading co-culture.

Two novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, and non-motile strains, designated FZY0004T and YYF002T, were isolated from an agar-degrading co-culture, which was obtained from seawater of the intertidal zone of Yancheng City, the Yellow Sea of China. Strain FZY0004T optimally grew at 28°C, pH 7.0, and 2-6% NaCl, while strain YYF002T optimally grew at 28°C, pH 7.5, and 2-4% NaCl. Strain FZY0004T possessed Q-9 as the major respiratory quinone, and its major fatty acids (> 10%) were summed feature 8 (C18:1 ω7c), C16:0, and summed feature 3 (C16:1 ω7c/C16:1 ω6c). The polar lipids identified in strain FZY0004T were phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and several unidentified phospholipids (PL) and lipids (L). On the other hand, strain YYF002T had MK-6 as the predominant respiratory quinone and its major fatty acids consisted of iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1 G, and iso-C15:0 3-OH. The polar lipids identified in strain YYF002T were aminolipid (AL), PE, and several unidentified lipids. Strain FZY0004T shared 99.5% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and 90.1% average nucleotide identity (ANI) with T. povalilytica Zumi 95T, and strain YYF002T shared 99.2% 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity and 88.2% ANI with W. poriferorum JCM 12885T. The genomic DNA G + C contents of strains FZY0004T and YYF002T were 54.5% and 33.5%, respectively. The phylogenetic, phenotypic, and physiological characteristics permitted the distinction of the two strains from their neighbors, and we thus propose the names Thalassospira aquimaris sp. nov. (type strain FZY0004T = JCM 35895T = MCCC 1K08380T) and Winogradskyella marincola sp. nov. (type strain YYF002T = JCM 35950T = MCCC 1K08382T).

Accounting for the value of ecosystem assets: from value judgments to management needs—take Yancheng City as an example

Ecosystem assets form a significant portion of natural resource assets. Accounting for natural resource assets accurately interprets the theory of 'lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets'. This facilitates effective and unified management of ‘mountains, water, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and desert ecosystem’ and serves as a crucial bridge from qualitative understanding to the valuation of the theory of ecosystem services and from theoretical discussion to management practice. Yancheng is the only coastal ecological wetland city with world natural heritage on China’s 10,000-mile coastline integrating three green genes and biodiversity of ocean, forest, and wetland. Yancheng, selected as a study case, is an important ecological barrier and a treasure trove of ecological resources in the eastern coastal areas of China. The ecosystem service value of Yancheng City from 2019 to 2021 was calculated respectively. The income-capitalization method was used to divide the annual ecosystem service value by the bank loan interest rate in the same period to obtain the ecosystem asset stock value of the past 3 years. The value of ecosystem services in Yancheng City are classified to three parts based on their value attributes: first, ecological products with use value attributes that have already been realized; second, the value of those with use value attributes but have not yet been realized; and third, the value of support services with nonuse value attributes. By comparing the value components of supply, regulation, and cultural ecological products in Yancheng, the intensity of existing development and the potential for future growth of Yancheng ecosystem services are assessed. The Yancheng case shows that ecosystem asset value accounting is an practical assessment tool that transitions from value judgment to service management needs, which can provide a scientific basis for ecological environment management.

Immunogenicity, Safety, and Immune Persistence of One Dose of SARS-CoV-2 Recombinant Adenovirus Type-5 Vectored Vaccine in Children and Adolescents Aged 6-17 Years: An Immunobridging Trial.

Though children infected by SARS-CoV-2 generally experience milder symptoms compared to adults, severe cases can occur. Additionally, children can transmit the virus to others. Therefore, the availability of safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines for children and adolescents is crucial. A single-center, randomized, double-blind clinical trial was conducted in Funing County, Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province, China. Healthy children and adolescents were divided into two subgroups (6-12 years old or 13-17 years old) and randomly assigned to one of three groups to receive one dose of Ad5-nCoV (3 × 1010 vp/dose). Another group, aged 18-59, received one dose of Ad5-nCoV (5 × 1010 vp/dose) as the control group. At 28, 90, 180, and 360 days post-vaccination, we measured the geometric mean titer (GMT)/concentration (GMC) of neutralizing and binding antibodies against the prototype SARS-CoV-2 strain, as well as serum antibody levels against the BA.4/5 variant. We also evaluated the incidence of adverse events within 28 days post-vaccination. A total of 2413 individuals were screened from 3 June 2021 to 25 July 2021, of whom 2021 eligible participants were enrolled, including 1009 aged 6~17 years in the children and adolescent group and 1012 aged 18-59 years in the adults group. The GMT of anti-wild SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies was 18.6 (95% CI, 16.6-20.9) in children and adolescents and 13.2 (95% CI, 11.6-15.0) in adults on day 28. The incidence of solicited adverse reactions between the adult group (49.4% [124/251]) and the children and adolescent group (46.3% [156/337]) was not statistically significant. The neutralizing antibody levels decreased by a factor of 3.29 from day 28 to day 360 post-vaccination. A single dose of Ad5-nCoV at 3 × 1010 virus particles/dose is safe in children and adolescents, and it elicited significant immune response, which was not only non-inferior but also superior to that in adults aged 18-59 years.

Storage Scale Assessment of a Low-Impact Development System in a Sponge City

A sponge city is an established urban stormwater management approach that effectively reduces urban runoff and pollutant discharges. In order to plan and design, estimate costs, and evaluate the performance of urban sponge city systems, it is essential to calculate the storage scale. In this context, a sponge city storage scale and calculation method based on a multifactor spatial overlay was designed, utilising the starting area of the Dafeng Hi-tech Development Zone in Yancheng City, China, as an illustrative example. The indicators for assessing the impact of sponge city systems on river plain networks are constructed based on four aspects: land planning, building density, water surface rate and green space rate. The relative importance of each indicator was determined based on the necessity of controlling runoff from land parcels and the appropriateness of facility construction. The annual runoff control rate of the 39 low-impact development control units in the study area was calculated using ArcGIS through multifactor spatial overlay mapping and weighting. The results showed that (1) the Geographic Information System (GIS)overlay technology can effectively assist in the decomposition of LID scales; (2) data can be derived, including the design storage volume and other basic control scale indicators for each unit. The study results are expected to serve as a reference for the preparation of special low-impact development plans in the river plain network area of China and the promotion of the construction of a sustainable blue–green system in the city.

Multi-objective optimization for generative morphological design using energy and comfort models with a practical design of new rural community in China

In recent years, the development of new rural communities has emerged as a pivotal new trend in china, aimed at enhancing energy efficiency and residential comfort in rural regions. This study introduces a multi-objective optimization design framework for the morphological design of residential area, with a focus on performance objectives such as building energy use intensity, summer thermal comfort, and winter thermal comfort. A case study of a new rural community design project in Hongnan Village, Yancheng City, was conducted. Utilizing the Rhino-Grasshopper parametric platform, this study undertook parametric modeling, performance simulation, and multi-objective optimization to receive the Pareto-optimal solutions. ParetoResults indicate that in the Pareto-optimal morphology scheme for the Hongnan Village community, open spaces are predominantly located on the upwind side with respect to the prevailing summer winds of the site. The number of duplex houses is often 28, and the building orientations are predominantly aligned at 23°, mirroring the direction of the surrounding structures. There is a significant correlation between residential unit configuration, building spacing, and energy use intensity, with correlation coefficients of 0.53 and −0.43, respectively. This study would like to offer valuable insights into the energy-efficient design of new rural communities, thereby contributing to the creation of a more sustainable and habitable rural living environment.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coastal rivers in Jiangsu Province, China: Spatial distribution, source apportionment and human impacts

The ocean is the ultimate sink for all pollutants, rivers are important channels for land-based pollutants to enter the oceans. Riverine transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) to coastal seas in China poses environmental threats. This study examined the spatial and temporal distribution of PAHs in coastal rivers in Yancheng City in Jiangsu Province of China, with the aim of identifying their likely sources, concentrations, and influencing factors. Surface sediments were taken from the Xinyanggang River (XYR) and the Sheyang River (SYR). The concentrations of Ʃ16PAHs in river sediments were measured on average 477.05 ng/g dry weight (dw), with values varying from 2.18 to 6351.42 ng/g, indicating a moderate pollution level, with a dominance of high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs. The XYR exhibited significantly higher PAHs concentrations compared to the SYR. The key sources of PAHs were vehicle emissions (47.87%), coal and natural gas combustion (35.07%). Geographically weighted regression and redundancy analysis linked PAHs pollution to distinct land use patterns and socioeconomic indicators, highlighting urban land as the major contributor, driven by high urbanization and industrialization (70.91%). In XYR, industrial activities and transport emissions were major contributors, while in SYR, agricultural activities predominantly influenced PAHs pollution. Urgent mitigation strategies are needed to reduce PAHs pollution in river sediments, mitigating ecological and human risks associated with these contaminants.

文旅融合视域下盐城市红色文创产品设计研究

文旅融合视域下盐城市红色文创产品设计研究

Research on coordinated control optimization of adjacent intersections based on numerical solution

In order to improve the efficiency of traffic flow and reduce the delay of arterial intersections, a coordinated signal control method based on numerical solution is proposed. Firstly, considering the factors such as the shortest green time and saturation of a single intersection, the intersection delay model is established. Secondly, the traffic capacity of the trunk line is improved by optimizing the public cycle and the green ratio of each intersection. Finally, an optimization model with minimum delay as the optimization objective is constructed, and the signal coordination of arterial intersections is realized by taking Yancheng City as an example. The results show that the coordinated control model of adjacent intersections based on the numerical method can reduce the average vehicle delay of two-way vehicles, achieve the purpose of green wave coordinated control of road sections, and improve the road traffic capacity.

Potential land-use function conflicts of cultivated land for urban sustainable development: a case study in Yancheng City, China

IntroductionThe evaluation on the trade-off/synergy relationship of urban cultivated land-use function conflicts (CLUFCs) for improving the sustainability of cultivated land ecosystem is one of the solutions to coordinate the contradiction between land health and economic development and alleviate food crises, and achieve “zero hunger” in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).MethodsIn this study, Yancheng City was taken as the research object, and the cultivated land ecological function (CLEF) was evaluated by the morphological spatial pattern analysis-minimum cumulative resistance (MSPA-MCR) model from the perspective of multi-objective coordinated development of cultivated land, and cultivated land productive function (CLPF) was evaluated by net primary productivity (NPP). In addition, combined with local indications of spatial association (LISA) analysis, the spatial trade-off/synergy relationship between CLPF and CLEF was quantified and analyzed. The spatial principal co-coordinates-redundancy analysis (SPCoA-RDA) was used to explore the influencing factors and mechanisms of CLUFCs.ResultsThe results show that there are obvious spatial heterogeneity and aggregation distribution characteristics of CLUFCs in Yancheng City. Through SPCoA-RDA, it is found that the spatial differentiation of CLUFCs is the result of the combination of internal (population density, road network, and water network) and external (spatial spillover effect) driving factors.DiscussionBased on these results, the study area was divided into eight types of cultivated land suitability zones under four aggregation relationships of CLUFCs. Comprehensively considering production, CLUFCs were evaluated by socio-economic and geo-spatial statistical dates, and strategies for guiding the coordinated development and sustainable management of urban cultivated land had been put forward. This study can provide a theoretical framework and certain feasible suggestions for the sustainable development and the transformation of cultivated land system in agriculture cities.

An empirical approach for enhancing farmers' concentrated residence strategies: A case study in Jiangsu Province, China

The concentrated living of farmers is an important engine for rural revitalization and a new type of urbanization, thus is of great significance for the construction of a resource-saving society. Due to rapid economic development in China, some farmers have successfully urbanized through rural–urban migration, but still more than 500 million farmers, have not migrated yet. Concentrated residence has long been recognized as the best strategy to help Chinese farmers to achieve local urbanization, and has been paid much attention in the local, regional, national and global scientific community. Although robust models and policies are still lagging behind because of insufficient datasets and models. In this study, empirical model has been used in which concentrated residence cases of farmers in Yancheng City, Jiangsu Province of China taken as a case study, and strength (S), weakness (W), opportunities (O) and threats (T) as the criterion layer to identify 16 influencing factors as the index layer. For this study, data was collected during 2021 & 2022 by questioner-based survey from 6 different settlements, and AHP analytic hierarchy model integrated with SWOT was used to built farmers' concentrated residence strategies. The positioning coordinates of this study show the following weightage like S (0.480, 0), W (-0.098, 0), O (0, 0.306), and T (0, −0.116) which clearly mentions that S and O as positive influences, W and T as negative influences, and locates the respective total weights. Therefore, empirical results indicate that SO (growth-oriented) strategy should be emphasized to build robust strategies for concentrated residence of farmers. The findings of this study can provide a benign model for centralized residence for local governments, village collectives, and farmers withdrawing from homestead, and help to promote the sustainable development of society.

Research on water quality improvement of plain irrigation area based on multi-scenario simulation.

Water diversion projects have proven to be effective interventions to improve water quality in irrigation ditches. This study focused on quantifying the water quality improvement by utilizing a hydrodynamic water quality model in Funing County, Yancheng City. The model performed a spatial analysis of pollution concentrations across the study area. Various optimization scenarios were designed based on the diversion project and hydrological structure connectivity. The model was used to simulate changes in nutrient concentrations under different scenarios. The findings of this study were as follows: (1) Rural areas had lower nutrient concentrations and superior hydrological connectivity than urban areas. (2) The effect of water quality improvement correlated positively with increased flow rates introduced by the diversion project. Specifically, when the flow rate increased by 50%, the average reductions were 20% for NH4+, 5.2% for TN, and 5.1% for TP. Furthermore, introduced clean water led to more pronounced improvements in the overall regional water quality. (3) Although increasing the number of ditches improved water pollution concentration, the impact was not significant. (4) Model simulation results showed that 18 to 45% water diversion intensity effectively improved water quality, and the optimal water diversion intensity was 27 to 30%. The optimal water diversion intensities offered valuable insights for managing this region. The study's methods contributed to the promotion of sustainable development in regional water resources and the integrated management of the water environment.

Indoor environment in relation to recurrent childhood asthma in Yancheng, China: a hospital-based case-control study.

This investigation explored the association between indoor environmental factors and childhood asthma in Yancheng, China. Asthma case (201 children with recurrent asthma) and control cohorts (242 healthy subjects) were recruited from a Traditional Chinese Medical (TCM) Hospital in Yancheng city, based on the results of an ISAAC questionnaire. Questionnaires regarding environmental risk factors were completed by the child's primary caregivers. To compare data on environmental VOCs and formaldehyde contents between asthma and control cohorts, we passively conducted a 10-day indoor and outdoor sampling. Breastfeeding was a major protective indoor environmental factor for recurrent asthma (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 0.368, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.216-0.627). Our analysis revealed that childhood recurrent asthma was intricately linked to a family history of asthma. Recurrent asthma was also associated with passive smoking [aOR2.115 (95%-CI 1.275-3.508)]. Analogous correlations were observed between household renovation or new furniture introduction and recurrent asthma [aOR3.129(95%-CI1.542-6.347)]. Benzene and formaldehyde were present in all examined homes. Enhanced benzene and formaldehyde concentrations were strongly evident among asthma versus control cohorts, and they were strongly correlated with augmented recurrent asthma risk. Home environment heavily regulates incidences of childhood recurrent asthma. Hence, actions against the indoor environmental risk factors described in this study may assist in the prevention of recurrent asthma among children.

Exploring the Spatial Relationship between the Ecological Topological Network and Carbon Sequestration Capacity of Coastal Urban Ecosystems: A Case Study of Yancheng City, China

Improving the carbon sequestration capacity (CSC) of an ecosystem by optimizing urban ecological networks is one of the effective ways to achieve the goal of “carbon neutrality” in the world. The contradiction between the irreplaceable ecological function and economic development of Yancheng City is prominent. Therefore, taking Yancheng City as an example, this paper adopted the morphological spatial pattern analysis–minimum cumulative resistance (MSPA-MCR) model to establish the ecological network of Yancheng City in 2020 and combined it with complex network theory to evaluate its ecological base, network quality, and CSC. The results show that the ecological network of Yancheng City has obvious characteristics of coastal cities. There is a significant positive correlation between CSC and the clustering efficiency of ecological sources, and improving the clustering efficiency of vegetation and water ecological nodes is conducive to enhancing the CSC of ecological networks. In terms of functional restoration of ecological networks, four types of 13 ecological stepping stones and 12 ecological corridors have been designed to strengthen the connectivity and balance of the network, and the improvement of network robustness before and after optimization verifies that the optimization scheme is reasonable and effective. This study improved the optimization method of ecological networks in Yancheng City based on enhancing the CSC of ecological nodes, which provided a theoretical framework and practical reference for the realization of global strategic goals of carbon neutrality.

Evolution Patterns of Cooling Island Effect in Blue–Green Space under Different Shared Socioeconomic Pathways Scenarios

Blue–green space refers to blue space (rivers and lakes) and green space (lawns and trees), which have the cooling island effect and are increasingly acknowledged as a potential and effective way to help alleviate the urban heat island effect. Scientific and flexible blue–green space planning is required, especially for medium- and large-scale urban agglomerations in the face of climate change. However, the temporal evolution and spatial patterns of the cooling island effect in the blue–green space under different future scenarios of climate change have not been fully investigated. This would impede long-term urban strategies for climate change adaptation and resilience. Here we studied the relationship between future climate change and blue–green spatial layout with Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), based on the numerical simulation data of 15 global climate models under different extreme Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios. As a result, future changes in urban cooling island (UCI) magnitudes were estimated between historical (2015–2020) and future timelines: 2030s (2021–2040), 2050s (2041–2060), 2070s (2061–2080), and 2090s (2081–2100). Our results showed different land use types in blue and green space across the study area were predicted to present various changes in the next 80 years, with forest, grassland, and arable land experiencing the most significant land use transfer. The future UCI intensity of cities under SPP5-8.5 (12) was found to be lower than that under SPP2-4.5 (15), indicating that cities may be expected to experience decreases in UCI magnitudes in the future under SSP5-8.5. When there is no expansion of urban development land, we found that the conversion of different land use types into blue and green space leads to little change in future UCI intensity. While the area growth of forests and water bodies is proportional to the increase in UCI, the increase of farmland was observed to have the most significant impact on reducing the amplitude of urban UCI. Given that Huai’an City, Yancheng City, and Yangzhou City have abundant blue–green space, the urban cooling island effect was projected to be more significant than that of other cities in the study area under different SSP scenarios. The simulation results of the WRF model indicate that optimizing the layout of urban blue–green space plays an important role in modulating the urban thermal environment.

Henneguyosis: A novel threat to the exotic channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus cultivated in China

Channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus is a freshwater fish of economic importance and has been worldwide introduced for aquaculture purposes. China has become the main producer of channel catfish and also the primary casualty of significant economic loss caused by various contagious diseases. Hence, surveillance of the causative agents can contribute to catfish industry security. In this study, the branchial infections that emerged in the domesticated channel catfish were reported in China, and three species of Henneguya were each determined to be responsible for the infection in single locality. Among these, the species isolated from Zhijiang City exhibited multifocal infection on the gills. It showed elongated lanceolate myxospores measured 14.8 ± 0.9 (12.6–16.7) × 3.9 ± 0.3 (3.4–4.7) × 3.5 ± 0.2 (2.9–3.9) μm and was distinct from the measurement of other congeners. A blast search against all sequences available in the Genbank database showed that H. exilis of 97.35% identity is the highest similarity to the present species. Accordingly, we denominated the Zhijiang isolates as Henneguya extensa n. sp. The second species were pooled from the surface of the gill filaments of catfish specimen sampled from Anqing City, showing myxospores measured 14 ± 1.3 (11.6–16.6) × 3.6 ± 0.2 (3.1–4) × 3.1 ± 0.2 (2.8–3.6) μm. It was identified as a species novel to the science based on the characteristic morphology and morphometrics. Therefore, we denominated it Henneguya anqingensis n. sp. A heavy burden of plasmodia formed by the third species that is destructive to the gill integrity was encountered in Yancheng City. By the identical morphology and overlapping morphometrics, this species was assigned to be Henneguya postexilisMinchew, 1977 initially reported from the USA. A pairwise sequence comparison and an evolution divergence analysis indicated a conspecific nature of the American and Chinese populations of H. postexilis. Phylogenetic analysis placed H. extensa n. sp. and H. postexilis in a clade comprising species predominantly infecting Ictaluridae fish native to North America. Histologically, the aggressive propagation of both H. extensa n. sp. and H. postexilis in the gills elicited extensive lamellar deformation and conspicuous occupation in the respiratory areas, potentially imposing survival pressure by suffocating the infected fish. Overall, the emergence of the branchial Henneguyosis was determined and, as the population of Henneguya species increased by the dense anthropogenic activity, may threaten the channel catfish industry in China.

Globalised robust bilevel model for multi-commodity distribution and vehicle assignment in post-disaster rescue

Post-disaster rescue is the process of managing a series of actions such as commodity distribution and vehicle assignment, to alleviate the suffering of affected people and losses. However, finding the optimal strategy for post-disaster rescue is challenging due to the complexity arising from the hierarchical relationship and uncertainty. A bilevel globalised robust optimisation (GRO) model is built to formulate this joint multi-commodity distribution and vehicle assignment problem. The GRO method is adapted to find the robust solution for all uncertain parameter values by controlling the distance of the parameter from the normal perturbation set. The upper and lower level objectives, which reflect fairness and timeliness, are to minimise the unsatisfied demand and transportation time, respectively. We derive a tractable GRO model and employ Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions to reformulate the initial model as a single level one solved by CPLEX software. The application of the model is illustrated by a case study of a tornado. Computational results indicate that bilevel optimisation achieves a balance between fair distribution and timely response, and the GRO method can effectively resist uncertainty. Our optimisation approach is beneficial for managers to make efficient decisions in rescue activities. Highlights Uncertain demand and uncertain transportation cost are considered and characterised by perturbation sets. Fairness and timeness are considered simultaneously. A novel globalized robust bilevel optimisation model is proposed. The proposed model is transformed into a computationally tractable single level model, which can be solved by CPLEX. A case study about the tornado at Yancheng City is provided to illustrate the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method.

Understanding the effects of tree-crop intercropping systems on crop production in China by combining field experiments with a meta-analysis

CONTEXTTree-crop intercropping (TCI) systems have many environmental benefits in addition to providing direct economic benefits from trees and crops. An increasing number of field experiments have provided rich basic data on crop production in TCI systems in China. However, there are fewer quantitative analysis studies on a national scale. OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of TCI systems on crop production in China by combining field experiments with a meta-analysis, and to understand whether the results of the field experiments and the national scale meta-analysis are consistent. METHODSThis study consists of field experiments and a national-scale meta-analysis. In the field experiments, three TCI systems were designed with different tree species configurations in Dafeng District, Yancheng city, Jiangsu Province, China, to investigate their effects on the crop yield when compared with a sole cropping system. Furthermore, we conducted a meta-analysis of 36 studies with 94 comparisons in Chinese fields to examine the effects of TCI systems on crop yields and to explore how climatic conditions, crop species, tree species, and tree characteristics affect crop yields in TCI systems. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONIn the field experiments, TCI systems had negative effects on crop yield, and understory crop yield was affected by the tree species in the TCI systems; the crop yield in the three TCI systems was 18.9–32.2% lower than that in the sole cropping system. The meta-analysis results were consistent with those of the field experiments. In the national scale meta-analysis, TCI systems had negative effects on crop yields in China (effect size = −0.488, 95% CIs = −0.576 to −0.401), and the TCI systems decreased crop yields by 38.6% overall when compared with sole cropping systems. Furthermore, the effects of TCI systems on crop yields were different among regions, climatic conditions, crop species, tree species, and tree characteristics. TCI systems should be designed carefully considering local climates, crop species, tree species, and tree characteristics to maximize agronomic and environmental benefits. SIGNIFICANCEThis study has the potential to enhance our understanding of TCI systems in China by integrating field experiments and meta-analysis. These results can inform the development of more effective and sustainable agricultural practices.