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In ancient China, as the only transmission network, the postal system enabled long-distance delivery of information and supplies, providing information support for the development of ancient society. Delivery efficiency determined whether information and supplies could arrive at the fastest speed, reflected the level of regional transmission capacity, and served as an effective indicator for understanding the underlying logic of the postal system’s regional layout. In this study, the concept of accessibility was introduced into the regional layout analysis of the postal system, and a hierarchical evaluation model was constructed based on the AHP-CRITIC (Analytic Hierarchy Process – Criteria Importance Though Intercriteria Correlation) composite weighting method. Then, the accessibility of the postal system in three typical areas of coastal defense front-line, transportation hub, and administrative center was qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed, and the differential characteristics of their accessibility and regional layout were summarized, so as to explore the layout logic of the postal system during the Ming Dynasty.

The Covid-19 pandemic has placed unprecedented pressure on healthcare systems and workers around the world. Such pressures may impact on working conditions, psychological wellbeing and perception of safety. In spite of this, no study has assessed the relationship between safety attitudes and psychological outcomes. Moreover, only limited studies have examined the relationship between personal characteristics and psychological outcomes during Covid-19. From 22nd March 2020 to 18th June 2020, healthcare workers from the United Kingdom, Poland, and Singapore were invited to participate using a self-administered questionnaire comprising the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ), Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to evaluate safety culture, burnout and anxiety/depression. Multivariate logistic regression was used to determine predictors of burnout, anxiety and depression. Of 3,537 healthcare workers who participated in the study, 2,364 (67%) screened positive for burnout, 701 (20%) for anxiety, and 389 (11%) for depression. Significant predictors of burnout included patient-facing roles: doctor (OR 2.10; 95% CI 1.49–2.95), nurse (OR 1.38; 95% CI 1.04–1.84), and ‘other clinical’ (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.45–2.82); being redeployed (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.02–1.58), bottom quartile SAQ score (OR 2.43; 95% CI 1.98–2.99), anxiety (OR 4.87; 95% CI 3.92–6.06) and depression (OR 4.06; 95% CI 3.04–5.42). Significant factors inversely correlated with burnout included being tested for SARS-CoV-2 (OR 0.64; 95% CI 0.51–0.82) and top quartile SAQ score (OR 0.30; 95% CI 0.22–0.40). Significant factors associated with anxiety and depression, included burnout, gender, safety attitudes and job role. Our findings demonstrate a significant burden of burnout, anxiety, and depression amongst healthcare workers. A strong association was seen between SARS-CoV-2 testing, safety attitudes, gender, job role, redeployment and psychological state. These findings highlight the importance of targeted support services for at risk groups and proactive SARS-CoV-2 testing of healthcare workers.

Taking the traditional fort-type settlements in Shaanxi as the research object, quantitative research methods such as K-means clustering algorithm, correlation analysis, density analysis, and nearest neighbor index are used to study their spatial distribution, formation causes, and cluster characteristics. The objective of the study is to break through the geographical limitations of fort-type settlements research and to explore the scientific methods of classifying and analyzing traditional fort-type settlements. The conclusions are: (1) The results of cluster analysis show that the fort-type settlements in Shaanxi can be divided into three categories; (2) The overall distribution of fort-type settlements in Shaanxi shows multi-point aggregation, and contains both point and linear aggregation distribution; (3) There are four typical cluster systems among the traditional fort-type settlements in Shaanxi; (4) The factors that have the greatest influence on the distribution of settlements are construction force, wall masonry, age, fortification purpose, and topographic environment. The article innovatively proposes the \"cluster system\" perspective and introduces mathematical algorithms and quantitative research methods to study the cluster system of the fort-type Settlements. This approach is feasible and can be applied to other settlement-related studies. At the same time, the perspective of cluster system could be used in heritage conservation, which can contribute to the restoration of architectural relics and systemic conservation on a larger scale.

In ancient China, where was frequently troubled by invaders, the government set up many beacon towers for alerting and transmitting military information along the border and the coast. Many beacon sites still exist in some areas, which are generally located in dangerous places with high mountains and rough terrain, bringing great difficulties to archaeological discovery. Therefore, it is particularly important to develop a predictive model applicable to the distribution of mountain beacon sites. Taking 68 beacon sites found in Wenzhou as research samples, this study used the superimposed method of logistic regression and viewshed analysis, forming a high-precision, scientific and operational predictive model for the distribution of beacon sites, which was verified by the cross-validation method. The results showed that the beacon site predictive model simulated in this study could reduce the probability scope of site location by 90% compared with the common logistic regression predictive model, which greatly improved the accuracy and ability of site prediction. At the same time, it could also be used to understand the relationship between the known sites and their surroundings to assist in decision-making about conservation and management.

In ancient China, an unobstructed, convenient and efficient transmission system nationwide was established for long-distance transmission of information. The transmission system works to different degrees in different regions, which is an important index to measure the interregional information level. Yet, some minor differences, may not be easily sensed by people subjectively. Identifying and quantifying the influences of information transmission efficiency is the best way to solve this problem. Based on the historical information map visualized by ArcGIS software, this study established a hierarchy evaluation model suitable for the analysis of ancient information transmission efficiency from three aspects of Wei-Suo system, beacon system and post system. The information transmission systems in five different regions of Wenzhou in the Ming Dynasty were quantitatively explored respectively. The results break through the qualitative conclusions of the general studies, and find out that the overall information transmission efficiency of Wenzhou in Ming Dynasty was strong in coastal, northern and southern regions, but weak in inland and central regions, which was closely related to the geographical environment and military defense demands in coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty. The model is proven to greatly contribute to judging the spatial configuration of ancient information transmission system in different regions, and provides a new idea for the study on ancient information transmission system.

Human–environment interactions in antiquity were fundamentally shaped by environmental constraints, with spatial patterns of human construction works reflecting strategic resource optimization. This study employed Geographic Information System (GIS) and binary logistic regression (BLR) to analyze the siting principles of ancient postal buildings in Fujian, China, integrating related environmental factors of elevation, slope, relief amplitude, and distance to rivers. The results revealed significant spatial differentiation, with elevation exhibiting the strongest influence on siting preference, followed by slope, relief amplitude, and distance to rivers. Clustering patterns along coasts and rivers indicated a strategic balance between transmission efficiency and military defense needs. The applicability of the integrated GIS–BLR approach in studying the ancient postal system demonstrates its extensibility to other ancient settlement systems while offering insights for contemporary conservation practice and sustainable development.

The Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, as the longest artificial waterway in the world, preserves a significant number of water engineering facilities along its route. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, water transport of grain peaked, and these facilities played a crucial role in water resource management and navigation. To protect the historical value of the facilities, constructing a water engineering facility importance assessment model is crucial.In this study, the water engineering facilities in the Huitong River section were selected. Their Ming—Qing relationship network was built using UCINET6.769, and key indexes such as betweenness centrality were extracted for importance analysis. This study innovatively combines SNA, kernel density, and TOPSIS to build a comprehensive assessment system, first applied to cultural heritage protection, bringing new vitality to the field. The results indicate that compared to the Ming dynasty, the overall network scale of water engineering facilities in the Huitong River section expanded and became more dispersed during the Qing dynasty. Key facilities were primarily concentrated in the Northern Five Lakes and Nanyang Lake regions. Ultimately, the study produced a comprehensive ranking of the significance of water engineering facilities for both dynasties, revealing that the core facilities increased from 19 in the Ming dynasty to 31 in the Qing dynasty.

The effective protection and utilization of historical and cultural heritage in urban and rural areas are increasingly gaining public attention. Constructing a continuous and complete heritage spatial network is an important means for achieving holistic protection and utilization of heritage, and it is also a crucial approach to enhancing the overall connectivity of regional culture. How to construct a cultural heritage corridor is of great significance to the comprehensive protection of cultural heritage in historic urban areas. This study takes the cultural heritage of Tianjin’s historical urban areas as an example, uses the Minimum Cumulative Resistance (MCR) and Gravity Model (GM) to construct a cultural heritage corridor, and evaluates its suitability. This research enriches the theory of heritage conservation, aims to enhance the connectivity and integrity of cultural heritage, and provides a new perspective for the integrated development of regional culture and tourism in the process of activation and utilization.

The spatial layout of the coastal forts defense system of the Ming Dynasty of China has been studied in a relatively comprehensive way. Nonetheless, ancient defense mechanisms have not been fully revealed. Previous studies have focused more on the macro and meso levels. Studies into its microscopic construction mechanism need to be enhanced. This research attempts to quantify and validate the rationality of the ancient microscopic defense mechanism, using the ancient defense mechanism of Pu Zhuang Suo-Fort in Zhejiang Province as an instance. This study concentrates on the distribution of firepower strength beyond the walls of coastal defense forts, as well as the effect of wall height on firepower defense capabilities. There is a specific firepower attenuation area near the walls due to the firing blind area in the coastal forts defense system. And the construction of the moat plays an additive role in its defensive capability. Meanwhile, the height of the fort wall will also affect the range of the firing blind zone under Yangmacheng. In theory, there is a reasonable height range of the wall and a proper position of the moat. This height range can meet both good economy and defensive capabilities. In turn, the position of the moats and the height of the walls can verify the rationality of the construction mechanism of the coastal forts’ defense system.

Defensive capability is one of the essential attributes of traditional military settlements. In the Ming dynasty, coastal Wei fort was the one of the most functionally complex and wide-ranging fortifications in the military defense system of China. Because many factors affect their defensive capacities, including three dimensions: individual construction, synergistic links, and regional jurisdiction, it is not easy to compare different settlements’ defensive capacities or to judge the degrees of different factors’ influences. Through principal component analysis, this study determines the weights of each minor factor. It constructs a model for evaluating traditional Chinese military settlements’ defensive capabilities, to quantify the defensive capability. The results show that the synergistic relationship between the settlements, especially settlement accessibility, has the most significant impact on defensive capability, much higher than a single castle's defensive construction. The defensive capability index of the Wei forts in Guangdong is the highest, consistent with the highest rate of victory in the wars fought on the coast during the Ming dynasty. The defensive capacity is directly proportional to the rate of victory, which validates this evaluation model’s soundness. This study not only comprehensively evaluates the coastal Wei forts’ defensive capacity in the Ming Dynasty, but also provides new methods for the quantitative or comparative analysis of military settlements at other temporal and spatial scales.